Carlin Reed is on the run from an obsessed and dangerous ex. Carlin must keep moving because if she stops he will find and kill her. Carlin had underestimated Brad once before and her friend Jina died in her place. Brad is a computer whiz and works in law enforcement which makes for a dangerous combination when trying to hide from him. In the beginning Carlin has been foolish enough to believe that the law would be on her side and has filed a complaint against him but all that got her was Brad's increased anger to where he wouldn't be satisfied with just hurting her, Brad wants to kill her. She would never take for granted that she was safe, Carlin learns to travel under an alias, use only cash and not to communicate with her friends or family she has to leave behind. Carlin arrives in Battle Ridge Wyoming and needs to find a job to save some money for her next move cross country.

Zeke Decker is in trouble, Libby is leaving and there will be no one to cook, clean and do the laundry for Decker Ranch once she is gone. It is Libby who took over when his mom left for Arizona and who took over when his ex left him and the ranch. It is Libby who has been a second mother to him; he knows she is serious about leaving to go help her daughter but he figures if he can't find a new housekeeper/cook she would stay. Nope, here she is bag packed and leaving. What is he going to do, Spencer one of the ranch hands is the only one who could half way cook but they would starve during the Wyoming winter trying to live on Spencer's lumpy oatmeal and burnt meals. Zeke needs to find a replacement and he needs a replacement now.

RUNNING WILD The Men from Battle Ridge Book 1 is an electrifying adventure. When Zeke and Carlin meet the sparks begin to fly and their journey from strangers to lovers is packed with an intensity neither is ready for. I relished the scenes where the Carlin and Zeke try to hold back the passion they feel for one another while they each rediscover how to trust and love again. I also was delighted with Carlin learning to cook and her refusal to fail attitude, ever better is authors, Linda Howard and Linda Jones decision to include the recipes for readers to try. I'm still trying to get up the nerve to try Never Fail White Cake. RUNNING WILD is the first novel I have read of either author and they didn't disappoint. The writing is eloquent and detailed bringing Wyoming to life before your eyes. I am pleased to learn that this is just the beginning of The Men from Battle Ridge series and I look forward to delving into this series as it unfolds.

Book Summary

Carlin Reed lives in fear, off the grid, moving from place to place. So Battle Ridge, Wyoming, a small town in the middle of nowhere, seems like a good place to lie low for a while. But after becoming cook and housekeeper to cattle rancher Zeke Decker, Carlin suspects that she’s made her first mistake. Rugged, sexy, and too distracting for his own good, Zeke is pure temptation mixed with something deep and primal that makes Carlin feel almost safe. Soon things are getting way too hot in the kitchen.

Zeke doesn’t challenge Carlin’s terms: cash, dead bolts, and no questions. It is easy to see that she’s a woman in trouble. Problem is, he’s so blindsided by his attraction to her he can’t think straight. Zeke tries to stay all business, no complications—but that game plan is sabotaged the second Carlin gets under his skin. And when her terrifying past follows her to the ranch, Carlin faces a heartbreaking choice: run away from the man she loves, or put him in the crosshairs of a madman.