The Billionaire Bull Rider

Morgan Ranch #5

by Kate Pearce

On a California ranch, a restless rodeo champion meets a woman who can his roving ways in this romance by the New York Times bestselling author.   Turning his back on his American father’s business empire was the smartest decision Rio Martinez ever made. Now, after a high-flying career on the rodeo circuit, the world champion bull rider is ready for a change of pace. But his summer hiatus working the Morgan brothers’ California ranch has Rio hoping for a happily ever after when he meets a beautiful French baker.   After her husband abandoned her, Yvonne Payet found a new home in the welcoming community of Morgantown, where she threw herself into running her dream café. Enjoying her hard-won independence, she doesn’t need another handsome heartbreaker calling the shots. But Rio isn’t just the sexiest, most arrogant cowboy she ever met—he also has some great ideas for expanding her business. With a reality TV show on the horizon and her ex demanding a second chance, Yvonne has to decide which sunset she wants to ride off into.

“If you love cowboys—and who doesn’t—you’ll love the Morgans!”—Cora Seton, New York Times bestselling author

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Westerns

337 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 31, 2018

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kate Pearce was born in England in the middle of a large family of girls and quickly found that her imagination was far more interesting than real life. After acquiring a degree in history and barely escaping from the British Civil Service alive, she moved to California and then to Hawaii with her kids and her husband and set about reinventing herself as a romance writer.

She is known for both her unconventional heroes and her joy at subverting romance clichés. In her spare time she self publishes science fiction erotic romance, historical romance, and whatever else she can imagine. You can find Kate on katepearce.com.

Reviews

[Mike McAdam · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received this book free through a goodreads giveaway*

This is a review from someone who doesn't read romance novels (and hasn't read the other books in this series: I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. My exposure to romance novels is very limited - Outlander (I am on the 2nd book - the 1st one was great - this one is a little short on plot but still enjoyable) and the Fifty Shades books (the worst books I have ever read in my life) so I didn't have much by way of preconceived expectations.

Things I liked:
* There is an actual story! A coherent one! I was pleasantly surprised about that.
* Everyone was witty and had a comeback for every comment in every conversation. I loved that. It isn't even remotely realistic but I realize romance novels are fantasies and I wish I lived on a planet where everyone was witty so thumbs up on that!
* The conflict in the last 70 pages was very engaging. It became a real page turner by the end.

Things I didn't like:
* The conflict was great in the last 70 pages... but this book is 330 pages and there was little to no conflict in the first 250. I thought there was going to be a love triangle situation but that particular subplot went nowhere.
* The main character, Yvonne, really got on my nerves. She was like Jekyll & Hyde and would flip flop back and forth between coy & insecure and then flirty - sometimes multiple times in the same conversation. I am not saying that isn't realistic - I know people like that - but it made me not like her... almost to the point of thinking Rio would be better off with someone less neurotic and more adjusted to life. But to each his/her own. I am sure there are people who there who like that. I would have moved on rather quickly.

I was tempted to give this 4 stars instead of 3. I really am at 3.5 on this one. I am no expert on romance novels by any means but I assume romance fans would love this book. I still give it a thumbs up and I can say I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Turning his back on his American father’s business empire was the smartest decision Rio Martinez ever made. Now, after a high-flying career on the rodeo circuit, the world champion bull rider is ready for a change of pace. A summer hiatus working the Morgan brothers’ California ranch turns into the hope of forever when Rio meets a beautiful French baker who makes him realize what’s missing from his restless life.

After her husband abandoned her, Yvonne Payet threw herself into running the café that was her dream. In the welcoming community of Morgantown, she found a place to call home. She cherishes her hard-won independence.
Another engrossing read that I read in well under a day in fact read into the small hours to finish it. The characters are very well portrayed & have plenty of depth. The story flows effortlessly & you are drawn into the story from the first pages. Rio & Yvonne have no time to spare for a relationship, she has her growing business & he’s a world championship to defend but neither can deny their strong attraction but decide to be friends. This was a lovely romance that also had some conflict, I’ve loved all of the Morgan books & this didn't disappoint

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

[Maranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pearce's Morgan ranch Series has found love for the four grandsons of Ruth Morgan. A fiesty grandma who rules her family with love and delicious cooking. The Morgan's have rodeo ties and in so saying their friend Rio the champion bull rider has come to the ranch. His expertise will add to the options available to the guests arriving to the Ranch for a full Cowboy experience. Of course Morgantown is shadowed in the quaint small town atmosphere complete with a unique and tasty coffee slash pastry shop. Yvonne is the owner of said shop and more than catches the eye of Rio. Pearce always narrates a great story with some romantic but also some serious aspects to it. This is part of a series and although stands on its own don't cheat yourself out of the full telling. Only wish I could visit the ranch and taste its splendor!! Anticipating a bit more heat between Ruth and Roy in what I hope continues this series. "A copy of this book was provided by Kensington Books via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion." Can't wait to try the Flourless Sin Cake recipe at the end. My son has gluten allergy so this will be fantastic.

[Glittergirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really loving Kate's Morgan Ranch series. This one is about Rio Martinez, this year's Champion Bull Rider, who we've met on the rodeo circuit with HW Morgan. He going back for one more year to defend his title then retiring. Rio is on the ranch helping out for the summer and meets Yvonne Payet the french baker who owns the town bakery. They both are too busy for a relationship but end up having one anyway. I loved watching these two dancing around each other, they have so much chemistry. Rio is so much more than he seems. His Dad, Graham, owns a multi-national company in the food and entertainment industry. His Mother has a ranch in Brazil where he learned his cowboy skills. We get to see Rio being able to help Yvonne with a potential reality cooking show that draws them closer together and alerts her supposed ex, Paul Giresse from France. The plot thickens when we discover Paul never got around to finishing up the divorce in France.

Thank you Kate and Kensington for the opportunity to read and review this story in a delightful series.

[Bette Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life on the Morgan Ranch has really gotten busy in this fifth book of the series. Each of these books can be read standalone but I recommend you read them all to see how this family and the ranch changes. This book features Rio Martinez and Yvonne Payet. Rio is a buddy of HW's from the rodeo circuit and Yvonne is the owner of the local cafe. Rio is attracted to Yvonne right away but she's already had one miserable relationship and she's not ready to give anyone else a chance. Rio isn't about to give up on her though and before long they are wrapped up in each other's crazy lives.

I really love this series and I'm glad to see it continue. This author's writing is exceptional and you'll fall in love with these characters. I definitely recommend this book.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read and enjoyed the books in the Morgan Ranch series I was looking froward to this book. However, I must say that it doesn't really focus on the Morgans but rather on friends of theirs. So while I enjoyed the book, there was less Morgan family interaction than I've come to expect from this series. That said Yvonne and Rio actually came together because of their mutual friends, even though all of the Morgan women were actually trying to set up Yvonne with someone else.
As expected, Kate Pearce has written a steamy contemporary romance featuring a hot cowboy so no complaints there! Although I will say it took me a while to warm up to the characters but once I did, I enjoyed the story. Still looking forward to the youngest Morgan sibling's story....

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was fun being around the Morgan's again. Rio Martinez is not a Morgan but is helping out at the ranch teaching bull riding classes. That brings him around Yvonne Payet, the baker from previous stories. Both have trust issues so the romance is a slow burn. Both have to change and it is fun to watch them tackle difficult issues from their past. A nice addition to the series.

[Judy Churchill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I’m back to my cowboy stories and the Morgan ranch. This was a good story.

[Amy S · Rating 2 out of 5]

Contemporary romance where two ambitious and busy people talk a lot about how ambitious and busy they are so they don’t have time for romance.
I jumped into the middle of the series so maybe I missed something but I didn’t feel attached to the characters or the setting.
The pace was slow and the conflicts keeping things moving forward were repetitive. I just didn’t find the issues that interesting, annoying ex, difficult father, busy schedule, where was the magical billionaire appeal?
The happy ending just swept everything aside and got happy so there was a lot of resolution and satisfaction missing.

No violence. Some sex. Some language. Discussion of grief and child abuse, family drama, very brief mention of drugs, there’s an infidelity thing that bugged me, people using and manipulating people

[ButtonsMom2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Billionaire Bull Rider is book 5 in the Morgan Ranch series. While I think that the first 4 books in the series are best read in order, this one stands alone well in my opinion.

Rio Martinez is a world champion bull rider and friends with the Morgan brothers. While spending the summer working for them he meets Yvonne, who owns the French bakery in town. Both of these two are good reasons to be wary of long-term relationships and therefore commitment shy.

This is a good story and we find out why Rio doesn't like his American father and why Yvonne doesn't want to be in a relationship. When their friends-with-benefits relationship turns into something more they both runaway. It's actually a pretty complex story with lots of different sub-plots going on concerning Rio and Yvonne.

I enjoyed this story a lot, and I'm not at all sorry I read it, but for some reason I didn't feel quite as connected to the characters as I have in the other books. Kate Pearce's writing is great, as always, so I think I may just not have been in the right mood for this particular story right now. If you've enjoyed the other books in this series I'm sure you won't want to miss this one.

The next book in this series, The Rancher, is one I've really been looking forward to. I can't wait to read Rachel's story.

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

[RoloPoloBookBlog · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Billionaire Bull Rider by Kate Pearce
Book #5: Morgan Ranch Series
Source: NetGalley and Purchase
My Rating: 5/5 stars

I think, as long-time readers, we often feel compelled to just keep reading. That is, we keep plugging away at a series, even when it begins to fail, because we have read everything else in the series and feel we “should” keep going. Fortunately, Kate Pearce has managed to keep me totally engaged with her Morgan Ranch series, and I only feel compelled to keep going because the series is still incredibly strong and fresh!

For the first time since the series launched, Pearce has focused her attention on two characters who are not Morgans, but Morgan adjacent. Yvonne, local coffee and pastry shop owner, has been a long-standing secondary character in the series, while Rio Martinez, friend to the twins, is a new addition to the cast. Both are completely delightful characters who only add to the richness and overall enjoyment of the series.

Yvonne has long been a part of life in Morgantown. As the only coffee and pastry shop in town, she has the market cornered. Yvonne also has amazing food which has allowed her to create strong ties in the community and make some truly good friends. She is a regular at the Morgan dinner table and isn’t at all surprised to see a new addition to the group one Sunday afternoon. Rio Martinez is certainly easy on the eyes, but thanks to a wretched ex-husband, Yvonne isn’t interested in anything beyond the superficial. A casual fling? Sure! But, there certainly won’t be any discussions of long-term, commitment, or happily ever after. Yvonne is convinced that ship has sailed for her, and a pretty bull rider isn’t going to change her mind.

Rio Martinez isn’t opposed to long-term and commitment, but his current commitments mean he can only be at the ranch and in Morgantown for a short amount of time. Not only is Rio a professional bull rider, he’s also the reigning champion; once the season begins, Rio will be back on the road defending his title. Yvonne, however, is a woman who can make a man think twice about his life choices which is how Rio finds himself in hot pursuit of the one woman who has skittish written all over her.

What starts as a friendship with intense attraction quickly morphs into a steamy, no strings attached affair between Yvonne and Rio. Between the sheets, Rio and Yvonne are smokin’ hot, but beyond that, they seem to have a great deal of difficulty expressing what they really want from the other. Between fear, stubbornness, and too many outside distractions, Yvonne and Rio have a truly awful time just being together. Yvonne has a nasty ex who has waltzed back into her life and an incredible business opportunity that is sucking up brain space. Rio has a truly wretched father who wants Rio to come back into the family fold which leaves Rio emotionally raw and unsteady. Between Yvonne and Rio, tensions of all kinds run high and if they don’t learn to trust, there will never be a happy ending for either of them.

The Bottom Line: Seriously, y’all, I need to move to Morgantown and find me a hot cowboy since they all seem to live there 😊 Aside from being hot and sexy, the men of Morgantown are also kind, generous, caring, intelligent creatures who adore the women brought into their lives. Morgantown isn’t just a town named after a wealthy family, but a true community that is interested in the whole rather than just the individual. That sense of community is very much driven home in this book simply because it features two Morgan adjacent characters. Both Rio and Yvonne are so easy to like, and it is simply a matter of turning a few pages to get behind them and root for their success. With the mix of old and new characters, the continuation of the series arc and the book-specific arc, I found myself absolutely engrossed in this read. Overall, the series is continuing to interest me with its fine cast of characters, interesting plot lines, and overall freshness. I am perfectly ready for book six 😊

[Donna Repsher · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Billionaire Bull Rider is the fifth book in the Morgan Ranch series, a series I've been following since its inception, and a series that's consistently featured members of the Morgan family. I found it to be a good read, an interesting and complicated story that works as a standalone, but which I suggest readers unfamiliar with the series read in the order in which they were written to understand the Morgan family dynamic and the complicated interrelationships of all the characters. It gets 3 stars from this reader.

While this story is set, in part, at the Morgan Ranch, it features Rio Martinez, world champion bull rider--a friend of HW Morgan's, whom he met on the PBR circuit, and who has agreed to teach bull riding basics to Morgan Ranch guests until he goes back on the PBR circuit again to defend his title. In the interim, he meets and is instantly drawn to local baker and cafe owner, Yvonne Payet, a divorcee and friend of the Morgan family, whose cafe/bistro business in town features her delicious creations, creations that she sells to the locals and tourists, and one in which also supplies bread and pastries to local hotels and guest ranches like the one run by the Morgans.

Rio is the son of his billionaire father, Graham, whose international business interests vary widely, but Rio's relationship with his father is a rocky one, since he was basically ignored by his father during his childhood, was terribly mistreated by one of his father's young wives, was sent off to boarding school at a young age, and who walked away from his father's company, and the money and power behind it, when he fell in love with bull riding.

From the moment Rio and Yvonne meet, their chemistry is off the charts, yet they are both commitment-phobic, and know that they aren't ready or in a position to get involved in a serious, committed relationship--Yvonne's too busy with her cafe/bakery and the possibility of it becoming the subject matter for a television series, and Rio will soon leave town to rejoin the PBR tour, so they agree to be friends, and soon become friends with benefits, and if you're a romance reader, you already know where their relationship is heading. Yes, there are certainly complications ahead--like the reappearance of Yvonne's French ex-husband, Paul, and the manipulations of Rio's father, who wants to leave his corporation to Rio, his sole heir, and Rio, who wants nothing to do with the corporation or the man who built it, and, of course, there's the HEA ending all romance readers expect.

Although I liked the main characters, the plot and subplots, and the chance to spend some time with the Morgan family again, I tended to like Rio far more than I liked Yvonne, whose waffling about their friends with benefits relationship, and whose argumentative nature became somewhat annoying. The reappearance of Yvonne's ex, Paul, the man who walked out on her and moved back to France 4 years earlier, and who hasn't been heard from since, was also problematic for this reader because of how readily Yvonne accepted his sudden reappearance in her life. She showed plenty of backbone where Rio was concerned, but seemed perfectly willing to give Paul her time, and when Paul asks Rio to step aside, Rio agrees to do so, which seemed totally out of character for him.

All in all, this was good, well-plotted and well-written novel, but by the time I got to the HEA ending, I felt as though something was missing, and it's difficult to point out what exactly that missing element was. Perhaps it was my irritation with Yvonne, the lack of a deep emotional connection between Yvonne and Rio, or the fact that the Morgan family took a back seat in this novel, but as part of the series as a whole, for this reader, it simply wasn't my favorite novel in the series.

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, I’ve missed the folks at the Morgan Ranch. It was so good to touch base with them all while reading this book. Although this story isn’t about any of the Morgans, Rio is staying at the ranch and good friends with the guys. As for Yvonne, she’s the local baker and friends with all the ladies…if you’ve read the other books (and you should!) you’ve met her before.

I thoroughly enjoyed the way Rio and Yvonne met. Sometimes chemistry just can’t be denied. Even when your friends are trying to set you up with someone totally different and you aren’t even sure you’re interested in any sort of relationship. There was instant attraction between these two. It was fun to watch them try to deny the pull for the first week or so that they knew each other.

Rio is really such a sweet man. He cares so very deeply for his mom and his half-sister; his mom is even the reason he isn’t so keen on getting into any type of long-term relationship. Seeing his parents fight and the awful things they did to each other makes him distrust passion and think those types of feelings toward someone can’t be sustained without the passion turning sour. But he can’t help his soft side coming out around Yvonne. In fact, he can’t help his alpha-male side coming out either and that’s something new for him. To his credit, he understands that Yvonne is not the type of woman who wants a man to “take care” of her and his alpha feelings are best kept on a short leash.

Yvonne is also bitter on love since she fell quickly and passionately in love with a man and married him when she was a little younger. That man ended up leaving when he realized she wasn’t as malleable as he thought, and he definitely didn’t keep his alpha feelings on any sort of leash. It’s hard for Yvonne to see that not all men are going to be intimidated by her strong personality. She finds it easier to go without love, or any relationship really, so she doesn’t have to go through heartbreak ever again.

Some of the things that happen with Rio’s father are a bit predictable, I just wasn’t sure how they’d play out. I was more than willing to go along for the ride to see where the author was taking the story. The same with Yvonne and her ex. What I found odd is the things that were destined to play out between Rio and his father and Yvonne and her ex that I thought would make a lot of noise were actually a bit anticlimactic, and the things I didn’t think would be a big deal ended up causing some issues.

I don’t know how to explain this without spoilers, but I’ll try. Rio and Yvonne were adamant about being just friends since neither of them were looking for a relationship and Rio would be leaving the area. There were quite a few times they had little spats and would later apologize to each other because that’s what friends do. But the last time Yvonne got upset with Rio I felt was one too many. I don’t know what it was, but my personal tolerance for that line of the story was done. Maybe because there is a super sweet and romantic scene shortly before that (when Yvonne falls asleep in Rio’s bed in a most innocent way – probably my favorite scene in the book) and I was done with them not being totally open with each other.

Regardless, I really loved this story. It had humor and heart and steam and love and friendship. All the things I love to read about.

** I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in my review are my own and given freely. **

https://allingoodtimeblog.wordpress.c...

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was maybe a 2.5 read for me. I really wanted to give it a higher rating, but we were still only 10 pages from the end and Rio & Yvonne were still floundering about their feelings, which was utterly frustrating.

Rio is a champion bull rider who just so happens to be the estranged son of a billionaire business tycoon. He's really good friends with HW Morgan and we met him in the last book. Yvonne is of course the French bakery & coffee shop owner in Morgantown. I liked Yvonne in previous books, she was always trying to snag her a Morgan man (not seriously, but she joked about it a lot) and she was a good friend to the Morgan men's women. But in this book, Yvonne seemed to have a bit of a personality change and that completely turned me off her.

Yvonne is divorced, or so she thinks. She hasn't seen her ex in 4 years and just assumes he forgot to send her the finalized divorce papers from France. That turns out to not be the case and she keeps it to herself the entire book until Rio finds out the truth from someone else. She even tells her friends she's not technically divorced, but keeps the truth from the guy she's sleeping with. Rio had some big convictions about adultery given his dad's proclivities, so for her to know how he felt about his dad and still keep that from him was just poor judgment and classless to me.

Rio was a good guy. He was a commitment-phobe, sure (as was Yvonne), but he was overall a nice guy who just had some personal issues with his dad to work through. I couldn't fault him for being hostile towards his dad given all his dad put him through as a kid, but do wish he'd have grown up a bit and given his dad a fighting chance when everyone around him seemed to like this new 'Graham' and Rio was too stubborn to see it.

For most of the book, Rio & Yvonne keep the constant 'we're just good friends' facade up. They both really liked the other, but both were too chicken to make it a relationship. It was honestly annoying, especially since Yvonne seemed to be the one always pushing Rio away. Sure, they both pushed the other away quite often, but in the end, I faulted Yvonne and really didn't see that Rio did anything wrong. By the end, I was no longer a fan of Yvonne.

I loved Rio's mom and sister. They added a lot of color and humor to an otherwise frustrating story.

There's not a lot of the Morgan family in this. Ruth makes a lot of appearances, but the whole Morgan clan plays a small role. I wish that weren't the case since this book seems a bit out of place given every other book is about the Morgan kids and this one is just thrown in there. I think it would have fit better after Rachel's book or as a spinoff.

I've already started Rachel's book and I must say that it's already a lot better than this one, so that's promising.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free advanced copy of this book from the publisher. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Having grown up watching 60s tv western with my grandfather, I have always been drawn to westerns, despite living most of my life in Atlanta, GA and being allergic to horses. From the first book in the series, THE RELUCTANT COWBOY, Kate Pearce has become one of my favorite authors. Her characters are artfully developed into appealing but complicated men and women. The scenery is described so well that in the mind's eye, the reader can easily picture the Morgan ranch and Morganville. This is a wonderful series, but best read in order.

An undiagnosed severe postpartum depression, splintered the Morgan family apart, and not until Chase Morgan made his fortune and came back to the ranch to help his grandmother (The Reluctant Cowboy) did the family begin to heal. Now not only have all the Morgans come home, but HW and Ry's friend Rio has come to help out for the grand opening. Rio Martinez is the World Champion Bull Rider, but also the son of business mogul, who he hates, because of how his mother was yanked from his life at the age of 7 and he was then abused by his step mother and ignored by his father. Despite seeing how each of the Morgan men have found their "one", he does not believe in love. However, he is so drawn to baker Yvonne Payet, despite the Morgan women thinking that Chase's partner Will, would be perfect for her. Busy business owner, Yvonne not only doesn't have time for romance, but after her ex-husband left her shortly before they were to open the bakery, she doesn't trust charismatic men. Neither is at a place where they have time for a relationship, but they can't seem to keep their hands to themselves. This book is an excellent addition to the series, even including recipes at the end.

[Krisz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Billionaire Bull Rider by Kate Pearce was an entertaining read.
There was palbable interest and chemistry between Yvonne and Rio.
I liked the change and development Yvonne went through since her husband left her high and dry to manage the café in Morgantown on her own. I liked how she built strenght from this disappointment and came out a lot stronger at the end. She learned so much about herself too and I liked how she understood the working of her ex and wasn't one to be fooled anymore.
Rio's character was also great. He had a rough start with his parents' battlefield of marriage what later ended in a rather painful divorce. Add a demanding, cold, emotionally distant and cruel businessman father who cannot be impressed by his only son's achievement whether in or out of the boardroom. Rio has found his calling by being a successful bull rider but it doesn't mean he isn't still affected by the wrongs of his father. His biggest challenge is to forgive and move on.
I liked how humble Rio was. He didn't brag about his achievements but let his actions spoke for themselves.
Both Yvonne and Rio were reluctant and unsure about starting a relationship. They even agreed it wasn't an option in their current situations. But you can't stop love now, can you?
My only complaint that all the back and forth and the all the things why they couldn't have anything going on between them was a bit dragged out compared to the epilogue where everything was closed down just too quickly, and I mean literally in just a few sentences.
A review copy has been provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone likes going to Yvonne Payet Cafe for her pastries and cakes. She likes there in Morgan town as well. It is always a struggle in finding help, but she makes do. Rio Martinez bull rider and the champion for the past year has decided to work on the Morgan’s brother ranch for the off season, as a change of pace. Trying not to think about his father cannot be helped when he puts himself in their life’s wanting a meeting with Rio and Rio’s mother. After agreeing and knowing that they have to go to San Francisco he meets Yvonne at the ranch at the weekly dinner. He would like to start something with her but she puts a stop to anything quickly and this only adds to his wanting. Along with her food he is attracted to her and finds her easy to talk to. When she is approached by a TV show to do a show from her café she asks Rio for his help when she finds out that he has a degree in business. It is when they all go to San Francisco and she meets his mother and sister she begins to find out about the family and then about his father and their problems. Never wanting to talk about his problems he begins wanting more from her until her ex shows up in town and Rio starts believing what the says without going to Yvonne and asking her. When it becomes time for him to apologize she accepts but now he must work at getting back in her good graces, and she does make him work. A book with good characters and not a story that ends right away. Yvonne is a strong women and the author makes her out that way throughout the end which I liked. A very good book. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

[Cathy Geha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Billionaire Bull Rider by Kate Pearce
Morgan Ranch #5

Neither Yvonne nor Rio is at the point in their lives where they believe they are ready to settle down. Both have issues from the past that impact them as they move forward socially, emotionally and professionally. Communication is essential for them to reach a more than friends with benefits relationship. And, as they meet at Morgan Ranch with the whole crew around them it is an interesting time for both as they try to work their way forward.

What I liked:
* Yvonne’s strength
* Rio’s multifaceted background
* The idea that a bull rider (or any sports personality) can have a “mind”
* The support system that the community provides
* The way the two finally worked out how to trust and share and find their way to a HEA

What I didn’t like:
* Yvonne’s ex (but I wasn’t supposed to like him)
* Rio’s childhood (it was difficult to read about)
* Maybe a few other things if I think about it…

What I wonder is who will have their story told next. The Morgan’s, for the most part, have found their partners but with this book two newbies to the story have arrived so that makes me think there are more stories to look forward to that star people in town or working on the ranch.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington – Zebra for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down this is a favorite series of mine by Kate Pearce. After the grandsons of Ruth Morgan returned to find love, I did not expect the series to continue, but I am so glad that it did with The Billionaire Bull Rider. Family is more than blood relatives with friends often belonging in the family category. Such is the case for Rio Martinez, world champion bull rider. He has come for a short time to the ranch, taking a summer break. While there he finds more than the Morgan Brothers when he meets Yvonne Payet, Morgantown baker extraordinaire.

Kate Pearce gives a solid plot with great character development of these two main characters. The pace is even if not action packed, more of an emotional relationship story. I enjoyed the appearance of the Morgans in the story especially wise Ruth. There is romance, drama and conflict as Rio and Yvonne work through their professional lives, attraction to each other, and issues from the past that reappear.

I would say it is a great summer read but it would be a great read anytime of the year.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderful addition to the Morgan Ranch series. I’ve enjoyed all the books I’ve read in this series, and this book adds another great romance. Rio and Yvonne may not be blood, but they are definitely part of the Morgan family. Ruth provides the wonderful and spot on advice we have come to love and expect from her. If only we all had someone has heartfelt and loyal in our lives.

The Morgan ladies may have been trying to set Yvonne up with Matt, but the chemistry and pull to Rio was undeniable. As much as they both told themselves they were not in a place for a relationship, the attraction was too intense, the pull too strong.

Rio’s devotion to his mother and sister is admirable and shows his strong character. His past with his father, the truths revealed, were heartbreaking but vital to his story.

There was some drama, but for me, it wasn’t super angsty and a bit predictable. But, regardless of it’s predictability, it added to the story, and was necessary to tie up the ending.

I do hope there will be more books in the Morgan Ranch series as I have come to love this family, the community, and everything about them.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy and this review is of my own free will and contains my honest opinions.

[JigsawGirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy the Morgan Ranch series. The Morgan's do make appearances, but this book focused on Rio and Yvonne.

There were a few twists and turns with both Yvonne and her ex husband, and Rio and his father.

The interesting thing about this book was that Rio and Yvonne had great chemistry but were determined to be only friends, based on past issues in their lives. Instead of the romance developing smoothly, it seemed more like one step forward, two steps back.

I did enjoy the brief appearances of the Morgans, and the sense of family and friendship they bring to the story. Don't get me wrong, these books are not all sweetness and light or smooth untroubled romances. But, you can count on people working through their issues with all of the love, support, and friendship that many people could ask for from from family or friends.

The Billionaire Bull Rider does have a bit of angst, but has a couple of great scenes that feature Rio and Paul. It is a pretty quick and easy read with an epilogue. I love an epilogue in a book. I would recommend this book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed the Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rio Martinez seems like just some cowboy to most people who don't get into the rodeo scene. He's actually the current world champion bull rider. He's spending his off season helping out the Morgan family on their ranch teaching bull riding to tourists. He's also got a complicated family history. A father he can't stand and a mother and sister he adores. Yvonne Payet is running her cafe and baking up crazy amounts of goodies. Even though she's plenty busy she still makes time for her friends and some of those being the Morgan family. They accept her as one of her own. Then there's Rio and her attraction to him is undeniable. There's a lot going on in this story. Rio and Yvonne swear they don't have time for a relationship but somehow they still have one. Yvonne has her cafe and plans for expansion and Rio has his hands full with family problems and he has to return to bull riding for at least one more year. I just love the Morgan's and how they make everyone feel like family. I enjoyed watching Rio and Yvonne find their way to each other and find out about themselves as well. Love the fact you get to revisit with all the Morgan's from previous stories as well.

[Jammie Bebout · Rating 5 out of 5]

So not only are the Morgans gorgeous, honest, and loyal but apparently so are their friends… specifically one sexy bull rider named Rio Martinez. I swear, if you’re a heterosexual woman visiting the Morgan Ranch, it must be physically impossible to keep your tongue from hanging out of your mouth. Neither Rio nor Yvonne were looking for a relationship, and in fact were both actively trying to avoid it, but love will sometimes just not be ignored. Sometimes the best things to happen to you in your life are totally unexpected. This book and Rio and Yvonne’s love story will completely captivate you. Every single book in this phenomenal series has touched my heart, and this is certainly no exception. I adored this book from start to finish and was truly sad to see it end. When this series comes to completion, I will miss each and every one of these characters. I cannot recommend this book highly enough and I can’t wait to see what comes next in this sensational series.

*I was given a copy of this book via NetGalley and voluntarily chose to review. All opinions are my own.

[Debs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rio and Yvonne are people that we have met in previous books, but now we get to see their story. A path that takes many twists as they fight what they come to learn is more than attraction, as their pasts come to Morgantown. Rio, the championship bull rider, is helping out on the Morgan ranch while waiting for the next season of the rodeo. Yvonne, the town baker is front and center as we learn more about her when her ex comes to town. Their story is a fun romance with strong characters that work to resolve those pasts and find their own happiness in each other. The Morgan Ranch and Morgantown is such a fun place as Kate Pearce writes about the kind of town a reader would love to live and work in. She tells a story with so much depth and flow in her characters, that you can almost feel yourself being right there watching it all happen. A standalone read, it is one I highly recommend. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for gifting me "The Billionaire Bull Rider". My opinion is my own. This is mine. 5 Easy Stars!

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Billionaire Bull Rider by Kate Pearce is the fifth in the Morgan Ranch Series. The Morgan Ranch is a ranch where the four grandchildren have returned and are revitalizing the ranch. Rio Martinez is a friend of the brothers and has been asked to come up and teach a couple of bull riding classes and to help out. Rio jumps at the chance, as the reigning bull riding champ, this is a great way to spend some downtime before the championship starts up again.

Yvonne Payet is the owner of the small cafe in Morgantown. She has worked hard and is being completely independent from her ex husband who pretty much abandoned her. Her treats are well known and always loved. Rio and Yvonne create sparks off of each other, but neither is ready for a real relationship. Rio is soon to leave and Yvonne is not taking any more chances.
A series of unexpected encounters with a reality TV series, an ex-husband and Rio’s father muddle up everything and neither Yvonne or Rio are quite prepared to deal with it all.

The Billionaire Bull Rider by Kate Pearce is a fun read.

[Teresa Christianson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Rio loves his mom and half sister but hates his dad. He will do anything for his mom and sister. He is a world champion bull rider and walked away from his father's company several years ago but now his father is trying to get him to come back and take over again because he is the only child he ever had. Yvonne is the owner of the local coffee shop/bakery and thought she was divorced four years ago but her ex just never sent her the papers from France. Now her supposed ex has come back and tells her that he never filed for the divorce and wants to get back together with her. Rio and Yvonne start out as just friends with benefits but soon feelings start to happen for both of them and they are both afraid of commitment. What happens when Rio's dad shows up at the Ranch with information on Yvonne and Paul? Will Rio go back to working for his dad or will he go back to the rodeo? Will Yvonne go back to Paul or tell him to go back to France like he did the last time? Will she get her TV show and will she get to expand her shop?

[Juliana Ignácio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this story and the chance to be able to see again the characters from the previous books.
Rio Martinez goes to work for the Morgan brothers at their ranch in California, and when he arrives in Morgantown, he meets Yvonne Payet, the owner of the French pastry shop.
The attraction between them is visible, but neither is willing to enter into a relationship at the time, so they agree to be just friends. But just friendship is not enough for them, and the longer they spend together, the stronger are the feelings they develop for each other.
Meanwhile, Yvonne has to deal with the reappearance of her ex-husband after four years, and Rio has to deal with some strange demands of his father.
Will they be able to overcome the problems and finally assume what they feel for each other?
I loved the story and the characters, and because I'm a Brazilian, the parts in Portuguese were a lot of fun, despite having some errors in Portuguese's writing.
I'm anxiour for the next book in this series.
I highly recommend the reading.

[Viper Spaulding · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took a few chapters to draw me in, but once it did, I was hooked! Rio is the very definition of a laid-back cowboy, until he isn't. I fell in love with both his relaxed cowboy persona and the ruthless businessman he keeps hidden until needed.

Yvonne has her hands full running the bakery/restaurant that she started with her now-ex husband, and she doesn't have time for a relationship. But she just can't resist Rio anymore than he can keep his hands off her, so their incendiary chemistry forces them to find a way to make it work.

This story delves deep into Rio's family history, and I loved the way the author detailed his personal journey as he buried the demons of his past. It was the icing on the cake that this journey crossed paths with Yvonne's unfinished business, adding layers of drama and more than a few "Hell, yeah!" moments.

The HEA is nicely wrapped up in a beautiful, triumphant epilogue. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Billionaire Bull Rider is Book 5 in the Morgan Ranch series. This one (probably more so than the rest) could stand alone just fine but this is an amazing series so I would highly recommend starting from the beginning to get the entire backstory. Especially considering everyone from the earlier novels do make an appearance.

It amazes me that Ms. Pearce can crank out hit after hit regardless of genre. Whether it's historical, paranormal, sci-fi, erotic, contemporary or cowboy-western, you can pretty much figure if it has Kate Pearce's name on it, it's going to be phenomenal and this story was no exception!

The chemistry between Rio and Yvonne was evident right from the start. I loved the interactions between the 2 of them and even though they've played a minor role in earlier stories, this is the first time we've really gotten to take a deep dive into their pasts.

Overall this was an excellent addition to the series and I cannot wait for Rachel's story.

[Christina Montminy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has fast become a favourite series of mine that I look forward to. This book has just added to the enjoyment with the story of Rio & Yvonne. Both are strong & passionate, but wary of love. Yvonne having been divorced by her French husband for not bowing to his wants & Rio for the torment he received after the divorce of his parents. Enacting a friends with benefits relationship will have to do for them because Rio will be leaving town soon to defend his PBR championship & Yvonne will be staying put with her Cafe. New business opportunities open up for Yvonne just as the past comes back to visit both of them. Forced to rehash his past with his father Rio learns some surprising & shocking news, as Yvonne faces her ex-husband & his unwanted advances for his monetary gain. The passion & heat between Rio & Yvonne radiate off them as they find their way through their new friendship. Definitely recommend this book. I voluntarily reviewed this book from Net Galley.