Review of Detour (Bounty County #5) by Maren Lee

Detour (Bounty County #5) by Maren Lee

Release Date 3/14/2019

Purchase or read for free with Kindle Unlimited here.

Bookish Stacy Rating *****

This book. Gah. I've been sitting on this review for over a week now trying to come up with words that do this book justice. I'm still not sure I have them, but I'll do my best.

I was introduced to Maren Lee back in 2017 when someone suggested her Bounty County series in a Facebook group. I read the first three books in the series back to back in as many days and fell in love. I've been a fan ever since.

I've been waiting what seems like forever for this fifth book in the series and let me tell you, it was worth every minute for this return to Imminence, Montana. Detour is, in my opinion, Maren Lee's BEST BOOK TO DATE. This one is much deeper and has a more serious tone than the previous books. If you have triggers, please make sure that you read the warning at the beginning of the book. This book includes some really difficult topics.

"Stay low. Don't get too close. That had been Anne's mantra for the last five years."

Without spoiling anything, I'll just say that Anne went through some horrifying things that would break most people. She's carrying a lot of baggage and secrets and tries her best to not bring anyone else into her life because of that. She has a big heart and so much courage, it left me in awe. I love strong heroines.

"He wanted to be her barrier from the outside world, from whatever it was that was scaring her."

And Smitty! That man is definitely swoon-worthy. He's a deputy. He coaches the high school football team. And. He. Is. A. Cowboy. He's also the type of hero that I love--sweet, hot, alpha, protective, dirty--all wrapped up in a pair of Wranglers? Yes. Please. And it's worth mentioning over and over--he gets an A+ in dirty talk. Then he goes and says something like this:
"You'll be safe with me, I swear to you."
and I about melted on the spot.

I loved watching Anne and Smitty's relationship grow. Their chemistry was off the charts and had such a great mixture of hot and sweet. It was also nice to see all of the Bounty County crew again. I love the bromance between Smitty and Wesson.. Wesson and Sierra gave a lot of needed comic relief to the book. And if you have read the previous books, yes, there are plenty of new Wessonisms to keep us giggling. And, like all Maren Lee books, this one is hot enough to melt your e-reader. We also get a glimpse of a new character and a little teaser of his book, which of course, I'll be waiting not-so-patiently for. After this book, Maren Lee is really going to have to up her game--it will be hard to top this one.

While this can absolutely be read as a stand-alone, I feel like it will be enjoyed more after reading the first four books of the series.

You can purchase (or read for free with Kindle Unlimited) the previous books in the Bounty County series by Maren Lee here:

#1 Ride-along
#2 Changing Lanes
#3 Gridlocked

#4 U-Turn