Stolen Hearts (Whiskey River Road, #2), by Kelly Moore

Publication: January 9, 2020

stolen hearts About the book: It was a day like any other on the ranch.

Hard work and no play make for a cranky cowboy. Needing a night out on the town left me sneaking into my father’s house like a teenage boy.

That was my first mistake of the day.

The second was playing hero to a damsel in distress that turned out to be no damsel at all, but a sexy, snarky woman who took me by surprise.

How you ask?

I’d been a ladies’ man.

That is until I became a father.

My rebel days were gone. A six-year-old sassy daughter changed all that for me.

I didn’t need the complicated, messy kind of love stuff. My hands were full.

A mission into town to handle a family issue would make my life more muddled.

The day I met the woman who would steal my heart.

A thief.

A woman on the run.

A woman with one too many secrets.

A woman who I had to save because if I didn’t, I feared she would disappear and take two hearts with her.

I wasn’t prepared for the danger she was in and the decision I’d have to make.

She’d hate me for sure.

I definitely wasn’t prepared for her to leave.

My Review

I’m so excited to bring everyone my review for the second book in Kelly Moore’s Whiskey River Road series, Stolen Hearts! In the first book in the series, Coming Home, we were introduced to Clem Calhoun and her estranged family. Stolen Hearts includes all the Calhoun family again but focuses on Clem’s brother, Bear. Bear is a single Dad to his young daughter Missy, works in auto repair, as well as, on his family’s farm. Oh, and don’t let me forget that he also performs in a band when he has time. Can I just say, yum! One day while in town he spots Nita doing some things that she should not be doing, and suddenly everything in his primarily predictable life changes.

I was so excited to read Bear’s story! In the first book he was funny, sexy, a great father to Missy – but he seemed sad and angry at times. All those traits are still present this time around, except Kelly Moore introduces his sweet, loving, romantic and even sexier side. Nita seems mysterious, angry, withdrawn, and at times, intimidating when her character is introduced into the story. It’s obvious she has major secrets, but her wonderfully softer side soon comes to light. She is not a character that will instantly steal your heart, but as Moore slowly reveals more and more about her, you will become Nita’s biggest cheerleader.

Anyone who loves family sagas will adore Stolen Hearts, but please start with the first book, Coming Home, in order to understand everything that is going on with this family. As per usual when it comes to Kelly Moore, I struggle to give this novel a specific genre label. One might say just general fiction. Then you could go with romance or romantic comedy. I could even throw in romantic suspense because there is certainly suspense in this book. Regardless of what genre you call it, this is a shining example of Kelly Moore’s unique and well-developed plots, her detailed and realistic characterization, and her amazing ability to entertain her readers.

Stolen Hearts embodies all the humor, angst, suspense, lust, and love that was in Coming Home, yet it takes all those attributes a step further. The raw emotion between Bear and Nita, the themes surrounding family and relationships, and the nail-biting tension make this a book that you will read from start to finish without taking a break.

*Thanks to Kelly Moore for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

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