Montana Cherries
By Kim Law
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Release Date: July 28, 2015
When her mother died in a car accident, eighteen-year-old Dani Wilde left college in New York City and returned home to Montana to help raise her younger brothers. Over the past fourteen years, she has devoted her life to fulfilling the promise she made to her mother to watch over the family if anything ever happened to her. She runs the household, cooks the meals, does the laundry, helps care for her young niece, and is an invaluable asset to the family's cherry business. But now that her youngest brother has graduated college and will be coming home to take over the books for the orchard, Dani is on the cusp of realizing her own dreams. She's obtained a college degree through online courses, established a successful marketing business in Montana and in four short weeks will be moving to New York City to reclaim the dream that was cut short when she returned home all those years ago. Now is not the time for Ben Denton, her brother's college friend and the man to whom Dani gave her virginity, to re-enter her life along with his adorable, newly discovered daughter. It's clear Ben has no idea how to be a father to Haley, a child who undoubtedly has been traumatized by being left with a stranger when she's abandoned by the only parent she's ever known. Of course, Dani, "the fixer," steps in to help and it's no surprise that her emotions become entangled with both of them.
Ben Denton is no stranger to abandonment. As a child, his movie star mother had little time for him. After his grandmother's death, when seven-year-old Ben was forced to leave his grandparents' ranch and live with his mother in Hollywood, the only times he felt part of a family were when he was with his college buddy, Gabe Wilde's family at their Montana home. He hasn't seen them in ten years - his celebrity photographer lifestyle takes him around the world - but when his life's turned upside down with the discovery of an unknown child, he turns to the best family he knows...to the woman he never quite forgot...and heads for Montana.
It's immediately apparent that the connection between Ben and Dani is still there. Their attraction for one another sizzles and the friendship that was always strong and easy, flourishes. They both understand that nothing can come of it, of course. In a few short weeks, Dani will move to the other side of the country. Ben isn't interested in having his, or his daughter's, heart broken. But the more time they spend together, the more invested they become in the relationship. Are they headed for a happy ending or will someone's heart be shattered?
In Montana Cherries, Law has created a complex, compelling drama that encompasses not only our romantic couple but the entire Wilde family. To the outside world, the Wildes have always presented the picture of the perfect, happy, cohesive unit. They've been well trained, even if Dani doesn't consciously remember that training. But the tides are shifting, bringing dark secrets and memories consigned to the deep recesses of Dani's mind floating back to the surface. Dani's brothers are keeping secrets from her. Not that they are intentionally trying to exclude her. No, what they are trying to do is protect her - they've spent the past fourteen years protecting her, even if she doesn't know that - and ensure that, after giving so much of herself to them over the years, she will now have the opportunity to follow her dreams to New York. They want nothing to stand in her way but, slowly, in bits and pieces, truths begin to emerge; truths that will not only impact Dani's relationships with her father and brothers but will challenge her own self-worth as well as her place in the family and, of course, her relationship with Ben. In light of what she learns, will she choose to give her relationship with Ben a chance? Will she even be capable of the love and trust required?
Montana Cherries is one of the best books I've read this year. Mental illness is a topic that is often misunderstood; hidden behind closed doors or spoken of in whispers, if it's brought out at all but Law faces it head-on in this complex and compelling story. It's impact is felt throughout the Wilde family, from their father to Dani and all four of her brothers. It has had a direct and lasting effect on their lives, impacting each of them in a different way. There's Dani's father, who has spent much of his life hiding from the truth, pretending that if he didn't acknowledge the problems, they didn't exist. Her brother Gabe's marriage is imploding; his choice of wife eerily similar to their mother. One brother has distanced himself from the family, another shut himself off from his emotions while the youngest has dived into the field of psychology in an attempt to understand a parent who could never love him. These are not perfect characters. They are all flawed, their relationships often messy, but they are real. I know this from experience. I didn't always like Dani's actions but, as the truths of her past were unveiled, I understood them. I adored Ben, especially his commitment to his daughter and his determination to "get it right" even when he had no idea how to do that. My heart ached for him and Dani as they both struggled with the fall-out of her family's revelations.
Montana Cherries is marketed as a stand-alone but I do hope that Kim Law will consider more stories for this family. I so want all of them to find happiness and I have no doubt that their journeys would be just as complex, compelling, emotionally wrenching, and rewarding, as Dani and Ben's. I appreciate that Law didn't take the easy road with their journey. There was a point where she could have but she chose to keep it real. Sometimes, we have to travel through the storm to find the light.
Montana Cherries is a book that should not be missed. It has my highest recommendation.
~PJ
Do you like your contemporary romances light and frothy or rich and deeply emotional? Or, like me, do you enjoy a bit of both?
Do you like a series centered around siblings?
The Wilde family owns a cherry orchard. What's your favorite cherry treat?
I have a signed copy of Montana Cherries that will go to one randomly selected person who leaves a comment on today's post. (US/Canada only)
There is also a tour giveaway with these prizes: a Kim Law tote bag filled with swag, one $25 Amazon gift card, and one $10 Amazon gift card.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
As
a child, award-winning author Kim Law cultivated a love for chocolate, anything
purple, and creative writing. She penned her debut work, “The Gigantic Talking
Raisin,” in the sixth grade and got hooked on the delights of creating stories.
Before settling into the writing life, however, she earned a college degree in
mathematics and then worked as a computer programmer. Now she’s living out her
lifelong dream of writing romance novels. She’s won the Romance Writers of
America’s Golden Heart Award, has been a finalist for the prestigious RWA RITA
Award, and has served in varied positions for her local RWA chapter. A native
of Kentucky, Kim lives with her husband and an assortment of animals in Middle
Tennessee.
CONTACT LINKS:
www.kimlaw.com
kim@kimlaw.com
twitter.com/kim_law
facebook.com/kimlawauthor
pinterest.com/kimlawauthor/
I do love family centered stories...and I definitely want to read this soon.
ReplyDeleteIt's a wonderful book. Hope you enjoy it!
DeleteI like a little bit of both and love series based on siblings.I definitely want to read this book. Since I love cherries I'll eat them anyway I can. Especially cherry flavored chocolate.
ReplyDeleteCarol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
Cherry flavored chocolate. Mmmmmm.....
DeleteI like a mix of both and as I have siblings, four brothers, I adore series based on siblings. This book is on my tbr list and I like cherries fresh picked.. yummy to eat on a hot summer days...
ReplyDeletesuperauntkx9_(at)live(dot)ca
I think that's one of the reasons this book resonated with me, Kathleen. I'm the oldest child and have four younger brothers, the same as Dani.
DeleteI like both. This book sounds wonderful.
ReplyDeleteLOL, I changed my email to a gmail one and now when I try to post still comes up patoct. Who can figure it. Now LADbookfan! So whichever is me.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Patoct/LADbookfan! :)
DeleteI have to agree with you that I like for the contemporary novels I read to have a mixture of light and heavy, if you will. Too light and it's becomes silly and too heavy and it becomes depressing.
ReplyDeleteStories about siblings is nice because it brings back memories of growing up with my own siblings and how we have all matured.
Cherry anything for me, but I admit that I adore a chocolate covered cherry! Yummy!
I need that mixture too, Connie. Probably why I bounce around among a variety of sub-genres. Kim Law has used a deft hand with this book. It's deeply emotional and revolves around a very difficult topic but never felt oppressive.
DeleteOne of the things I love about being a romance reader is that I can always make both . . . and rather than either . . . or choices. I definitely enjoy both light and angsty romances. Family dynamics always add layers to a story IMO, so I am a fan of stories about siblings. Montana Cherries is already on my Kindle, but after reading your review, PJ, I clearly need to move it up in my reading queue.
ReplyDeleteAs for cherries, I love them fresh as a snack, but cherry cobbler and cherry jam on a buttered biscuit are close seconds, although I rarely indulge with those second choices.
Yes, Janga, definitely move it up in the queue!
DeleteI have really been into contemporary series for the last several years, nearly to the exclusion of other genres and I like both the light and frothy and the deep and angsty.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite cherry treat is cherry pie with just frozen cherries a close runner-up.
I enjoy novels with depth and family stories which are always meaningful are my favorite. Rich and Deep would be my choice. Siblings add a dimension to the novel. I enjoy cherry cobbler. Thanks for this great feature and wonderful giveaway.
ReplyDeleteAs long as the series doesn't drag on past 4 books I like siblings' stories.
ReplyDeleteStories which are profound since that is real and definitely siblings since relationships are important. As for cherries I would love to sample a cherry tart especially this summer.
ReplyDeleteI'm adding this book to my TBR list, based on your review. It sounds wonderful.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite cherry treats are fresh cherries, and fresh cherries that are semi-frozen (mmm...tastes like sorbet.) Thanks for the post and giveaway.
I have added this to my Goodreads list. I do like series that contain siblings. It just makes me think of the family I grew up in. As for cherries, I love them best fresh. I do like black cherry ice cream and cherry sorbet. Fresh biscuits or scones with cherry preserves are yummy. Time to pull them out of the refrigerator.
ReplyDeleteI like a mix of emotions & fun, and family related series is a favorite.
ReplyDeleteI adore cherries - both raw & cooked in a pie.
I like both!! Don't care for cherries - but I think the trees in bloom are gorgeous. I love reading about siblings, you get so involved with them. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteLike you I like a combination of light and serious in the contemporary romances I read.
ReplyDeleteCentering a series on siblings works well. The thread is there to connect them in the story arc, but they are individuals and will be very different people.
I am a pie person and love cherry pie.