Cowboy, it's cold outside

Denver has spent his life trying to make up for his criminal father's actions by helping those who have been hurt in any way he can. Sheena's father was killed while working for Denver's father, and when she comes to Denver asking for help starting an axe-throwing bar, he's in. What's harder is that he has always been attracted to feisty Sheena. They both raised their siblings and work hard in the Four Corners community. Neither thinks they have time for a relationship, but soon find themselves spending all their time together. Accepting love and support from another person is also challenging when you're used to helping others rather than focusing on your own needs and longings. There are many cameo appearances from Yates' long-running Four Corners series, along with a Christmas celebration to remember, in this satisfying story with two strong, independent leads.

A woman looking to open her own bar seeks help from an unlikely ally. Sheena Patrick's father died when she was 18, leaving her to raise three younger sisters. She kept the family afloat for years by working as a waitress and bartender. Now 31, she's an empty nester and is determined to make a life for herself. She dreams of opening a bar of her own with ax-throwing lanes. Denver King is head of one of the four powerful families keeping their small town of Pyrite Falls, Oregon, alive. Denver's father was a criminal who swindled and terrorized people in their community and manipulated his own children. After his father's death, Denver dedicated himself to righting his father's wrongs by financially supporting his victims, including Sheena and her sisters. Now Sheena approaches Denver with a deal: She'll give him a share of the profits from her bar in exchange for help with the startup costs. Denver offers her the use of a building on his ranch, arguing that it will lower the overall opening costs as well as being a boon for their town as the four families try to make it a tourist destination. Sheena accepts the offer, and as they work together to rehab the building, they find themselves in close contact. Sheena and Denver had adult fears and responsibilities thrust on them at a young age, and as a result developed similar defensive strategies. Both of them are prickly and emotionally closed off, but neither can deny their growing attraction. Rather than the easy layup of "opposites attract," the novel shows two very similar people learning to trust each other as lovers and equals--a romance rarity that Yates makes look effortless. Despite their bitter and heartbreaking early adult years, Sheena and Denver's affair teaches them both that they, too, are deserving of love. A poignant and rewarding romance. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.