THE OUTPOST (Jamison Valley #4) by DEVNEY PERRY

‘This is my story. As you may have guessed, its heroine is me, and this past fall, I set out to catch a villain.’

We’ve been wanting to check out this before now, but never got the chance…you know how it goes…never enough reading hours in a day. So when the opportunity arose to read The Outpost, the time had come to spend time in Jamison Valley. We were hesitant to pick up a series part way through but were assured this could be a standalone easily followed the story and characters.

We can happily report, our first foray into Devney Perry’s Jamison Valley series was a very enjoyable one! What’s not to love really as the author delivers a swoony big burly mountain man with a heart of gold, a feisty, brave heroine, some warm, friendly small town characters, and some Russian Mafia suspense thrown in for good measure.  Not to mention the richness of Devney Perry’s prose.

‘No man would ever hold me this well. I was made to be wrapped in these arms. A woman could tell a lot by the way a man holds her. She could tell if he had the strength to endure the rougher moments. If he had a mighty yet kind heart. If he could make her feel safe and cherished.
Beau’s embrace said all that and more.’

Sabrina is on the run after getting herself involved with a guy who had Russian Mafia ties; intentionally that is, for the sake of a story she wrote for the Seattle Times to bust open a gun smuggling ring. The subject matter was close to Sabrina’s heart for reasons that are uncovered later in the story, and we completely understood the tenaciousness she possessed to tell her story. The personal cost was enormous with her life put in danger, and hiding out until the ring was caught.

It’s to Jamison Valley, home of her bestie Felicity that Sabrina flees and it’s there she meets the gorgeous, very manly Beau. Wow! What a guy! This bloke had us swooning big time! His protectiveness, selfishness and loyalty to his friends, family and his work was to be commended. Working for the US Forest Service office of Jamison County search and rescue team, Beau carried a mountain of responsibility on his mountainous shoulders, and now, keeping Sabrina safe is added to his list of jobs!

“You’ve got a talent for making me smile, Sabrina.”
“Same to you, Beau.”

Sabrina is true city girl, while Beau is a 4th generation Montanan whose commitment is to his work, family and friends. It’ll never work between them, right? There’s no doubting there is chemistry in abundance between these two, but if they give their bodies, could they do so without giving their hearts, because they both know, a relationship is fruitless. The minute Sabrina gets the okay, she’s out of Jamison quicker than you can blink. Beau wouldn’t survive in the city. But you know what they say…the heart wants what the heart wants, and despite them both knowing any relationship would come with an expiration date, they slowly build feelings that can’t be denied.

‘I didn’t want her for right now. I wanted her for always.’

The Outpost was a sweet and fabulous way to spend a lazy Saturday, and whilst we didn’t feel the KA vibe some readers have talked about, there’s no doubt, we became swept up in the romance of this story, entertained by heart-warming characters with a good mix of drama. And OMG! That epilogue! Authors should never underestimate the power of a great epilogue and Devney Perry delivered an absolute beauty in The Outpost, leaving our melted hearts in a pile of goo!