Destined Montana Love

by Fiona Cullen

You’ve heard the cliché of falling for your brother’s best friend.

My problem?

I fell for my brother’s best friend who is also my best friend’s brother.

I fell for him when I was fifteen when he rescued me after the chocolate fountain disaster. And never stopped falling.

Mine is a secret love. A one-sided love affair, fueled by dreams where the handsome cowboy is overcome with love for the curvy librarian.

I wish he would drive up in his truck and whisk me away to a remote cabin retreat. Instead, I’m dreading the day he dates anyone but me, as I sit firmly stuck in the friend zone.

Or am I?

I see him watching me with a fire in his brilliant blue eyes that lights a spark in my belly, and I wish we could burn up the sheets like I do in my dreams.

When he whispers in my ear, sending shivers down my spine, I want to wake to his deep voice in my ear every morning.

When he sees me speaking to another man, it looks like he wants to wrap an arm around my shoulder, marking me as his.

And then…that kiss. Molten and fiery and all consuming. How am I supposed to recover from a kiss like that and act like we are only friends?

Ever since that kiss, all I can think about is enticing him into my bed, but risking our friendship and openly declaring my love for Reid terrifies me.

Am I brave enough?

Will I survive if he never loves me like I love him?

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 8, 2023

About the author

Fiona Cullen likes her tea strong, loves a long-winded story, and is always rooting for the underdog. An author of sexy, small-town contemporary romance, her heroes are men you’d want to bring home to meet your parents for family dinner and her heroines are women you’d want as your best friend. Fiona calls Montana home, and is happiest when she’s fly fishing a cool, clear Montana river, hiking a trail, or immersed in the beauty around her.

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second small town country romance book I’ve read which generally isn’t the type of book I’d go for but I took a chance anyways. I wanted to love this book but I had a hard time following along at first because of the amount of characters & the backgrounds of the characters. That honestly might be my fault because this is part of a series where some of the characters stories are previous to Beverly & Reid’s. The way they talk/the way it’s written was also a little hard for me to follow & get into because it isn’t something I’m used to but besides that i actually liked the story itself. I loved the fact that the main female character was a curvy nerdy librarian! I haven’t read many books where the main female character is curvy & I absolutely loved that representation in here & especially because of how supportive & loving the other characters were of her when others tried to bring her down about it. I loved the dual pov as usual but especially because of the fact Reid’s voice was very strong in this book which was nice in my opinion. I struggled with wanting to yell at the Beverly & Reid in the beginning. Mostly because of them making not so great choices & the flare of the small town drama making it worse was frustrating but I think if you enjoy that back & forth & drama it wouldn’t bother you! I really loved the way Reid treats Beverly it truly melted my heart. I also loved some of the small banter that happen within the book it actually had me laughing a bit. Overall I think if I went back & read the whole series it wouldn’t of been such a hard start for me but once I got over those initial issues I ended up liking it a lot more then I thought.

[Vilma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beverly Gharrett and Reid Burke have been best friends for years. Beverly and Sofia Burke started as best friends and then both of their brothers joined into the pack. When Sofia returned home and fell in love with Ollie (Oliver), it changed the dynamics of the foursome. But Reid and Beverly didn’t let it change their friendship until Sofia and Ollie’s wedding drew closer.

The closer the wedding came, the closer Beverly and Reid drew to more than friends. When they ventured into the land of ‘benefits’ a series of unfortunate circumstances separated them…namely Willow and Bryan Miller.

I honestly can’t wait to see the Miller sisters get what they deserve after causing so much disruption amongst the Burke’s and those close to the .

I enjoyed Beverly and Reid’s romance, the slow burn of friends to lovers. I hated the drama that separated them, but I’m a sucker for a happy ending and Reid and Beverly get their happy ending.

I’m still waiting on Caleb Doyle, the Burke cousin, to get his happy ending…

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

You have two people who love each other but with their own insecurities, they won’t tell each other how they feel. When Beverly fell into a chocolate fountain years ago, it became the talk of the town and now it seems everyone is always waiting for the next disaster, even to the point that there is now a bet that she will have a disaster at her brother’s wedding. She is the local librarian but has to work with a bully when the board says she has too but when disaster strikes, she has had enough. Reid has a mean hateful father that is currently in prison but can still reach him with mean degrading messages and letters hitting him where it hurts the most and causes the most mental damage. Will these two admit how they feel and be able to work through their issues supporting each other. A lot happens in this story but with a happy ending.

[Loralie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved that Reid was Beverly's protector and her long-time crush. It's even better when there are feelings on both sides, but both people are oblivious to it. You'd think that once one of them makes a move it would be smooth sailing, but you'd be wrong. Both have dealt with cruelty before and it plays with their ability to love and be loved freely. The chemistry is insane, but that doesn't always help the insecurities. I love that Reid uses his words often and his actions say a lot, but it just shows that communication is key in any relationship. I love that their families are so close-knit too. Can't wait to see who is up next!

[Sue Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant... loved it!!
I received an ARC copy of this book and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.
Fiona Cullen is a new author to me and I throughly enjoyed reading this book, although partway through the series, I was able to keep track of the siblings and their partners.
This is a small town romance set in Burnside Creek, Reid and Bevvy have known each other for many years and Bevvy has held a secret crush on her best friend's older brother Reid for most of that time.
Brilliant storyline, fantastic characters and absolutely loved the HEA.

[Margaret Hejmanowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read anything by Fiona Cullen before, this was fantastic! This is book four in the "Burke's of Burnside Creek" series, but this is the first I am reading and I had no trouble following the storyline. Love the characters of Reid and Beverly who have been friends since childhood. Bevy has had romantic feelings toward Reid forever. Reid's best friend is Bevy's brother who doesn't want Reid to date his sister; so what could possibly go wrong or right? Love the plot, great setting, and fantastic lovable characters. I look forward to reading more from Fiona Cullen!!

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I would like to say that the cover is beautiful. The cowboy on the cover entices the reader into the book.
I loved the main characters in this story. Reid and Beverley were perfect for each other. I loved their chemistry and their dialogue with each other. Its refreshing and Reid's behavior towards Beverley was sweet.
The writing in this story was very good. The author places her readers in the minds of the characters. I enjoyed the details she included in her scenes. It was really entertaining.
I received a complimentary copy of this story and I freely left this review.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Destined Montana Love was such a fantastic read!

It's the 4th book in the Burke's of Burnside Creek series but can be read as a stand alone (it's the first book I've read and followed the story line without issue).

I'm a sucker for second chance love stories and this was one of the best books I've read in a while

I received this ARC free from the author. The review is voluntary. The opinions my own.

[Andrea Mehalco · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first book by this author. I didn’t realize this was book 4. I tend to enjoy reading a series in order but I’ll have to go back to the first three in the series. I loved Reid and Beverly and their inner turmoil. If they only communicated better things may have went smoother. It was an easy read but not my favorite writing style. Great ending!

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Bevvy and Reid’s happily ever after. They care for each other in silence and then life intervenes. There are ups and downs and characters that hope to destroy them, but Bevvy and Reid find the strength to fight for each other. An engaging storyline and well written characters. Another great read from Fiona Cullen.

[Sharon Holroyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story to continue the series. Bev has the hots for her brothers BF who also happens to be the brother of her BF. Reid, the object of affection secretly likes Bev too. A lot of miscommunication, hang ups from their past, returning characters and a promise of more stories to c9me 8n the series
Fabulous, loved every second. Bring on book 5 please

[Callie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't wait for the next book in the series. I will be waiting for it. This is one of my favorite series and authors. She touches on subjects that no one else will come close to because of the controversy with the topics.