Keep You Safe is the second book in Annabeth Albert’s Second Chance Ranch series, and returns readers to the Colorado property owned by Maverick Lovelorn, who has decided to stick around and turn the failing business he inherited into a dude ranch / holiday destination. I enjoyed this one more than the first book (Want You Back) which was too low-angst and uneventful for my taste, and although the angst level is still fairly low here, the very different personalities, backgrounds and outlooks of the two leads provide a degree of tension and romantic conflict that was missing from the previous book.

We met both leads – Adler and Grayson – in Want You Back, where it was very clear that the sparks were flying between them, no matter that Grayson didn’t want them to. Adler is one of Maverick’s closest friends, whose experience running hotels and hospitality venues proves invaluable to Maverick as he starts to plan out his new venture. Adler is a bit of a firecracker; he’s bubbly and charming and funny and likes to see the best in everybody, although sometimes being a people pleaser comes at the expense of his own needs and wants. He comes from a very large family – the middle child of nine – and grew up frequently being told he was too dramatic, ‘too much’ or ‘a lot’ – something that has stayed with him into adulthood and continues to bother him even though he’s nearly thirty. He’s a genuinely good person who made some poor decisions that took him down the path into addiction, but he worked hard to get sober and has no intention of backsliding.

Adler was strongly attracted to ranch foreman Grayson – whom he’s dubbed Foreman Foxy – from the first time he laid eyes on him, but the stern, laconic cowboy doesn’t say much or respond to any of Adler’s flirty looks or comments. Thing is, Grayson isn’t quite sure how to act around Adler; he’s never met anyone quite so vibrant and full of life before, or met anyone – and certainly not a guy – who has got so far under his skin so quickly. The fact that Adler is male doesn’t bother him especially, but Grayson is a very private person who likes to keep his personal life to himself and abhors the idea of being the subject of gossip, where Adler is clearly the type to be at the centre of it. Which is a big no-no for Grayson.

But one hot afternoon towards the end of Adler’s stay, Grayson allows himself to give in to the attraction that’s thrumming between them, figuring that as the other man will be leaving shortly, it’ll be a one-and-done and there’s no risk of either of them getting attached or wanting anything more. A passionate encounter while skinny-dipping at the swimming hole has Adler unleashing his bratty side, Grayson being more than willing to tame it – and leads to the hottest sex either of them has had for quite some time.

But then Adler doesn’t leave the ranch as planned. He’d initially been going to stay a week or so, but then Maverick asks him to stay for a few months to help him get his dude ranch project started. Adler agrees to work as a ranch hand so he can learn as much as he can about ranch life and then work out what ‘authentic ranch experiences’ they can offer to their guests. This throws up all sorts of complications for Grayson; he isn’t Adler’s boss, but he’s the one who’s going to be showing him the ropes, from mucking out stalls to grooming to fence-riding, and being constantly around the attractive younger man – who turns out to be so different to the lazy city-slicker Grayson had expected him to be – is really going to test his resolve.

Even though the story opens with a bang (literally!), the emotional connection and intimacy between Adler and Grayson takes longer to develop, giving the romance the feel of a slow-burn. Adler is a great character; he’s kind and warm and endearing, and very much the sunshine to Grayson’s grump, but despite his sunny disposition, his life hasn’t been a bed of roses. He’s overcome a lot, and as we get to know him better, the picture emerges of someone trying to find his place in the world – and the longer he stays at the ranch, the more he feels like he’s finally found somewhere to call home. All he needs to do now is to get the stubborn cowboy he’s falling for to stop pushing him away and to admit that they’re building something worth having.

Grayson is harder to like, mostly because he is so focused on keeping Adler at arm’s length emotionally while also being unable to completely resist him physically, that he can start to seem just a bit cruel in his refusal to even consider the possibility of their having a real relationship. Yes, Grayson is a decade older, he’s very set in his ways and, as a result of the way his parents’ marriage imploded, absolutely refuses to provide, even unintentionally, fodder for the rumour mill. That’s the excuse he trots out to Adler a few times, but Adler isn’t stupid, and knows full well that it’s because Grayson doesn’t trust him to not get bored with ranch life and leave.

The characters are, as always, well-drawn and relateable, even though Grayson’s continual push-pull is frustrating, especially when he can see how his behaviour is pulling Adler down but still refuses to admit how he really feels. And while I liked that he doesn’t have any second thoughts about being attracted to and having sex with a man for the first time in his life, I did find it a bit odd that he goes with it so easily considering how regimented he seems to be in other aspects of his life. Still, the sex scenes are plentiful and well-written and have a little bit of a Dom/brat dynamic, although it’s more of a vibe than full-on kink.

Keep You Safe is a heartfelt romance about finding your place and your people, about learning to accept love and to overcome your fears to reach for what you really want. I enjoyed it and will be back for the next instalment in the series.