4.5 stars!
Opposites attract in a big way in this latest, thoroughly enjoyable installment of the Big Sky Mavericks series. I loved it. Tucker is a sexy thrill-seeker who’s been brought down by a stupid pothole that left him with a broken ankle and a business he’d only just begun to run. It also put him right in Amanda Heller’s path as she visits Montana for the first time in her life to try and sort out her grandmother’s health needs while fixing up her home. Tucker is a half-Cajun bad-boy who until recently split his life between stripping and wildfire fighting, while Amanda is the good little rich girl who recently rebelled and is now paying the price by being banished.
There are always going to be sparks flying around whenever Tucker’s nearby, he’s that kind of guy: sexy, confident, a little arrogant and full of flirtation. I absolutely loved that his stripping career isn’t sleazy. In fact, apart from the expected snootiness from Amanda’s parents, the whole thing is set in a positive light. Tucker is a sensual, flirtatious guy and he dances because he loves to move and the fact that he can help a room full of people enjoy themselves with him at the same time is a great bonus. But there’s more to Tucker than his dancing – and his new zip-line business. His childhood was amazing in many ways, but the abandonment by his mother is a wound that has never healed and still comes back to mess with him.
Not least because Amanda’s situation is so very close to home. Raised by rich, cold parents she’s basically a pawn in their social games, prepped and preened to be married off to the best advantage. Except Amanda’s recently stopped playing her parents' games and is paying for it by visiting Montana. I really liked how Amanda changes throughout the book, learning who she is and what she wants and finding her own strengths, which until recently had been suppressed and ignored. Her friendship and later relationship with Tucker is full of fun and flirting, and I loved how the pair of them slowly formed a really good team.
There’s also plenty of friendship and family drama mixed in with the romance, of course. Not least that surrounding Amanda’s grandmother, Molly, who is feisty and straight forward, but also suffering from dementia. There are plenty of painful home truths to be unearthed – both for Amanda and Tucker – as well as smiles and heartache. I loved how Molly provided perspective for both Amanda and Tucker on a regular basis, and how it was her needs that made Amanda change the most. There are also things for Tucker to face, but compared to Molly they’re more of a background thing.
If you’re looking for something that mixes romance and friendship, the best and worst of family, that will make you laugh and possibly even bring a tear to your eye, all featuring wonderful characters that you can't help falling in love with, then you should give this a try. This whole series is delightful, but I think Tucker and Amanda’s tale has been the best yet. I can’t wait to see whose story is up next.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)