The love story here was wholesome and uplifting. I was hoping to fall in love with these characters. There was definitely a lot of potential. Sadly, there seemed to be too many stories going on to spend a satisfying time in any of them. So many missed opportunities.

LLM has always given us great emotional reads and this one is just that. This book is full of great solid characters…a storyline that keeps you guessing. And so many emotions. Sometimes coming can change your life. Sometimes getting your priorities straight lead to healing.
There’s a lot going on in this book, luckily the story flows well with the reader. Enjoyable. Recommended to any fiction reader.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Madison Bettencourt is wealthy and unable to find or keep a husband. Raised by her grandmother, her only living relative, she longs to be married with children. However, her last attempt ended with her becoming a runaway bride. She is now moving back to Montana to be with her grandmother, who is dying.

During her childhood, Madison met Bliss Morgan, an eight-year-old girl who vanished. Madison decides to try to locate Bliss while she is in town.

iam McKettrick, a widowed father, is trying to repair his relationship with his two children. He meets Madison when she leaves her last attempted, and there is an instant spark between them. However, he focused on settling his children in Montana and running his business.

Bettencourt Hall, the large family mansion, has been experiencing strange occurrences over the years, which Madison's grandmother has been discovering. It is a wonderful story.

The blurb for Where the Creek Bends by Linda Lael Miller had me eager to read the story. I have always enjoyed this author’s paranormal novels. We meet Madison, Liam, and Bliss. Each character has struggles they are dealing with or must overcome. Madison is also curious about a childhood friend who disappeared one day and was never seen again. Liam’s kids are returning to live with him. While his son is delighted, his daughter is not. Kylee, Liam’s daughter, is going to test Liam’s patience. Bliss, Madison’s childhood friend, was hiding at one of her secret spots to avoid her drunken father. Her head feels like it is being squeezed in a vice and she soon finds herself in a place where her clothes are out of place. Where the Creek Bends felt like the author was trying to take two stories and blend them into one. Bliss’s character lacked development which was disappointing because this storyline was the one that captured my attention. I wish this storyline had been more developed and there was more of it. More time is devoted to Liam’s kids than to Bliss’s storyline. I did not enjoy the interactions between Liam and his daughter. If I had talked to my father that way, I would not have been able to sit down for a week. I found the romance between Madison and Liam to be predictable. There were repetitive details as the story goes from Madison to Liam’s point of view. The story moved at an unhurried pace. The ending was abrupt and felt incomplete. I wish there had been an epilogue to tie up the various lose threads. The paranormal storyline would have made a great book on its own. The romance storyline and Bliss’s storyline did not work together. Where the Creek Bends had some good parts here and there, but I was left discontented at the end.

You know what you’re going to get from a LLM book - good-looking main characters who are noble and good. They’re also wealthy and don’t seem to have to worry too hard about working. There just wasn’t much plot involved. Mostly, the book involved internal monologues and emoting from the two main characters as they find their way through their insta-attraction to each other. The MMC has to work out his relationship with his nine-year-old daughter who has understandable problems because he basically abandoned his children to their grandparents for a year for no real reason.

Besides that irritating plot point, the book starts off with a trope that always bugs me - the FMC has been with a totally unworthy and obnoxious guy and even planned to marry him. It’s hard to pull for a couple when the woman is rather stupid and the man really blew it with the two children he professed to love so very much.

Add in the time-travel storyline and rushed ending and I can’t recommend this book.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

I wasn't sure what to expect because I realized that Linda Lael Miller is primarily a romance novelist, a Western romance writer to be exact, as I was looking through my NetGalley shelf to see what books had an end-of-year date. I did not have high expectations as I usually do not like romance novels and the Western angle sounded potentially a little cheesy to me. I started it and wasn't sure that I liked the main character.
I am happy to say that this book exceeded my expectations and although they were admittedly low, this book was a solid 4 star read. It wasn't important or life altering but it was engaging and the Western angle was actually fun. The time travel was also entertaining (and was, quite frankly, why I chose the book because I love time travel and seldom seem to run across it).
I don't know how much of Miller's work I will read--she has written a great deal--but I may pick up one of her books now and then when I am in the mood for something light and escapist and in today's world there is always room for that.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with an advance copy of this book.

I was given an ARC copy of this book for a review.

In this book, Madison Bettencourt has moved back to Montana to help care for her elderly grandmother who raised her, and try and find out what happened to her childhood friend Bliss Morgan who suddenly disappeared leaving only a friendship bracelet and a matchbook cover. As Madison's grandmother continues to decline Madison begins a friendship which develops into more, with Liam McKettrick. Liam has lost is struggling to rebuild a relationship with his two children after the loss of their mother. Read this one to watch the relationship change between Madison and Liam and also to find out what really happened to Bliss Morgan.

There is a bit of mystical happenings in this offering from Ms. Miller which I don't normally find in her books. Adds an interesting element to this story line I thought.

Pick up your copy December 31, 2024.

Beautiful story about love, family, and childhood. Madison Bettencourt returns to her hometown to get married and care for her dying grandmother only to ditch her deadbeat fiancé at the altar. She also has flashbacks of a memory of a childhood friend, Bliss Morgan, who disappeared one day many years ago without a trace. Madison also meets and develops feelings for Liam McKettrick, a widower cowboy who is just attempting to reconnect with his kids after a year separation.

There’s so much happening in this novel, which is both good and bad. There are multiple timelines, and POVS. The first storyline focuses on the present time, including an exploration of Liam's background and what caused his separation and reunion with his kids, as well as Madison dealing with her aunt's illness and her recent breakup.

The second storyline follows Bliss, a tragically neglected 9 year old girl who developed an unlikely friendship with Madison as a child. Bliss unwittingly escapes her dismal life by falling through a wrinkle in time. The elements of magical realism are utilized beautifully and I wanted to read more about Bliss and her perspective throughout the story.

The romantic elements felt a bit rushed and underdeveloped - Madison and Liam go from zero to 100 without really a lot of backstory. I don't want to give a spoiler, but there is one aspect of the time travel aspect that didn't make sense to me, but I can easily overlook that. The ending also felt rushed and I would have liked to see a little more there. However, the writing was beautiful and had a sweet quality to it that I enjoyed, and the characters were all loveable and I found it easy to want to keep reading. Bliss, in particular, had my heart.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC!

Linda Lael Miller’s “Where the Creek Bends” was a nostalgic pick for me to read. She was one of the authors whose books I read regularly years ago. At the beginning of the book, Madison Bettencourt is back in Montana for her wedding, but things don’t go as planned. On the day when her wedding was to take place she meets Liam McKettrick, a widower who is trying to repair his relationship with his young children, a daughter and son.

After Madison’s failed nuptials, she decides to stay in town and move back into the family home, Bettencourt Hall. At first, her decision is primarily made to visit her grandmother who has dementia. Along the way, Madison begins to think of her childhood friend, Bliss, who disappeared years ago. She remembers Bliss leaving her a friendship bracelet and a scribbled “Goodbye,” but doesn’t know why.

As the book progresses, Madison begins to do some projects around Bettencourt Hall. She also takes the first steps to investigate Bliss’s disappearance while making plans to relocate permanently back to Montana. Along the way, she finds a stray dog and spends more time with Liam and his children.

Overall, this book didn’t quite work for me. I felt like Madison and Liam had little-to-no chemistry. Their romance was unbelievable to me. Also, I didn’t realize what a “timeslip novel” entailed, but should’ve from the romance books I used to read regularly. Like a few other reviewers, I also felt the ending to be rushed and abrupt.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I love the romance between Liam and Madison however I felt there was a lot going on. The new romance, both had issues with past relationships, a death and children from a previous marriage and their grief was emotional overload in this book. The setting and friendships were unique and the location/setting was as well.

I enjoyed the romance aspect and will definitely read more by this author.

I really enjoyed this book. From the beginning when Madison was running from her wedding and met Liam in the old west bar across the street from the venue and then the storyline of Bliss (who Madison met when she was a child) and had always wondered what had happened to her. Time travel isn't talked about much in Madison's family but several people had experienced it. Liam had two children who had not lived with him for a year, due to his ex's death and her grandparents wanted them to stay with them. He finally realized he needed to get them home with him so they would know he loved them. His 9 year old daughter had a massive chip on her shoulder due to all the untruths her mother and grandmother had told her. When an almost tragedy happened she realized the error of her ways and it gave hope to a much better relationship with her dad and brother Also, I believe the love of Madison will help mend fences also. This was a very good story that I highly recommend

I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

Where the Creek Bends by Linda Lael Miller releasing on December 31st, 2024 masterfully combines paranormal, romance, time travel, mystery, and western elements, creating a captivating read.

Madison Bettencourt dreams of having a family, but her past choices in love have left her disillusioned. While trying to know more about her ailing grandmother and also of her ancestral home, Madison reflects on her childhood friend Bliss, who mysteriously vanished years ago. As she searches for closure and happiness, Madison’s journey intertwines with intriguing mysteries of the past and present.

I particularly enjoyed the paranormal elements, which added a magical layer to the story. Bliss's heartwarming arc stood out, and the romance between Madison and Liam felt genuine and endearing. However, I found the ending slightly incomplete and would have appreciated an epilogue to tie up loose ends. There were moments where repetition made the narrative feel a bit dragged, but the enchanting setting of Bettencourt Hall transported me back to the kind of novels I loved to read.

Overall, Where the Creek Bends is a nostalgic and engaging story, perfect for fans of heartwarming mysteries and multi-genre romances.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, The Hive and Canary Street Press for the ARC.

I really liked the premise of this book. The story was really interesting, however I felt the ending could have been better. I felt like I was kind of left hanging without the plot being wrapped up. All in all though this was a very enjoyable read.

This book has a little bit of everything, i.e. romance, fantasy and action. It also has a whole lot of awesome! I was immediately drawn into the story with “all” the characters that stood out in all the right ways. A sexy cowboy, a strong female, great friends, trying children and ex boyfriends that earned their titles. I can’t think of any part I didn’t enjoy. The fantasy of the story was perfect, especially how it unfolded. Perfect Miller!

I'll be the odd one out because I'm sure that many other will enjoy this novel of love, loss, grief, and reconciliation with a touch of the paranormal but there was just too much going on for me. I liked the Madison-Bliss story and I liked the Madison-Liam romance but I thought that putting the two together meant one too many elements (although, of course that's how life works). Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Miller is a good storyteller and this will be welcomed by her fans.

The mix of the incredible and the story of a budding love blend together to create a delightful romance.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This story is a good reminder that second chances are possible. Wealthy Madison Bettencourt comes back to Montana to care for her ailing aunt. Through a set of unexpected circumstances she meets a widowed rancher Liam McKettrick who is busy trying to repair his broken relationship with his two young children. Heart wrenching and loaded down with regrets they work together to take another chance on finding forgiveness and redemption.

What a fun and captivating story. This story is so good and I felt like I was immersed with the plot and living this book right along with the characters. That is one of my favorite feelings as a reader and something I seek out. While it doesn’t happen as often as I’d like, I’m absolutely enthralled when it does, and that was the case there. The paranormal element to this one was *chefs kiss*. I love a good paranormal read, and this was just a dash, which was the perfect amount. There were so many twists and turns to this book, it was fantastic. When done right, twists and turns help keep me engaged and looking forward to what is coming next. I felt that there was the perfect amount of them to keep the read engaging and balanced. The romance element was very nice, and sweet.

If you are looking for a well done mystery with a dash or romance and paranormal, then check this one out.

I was disappointed in this book. Didn't realize there would be a "supernatural" twist involved and I don't enjoy that genre.
I also am getting tired of the everyone is richer than you can imagine trope. While I understand that in books you have to suspend your disbelief to a certain degree, having characters with unlimited money is so boring and unrealistic.

Entertaining, romance/women’s fiction novel that I really enjoyed. Solid plot and likeable characters. Magical elements support the flashbacks between time.

Bitter Gulch, Montana is a ‘pretend’ Old West town with citizens who ‘play’ the characters for tourists. When Madison Bettencourt leaves her fiancé at the altar, she runs across the street from the venue to a bar! She meets handsome Liam McKettrick there and proceeds to get drunk with her best friends. Madison’s grandmother, Coralee is a wealthy heir to a silver fortune, and sadly, lives in an assisted living home there, diagnosed with dementia.

Twenty-four years before, Madison met a young girl, Bliss, whose circumstances were filled with a drunk, mean father, and an absent mother. Madison is kind to her, and therefore puzzled when she finds a goodbye note and a friendship bracelet left near Painted Pony Creek, and Bliss has disappeared.

Liam acts as the town marshal and bartender. He’s drawn to Madison as soon as they meet. He’s moving his estranged children into his home in Bitter Gulch even though his daughter despises him and shows her resentfulness constantly by acting out. His son just wants to be loved by his daddy.

Madison hears talk of a mystical realm around the cemetery in the woods near the creek bend. She’s always wondered what happened to Bliss. On her deathbed, Coralee warns Madison about the danger around those areas.

As the story’s revelations culminate in the last 20% of the book; all the secrets and questions are revealed and answered. The answers are astonishing! This is a thought-provoking, entertaining, and emotional novel. I highly recommend to readers.

I honestly reviewed a digital ARC provided by NetGalley and Harlequin/Canary Press. All opinions are my own.