Colton's Pursuit of Justice - Marie Ferrarella (HRS #2167 - Feb 2022)

Series: Coltons of Colorado (Book 1)

Determined to redeem the Coltons' reputation
He'll help with even the unlikeliest case…
 
His family name is being dragged through the mud, but Caleb Colton is about righting wrongs. So when he believes that activist Nadine Sutherland's father has been duped by a shady oil company, Caleb vows to help her -- and protect her. Someone doesn't want Nadine poking into the deal, and the threats are escalating. But as Caleb works overtime with passionate Nadine, guarding his heart gets harder and harder…and so does staying alive!
 
Good start to the new Coltons of Colorado series. Caleb Colton is the oldest of Ben Colton's twelve children. Ben was a respected judge until he was caught taking kickbacks from private jails and juvenile detention centers for sending many innocent people to those facilities. He died in a car accident before he could be tried. In the twenty years since then, Caleb and his twin sister Morgan became lawyers and set about clearing the family name. After starting their own law firm and The Truth Foundation, they set about righting their father's wrongs.
 
Caleb's workaholic ways in focusing on his mission cost him his marriage though he remained friends with his ex-wife. When she called him and asked for his help for her cousin Nadine he was happy to help. Nadine is an activist, a talented jewelry maker, and a concerned daughter. Her father recently signed away the fracking rights on his property, and she suspects the oil company took advantage of his diminishing mental capabilities. Shortly after Nadine began asking questions, she received threatening phone calls. While she's not convinced she's in any danger, she does want Caleb's help in getting her father's land back.
 
Caleb is with Nadine when she receives one of those calls and thinks she is in more danger than she will admit. He gets a good dose of her argumentative nature when she fights against every step he wants to take to protect her. While her argumentativeness amuses him, it also frustrates him that her stubborn independence won't allow her to see when she needs help. Underneath the antagonism are undeniable sparks of attraction. After his divorce, Caleb gave up any idea of having a family of his own, but Nadine made him rethink his stance. Nadine never thought she'd fall for a lawyer, but his work shows her the good man he is at heart. I loved how she got involved in helping Caleb with the cases he's working on, showing him the possibilities for a life-long partnership. He just needs to get past the threats against her and his own fears. But it took nearly losing her to get him to that point. I loved the ending and seeing the changes in Caleb and his view of the future.
 
The suspense was terrific. It started quickly with the threats against Nadine and Caleb's determination to protect her. As they delved into the land grab details, the threats escalated. I was a little irritated at Nadine and the risks she took, capped by her headlong rush to her father's house at the end. I was glued to the pages as I wondered how she and her dad would escape their danger. The resolution of the case was satisfying, though I would have liked a bit of the oil company's reaction.
 
There is also a secondary story involving one of Ben Colton's victims. We get some progress on that case, but no resolution. This storyline may run through some, if not all, of the books in the series.