Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Where They Belong
SERIES: Haverstall Mountain
AUTHOR: L.C. Chase
PUBLISHER: Wild Roan Press
LENGTH: 294 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2023
BLURB:
If they can’t put the past behind them, they won’t have any future.
Mason Hayes has a problem. A big one. Surprisingly, it’s not the death threats that have become increasingly serious since he turned his legacy Colorado cattle ranch into a wild horse sanctuary. No. It’s far worse. It’s torture in the form of one rugged cowboy turned personal bodyguard hired to be his shadow. A boy he loved now all grown-up gorgeous man. The one he’s never been able to forget.
Colt Stonebraker has a problem. Not only is he back at the ranch where his and his brothers’ whole lives were upended, but now he’s been hired to protect the same man who broke his young heart. With too many suspects out to get Mason, Colt won’t turn his back on him—like Mason had done to him—but that doesn’t mean he has to like it. Colt is there to do a job, and as soon as it’s done, he’s gone. So, what if being back at the ranch brings up all his youthful dreams and unwise temptation? It’s not like he’s going to fall for Mason again . . . right?
REVIEW:
Colt and Mason grew up together – best friends and first loves. Mason’s father was NOT on board with that. They were separated and neither has really dealt with it.
Fast forward twenty years and Mason is being threatened from unknown quarters. His friend, the local Sherriff insists that he needs protection. He hires the Stonebraker brothers, Cole and his siblings Wes and Levi, for the job. Colt is less than thrilled by this idea but is overruled by his brothers.
Pretty quickly after the brothers arrive the harassment escalates. Colt suspects everyone and his gut is rarely wrong. But Mason swears nobody who works at the horse rescue that he is running would want to harm him. Not so much for his neighbors who aren’t happy about how he has changed the ranch and isn’t cooperating with how they want Land Use back to the old ways. They are jerks, but would they really set out to kill Mason? Colt is absolutely convinced that whoever it is wishes to harm Mason if they don’t get what they want.
Meanwhile, it’s also pretty clear and Colt and Mason have never dealt with their past. Neither have every really gotten over their first love. They each hold the other accountable for how things turned out – which is not necessarily the truth of the situation. But they are like moth to flame and can’t seem to stay away from each other despite how bad an idea it is for Colt to be involved with the person he’s supposed to be protecting. Professional distance and all that be damned though. Colt isn’t about to let anything happen to Mason on his watch, despite Mason’s insistence that he can take care of himself 😉 Thankfully they both have the skill and support of the Stonebraker brothers and the Sherriff’s department to save the day!
Well this was a really lovely treat of a book and an intriguing kickoff to a new series from Author L.C. Chase. This is a story of second chances for an unexpected reunion of first loves in the setting of a horse rescue in Colorado where both of our MCs grew up. Both men were hurt by their separation when they were 16 and they have had no contact since that fateful day. Both have gone on to have successful lives, but there is definitely a piece missing. Neither have had successful romantic relationships during the intervening years and they both want to protect themselves from further heartbreak. Nobody is fooled however 😉 They are like magnets – drawn together whenever they are in the same space. Colt’s brothers urge him to clear the air. Mason isn’t sure he can survive another round of losing his heart to Colt and then having him leave. It’s a case of one step forward, two steps back. Getting involved with a protectee is also a huge risk and Colt is devastated when things go wrong. Wes and Levi, his brothers are a bit of a mystery, but they totally have his back and want to see him happy. Nick, the local Sherriff is a person friend of Colt’s and also Mason – but he’s unaware of their history 🙂 Little does he know that he’s been a party to getting these two back together. The bad guys and a few red herrings keep things interesting. And there is no shortage of potential couples for further stories in this world. All in all a really enjoyable start to a series and I’m looking forward to see what comes next. Recommended!
RATING: 
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