Bluebird Gold (Lost Legends #1) by Devney Perry

I think this is the first time I’ve read a historical romance based in the 1980’s and I kind of loved it. It took some getting used to, like relying on landlines and ham radio, but once I got out of the contemporary mindset I was actually seeing everything play out in a kind of grainy tone. I even added a filter to the below collage because this was part of my reading experience.

Ilsa wasn’t my favourite at the very beginning of this book, she was on the edge of being totally self involved, but as the story progressed it felt more like she just didn’t have the tools to process a lot of the stuff she had been through and was currently going through!

Cosi on the other hand, despite the mustache, was awesome. I love how he was with his son, being a single father in the 80’s wouldn’t have been very common, and while he struggled, he was parenting at a level that actually felt unrealistic for that time period, but I’m more than happy for that part of the story to be unrealistic.

What I did think was odd though, was how the overall mystery wrapped up. After all that happened, I thought figuring out the mystery would have everyone much more excited. It felt anticlimactic! Overall though, this was super fun and I see it’s part of a series, so I look forward to stepping back 40 years again!

Synopsis:

Living in Dalton, Montana, was not what I had planned for this winter. But after my father’s sudden death, I uprooted my life to move into his tiny lakeside cabin and settle his estate. My friends tell me to sell his place and move on. But this winter is my chance to say goodbye. To remember a man who’d loved tales of Montana lore.

Taking a temporary teaching job seemed like the perfect way to keep myself busy on lonely days. Cleaning out the cabin should have been simple. Except the more I learn about my father’s life, the more questions I have about his death.

The last thing I need is a crush on Sheriff Cosi Raynes. Not only is his son my student, but his life is rooted in Montana, while mine is headed…anywhere else.

Yet as I uncover a trail of strange clues Dad left behind about a lost legend of Montana gold, staying away from Cosi is not an option. Neither is denying the attraction between us. And my winter of healing becomes a race for answers.

I came to Montana to bury the past. Now I’m falling for the man who might just be my future. And either I’ll solve this mystery, or the person in Dalton determined to hide the truth will make sure I die trying.