I have read this series out of order, having discovered the PEAK Rescue team when I won a giveaway for a later book in the series. (Which means I already know how some things turn out.)

Like another reviewer, I wasn't so sure I would like this book when I read the beginning. But it did come together for me.

As the title implies, trust is a big issue in this book. It seems many of the PEAK team are hiding secrets. Jess is hiding her past and doesn't trust telling the man she thinks she's in love with. Ty is hiding that he wasn't at his best when the helicopter crash that injured him and Chet occurred. Sierra is hiding knowledge of Esme from Ian. Ella is hiding knowledge that would have mitigated the impact of Dylan's death on Gage. In a sense, it is a wonder to me that this team can function together at all with so many people keeping secrets.

Plus so many of them need to learn to trust themselves and their instincts as well as learning to trust God. Gage doubts himself because he wasn't able to save Dylan and because it seems, years later, that there are still people who want to emulate his freeriding style even at the expense of their own safety. He also feels as if God went back on "their deal" when Dylan died--as Ella pointed out God doesn't make deals.

Ella's friend Brette isn't very trusting of men--there are strong hints that she was involved in an abusive relationship in the past, though we don't get details of that here. She finally decides that Ty is a good man--one worth fighting for--only to drop that thought when she learns that Ty knew Jess's secret and didn't tell her. She feels betrayed. And I can understand that, but it sure was a quick turnaround for her.

Both Brette and Oliver mention food poisoning, but I'm not clear on how they both ended up with food poisoning or if it was related to each other. Brette's may have been a different medical problem that she just blamed on food poisoning.

I did learn that red drinks are probably not the best thing to have if you go on dangerous excursions since it did make Gage think that Oliver might have internal bleeding. I also have a greater appreciation for ski patrol and for extreme skiers and snowboarders.

All in all, it's a good series and I know I will be reading more of it. I have already requested the two previous books to this one just to get caught up on the background. ( )

Love this. Snow ❄️ cold setting 🏂🗻/ 💃🏻🚶🏻hot hot 🔥 story! Definite page turner with substance, perfect summer romance read. I'm going to have to read the whole Series.

"A Matter of Trust" is just that, a book that makes you trust the author and her delivery from the beginning, while settling you so far into the story itself that you also forget the talented Susan May Warren is in the background, weaving the story of Gage and Ella as it comes alive before you.

Their story takes place during winter in Montana, with an ex-freeriding-snowboarder turned rescue EMT/ski patrol, and an immigrant American who is now the State Senator of Vermont, (and who also happens to have some talent on the slopes herself). I've been to this very area in Montana in the summertime, and continually long to go back. "A Matter of Trust" showed me the beauty and danger of the mountain in the winter, all while it made me very curious as to what was going to happen to every single person in this story. It was like 90210, only with so much more meaning (does that make it #911-90210?), so I loved experiencing the stories of the additional team members, too. I also loved reading a ski story, something else I fondly remember from my youth. "A Matter of Trust" was a great vicarious trip that only served to enhance my desire to revisit the area.

I know myself. I'm going to have to pick up Book One of the series and go through it all to find out the stories as they develop from the beginning. Even so, jumping in at Book Three was not at all distracting.

This is a great summer read, because it is so well done, it is good escape and easy to digest, and because it is about something so cold while the heat of the story is always there. I also like the smidgen of faith element sprinkled in here and there, just that way many of us encounter in real life.

This is yet another "Highly Recommend" book that I would never have found were it not for this Lone Star Book Blog Tour. I encourage you to enter the giveaway, and add to your TBR pile. *Also I noticed a Bonus: this book is coming out in Audio form at the end of the month.

Thank you Ms. Warren for providing me a copy of your book for an honest review. It was so good, a definite page-turner, and I'm looking forward to more! ( )

Title: A Matter of Trust (Montana Rescue #3)
Author: Susan May Warren
Pages: 336
Year: 2017
My rating 5 out of 5 stars.
The series includes two other outstanding books titled, Wild Montana Skies and Rescue Me. The characters from these novels continue in this third installment. Gage Watson is the man who had it all: fame, wealth and notoriety until he lost it all. Now, he serves on a rescue team known as PEAK. Everything is going along smoothly for Gage until some people try some very dangerous stunts and a woman from his past makes an appearance. Ella Blair is a senator and is one Gage has mixed emotions about. Ella herself carries guilt for her part in Gage losing so very much.
Now, they are on a mountain seeking to locate her brother and a friend who decided to go on a closed mountain side to try and ride the snow trail as Gage did years ago. What happens I will leave for readers to enjoy discovering as well as meeting a few new people in the novel that I hope the author brings to her next Montana Rescue story.
For me, this was a very nail-biting thriller at times, as well as enjoying the possible budding romantic relationships. What is introduced in the first book about the founder, Ian Shaw, looking for his niece continues in the novel here so I people will enjoy the story more if they read the books in order. The characters and their various work or personal relationships are evolving along with the multiple story lines Susan continues to develop with each tale.
If you like reading books with tension, thrills, romance and more, look no further. This series is one of the best for 2017! ( )

Gage Watson is known for his award winning skills at backcountry snowboarding. But when a snowboarder died and Gage was blamed, he was sued and lost all his sponsorships. Wanting to remain in the mountains, he now works ski patrol and also joined the PEAK Rescue team, in an attempt to rebuild his life. Ella Blair had a major crush on the famous Gage Watson. She finally got to meet him and it was instant attraction. The future seemed very promising until, as a junior attorney, she’s finds herself on the team that was suing Gage Watson. Three years later, Ella returns to Glacier National Park to find her brother who is going to attempt a very dangerous peak once done by Gage. Ella begs Gage for his help in finding her brother but how can he help the woman who cost him his career? And not only does she want his help but she insists on going with him. He finally agrees to let her go and they soon fall into a comfortable rhythm as old feelings begin to stir. But both will have to face not only the extreme elements but a truth that Ella has yet to share.

Wow! This story was intense and pretty much kept my heart racing from beginning to end. I felt like I was right there on the mountain with them, taking in the scenery as well as feeling the apprehension of their tasks. I really liked Gage and the down-to-earth kind of guy he was. Ella was someone that I could be friends with; no pretense, just real. I enjoyed watching the two of them together. The romantic tension was beautifully done and keeps you rooting for them all the way through. The secondary stories going on, and there are several, really added a lot to the story. That said, I would recommend reading this series in the order it was written, for a much richer reading experience. I have enjoyed all the books in the Montana Rescue but I have to say this was my favorite so far. I just felt like everything flowed together really well. There is a conclusion to this story but the secondary stories are left for the next book which I cannot wait to read! A Matter of Trust is a high octane, tightly written adventure you won’t want to miss!

*This complementary copy was provided by Revell through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

A few moment from the story:

I thought by doing the right thing, it would protect me, and him. But life doesn’t work that way. Doing what’s right comes at a cost. I just wasn’t ready for it.”

“Chet says the same thing. That we shouldn’t base God’s desire to help us on our opinions of ourselves. Otherwise we’d always be in over our heads. We need to start believing that he wants to help us. Even when we make mistakes.”

Their eleven-person team consisted of three EMTs - Gage, Pete, and Jess - their chopper pilot Kacey Fairing, their administrative assistant Sierra Rose, team incident commander Miles Dafoe, country crooner Ben King, and his father, Chet, who started the team way back with it’s founder, Ian Shaw, and their sheriff department liaison, Sam Brooks.

For more information about this book or other books by this author, I encourage you to visit her website at http://www.susanmaywarren.com. ( )

This is a suspenseful book as well as one of forgiveness. I kept reading to find out what would happen between Gage and Ella as they had to put their differences aside to find Ella's brother. Gage could have let his feelings get in the way of doing his job, but realized that would cause even more trouble than was already there. Gage had to learn to trust and put his hurt aside and Ella had to fess up to what she had done for them to be able to work together and do the job that had to be done. I enjoyed reading this book and this is a great series.
I received a copy from the publisher to read, the review is entirely my own. ( )