I really have enjoyed this series, and especially the first on in the series that was also by this author, Forrest for the Trees. And this one started out really good too!

There was a lot going on this story. You had Loretta who was a PI and also worked at the police station. She also led a support group for women who had been cheated on. And because she’d always wanted a child with her ex who had died, she has decided to go the artificial insemination route.

Then you had Buck who was a firefighter, but was young for how advanced he was. His father was also a former politician, with his brother now working to get elected. He had just moved to Green Valley, since he’d always wanted to work in a town like this. He moves in next door to Loretta, but she didn’t know he was subletting her neighbors’ house, and so she got him with the taser when he moved in late at night. Unfortunately the video of it got shared with his fire crew before he got there, and so he started off on a bit of a disadvantage.

The two of course are attracted to each other almost right away. But both have things going on in their lives that keep them from jumping right into that. Soon Buck needs her skills as a PI for his own family mystery, and so that makes her want to keep their distance for that reason too. As I said, there is a lot going on in this story!

I enjoyed all the Green Valley aspects and people in the story, even time with my favorite Winston brother, Cletus. A few parts got a little long for me, and it was the opposite of the last book by this author, I was a little irritated with some of Loretta’s being angry at him, even if it did make sense with her background in this book. And I had to disagree when one character said women in their 50s who like younger men are called saber-tooths, they are actually called jaguars, I think maybe women in their 60s are saber-tooths? lol