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Payback Mountain #1
Dangerous Secrets
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Eight years has been a long time to brew on the injustice done to Walker McGrath, but he needed space to get his head straight. To learn to breathe without the violence of his anger coloring his words and actions.
His return to Cider Mill Farm was bittersweet. He'd come back for vengeance, but one look at the woman he'd been forced to leave behind altered his trajectory for retribution.
Delaney Bryant wants nothing to do with the man who broke her heart then trampled it to dust. He left her once and she's not going to give him the chance to do it again. She's stronger than the young woman she'd once been. Strong enough to fight her powerful attraction to Walker.
It didn't take long after Walker's return for strange things to happen in their small town, and his fear for Laney's safety escalates along with her inescapable draw.
His need to protect her is as strong as his insistence he's home to stay.
Eight years has been a long time to brew on the injustice done to Walker McGrath, but he needed space to get his head straight. To learn to breathe without the violence of his anger coloring his words and actions.
His return to Cider Mill Farm was bittersweet. He'd come back for vengeance, but one look at the woman he'd been forced to leave behind altered his trajectory for retribution.
Delaney Bryant wants nothing to do with the man who broke her heart then trampled it to dust. He left her once and she's not going to give him the chance to do it again. She's stronger than the young woman she'd once been. Strong enough to fight her powerful attraction to Walker.
It didn't take long after Walker's return for strange things to happen in their small town, and his fear for Laney's safety escalates along with her inescapable draw.
His need to protect her is as strong as his insistence he's home to stay.
240 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2022
76 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Diane Benefiel
22 books100 followersMurder? Stalker? Mayhem? Are bad guys coming to get her? Nope, Diane is just a retired school teacher with a laptop. She’s been married for decades. Decades. She walks Finn every morning (mostly). She FaceTimes with her grandkids. The most excitement she’s had lately is a bumpy ride on a plane, and that’s not the fun kind of excitement. But her heroines? They have all the thrills. Scary things happen to them. Hot, compelling men find them fascinating. And they always find their HEA.
An avid reader for as long as she can remember, Diane has always favored stories with strong female characters who go on adventures and can think themselves out of the most dangerous situations. It’s no surprise that those are the kinds of books she enjoys writing.
Diane’s love of the outdoors is reflected in her books. Born and raised in Southern California, family vacations meant camping in locations ranging from Big Sur to Death Valley to Zion. Two of her series are set in fictional towns in her happy place, California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. Her love of travel took her to Sweden as an exchange student when she was sixteen and backpacking around Great Britain (after a week in Paris) while in college. She and her husband have enjoyed pulling their little trailer to the National Parks, including Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Pinnacles.
Winner of the National Readers’ Choice Award in Romantic Suspense and a USA Today Bestselling author, Diane has recently retired from a career teaching high school history. She now has all the time in the world for writing, gardening, and travel. That's the theory, anyway. She is a member of the Orange Country Romance Writers.
***Note to readers: Looking for High Sierras, Book 4? Burnover, High Sierras Book 4, is a novella you can find included with Already Gone, Book 3.
Check out her website at dianebenefiel.com.
An avid reader for as long as she can remember, Diane has always favored stories with strong female characters who go on adventures and can think themselves out of the most dangerous situations. It’s no surprise that those are the kinds of books she enjoys writing.
Diane’s love of the outdoors is reflected in her books. Born and raised in Southern California, family vacations meant camping in locations ranging from Big Sur to Death Valley to Zion. Two of her series are set in fictional towns in her happy place, California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. Her love of travel took her to Sweden as an exchange student when she was sixteen and backpacking around Great Britain (after a week in Paris) while in college. She and her husband have enjoyed pulling their little trailer to the National Parks, including Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Pinnacles.
Winner of the National Readers’ Choice Award in Romantic Suspense and a USA Today Bestselling author, Diane has recently retired from a career teaching high school history. She now has all the time in the world for writing, gardening, and travel. That's the theory, anyway. She is a member of the Orange Country Romance Writers.
***Note to readers: Looking for High Sierras, Book 4? Burnover, High Sierras Book 4, is a novella you can find included with Already Gone, Book 3.
Check out her website at dianebenefiel.com.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 24, 2022
This book was good from the first chapter. Laney and Walker were always in love. It took Laney a while to get through the pain of him leaving and Walker had a hard time even after being cleared. This book kept my interest.
November 24, 2025
4.5 out of 5
I saw this book, forgot where, but it sounded right up my alley so I went to get it and discovered I already owned it. One of my favourite tropes is heroes who have been wrongfully imprisoned or that did something in their youth, went to prison but knew they were wrong in what they did and when they meet the heroine, are given a second chance.
In this book, Walker, our hero, was falsely accused of assaulting a young woman and was sent to prison. He was released a short time later when evidence came out that cleared him. At the time he had a girlfriend he was deeply in love with but when he was released, he was a different person, someone filled with hate and anger. For the past six years he’s been travelling around the US, never settling down. But he’s called back to town when he learns his beloved grandfather who raised him and his older brother is dying.
He runs into Delaney, his childhood sweetheart and she is filled with bitterness at being left behind and in all the time he was gone, he never tried to contact her. But Walker has never stopped loving her and desperately wants her back. There is some suspense as to who framed him, and who is raping and brutalizing young women in the surrounding area. The backdrop is a family owned apple orchard and how vital it is to the small community they live in.
I love this sweet story of second chances and enduring love.its a slow burn as Delaney has to realize she never stopped loving Walker and learn to trust and forgive Walker. This is the first book in a series I plan to keep up with and in fact I also purchased another book in the series. A 👍 thumbs up and an enthusiastic rec for this book.
I saw this book, forgot where, but it sounded right up my alley so I went to get it and discovered I already owned it. One of my favourite tropes is heroes who have been wrongfully imprisoned or that did something in their youth, went to prison but knew they were wrong in what they did and when they meet the heroine, are given a second chance.
In this book, Walker, our hero, was falsely accused of assaulting a young woman and was sent to prison. He was released a short time later when evidence came out that cleared him. At the time he had a girlfriend he was deeply in love with but when he was released, he was a different person, someone filled with hate and anger. For the past six years he’s been travelling around the US, never settling down. But he’s called back to town when he learns his beloved grandfather who raised him and his older brother is dying.
He runs into Delaney, his childhood sweetheart and she is filled with bitterness at being left behind and in all the time he was gone, he never tried to contact her. But Walker has never stopped loving her and desperately wants her back. There is some suspense as to who framed him, and who is raping and brutalizing young women in the surrounding area. The backdrop is a family owned apple orchard and how vital it is to the small community they live in.
I love this sweet story of second chances and enduring love.its a slow burn as Delaney has to realize she never stopped loving Walker and learn to trust and forgive Walker. This is the first book in a series I plan to keep up with and in fact I also purchased another book in the series. A 👍 thumbs up and an enthusiastic rec for this book.
August 29, 2022
DANGEROUS SECRETS (Payback Mountain Book 1) by Diane Benefiel is about an innocent man who was sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit. The woman and family that stood by him through it all. Full of suspense, mystery and a happy ending.
Delaney Bryant was a young woman whose love of her life, Walker McGrath, had been framed for a crime he never committed. He was innocent, but was sentenced to prison. His family worked diligently to prove his innocence. It took them two years to prove him innocent and he was set free. Those long two years in a prison cell had changed Walker. He no longer thought he was good enough for Delaney, and left the farm they both lived & had worked on Cider Mill Farm. He felt he needed space to get his life back in some order. He was gone 6 years, with not a word or letter to Delaney, that he had left behind with a broken heart that still had not mended. When his brother informed Walker that their Grandpa was dying then he knew he must return home. The man had been a giant in his life and had to step in and raise Walker and his brother Sawyer, when his parents had been killed. He also would be returning to the woman that he had left behind. A full grown-up Delaney knew that she needed to avoid Walker. She would not be able to survive another shattered heart. It didn't help that Walker said he was home to stay and was everywhere she looked. Also he was looking right back at her.
Delaney Bryant was a young woman whose love of her life, Walker McGrath, had been framed for a crime he never committed. He was innocent, but was sentenced to prison. His family worked diligently to prove his innocence. It took them two years to prove him innocent and he was set free. Those long two years in a prison cell had changed Walker. He no longer thought he was good enough for Delaney, and left the farm they both lived & had worked on Cider Mill Farm. He felt he needed space to get his life back in some order. He was gone 6 years, with not a word or letter to Delaney, that he had left behind with a broken heart that still had not mended. When his brother informed Walker that their Grandpa was dying then he knew he must return home. The man had been a giant in his life and had to step in and raise Walker and his brother Sawyer, when his parents had been killed. He also would be returning to the woman that he had left behind. A full grown-up Delaney knew that she needed to avoid Walker. She would not be able to survive another shattered heart. It didn't help that Walker said he was home to stay and was everywhere she looked. Also he was looking right back at her.
April 8, 2025
Walker's decision to stay away from Delaney was understandable given the awful circumstances he was in. Delaney’s rage and resentment towards him for staying away were also believable. Diane Benefiel does an excellent job exploring the mind of the twisted villain. The kidnapper feels entitled to take whatever and whoever he wants due to his anger at being disgraced in a small town. The characters are all complex and well-developed. They have a history and relationships that contribute to their personality and motivations, making them feel more like real people. I don’t usually enjoy second-chance romances, but this one was great.
October 28, 2024
Wrongfully convicted and exonerated Walker McGrath disappears for eight years after he's released from prison. He returns to his hometown to say goodbye to his dying grandfather, and right back into the life of Delaney Bryant, the woman he's always loved, and left.
Strange, dangerous things begin to happen in their small mountain town, and together, they try to figure out why and if they're connected to Walker's past, while fighting their own past and the still undeniable pull between them.
A great first book of a new romance series.
Strange, dangerous things begin to happen in their small mountain town, and together, they try to figure out why and if they're connected to Walker's past, while fighting their own past and the still undeniable pull between them.
A great first book of a new romance series.
December 6, 2023
Dangerous Secrets is a well thought out easy flowing storyline with a interesting plot and nonstop action that will keep you entertained and on the edge of your seat with a diverse group of characters and a intense slow heat level this is a new to me author and I look forward to exploring the next book in this
series.
I received a copy of this book via of Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review
series.
I received a copy of this book via of Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review
December 12, 2023
Walker and Delaney are getting their second chance when he returns back to town, when he is back Walker decides to try and solve who framed him for going to prison yrs before for a crime he didn't commit. This was a great fast paced story. It had me hooked from the start and i didn't put it down till I was finished with it, This was the first book I read from this author but it will not be the last. I would def. recommend giving this book a read.
August 4, 2024
mystery, romance, family
Delaney is gearing up,for the new season on her family while dealing with a major family loss and the return of Walker. He is the one guy is she has always loved and loss and now that he is back she doesn’t want to have anything to do with him. Walker has returned and he plans on finding the person who framed him years ago and why. Good story with a lot of mystery but good romance.
Delaney is gearing up,for the new season on her family while dealing with a major family loss and the return of Walker. He is the one guy is she has always loved and loss and now that he is back she doesn’t want to have anything to do with him. Walker has returned and he plans on finding the person who framed him years ago and why. Good story with a lot of mystery but good romance.
June 25, 2022
This is a fast-paced story, steamy and action-packed with likable characters. The story line is engaging and pulls the reader right in with detailed world building to make it feel like you are right there with them.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 3, 2024
What a well written suspenseful read that keeps you wondering how the book is going to end. You will find that you can’t get enough of this book by Diane because it grabs you from the start. So, grab this book and start enjoying it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 23, 2024
Good read
## Hero was a jerk for the first half of the book, but eventually came around. I don't generally like second chance stories, but this was pretty good. Of course IRL I would never take back a guy who stayed away for the last 6 years roaming around. But you know...fiction. Anyway, not the best but not the worst.
## Hero was a jerk for the first half of the book, but eventually came around. I don't generally like second chance stories, but this was pretty good. Of course IRL I would never take back a guy who stayed away for the last 6 years roaming around. But you know...fiction. Anyway, not the best but not the worst.
January 2, 2026
Gone to long
This is a great book. Delaney was madly in love with walker but when he left to go to prison n for a crime he did not commit he didn't tell her by and after they released him he didn't come back to her. Read how things got all messed up and Walker had to save her from a bad man. Great book ....
This is a great book. Delaney was madly in love with walker but when he left to go to prison n for a crime he did not commit he didn't tell her by and after they released him he didn't come back to her. Read how things got all messed up and Walker had to save her from a bad man. Great book ....
June 8, 2022
Excellent Read
Benefiel has written a great first book in her new series. The suspense was good with plenty of action. The romance was well done with plenty of realistic conflict between the characters. I’m looking forward to the next in the series.
Benefiel has written a great first book in her new series. The suspense was good with plenty of action. The romance was well done with plenty of realistic conflict between the characters. I’m looking forward to the next in the series.
August 21, 2022
Draws you in from the first chapter. Fast paced. Did not really understand why he dumped her with out a conversation. Really arrogant and selfish. The whole separation seemed more about growing up than they were in a close committed relationship.
December 6, 2022
Great start to a new series
Diane Benefiel is such a talented writer, and this story did not disappoint! Walker and Laney went through a lot to reach their happily ever after. This story had despicable villains, page turning suspense, and a love story that melts your heart.
Diane Benefiel is such a talented writer, and this story did not disappoint! Walker and Laney went through a lot to reach their happily ever after. This story had despicable villains, page turning suspense, and a love story that melts your heart.
February 5, 2023
Wonderful new series!
Diane Benefiel has come through again! Walker and Delaney are fun to cheer for and the suspense works. Walker is a departure from her usual law enforcement characters but he is every bit the hero. A thoroughly good read!
Diane Benefiel has come through again! Walker and Delaney are fun to cheer for and the suspense works. Walker is a departure from her usual law enforcement characters but he is every bit the hero. A thoroughly good read!
October 18, 2023
Terror in the Orchard
Great characters, great plot and romance to name a few of this books qualities. Supposedly lost love and old wounds can be over come and good finally wins out. A great read.
Great characters, great plot and romance to name a few of this books qualities. Supposedly lost love and old wounds can be over come and good finally wins out. A great read.
October 25, 2023
romantic thriller
This was an amazing read. The story progressed smoothly and didn’t bog down with the characters internal musings. I liked the thriller, mystery and love and looking forward to the next book in this series.
Avid reader,
Doreen
This was an amazing read. The story progressed smoothly and didn’t bog down with the characters internal musings. I liked the thriller, mystery and love and looking forward to the next book in this series.
Avid reader,
Doreen
August 30, 2022
Good book
December 26, 2022
This was an alright book. I enjoyed.
February 14, 2024
I am not particularly a fan of the second chance trope; however, I enjoyed reading the journey back to love between Walker and Delaney. This book was an easy read and I would recommend it to others.
February 23, 2025
What a fabulous read!!!:)
December 20, 2025
Enjoyed immensely!!
Well written. Look forward to reading more of her books.! Walker was your typical "bad boy" that we women all dream about.
Well written. Look forward to reading more of her books.! Walker was your typical "bad boy" that we women all dream about.
December 25, 2025
Love to read
This was such a wonderful reading experience. I loved it! Going to look for the next book. Hope it's the brothers turn.
This was such a wonderful reading experience. I loved it! Going to look for the next book. Hope it's the brothers turn.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews