A young, beautiful, intelligent accountant moves away from a fast-paced
east coast city to a ranch in Montana where the only shopping is an hour away
and the local restaurant is a saloon.
Why would she do that? It’s a
question that needs an answer and the main premise behind Montana Glory, R.C.
Ryan’s final installment in the McCord family trilogy. The McCord family
includes three sexy cousins, Jesse, Wyatt and Zane, owners of the very big and
very prosperous Lost Nugget Ranch. When ranch foreman Cal hires Riley Mason to
put their books in order, he has no idea she’s on the run with her
four-year-old daughter, and that the Lost Nugget is the perfect hideout.
“Montana Glory” is Zane’s story, a freewheeling bachelor who has left a dozen broken hearts scattered across the country. On the other hand, Riley is just trying to keep her head down and her child safe. She has so much ‘excess baggage’ she would be charged extra if flying on Delta. However, the author artfully handles both their issues. Ms. Ryan weaves an intricate plot throughout, and gives glimpses of the characters’ back stories without hitting us over the head every other chapter reminding us why Zane doesn’t want a real relationship and why Riley can’t get close to a man. The author gives us credit that we can remember and follow a story line.
R.C. Ryan has created an inherently caring hero, a character that you
want to get close to. He’s got cowboy
charm and a gentlemanly grace that can lure most women into his arms, and in
Riley’s case he’s slowly removing the very solid wall she’s built, brick by
brick. It’s not an easy demolition,
because Riley’s issues are a matter of life and death; and the wall she’s built
isn’t based on a few childhood incidents of bad parenting that would have you
saying “Girl, come on get over it already.”
Her situation would make anyone run for the nearest cave – or in this
case a sprawling ranch in the middle of nowhere.
This is a contemporary romance with a western flare, a story of family,
passions, dreams, and a mystery that is finely crafted. The romance is a slow build, beginning as a
physical attraction, and moving into the, I-can’t-sleep-eat-or-thi
nk-about-anything-but
you territory. For both Zane and Riley
it’s a feeling neither have experienced before, and the reader feels their
discomfort and their exhilaration as they move towards the realization that
there is more to life than breaking hearts or running away. This book is definitely a ‘feel-good’ read;
from the secondary characters to the dialogue it captures you and reels you in.
A large aspect of the book deals with pursuing your dreams. There’s a viewpoint presented that pursuing your dreams has nothing to do with luck and everything to do with being prepared and taking advantage of opportunities that come along. What’s you’re feeling about dreams coming true – does it have anything to do with luck?
Maria Lokken is an avid romance reader and an award winning television producer
