Black Hills Secrets Synopsis:
Blake Phails is struggling with the loss of his best friend and brother-in-arms. He is desperately choking back the guilt of not dying and now must face the emptiness of the world alone. It is difficult to find peace anywhere and home, well, he has no idea where that even might be. It is not a concept he is well acquainted with.
His mother gave him a picture. There was a date and a town in South Dakota written on the back. Hot Springs. He has made up his mind to go, but there is no way to predict just what is ahead.
Bailey Campbellâs greatest joy is the wide open spaces on the back of her horse, Liberty. There is nothing quite like freedom and sadly, it always comes at a price. Every time Bailey takes one step away, her stepfather reels her back in by using her half-sister as bait. He is vicious and abusive.
It is a part of her life Bailey struggles to keep hidden until a chance meeting with a soldier as battered as she. Following destinyâs guidance, can Blake and Bailey embrace a future without secrets?
Book Excerpt
Sara's Review
He is suffering from PTSD, and the pain of losing a comrade that he considered to be his brother in that war. From the very opening sentence and the very first paragraph, I was completely drawn in to his story. With just a picture of a couple and the words âHot Springsâ on the back, he finds himself in the town, seeking answers. A chance meeting at a grocery store brings a woman named Bailey Campbell into his life, along with time at the Johnson Therapy Center. Like a lot of the books in this series, theirs is a relationship that takes time to form, but once it does, they both know that the other is the one meant for them.
While I loved the romance between the two and the fact they had chemistry, what I found the most compelling thing about both Bailey and Blake is that they both have things in their lives that they are struggling to deal with. Blake and his PTSD, and Bailey with a family situation. They both serve to anchor the other, and give support when it is needed.
There were some surprises in this book, and the Secrets part of the title is fitting. What I will say is that there is one scene in particular towards the end of the book where I had a few tears that fell because of the emotion that it evoked. What I can say is that scene served to remind me of why I like this series so much. The characters all feel real and genuine, and I've grown to know them over the course of the first three books.
My rating is 5/5 platypires.
Book Links
About the Author
The Black Hills Series came from her motherâs idea to use Hot Springs, South Dakota as a home town for the Johnson family. Everything about the Black Hills is enchantingly rugged and of course, there are cowboys!
Check out her young adult contemporary romantic series. Black Hills Angel (Book 1), Black Hills Blessing (Book 2), Black Hills Rebel (Book 3), Black Hills Secrets (Book 4) and Black Hills Forever (Book 5 coming Summer 2015).
Four novellas will also accompany this series as Black Hills Seasons presents the stories of the supporting characters that readers have requested. Watch for them in late 2015 or early 2016.
Please feel free to connect with her on social media.