Sandy M’s reviews of The Return to Troublesome Gulch (Books 1, 2, and 3) by Lynda Sandoval
Contemporary romance 1 Sep 07, 1 Nov 07, and 1 Jan 08 by Silhouette

I received the second book in this series, not realizing it was part of a series until I was finished with it. But after the emotion I went through while reading this book, I had to find the first and third books immediately. I’m glad I did. All three are full of emotion from laughing to crying to being royally pissed off, but at the end you’re cheering for these characters and their triumphs for truly surviving and living again after a tragic night that changed their lives forever. All three stories take place twelve years after that tragic night.

The Other Sister (Return to Troublesome Gulch, Book 1)

Although this first book has some very teary-eyed moments, it’s the laughter that makes it worthwhile, and it starts from the very beginning. Faith is trying to be an adventure-loving adrenaline junkie like her older sister, one of the victims of that long-ago prom night tragedy. Taking a leap of faith, she throws herself down a snowy mountain that is way beyond her skill level on skis. She doesn’t make it far and ends up careening down the mountain instead. Enter Brody, who disppeared twelve years ago and hasn’t told anyone he’s back in town, and the fun begins. The wit, the banter, the teasing, the laughs continue throughout the book, interspersed with some very tough moments for Brody, the first survivor we meet who thinks Faith and her family hate him since that fateful night. This is a terrific start to this series to learn what happend all those years ago and to be introduced to these victims and their families all learning how to live again.

Grade: B+

From the back cover:

You gotta have faith…

Years after a prom-night accident claimed his best friend, Brody Austin decided it was time to stop running-and return to Troublesome Gulch, Colorado, to overcome the pain and guilt. Right away, a chance encounter on the ski slopes brought Brody face-to-face with his best friend’s kid sister, Faith Montesantos. Boy, was she all grown up! And yes, the vivacious high school guidance counselor still missed the older sister she’d lost, but she chose to focus on the joyful memories of their short time together…and seemed determined to teach Brody to do the same. He had hoped to conquer the demons of his past, but in Faith he found the key to his future…

Read an excerpt. 

Deja You (Return to Troublesome Gulch, Book 2)

Of the three books, this one is my favorite. It’s the most emotional of the trio. We’re thrown into Erin’s nightmare immediately as she hightails it out of town after fighting a fire throws her for a loop full of horrific memories and she’s running from and searching for something she can’t name. Her scars seem to go deeper than the other suvivors of that night, she lost a little more than the others. On her meandering quest she runs into Nate and they have a hot and heavy one-night stand. Erin relies on her friends to get her through the resulting pregnancy when she can’t locate Nate months later. It’s fate that brings him to the Gulch and he learns he’s going to be a father. The ensuing emotion between these characters is heart-wrenching. It brought me tears several times, but the turmoil is definitely worth it in getting to know Nate and Erin.

Grade: A-

From the back cover:

Burning out of control…

When a deadly apartment blaze sparked memories of the prom night accident that took her fiancé and unborn baby, firefighter Erin DeLuca ran…and lost herself for just one night. Erin was left pregnant, and the stranger who’d offered solace was nowhere to be found.

Until he showed up in Troublesome Gulch. And irony of ironies, Nate Walker was a pyrotechnics engineer-and when he saw the mystery woman who got away, now very pregnant, his entire being lit up. For Erin, it was a déjà vu moment brighter than any fireworks display-not about reliving pain, but about the joy of being in the arms of a loving man….

Read an excerpt.

You and No Other (Return to Troublesome Gulch, Book 3)

This third book gives us a villain who’s tyranny will make you so angry you want to spit and you can’t wait until he gets what’s coming to him. Cagney’s family has always been dysfunctional thanks to her father, the chief of police. His control over her is what led to her being a victim on prom night. It also led to the love of her life leaving town that same night without a word to anyone, and it isn’t until Jonas comes back to Troublesome Gulch for his own revenge that they both find out what Cag’s father had done to help alter their lives so dramatically. This lawman is one mean, controlling asshole. But when Jonas and Cagney finally overcome their animosity toward one another and the truth comes out, that’s when the fun begins. As they say, payback is a bitch, and it comes none too soon for all of these characters.

Grade: B

From the back cover: 

The boy is back in town…

Twelve years ago, Jonas Eberhardt was run out of Troublesome Gulch on prom night by the jack-booted police chief. Even worse, the chief’s daughter, Cagney Bishop, love of Jonas’s life, seemed to go along with Daddy’s wishes. But the boy from the wrong side of the tracks made millions, and he’s back to fund a youth center for troubled teens…and rub the naysayers’ noses in it. Especially Cagney’s.

Cagney Bishop’s prom night had ruined her chances of happiness-until seeing Jonas reopened a door in her heart she thought was sealed forever. But is Jonas there to get even…or get true love back on track?

Read an excerpt.

I love the emotion of this series. Family and friends stick together no matter what, a town becomes bigger and better, its citizens become closer, and they all learn how to heal and love as a result of tragedy. I also like how Ms. Sandoval intersperses the characters throughout each book. These friends are there for each other and you feel the love between them on every page.

There is to be another book next year, Lexy’s story, and that one can potentially be a real tear jerker. Too bad there’s such a long wait for it. But these three books are a great start. Life and living from tragedy, true friends, love and happiness. How can you go wrong with that?