Aspen Crossroads (A Whisper Canyon Romance) by Janine Rosche: Haven Haviland needs a job. A 
mistake on her part led to her closing her counseling practice in Whisper Canyon. Her strong ethics led to that decision. Unfortunately that mistake has led to rumors and gossip about her and has caused job opportunities to dry up. When Haven’s sister Rarity gives her a lead for a job Haven very reluctantly checks it out. Haven’s new job takes her to Aspen Crossroads where Jace Daring is working on opening a farm-to-table restaurant with women rescued from sex trafficking. Jace feels these women need counseling and advise. Not that these three women, Rosalie, Sonny and Jillian want any counseling or advice. Breaking through to them was going to be tough. Spending time with Jace Daring who Haven was attracted to and keeping their relationship strictly professional was going to be tough too.
Jace Daring works for the Secondly organization. This organization gives people who have suffered major life pitfalls like surviving sex trafficking or being forced to live on the streets opportunities to turn their lives around. Jace was a recipient of such an opportunity himself. Jace Daring had a really rough childhood living day to day homeless with his mother. He remembers spending time in homeless shelters. He remembers being freezing cold sleeping in their car with his mother – sometimes the only shelter they had. He remembers his mother’s death when he was just fifteen years old and living on the streets. Quite the incentive to work for the Secondly organization. He can personally identify with the people he helps. His rough childhood contributes to his walled-off heart and lack of trust. All that changes when Jace meets Haven Haviland. Jace knows he needs to keep their relationship on a professional level. He sure doesn’t want to though.
There are a number of tough themes addressed in this story. I applaud this author for bringing forward the hardships of those rescued from sex trafficking. The plight of single mothers on the run is also addressed. These are disturbing facts of life but this author covers them with honesty and grace. I really liked how these topics were handled and how Ms. Rosche still maintained an entertaining romance story. All in all I feel this storyline is entertaining yet instructional, the characters are well-developed and the conflict and resolution quite satisfying.
Does a farm-to-table restaurant appeal to you?
Book Info:
Publication: August 24th 2021 | Berkley Books | A Whisper Canyon Romance Book 1
To protect those most vulnerable, Haven Haviland must trust her heart–and her regrets–to a mysterious newcomer in this moving contemporary romance.
Few in the community of Whisper Canyon have actually met Jace Daring, a handsome recluse who lives at Aspen Crossroads, the farm at the edge of town. But that doesn’t stop the rumors about the multiple women who live with him. He must protect the truth–that his farm-to-table restaurant will provide new livelihoods for women rescued from human trafficking–or he risks the safety and futures of those relying on him. But he can’t do it alone.
Haven Haviland has always been everyone’s safe place to fall until one mistake closes her counseling practice and leaves her open to the town’s gossip. Trusting men has gotten her in trouble before. However, accepting Jace’s job offer to mentor the rescued women seems like the perfect way to right her wrongs.
When the mayor’s campaign to clean up Whisper Canyon targets Aspen Crossroads, the restaurant comes under fire, dangers from the women’s pasts are awakened, and Haven’s sins are exposed for all to see. Jace would sacrifice himself to save Haven and the women under his care, but his efforts might not be enough. And in the end, it might not be the women most in need of saving after all.
