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Second Chance Ranch

(Three Rivers Ranch Romance #1)

Liz Isaacson (Goodreads Author),

Elana Johnson (Goodreads Author)

4.22 · Rating details · 2,471 ratings · 289 reviews

A new Christian western romance from bestselling author, Elana Johnson, writing as Liz Isaacson for her contemporary adult romance debut.

After his deployment, injured and discharged Major Squire Ackerman returns to Three Rivers Ranch, anxious to prove himself capable of running the cattle operation so his parents can retire. Things would be easier if the ranch wasn’t m ...more

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Kindle Edition, 288 pages

Published September 15th 2015 by AEJ Creative Works

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· 2,471 ratings · 289 reviews

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Sep 24, 2015 Melanie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites-2015, clean, romance, christian-fiction

I love reading books where the characters are given a second chance at love and this one didn't disappoint! Squire and Kelly didn't actually date in high school--he's the younger brother of her best friend. She did, however, reject his invitation to go to the prom together. Only, there's a little more to that story.

Kelly just got hired as the accountant for Three Rivers Ranch, the one that Squire's family owns. Squire lets her know there's a large amount of money missing but he's kept this fact ...more

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Jul 23, 2016 Elizabeth rated it did not like it

Shelves: couldn-t-finish

Life is too short to waste time on a book that does not spark interest in the first 100 pages. I don't care about the characters. I find the dialogue boring and the relationship juvenile. The man holds a grudge against this woman for 10 years 10 YEARS!!! for not going to prom with him. He still cares about her not going with him after going to war and being wounded. And her...I just don't buy any of this. On top of that the 'country folks' are so contrived. I know some country folks and they tal ...more

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Nov 04, 2015 Kathy rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2016

This is a sweet second chance romance. I enjoyed it. If you like clean romance with a few Christian elements you will likely enjoy this one.
Content: Clean

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Apr 02, 2017 Pam Graber rated it it was amazing

Squire Ackerman returns from Kandahar with a rod in his leg and PTSD. As the only son of Three Rivers Ranch, he’s expected to take over so his father can retire. Unfortunately, that’s not where his passion lies. Squire loves the animals and was halfway toward his goal of becoming a veterinarian when he was deployed. The day-to-day of running a ranch is nothing but tedious for him. Things go from bad to worse when he discovers that $1.6 million is missing from the ranch accounts. Hiring a good ac Squire Ackerman returns from Kandahar with a rod in his leg and PTSD. As the only son of Three Rivers Ranch, he’s expected to take over so his father can retire. Unfortunately, that’s not where his passion lies. Squire loves the animals and was halfway toward his goal of becoming a veterinarian when he was deployed. The day-to-day of running a ranch is nothing but tedious for him. Things go from bad to worse when he discovers that $1.6 million is missing from the ranch accounts. Hiring a good accountant is a must and his dad knows just the woman for the job.
Kelly (Armstrong) Russell, fresh from an acrimonious divorce, has moved back home to Texas with her 4-year-old son, Finn. Until she gets a decent job her only option is living in her parents’ basement. Applying for the accountant position at Three Rivers Ranch was a no-brainer for her; she practically grew up there, after all. She wasn’t expecting her best friend’s younger brother, Squire, to be her boss. As they work together to uncover the missing funds, Kelly and Squire discover that more than their friendship is at stake. Their very lives may be on the line.
Can Squire get past the hurt Kelly dealt him in high school? Can Kelly get past the hurt from her failed marriage? Together can they see a future that includes the two of them and Finn?
I have been binge-reading the Three Rivers Ranch books by Liz Isaacson. I started with The First Lady of Three Rivers Ranch, which is actually book 7 in the series but gives the story of Squire’s parents. I love how gentle and kind the men are and how the women are confident in their abilities but not necessarily confident in dealing with relationships. Kelly struggles with trusting another man after her husband’s infidelity but she’s known Squire since they were kids so it’s easy to see the two getting together.
If you enjoy a little western flavor in your reading, try out the Three Rivers Ranch books. Contemporary romance readers will enjoy these stories, Christian fiction readers will appreciate the faith elements and there’s just enough mystery/suspense to keep those readers happy as well. I have enjoyed everything I’ve read so far!
...more

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Sep 28, 2015 Katie W rated it it was amazing

I absolutely love a story about second chances and this one delivered! Squire is recently returned from the military, where he was honorably discharged after an injury. Hats off to those who serve in the military because I don't think I could do it and I truly appreciate all that they do for our country. I love that Squire is a deep character. He's working through issues resulting from his service, as well as trying to balance his wants and his duties for the future. He's a great all-around guy, ...more

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Jan 07, 2018 B. D. Mann rated it it was amazing

This is the first book of the Three Rivers Ranch series and my first exposure to Liz Isaacson. WOW! I am impressed. This is a well-written Christian Romance. The author so skillfully wove Christian elements into the story that it is appealing to not only Christian readers but also any reader who favors clean, sweet romances. The characterization is well done and the storyline well crafted. So far as I could determine the author and her proofreaders were successful in producing a book that is com ...more

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May 25, 2018 ☆☆Hannah☆☆ rated it really liked it

This was another book that I've had for awhile but waited a long time to read. Yet again I regret that. This was a good book. I really liked Squire and Kelly. I thought that they were great for each other. I was very happy for them in the end. ...more

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Nov 06, 2016 Marlene rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, own-kindle, in-a-set, lds-author, contemporary

A while back, I realized that I was only reading authors whose last names began with letters at the very beginning of the alphabet. My system for choosing books was backfiring on me, and something had to be done! I would never get to favorite authors such as Karen Witemeyer, or even Deanne Gist. So I decided to try an A to Z challenge as I’ve seen other Goodreads readers do. And… I wanted to read a book by an author whose last name began with the letter “I”. Regardless of my (possibly) silly r ...more

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Oct 05, 2015 Iola rated it really liked it

Kelly Armstrong has returned with her son to her tiny home town following her divorce. She applies for a job at Three Rivers Ranch, working for Squire Ackerman, the younger brother of her best friend in high school. She needs the job, so she can afford to move out of her parent’s basement. Squire doesn’t want to work with the girl who rejected him many years ago, but there’s a problem in the ranch accounts and he needs Kelly’s help to find it …

I liked both main characters—important in a romance. Kelly Armstrong has returned with her son to her tiny home town following her divorce. She applies for a job at Three Rivers Ranch, working for Squire Ackerman, the younger brother of her best friend in high school. She needs the job, so she can afford to move out of her parent’s basement. Squire doesn’t want to work with the girl who rejected him many years ago, but there’s a problem in the ranch accounts and he needs Kelly’s help to find it …

I liked both main characters—important in a romance. Squire was the all-American hero, an Army major who has now retired following an injury. Yes, he’s probably too good to be true, but this is a romance novel. We don’t hold that against him. Kelly is an equally good character—strong, intelligent, hard-working, reliable and caring. Her main fault is that she appears to have no faults. No matter: there is still plenty of conflict and tension, both from the missing money and the growing feelings between Kelly and Squire.

The one thing which bothered me about Second Chance Ranch was the timing. Four months ago Kelly discovered her husband was having an affair. Now she’s been divorced one month and is living back in her home town … and this is a romance novel, so she’s about to find her Happy Ever After. Really? Four months ago she was in love with husband number one, and now she’s ready to move on? No going through the stages of grief for the death of a marriage? No trust issues? Or are my views tarnished from living in New Zealand, where it takes at least two years to get a divorce, to ensure couples have adequate time to attempt to reconcile?

Aside from that, I really enjoyed the characters and the story. The writing was excellent (marred only by a couple of proofreading errors and overuse of “he thought” and “she thought). In fact, some of the writing was outstanding, like the description of dinner delivered by Squire: “chicken noodle soup with a side of male goodness”. Funny!

Recommended for those who enjoy fun-filled contemporary Christian romance by authors like Becky Wade, Andrea Grigg and Rose Dee.

Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review. ...more

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Sep 16, 2015 Julie rated it it was amazing

This was a book I could not put down!

Squire Ackerman has returned home after his tour of duty injured physically and emotionally. He's trying to save his family ranch without telling his father exactly how badly their last financial adviser has hurt them. But his father hires Kelly as their new accountant---the one woman Squire hasn't been able to forget.

Kelly is trying to move on from a divorce, living with her parents until she can save enough money of her own to support her and her four-yea ...more

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Aug 30, 2015 Lauren Seiberling rated it it was amazing

A wonderful romance that was inspirational in more ways than one!
First of all, the synopsis does an excellent job of setting up the tension in this story from the very beginning: A man scorned by the woman of his dreams years ago, and now she is back in his life, all day, every day. I was GLUED to this book waiting to see how the inevitable confrontation surrounding that event would play out!
I liked reading Squire because he was realistically damaged. A war veteran with PTSD and a broken heart, ...more

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Oct 05, 2016 Cynthia Marcano rated it really liked it

My first Liz Isaacson book.

Good read. Fans of buff and handsome cowboys and Army Vets, unrequited love, small towns, Texas and a bit of mystery woven into a love story with a happy ending will enjoy this book.

I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

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Aug 03, 2019 Tracy Smith rated it really liked it

Shelves: litwits-challenge, read-2019, amazon-digital-books-that-i-own

I haven't read a good western romance in quite a long time, but I really enjoyed this one. Liz Isaacson is a new author to me and I will be looking for more from her in the future. I enjoyed getting to know her characters and the myriad of emotions that wove through the pages were very easy to feel along with them. If you enjoy second chance romances set in a western setting, I would recommend you check out this story. Happy Reading Everyone! ...more

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Sep 11, 2015 Aimee (Getting Your Read On) rated it really liked it

Shelves: clean-romance, ebook-for-review, christian-fiction

It's always fun when authors delve into a new genre and write something outside of what is typical for them. Especially when they do it successfully and I think Elana Johnson (writing as Liz Isaacson) has done very well for her debut contemporary adult romance novel.

I always love a good western with horses and cowboys. Squire is also military so that brings a few added elements into the mix. On top of that, it's a second chance love because Kelly and Squire have known each other a long time and ...more

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Apr 06, 2016 Mandi Murphy added it

Shelves: kindle, unfinished, 2016

I hate to write less than glowing reviews, but I just do not see all of the 5 star ratings this book has received. I think it has potential. It could have benefited a great deal from several more rounds of ruthless edits. It often seemed to jump around, referring to something that apparently just happened that wasn't included in the writing. Or repeating the same idea and/or sentiment over and over. I only got 39% of the way through before it became painfully clear to me that I didn't want to re ...more

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Oct 01, 2015 Kristen rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, westernish, purchased-on-kindle

I really, really enjoyed this one, especially for a kindle freebie. I usually do not like books where one of the lead characters has kids from a divorce, etc. but I didn't mind it one bit in this one. Squire was defiantly swoon worthy and it had romance, and some action (not the bad moral kind) hot cowboys...good stuff. Clean and not preachy!

Moral Note: Clean language, clean romance, some mild violence. ...more

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Jun 04, 2017 Jennifer rated it it was ok

Shelves: part-of-a-series, adult, not-a-mh, clean, 2017, kindled-unlimited, romance, takes-their-time, stars-2, christian-fiction

Completely safe, clean, and devoid of any ow/om drama. The H was a little silly with his oh so fragile ego hanging onto a disappointment from a decade ago, but other than that this was a nice and easy read. I enjoyed how the H was a genuine nice guy and how the h tried to be a good mother to her son. The dual povs were nice, but I do wish that here was more character development. I had some questions that remained unanswered and an epilogue would have been nice too.

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Sep 23, 2015 Canda rated it it was amazing

This is a sweet contemporary romance with a western flare. I completely loved the characters, the setting, their families...loved it all!

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Oct 14, 2016 Dee/ bookworm rated it it was amazing

Very clean and cute romance.

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Dec 18, 2019 Marsha Keeper Bookshelf rated it really liked it

Shelves: beginning-of-new-series, connection-to-a-series, contemporary-romance, series, modern-western-romance, keeper-bookshelf, romantic-suspense

Reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf

I recently began the Seven Sons Ranch in Three Rivers series and realized that while I had read some of the beginning (foundation) series I hadn’t completed it or reviewed it. This was back before the blog… so, what better time to fix that oversight than right now with the beginning of it all at the Three Rivers Ranch Romance series and Liz Isaacson’s debut Contemporary Romance story SECOND CHANCE RANCH. Rereading this one was no chore and reintroduced me to some lika Reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf

I recently began the Seven Sons Ranch in Three Rivers series and realized that while I had read some of the beginning (foundation) series I hadn’t completed it or reviewed it. This was back before the blog… so, what better time to fix that oversight than right now with the beginning of it all at the Three Rivers Ranch Romance series and Liz Isaacson’s debut Contemporary Romance story SECOND CHANCE RANCH. Rereading this one was no chore and reintroduced me to some likable, relatable characters – and one vile piece of nastiness.

It’s been ten years since Kelly left Three Rivers. Now she’s back with a young son, fresh divorce papers, and the need to redo her life in a way that can provide her small family with a solid income and perhaps heal some emotional wounds. Squire is also back in town having served his country and now has the wounds, both physical and mental to prove that fact. His father is wanting to retire which puts a hold on Squire’s desire to follow his own dream as he makes reluctant plans to take over the ranch. Yet, there is real trouble at the ranch with missing money and Squire’s old crush being hired as the new ranch accountant. Two lives will interact once again, perhaps with a much better ending than when they last met.

I liked SECOND CHANCE RANCH yet there were moments when I really wanted to shake Squire to get his mind out of the past and/or to sit them both down for a stern talking to. He’s managed to hold on to hurt feelings over a prom invitation gone wrong for a decade never once considering it was the way he asked that was open to disaster from the start. Kelly now has some major trust issues after her cheating ex-husband continues to do a number on her and their young son. Two people who could work well together are going to have to set aside their differences in the ongoing search for the missing money – and perhaps begin to see each other with more mature, clearer eyes. There is a mystery to be solved along with some danger as Squire and Kelly get closer to the truth.

I enjoyed this world with interesting characters and will definitely be catching up on this series as I plan out my series reading for 2020. If you’d like to go back to the very beginning of the other connecting series then SECOND CHANCE RANCH is the place to start on this adventure.

I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription. ...more

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Sep 12, 2017 Jessica Baker (A Baker's Perspective) rated it liked it

I thought this was a sweet romance. Squire and Kelly seemed almost destined to be together from the start. Yes, the story seemed a bit predictable at times, but I think many romance novels end up that way. When you're looking for a smile, this book will definitely do the trick.

Squire, of course, is a wonderful male lead. The thing that really drew me to Squire's character was his relationship with Finn. When entering into a relationship with a single mom, you never know how the man will be aroun ...more

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May 29, 2019 C. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: clean-romances, contemporary-fiction, crime-drama-fiction, contemporary-romance, rural-or-isolated-setting, small-city-town-village-setting, season-winter, inspirational-and-or-christian, mystery, animal-animals-pets

Very well written, wonderful H & h, and supporting characters. Interesting mystery, as well.
Too much religion/god-talk for my taste, or I would have given it the full 5-stars. Christians should love it!

ETA: Actually, after reading the second book in this series, I realize that I am so invested in these characters, that even though as an ex-Christian, I do not like stories with characters giving God too much credit. The stories/characters are just so good that I want to continue visiting Three Ri ...more

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Mar 30, 2019 Chantel rated it liked it

Great plot but the descriptions were a little funny

I enjoyed the plot and characters in this book and appreciated the way PTSD was included. But some of the descriptions really were a bit odd to me. Spiders wriggling in the intestines? Whips thrashing the gut? I think it detracts from the story that otherwise was great!

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Apr 28, 2019 Lindsey rated it liked it

Clean contemporary romance

Cute story. I liked the Texas ranch atmosphere. I didn’t love the main characters. There didn’t seem to be enough depth shown in either of them. I never got too involved in the story.

Clean romance.

Contemporary romance.

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May 10, 2020 Marissa Chavez rated it really liked it

❤

Kelly and Squire were amazing together! I loved that they got a second chance to be together. Such a sweet story. ❤

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Mar 07, 2019 Coco.V marked it as to-read

Shelves: freebie

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/7/2019)! 🎁

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Apr 12, 2017 Shelly rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary, series, mf, hea, cowboy-western, arc-by-author, 2017-read

This is my first story by Liz Isaacson which is the nom de plume for Elana Johnson. I'm not sure if under the Isaacson name, Johnson will exclusive write inspirational/christian/clean romances but this is that kind of story. I've read quite a few very good stories with those themes so I was very hopeful and really looking forward to this one.

The first book in her 'Three Ranch Rivers' series, the title 'Second Chance Ranch' pretty much describes the underlying theme of this story. It's the secon This is my first story by Liz Isaacson which is the nom de plume for Elana Johnson. I'm not sure if under the Isaacson name, Johnson will exclusive write inspirational/christian/clean romances but this is that kind of story. I've read quite a few very good stories with those themes so I was very hopeful and really looking forward to this one.

The first book in her 'Three Ranch Rivers' series, the title 'Second Chance Ranch' pretty much describes the underlying theme of this story. It's the second chance at romance for both Squire Ackerman and Kelly Russell.

In their teenaged years, Kelly and Squire grew up together. Kelly's best friend Chelsea is Squire's older sister. During their high school years, Squire sent some balloons to Kelly and asked her to prom. Unfortunately for Squire, Kelly never found his note hidden in or on one of the balloons and never knew who sent the balloons much less the reason. So both of them missed out on their first chance at what might have been.

After ten years apart. Squire joined the Army and served in Afghanistan. After an injury during a deployment, Squire's come home to help his parents retire. He'll take over management of the family ranch. His leg's busted up and he's got PTSD but he figures that the ranch, land and hard work will help him heal.

Somewhere along the way, Squire realizes that there's a considerable amount of money missing not reported on the ranch financial books. How he figures that out isn't explained and I had so many other issues with his PTSD and physical recovery that I wasn't even bothered by that. The physical and mental recovery/coping were things I thought were glanced over. For the first 50% of the story he was more concerned with Kelly not accepting his proposal to prom ten years ago. He's literally been to war and have seen his friends blown up, killed, maimed but he can't let the prom thing go. Hmmm...

Moving on. Squire's father needs to replace the ranch accountant who recently died and the only person he has in mind is Kelly Russell. Kelly's back from California with her young son in tow. Her divorce a few months back set her back financially and her parents offered her and her son a place to stay until she can get on her feet.

Since her accountant degree, this is her first job in that field. The only unknowns for her are - will she be able to handle the duties as the ranch accountant after Squire tasks her with finding out where the missing money went and can she hold her attraction to Squire in check. What she initially doesn't realize is that Squire is still holding the prom thing against her; to her defense she doesn't know that he's the one who asked. This silliness went on for too long. Way too long. These are grown folks...adults...she's got a child...he's been to war and they're still with this prom thing. Okay, that's fine I'll keep reading. Then it was misunderstanding after misunderstanding.

There's a lot about this story that was good but there was more about it that was aggravating. The flow felt disjointed. The dialogue didn't flow well. The plot was contrived. There were too many moments when I had trouble following who was speaking - I know this because I had to re-read too many sentences. The push and pull between Squire and Kelly made my head spin. In one paragraph he's perturbed with her because she said something he didn’t like and the next paragraph he's calling her "darlin'" because she smiled. I could go on with my thoughts but I won't. Unfortunately for me, I just didn't feel the romance and love between Kelly and Squire. Too much too quickly. And the bad guy was just disappointing.

Happy reading folks!

Rating: C

*Book by author via InstaFreebie

Also posted at www.redhotbooks.com ...more

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Sep 24, 2016 Dixie-Lee Campbell rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2017-challenge

Awesome ! I enjoyed this storyline very much. I read the 2nd book Third Time's a Charm in the series featuring Pete Marshall and Chelsea Ackerman, but easily transitioned back in time to enjoy the familiar setting on Three Rivers Ranch in "Second Chance Ranch." Major Squire Ackerman meets up with Kelly from his long ago past when returns home to the ranch after being injured in Afganistan .

Both are taken by surprise not expecting to bump into each other and quickly the life gets interesting and ...more

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Aug 18, 2016 Quinn Fforde rated it liked it

This would have been a four-star read. The writing was good, and the grammar was fine. The end wraps up too quickly considering the psychological damage these two people have, but it's fiction. I can deal with it. But I absolutely could not deal with the fact that he was a major in the army, served in war zones, suffered from PTSD, but was still hung up on the prom. The. Prom. Because he had nothing else to worry about for the last 10 years??? I just couldn't swallow that. I almost DNFed this be ...more

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Dec 15, 2016 Cindy Nipper rated it it was amazing

I enjoyed the audio version of this book!

I was especially found of the discussion throughout this book about the affects of the war on the men and women who are fortunate enough to come home! The fears and disabilities, the emotional scars and the guilt brought a realness to this story and the Army Veteran who is our hero!

I love when authors, even fiction authors, bring real life issues into their writings! Not to necessarily voice their opinion (although there is a time for that) but for bringi ...more

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About Liz Isaacson

Liz Isaacson

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★ USA TODAY BESTSELLER, AMAZON BESTSELLING AUTHOR, and KINDLE ALL STAR! ★

Liz Isaacson writes inspirational cowboy romances. Her Three Rivers Ranch Romance series has multiple #1 bestsellers in half a dozen categories. She loves all things to do with contemporary cowboys, and will write romance in Texas, Montana, Vermont, Wyoming, and anywhere else she can find horses and mountains. Find out more a ...more