US Marshal Cassie Parker excels under cover. When her boss sends her to Red Cliffs, Texas, to keep tabs on the criminal mastermind she’s been hunting for three years, she jumps at the chance. But convincing the irritatingly handsome rancher, Cole Connors, to play along might be her hardest mission yet.

When Cole learns his ex-wife is unexpectedly arriving with a fiancé in tow who might be a criminal, he’ll do anything to protect his eight-year-old daughter, even pose as a happy couple with the sassy and sexy marshal with control issues.

As Cassie and Cole pretend to be engaged, it’s challenging to remember what’s real and what’s fake. For Cassie, the time spent with Cole and his daughter awakens a yearning for more than a career diving from one undercover job to the next, never having roots or a home. Cole is leery of letting down his guard as he’s been burned before.

When the threat is over and Cassie’s assignment ends, can their make-believe engagement become something real?

Titles in the Destiny’s River series include:  Home to the Cowboy’s Arms ~ The Rancher’s Fake Fiancée ~ The Sheriff’s Mistletoe Bride ~ 

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

Title: The Rancher’s Fake Fiancée
Series:  Destiny’s River #2
Author:  Debra Holt
Published:  June 12, 2025
Publisher:  Tule Publishing
My Rating:  4.5 stars

The Rancher’s Fake Fiancée is the second title in the Destiny’s River series, and brings us Cassie’s and Cole’s emotionally charged romance.

Cassie has spent years tracking down a vile and dangerous criminal, and she’s so close to finally capturing him. Her hard work as an undercover U.S. Marshal, blending into whatever environment she needed to, has finally paid off… or so it seemed until she and her partner were suddenly reassigned. The new assignment may still be related to her hunt, but it would also put her into the life of the most annoying, bull-headed man she’d ever run into.

Cole’s ex-wife is a nasty piece of work, and she’s threatening to challenge his custody of their daughter, the daughter she abandoned years ago. When the U.S. Marshals ask him to allow an undercover operation on his ranch, he agrees while never thinking that he would come face-to-face with the chameleon who challenged and annoyed him recently.

If you love a well-written, suspenseful, intense, emotional romance with characters who are believable and leap off the page, then The Rancher’s Fake Fiancée by Debra Holt would be perfect for you. Cassie and Cole are so easy to care about; their attraction is obvious, and their stubbornness is very evident. I loved being back in this world, and I can’t wait to discover which of the siblings has their story told next.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This title is available at Amazon (affiliate link)