High Meadow (High Mountain Trackers) Paperback – February 21, 2022

Saddle Up!This was my first read by Fyera Barker and I have to say that I really liked Alex and Jonas's story. One of the things I enjoyed was the fact this story centered around “older” characters, not ones in the 20’s and 30’s – was a nice change of pace. With everything going on over at High Meadow ranch (Jona) and Hart's Horse Rescue Ranch (Alex), I was not surprised that fate and/or horses tossed these two characters together!With the ranch needing to be see over, his stud horse hurt, his dad on the way to move in with him, and being called away to track missing people on the mountain when needed – Jonas has his hands full! Low and behold he get a surprise when Alex shows up to handle his stud horse and suddenly, she has now taken the reigns of both the horse and Jona’s heart! Insert- all the witty banter, chemistry, and a few sexy scenes.But when The High Mountain Trackers (Jona’s other job) get called in by the Feds to track down a group of domestic terrorists that are literally on his mountain – he will stop at nothing to protect Alex and both of their properties.I liked the danger, the suspense, the action, the mystery of “who are these people”, kept me turning the pages and glued to my chair! Glad I found this new-to-me author and I will most defiantly be reading more from her!

Middle-aged protagonists. Jonas and Alex are hardworking people who develop a down-to-earth love. The escaped convict/domestic terrorist story was realistic--including the mixed bag of officious and intelligent bureaucrats. There for a bit it looked like Jonas might not have enough uninjured pieces to make it to the end. Sex before marriage, explicit but not graphic. A bit too much usage of the Anglo-Saxon vernacular for my taste but it seems to be the trending language of the generations younger than me. Secondary characters are appealing enough to make sequels attractive.

New author for me. Glad I happened on this book. Riveting, nuanced suspense. Great characters. I adored Jonas and his father. So looking forward to the rest of the stories. I've already pre-ordered High Stakes. One thing I really liked about this book was, even though there was sex and romance it didn't overwhelm or overshadow the actual story. I also liked the fact that the two main characters were actual adults, he's 50 and she's 45. Don't get me wrong, the interaction between Jonas and Alexandra was very enjoyable and I do like a good romance story, but so many authors make the sex the main focus and the story gets lost. This had a nice balance and kept my interest so well, I read it in one sitting, just stopping for dinner and then reading while I ate! (Luckily I have an understanding spouse.) Another thing I liked was that a lot of the mystery/chase/action seemed to be written in real time even though days or weeks sometimes passed between scenes. It didn't feel rushed in any way. Nice to find such a talented, new to me author. By the way, the cover image is what sold this book to me, it was terrific. Note to authors; book covers matter! There's been many a book I passed on because I hated the cover. Well done book and cover.

This was a a book that I was totally invested in and read in 1 day. Loved the mature characters and the suspense that kept me reading. The " who dunit" at the end was icing on the cake and tied up the story very well. Jonas and Alex as the main characters were great. The secondary characters fleshed out the story and help set up the following books to keep one reading Well done book

High Meadow is a breath of fresh air, Freya Barker takes you on journey in Gods Country. She paints a picture as you read you can see the beauty of the horses and the mountains that surrounds the Ranch. Alexandra gets a call that their is a horse in trouble not far from her Rescue ranch, she is off with her partner Lucy to help the injured animal. She encounters a very gruff man with piercing blue eye telling her services are not needed. Two Days later Alex gets a call from Doc Evans, asking her if she could take a look at an injured stallion, she agrees and when she arrives at the Ranch she’s surprised to see him & Jonas is surprised that Alex is not a man and it’s her. J. Harvey, (Jonas) is a gruff good looking man & Alex Hart is a spitfire that has a way of calming injured Animals. A Stallion brought them together & now they are brought together by a search of fugitives that surround both their Ranched & Jonas & his men of High Mountain Trackers have been hired to find them. Freya Barker has you on the edge of your seat danger, suspense and love. I love the energy & banter between Jonas & Alex, at 50 he has met his match. See if Alex can break down Jonas’s gruff exterior & walls.

I do enjoy this author as her characters are often older and have had time for many life experiences. They seem more real.Jonas is 50 and not afraid to admit his joints ache and some things are harder with age. He owns a horse ranch and also does tracking, something he and his men did during their time in the service. He's gotten that team back together and they work for him in Montana.Alex runs a horse, and other animals, rescue. She moved recently to the area and bought a large piece of property for her rescue farm.The conflict for this first story is 2 dangerous men have escaped custody and there was also a recent theft of large amounts of military grade ammunition.Jonas and his team help with tracking and it turns out Alex's property is involved.

A new series from Freya Barker and a host of new characters to get to know and love…. and it’s gonna be fun!!High Meadow was a really great start to the new High Mountain Trackers series. Suspense, action, intrigue and danger along with great characters and world building all added to the read.As always with Ms Freya, our MCs are older, have experienced life, love and loss in different forms but are still trying to live their best lives.Alexandra (Alex) has raised her son, seen him grow and leave home and is now running her Horse Rescue Centre in Montana. Living a new life in a new area her first interaction with Jonas didn’t make for a good impression.Jonas is ex special-ops, now running a ranch with the men he considers family from his military days. When they’re not on the ranch, they work as Trackers, using their skills to help the police and others when hired.Neither of them play games. They’re past dancing around what they want. They say what they think, even when what the have to say is blunt as all get out. Jonas has a little bit of a ‘pita issue’ at times, that being he is one on occasion with some of the things he says…. coming across as overprotective and stubborn while hiding the softer, caring man he can be!!I loved Alex. She sees people. Cares about those around her but isn’t afraid to get involved if she thinks it’s the right thing to do. Working in what is traditionally considered a ‘man’s job’ she’s a little defensive at times (understandably) when her abilities are questioned but she soon proves her doubters wrong!!!Jonas is loyal to those he cares for, protective of his friends and family and though he can come across as harsh, when he sees (or is told 😉) what he’s been missing, he’s a good man, steps in and does his bit to help.I loved meeting the other characters so far. Jonas’s dad was fab (I know a man or two like him and while they vex me I love them dearly!!?). The other guys I feel are gonna get a run for their money with their significant others… and I’d love to see more a bit more of Alex’s son or find out at least how he’s doing. 🤞🏻I’m so looking forward to the other books in the series and Freya had already paved the way for the next couple…. I’m excited to find out what our upcoming leading man is all about!!If you’re a current readers of FB’s books you’re gonna love this. If you’re a new reader, it’s a good place to start… though you really should get on her other series asap!!!

You have to enjoy the beautiful ranch life described in this book. Jonas is refreshing & I enjoyed the banter & bond the men have with each other. I liked how Alex took love on though with fears but not backing off. Steamy, fun, lots of action & suspense definitely had me entertained. Try it!

Freya Barker does it again! This is a great series starter featuring a group of ex special ops trackers who now live as cowboys! The first book introduces all of them briefly while focusing on Jonas, the owner of High Meadows the main ranch and Alex, the owner of a horse rescue who Jonas hires to help his prize stud. Alex is a forty five year old widow, who just moved to town with her friend Lucy. I love how Freya writes mature, strong characters. It reflects real life in a refreshing way. Great read!

This is the first book in a new series. There is no cliffhanger, but it’s obvious that future books in the series will revolve around the other men in this book who are friends with the MMC.Jonas raises horses in Montana. He bought the ranch 10 years ago when he got out of Special Forces. He persuaded his old team mates to join him. To make ends meet he established High Mountain Trackers a their squad was a specialist tracking squad. They do search and rescue work and also track people for law enforcement. This fills the coffers and keeps them from getting too bored.Alex is a widow, who lost her husband when her son was 11. Now her son has dropped out of college and gone into the army, just like his father. Which scares the heck out of her. Now she has an empty nest she decides to move her horse rescue to the mountains and her best friend came with her. To help pay for the rescue she works with horses who have behavioural issues. They are just getting started so business is a little lax. When a call comes in to help with a local stallion who has hurt his leg and refuses to allow anyone to touch it, she jumps at the chance.Jonas is sceptical of Alex’s abilities to deal with his bad tempered prized stud, but is quickly impressed with the way she gains the trust of the horse. They are quickly drawn together but life get in the way because of a tracking job Jonas and his team are on.This is a fun romance with enough suspense to keep things interesting. The plot part is as important as the romance part. I liked that the the characters had the ability to keep on with their lives at the same time as getting closer to each other. Freya Barker always writes complete characters. Their sole focus isn’t on the romance but on their friends, families and jobs too. The romance is important but it isn’t everything to them. It makes the characters believable and more fully rounded.The support characters are engaging and interesting and I look forward to getting to know them better in future books. There were just enough hints dropped to make those characters intriguing.Alex is strong and independent and doesn’t want to lose that strength if anything should happen to Jonas. It’s her one great fear after losing her husband. She is compassionate and reads both humans and horses well. She’s adept at gaining the trust of others. I particularly liked her relationship with Jonas’ father.Jonas is strong and loyal to his friends and family. He works hard and when he gets stressed and tired loses his temper, but he knows when to apologise. He’s very driven to achieve his goals, which is why he’s good at tracking, he never gives up. When he sets his sights on Alex, there is no giving up, because he wants her more than any other woman he’s met before. She fascinates him with her mix of strength and tenderness.I enjoyed this story as much as I have enjoyed the rest of this author’s work. Her characters feel real despite being larger than life. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series when it comes out.

Another sleepless night as I couldn’t put down High Meadow, the first in Freya Barkers new series, High Mountain Trackers. Jonas and Alex fit right into my favourite type…mature characters…which Freya proves time and again she is the queen of writing these realistic and down to earth people and their angst-filled stories. If you’ve read Freya, you know what I’m talking about, but if you haven’t, I envy you cause you’ve got a ton of excellent reading ahead of you!