4.5★s
Thirty nine year old Grady Ryan was in charge of the local police station in his home town of Deepwater Valley; apart from his time in Sydney at the Police Academy, he had lived there all his life. The Ryan farm was well known in the area – his mother Beth was the town’s local organiser; she took everyone under her wing and was greatly loved by the townsfolk. When Beth knew there was a new vet arriving in the town, she was determined that her eldest son, Grady would be paired up with her.
Lara Williams had had a rough few months; her decision to leave Sydney after her divorce and bring her daughter Joanne to the little town of Deepwater Valley was a tough one, but one she believed would be the best for both their futures. Her veterinary skills were second to none, and as the town had been without a vet for several months, she had no trouble procuring the job. But she didn’t expect to have to rescue her troubled daughter the very day they arrived. And from a police cell no less…
As Lara and Jo began to settle into the small town routine; Lara in the vet clinic and Jo at the local school, Lara was in despair for her confused and tormented twelve year old daughter. The effects of the past seemed deeper than she had realized. But the friendliness of Beth; of Grady and his siblings meant Lara and Jo began to feel part of the community - until suddenly things went horribly wrong…
Grady found his feelings deepening for Lara, but he also realized there was something Lara was hiding; something that was causing danger to mother and daughter and he was determined to get to the bottom of it before anyone was hurt.
Grady is book one in the Outback Heritage series, and I really enjoyed it. A romantic suspense novel with a mixture of family, friendships and love; it also has a tense plot that concludes in a satisfying way. I look forward to the next in this series by Aussie author Ann B. Harrison and have no hesitation in recommending Grady to all lovers of this genre.
With thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.