At Whit’s End

Hannah’s sensual fourth Wells Ranch contemporary (after Change of Hart) finds single working mother Whitney “Whit” Hart, 28, struggling to raise her 10-year-old son, Jonas. She faces judgment from small-town gossips, guilt trips from her parents, and her own self-doubt as her parenting duties often overwhelm her—especially when Jonas starts acting out in response to preteen angst and schoolyard bullying. After a tough school year marked by Jonas’s misbehavior and the threat of expulsion, Whit takes her sister’s advice and signs Jonas up to volunteer at local Wells Ranch. Colt, a ranch hand, quickly becomes Jonas’s mentor, forming a strong bond with both him and his beautiful mother. Despite some early miscommunication, Colt and Whit soon enter into a passionate affair, both helping the other to move on from painful pasts. The plentiful steamy scenes are balanced by the light, cozy plot and emotionally nuanced exploration of Whit and Jonas’s relationship. Cowboy romance fans will eat this up. (Dec.)