It was easy to spot the potential relationship from a mile away at the end of the previous installment to this series. Instead, a vet and former FBI agent cross paths after their recent arrivals to a small town in Montana. This book is a country romance, but neither lead is a cowboy. I look forward to continuing my journey through this world. It does the work of the full relationship arc and introduces the readers to the town and a few additional supporting cast that I have a feeling will star in love stories of their very own. This story could have been longer, but I’m not sure it needed to be. Unfortunately, too many people are stuck in the same position as Finn when it comes to living publicly as their authentic selves. Rhys and supporting character Dane have the privilege of both age and different life circumstances to stand up for their identities. Some readers should take care, if necessary, while reading. Moments in this book do not flinch from revealing how nasty bigotry can be. This almost backfires tragically, but the sweet ending reminded me of the reason people idealize rural life. Additionally, Rhys’ support keeps Finn from abandoning his home in search of a more accepting living situation. Acknowledging their attraction to Rhys helps both Finn and Callan finally recognize the true strength of their feelings for each other. Except this isn’t a perfect world, and they live in an especially bigoted rural area, so it takes Rhys crashing into their lives for the connections between them to bloom fully. The easy version is that, in a perfect world, Finn and Callan would have gotten together and lived happily ever after. And after finishing the story, I wasn’t disappointed. But I know by now that Kennedy will craft a compelling relationship arc between them. On the tin, the relationship between the three(!) main characters seems incredibly contrived. However, I’m fully invested in reading each of Kennedy’s sprawling shared universe series, and this book was the next up on the list.

Cowboys, historical or modern-day, aren’t my go-to for romantic heroes.

Finding Home by Sloane Kennedy