REVIEW: Settling an Old Score by Delores Fossen

Settling an Old Score by Delores Fossen: Settling An Old Score by Delores Fossen is the third book in her Longview Ridge Ranch series.

Fast-paced suspense story with plenty of action and great characters!

Ashlyn Darrow couldn’t believe what happened. Her beautiful adopted baby girl, Cora had been kidnapped. Two policemen broke into her house, used a stun gun on her and went to the nursery to take baby Cora. She heard them say they worked for Texas Ranger Eli Slater. There’s bad blood between her and Eli Slater, although she once loved him. That was before… He got her best friend Marta Seaver killed in a shootout in an alley in town and Ashley took three bullets at that time. Thus the reason for the bad blood between them. She blamed Eli for everything that happened that night. Okay. That was then and this is now. She rushed to Eli Slater’s house to confront him. But what she finds there shocks her. Eli is standing in his doorway with a baby car seat at his feet and when he recognizes her he immediately asks if she knows anything about the baby and if she is the one who left the baby on his doorstep. What? Turns out he was not responsible for kidnapping Cora and has gone into protection mode. They both realize there’s something not right about this whole scenario and that is proven correct when bullets are fired right into the house. What a nightmare! Ashlyn prays Eli can keep her and Cora safe and that she can fight the attraction to him that has returned.

Texas Ranger Eli Slater is awakened by footsteps on his front porch. When he goes to investigate he finds a baby in a car seat in front of his door but no one else. Then a car speeds up to his house and out steps… Ashlyn Darrow! With a gun pointed at him. Whoa! What’s that all about? After he gets the gun away from Ashlyn, gets her story and convinces her he had nothing to do with Cora’s kidnapping, things turn to chaos fast. Shots are fired and the danger to Ashlyn and Cora drives him into super protection mode. He contacted his brother, Sheriff Kellan Slater who appeared to help. Two men dressed as policemen are attacking his house. Eli and Kellan want to catch them and question them as to who hired them but the gun battle ended in their deaths. There are so many questions here and Eli is determined to get answers and keep Ashlyn and Cora safe.

Delores Fossen’s stories are always chock-full of action and dangerous situations for the main characters. Check mark! Got that here in this story. This author does an excellent job of introducing credible suspects and leads the reader along to try to figure out the real culprit. Check. The Slater family sticks together and has each other’s back. Check. I love the storyline here. The plot is fast-paced and the characters well-developed. This is a standalone story but I’m sure readers would enjoy the first two books in the series, Safety Breach and A Threat To His Family.
 

Book Info:

Publication: July 21st 2020 | Harlequin Intrigue | Longview Ridge Ranch #3

A Texas Ranger gets the shock of his life when he comes face to face with a woman from his past in USA TODAY bestselling author Delores Fossen’s latest suspense!

A past tragedy destroyed their love. A vulnerable newborn brings them back together.

Within moments of discovering a baby on his doorstep, Texas Ranger Eli Slater finds himself being held at gunpoint by his ex, Ashlyn Darrow. She claims she was tipped off that the still-gorgeous cowboy kidnapped her newly adopted daughter because of the bad blood that defines their past. They quickly realize Eli’s been set up and now Eli is determined to protect Ashlyn and her daughter. But regaining her trust will be as easy as ignoring the attraction even a lifetime apart can’t erase…

From Harlequin Intrigue: Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.

For more action-packed stories, check out the other books in the Longview Ridge Ranch series:
Book 1: Safety Breach
Book 2: A Threat to His Family
Book 3: Settling an Old Score
Book 4: His Brand of Justice