Book Review | Here With Me – Brooke Montgomery (Sugarland Creek Series, Book One)

Here With Me
By: Brooke Montgomery

Series: Sugarland Creek 
Book # in Series: 1 of 2
Genre: Small Town Romance
Trope: Age Gap, Ex-Boyfriends Dad, Workplace, Rancher/Western Theme
Publisher: Self Published
Publication Date: June 14th, 2023
My Rating: 5 Stars
My Reading Format: Kindle eBook (Advanced Copy Received To Review Honestly)

Synopsis:

A forbidden age gap stand-alone from small-town romance author Brooke Montgomery about a daring horse trainer and her off-limits ex-boyfriend’s dad…

When we met at the rodeo, I only knew his first name.

Sparks ignited between us, and we spent an unforgettable night together.
It’s not until the morning after when I recognize his last name do I realize who he is.

So I do what any rational woman would and make the walk of shame while he sleeps. It’s not like I’ll ever see him again or have to explain why I left.

But I’m proven wrong when he shows up at my family’s ranch as the new farrier.

We can’t be more than friends—for many reasons.
He’s twice my age, workplace relationships are off-limits, and he moved back to rebuild a relationship with his son—the one I used to date.

Getting involved would ruin everything.

As we struggle between right and wrong, our connection deepens even though his traumatic past makes him doubt he deserves a second chance.

But it doesn’t matter when everything’s against us, including a rival who’s out to get me and my ex who’s determined to win me back.

After a riding trick goes wrong on his watch, he insists on taking care of me. Even though the odds are stacked against us, we keep the truth to ourselves.

But secrets don’t stay hidden for long in a Southern small town.

Here With Me is book 1 in the Sugarland Creek series. Contains 20+ year age gap, ex-boyfriend’s dad, workplace romance, opposites attract, and secret relationship vibes. Each book in this Southern, small town series is a stand-alone and ends in a happily ever after. Please read the content warning before the prologue.

My heart is happy in love right now! Earlier this week I had the chance to read an advanced copy of Here With Me by Brooke Montgomery, and requesting this book was the best thing I ever did. I’m always searching for something new within romance novels. When I read the synopsis and saw the tropes that were listed, to say I was intrigued would be an understatement. The 20+ year age gap was enough to color me intrigued, but then she went ahead and added a trope I never read before: Ex-boyfriend’s dad. That intrigue I was just talking about, went from a ten to a one hundred in a matter of milliseconds!! I’m not much into workplace romances but with these two tropes combined with the workplace/ranch style theme of the novel, I was invested from the very start!

You know what made this work, it was Noah’s old soul personality. I loved the fact that she was a strong independent woman. And sitting back while others did her job wasn’t an option. I guess that’s how she gained the reputation of being the best and most feared horse trainer in the business. I loved Noah’s fire and her spirit! She is a character that can be looked up to and admired.

And then we have Fisher, who happens to unknowingly be Noah’s ex-boyfriends estranged father. When Fisher first spotted Noah, he felt a pang in his heart. Something he hasn’t felt in years. So he pursues the feeling and takes Noah up on her offer to meet her at the bar she’s tending. AH! I loved the back and forth banter between Fisher and Noah. She’s outspoken and he’s shocked! Definitely a great ice breaker and set up for what’s to come! 

What more can I say, my heart was invested in this relationship and seeing it through to the end. I loved the fact that Noah and Fisher found one another! True, in the back of my mind before I started Here With Me, there was an initial warning that I may not like the huge age gap and the fact that Fisher is Noah’s ex-boyfriends dad. But somehow Brooke made everything work flawlessly and perfectly. And it just goes to show, Love can show up at any time and with anybody! Fate works in mysterious ways. My heart and head were, for once, on the same team! I loved Here With Me by Brooke Montgomery, and I decided to give this one five stars! What can I say, I’m a sucker for true love at its finest!  I felt his pain, bone deep. And every moment he let that pain go, I felt it straight to my heart! 

I just want to warn you all, Fisher lived through a parent’s worst nightmare and the guilt he felt from the *SPOILER* lived with him through the remainder of his life. The only reason I wrote this small spoiler is for a warning of sorts. If this material is triggering for you, I highly recommend you proceed with caution. It’s mentioned a few times in this novel due to the grief and suffering Fisher endures. This man is strong enough to have withstood so much pain. DON’T SKIP BROOKE MONTGOMERY’S CONTENT WARNING BEFORE READING THE PROLOGUE! If you take anything from this review, please read the warning!

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Read Today:

Available in kindleunlimited

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3JApIId
Amazon Universal: https://mybook.to/herewithmebm

Peace Love and Happy Reading,