Former child star Sara Wellens has hit a dead end with her acting career. So when she inherits half of a crumbling guest ranch in Crimson, Colorado, it seems like the perfect windfall. All she has to do is sell her portion to get back on her feet. No harm, no foul . . . right?

The one thing she didn’t count on was her partner-in-property, hunky former bull rider and single dad Josh Travers. Sara is surprised at how quickly she bonds with the charming cowboy—and his equally charming daughter. Sara insists that she’s not looking for a forever family, but the closer she gets to Josh, the more it feels like a Hollywood happy ending.

Titles in the Crimson, Colorado series include: A Kiss on Crimson Ranch ~ A Second Chance at Crimson Ranch ~ Suddenly a Father ~ A Very Crimson Christmas ~ A Baby and A Betrothal ~ Always the Best Man ~ Christmas on Crimson Mountain ~ Romancing the Wallflower ~ Sleigh Bells in Crimson ~ Coming Home to Crimson ~ Anything for His Baby ~ Love at First Bark ~

This is an adult 18+ story that contains language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Title:  A Kiss on Crimson Ranch
Series:  Crimson, Colorado #1
Author:  Michelle Major
Published:  July 2014 (Original), March 3, 2023 (Reissue)
Publisher:  Harlequin Special Edition
My Rating:  4.5 stars

A Kiss on Crimson Ranch begins the Crimson, Colorado series with Sara and Josh, one a former child star definitely down on her luck right now, and the other, a former rodeo star who, due to a career-ending injury, has reinvented himself as part-owner of a getaway lodge/ranch in Colorado… with Sara’s deceased grandmother.  Sara’s come to town thinking to quickly sell the ranch, Josh has no intention of selling…yet.  Together, they could make something amazing out of this property if her domineering mother or a property developer would just stay out of their way.  They might even find a lifelong love if they can get out of their own heads and take a few risks on each other.

I enjoyed A Kiss on Crimson Ranch very much.  Sara is snarky, sassy, and believable, even in her vulnerability, and Josh is stoic, controlled, and completely lost in the father role to his near-teenage daughter.  Separately, well, frankly, they are a mess.  But together, oh how they shine, sparks flying from attraction, anger, and angst.

Both Sara and Josh have issues to be dealt with before that happy ending can happen… mostly trusting each other to have their backs like no one else ever has.  They’re realistic, wounded, and deserve the happiness that is within their reach.

This title was released in 2014, the final book in this series (#12) was released in 2023, and all are available (at the time of this review) in Kindle Unlimited.  A good story is timeless, and I will grab any chance to read anything from Harlequin that I might have missed over the years.  So, don’t pass this one up just because it’s now “older”, A Kiss on Crimson Ranch by Michelle Major is an amazing, well-written romance full of emotions, realistic situations, and a couple you cannot help but hope for their happily ever after ending.  I loved it.

I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

This title is available at Amazon (affiliate link)