Carlin Reed is on the run from an obsessed and dangerous
ex. Carlin must keep moving because if she stops he will
find and kill her. Carlin had underestimated Brad once
before and her friend Jina died in her place. Brad is a
computer whiz and works in law enforcement which makes for
a dangerous combination when trying to hide from him.
In the beginning Carlin has been foolish enough to believe
that the law would be on her side and has filed a complaint
against him but all that got her was Brad's increased anger
to where he wouldn't be satisfied with just hurting her,
Brad wants to kill her. She would never take for granted
that she was safe, Carlin learns to travel under an alias,
use only cash and not to communicate with her friends or
family she has to leave behind. Carlin arrives in
Battle Ridge Wyoming and needs to find a job to save some
money for her next move cross country.
Zeke Decker is in trouble, Libby is leaving and there
will be no one to cook, clean and do the laundry for
Decker Ranch once she is gone. It is Libby who took over
when his mom left for Arizona and who took over when his ex
left him and the ranch. It is Libby who has been a
second mother to him; he knows she is serious about leaving
to go help her daughter but he figures if he can't find
a new housekeeper/cook she would stay. Nope, here she is
bag packed and leaving. What is he going to do, Spencer
one of the ranch hands is the only one who could half way
cook but they would starve during the Wyoming winter trying
to live on Spencer's lumpy oatmeal and burnt meals. Zeke
needs to find a replacement and he needs a replacement
now.
RUNNING WILD The Men from Battle Ridge Book 1 is an
electrifying adventure. When Zeke and Carlin meet the
sparks begin to fly and their journey from strangers to
lovers is packed with an intensity neither is ready for. I
relished the scenes where the Carlin and Zeke try to hold
back the passion they feel for one another while they each
rediscover how to trust and love again. I also was
delighted with Carlin learning to cook and her refusal to
fail attitude, ever better is authors, Linda Howard and
Linda Jones decision to include the recipes for readers
to try. I'm still trying to get up the nerve to try Never
Fail White Cake. RUNNING WILD is the first novel I have
read of either author and they didn't disappoint. The
writing is eloquent and detailed bringing Wyoming to life
before your eyes. I am pleased to learn that this is just
the beginning of The Men from Battle Ridge series and I
look forward to delving into this series as it unfolds.
Carlin Reed lives in fear, off the grid, moving from place
to place. So Battle Ridge, Wyoming, a small town in the
middle of nowhere, seems like a good place to lie low for
a while. But after becoming cook and housekeeper to cattle
rancher Zeke Decker, Carlin suspects that she’s made her
first mistake. Rugged, sexy, and too distracting for his
own good, Zeke is pure temptation mixed with something
deep and primal that makes Carlin feel almost safe. Soon
things are getting way too hot in the kitchen.
Zeke doesn’t challenge Carlin’s terms: cash, dead bolts,
and no questions. It is easy to see that she’s a woman in
trouble. Problem is, he’s so blindsided by his attraction
to her he can’t think straight. Zeke tries to stay all
business, no complications—but that game plan is sabotaged
the second Carlin gets under his skin. And when her
terrifying past follows her to the ranch, Carlin faces a
heartbreaking choice: run away from the man she loves, or
put him in the crosshairs of a madman.