Elle is a 16 when her father dies unexpectedly, leaving her alone at a ranch in Montana. Her mother has died, there is no other family to step in. She doesn’t want to go to foster care and see the ranch fall into shambles until she turns 18.

Jake is the farmhand who has lived on the ranch for years, and he’s working to save up a down payment to buy back his family land his father gambled away. He’s known Elle for a long time, her father was a surrogate dad for him. Instead of having Elle leave town and go live with strangers, her lawyer suggests they get married, which would make her legally an adult, and then divorce when she turns 18.

This contemporary marriage of conscience was interesting. It’s a slow burn between Elle and Jake, Elle who is grieving but also learning to keep the ranch. Jake has a girlfriend, who isn’t very happy about the fact Jake got married (with good reason).


This is a short novella, so all three books in this series can be read at once to make it one long story. I think I would have preferred one long story instead of three short novels, but it’s still a cool story. No underage sex, just angst and slow burn.