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–Synopsis–

In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, second chances…and a hidden fortune.

Determined to find his missing brother and stop the elusive mastermind behind the theft of his family’s sapphires, Gil Coulter embarks on a solo mission to the remote town near where the criminal is rumored to reside. As Gil scours the surrounding wilderness for the thief’s hidden lair, the last thing he expects to find is a captivating and vulnerable young woman.

Confined to a remote catacomb of caves and the mountain wilderness around it, Jess McPharland is surrounded by brutal men employed in her father’s illicit mining operation. Her last attempt to escape only made things worse and confirmed a secret she can’t hide much longer. She’ll soon be forced into a life more horrific than what she’s known. Jess will do anything to break free before her fears come true.

When she encounters Gil on the hidden mountain trail—and he’s seeking the very criminal she calls Father—she must convince this stranger to pose as her husband and help her escape. And she has one card to play—she knows where his brother is.

As Gil and Jess navigate the treacherous landscape—and people—they find themselves caught in a web of danger, deception, and unexpected attraction. With each passing moment, the stakes grow higher, and the line between pretense and truth blurs. Will the love growing between them be enough to survive Jess’s secret and lead them to the justice Gil seeks, or will her father’s greed destroy everything they’ve risked their lives to protect?

–Review–

Being the sixth installment in the Brothers of Sapphire Ranch series, it was interesting to experience a darker tone as opposed to the more lighthearted nature of the previous books. We get a good idea of how the final climax could go down at the inevitable end of this series. This book left off at a decent cliff hanger, so I am anxious to read the next.

This book swaps between Jess’s and Gil’s point of view and there is a fake relationship trope that I thought worked quite well.

The world in this book feels extremely claustrophobic as the majority of the story takes place in a mining cave system on the side of a mountain. Misty does a great job of using this setting to evoke a real sense of tension as you never know who or what is going to be around the corner in the inky darkness. Being claustrophobic myself, these cave scenes made me feel as though I was being suffocated, unable to seek fresh air or get a good breath. The suspense is quite tangible this time around.

Jess is one of the stronger female characters in this series (in my opinion). She has truly been through so much in such a short lifespan. All the brutality she has witnessed at the hands of her own father and his ‘business partner’ have left some trauma in her life, making her feel as though she will never know true happiness and love. In spite of her bleak circumstances, she still manages to serve an important role among the miners as a sort of nurse for the men who get injured or sick. She thrives in this role as it gives her a real sense of purpose which coupled with her strong faith, propels her forward.

We are finally getting to the younger side of the Coulter brothers as Gil is the fourth oldest out of the six. I will say, his personality is very similar to the others, so it did get a bit difficult not imagining Jericho or Jude as the main character once again. That being said, Gil was able to keep his cool regardless of the seemingly hopeless situation with not just him and Jess, but Sampson as well whom he had been searching weeks for. He remains a humble and steady rock for Jess, particularly as the tension starts ramping up. As it turns out, Gil is a bit more open to his tender side probably because he is younger, which was an enjoyment to read.

Jess and Gil’s relationship begins as a sort of business agreement between the two. Jess is hoping this fake marriage is her ticket away from the constant oppressing eye of her father, and Gil sees this as a way to find the stolen sapphires along with Sampson. In order to make their relationship seem as genuine as possible, they do end up sleeping in the same room, albeit with Gil on the floor, with some hand holding and light touching here and there, particularly around her father. As it turns out, they are both excellent at faking their attractions to the point where they both begin to question the authenticity of their feelings. I personally do love the fake relationship trope as there is almost always this sort of delicious tension and mutual respect between the two.

The main reasons I am giving this book 3 stars is mainly because I felt most of the tension did not exactly go anywhere. Similar to the series as a whole, certain events that are played up as extremely dangerous and deadly, end up not being so as something miraculous happens each time, saving the main characters. Everything seems to work out too good at every turn, which stifles the suspense that had been built up. The pacing was a bit off as well, particularly at the end in which it felt as though everything was happening uncharacteristically fast. Also, I did notice a hand full of grammar errors earlier on in the book which was interesting since it makes me think the editing is getting a bit too relaxed.

All in all, this was not a bad continuation. I did appreciate the fact we are finally getting into the meat of the story with the sapphires starting to become a detrimental aspect of the plot. The fact there are only two books left in this series, I am excited to see how this whole story reaches its conclusion.

-About the Author-

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

Learn more at http://www.MistyMBeller.com.