4.5 Stars
BellaRose Rogers is out walking one day when she hears the cry of a baby. She finally realizes that the sound is coming from a trashcan. Horrified, she lifts the lid and looks in, and finds a baby. She obviously can’t leave the baby there, so she picks it up and takes it home. Later on, she discovers that the baby is potentially the missing grandchild of a horrible criminal. She decides that it’s her responsibility to keep the baby as long as possible, to keep her away from this horrible man. Since he has offered a reward for the return of the baby, she feels like she needs to leave town, and go someplace safe. That place is a house on a lake in Miller Creek, Texas. She’s been going there for years, and the man next-door is like a grandfather to her. However, she’s in for a surprise, as the person who now owns it is the man’s grandson, Pennington. Penn is charged with taking care of his property and hers. Penn is a DEA agent, and is there on an undercover assignment, trying to clean up the town of Miller Creek.
It doesn’t take long for Penn and BellaRose to develop a friendship. That’s actually one of the best parts about this book. It’s not an insta-love story, but rather a ‘let’s get to know each other before we hop into bed’ story, and that just seems more authentic. There is a low-level tension at the start, and then it quickly ratchets up, once she finds the baby. The pacing is well done, and it really makes the reader want to hang on for the ride…And it’s a wild ride! The author provides a clear set of conflicts, so each character’s motivation is clearly aligned with these conflicts. The story is well-written, and well-edited. It includes an amazing ending, that will leave readers feeling content.