ARC Review – Surrender to Sultry (Sultry Springs #3) by Macy Beckett

… this is the best book in the series and I am so glad that Colt redeemed himself with a beautiful HEA ~ Amanda, Guilty Pleasures

Description:
Leah McMahon is back in Sultry Springs, Texas to help her dad recover from surgery. But there’s a new sheriff in town and he’s none other than Colton Bea, the wild-as-weeds boy who stole her heart a decade earlier. Colt’s a changed man now, and the feelings between these high school sweethearts are stronger than ever. But Leah’s got a secret so devastating that he may never forgive her. Can she find a way to earn absolution and build a future with the sultry man she’s loved half her life?

 

 

 

 

 

Review copy provided for an honest review

Well I have good news and bad news. The good news is that this is the best book in the series and I am so glad that Colt redeemed himself with a beautiful HEA. Surrender to Sultry is Macy Beckett’s 3rd book in the Sultry Springs series, where first loves find second chances, and Colt gets his 2nd chance to make things right with Leah. This book was beautifully written, packed with emotion and the power of forgiveness was most evident for both the main characters.

Leah has returned to Sultry Springs after a 10 year absence to take care of her father after heart surgery. She was hoping to avoid contact with Sheriff Colton Bea but she couldn’t have such luck. Colt is dumbfounded to see Leah again and is determined to get her to forgive him and get her back in his life. It is a few years after the end of book 2 and Colt has changed his ways. He gave up alcohol and his womanizing ways and still suffers a bit from his accident. Even though Leah tries to stay clear, Colt still has the charm that she can’t resist.

I have to say once I figured out Leah’s reason for running away all those years ago my heart went out to her. Trust and love from your heart is a hard combination to overcome when you feel it has been betrayed by one that you love. Colt did her wrong but she was wrong too by leaving and keeping things secret. My only wonder was how hard it was going to be for both of them when the truth came out. I think that the way Ms. Beckett sequenced this story was brilliant, with just enough build up to get you to understand both the main character’s points of view. She writes two complex main characters with flaws and depth to them. They show people what they want them to see but there is much more and you can see sometimes what is hidden behind their eyes.

Colt was out to win Leah back and his seduction scenes were absolutely swoon-worthy. He had me swooning! Colt just had a tendency to live a little too much in the past and had put Leah to high on a pedestal. No one is that perfect and is very much human and prone to make mistakes. Even Leah’s pastor father fessed up to his part in her leaving when he should have been a guiding influence instead of shirking his parental duty. There was a lot of blame on all fronts but most of all with Leah because she did something without Colt’s knowledge.

Once the story was finished I was an absolute mess from crying over the heart ache and then the tears turned to ones of joy over a happy ending. This story captivated me from the beginning and I was pretty much was glued to my sofa until late one evening. I even reread it the following morning because I wanted to feel again the joy of the ending and the richness when good things go right for good people. What we saw of Colt throughout the first two books just whetted my curiosity to see him get his own story and Ms. Beckett wrote his story wonderfully. It definitely captured this reader’s heart.

Ms. Beckett also wrote into this story songs and smells that just enhances the story. She included a couple of songs that fit right in to describe a moment for both of the main characters. Sometime the song itself can go a long way in describe a time or place or a mood. For this reader it is always a plus because I can hear the song in my head as I read. When I read the part where Leah hugs her Dad I knew exactly what she felt at that moment. This is real writing for me and I absolutely love it.

Like I said in the beginning that there was some good and bad news and here is the bad news. This is the last book in the series and there are no plans for a 4th book. I would have loved to have seen a story for Leah’s friend Rachel because it was a perfect setup with a side story in Surrender to Sultry. The end of one series definitely won’t be the end of my delight in this author and her writing. I look forward to her new series and will toot her horn to anyone interested in well written, beautiful love stories of second chances with the Sultry series. If you haven’t read it, then run to the store and get it! You are truly missing a delightful story.