Diana is a successful lawyer for the cowboys and ranchers in the small town she's settled in. She's carved a life out for herself, and is doing well until ghosts from her past catch up to her, and she has nowhere to run but the cowboys of Hallow Ranch.
*****
I loved the last book in this series, but this one just didn't hit in the same way. Diana and Mag's chemistry seemed to rely on over a decade of extremely brief intersections of their paths. Almost no dialogue was shared except for a few instances over that time, and they often didn't see each other for at minimum 3-6+ months, and usually from afar. This made it feel as if their current desperate love for each other just didn't make sense.
More than once Diana admits she knows absolutely nothing about Mags, and we see interactions where he's commanding, controlling, possessive and yelling at her to just fucking listen, and I was left wondering how she fell for him. Especially with her recovering from controlling parents, and a mentally, emotionally and physically abusive ex, you'd think he'd be softer for her, not replicate their behaviour.
Instead he snaps at her, demands from her, rejects her, and it all apparently makes her nipples hard. I couldn't rationalize the way he treated her with any kind of affection. It was so much possession that for some reason didn't hit the same as I'd usually feel in a solid dark MMC, and I was left not buying into their connection. I think if we'd had more of his past in general vs brief explanations towards the end, it would have helped connect with him better, but they both felt flat and like they were slotted into the existing storyline instead of really delved into as unique characters themselves.
Once they were finally together it felt weird and like they were desperately trying to keep each other instead of actually in love. The pet names, declarations of devotion, all of it felt odd based on how the rest of the book played out.
All in all, this one just didn't hit for me. I don't think the story was poorly done, I just didn't believe in the love between Diana and Mags, and that suspended the novel for me. I do think others will love it though if they can feel the vibe between them.
*****
Thank you to The Author Agency for the digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.