Big Sky River: An Anthology (The Parable Book 3)

Very sweet and enjoyable story. Boone and Tara have a bad first meeting. And every time they meet afterwards, they always pick on each other and call each other out on what they feel is the other's least likeable traits. I especially thought I would be annoyed with Tara in the beginning because she seemed like a high maintenance woman. However, we realize early on that this is not true. Most of what she says comes from her undiscovered crush on Boone. She is also a great mother to her twin stepdaughters who come to stay with her for a few weeks during the summer. Boone also seems like someone you might not like at first as well since he has sent away his two sons to his sister's house ever since she passed away. But he was heartbroken at the death of his wife and then later just didn't have the confidence that he could be a good father. So he keeps putting it off. But when his brother-in-law is injured, he brings the boys back.I loved how the book took place at the countryside away from the rules and ways of the city. Boone and Tara are neighbors, living about a half a mile away and can see each other's house from their own home. Lael Miller gives a wonderful description of living more modestly and you feel like being able to see firsthand how the country looks.Boone's youngest, Fletcher, had some very funny moments. It was the toughest for him to have to come live in the country away from Aunt Molly, and the stuff he does so he could get away from the double-wide that is their home now. Tara and Boone have their own fun dialogue and it was pretty sweet what she does with her chickens. There were also a few parts that made me teary eyed.I did have one thing I would have liked answered. We weren't really given the exact time that has passed since Boone's wife passed away. Definitely not a big deal but I really dislike it when authors don't give everything in detail, especially the amount of time that has passed in stories between important events.

This was the most touching and heart-wrenching of the series so far. Sheriff Boone Taylor is such a sympathetic character that you want everything good to come his way and just make everything better. Miller works hard to make this happen for him in this book. Boone has a lot he's been dealing with - and not in the best way. When his wife died, he sent his young children to stay with family until he got his stuff together - but a few years later and they haven't come home yet. He misses them, but doesn't think he's good enough to take care of them. Fate takes that decision out of his hands, and places them firmly back in his life to stay and watching them get to know each other again was amazing. Boone is a great dad, he just needed to be reminded of that by his sons.Tara is Boone's neighbor and chicken farmer - sort of. She's wanting to live life less hectic after coming out of a messy marriage and living large in the big city. Tara has some of her own baggage to deal with as well, but since she hasn't told anyone yet before this book - I don't want to give it away. It's a little surprising. Tara and Boone take an instant dislike to each other and this becomes a classic case of opposites attract.Tara is convinced Boone is a lazy good-for-nothing man, but she doesn't realize he just needs a little help to deal with what life has thrown his way. Boone thinks it's hilarious that this "city girl" thinks she can hack it out in a farm on Montana and just tries to avoid her. But avoiding people isn't really possible in a small town - and when the locals gang up on them to try and get them together, they never stand a chance.There is a small bit of action in this one, a little tragedy, and a lot of hope. Miller did a much better job with the intro of this one, and I didn't start with a feeling of being lost. There are tons of ups and downs and the set up for book four is great. This is a really fun series, but remember this is Parable, and their lives are lived just a little slower and more laid back than in the city. Lots of things happen, you just don't always realize it until the book is done.

Book one featured Slade and Joslin, book two, Hutch and Kendra, and now book three features Boone and Tara. As with the prior books, all of the main characters continue to interact with the fractured characters. We read more about Slade and Joslin's son, meet Hutch and Kendra's daughter, watch as Slade and Hutch settle into a brotherly lone for each other, and meet feature characters.Although maybe not as much as Slade and Hutch, Boone is cowboy stubborn. He lost his high school sweetheart, first love, wife, and mother of his two sons, to cancer years ago. He's been going through the motions of living ever since her death. Barely holding it together. Only seeing his two sons, being cared for by his sister, on special occasions. Until his brother-n-law requires major surgery.Tara moved across country after a nasty divorce. Losing her husband hurt, but not being able to see her twin stepdaughters, was devastating. Until she receives a call from her ex saying he needed time with his new girlfriend, away from the daughters he didn't really care about.Boone and Tara have disliked each other from day one. Or have they? We watch as their relationship changes from dislike to love. Unfortunately, for me, I did not feel the connection between them, as I did with Slade and Joslin or Hutch and Kendra. The relationship felt a little forced. Almost rushed. I'm hopeful that we will see it develop more deeply in upcoming books.All in all, another good book in what appears to be a long running series. There are at least two more books in the series. I really enjoy series such as this, where we continue to see the characters grow, read about their new lives together, as well as their growing families. Looking forward to book four.

A great great great book. I enjoyed every word for sure. A wonderfully written story. I loved every page. A well written book.

Linda Lael Miller has very quickly become a favourite writer of mine. Everything to do with the "Big Sky" series has been a wonderful read with "Slade Barlow being my utmost favourite character (Big Sky Country) so much so that I read "Big Sky Mountain" (Hutch) then went back and read "Slade" again. So then I read "Big Sky River" and found "Boone" SIGH!!!!

Just what you would expect from the cover fand the author - a reasonable romantic novel with a reasonable plot and some humour.

I buy this book because i like linda lael miller books & i read the other 2 big sky & looking forwood to read this one.

Good rea

Love the way it has a good story line and is close to real life in its way it tells the story.Like the fact that it follows a group of people across the series. Love the author tells great stories in all I have read of hers