After a deathbed promise, a cowboy makes a life-changing decision.

Overnight, rancher Jace Abernathy has gone from carefree bachelor to single dad. Frankie isn’t really his, but nothing will prevent him from protecting the orphaned newborn he saved from a fire, not even nurse Tamara Hanson.

Tamara, who lives her life by the book, is convinced Jace is unprepared for fatherhood. Jace believes rules sometimes need to be broken.

What neither of them realizes is that what they need most of all…is each other.

Titles in the Montana Mavericks: Lassoing Love multi-author series include — The Maverick’s Surprise Son by Christine Rimmer —♥— A Maverick Reborn by Melissa Senate —♥— A Maverick for Her Mom by Stella Bagwell —♥— Falling for Dr. Maverick by Kathy Douglass —♥— The Maverick’s Holiday Delivery by Christy Jeffries —♥— A Maverick’s Holiday Homecoming by Brenda Harlen —♥—

This is an adult 18+ story that may contain language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Owned

Title:  The Maverick’s Surprise Son
Series:  Montana Mavericks: Lassoing Love #1
Author:  Christine Rimmer
Genre:  Modern Western Romance
Published:  June 27, 2023
Publisher:  Harlequin Special Edition
My Rating:  4.5

The Maverick’s Surprise Son delivers such a heartwarming introduction to the Montana Mavericks: Lassoing Love series.  It took about four seconds to fall in love with Jace – that might be a record time for me.  He’s just a good guy, maybe with a bit of “white knight on a charger” syndrome when it comes to picking the wrong ladies to fall for, but his heart is always in the right place.  Even when his habit of jumping in too quickly to rescue someone gets him teased, a lot, by his family and friends, Jace acknowledges it with the hope of one day changing that pattern.  He simply didn’t know how quickly that opportunity would arrive.

I absolutely loved this tale of a part-time firefighter, a full-time rancher with a heart of gold, a man who believes in promises and happy endings.  He made a promise to the mother of the baby he’d just delivered… and he intends to keep that promise.  Nothing and no one, especially Tamara, will change his mind on this simple fact.  Tamara is one of the nurses who took care of baby Frankie when he was brought into the hospital.  She’s a believer in rules, in doing what works, and she’s also very leery of any man right now after finding her jerk of a former fiancé cheated on her.  She also has a good heart, she’s not vindictive, but she also cannot see how Jace can possibly foster with the intent to adopt little Frankie.  Her opinion of him, and her knowledge of the system just cannot see a way where that’s possible.  But she’s underestimated Jace, and his family… and perhaps the majority of their community.

I look to the first book in any series to grab my attention, to hook me on needing to know more, of whatever comes next.  The Maverick’s Surprise Son did that with ease.  I need to know what happens to his siblings as they find their forever loves; I want the chance to see Jace, Tamara, and baby Frankie for cameo appearances (fingers crossed).  If you love a well-written, fast-paced, emotional romance full of perhaps opposites but still good people finding their way to creating a lifetime together… then you’re going to love this one.

I own a Kindle edition of this title.

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