Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on
With sales of his books looking dismal, Magnus' publisher suggested he get back to his roots. His success was found in sharing tales about life in a small town caring for animals, and they thought this bit of inspiration could be found in Sagebrush Falls. What Magus wasn't anticipating was June Winters, the eternally chipper business owner and busy body. At first, he rebuffed all her attempts of friendship, but when his publisher suggested he create a vlog of his experiences, he realized he needed help, and that help came in the form of June. It seemed as though Magnus had met his match, but perhaps, so had June.
From the very first page, I was excited and happy to be back in Sagebrush Falls. All the charm and warmth of the first installment immediately flooded my senses, and this book delivered everything I hoped it would. Though this book dealt with topics that were a bit heavier than its predecessor, the story was still predominated by the lightness and joy I loved so much in Wild On My Mind.
Magnus was a fantastic grumpy hero. His outward appearance, as well as his behaviors, scared off most people, and allowed him to maintain his personal isolation, but June was not having that. She was determined to win him over, and of course, she did, but not before we learned the various reasons for why Magnus wanted to be left on his own.
My heart broke, when I learned about his childhood, his parents, and one of the major reasons he kept to himself. His memories were quite painful, but I was glad he had the June there to help him unpack it all. It was quite a journey for him, and I was elated, when he made that choice, to get closure with his past, and allow himself some joy.
June was also dealing with some issues. Front and center was her grandmother's failing health. June was one to always do it all by herself. She had to learn how to relinquish some control, and to allow people to help her in the same way that she was always helping them. Again, I was so happy she had Magnus by her side during this ordeal. It was beautiful seeing their affection grow as he supported her and helped ease her pain.
I just made this book sound so sad, but it wasn't! Most of the book was filled with fun banter and lots, and lots of animal antics. I was so excited when Fluffy made an appearance again, and loved that Kerr gave him a storyline that paralleled that of June and Magnus. So fun. There were also fantastic moments with the goats, the polar bear cub, the camels, and Frida, the grizzly bear. I adored the way Kerr wove the animals into the story, and had fun learning so much about them.
Overall: I had a great time watching this grumpy highlander fall in love with the resident southern belle. The story was fun, emotional, and utterly heartwarming.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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Reading updates
- Started reading
- 19 May, 2019: Finished reading
- 19 May, 2019: Reviewed