Return to Star Valley by RaeAnne Thayne

Return to Star Valley by RaeAnne Thayne
Outlaw Hartes Book 3
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

THE COMEBACK COWBOY

Ten years ago, Cassidy Harte stood at the altar waiting for Zach Slater. And when he didn’t show up—and was said to have disappeared with her brother’s flirtatious wife—she did the only thing she could do. Held her head up high. Helped raise her motherless niece. And swore never to get involved with a man again.

Now suddenly Zach’s back with an “I’m sorry” on his lips and an explanation she refuses to hear. Zach might not keep his vows, but Cassidy certainly does. She’s not about to let this heartbreaker back into her life. Zach is used to being willfully misunderstood, but he isn’t going down without a fight. The rancher is determined to win a second chance…and Cassidy’s love.

Great story! I didn’t know prior to reading this book that it’s the third one in the Outlaw Hartes series but that’s not a concern because it can be read as a standalone. The author’s name, RaeAnne Thayne, and the story in Return to Star Valley sounded familiar to me but I don’t have any record of reading it before. For longtime romance readers, apparently it was published as Cassidy Harte and the Comeback Kid years ago. Regardless if I’ve read it before or not, I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with this book and I’d have no problem reading it again and again and again.

I actually got this book from my mother the last time that I visited her. She is the one responsible for my addiction to reading romance books. Return to Star Valley is a sensually sweet love story between two heart-shattered love birds destined for each other. There are many plot twists that gutted my heart, kept me in suspense or had me holding on to my seat. It’s a must read if you love a bit of mystery mixed in with your love story.

The hero, Zach, was grossly misunderstood and judged. He had my devotion immediately. His character was well developed and easy to connect with. The heroine, Cassidy, was equally developed and relatable. She was a heartstring-puller. Together I ached for them to work out the inevitable circumstances circling their relationship.

There is so much more to this story that isn’t even alluded to in the synopsis. When I read the blurb, I asked myself, why would Zach leave? I was skeptical of any acceptable excuses but decided I wanted to read the book to find out. I’m so glad I did.

I felt the story was well written and would consider reading another RaeAnne Thayne story starting with book one in this series. Cheers, to discovering new authors and reading great books!