Walker Nash has one Christmas to build a sanctuary where broken veterans can heal.
When therapist Johanna Perrin arrives at a snow-covered Montana ranch on Christmas Eve, she’s only planning to help one troubled veteran—then leave. But Walker’s dream for Valor Ridge pulls her in deeper than she expects, and the connection between them feels dangerously like coming home.
Over ten years and four life-changing Christmases, Walker and Johanna build something neither of them dared hope a family forged not by blood, but by choice. From Boone and his loyal dog Bishop, to the mischievous River who hides his pain behind jokes, to Jonah searching for purpose after losing everything, each man who arrives brings his own scars—and his own shot at redemption.
But as Valor Ridge grows from an empty dream into a thriving community, Walker and Johanna must face the ghosts between them. Can they forgive themselves for the past they share? Can love built on patience and second chances survive when neither of them knows if they deserve it?
Building Their Home is a heartwarming story of found family, healing through purpose, and a love that refuses to give up—no matter how long it takes.
Author’s While this prequel novel tells the origins of Valor Ridge, readers will get the richest emotional payoff by reading it between Books 2 and 3.
Review:
Building Their Home is the story of how Walker Nash (and Johanna Perrin, who was there for 95% of it) created Valor Ridge, along with origin stories for Boone, Jonah, and River–all told through a series of Christmases and New Year’s Eves, from the first one to the present day of the series, a 10-year total time period.
It’s a very slow burn second chance romance, because not only are Walker and Jo distracted by everything that building and running Valor Ridge entails, they’re also both working through a tremendous amount of guilt over what happened the first time they got together, even though it very clearly was not even remotely their fault. Personally I can’t complain about it, because that meant that when it finally happened it was so absolutely deserved.
Also, hot as heck. But that was going to be a given 😉
I loved seeing the background of the ranch, and meeting some of the guys that we saw in books 1 and 2 before they all *quite* had it all together. Boone especially is such a force in the future, but his start was just as (if not more) rocky than any of the other guys’. (Can I just say? I’m DYING for Boone’s book. DYING, I tell you! It’s going to be SO GOOD.) And of course seeing the development of the ranch around 4 of the Christmases Jo and Walker spent there was just such a fun motif. Prequel *and* holiday romance? Win-win!
Building Their Home is listed as a series prequel, and it definitely is, but personally I would suggest reading it in the order in which the author published them–books 1 and 2 and then read this one. Unless you’re not a fan of crying like a lunatic during that final Christmas, then you can read them in whichever order you choose. 😉
Seriously, the last 5% of this was just as bad as watching one of those “The dogs were good again this week” videos. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
OK, this was a fabulous distraction and I loved it–but can we please have Anson and Maggie’s story now? <3
Rating: 5 stars / A
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.