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Heroes of Horseshoe Creek #2
McCullen's Secret Son
HIS CHILD'S LIFE WAS ON THE LINE—AND TIME WAS RUNNING OUT…
Sexy-as-sin rodeo star Brett McCullen is Willow James Howard's past. But when her estranged husband is killed and her son kidnapped, she's forced to accept help from the man who broke her heart. Little does Brett know that the very child he's trying to rescue is his own flesh and blood—the result of a fling years earlier. He can't deny his rising desire at Willow's reappearance…even as he struggles to forgive her secret. But with the ransom deadline looming, Brett must go to extremes to save the family he never knew he wanted…
Sexy-as-sin rodeo star Brett McCullen is Willow James Howard's past. But when her estranged husband is killed and her son kidnapped, she's forced to accept help from the man who broke her heart. Little does Brett know that the very child he's trying to rescue is his own flesh and blood—the result of a fling years earlier. He can't deny his rising desire at Willow's reappearance…even as he struggles to forgive her secret. But with the ransom deadline looming, Brett must go to extremes to save the family he never knew he wanted…
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 18, 2015
67 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
Rita Herron
324 books944 followersUSA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. But she didn’t think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a teacher instead. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job.
With over ninety books to her credit, she’s penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy and YA novels, but she especially likes writing dark romantic suspense and crime fiction set in small southern towns.
For more on. Rita and her titles, visit her at www.ritaherron.com. You can also find her on www.Facebook/ritaherron.com and Twitter.com/ritaherron.
With over ninety books to her credit, she’s penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy and YA novels, but she especially likes writing dark romantic suspense and crime fiction set in small southern towns.
For more on. Rita and her titles, visit her at www.ritaherron.com. You can also find her on www.Facebook/ritaherron.com and Twitter.com/ritaherron.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 16, 2020
I liked this romantic suspense with plenty of action but it was threaded so full of ruminating about all the hero's women or if the heroine should have told him. It got very repetitive and annoying. However, I was surprised by who the bad guy was. Willow's son is kidnapped and she's told not to go to the police so she calls her old friend Brett.
August 15, 2015
Very good book with action from the beginning and a couple with a second chance to get it right. Brett has returned to Pistol Whip for two reasons, first to make peace with his dying father, and second to decide what to do with his future. He's been on the rodeo circuit for twelve years and his body has about had enough, but he's not sure what's next. Then his father tells him that he's sorry for splitting up Brett and his girlfriend Willow, and that he's worried about Willow because of her husband. He makes Brett promise to check up on her.
Willow is aware that Brett is home for a visit, but she tries to avoid seeing him. They had been in love during high school, but she knew he wanted more than being stuck on the ranch, so she wasn't surprised when he left. She saw him again five years ago and they had one passionate night together, then he disappeared back to the rodeo circuit. When she discovered she was pregnant, she didn't contact him, not wanting to trap him in a situation he didn't ask for. Instead, she married another man, one who seemed charming and caring, only to discover that he was abusive, controlling and unfaithful. They've been separated for three years and she had just gotten him to agree to a divorce when she came home to discover that he'd been murdered in her house and her son had been kidnapped. Told not to contact police, Brett is the only person she feels she can turn to.
When Brett responds to Willow's hysterical phone call, he's horrified by what he finds in her house. He knows he should call the sheriff, who is also his brother, but knowing that her son could die if he does, he agrees to help cover it up until they can rescue Sam. The descriptions of what they did were vivid enough that I felt I was there, and could feel Willow's terror for the safety of her son. I loved Brett's protectiveness as he took care of Willow and promised that they would find Sam. Willow feels tremendous guilt over not telling Brett about Sam, but she still keeps her secret, fearing that he would be too angry with her to continue to help.
I really enjoyed seeing how Brett and Willow found their way back to each other. Brett had never forgotten his feelings for her, but believing that she had moved on, he hadn't tried to see her again after that one night. He had taken advantage of his rodeo stardom to drown his memories of her with booze and rodeo groupies, but finally realized that it didn't help. Being near her again showed him that he was ready to move on to a new stage in life and that he wanted Willow to be part of it even before he knew the truth. When he found out about Sam, he was afraid that Willow hadn't told him because she didn't think he would be a good father. I loved seeing how happy he was to be a dad and how quickly he and Sam took to each other. Willow had admitted to herself that she had never really loved her husband but had been looking for the stability of a family of her own. Being near Brett again shows her that she had never stopped loving him, but she doesn't believe that he'll ever want to settle down. She doesn't want to trap him, so she doesn't say anything to him about her feelings. I loved the ending and seeing how everything worked out.
The mystery itself, of why Sam had been kidnapped and what the kidnappers wanted was really good. I could feel Willow's fear and desperation as they tried to find Sam. The steps they took to try to find out who was behind it only intensified the danger they were in. For total amateurs they were pretty good investigators. There was an interesting twist at the end with the identity of one of the kidnappers that I didn't see coming. The scene at the mine was really scary, but did bring Brett and his brothers closer together. It had a satisfactory resolution.
Willow is aware that Brett is home for a visit, but she tries to avoid seeing him. They had been in love during high school, but she knew he wanted more than being stuck on the ranch, so she wasn't surprised when he left. She saw him again five years ago and they had one passionate night together, then he disappeared back to the rodeo circuit. When she discovered she was pregnant, she didn't contact him, not wanting to trap him in a situation he didn't ask for. Instead, she married another man, one who seemed charming and caring, only to discover that he was abusive, controlling and unfaithful. They've been separated for three years and she had just gotten him to agree to a divorce when she came home to discover that he'd been murdered in her house and her son had been kidnapped. Told not to contact police, Brett is the only person she feels she can turn to.
When Brett responds to Willow's hysterical phone call, he's horrified by what he finds in her house. He knows he should call the sheriff, who is also his brother, but knowing that her son could die if he does, he agrees to help cover it up until they can rescue Sam. The descriptions of what they did were vivid enough that I felt I was there, and could feel Willow's terror for the safety of her son. I loved Brett's protectiveness as he took care of Willow and promised that they would find Sam. Willow feels tremendous guilt over not telling Brett about Sam, but she still keeps her secret, fearing that he would be too angry with her to continue to help.
I really enjoyed seeing how Brett and Willow found their way back to each other. Brett had never forgotten his feelings for her, but believing that she had moved on, he hadn't tried to see her again after that one night. He had taken advantage of his rodeo stardom to drown his memories of her with booze and rodeo groupies, but finally realized that it didn't help. Being near her again showed him that he was ready to move on to a new stage in life and that he wanted Willow to be part of it even before he knew the truth. When he found out about Sam, he was afraid that Willow hadn't told him because she didn't think he would be a good father. I loved seeing how happy he was to be a dad and how quickly he and Sam took to each other. Willow had admitted to herself that she had never really loved her husband but had been looking for the stability of a family of her own. Being near Brett again shows her that she had never stopped loving him, but she doesn't believe that he'll ever want to settle down. She doesn't want to trap him, so she doesn't say anything to him about her feelings. I loved the ending and seeing how everything worked out.
The mystery itself, of why Sam had been kidnapped and what the kidnappers wanted was really good. I could feel Willow's fear and desperation as they tried to find Sam. The steps they took to try to find out who was behind it only intensified the danger they were in. For total amateurs they were pretty good investigators. There was an interesting twist at the end with the identity of one of the kidnappers that I didn't see coming. The scene at the mine was really scary, but did bring Brett and his brothers closer together. It had a satisfactory resolution.
March 14, 2017
I really liked this book. Willow made some poor choices and trusted a guy she never really even knew. She just didn't want to be alone and raise a child. She didn't want to be a single mother. I think it was wrong of her not to even tell Brett that she was pregnant. She didn't even give him a choice if he wanted to be in his child's life before claiming some other guy to be the child's father. She never even told him while they were trying to get little Sam back. That was my main problem with the book. She may have had her reasons but it was still wrong in my opinion.
There was one part that was written in Sam's point of view that made him seem older than when his age was written to be. All in all it was a great book that I couldn't seem to put down. I got on the internet to find the whole series after reading this one.
There was one part that was written in Sam's point of view that made him seem older than when his age was written to be. All in all it was a great book that I couldn't seem to put down. I got on the internet to find the whole series after reading this one.
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January 12, 2016"...Herron works magic by spinning another intriguing tale in her new miniseries. The scene where Brett realizes that he has a son will steal your heart" (RT Book Reviews).
Miniseries: The Heroes of Horseshoe Creek
Miniseries: The Heroes of Horseshoe Creek
June 20, 2016
Pretty good series. Enjoy the enter action between the main characters. I like that they are trying to work there issues not only the h/h but his siblings. Like also the mystery that has been there form the first book, can't wait to see the out coming.
July 11, 2015
Loved it can't wait for Ray's story.
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January 12, 2016Miniseries: The Heroes of Horseshoe Creek
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews