Books & Spoons Review for SHELTERED BY THE COWBOY by Carla Cassidy

24/9/2017

In New York Times bestselling author Carla Cassidy's latest thriller, a loner cowboy meets his match!

A man who keeps his secrets close to his chest, gruff rancher Brody Booth is used to things being complicated. The last thing he expects is for a beautiful woman to be his undoing.

But Mandy Wright's as unpredictable as the snowstorm that traps them together. Mandy is independent and trusts no one. When it comes to relationships, she's always the first to walk away. Letting Brody close enough to protect her from a killer feels strange--and thrilling.

Having feelings for him is as risky as surrendering to the threat. Can she find a way to outrun danger and fall in love?

The Cowboys of the Holiday Ranch series continues with the story of Brody Booth and Mandy Wright. This series has been a delightful mix of thrilling suspense and enticing romance, and Brody and Mandy deliver the goods as well as the rest of them!
Mandy is the flirty waitress from the local cafe. From high school on, she has had a reputation in the town to be easy with the fellas, but you should never trust the gossip, there's always more underneath the surface. Mandy's home life hasn't been easy, her mother passed away when she was a young girl, her brother ran away leaving Mandy alone to deal with the escalatingly abusive father. All Mandy wanted was to make her father proud of her, find her prince charming to rescue her from the mundane life, and open her own restaurant. She is determined to stay positive, to be happy, and see the silver lining in everything. Her goal to wake up happy, every day, is put to the test when she finds her father murdered in their home.
Brody escaped his abusive father to the streets at the young age. He was rescued to the Holiday Ranch, and now was serving as the temporary foreman of the ranch. His biggest fear of having inherited his father's abusive nature made him decide to avoid any closer, intimate relationships. A decision that Mandy and being close to her made a difficult promise to hold.
Brody is stubborn, strong-minded and protective. Mandy loves to smile, make people around her happy, has a childlike belief in magic, and likes to spread cheer around her. They might seem like the opposites at the first glance, but the connection between them is real, the feelings growing inside them are true, and the passion simmering between them, with every innocent touch and look, is irresistible.
The danger surrounding Mandy wakens Brody's protective strike and keeps him close to the constant temptation Mandy is to him. The unexplainable attacks towards Mandy and her long-lost brother are escalating, the menace is deadly, it is obvious someone is determined to kill Mandy and her brother as well.
I really enjoyed this story, there was something very humble and vulnerable about both Mandy and Brody, making them easy to relate to, like, and understand. The brotherhood of the men at the Holiday ranch is admirable, a tangible force to be reckoned with. The mystery of the suspense, with so little clues and so many suspects, keeps the investigation intriguing, puzzling the mind.
Captivating investigation into mystifying crimes with delightful, tender romance delivers an engaging and entertaining tale
~ Four Spoons