Pay a visit to Caribou Crossing, the rustic, inviting Western town where broken hearts mend and new love takes root…

Dave Cousins, owner of the Wild Rose Inn, is known throughout Caribou Crossing as the nicest—and loneliest—guy in town. He’s had his heart broken more than once, and he’s determined not to let it happen again. So it’s no wonder he’s wary when a free-spirited drifter leaves him longing for more than just a steamy fling…

Like the wild goose tattooed on her shoulder, Cassidy Esperanza goes wherever the wind takes her. For her, a new day means a fresh start. And yet something about her days in Caribou Crossing—and nights with its handsome hotel owner—makes her think about staying a while. But when life takes an unexpected turn, her first instinct is to take flight once more. Is Dave strong enough to help them both face their fears, come to terms with the past, and believe that sometimes love truly can last a lifetime?

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How many times had some well-intentioned relative or friend told him he needed to dip his toe in the dating waters, get back in the game, yada yada? He rejected their efforts at matchmaking and suffered through the curious gazes they gave to every female he even spoke to.

Didn’t they get it? He couldn’t imagine ever loving again. Besides, he’d been by Anita’s side from the time she got the diagnosis of terminal brain cancer until the day she died. Never, ever again, would he let himself be vulnerable to the shattering pain of loss. To the bitter anger against the world, himself, even the woman he loved but couldn’t save.

His heart clenched, the ache rose in his throat, and—

“Dave? You okay?” Warm fingers brushed his forearm, bare below the rolled-up sleeve of his lightweight denim shirt.

Cassidy. He breathed in, fresh air cleansing his throat, his chest.

“Yeah, sorry,” he said brusquely. Her voice, her touch had beaten back the darkness.

And now that he was back in the real world, he realized how disconcertingly good those soft fingers felt against his skin.

They’d reached the outskirts of town, which gave him an excuse to raise his arm so that her hand dropped. He pointed ahead. “That’s Westward Ho!—where I keep my horse.” The well-maintained wooden stable housed a couple dozen horses. Beside it was a red-roofed barn, and two white-railed paddocks provided space for the horses to stretch and socialize.

“That’s so cool, that you have your own horse.”

He shrugged. “Can’t imagine my life without a horse.”

“You’ve been riding since you were little?”

“Yeah, though I wasn’t a ranch kid, or into rodeo, like some of my friends. When I married Jessie, horses became a bigger part of life, and Robin lives and breathes them.”

“Handy that you can keep your horse in town.”

“Uh-huh,” he said as they walked into the stable. “I try to get out on Malibu at least every couple of days. When I can’t, Robin or one of the staff here exercises him for me.”

Dave greeted Eddy, the teenage girl whose dad owned the business, and introduced Cassidy. Leaving the two of them to deal with Cassidy’s paperwork, he and Merlin went out to the paddock to call Malibu. The palomino gelding came over, bobbing his head eagerly.

Dave went through the familiar ritual: tie his horse with cross ties, groom him and pick his hooves, then saddle and bridle him. By the time he was finished, Eddy’d got Cassidy up on the back of a pinto mare and given her refresher instructions on how to position her body, hold the reins, and give basic cues to her horse.

“You’re all set,” Eddy said. “Have fun.”

“Absolutely.” Cassidy beamed at the girl, then at Dave. “Lead on.”

Her smile really did have a way of lighting the day. And warming his blood.

They headed out on a quiet dirt road that led out of town, their horses walking side by side with Merlin springing happily along beside them. Cassidy looked relaxed and comfortable in the saddle. Did she fit in this easily wherever she went?

She bent forward to stroke her horse’s neck, the motion snugging her jeans even tighter against her firm butt. “This is Cherry Blossom, if you can believe it,” she said. “Eddy says she prefers to be called Cherry, and I can see why. You said your palomino is Malibu?”

“Yes. Named by the woman who owned him before me.”

“Suits him. Such a pretty boy.” Her gaze skimmed up from his horse to move across Dave’s torso and end up on his face, a hint of suggestive mischief in her eyes.

“Thanks.” He added quickly, to make it clear he wasn’t flirting, “On his behalf.”

Her lips squeezed together like she was holding back a smile. “How long will it take us to get to . . . what did Robin call it? Riders Boot Camp?”

“Yes, that’s the place her mom runs. It’s about ten miles by highway, only eight by the back roads and trails. It usually takes Robin and me about half an hour, but we move fast. Don’t know how much speed you’re up for.” He cocked an eyebrow.

“I’m up for pretty much anything.” Her striking blue-gray eyes danced, and he got the sense she didn’t just mean riding.

“Uh,” he said awkwardly, “we should let the horses warm up first.” The moment he said those words, he wondered if they could be taken sexually too. He was about to clarify, then figured that would only make things worse.

“Sure,” she said. “My muscles could use a little warming up too.”

Riding muscles, right?

Best to change the subject.

About the Author:

Award-winning, international best-selling author Susan Fox (who also writes as Savanna Fox and Susan Lyons) is a Pacific Northwester with homes in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia. She has degrees in law and psychology, and has had a variety of careers, including perennial student, computer consultant, and legal editor. Fiction writer is by far her favorite, giving her an outlet to demonstrate her belief in the power of love, friendship, and a sense of humor. Visit her at her website.

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Jennifer’s Review of Love Me Tender

Review (3.75 Stars): This is the fourth book in the Caribou Crossing series and even though I’m unfamiliar with the other titles, this romance is easy to follow along with. Dave and Cassidy were a very interesting couple because they were both afraid to open themselves up to love.  Dave lost his “true love” to an illness and felt that love only comes once in your life, so since he had his opportunity, there wasn’t another woman that could take her place.  He then focused all his time on his daughter and his hotel, The Wild Rose, and pretended that he didn’t need anything else in his life.

Cassidy, on the other hand, didn’t believe in love because she saw what happened to her parents and the pain that it caused her family growing up so she was out to just have a good time.  Never stayed in any one place for too long and felt that true love wasn’t real.  Her carefree attitude was her shield in life until she met Dave and he made her feel things that she wasn’t expecting. In her own way, she was looking for a home and a family that would be there when she needed them and she never realized that until that possibility was within her reach.

Love Me Tender was a sweet romance about two people who found love when they finally found the courage to open their hearts to it.  I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the love stories of characters that were mentioned throughout this book.  Since this is the fourth title in the series, I have a lot of catching up to do and I know I will enjoy their stories as much as Dave and Cassidy’s.

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In a captivating novel spiced with holiday magic—perfect for fans of Rachel Gibson, Susan Mallery, and Molly O’Keefe—a rugged Montana man mends a Northeast girl’s jaded heart.

Boston veterinarian Hayley Scampini tends the city’s pampered pets but dreams of the rural life of a country vet. She’s single and determined to stay that way, convinced that love isn’t permanent enough to trust. Then a vacation to the Whisper Creek dude ranch introduces her to Daniel McKee, a sexy single dad who runs the kind of veterinary practice she aspires to—and rattles her conviction to keep men at a distance.

Managing a thriving practice, coping with the loss of his wife, and fighting a custody battle with his in-laws over his twin daughters, Daniel couldn’t be more overwhelmed. Hayley is a godsend, accompanying him in the field and winning over his girls. It doesn’t take Daniel long to realize he’s falling for this woman, hard and fast. So before Hayley returns to Boston, he extracts a promise: that she will return to Whisper Creek for Christmas. It’s the perfect time and place to show Hayley that the promise of a beautiful life together is something she can believe in.

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Roscoe motioned them back onto the road. “You two get out of here. Whisper Creek’s a-waitin’ for ya.”
A minute later, they crested a hill with the best view west of the Mississippi, and Hayley sighed in pleasure. The rolling vistas never ended out here. It was nothing like the crowded, noisy streets of Boston, that’s for sure.
“Ahh, vacation.” Hayley slid her shoe off and stuck her bare foot out the window.
“You think this is good. Wait ’til I introduce you to the man of your dreams.”
“I don’t really need man-of-my-dreams-level assistance here. Man-of-the-week would be just fine.”
“I don’t really deal in the of-the-week variety. Sorry.” Kyla smiled innocently. “I’m all about the staying kind.”
Hayley rolled her eyes, but didn’t let Kyla see her do so. “Okay, fine. Tell me about the vet. Does he do big animals or regular-sized ones?”
“Mostly horses.”
“Lucky. His clients could eat mine for lunch.”
“So you still have nothing but mini-beasts?”
“Not by choice.”
“Wait ’til you meet Moose. You’ll wish you could take him home.”
Hayley’d heard about Kyla’s fated trip to the Humane Society last week, but hadn’t yet seen any pictures. Apparently she’d gone in to drop off a donation—and come out with a dog who weighed more than her.
“Is he ugly?”
“So ugly that he’s cute, yes.”
“Does anything about him match anything else?”
“Not a thing. He’s got one white paw and three black ones. A funny brown circle around his right eye. A tuft of hair that sticks up randomly from his head.”
“Sweet. Does he slobber?”
“All the time.”
Hayley put her hands to her chest. “I’ll adopt him.”
“Ha. You’ll have to get by Decker. Those two are already joined at the hip. Plus, he’d take up half your apartment. And eat Brutus.”
“Brutus could use a big brother to look up to. He’s got serious little-dog syndrome.”
Kyla laughed again. “I still can’t believe you adopted a cockapoopa—wait—what is he again?”
“He’s a great Dane in disguise.”
“Of course.”
“So back to the vet. Deets, please. Height? Weight? Eye color?”
Kyla winked at her. “He might just be the sweetest guy I know, next to Decker.”
“So he’s hideous looking. Thanks, Kyla. You’re a true friend.”
“He’s not hideous at all. He’s actually quite . . . attractive.”
“If you can get beyond the crooked nose and snaggletooth and beer belly?”
“Exactly. And I mentioned he’s eighty-seven, right? Because that’s the kind of friend I am?”
“Fine. Call me out on being shallow.”
“You’re not shallow. You’re just not thinking long-term potential here.”
“I’m on cowboy-vacation. I’m not supposed to be thinking about long-term potential. Have you seen your own website? It practically screams ‘fling!’”
“You’re no more a fling type than you are a nun, missy.”
“Don’t be so sure. I’m working up to it.”
“What’s your record now?”
“Longest relationship or shortest?”
“I’m not sure you’ll ever beat the forty-five minute one from 2008, so let’s go with longest.”
“Thirteen weeks.”
Kyla was quiet for a moment as they cruised into downtown Carefree. Then, “Doesn’t it ever get old?”
Hayley sighed. Of course it got old. But it sure was better than the alternative. Definitely better than tying yourself to a guy you thought would be there for eternity, only to have him take off the moment you actually started to believe that this one was the forever variety. Been there, done that, had the T-shirt.

About the Author:

Maggie McGinnis is the author of Accidental Cowgirl and Driving Without a License, which was a finalist for Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award. A former high school English teacher, an accomplished musician, and a certified black belt, she lives in New England with her family.

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Jennifer’s Review of A Cowboy’s Christmas Promise

Review (4 Stars): A Cowboy’s Christmas Promise was a tender-hearted romance about two people who believed that love had passed them by until fate brought them together.  Hayley had always believed that love wasn’t for her because she saw what it did to her family when a relationship doesn’t always have a happy ending.  Daniel had met his true love and lost her to illness and felt that love like that doesn’t happen twice.  Until he met Hayley at a friend’s wedding one weekend and his whole life changed.  When the wedding festivities are over and Hayley is to return home, Daniel makes Hayley promise that she will return to Montana for Christmas and see if this initial attraction can turn into something more.

Hayley had given up on love because she saw what it did to her family and how it tore it apart when a relationship ended.  She had this strict philosophy that she would date them and dump them so she never got her heart involved and experience any loss.  The thing was that Hayley never really gave love a chance until she met Daniel.  Daniel was handsome, smart, a veterinarian like Hayley and seemed like the perfect guy.  When Hayley found out that he had children, she panicked because her fears were coming true and she didn’t want to fall in love with his family and then have the relationship fall apart.

Daniel was such a great guy.  Loving, sweet and such a great dad for his two little girls.  I loved how he went on YouTube to watch videos so he could braid his daughters’ hair for the wedding and I don’t know many men who would do that for their daughters.  He didn’t think that he would get a second chance at love but then Hayley walked into his life and he couldn’t imagine anyone more perfect for him.  I loved the things he did to prove to Hayley how much he cared for her and the final gift that he gave Hayley for Christmas had me in tears.

Ms. McGinnis is a new author to me but after reading A Cowboy’s Christmas Promise, I can’t wait to read more from this talented author.

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