Stone Creek Sheriff

by Stella Bagwell

On a ranch to search out his past, can he build a new future? 

Flint Hollister came to Idaho to solve a family mystery—but what he finds is so much more. Pippa Shanahan, a beautiful, spirited stranger, has taken over his late aunt’s ranch, and it’s plain to see she’s in over her head. Yet even though she needs help, that doesn’t mean she’ll accept it from Flint. Life has taught Pippa to handle things on her own…and not to trust handsome strangers who won’t be sticking around for long. But the more time they spend together, the harder it is to resist him. Can two lives built this far apart find a way to come together? 

A MEN OF THE WEST ROMANCE

From Harlequin Special Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.

Men of the West

Book 1: SHOULD HAVE BEEN HER CHILD
Book 2: HIS DEFENDER
Book 3: A Baby on the Ranch
Book 4: Redwing's Lady
Book 5: From Here to Texas
Book 6: Taming a Dark Horse
Book 7: A South Texas Christmas
Book 8: The Rancher's Request
Book 9: The Best Catch in Texas
Book 10: Having the Cowboy's Baby
Book 11: Her Texas Lawman
Book 12: Hitched to the Horseman
Book 13: The Christmas She Always Wanted
Book 14: Cowboy to the Rescue
Book 15: Lone Star Daddy
Book 16: Branded with his Baby
Book 17: The Deputy's Lost and Found
Book 18: His Texas Wildflower
Book 19: Daddy's Double Duty
Book 20: His Medicine Woman
Book 21: Christmas with the Mustang Man
Book 22: His Texas Baby
Book 23: The Doctor's Calling
Book 24: A Daddy for Dillon
Book 25: The Deputy Gets Her Man
Book 26: The Baby Truth
Book 27: Wearing the Rancher's Ring
Book 28: The Lawman's Noelle
Book 29: One Tall, Dusty Cowboy
Book 30: Daddy Wore Spurs
Book 31: Christmas on the Silver Horn Ranch
Book 32: Her Rugged Rancher
Book 33: His Badge, Her Baby...Their Family?
Book 34: The Cowboy's Christmas Lullaby
Book 35: Her Kind of Doctor
Book 36: The Arizona Lawman
Book 37: Her Man on Three Rivers Ranch
Book 38: A Ranger for Christmas
Book 39: His Texas Runaway
Book 40: Home to Blue Stallion Ranch
Book 41: The Rancher's Best Gift
Book 42: The Texan Tries Again
Book 43: Her Man Behind the Badge
Book 44: His Forever Texas Rose
Book 45: The Baby That Binds Them
Book 46: Sleigh Ride with the Rancher
Book 47: The Wrangler Rides Again

272 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published April 29, 2025

About the author

At seventeen, Stella married her high school sweetheart: Harrell, and they had a son Jason. She began her writing career almost by accident. She was a hairdresser and worked in her sister's beauty shop. Ironically, Stella developed a severe allergy to hairspray and was forced to resign. With time on her hands, Stella wanted to do something creative. She remembered a high school English teacher telling her she could be a writer if she wanted. Although she always loved reading romances, she never thought to write one herself. Armed with that now notion and an old, manual typewriter, she went to work, attempting to create a story similar to those she liked reading. The result‚ her first book, purchased by Mills & Boon and issued under the Harlequin imprint. After that, she became a full time writer and today, has close to forty published novels. Her for the future is to continue writing romance novels as long as there's an audience to enjoy her work.

Next to writing, traveling is one of her most favorite activities. Yet, because the southwest is dear to her heart, she sets most of her books there in rough, rugged ranch country. She feels it's essential to know a place before writing about it; that philosophy gives her more reason to plan trips! The marriage has always lived in southeastern Oklahoma. But, they purchased a portion of a twenty-two hundred, acre ranch; they now make their home there. Before moving onto the ranch, she had a swimming pool in her back yard and spent most of her summer evenings in the water. Her husband has promised to put in another pool, but for now she has to make do with the creek that runs through their property. The closest town of three thousand is fifteen miles away; she says she loves the seclusion, living among the woods and horses and wildlife. The only thing she doesn't like is making the thirty mile round trip to the post office or grocery store. Worse still, is the eighty-five mile trip to get office supplies!

One of her greatest joys was to see Jason, her only son, graduate from college with degrees in math and physical education. He now lives in Port Lavaca, Texas, where he teaches high school algebra and geometry and coaches football and weightlifting. Family has always come first with Stella and she enjoys spending time with her son when he visits Oklahoma. Sometimes, she and her husband drive down to the Texas coast to see him. However, her mother, step-father and siblings all live nearby and they have routine get-togethers. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing violin and guitar, both of which she can play by ear. She claims to need years of practice before calling herself a musician. Stella also enjoys gardening and being outdoors.

Reviews

[Susie (DFWSusie)]

A straight shot of fall in love without conflict or speed bumps between them. Nice people being nice to each other, especially through the hero nursing the overworked heroine back to health and taking care of the ranch for her and with her. A super easy non-challenging Romance.

———
Harlequin Special Edition (May 2025)
Series: Men of the West #56

Themes/Tropes: small northwestern town, rancher, women running her own ranch alone, family secrets, rural life, making life changes, no third act breakups or misunderstanding, care giving scenes from MMC to FMC

Steam/Spice Level: open door, in the bed, romantic love scene, late in the story

Setting: far northern Idaho by the Canadian border

BIPOC Characters: no

LGBTQ+ Characters: no

POV: dual POV, third person, past tense

Standalone or Series: part of a very long series but functions as a standalone fine

Cops/LEO: he was a small town sheriff back home, but it has no bearing on the story

Does the Dog/Horse/Cat Die? No animals (of which they are many) are harmed here. Just well tended.
__________

[Kate Vale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another in the Men of the West series in which rancher Pippa Shanahan is skated close to bankruptcy on The Bell when Flint Hollister shows up seeking information about his late aunt and his grandfather. When he arrives, he's unaware his aunt has died, but when Pippa becomes ill, Flint sticks around to help her and soon two hearts begin to melt the barriers each has erected against being hurt again.

But, who will declare their love first? Pippa, who won't leave The Bell Ranch? Or Flint, who's never really claimed he wanted to be a deputy sheriff forever and isn't really needed on his family large ranch? Charming tale from beginning to end.

[Esther Victory · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not really the target audience for this but this was a cute, charming, small town romance! I liked the ranch setting and it's always so hot when the man takes care of the woman when she falls ill

[Harlequin Books]

Contemporary Romance, Small Town & Rural Fiction, Family Life Fiction, Western Romance
Miniseries
Men of the West (Book #56)