Review: Chase Wilde Comes Home (Wyoming Wilde #1)

Chase Wilde Comes Home (Wyoming Wilde #1)

by Jennifer Ryan 

Blurb:

They're tough, tender, and sometimes tormented; they're the Wildes of Wyoming, three brothers whose family ties are as strong as their wills.

Chase Wilde never expected to fall in love, especially with Shelby Payne. Years before, one passionate night had drawn these two lost souls together. Then Chase left on deployment with the Army, while Shelby raised their baby alone. Now he's back, a wounded warrior determined to turn his life around. Shelby knows what it's like to lose everything, including her own family. So she offers him a bargain: if he can prove himself to be the man he says he is, she will let him into their daughter's life...and maybe even into hers.

Chase knows it will take a lot to prove to Shelby that there's more between them than the single night they spent together. She's everything he's ever wanted, including the voice of reason he needs to reconcile his past and be the man he wants to be for them both. But just as their lives come together, she's torn away from him by a dangerous person from her past, and saving her means saving himself . . . because he can't live without her.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating:  4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

  I was so surprised when I started this story that I recognized hero, because to be honest it didn’t register for me when I read the blurb just who this was about, but I am thrilled that I do to read Chase’s story. I have been a fan of Jennifer Ryan a while now, especially her cowboy stories, but it is important to note that none of her stories are easy and sweet, all of them delve into some dark and deep issues for her characters and came cause some tears and trauma for readers that have experienced similar issues.  Chase’s story is one that focuses largely on addiction and PSS in soldiers, but there are also touches of family abandonment and a few other issues that so many people can relate to these days.  Ryan has never been one to shy away from the serious and dark, and this story is no exception to that. Chase has finally gotten his second chance at life, after almost losing said life when he tried to save his friend who was murdered, but now he has to contend with his past mistakes and find a way to prove to his ex-wife that he is a good man and worthy of being in her and her daughter’s lives. Shelby has always felt a connection to Chase, even though they never planned to have a relationship, but being the mother of his child she knows that she wants to offer him the support he needs to stay sober and be a father to their girl.  But the more time they spend together, the more Chase gets to know the woman that has subtly owned him for years, the deeper their connection goes, leaving them both open to the pain of the relationship going south.  They have to find a way to overcome the past that still haunts them both in order to have a chance at a future and build the family they both want with their daughter. I loved Chase, from the very beginning he was just such a great guy, even though he was obviously a little broken and had a lot to work through. He risked so much for those he considered under his care in the military and then for his friend, which left him with so much damage emotionally he had to work through in order to maintain his sobriety, but his determination to put in the effort in order to be there for Shelby and their girl showed the kind of man he is.  His sweetness and love for his girls made him well-rounded and I loved seeing that, even the times he was confronting his brothers and Dad were good because you could just imagine the weight lifting from his heart as he finally made them see the way they had treated him and the feelings it left him with. Shelby was great, the most supportive and loving heroine I have read in ages and I just loved getting to see her in action.  From the very beginning you could see she was dedicated to helping Chase in every way to heal and find his way back to the light, not for any personal gain but just because she had feelings for him and wanted him to be healthy for himself and their daughter.  She was sassy, loving, smart, and sweet but her bravery and devotion were what made her my favorite Ryan leading female to date.  I loved watching her in action as she worked to defat all of Chase’s demons and in the process found her own healing with issues as she fell in love more in love with him.  The passion between these two was there, just a slow burn beneath all their denials and obviously one that will burn for a long time as their relationship lasts the ages. I am dying to read what comes next in this story as these brothers seem to have some serious emotional hang-ups and watching those types of guys fall in love is always the most fun.  Jennifer Ryan has struck gold with her new series for sure.

* ebook provided by publisher (via NetGalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.