The Maverick & the Manhattanite

Montana Mavericks: Rust Creek Cowboys #3

by Leanne Banks

USA TODAY bestselling author Leanne Banks returns to Rust Creek Falls, the setting for the popular Montana Rust Creek Cowboys, where a cowboy is sure to find love—when he least expects it!

Rust Creek Ramblings

Ever since volunteer coordinator Lissa Roarke rolled into town with her fancy luggage and metropolitan attitude, Sheriff Gage Christensen has been fit to be tied. Everything about Lissa seems to rub Gage the wrong way. She talks too fast, she's too bossy, she's just too…darned…irritating. And readers, you know what that means. It's only a matter of time before these two squawking opposites find their way—together!

But there's a rough road ahead for Rust Creek's sexy sheriff and his do-gooder girl. Can Big Sky and Big Apple make it past the first frost? Just how much will a city girl sacrifice for the strong arms of the law?

Genres: Romance, Harlequin, Contemporary Romance, Westerns, Chick Lit

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 10, 2014

About the author

Leanne Banks was born on 14 May 1959 in Roanoke, Virginia, USA. She holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology, which she claims she can only use on fictional characters. When her first book was published in 1991, she used the money from her advance to take her family to Disney World.

Leanne is known for telling a story with strong emotion, characters with whom everyone can relate, a kick of hot sensuality, and a feel-good ending that lingers. She believes in creating stories for her readers that will allow them to escape into a place filled fun, emotion and sensuality. She believes that she has the best readers in the world because they understand that love is the greatest miracle of all.

Leanne is the recipient of Romantic Times Magazine's career-achievement awards in Series Sensuality and Love and Laughter, and her books have been recognized by the Award of Excellence Contest, the Romance Writers of America RITA Award contest and the National Readers' Choice Awards. She is grateful for awards and reviews and was particularly moved by a letter from a reader remarking that Leanne's book got her through a chemotherapy session. The reader's letter inspired a favorite turn of phrase: Never underestimate the power of a romance novel.

Leanne lives in her native Virginia with her husband, two teenage children and a Pomeranian. She also has a little condo in South Carolina where she writes in the off-season. She loves music, chocolate, quotes, and new adventures.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. It's been a couple months since the flood that wrecked half the town and repairs are going well. They're about to go even better as Lissa arrives in town to coordinate a volunteer effort from back east. She gets under Gage's skin right away as he tries to fight the attraction by ignoring her. Lissa has come to do a job and though she feels the attraction also she refuses to be ignored. It isn't long before they're working very closely together.

I really liked Lissa a lot. She is determined to do a great job in her first time as project coordinator. Gage's condescending attitude toward the "city girl" irritated her and made her more determined to do the best she can. I loved the way she didn't let him ignore her and made sure that let him know she wasn't happy with his attitude. When he apologized she accepted it and got him to give her the help she needed. I really liked the way that she threw herself into the work and motivated her crews so well. It was also fun to see how the townspeople took to her right away and treated her just like one of their own. Lissa had always been fascinated by cowboys and getting to know Gage was a dream come true. She knew she was going to be leaving but being with him was something she couldn't resist. I loved the way that she was so obviously becoming part of the community, but neither she nor Gage could see it. I also liked the way that she could see his pain and guilt and and also the protector that he is. She wanted to stay in Montana and be with him and the rest of the town, but thought he didn't want her when he pushed her away. I loved her statement "I'm going to tell Gage that he can't fool me. I have him figured out from head to toe. I'm not backing down this time."

Gage is the sheriff of Rust Creek Falls. He works 24/7 for the people of his town. He feels terribly guilty because he was away on a rare day off the day of the flood. Now he puts everyone else's needs ahead of his own. When Lissa arrives in town he is attracted to her. But she is a city girl and he knows that city girls never stick around in rural Montana. He tries to solve his problem by ignoring her until she calls him on it. As he works with her he sees the good she is doing and is drawn to her. He is certain she won't stick around but is unable to keep from enjoying being with her while she's there. I loved seeing how his subconscious kept picturing her staying with him. Gage is so down on himself that he can't see that everyone around him considers him to be one of the town's greatest heroes. When Lissa arranges for his house to be one of the ones repaired he has a hard time accepting it and tells her that it should have been someone else to get the work done. In spite of her wanting to stay he just can't believe that a city girl will be able to stand staying and pushes her away. I really wanted to smack him for being so blind. I loved it when he finally realized he was being an idiot.

I loved some of the dialogue between Gage and Lissa as Montana met Manhattan and learned to communicate with each other. I also loved the whole episode of Lissa's misadventures driving in the snow and how references to it ran throughout the book. I enjoyed Gage's solution for a couple of the troublesome teens, and how one of them ended up showing a lot of heart. I'm looking forward to the ongoing mayor's race and seeing how it turns out.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Writing: 2
Story: 3
Satisfaction: 2

A pretty surface level romance with not a lot of drama.

This book is part of a series written by different authors but all set in Rust Creek Falls. The Maverick and the Manhattanite features Lissa Roarke, a peppy volunteer organizer sent from New York to help the people devastated by a sudden flood, and Gage Christensen, the guilt-ridden sheriff of the small town. Lissa has been in New York her entire life but she's curious about cowboys and small town living. Gage has strong ties to Rust Creek and he knows that city girls don't stay for long but he's still drawn to Lissa after seeing how much effort she's putting into fixing all the damaged homes.

Gage doesn't believe that he should receive any benefit from Lissa's team until everyone else is finished and the root of this is in the guilt that he feels for not being able to help everyone and the death of the last town mayor. Lissa wants to stay and be with Gage but her job will soon be calling her back to the Big Apple.

This was a really easy and quick read but lacking tension in the important moments. The characters seem a little flat and the conflict seems overly dramatic for something resolved in the span of a page.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley

[Kate Vale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who'd have guessed a fast-talking woman from NYC would find little Rust Creek Falls a wonderful little town? But Lissa Roarke does, when she's sent there to organize volunteers to help the townspeople rescue their town (and themselves) from the effects of a terrible flash flood that killed their mayor.

When she meets Sheriff Gage Christensen, however, they are like oil and water--except that maybe it's attraction that lies behind that discomfiture that each feels in the presence of the other.

Trouble is, she's going back to the Big Apple. Or is she? But will Gage continue to allow his guilt that he wasn't able to save the mayor when what he's really hiding is fear of commitment and the loss of his heart?

[Phylisha Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Volunteer coordinator Lissa Roarke and sheriff Gage Christensen meet due a severe flood floods his town. From two radically different backgrounds, they butt heads at first, but eventually learn to work together. An inspiring quick read.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it

[Andrea Lujano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Protagonistas: Lisa & Gage

Profesiones: Policia & Empresaria

Pais: USA

[Katie Kaste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet

This story was another super sweet romance. Gage is the local sheriff and Lissa is a volunteer project manager from New York. They come across each other while trying to repair the damages left from the flood. They find a summer fling to remember.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, Gage me desesperó un poco pero he’s so hot 🤠

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 STARS
Montana Mavericks: Rust Creek Cowboys is a series written by a bunch of authors. Rust Creek got hit by a bad flood they lost a lot including their elementary school and the Mayor. Sheriff Gage Christensen was out of town when the flood came. He feels guilty for being with his family.

Each book because its written by different author has a little bit different flavor to the story. They are still hurting bad. Lissa Roarke from New York City is coming to Rust Creek for her first volunteer coordinator in charge.

This story has a lot of heartwarming moments of people helping other people. Has some funny scenes, Has too many love scenes details it also has some romantic scenes. It inspires me to help others more, in what ever way I can. Has lots of familiar characters and some new ones too.

Lissa really wants to help the community of Rust Creek. She has lots of different volunteers scheduled to come at different times to help where they can. Professional and labor. The town is feeding the volunteers. Lissa is single from New York City. She has always liked the thought of cowboys. Of course she has some culture differences and hard time driving in snow. She has a lot of men willing to fight over her.

Sheriff Gage feels like he has to help everyone else get into their houses before he can work on his. He was able to get everything wet out of his house and fans in. He helps others after work each day. He would rather help then receive help.

My daughter had a stuff bunny that she took everywhere. It even went to collage so she would have been heartbroken if hers had to be thrown away.
I keep wanting to know from this series who will be the new Mayor of Rust Creek.

I was given this ebook and asked to give honest review of it when I was done by Netgalley.
Publication Date: August 20, 2013 | Series: Harlequin Special Edition (Book 2281) 224 pages ISBN-10: 0373657633

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short miniseries within the overarching Montana Mavericks deals with the aftermath of the great flood. Much of the town is destroyed when a sudden flash flood surprises the town. The mayor is killed, but otherwise there seems to be mostly property damage. Gage Christensen, the sheriff, blames himself for the mayor’s death as he had taken the opportunity to attend an out of town rodeo with his family the day of the flood. Gage is pushed out of his comfort zone by Manhattanite Lissa Roarke, a volunteer coordinator who is assigned to help rebuilt the town. Compounded by his guilt over being away during the flood, Gage believes that Lissa is a city girl at heart and not interested in long-term Montana living.

In reality, Lissa is not a city girl at all. Full of the optimism of youth and a desire to do something good, she rallies the volunteers that arrive to help and makes great strides in rebuilding. Her enthusiasm brings out the best in others. She comes to love Montana and Gage equally in a very short amount of time. She sees through the overdeveloped sense of responsibility and recognizes Gage for the hero and protector he is.

This book is all Gage and all tortured hero. He is the epitome of every dedicated public servant / first responder. He is overprotective and believes he can solve the world’s problems. It takes the city girl to hold up a mirror and show that even though he isn’t perfect and can’t fix everything, he is a hero to those around him. Without him the world would not quite be the same.

Once again the continuity is tightly written, but Leanne’s trademark humor shines through. If you are looking for a good escape this book fits the bill.

[Melody Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

*****3.5-Stars*****

Rust Creek Falls: I Want To Live There!

We are, once again, back in Rust Creek Falls and this book is about Gage Christiansen, the beloved Sheriff, and volunteer coordinator Lissa Roarke from Manhattan.

Gage Christiansen is not only the sheriff of this town but also a rancher. He has been angry and upset since the flood that came close to destroying the whole town a couple of months ago. He blames himself because he was out of town when it happened and he believes he could have saved the mayor's life if he had been there...not so but it is what he thinks.

Lissa Roarke is a volunteer coordinator from Manhattan and has arrived to give the good people of Rust Creek Falls everything she's got to restore their homes, businesses and schools. She seems to rub Gage the wrong way. She talks too fast, she's too bossy, and she's just too darn irritating. He thinks she's incompetent and he treats her as such...but deep inside he is drawn to her as she is him.

After the barrier around Gage's heart begins to crumble they team up in more ways than one. What they have is sweet and hot but they both know they will part when her job is done. She is honest about her feelings for him, but Gage...not so much. As the end of her stay approaches what will become of the two of them?

I enjoyed this book but I do get a bit aggravated when one half of a couple refuses to give in to their feelings and pulls away for the other person's own good. That is a common theme that runs through a lot of books these days but I am growing weary of it. Other than that it was a nice addition to this series.

[Hsiau Wei · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lissa is going to Rust Creek on a volunteering basis to coordinate the volunteer effort in the town. She has been looking forward to her new task and is determined to do a good job. Gage is the Sheriff of the town and he has his doubt on Lissa’s capability. His attitude towards her status as the girl from the city irritates her a lot. As time passed, Gage begins to notice Lissa’s determination in getting the volunteer to focus on repairing the houses for the town people. Lissa noted his attitude towards her and she confronted him about it and realizing that his attitude towards was uncalled for, he apologies to her and she accepted it. From there on, they worked together to repair the damage that the flood have caused to the town. Their relationship begins to develop well since then and soon, it developed into something deeper than what they are ready for. When they finally get together, they know that it is a temporary arrangement as Lissa is leaving after the completion of the project. They thought they are ready for it but obviously, they are not when the time comes.

I like Lissa for her humble self. Unlike what Gage have thought of her, she is really there to help the town people. She have the compassion to do the work that she do. There are many heartwarming scene and I truly enjoyed reading about them. People are sincere in helping those in needs and reading about it makes the world look different, at least to me ;)

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Maverick & the Manhattanite by Leanne Banks

Lissa Roarke travels from Manhattan to Rush Creek Falls to lead a team of volunteers to help the residents recover from a major flood. She'll need to work with Sheriff Gabe Christensen but he is rude and insufferable to Lissa. Does he think she can't manage in his small town? Lissa calls Gabe on his behavior and what a change. He's apologized and suddenly they are working very closely together and not just in the rebuilding!

I liked that this was more than just a city vs. country story. It's really about Gabe's self perceived guilt with the mayors death. Lissa takes charge and not only gives the town an uplift in repairs, but in spirit too.
A heartwarming positive romance. I definitely want to read more of the Rush Creek Falls books.

I received a copy of this book from the author.

[Kat ~ Forever Book Lover ♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is #3 in the Rust Creek series, if you are a huge fan of Montana Mavericks, this is a great spin off. Sometimes it is a hit or miss with the Montana Maverick series, as each one of them is written by a different author. For some readers this may be a turn off as you get comfortable with one authors writing style and how descriptive they are on the characters. I really enjoyed Leanne Banks writing, it was in sync with the previous authors.
I enjoyed the bantering between the characters. There were some wonderful steamy scenes between Sheriff Gage and Lissa. She brought the New England brassiness to a small Montana town. It was a great hoot to read the two of them exchange sparks- :)

I look forward to reading more on the series... so anyone want to make a wager on who the next Mayor will be.... until we meet again in Rust Creek... enjoy all.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is part of the Montana Mavericks: Rust Creek Cowboys Series (multiple authors involved) and Leanne Banks has contributed a feel good, satisfying romance. This one involves the aftermath of a devastating flood, a small town sheriff and a big city volunteer organizer. The primary couple are engaging and I did become invested in them reaching their happily ever after. The secondary characters, (including the town, because it was well drawn enough a setting to contribute strongly to the story) were likeable and interesting. The small town man, big woman premise was well plotted and the pacing of the book was even. All in all, a quick, satisfying romance. I would read more from Leanne Banks.
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

[Heidi Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this story but I could not get past the flat way that Lissa felt to me. Gage became fleshed out and I rooted for him but I could not get into the way that Lissa ran hot and cold with her feelings. I did like the setting and the flow of the story though as well as their drive to work together to rebuild the area.

[Debra Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an okay read.
Lissa and Gage were a strong example of when opposites attract and you know hat that means. Smoke and Fire. That's right. Lissa and Gage really went at each other in this story and sometimes it wasn't pretty. Throw some romance into the mix and you have yourself a great story. I really liked it.

[Cornelia Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a flood ravaged Rust Creek Montana, Sheriff Gage Christensen is overwhelmed and feeling guilty that the mayor had died in the flood. Lissa Roarke, from Manhattan, wants to help the devastated town and maybe meet a real cowboy. When they meet, there is chemistry! A fun adult read.

[Ann (Noumena12) · Rating 3 out of 5]

More Montana mavericks. Quick easy read with characters from the other Maverick series. One of the things I like about this series is that the books are written by different authors. So while there is continuity of characters and setting, the tone of the books is each authors.

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Montana Mavericks: Rust Creek Cowboys
Category: Home and Family

[Susandalley2006hotmail.com · Rating 3 out of 5]

This certainly wasn't horrible, but something about it felt off for me. It felt a little forced--trying too hard to convince me to like it.

[Casey Dawes · Rating 3 out of 5]

FYI: There's no airport in Livingston, MT -- nor should there be. The winds are so bad that they reroute trucks on occasion.

[Mary Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read!