Until Spring (Circles of Love Series, Book 1)

I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery in exchange for my honest review. Ms. Browning has created a wonderful story that includes a mystery as well as a romance. Jane Rhodes has been barely surviving on the cold, mean streets of Chicago. She has amnesia and can't remember anything about her life before she was found in a ditch in a rural community several miles outside of Chicago; she had a severe head wound and no information that could help the small town Sheriff's department determine what happened to her. Some good luck does come her way after she determines she needs to find a warmer climate and try to build a better circumstance for herself, so she is trying to make it to California. She is stranded in Rawlins, Wyoming by a truck driver that she's hitched a ride with, because she refuses to consider what he wants in payment for a hot meal and the ride. She is rescued later that night in a snow storm. The kind rancher's name is Duncan Tate, and he and Jane embark on a journey that changes the meaning of family for both of them The secondary characters, Duncan's friend and ranch hand, Rooney and his granddaughter Kate are well developed and interesting in their own right. I will read more by this author. She hooked me with the first page of this novel, and I was a fan by the end of the story.

Until Spring is a gentle romance with a mystery to be solved. From the opening chapter, the reader is drawn into the story and at first I assumed that the book would be violent, but the only violence was a 10-year old dervish who wrecked havoc in her wake. Jane Rhodes has total amnesia and for some months has been living by her wits, not knowing where she came from or who she is. When she lands up on Duncan Tate's ranch, she has reached the end of her endurance. It is at the ranch, under the protective care of Duncan and his extended family, that Jane regains her health and some peace of mind. Nevertheless, the need to know who she is hounds her, until eventually Duncan agrees to assist her by retracing her steps. Men like Duncan are few and far between, protective and yet unassuming. However, that doesn't mean that he didn't feel deeply or is without the capacity to love. Jane on the other hand, doesn't know what kind of person she is and finds that she has to take her cues from the people she is with. As she struggles to find balance in her life, her gentleness and caring nature emerge and she wins the love and respect of those around her. The central figures in this story are both lovable, as are brusque Rooney and rambunctious Mary Kate. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.