Reviewed by Susan65
Title: Crooked Tree Ranch
Author: R.J. Scott
Series: Montana #1
Heroes: Nathaniel ‘Nate’ Todd/Jay Sullivan
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 176 Pages
Publisher: Totally Bound
Release Date: December 13, 2013
Available at: Totally Bound, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: Nate Todd knows things have to change for Crooked Tree to survive. He just doesn’t know how much of an effect Jay Sullivan will have on his life.
On the spur of the moment, with his life collapsing around him, Jay Sullivan answers an ad for a marketing expert on a dude ranch in Montana. With his small family, he moves lock, stock and barrel from New York to Montana to start a new life.
Foreman and owner of a third of the ranch, ex rodeo star Nathaniel ‘Nate’ Todd has been running Crooked Tree Ranch. His partners in the business convince him that he needs to get an expert in to help the ranch survive. He knows things have to change, but when the new guy turns up, with a troubled family in tow, he just isn’t prepared for how much.
Review:
Considering Crooked Tree Ranch is the first book in the new Montana Series, you are given a whole lot of information before the action begins between the main love interests, Nate and Jay. In addition to the backgrounds on both families, there are also secondary love connections and interlocking stories to follow along with the main plot. In a nut shell, it was a lot to digest, and I struggled a little bit keeping the many mini stories separated.
One of the storylines is about domestic violence, but that took place in the past and off-page, and it is very necesaary to understand the family dynamics affecting Jay and his family. It follows throughout the book, but the issue is never what I would consider dark, so the readers who normally avoid those topics should be okay. The resulting bad behavior is expected, but the daughter needed a good neck-wringing. She would make a good poster child for birth control.
The relationship with Nate and Jay was quick and easy. They do have a battle of wits, but everything, for the most part, moves smoothly and issues are settled without any angst. I would have prefered a little more time between the sack and the love declaration, but in the interst of time, that just wouldn’t work. However, the sex between them was smoldering; loved that! I am hopeful that now that the groundwork is laid, the following stories will be a little more action packed.
RJ Scott is a favorite author of mine, an insta-buy author and guilty pleasure, so I am sure most readers will be tickeld pink and hog-tied to get their paws on this new series. Enjoy.
Overall Impression: I liked it
*I purchased my own, personal copy of this book for review.*
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