Misadventures with a Country Boy begins with Cole Timmons on a cross-country trip to Oregon to see his best friend, Jimmy. He's trying to put as much distance between himself and his hometown in Georgia. He thought after he got out of the Army that things would be different, but they weren't. He makes a stop at a gas station along the way and encounters a young woman seemingly in need of help, or, at least a ride.
Brooke Devereaux is in a hurry to get to.......well, she doesn't quite know where. All she knows is that she wants to get as far away from Pennsylvania as she can. When she encounters a stranger at a gas station in Kansas who offers to help, she is immediately wary, but he doesn't seem to recognizer her, which is a plus. Add to that he's headed west, and the fact that she needs a ride, and she reluctantly accepts his offer. What begins as a guarded friendship eventually turns into a tentative friendship. Cole seems to be a good guy, but Brooke knows that can just be for show. He also seems to have some secrets himself, and that suits Brooke just fine. However, when secrets are revealed and withheld facts come to light, will the two of them do what they do best and run? Or with they have the courage to stand up to the road blocks in their lives?
Misadventures with a Country Boy is the second book I've read in the Misadventures series. It is nicely written and the characters are engaging. Yes, there was instant attraction, but the story was about more than that. Brooke was a bit naïve, but through no fault of her own. Her parents' hold on her will leave you seething and will explain why she ran. Cole's backstory? Absolutely heartbreaking. But, his meeting when his best friend, Jimmy, will leave you in a puddle of tears. Once he realizes that he's been running from pretty much everything and everyone his whole life, he knows just what he has to do.......thanks to Jimmy. This is the first I've read by Elizabeth Hayley, but has made me interested in seeing what else she has. If you're a contemporary romance fan, you'll enjoy this one. Well done, Elizabeth Hayley!