From the publisher: In Book 1 of this steamy new series (“The Men From Battle Ridge”) by two blockbuster authors, a cowboy and a woman on the run take a stand and fight for love.

Carlin Reed lives in fear, off the grid, moving from place to place. So Battle Ridge, Wyo., a small town in the middle of nowhere, seems like a good place to lie low for a while. But after becoming cook and housekeeper to cattle rancher Zeke Decker, Carlin suspects that she’s made her first mistake. Rugged, sexy and too distracting for his own good, Zeke is pure temptation mixed with something deep and primal that makes Carlin feel almost safe. Soon things are getting way too hot in the kitchen.

My take: This book is more in keeping with the mystery/romance that made Linda Howard a best-selling author and is an enjoyable read from the first page. I was glad to see it was the first in a new series, and will be looking forward to the sequels.

Co-authored by Linda Jones, who has collaborated with Linda Howard before, most notably producing the disappointing “Blood Born,” made me wary of trying another of their projects. “Blood Born” was a disappointing departure from Howard’s writing style, but when I saw this book was vampire-free, I decided to give the duo one more try. Howard’s writing style came through clearly and made me glad I read it.

My rating: I loved it. 5 out of 5.