Big Sky River (Parable, Montana #3) by Linda Lael Miller
This was the most touching and heart-wrenching of the series so far. Sheriff Boone Taylor is such a sympathetic character that you want everything good to come his way and just make everything better. Miller works hard to make this happen for him in this book. Boone has a lot he's been dealing with - and not in the best way. When his wife died, he sent his young children to stay with family until he got his stuff together - but a few years later and they haven't come home yet. He misses them, but doesn't think he's good enough to take care of them. Fate takes that decision out of his hands, and places them firmly back in his life to stay and watching them get to know each other again was amazing. Boone is a great dad, he just needed to be reminded of that by his sons.
Tara is Boone's neighbor and chicken farmer - sort of. She's wanting to live life less hectic after coming out of a messy marriage and living large in the big city. Tara has some of her own baggage to deal with as well, but since she hasn't told anyone yet before this book - I don't want to give it away. It's a little surprising. Tara and Boone take an instant dislike to each other and this becomes a classic case of opposites attract.
Tara is convinced Boone is a lazy good-for-nothing man, but she doesn't realize he just needs a little help to deal with what life has thrown his way. Boone thinks it's hilarious that this "city girl" thinks she can hack it out in a farm on Montana and just tries to avoid her. But avoiding people isn't really possible in a small town - and when the locals gang up on them to try and get them together, they never stand a chance.
There is a small bit of action in this one, a little tragedy, and a lot of hope. Miller did a much better job with the intro of this one, and I didn't start with a feeling of being lost. There are tons of ups and downs and the set up for book four is great. This is a really fun series, but remember this is Parable, and their lives are lived just a little slower and more laid back than in the city. Lots of things happen, you just don't always realize it until the book is done.
