BROKEN – Laura Wright
The Cavanaugh Brothers , Book 2
Signet Eclipse
ISBN-13:  978-0-451-46499-6
October 2014
Contemporary Romance

River Black, Texas – Present Day

When Everett Cavanaugh died, his three sons returned to River Black.  After their thirteen-year-old sister Cass was abducted and murdered when they were teenagers, their mother blamed all of them, and as soon as they could they all left home, never to return until now.  Then with the reading of the will, they found out they had a fourth brother, Blue, and the fate of the Triple C Ranch hangs in the balance.  James Cavanaugh is called a Horse Whisperer and travels the country helping horses; he still blames himself for letting his sister get kidnapped at the movie theater because none of the brothers would walk her to the restroom.  A girlfriend in college who was attacked when he didn't meet her on time convinced him that no woman is safe with him.  But when his brother Deacon's assistant, Sheridan O'Neil, arrives in town, James can't stop his attraction to her, even though he keeps reminding himself he's bad luck for women.

Sheridan has come from Dallas to help Deacon with the Triple C.  She is strong willed and determined to take care of herself and not let emotions and a man make her swerve from her determined course.  But James Cavanaugh is a fine figure of a man, and Sheridan has a hard time trying to keep herself apart from him.  When a local contractor attacks her after it appears he's been tampering with material invoices, she barely survives, and it brings back memories of helplessness to James once again.

Laura Wright is continuing the story of the Cavanaugh brothers, and James is still reliving the events of over ten years ago.  His faith in himself in personal matters is lacking, and on the other hand Sheridan is very self confident.  Because of her mother's history, Sheridan has lived her life concentrating on getting ahead and making something of herself, because men just seem to mess with your life, and she can't allow herself to get involved with a man, hunky and handsome though James may be.  But passion cannot be denied, and it's a long road for James and Sheridan to work through their histories and give up the loads they've been carrying around.

Secondary characters are James's brothers Deacon and Cody, and Mackenzie Byrd, Deacon's fiancé.  Still in the background is their sister Cass and the entries from her diary as she is sneaking about to meet “Sweet”, whoever that is.  Dr. Grace Hunter is the town veterinarian who told the brothers her father used to be the local Sheriff, and said he had proof of who killed their sister Cass.  Now Grace is changing her mind and says her father has dementia and didn't know what he was saying.  And just to mix things up is Caleb Palmer; a local contractor who isn't happy with the way Sheridan is looking at his bills to remodel the Triple C.

BROKEN comes on the heels of BRANDED (June 2014) and features the Cavanaugh brothers who are still living with the murder of their sister Cass, which colors all their lives.  Next we will have either Cody's or Blue's story, and Cody especially as a cage fighter will be a hard nut to crack, but perhaps Dr. Grace Hunter is just the woman to take on the job.  If you enjoy getting to the bottom of a family mystery, give The Cavanaugh Brothers a chance; they are totally standalone stories full of passion and love.

Carolyn Crisher