Keeping Hope Alive

Always trust your instincts.

There's a way to get a guy's attention!

Wow, he could have been just another fat cat in the city. It's even more commendable that he eschewed that life in favor of the military.

Um, this ex might be the chicken killer.

His mother sounds like a ridiculous person. Plenty of people in New York have big dogs.

Elliott is looking better and better for this.

Poor Stephen. It's the parents' fault for not teaching their kids never to cross the street without adult supervision.

Hey Janet, a square dance would have been fun.

What a time for a first kiss!

Hope Ranch is well named. It is a place that provides structure, responsibility and education to teens that need a second chance. Casey Morgan is the owner of the ranch that is also a school. She has a degree in counseling and is divorced from an abusive husband. Her dream is to make Hope a success BUT there have been accidents and issues that seem more than happenstance. Nathan “Max” Maxwell is a Major in the Special Forces who needs a place to recuperate from an injury sustained in the line of duty. He applies to Hope Ranch for the position of maintenance and security specialist, is hired and shows up on Casey’s doorstep.

There is a potentially explosive introduction between Casey and Max with the students watching. Max is unsure he is a good fit for the position but Casey really needs him and he is not one to leave someone without protection. The school, its students, the adults in charge, the accidents, financial issues and community are all introduced and fleshed out as Casey and Max also begin to test the waters of a potential relationship although neither expects much since Max plans to return to the military.

With so many bad things happening there are plenty of questions to be answered: What will happen to the ranch? Will it stay funded? Will Casey be able to keep it running? Will the community accept it in their midst? Will the students realize it is a good place for them to be? Will Max be able to return to the military? Will Casey and Max have a future together? And… …who is behind the murder and mayhem being perpetrated on Hope Ranch?

This was a fun quick read and I thank NetGalley and The Wild Rose Press for the copy of this book to read and review.

3.5 Stars

This is a sweet romance with a little bit of mystery that brings two people who normally never meet together. I personally enjoy romance mystery novels that have a slow build up so that the romance is believable vs instra love that in the real world would fall apart.
Casey is a strong female who can take care of herself and doesn't need anyone to look out for her. Max needs a place to take it easy while he heels from his recuperate from an injury sustained in the line of duty. They work well together and I enjoyed the simple banter in the book.
It flowed well and the ending wasn't anything explosive but it fit perfectly to the novel..
This is a sweet, easy quick read for those who want to spend a lazy afternoon.
AC from Netgalley.
I will recommend this friends and family who want a clean Romance with just a little mystery.

I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.

This is a Christian romance with some suspense. If you are looking for a hot, steamy romance, this book is not for you.

Max is an injured Special Forces guy looking for some place to heal before returning to his unit. One problem I had was with Max talking openly about his military assignments. I thought Special Forces assignments were classified? Also, he was pretty mild mannered for a Special Forces guy. I don't see one of these guys asking for "cuddle time."

Casey is a therapist to at risk kids. She has a ranch that she uses for the purpose of helping these kids.

The ranch has a few questionable things going on, for the suspense part of the book. It is obvious who is causing the problems.

This was a quick, easy read. It did seem to drag at times. Multiple typos noted.

one word! Awesome!