Review: Great start to a new series!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 11, 2013
My 4.5 star review from Guilty Pleasures book reviews dot com:It seems like it's been a long time since Leah Braemel has released a book and if this book in indicative as to why, then the wait was worth it.  Slow Ride Home is the first book in her Grady Legacy series and it left me feeling excited about what was discovered and what is to come.  This book takes place in my home state of Texas which I have found can be a blessing or a curse when it comes to books because sometimes authors tend to lean towards stereotypes or base their research on the overblown Texans they've seen portrayed in television and movies, but this author got it right.  The Grady men have just enough charm and swagger to be true Texans without being over the top.  They use some Texan slang but it's not over done and most of all they are competent, educated men who just happen to own a huge chunk of land they chose to farm and raise animals on.  This was an easy book to love because the plot was well thought out and organized, there was enough intrigue to keep it interesting but not so much that it overshadowed the romance, the reunited lovers story was complicated but fascinating, and the characters were well developed and displayed that true Texan spirit.  I loved that no matter what kept coming at them, they just kept getting up and moving forward keeping the faith that it would all work out.I'm always enthralled when a couple reunites many years after a devastating break up.  That hurt and resentment has festered for years and even though they claim they moved on with their lives, would they really still feel just animosity if they were truly over?  In the case of Allie O'Keefe and Ben Grady it was pretty damn evident that they pull between them was just as strong as it was 15 years prior when their lives were torn apart by lies and deceit.  What I appreciate is that they allowed themselves to sit down and talk about the past and realize that what happened was truly out of their control.I love the strong woman we see in Allie, but she also shows vulnerability that most people don't see.  She's been hurt many times over by men she trusted which puts her on the defensive immediately.  I found it interesting how easily Ben could read her and realize when he needed to back off and when he needed to make her talk.  Ben is one of those guys who is just a genuine person.  He's trying to adjust to running Bull's Hollow Ranch following the untimely death of his father.  His mother is still reeling, his brother is pulling away, and now someone is claiming they've bought half the ranch from a relative no one has ever heard before and to top it off the girl he once loved is investigating the claim as she works for the insurance company that guarantees the title of the ranch.  While they are working together to try and figure out the claim to the ranch, old feelings and new start to arise leaving them both trying to figure out what happens next.This is one of those books that I had a hard time putting down; I just couldn't wait to see how it was all going to play out and how the outcome would affect everyone.  The supporting cast in this book was equally important and I honestly can't wait to see what happens next in this series.  I appreciated the complexity of the story, there were some real issues tackled yet Ben and Allie's rekindled romance was always front and center.  Slow Ride Home is one of those rare romance books that while you get romance and hot and oh so steamy sex, you get a complete story that keeps you hooked from beginning to end and wishing the next book was already out so you can see what happens next.  I can't say enough good things about this book, so I'll just say head to your favorite bookseller and grab it...you won't be disappointed!