Outlaw Hearts book 3
How do you know you've encountered a book that will leave you breathless and satisfied, but yet turn around and make you intensely crave more? When you start re-reading the book before you've even got a third of the way through! And that's what happened to me with the 3rd book in Jake and Randy's story. Seriously, I was re-reading entire chapters and going back through to favorite sections just because I just didn't want to leave that moment in time yet and wanted to make my escape into the Colorado mountains with the Harkners last as long as possible. And it was the best experience! I had a 2 week book hangover from Love's Sweet Revenge and I'm still having a hard time settling into any new books and having them feel "good enough" after this.
I am finding the older I get, the more I seek out and enjoy books written about older characters - whether they're starting over with a new relationship or if they've been together for decades and have some new trials to face together. That's one thing I love about Rosanne Bittner's books - she has this ability to write beautifully epic stories that span all ages and show that love grows more beautiful and strong as the years go by.
Jake Harkner at any age is an incredible force to be reckoned with. I can't tell you how many times I was swoonin' over how his presence flowed out of the book and throughout my house. The intensity he has towards loving and protecting his family is a sight to behold. He has done so much growing and changing - it's been a pleasure to be a part of his journey. I think I've lost a bigger part of my heart to him and not sure I'll ever recover -- or want to!
Randy still is my heroine soul-mate. I love her mix of strength, sassy, and vulnerability - the way she holds herself together, but yet is dependent on being held in return. She has this natural balance to her that while yes, she can take care of herself, she needs to be taken care of as well, and the people she's surrounded by sense that and give that to her. She in turn gives so much to her husband and family and the bond they all share and continue to mold and solidify is all in thanks to her. I want to be her.
I love the family dynamic with their kids, Lloyd and Evie, and their spouses and all the grandkids. Family and love is a huge theme and it's definitely shown and developed throughout the entire series, but even more so in LSR. I adored getting to have the 2ndary storylines of Lloyd and Katie, Evie and Brian, and their kids.
Rosanne Bitter has a way of drawing me so tightly into the story and painting her characters so realistically that for the time I'm reading, I'm fully invested in the story. I feel every emotion the characters are. When they hurt and struggle, I am in pain. When they rejoice, I'm on an excited high. When they play and joke, I'm laughing along with. When the worse happens, I'm feeling as abandoned and lost as they are. Very few authors can give me a new reality, and RB gives her readers that time and time again.
This is not a book to be missed, whether you read this alone, or after Outlaw Hearts and Do Not Forsake Me. Although you definitely will get a better experience if you start at the beginning, you will not be lacking anything if you jump in with this book first (and then go back and get the others, of course!). I am looking forward to many rereads of the first three books and am already getting anxious waiting for The Last Outlaw (book 4) coming Sept 2017. Thank goodness there's another story coming because my craving for more will finally hopefully be satisfied. (ha!)
