This is apparently the second in a series but did not feel like that at all. The small Texas town that Thomas writes about is almost tangible - I could feel the tumbleweeds roll by and smell the fresh air that comes from having nothing but brush and canyon for miles. The people all know each other in a way that would be awfully claustrophobic to anyone trying to live their own lives there, but was charming to read about.

RUSTLER'S MOON packs three main stories into its pages. The first is the main romance between Angie and Wilkes and it is this one which also bring the most elements of romantic suspense. Angie is running from a threatening but mysterious figure tied to her past. Threatening notes are left on her car, she feels followed as she flees from Florida to Texas, and she is understandably jumpy when she moves to Ransom Canyon to take up a position as their new museum curator. Luckily for her, Wilkes (who is the owner of a local ranch and a bit of a town staple) doesn't scare easily. He's in the long tradition of romance cowboys who are the proverbial tortoise - slow and steady wins all races. Their happily ever after is fully satisfying and charming.

The second story is where I found myself rolling my eyes a bit and wishing Thomas hadn't really delved into it, so let me get back to it. The third was a sweet plotline about a grandpa looking to reclaim a childhood memory and bring focus back into his life. That journey and the people who were on it with him was sweet.

The second story was about the sheriff's daughter, Lauren, in her freshman year of college and was all a little trope-y for my taste. Her navigation of dating, living with roommates, dealing with boundaries, and flirting with dreams of happily ever after read a bit more like what parenting books tell people about teenagers rather than actual teenagers. However, frequent readers of my reviews will know that I am really picky about teenage and young adult characters having worked with those populations for the better part of twenty years. And while this may be authentic to a small town girl from the badlands in Texas, and I will concede that fully, it just rang to me as trite. I am more interested in Lauren at the end of the story and where she goes from here than I was during most of the story.

Overall, however, RUSTLER'S MOON is a solid read about a small town banding together to welcome an outsider and help her create home.

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