Tag Archives: The Men of at Ease Ranch

Her Secret Ranger by Donna Michaels – a Review

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Her Secret Ranger by Donna Michaels – a Review

 

Her Secret RangerAmazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Book Depository

Description:
Kissing the sexy soldier was a dare she couldn’t resist…

By-the-book event planner Beth Brannigan’s best friend dared her to kiss a cowboy. She should have said no. Instead, she said please…again and again. If her brother finds out she’s dating—okay, kissing—okay, sleeping with—one of his military buddies, he’ll kill her. Assuming he doesn’t kill his friend first.

Former Army Ranger Brick Mitchum isn’t a relationship kind of guy. But then he meets Beth and starts to wonder if maybe it’s time he settled down. She’s mysterious. Unpredictable. Curvy in every way he needs… And hiding something. He’s just got to figure out what.

 

Review:

Her Secret Ranger is book two in The Men of At Ease Ranch series by Donna Michaels.  Brick Mitchum is a former Army Ranger who runs the At Ease Ranch with his brother Stone and some Ranger friends. He respects his Ranger friends and respects the brother code that goes along with that. While he usually stays away from relationships – opting for one night stands that usually end after the sex is over.  He has definitely earned his nickname “Romeo.” Never one to even spend an entire night with a girl – but this last one – Beth – he just can’t seem to get her off of his mind.

Beth Brannigan is a follow the rules event planner.  Usually the one doing all the work while her boss takes all the credit.  She goes with the flow and gets her work done and she is good at what she does.  She has come to Joyful, Texas on work in the past and now is here for an extended stay to help her friend Rachel with her wedding, and to spend some time with her brother Cord. 

But Cord is quite secretive about his life here and not overly willing to allow “Lizzie” as he calls her to meet his friends. He knows how his buddies are and he doesn’t want to chance one of them falling for his sister.  But now that his best friends have significant others he has no issue with bringing her around to meet them.  And Beth wants nothing more than to get to know her brother again and see what occupies his time.

When Beth is out at the Braxton fairgrounds  with her friend Rachel, among a sea of handsome cowboys they discuss just how out of the dating scene Beth is.  And on a whim – Rachel decides to play a game of truth or dare with her.  When Beth can’t tell the truth she takes the dare.  Rachel dares  her to kiss the next cowboy through the nearby gate.  When she turns around Beth sees the most delicious cowboy she has ever seen, she doesn’t blink twice to follow through with the dare. In fact it was a dare she couldn’t resist. Her sexy cowboy and her actually hooked up a few weeks ago when she was last in town and she has no qualms about kissing him again, in fact she delights in the thought of it.

After the kiss knocks the cowboy and herself for a loop they want nothing more than to spend more time together. And that they do.  But on a trip out to Brick’s ranch he is explaining to her that he co-owns the ranch with some Army Ranger friends and caters to the needs of returning war veterans. And then it dawns on her – that is exactly what her brother does. Her overly protective Army Ranger brother.  The one that will never allow her to date a military man, because he knows how they are and how hard military relationships can be.

Caught between what she feels for Brick and what she knows will happen once her brother finds out – Beth is on a whirlwind to try and spend what remaining time she know she has left with Brick before both he and her brother find out the truth.  Because she knows that Army friendships mean more than any woman. And that Brick will never break the brother code and date his friends sister.  But she has fallen for her secret Ranger and isn’t quite sure how to tell the truth to Brick or her brother.

I enjoyed both book one and two in this series.  The main characters are solid and honest.  Their relationship is real and wonderful.  The Mitchum brothers are true military in their beliefs and morals and I love how that follows through the entire series.  The sub-characters are just as amazing and you want to know everything about them and you want them all to weather their personal storms and find happiness.  I have never been one to even consider reading any kind of military romance – it  just was never an interest.  These books have changed my mind and I look forward to reading more in this series.  I love that Lula Belle continued her antics in this story and made me laugh out loud.  I also spent several pages crying at the end of this book.  The story is emotional, and the connection real.  The author definitely can spin a tale of love and romance with just the right amount of amazing sex scenes.

Reviewed by Erin

Copy provided by Publisher

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In a Ranger’s Arms by Donna Michaels – a Review

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In a Ranger’s Arms by Donna Michaels – a Review

 

In a Ranger's ArmsAmazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
Former Army Ranger Stone Mitchum doesn’t have time for sex. Since starting a company with his brother and two buddies, he’s had more important things on his mind. Like transitioning veterans back into society. But when his curvy new tenant falls into his arms—literally—his libido snaps to attention.

Jovy Larson has four weeks to prove she’s worthy of taking over the family business. Her challenge? Sell gluten-free, vegan food—in the middle of cattle country, Texas. It’s a tough task, but not half as tough as fighting her attraction to her sexy, surly landlord.

Before she knows it, Jovy’s tangling sheets with the hot cowboy, stalked by a jealous cow, and strategizing ways to help Stone’s ranch. But by the time her lease runs out and the test is over, she’s faced with a new challenge…competing against Stone’s sense of duty to win.

 

Review:

Stone Mitchum is a former Army Ranger and the man in charge at the At Ease Ranch in Joyful, Texas. Since starting the ranch and forming the business with his brother and two army buddies, he hasn’t had much time for anything let alone even consider dating.  His sole purpose now is the ranch, which was established to help veterans returning from war reintegrate into society.  The construction company within – teaches returning veterans a trade and gives them a haven from the outside world to reconnect and reestablish themselves.  So the last thing Stone needs is the distraction of a woman, or any distraction for that matter.

But fate has other ideas. When Stone goes into town to meet his new tenant and collect rent, Jovy Larson  falls right into his arms, literally.

Jovy Larson is in Joyful and  has just four weeks to open a vegan restaurant in cowboy cattle country and prove to her grandfather that she has what it takes to take over as CEO of Larson Industries.  

In a competition with her cousin to prove who has what it takes to take over the company, Jovy has no time for distractions or dating.  She is here for one thing and one thing only – to win the CEO position. But when circumstances beyond her control lead her into the arms of an Army Ranger cowboy her body does everything in its power to push the two together.

With both of them with priorities and a lot running on the success of their businesses – neither one of them have time for what’s in store for them.

Stone Mitchum is still staunch military and takes his responsibilities seriously.  He main goal is to take care of the veterans under his charge at his ranch and insure that they always have someone watching their backs.  But when a distraction sidetracks him from doing what he believes is his duties – he swears off women and anything to do with them.  That is until he meets Jovy.  His body betrays his mind and ever belief and moral he has flies out the window when she is around.  He has strong morals, beliefs and his loyalty to his brothers which makes you fall for him quite quickly. Who wouldn’t love a tall, rugged, handsome cowboy?  He is the epitome of a country gentleman and very hard to resist, although at times stubborn in his beliefs and convictions. 

Jovy Larson is one tough cookie. She has a great sense of humor and a wonderful personality. But, taking on the task of opening a vegan restaurant in the middle of beef country will be no easy task.  But she wants to honor her late fathers wishes and she wants to prove to her grandfather that she has what it takes to be CEO of Larson Industries.  But when she falls quick for cowboy Stone her life takes an unexpected twist.  Her mind shifts from what will bring her happiness to what happiness she can bring to others.  And spending time at the At Ease Ranch has showed her how compassion for another person can change their lives. 

I have never been crazy about stories with cowboys, but this one was a delicious change of pace for me.  I loved everything about Stone Mitchum from page one.  He is stubborn, strong and full of compassion.  Even though he doesn’t want anyone to really know that.  The work up of him falling for and pursuing Jovy was a work of art and beautifully written.  Slowly building tempo that leads to an amazingly wonderful crescendo.  Jovy made me laugh – city girl finding herself in the country – what more could you ask for.  Her personality is addicting and I loved how she found good in everyone.

I loved Stone and Jovy’s relationship, I laughed and got teary eyed – ok I cried. Not going to lie – it was a great story with wonderful characters all around. The secondary characters were absolutely amazing – you want to know what happens to every single one of them.  (Especially Leo?!)  This wonderful love story also touches a lot on the struggles that soldiers face every day returning from war.  And as gut-wrenching as that may seem this story shows you the reality of that and how it affects everyone around that person.  Moving and emotional – I highly recommend and can’t wait for book two.

Reviewed by Erin

Copy provided by Publisher

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