Publisher's Weekly Review
Perennial bestseller Miller takes a break from her popular McKettricks of Texas books and kicks off a new western series with this engaging contemporary western. Slade Barlow is the sheriff of Parable, Mont., and the illegitimate son of a wealthy rancher who never acknowledged him. Slade and his half-brother, Hutch Carmody, are shocked when their father's will leaves each of them half of the Whisper Creek Ranch. Software designer Joslyn Kirk, Hutch's ex-girlfriend, has sold her company and come back to town to make amends for her stepfather, who swindled many Parable citizens. Slade and Joslyn keep running into each other, and an intense attraction soon ignites between them. The romance is a bit thin, but Miller's down-home, easy-to-read style keeps the plot moving, and she includes all the elements her fans have come to expect, including likable characters, picturesque descriptions, and some very sweet pets. Agent: Irene Goodman, Irene Goodman Literary Agency. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
When Joslyn Kirk sells her Phoenix-based software company and returns to Parable, Montana, practically the first person she meets is Sheriff Slade Barlow, whose crush she snubbed during their teen years (he was the poor, illegitimate son of one of the county's wealthiest ranchers, while she and Slade's half-brother Hutch Carmody were both self-centered rich kids). Slade, Hutch, and Kendra, another childhood friend who is now her landlord and employer, are among the few to realize that Joslyn has worked hard at overcoming her past, and when Kendra leaves town on an extended trip to settle some personal business, Joslyn begins to create a new life for herself in the only place she's ever really considered home. Miller's enthusiasm for her characters and setting, both familiar territory beloved by her readers but with several intriguing new twists, shines here as the rough-and-tumble, adversarial half brothers tentatively establish connections in the first of two linked contemporary romances (Big Sky Mountain will release in August 2012) set among the ranches and small towns of Montana.--Welch, Lynne Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Driven by the need to make reparations for her sleazy stepfather's long-ago fleecing of some of the townspeople of Parable, MT, Joslyn Kirk sells her thriving computer game company, anonymously restores the lost funds to the victims, and impulsively leaves Phoenix and heads to Parable. Since she was once one of the town's popular and privileged inhabitants, she anticipates both resentment and welcome, but the last thing she expects is the sizzling attraction that sparks between herself and Sheriff Slade Barlow or the growing realization that, maybe, she has finally come home. Old conflicts are laid to rest, and new challenges show intriguing promise in this romance. Miller ties up most loose ends, but leaves a few dangling to whet readers' appetites for the next in the series. VERDICT Honorable, likable protagonists, a diverse assortment of characters, and vivid descriptions that bring this small town to life refresh a classic "going home" plot that still has plenty of appeal. Veteran romance writer Miller (A Lawman's Christmas) has clearly found her niche in the contemporary West. Her deep understanding of its ranch and small-town cultures and love of the people (and animals) are written in every word, and fans of "swoon-worthy cowboys" couldn't be happier. Miller lives in the Spokane area. (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.