Guest Review: Sage Creek by Jill Gregory

Tracy’s review of Sage Creek by Jill Gregory.

After her marriage falls apart, Sophie McPhee returns to her hometown of Lonesome Way, Montana, planning to steer clear of men and focus on her new bakery, A Bun in the Oven. Who she doesn’t expect to see is Rafe Tanner, her first crush who now runs his family’s ranch-and who spent most of their childhood ignoring her. But is Rafe a changed man?


While Rafe – is stunned to discover that Sophie’s grown into an irresistibly beautiful woman, he’s been hurt too. They both have their guards up, but melt in each other’s company. Can they admit that home is truly where the heart is?

Sophie is devastated by the betrayal of her husband with another woman. Not only was he having an affair but he got his mistress pregnant – something she’d been wanting from day one of their marriage. She was always told it wasn’t the right time so to see him get another woman pregnant was just too much. Sophie heads home to pretty much lick her wounds and ends up throwing a baby shower for her best friend. Not only that but she almost immediately decides to start a bakery – something she had just sold in San Francisco.

When Sophie meets Rafe Tanner, her best friends’ brother that she’s had a crush on most of her life, she finds that her attraction to him hasn’t lessened with time and space. Rafe is anxious to get near Sophie as well but he thinks that he may want more than just a fling – even though he knows that it’s unlikely that Sophie will want the same.

There is also a bit of a mystery stalker in the picture as bad things keep happening to Sophie’s truck and they can’t quite figure out why. There were quite a few story threads running through the book that really took the focus away from the romance. I’m sure that the intention was to give an overall view of the town and the people in it but it really ended up detracting from all parts of the story.

While I like Sophie as a character for the most part I didn’t quite understand her. She was so very focused on having a baby that it almost was running her life. It was in her thoughts constantly – both from her ex-husband and of course her best friend being pregnant – and it got to be a bit much. I understand wanting children but feeling like you can’t be a complete person without them overshadowed, to me, even the romantic relationship in this story.

Rafe was great and I really liked him as well. I loved that he was a great father and really looked out for his daughter and his family. He hesitated at first with his decision to chase Sophie but once he made the decision and the fact that he wanted her in his life permanently he didn’t hesitate. A really good hero.

In the end it was a cute book and I might read the next in the series and I’m a bit curious as to what happens with Rafe’s brother.


Rating: 3.25 out of 5

You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place

This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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