When Dakota gets a call to work a murder case back in his hometown in Big Bend, the last person he expects to see is the man who broke his heart over a decade ago. Shane has spent the last decade feeling like a failure, but when Dakota comes back to help him on a case all those buried feelings are ready to burst. Secrets and suspense pile high in this small West Texas town as Dakota and Shane hunt a murderer and confront their past. 

This one hit me right in the feels from the start! Dakota and Shane had such a sweet romance as teens and it absolutely broke my heart to see how everything ended up. Especially for sweet Dakota who was ready back then to give everything to Shane, and still is a decade later. I loved their epic pining and seeing their romance from when they were teens. They just had this special connection from the start which made it even more satisfying when they came back together later in life. Even as they've grown and changed, they still are a perfect match for one another and have unconditional love. I'm a little obsessed with them and their cozy Texan life. 

Their romance was the star of the book for me but the whole crime/murder plot was really interesting too. I'm the worst at figuring out who the killer is so I didn't guess but you could tell right when things were about to get wild and there was definitely anxiety. I really enjoyed pretty much everything about this book. I've never been to West Texas but I loved how Tal described everything and I hope one day we get to explore it more with more books in the series! 

Read if you like: 
• friends to lovers                                    
• second chance          
• mystery/suspense   

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