Rocky Mountain Haven by Vivian Arend

Format Read: e-book provided by Novel Sidekick courtesy of Author for Review
Length: 156 Pages
Series: Six Pack Ranch, Book 2
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance, Western
Release Date: January 10, 2012
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Formats Available: eBook, Kindle, Nook
Purchasing Info: Publisher, Author’s Website, Goodreads, Kindle, Nook, Kobo

Book Blurb:

It’s the quiet ones that take you by surprise.

Beth Danube’s emotionally abusive husband is dead and buried. So is her heart. It’s no big deal, she has all she wants: her three little boys and a fresh start in a small Alberta town. What she doesn’t want is another man in her life—not now, maybe not ever.

After ten years of unsatisfactory, missionary-position sex, she never expected her libido to reawaken. One look at sex-in-boots Daniel Coleman in a Calgary bar, though, blows the dust off her sexuality.

Sensing an edge of desperation, even fear, beneath Beth’s come-on, Daniel finds himself giving in to the powerful urge to let his normally subdued desires run wild. The lady wants non-judgmental, non-vanilla sex? She’s got it—in and out of the bedroom.

At first, friends with blazing-hot benefits is more than enough. Then she realizes Daniel is burning away the protective fortress around her heart…and the guilty secret she dare not reveal.

Warnings: One woman determined to retake control of her life, a man with the single-minded purpose of offering her—and her body—everything she needs. Inappropriate behavior in barns, change rooms, and oh-my-gawd phone sex with a cowboy.

My Thoughts:

Rocky Mountain Haven was a special, awesome read for me.

After the death of her husband in a car crash, Beth Danube, a 29-year-old mother of 3 young sons moves from Calgary, Alberta to small town Rocky Mountain House to start a new life. When the accommodation she has arranged doesn’t work out the building’s owner arranges for her and the children to move into a house next door to the Coleman’s Six Pack Ranch. Before leaving Calgary, Beth gathered together the threads of her tattered self esteem and courageously agreed to go for an evening out to a bar along with her sister. Beth meets Daniel Coleman and there is instant sexual chemistry between them, he wants to see her again. However, Beth is skittish, while she needs and wants to explore her sexuality she is in no way ready to share personal information with a man. You see, Beth suffered 10 years of emotional and physical abuse at the hands of her husband.

Daniel is none too happy when he discovers the phone number the lovely, appealing Beth has given him is disconnected. Even though the setting of their first meeting wasn’t optimum he felt a connection with her and really wanted to get to know her. Daniel is 25 and has dealt with his own difficult personal issues and loss. He was deeply hurt by his former girlfriend but I saw him as a man who was ready for the right woman to come into his life.

Unlike Rocky Mountain Heat, the first novel of Vivian Arend’s Six Pack Ranch series, Rocky Mountain Haven is far more focused on the relationship of the heroine and hero, which was necessary given their complexities. When Daniel discovers Beth is living next door with her 3 young boys, he wastes no time in pursuing what ignited between them in that Calgary bar. What is wonderful and heartwarming is that he shows her compassion and understanding. In Daniel, Arend crafts a handsome, honorable alpha male, who shows remarkable maturity and intelligence. Daniel recognizes Beth is suffering and working through many issues, a good mother who is very sensitive to her sons needs. Arend develops their special love story over the course of the novel, along with forging a relationship between Daniel and Beth’s 3 young boys. There is one particularly emotional scene near the end where Daniel has a heart-to-heart talk with 7-year-old Nathan concerning his father that brought tears to my eyes.

Beth’s ability to trust and begin to enjoy living a full life also shines through. She has a teaching position at the local high school, she begins to socialize, not only with Daniel but also the close knit Colemans. She also learns the joy and value of having a circle of female friends in the Coleman women for the first time in her adult life. Moreover, Daniel and Beth are able to share their sense of loss and pain regarding a particularly sensitive medical issue. Beth is a woman with deep, painful secrets which she reveals to Daniel as their relationship strengthens.

This story isn’t all serious and emotional, Arend’s signature wit permeates the narrative, the dialogue and thoughtful introspection is fitting for the novel’s setting and demographic. And, of course you get smoking hot love scenes as Daniel nurtures Beth allowing her to explore her sensual nature for the first time in her life. Arend doesn’t shy away from penning kink into the love scenes of her erotic romances, this one is no exception. 😉

There is a sub-plot involving Coleman cousin Gabe who is at the crossroads of his life and deciding how best to move forward. Gabe was introduced in Rocky Mountain Heat and Vivian Arend appears to be building his story over the course of the series. I really like Gabe and look forward to seeing where the author takes him next.

Rocky Mountain Haven offers readers a heartwarming story of a second chance at love set in the beautiful Canadian Rockies. I read this one in one sitting and enjoyed every minute. Coleman brother Matt’s story, Rocky Mountain Desire will be released next and I’m so looking forward to reading his story! 🙂

I give Rocky Mountain Heat 5 Stars

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

About Lea

Lea is an animal loving, tree hugging vegetarian who lives in Toronto, Canada with her family, which includes three dogs. She is a prolific reader and has been blogging and reviewing since 2008. Lea is a contributor at the USA Today HEA Blog and an active member at Goodreads.

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