Thursday, December 17, 2015

4 stars--Once Touched (Silver Creek #3) by Laura Moore

Whew boy! That's one pissed off grumbly ex-photojournalist-soon-to-be-a-cowboy! Okay so Ethan's come to Quinn's family ranch to basically hide out and heal after being seriously injured while on assignment in a war zone. He's hurt but determined to pull his weight and Quinn gets saddled with making him useful. *big exasperated sigh* She's a fixer though and, man, this guy needs some fixing...



I loved Quinn. You know how sometimes you just click with a character? That's her for me. She's a rescuer. Of animals and people. She takes care of others and gives her all, loves passionately, is strong, stubborn and hiding a little insecurity in certain areas. I just loved everything about her and how much she adored all her critters. She had some sass to her too which was awesome.
"I've been learning equine massage. It's something I was already planning on doing with Tucker. Now I really want to. I'm hoping it will help him relax and handle being confined to a stall better. But I need more practice. I can use you."

"I'm not a horse."

"But you're an ass a lot of the time, so that qualifies, doesn't it"
And Ethan. He's doing his damndest to bury both his physical and mental pain as deep as he can. He doesn't want to talk about his time in a war zone or think about it and what sent him back to the States. He's hiding out and throwing himself into her family's ranch doing whatever he can to escape his nightmares. I loved Ethan. His pain was palpable. He could be grumbly but the good in him radiated even if he couldn't see it in himself anymore. And he had a thing for animals. Was sweet and aware of their needs be they dog, demon parrot, goat or horse. *swoon*
"Wait. You intend to have me milk your goats?"

"Yup. It's your new job. Consider yourself enrolled in Milking 101. See this? This here is a teat." She brushed the distended teat with her index finger. "You ever handled one before?" The ghost of a grin lifted the corner of her mouth.

Damn, he liked her sense of humor. Clearling the moment had come for a little tit for tat. "I've had experience with something similar, but I've never been especially interested in milking any of them." He paused as if considering. "Suckling, definitely."

There was enough light to catch the fiery blush that stole over her cheeks. She cleared her throat and coughed. "Excuse me. Must have swallowed some hay." She made a show of coughing again. "Right. Good. Now, where was I? Oh, yeah. You'll need to bring your A-game with Coco. Take a seat."
I loved them together. They're pretty straight forward with each other. A bit blunt and for a while maybe a little snippy. They fell in nice together, though. They suited and could read each other in the best way, and, oh man, when they finally realize they kinda maybe have the hots for each other...yes! It totally had me falling for Ethan even more. Some nice sexy bits happening and some total swoon-age too. It was wonderful seeing them slowly heal each others hurts and insecurities.



omg. Seriously. omg. I was a bawling mess. The ending was pretty amazing. Heartbreaking and frustrating. And absolutely beautiful. I kept having to put my book down to take a few breaths and dry my eyes so I could actually read the text. I want (need) an Ethan. lol Plain and simple?  Moore dazzled and won me over completely. Totally swept me off my feet and has me ready for more. Excellent!
The youngest of the three Knowles siblings, Quinn has in her blood the love of the land and its beautiful creatures. Raising enough money to build an animal sanctuary is a dream Quinn lives every day—while fending off her family’s well-intentioned matchmaking schemes. Though harboring secret fears about intimacy, Quinn soon realizes she cannot fight her growing attraction to a man who has suddenly entered her life.

Scarred by his months in Afghanistan and the violence he witnessed there through his camera lens, photojournalist Ethan Saunders throws himself into hard ranching work as a prescription for healing. But falling for Quinn has given him the one thing he thought he’d lost forever: hope. Ethan discovers that Quinn, like the innocent animals she rescues, is shy, and afraid of entrusting her heart to a man. Passion soon awakens Ethan’s strength, and his tender seduction may be just what Quinn needs to believe in herself—and in his love.

Amazon | All Romance | Book Depository | Goodreads

*covers link to Amazon
 

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