Early Review: Creed In Stone Creek

A Creed in Stone Creek (Hqn)

Product Details

  • Pub. Date: February 2011
  • Publisher: Harlequin
  • Format: Mass Market Paperback , 384pp
  • Sales Rank: 371
  • ISBN-13: 9780373775552
  • ISBN: 0373775555

Synopsis

When single attorney Steven Creed becomes guardian of an orphaned five-year-old boy, he trades his big-city law firm for a ranch near his McKettrick kin in the close-knit community of Stone Creek, Arizona. Taking care of little Matt and fixing up his run-down ranch house with its old barn loosens something tightly wound inside him. But when Steven takes on the pro bono defense of a local teen, he meets his match in the opposing counsel—beautiful, by-the-book county prosecutor Melissa O’Ballivan. It’ll take one grieving little boy, a sweet adopted dog and a woman who never expected to win any man’s heart to make this Creed in Stone Creek know he’s truly found home.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this book mostly because it was a nice romance book with a happy ending and some twists along the way.  I have been reading a lot of books that are outside of my normal “type” of book so it was nice to read one that I could just enjoy.

Steven and Matt’s story was just sad in the beginning.  Matt’s parents, Steven, best friends have died and left Matt in Steven’s care.  What a big adjustment for both boy and man.  Steven leaves his home in Colorado and moves his new “son” to Stone Creek where his recently discovered distant family is in the hopes of giving Matt a new start.  Steven buys an old farm that is in really bad shape.  Upon they arrival, the cousin who found Steven arrives and instead of camping until the house is repaired, they are provided with her husband’s tour bus.  With all of this, Steven has promised Matt a new dog and they make an adoption.

Melissa is the county prosecutor and has had relationship issues of her own.  She was engaged to a widower in town and just could not commit.  Now he is getting married and Melissa is all alone and trying to convince herself that is okay.  That is until she meets Steven and Matt in the County Building where she is getting conned into running the parade for the upcoming Rodeo.  How can she ruin this little boy’s dreams by not helping with the parade?

Very quickly there are sparks between Melissa and Steven and Matt is looking for Melissa to fill the Mom role in his life.  Steven trying to keep Matt from getting attached to Melissa.  But he is hooked as well.  All is good until Steven takes on the case of a young man from town probono because he believes that the boy is innocent of the charges against him despite his past.  Melissa is very upset and things go cold between them even though they are both still interested.  Can they get beyond their differences?

I enjoy the story telling that Linda Leal Miller does during these stories.  There are always story lines outside of the main line that keeps the story interesting and builds a lot of background and depth to the characters.  I feel like I could be walking down the street and meet Melissa or Matt and I would know just who they were.  A very enjoyable read.

My Rating

4 of 5 Stars – This is a good story and is something that I would recommend if you are looking for a good romance.

***Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ecopy.  All opinions are my own honest assessment.