In the midst of a range war, Garret Daines is dead-set on keeping his ranch from greedy local cattle barons. An attempt on his life during a winter storm lands him in the healing hands of a mountain recluse. He can hardly believe the youthful beauty he discovers hidden beneath her mountain woman attire or the passion unleashed by her tender touch.

When "Mad Mag" pulls the handsome rancher from the snow she has no idea he'll be the man to thaw her wounded heart. But Maggie is hiding a mess of secrets in her mountain sanctuary, none of which shes willing to share. Murderous cattlemen threaten their fragile bond and Maggie has to face the fears of her past or risk losing her hope for the future. Garret will defend his wild woman at any cost, but can he convince her their love is worth the risk?

REVIEW

Against the backdrop of unfolding love, this novel is an examination of the bonds of family, love, trust and loyalty that bind us to one another, the devastation that happens when those bonds are broken, and the monumental struggle it takes to rebuild them.

For Maggie it means facing the fear of her brother and those like him that has kept her a recluse, adrift in a violent world, even though it is that fear that has fueled her survival by forcing her to be wary and self-reliant. Can she trust the love of one man enough to stop being afraid and allow herself to be bound to him, to be moored by those all too often fragile ropes of love and trust, family and loyalty? For Garrett it means finally understanding that life without those bonds is only a shadow of a life. But is he willing to take an emotional risk that will sacrifice his independence and saddle him with obligations for the uncommon woman he’s come to love.

Stacey Kayne has written a sizzling western romance with a cowboy hero that will make any woman’s heart flutter and a heroine whose inner strength will have readers rooting for her. Memorable characters, an adventure-filled plot, authentic dialog and emotional punches combine to make this western romance a super read. The opening scene alone will have your heart pounding with excitement. Enjoy!" ~ Love Western Romances.com

Reviewed by: Love Western Romances
www.LoveWesternRomances.com
5/5 spurs!

EXCERPT

Following a roomful of grumbling cattlemen out onto the boardwalk, Garret Daines spotted the woman called Mad Mag the moment he stepped into the crisp evening air. Her mangy bearskin coat and battered brown hat was hard to miss in the fading light of an otherwise deserted street. Murmurs of recognition and surprise rumbled through the crowd of men.

Garret had seen the mountain recluse in a town only one other time in the eight years he’d lived in these Wyoming hills, some years back in a settlement further north. The bushel of tangled black hair beneath her hat suggested she could still benefit from a lesson or two in hygiene. Known for having a temperament on the far side of crazy, Mad Mag tended to avoid folks all together.

She obviously hadn’t expected all the cattlemen within fifty miles to spill out onto the streets of Bitterroot Springs at five o’clock in the evening. He glanced around at the men watching her with an equal measure of curiosity and caution.

“What’s the plan?” Duce asked, clapping a hand on Garret’s shoulder as he stepped beside him.
Garret glanced over at his business partner, the man’s wide grin striking him as a pure wonder. The past two hours of heated debates and near brawls, two of which had included Garret, left an ache in his shoulders, the frustration winding inside him still burning for release.

In the fourteen years he’d been riding with Duce the wiry cowpuncher had never known a sour mood.
He doesn’t handle the account books, he silently retorted. Duce had signed on as his partner in name only, refusing to take a cut or responsibility for a business he hadn’t funded.

At the age of forty-two, Duce still lived for Saturday nights and blowing his paycheck on weekend benders. In the past six years of running his cattle ranch, Garret had come to envy Duce’s carefree attitude and figured the past few winters had closed the wide gap in their ages.