Here’s my book recommendation for

Occasionally, one of my fellow authors will send me their book and ask whether I can read and review it. While I’ve been given a complimentary copy of this book, a positive review was not required, and all opinions are my own.

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?

From a USA Today bestselling author comes a mountain saga filled with high-stakes adventure, a pretend marriage, a secret baby, and love that heals wounded hearts.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! A fake marriage of convenience, a protective hero, and a heroine in serious danger … it doesn’t get much better for me than that combo. I love how strong and capable the heroine is, and yet how much she needs someone to save her from what amounts to captivity. And the hero. He has his flaws, certainly, but the heroine brings out the best in him and I adored how much he cared for her. This story is well-written and one of my favorites of the series.