Midnight Roots

by Yolanda Olson

When I moved to Ironhaven I thought that things would get better, and for a while they did.

I managed to find work on a ranch, see the world for what it really was and not from the horrors that I remembered.

But the terrors came back, only in the guise of nightmares instead of walking daydreams.

Until I saw her.

Until I wanted her.

I have to convince her that I’m not a bad guy.

I have to convince her to give me a chance.

That talking to strangers isn’t the worst thing that could happen.

Ignoring them is.

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 18, 2024

About the author

Yolanda Olson is a USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author. Born and raised in Bridgeport, CT where she currently resides, she usually spends her time watching her favorite channel, Investigation Discovery.

Occasionally, she takes a break to write books and test the limits of her mind. Also an avid horror movie fan, she likes to incorporate dark elements into the majority of her books.

You can keep in touch with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Reviews

[Amy Voce · Rating 5 out of 5]

“ɪᴛ's ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴏғ ᴀ ʀɪᴛᴜᴀʟ ʟᴀᴛᴇʟʏ. ᴍɪᴅɴɪɢʜᴛ sʜᴏᴡᴇʀs. ᴍɪᴅɴɪɢʜᴛ ʟᴀᴜɴᴅʀʏ. ᴍɪᴅɴɪɢʜᴛ ʜᴏᴘᴇʟᴇssɴᴇss. ᴍɪᴅɴɪɢʜᴛ ʀᴇɢʀᴇᴛs.”

Ahh, I fricking loved Midnight Roots so, so much. This is Yolanda's part in Silver Creek Ranch, an interconnected series, where military veterans haunted by the horrors of their past have come to seek solace in ranch life. And make a new future for themselves in the sleepy town of Ironhaven.

Heston is visited in the midnight hours by the demons that plague his mind. Trapped in a ritual of broken sleep, and cleansing away remnants of his night terrors. He lives a life of solitude on the ranch, where he's worked for a few years, taking on duties for Mr. Harvey, he's managed to carve out a humble existence.

Local bar & grill—Catch + Candle—where Heston frequents, when he decides to leave the ranch, and grace close friend Cecelia, who works there, with his presence.

Dillon, is new to Ironhaven, looking for a fresh start away from the dangers that lurk in the dark corners of the city. Intrigued by the lone man that enters Catch + Candle.

But Dillon is about to learn, that not all nightmares come in sleep, some come masquerading as your real-life walking dream.

“sᴏᴍᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴏɴᴇ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍs ᴏғ ᴛᴜʀɴ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴄʟᴇᴠᴇʀʟʏ ᴍᴀsǫᴜᴇʀᴀᴅɪɴɢ ɴɪɢʜᴛᴍᴀʀᴇs.” -ʏᴏʟᴀɴᴅᴀ ᴏʟsᴏɴ, ᴍɪᴅɴɪɢʜᴛ ʀᴏᴏᴛs

[Steph's Romance Book Talk · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 22% / 1 Stars / 0 Steam Fans

Nope, nope, NOPE!! This was not a book that fits into this series! All the other books I've read give tortured military member that finds their peace through love. Now that may very well happen; HOWEVER, I can not get past an MMC that treats his partners like trash.

This is the paragraph that did me in: "I remember the war, the torture that the other men and I did on the prostitutes. ... We had a wine bottle break in a girl's p*ssy once, and she bled out."

YUUUUMMMM, NOPE, I'M OUT!! Good for those that made it through bc WOW, as a veteran, that type of behavior is deplorable, and I could NEVER find that behavior romantic.

Read in Week 14: Mar 30 – Apr 5, 2025. Video book reviews available on my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk (https://www.youtube.com/@stephsromanc...) and TikTok: Steph's Romance Book Talk

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too short! He's a mysterious rancher, who most people stay clear of. She's new to town and trying to have a fresh start. She's intrigued by him and wants to get to know him better. He's been just as drawn to her, but he makes sure to keep the real him hidden... until he's ready to show his true colors. This is more of a novella than full novel so it's cuts right to the chase. You get a glimpse of his true character, but he's still somewhat a mystery to the readers. What his true intentions are towards the girl he's deemed The One. There are filthy things that happen (and not all the good kind of filth.) I wish we learned more about the girl's background. It made her a little mysterious too, but not in an intentional way. We know she's had some bad luck in the past, thus why she's trying to start a new life, but I kept expecting to hear more about that, or maybe find out she's as dark as he is behind her innocent mask. It ends in a way that leaves you wanting more. Wanting to see how it all plays out. This book is part of a series featuring different authors centered around ex-military men (whom each have some sort of PTSD) and are trying to 'reform' and find themselves at the Silver Creek Ranch. (Though the 'The Silver Creek Ranch' is in a different location for each book.) Each book features a different couple. Going by the blurbs, this one is darker than the others appear to be (but I have not read any others to know for certain.) If you are familiar with this author's work, you should know some of what to expect. There is sexual content, and due to this and the subject matter, this is suitable for mature readers.

[Pitch Black J · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off Heston was not what I expected. The way this character was written with PTSD factor and other memories is well written. I don’t think they realize just how a person can suffer from Military experience. I also think the trigger warning explains what type of read you are walking into. This is horror romance and Heston though he has his qualms is also sympathetic in his own way.

With that being said don’t make something so easily afforded for Heston. He likes the work it takes. All he really wants is someone to quiet the storm inside. Someone that can take away his terrors. Dillion is the good beautiful girl Heston deserves.
I think they make a good fit. I love the way Dillion enjoys Heston’s line of work which also makes them a good fit.

All in all Dillion just wants happiness and Heston wants his peace. Everything has worked out the way it should.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Midnight Roots

🚨 Please make sure to read the trigger/content warnings 🚨

Do not come into this looking for a cutesy cowboy love story. There is no HEA here.

Heston is plagued by night terrors and flashbacks of his time in the service. He did some terrible things, but he had too. He had to protect his family. Now those ghosts haunt him. Heston seems to get caught in a loop that he keeps reenacting. Now his demons have their sights set on Dillon.

Dillon just wanted a fresh start and this sleepy small town looks like as good a place as any. She gets herself a job and now a handsome rancher is flirting with her. Things are looking up.

I loved Dillon’s optimism and her resilience. We don’t find out why she left Austin, but she is determined to not go back and create a better future for herself.

The cute little flirting Dillon and Heston do at the start is so sweet. They are both kinda shy and unsure if the other is interested. Heston knows how to treat a lady and takes her on a perfect date.

Heston absolutely knows his way around a woman’s body and was more to ensure Dillon was a shaking mess when he was done with her.

This is short and I would love to know where the story goes with Heston and Dillon.

Very dark look at the effects of PTSD and what living with it can do to a person and all those around them.

Part of the Silver Creek Ranch series:
1. Wrangling Her Cowboy
2. Owned By The Rancher
3. Cowboy’s Healing Heart
4. Reuniting With The Rancher
5. The Rancher’s Home
6. Healing Her Cowboys
7. The Wrangler Takes a Wife
8. Midnight Roots

Available in KU for all your gruff cowboy pleasure!

[Shabby -BookBistroBlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course it stuns you senseless it's the least you can expect from Yolanda. She's definitely not shy of making her readers squirm with gruesome imagery and physical torture, in great detail
The book is a plot setting for a PTSD army veteran, his demons piggyback riding him from the war.
They relentlessly plague his nightmares , spurring them into exacting cathartic mayhem like pent up stress
Only victims are innocent girls who work at town Cafe Catch +Candle in Ironhaven. It's ironic, cause Heston is like a bright light which attracts innocent girls like moths to a flame.

"There is prey and predator, and I'm not the one being hunted. 
I never am. I hunt. No. I trap.
I lure in and trap."

Dillon is the latest naive girl to walk in Heston's trap, like a fly
Wonder what and how much cece knew?
Anyhoo, read at your discretion,I happen to love this crazy chica whose imagination needs a hazard warning in every prologue
Buckle Up For 4 lashes
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[Eunice Hayward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good evening, darklings,

So, you’re out camping, middle of the night, and BAM—this book drops. What do you do? You gobble it up by the water’s edge, naturally. Fitting, since it’s about cowboys and ranch life, right? But if you’re expecting some sweet, simple cowboy romance, *bless your heart*. Think again! This is Yolanda we’re talking about, folks—her name alone should have you trembling with excitement or dread (take your pick).

Do I have questions? Always. Do I get answers? Of course not. But here’s what I can tell you: Heston’s wrestling with some demons as an ex-army badass, and Dillon’s on the run from her past. Still not hooked? How about an unconventional torture device? Yeah, now you’re interested.

Go read it, or don’t. I’m not your mother.
Yours in madness,
E

[Dawnreya · Rating 4 out of 5]

" I'll make you do more than shake," I promise. And it is a promise.

If you are looking for an interracial cowboy erotica horror that will leave you gasping then this book is for you. Coming in under 250 pages, Ms. Olson definitely gave her spin to book 8 in The Silver Creek Ranch Book series.

We are introduced to Heston who is working on the ranch while tryng to run away from his past. While stopping into his favorite restaurant, he comes across a new face and becomes intrigued. Dillion is running from her past and lands in a small town called Ironhaven. While looking for a job, she comes across a man that catches her eye and begins to think this town might have a lot to offer her.

This book definitely kept me engaged until the very end. Since it was announced in her facebook group, she had me hooked. If you are familiar with her work ( i.e. The inferno series) , I would suggest to go in blind because it is soo much better that way. If you aren't familiar, I would read the TWs on the first couple of pages and also read between the lines because this isn't for the faint at heart. It definitely deserved 4 stars and I wanted more.

[Nayeli Gonzalez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Midnight roots by Yolanda Olson

This story will leave you in a cliffhanger and with a lot of questions unanswered. I read this as a standalone. Which i just noticed, it’s a series. But every story is written by different authors, which is cool. Regarding this story I don’t know how to feel about it. I’m between liking it and not liking it. I think I just need to continue with the next book of this story to make a final conclusion of what I think about this story. The male character creeps me out and I don’t like that. I liked the female character but I didn’t love her. The author was very secretive about both characters lives and past. Although, we do get to know more about the male and why he is how he is. This story gives me vibes of a horror story rather than a dark romance.

[A.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hunt.
No. I trap.
I lure in and trap.

This story is part of a series featuring different authors all focus around ex-millitary men living with some sort of PTSD and are trying to find themselves through The Silver Creek Ranch and find their significant other (or are they)?

We follow a dark and mysterious rancher Heston (which keeps in hiding his true self) and Dillion (the new naive girl in town).

If you’re familiar with this author then you know you’re in for a ride and not for that cozy sweet kind of spicy cowboy romance.

Buckle up for some dark, pitch black spicy-ness. Is there a torture device in the story? Maybe? Go read it.

Check trigger warnings

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unsettled and uncomfortably between genres

"Midnight Roots" by Yolanda Olson is very dark, but not in the way I typically enjoy with a dark romance (there is plenty of spicy and the other books in the series are firmly romance). It's not the creepy suspense that I appreciate in horror stories, nor does it fit the style of a thriller or crime novel. While it includes elements from all these genres, none fully dominate the narrative. The ending leaves the main male character's status unresolved, making this short book feel unsettling and awkwardly caught between genres. I'm torn about my feelings towards it.

[Lisa Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awww man I didn't expect this I could not put this down it grabbed me right from the start. Heston intrigued me the quiet one, the bachelor from a little old town called Ironhaven the Veteran who lives his nightmares and ghosts every night and now has his sights on the new waitress Dillon who is the sweetest but all alone in the world.

I was shocked, surprised and thrown for a loop what a twist that had my heart pounding it went all the way I never guessed it would. I wish there was more . All I can say is Heston is good and sly i would have believed him. I loved it so much.

[Antoinette · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a read!!!!

I am a huge fan of Yolanda, and I was so looking forward to this. Heston is a vet suffering from PTSD and night terrors. Dillon is new to Ironhaven looking for a new start. She is attracted to Heston and the feeling is mutual.
This book is amazing in true Yolanda style, and of course left me wanting more.

Please if you are not familiar with Yolanda's work read the trigger warring, as she is an amazing author het style of writing is not for everyone

[Valeria Mayes · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t like the book at all. I thought she would end up healing him in a good way like in all the other Silver Creek Ranch books. I knew as I read the chapters that Heston had demons, but I thought Dillon would be his angel and not that he would do what he did to her. I also should’ve known that Dillon’s new boss was in on it and knew what type of no-good person Heston really was. I will never read anything else by this author. This was the first book of hers I ever read and it is the last.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! 🫨 I wonder how will Dillon behave once Heston returns the next morning? It will be better for her in the long run if she can push past being horrified, angry or afraid! I hate that these men never receive the help that they surely need after the inhumane acts that may comprise their time in service to their country. I saw a real life story of one such person on one of the real crime channels and things did not end well for that person! 😵‍💫 Even worse for the women!

[Lindy Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT!!!!!!

This story just threw me all the way off. Of the last 7 books I just read, it is so disturbing and well written. You will not think that Heston is so sadistic and normal at the same time , a real Ted Bundy type . Like the things he and his Unit did was out there. He needs phycology help.

[Shawna R · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think that is a one and done for me

Yeah this one was def not for me. I know war is horrible and people come back changed for ever, but I will never read this author again. I skipped ahead hoping for a better ending, but no. Each to their own. I will def try to burn this out of my memory.

[CRYS · Rating 1 out of 5]

WUT…

I love this book series but this one was off the chart. The darkness & sadistic nature of this character was too much to bear. When I got to chapter eleven & he didn’t seem to be rehabilitated, I gave up. This guy was vile & volatile. Maybe the author’s other books are better but, this one for me did not fit into the rehabilitative nature of this series of books.

[Andrea Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crap I didn’t know what I was getting myself into with this book! This book was intense & spicy on a whole other realm. I like dark books like this but other people are super sensitive. So beware. He comes off as a good guy in the beginning, but he is hiding some brutal brutal demons. Still recommend bc I actually enjoyed it lol.

[Dena Coles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heston is ex- military gone sweet, quiet rancher, Dillon is a big city girl just wanting a calm, quiet, stress- free little life. Enter the psychological excavation of your brain. This is a must read if you want a quick, little bit spicy psychological thrill.

[Sophie Ruthven · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been awhile since I've read this author.
This was a quick, dark and dirty read that'll keep you guessing after the last page.
While this wasn't plot based as such, the character arcs will keep you entertained throughout.

[Denise Anderson-Warren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan

I understand there's a genre for this type of horror, suspense, and torture story. However, I don't think type of book fits with this specific series. A disappointing way to end this series.

[Katherine Dougherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Demons

The story was so interesting and so different. The FMC is sweet and lovely. She catches the eye of the town’s local rancher who keeps to himself. She has no idea that demons are coming for her and they are closer than she ever imagined.

[Gwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a fan

Up until this point I enjoyed this series. This book was very disturbing. All the other books had a happy ending.

[FreyaJo · Rating 5 out of 5]

the shed

I read the book because it was a part of the series. It is well written but not my cup of tea.

[Katrina Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg, Yolanda Olson, you did it again. I did not see that ending. The whole book was so good but that ending. Of course I love Heston. I really hope there is more, because you can just leave it hanging like that. 😂 Must read 🖤