Sandy M’s review of Montana Cherries (Montana Wildes, Book 1) by Kim Law
Contemporary Romance published by Montlake Romance 28 Jul 15
Amid all the new authors I’m trying lately, whose stories haven’t quite worked for me, Kim Law has given readers a shining gem in Montana Cherries.
Dani gave up her dream years ago after her mother’s death – she left Columbia University to go home and take care of her father and brothers, just as her mom had asked her to do. Now those boys are grown and on their own, helping out on the family cherry farm, so it’s time for Dani to get back to her dreams in New York City. However, just as everything seems to be coming together, life becomes a bit more difficult to figure out what to do. Ben Denton is back in town and her family is going in directions she never imagined.
Ben knows what it’s like to have fast curve balls thrown at you when you least expect it. He’s just found out he has a four-year-old daughter he never knew about. Her mother dropped Hailey off, giving Ben his turn at being a parent. The best place he knows, with some of the best people he’s ever met, to get to know and raise his daughter is at the Wilde farm, where he also learned about love and happiness as a youngster. His mother is a famous actress, always more interested and involved in her career than her son. Spending time with the Wildes helped Ben get through those years.
I really like Ben and Dani. They have a history, short though it was. Their feelings haven’t gone away after so many years grow, and they try to talk to one another to work through issues that pop up. They support each other as life drops conflict after conflict on them. I really enjoy the scenes with Ben and Hailey. In the beginning, they’re quite awkward with each other, not knowing how to act. Little by little, though, with a bit of help from Dani, their relationship blossoms. Lovely scenes with father and daughter. Dani needs the same openness from her family, but they’re keeping secrets. They want her to live her dream as she’s finally planned it, and it’s the nurturer in her they know will keep her home again if she finds out what’s going on.
This is a story of home and family, especially when there’s issues beyond anyone’s control, and love in all its variations. I look forward to meeting up with this family again as they move through life amongst the cherry trees in Montana.
Grade: B+
Summary:
After her mother’s tragic death, Dani Wilde had no choice but to abandon her dreams. She left Columbia University and returned to her family’s Montana cherry farm, intent on being a maternal figure to her brothers. Now the kids are grown, and it’s finally her time to fly. Her sights are on New York City, and nothing will stop her—not even an old flame with gorgeous green eyes.
Celebrity photographer Ben Denton hasn’t seen Montana in years—and hasn’t spoken to Dani since “that night” so long ago. When he discovers he’s a dad to a four-year-old—and the child’s mother refuses to care for her—Montana and the Wilde farm spring to mind. The orchard is the only place that’s ever felt like home, but will the warmth of the Wilde family be enough to help Ben figure out how to be a father?
As the Wilde family gathers for the yearly cherry harvest and Dani struggles to figure out what she really wants in life, she discovers the shocking truth about her own mother—and learns that following her heart may lead her to her dreams after all.
Read an excerpt.
