COME SUNDOWN is a compelling book from Nora Roberts that you won't be able to put down. It is two stories... one starting in the past and the other in present time. Alice Bodine is bored living on a ranch in Big Sky, Montana. At 18, Alice does not want marriage, college or to live on a ranch. She wants her freedom, and the day her sister gets married, Alice leaves a snotty note and heads west to California. After three years of working odd jobs and surviving on her own, Alice decides it's time to return to Montana. When her old car breakdown a few miles from the Ranch, a passer-by stops to offer Alice a ride. What Alice doesn't realize is this seemingly good samaritan will become her worst nightmare. Alice soon finds herself at the mercy of her kidnapper, and it will be twenty years before she is able to break free...

Bodine Longbow is part of the fourth generation to work the Bodine resort. She runs things with military precision and loves every second of it, along with her parents, brothers, and grandmothers. They are a very close-knit family and work together on the ranch-resort, making all decisions together. Bodine has grown up hearing murmurs of her Aunt Alice, who hasn't been heard from in years. Meanwhile, Callen Skinner, a handsome cowboy, returns from Hollywood where he earned a lot of money by selling his horse company at a high price. Callen was a teen crush of Bodine's and the attraction between them is still strong and growing, especially since he now works with Bodine at the ranch. There's a great deal of description about running the resort which was very interesting and appealing. Bodine and Cal are a great couple, and watching them fall in love is very satisfying. But when they discover a woman beaten and battered in the snow, neither can imagine that she's Alice, Bodine's long-lost aunt....

Family is the central theme of this story, and when Alice escapes from her kidnapper and returns home, they band together to help her forget what was done to her soul and her spirit. The healing power of love helps her back to a future where Alice can find her true happiness, dreams, and family. Nora Roberts held me every step of the way in this journey filled with colorful and lovable characters and the horse that will steal your heart. I give this five stars and my best recommendation for COME SUNDOWN. Another romance/suspense/thriller that hits a grand slam!