Montana Legacy, is the first book in R.C. Ryan’s (who is actually Ruth Ryan Langan) McCord cousins trilogy. And while I’ll be waiting until November to find out what happens in the third book, I can tell you all about book one here.
Jesse McCord has been living on the Lost Nuggest ranch all his life. It’s a huge operation and he loves it to death, just like (most) of his ancestor’s did. But Coot, his grandfather, has just passed away and now it seems that the family is about to get back together. Jesse’s cousin’s are coming home for the first time in over a decade, and he’s not happy about it. They were close growing up, left unwillingly because of their parents, and it took a death to bring them back. During the funeral for his grandfather Jesse see’s a familiar face, Amy Parrish, which only helps to throw him off balance even more.
With Amy back, his cousins back, and a renewed effort to find the McCord gold that Coot died searching for, Jesse’s sure got his word out for him.
My Thoughts:
The first thing I have to say is this, Coot apparently made himself a nice fortune with his ranching. During the reading of his will I found myself going, “Goddamn!” I had no idea that there was that kind of money in ranching, or perhaps there isn’t, that was creative license at work, and I’m just looking to deep into it. I will say this though, I work on a farm – we might not do animals – and we definitely are not making that kinda bank.
What it really comes down to, I actually really liked this book. I was wondering who the behind the scenes bad guy was, and even though it makes sense after finding out, I really just didn’t think to considering that person while reading.
I also like how Coot thought to bring his grandson’s back together after his death. He gave them the incentive to rebuild the relationship they shared as kids. It was certainly tough going at first, but that’s what makes it realistic and what makes me like the story.
And now the good stuff. The love and romance of Jesse and Amy. While a certain aspect of their failed relationship might have reminded me of The Notebook, I still really like the two of them together. Sometimes relationships work out and sometimes they don’t. And sometimes it will, but its just not the right time. That’s essentially what happened with Jesse and Amy, while they were together as teens, the separation came, and then it went. There were very real strains on the relationship too, Amy’s fathers illness and his blatant dislike of anything to do with the McCord’s, which is another reality, or plus factor.
Another thing I’d like to metion. I remember reading a review for Montana Legacy and one of the things that had me chuckling was when she brought up the sex scene. There’s only one sex scene in the book and it happens to take place in a barn. There were comments made about how that must be miserable and itchy and such. That of course got me thinking when I actually read the sex scene and this is what I came up with… If you live on a ranch or grew up on a ranch, etc you ought to be used to it, right? I mean I work on a farm and you just sort of get used to the feel of hay and straw when you’re loading, or unloading, large amounts. The other thing, I’m guessing since he was planning on sleeping in one of the barn stalls he would’ve brought a blanket, yeah? I know I’d bring a blanket, especially as a just in case. Lastly, if it’s not allergy season or you don’t have allergies, you really ought to be fine with it, assuming the guy thought it through and brought a blanket. After all, clean hay doesn’t smell bad, or maybe that’s just the farm girl in me?
There’s just a touch of my thought process.
So, what is my bottom line? I enjoyed reading Montana Legacy. A bit of romance, a bit of suspense, a lot of western and cowboys. This one’s going in my win column for a cozy day read.
Among Stories 