Mia's dealing with grief: grief at losing her work partner and grief at possibly losing the job she loves due to her injury. Slade's dealing with an older grief: the loss of his wife (who was also Mia's friend).

Mia wants to be independent. I think this stems partly from her upbringing where it seems she had to count on herself to take care of herself and her siblings, and partly from her job. It's tough for her to accept help. I think Mia feels she's always playing a role--she doesn't really know who she is at this point--and she's not sure what she'll become.

Caleb is a cute kid and his presence helps bridge the gap between Slade and Mia. There's a tough scene where we realize he misses his mom and how little he knows about her.

I think Mia's been in love with Slade for a while but hasn't acknowledged it because Vicki claimed him long ago. She feels disloyal to Vicki if she loves Slade.

It was nice to see Mia find her sister, Breezy--but I felt like it happened kind of fast. I wonder if there's more story there that will be told in a future book in the series. (I also haven't read other books in the series as far as I remember so it's possible there were other references to Breezy there that I don't know about.) ( )

4 STARS

Great story, now I want to read more about Cooper Creek. Good clean story dealing with life changes.
Mia Cooper does not know who she is anymore or what she wants to do next in her life.
She has returned home after being shot in the shoulder. Mia feels guilty because her partner was killed before she could react. Thier cover was blown. With Mia's injury she does not know if she will be able to use her right arm. She can't lift her gun.
She is a undercover DEA Agent. She has local police driving by her house once a hour because someone stole some money. Someone leaked who they were, maybe someone in the DEA even.
Mia wants to find the leak. She also is searching for her little sister that she saw last when she was seven. Her mom OD and all three of them went to different families.
She loves her adopted Cooper family but she wants to find Breezy too.

Slade McKennon is a Dawson deputy Sheriff. He wants to help keep Mia safe. She was his wife's best friend. Plus his good friend's little sister. His wife died 5 years ago and he has raised his son Caleb by himself with help of his family. Mia's always been offbounds. Slade keeps thinking about her now.

Mia has always been a tomboy. She was a rodeo barrel racing champion and went to nationals 3 times winning once. She always kept up with her brothers. Now she is lost.
She helps baby sit Caleb when Slade's mom has a heartattack and shares her memories of his mother Vicky with him. Mia has loved Slade but knew Vicky loved him too and he did not see her that way. She can't feel Vicky's shoes.

I love all the different characters and want to read more stories about them. Mia's grandmother is a hoot. She hit the jackpot with her adopted family. I want to read more books by Brenda.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange for honest review from Netgalley.

Publisher: Love Inspired (April 1, 2013) 224 pages ASIN: B00ALTWPVM ( )

Mia Cooper's life took a drastic turn when her DEA partner was killed in the line of duty and Mia's arm is badly injured. She returns home to Dawson to recover and find out who she is without her job. Slade McKennon is a Dawson Sheriff who plans to keep his eye on Mia and make sure she's safe. Mia and Slade grew up together so things should be easy between them. But Slade is now a widow raising a son on his own and Mia was his wife's best friend. When long buried emotions begin to surface neither are sure exactly what to do about them. But one things for sure they both have a love for his son. Will Mia finally find what she's looking for? Can Slade see Mia as something other than his wife's best friend and his best friends sister?

I just love going to Dawson. It is so much fun to see all the familiar faces. The Cowboy Lawman is Mia's story. She was adopted into the Cooper family and has an independent streak a mile wide. I think her struggle of having to have people help her and the emotion of a possible job loss definitely rang true. Especially because Mia's identity was her job. Slade was another one who could easily be a Cooper. Strong yet tender, you could see why he was best friends with them. I also felt like the whole aspect of 'friends' to 'something more' was done really well. It had to feel awkward to Slade and Mia and as a reader looking on, you understood why. You'll find a bit of suspense and as always, the Cooper family humor. It is always a joy seeing Granny Myrna. She is just a gem. I think this story brought the Romans 8:28 verse to life. 'And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose'. I encourage you to head on down to Dawson. Be prepared though, it's the kind of place that, when you leave, begs you to come back!

*This complimentary copy was provided by Harlequin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired (March 19, 2013)
ISBN-10: 0373878052
ISBN-13: 978-0373878055

For more information on this book as well as other book by Brenda Minton I encourage you to visit her website. http://www.brendaminton.net/ ( )