World champion bull rider Braden “Bear” Anderson is a Montana legend in and out of the arena, but when a horrifying accident in Tulsa leaves him fighting for his life, many fear for Bear’s future. Determined to live independently, Bear returns home to his luxury log cabin in Montana, but the cabin is full of painful memories, leaving him struggling in more ways than one.

Josie Calhoun is no stranger to challenge. A passionate advocate for universal design, having grown up with a younger brother with special needs, she’s determined to ensure that Bear’s cabin is everything he wants. However, she’s drawn to Bear in ways that are far from professional. Rugged, smart, and tough, Bear does crazy things to her heart. Yet, Bear is determined to keep things platonic with Josie. He’s a different man now than before the accident and refuses to be a burden on anyone, much less Josie, with all her fire and passion.

Josie needs Bear as much as he needs her, but when Josie’s family intervenes, can Bear let the best part of his life go without a fight?

Titles in The Calhouns & Campbells of Cold Canyon Ranch series include:  Take Me Please Cowboy (also #1 in The 85th Copper Mountain Rodeo multi-author series) ~ Bear’s Heart ~ A Soldier’s Promise ~

This story may contain language, violence, and/or sexual situations intended for an adult 18+ audience.

Title:  Bear’s Heart
Series:  The Calhouns & Campbells of Cold Canyon Ranch #2
Author:  Jane Porter
Published:  July 31, 2024
Publisher:  Tule Publishing
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Bear’s Heart is the second title in The Calhouns & Campbells of Cold Canyon Ranch series, and brings us “Bear” (Braden) and Josie’s challenging romance.  I used the word “challenging” not only because of Bear’s physical challenges, but because I know, personally, just how difficult the change from one’s normal life, to facing a life with a disability, can suddenly happen without warning… and believe me, that mental switch is the most challenging of all.  I didn’t get thrown off a bull, like Bear, but I did trip over my cat, fall, and break my tailbone… one second was all it took to change my life, so I completely understood the challenges, both physical and mental, that Bear faced.

The world needs more people like Josie.  Not only a lovely person in her own right, but also a woman who saw a need in a world that mostly doesn’t see beyond what everyone considers the norm, and filled that need with her universal design home living ideas.  Watching this couple “dance” around each other, one trying to help, the other trying to change a mindset while falling in love with an amazing woman he doesn’t feel he now deserves, was an emotional rollercoaster ride that I completely enjoyed.

Josie and Braden’s story is well-written, emotional on so many levels, and passionate in a completely believable way.  The characters are realistic and believable, facing what life has handed them in ways that feel completely natural, with rage, uncertainty, and regained trust in oneself and others amid the situation they face.  I also admire Ms. Porter’s talent for delivering a story that deals with physical limitations and mental adjustments with compassion and grace… and, most of all, the reality of a forever-changed life.  I always enjoy running into familiar faces from other series set in my all-time favorite fictional town of Marietta, Montana.  Bear’s Heart will give you an amazing love story and a different view of life, showing that even when life changes… love remains a reality for anyone.

I own a Kindle edition of this title.

Do you love any story that’s even slightly connected to Marietta, Montana?  Yeah, me too.  Be sure to visit our Marietta, Montana pages (this link is where this series is located – there are several pages :)) to catch up on any you might have missed over time.  It’s quite an amazing and diverse community, with happily-ever-after endings guaranteed.

This review was originally posted on a website that, unfortunately, no longer exists in its original form.  I’ve recreated this post here to maintain continuity across the various series that make up the amazing fictional town of Marietta, Montana.

This title is available at Amazon