The Rancher's Sanctuary: An Uplifting Inspirational Romance (K-9 Companions, 13)

"The Rancher's Sanctuary" is a Christian romance. Monroe was a beauty queen. Now she has burns scarring part of her face from fighting a fire to save her fiancé (who then dumped her, the jerk). Figuring everyone would feel either pity or disgust, Monroe stayed on her grandpa's ranch taking care of rescue dogs. She also enjoys the solitude found on the long-abandoned, neighboring ranch. Nathan intends to renovate the ranch back into a guest resort and working ranch. He also wants to uncover the truth about his parent's murder. Monroe's rude, sarcastic way of interacting didn't bother him because he knew it's her pain and defensiveness talking. As they spent time together, each came to admire the other's character, became friends, and then more. Each helped support and build the other up. They made a great team when working together. The mystery served mostly as a reason for Monroe to spend time with Nathan and as a strong enough reason to motivate her back into society. The dogs had distinct personalities but weren't a major focus of the story. The Christian element was woven into the story, things like Nathan explained how Scripture helped him to focus on positive things rather than grow bitter. Monroe finally accepted that Nathan could really love her with her scars (like we don't love Jesus less because of his scars). There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable romance. I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

Linda Goodnight delivers a heart-warming page-turning story about overcoming a traumatic past. Both Nathan and Monroe suffered past trauma that shaped who they were. Each character must learn to apply their faith in a loving God to help them. Nathan’s faith is stronger and inspires Monroe to be more like him. I loved the way Goodnight introduced a physical deformity and mirrored it to the scars Monroe’s rescued dogs had. My favorite part of the entire book was in Goodnight’s comparison of Jesus’s scars with those faced by the characters in the book. Very healing, truthful words. The quirky, reclusive cowgirl, Monroe must learn to see herself for who she is and to stop seeing herself through the aftermath of her accident. She is a woman with a beautiful heart and soul, a softie for dogs, and even one broken-hearted rhinestone cowboy. Goodnight made me fall in love with both Monroe and Nathan. I rooted with them for each other as they faced many challenges in life and love. The ending was extremely satisfying. I love a good story where characters realize what they thought they wanted wasn’t even what they really wanted after all. I would strongly recommend this book for fans of Christian romance in a western setting with a powerful message of faith. It has dogs, horses, and a touch of intrigue to go along with the romance. Well worth the read. Genre: Christian Romance, Inspirational Romance, Sweet Romance, Dog Lovers, Intrigue Location: Persimmon Hill Ranch, Oklahoma Romance: Very clean. Brief mention of kissing. Faith: Strong example of faith in overcoming past trauma. Very inspiring and uplifting story with overtly Biblically based faith. Disclaimer: I requested and received an advanced copy of this book courtesy of Harlequin Publishers through NetGalley. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion. Nathan returns to his childhood home and not with the fondest of memories. Monroe happens to be at the estate when Nathan arrives and she doesn’t provide the warmest welcome. Soon the two will learn to help each other through difficult times and as they work to save the Hall their feelings for each other continue to grow. Great HEA ending and the suspense behind the Hall is unexpected.