Renewed Hope, a novel by Carmen Peone, is the third book of the “Seven Tine Ranch Romance” series. The contemporary story mostly takes place in Montana.

Sophie Cayes has exceptional talent as a wildlife artist, specializing in wild animals in their natural setting. Her budding future is shattered when her abusive ex-husband threatens to sue for full custody of their four year-old son, Basin. Sophie learns of a guest ranch that keeps a room open for women in need. She and her son leave their home on the Flathead Reservation in Northwest Montana and drive to the Seven Tine Guest Ranch on the Colville Reservation in Eastern Washington, hoping to find a solution to her greatest fear, losing custody of her son.

Chad Davis loves his job at the Seven Tine Guest Ranch. His specialty is starting colts, but of course he performs other ranch chores as well. One of those chores involves helping out when guests arrive. Later, at dinner, Chad is asked to show little Basin around while his mother talks to another woman. When the unthinkable happens—Basin goes missing—Chad feels responsible to do everything in his power to return the little boy to his mother.

Chad, Sophie and a tribal policeman head back to Montana, feeling certain that Basin’s father must have followed Sophie to the ranch and had taken the little boy. Just when you think things can’t get worse, they do. A gut-wrenching race is on to find her son before her ex-husband and his new wife illegally flee with Basin.

Renewed Hope is about faith in the face of raw fear. Unfortunately, abuse of women is common among indigenous people. That abuse is often directed toward children, making this situation even more desperate. The novel is suspenseful, yet realistic. Carmen Peone has written a worthy sequel to the first two books in the “Seven Tine Ranch Romance” series.