Once a Rancher

Good start to the new series. Slater is the oldest of the three Carson sons, and the one known as "Showbiz" to his brothers. Besides being an honest-to-goodness cowboy, he is also a producer of well respected documentaries. He's just wrapped one up and is ready to start thinking about another one, when his evening is interrupted by Grace and her teenage stepson.

Grace is a former Seattle cop who is now working as a resort manager. Ryder is her ex-husband's son who she is caring for while he is deployed. Ryder is a bit of a challenge right now, as he's not real happy about moving to the middle of nowhere. When she discovers that he has stolen a sign off one of the production company's trucks, she marches him to Slater's office to show more apologize.

Sparks fly between Grace and Slater from the beginning. Slater definitely wants to pursue it, but Grace is a bit more wary. Her last relationship din't work out so well, and she isn't sure that she can trust her judgment. Slater is a force of nature, however, and won't be deterred from his pursuit. While she fights it at first, she gives in pretty fast. They do spend a fair amount of time getting to know each other. Slater is pretty forceful in his wants, but he's also sensitive to what she needs. I liked the times when she called him on his actions and he would, sometimes unwillingly, back off. Grace's independence often gets in the way of her willingness to accept his help, but eventually she learns that doing so doesn't make her weak. I really enjoyed the give and take between them as both learned the art of compromise. The ending was sweet, with a rather unusual wedding.

Both Slater and Grace are single parents, and I enjoyed seeing how both handle it. Slater and his daughter's mother are good friends and have an excellent parenting relationship. You can tell that Slater and his daughter have a terrific relationship. I liked seeing him extend the same kind of relationship to Ryder. Grace's relationship with her ex isn't as good. She's pretty much disgusted with the way he has treated Ryder, putting his work way ahead of his family. It was great to see how she is there for Ryder, providing the stability he needs. She still struggles with him, and I enjoyed seeing how Slater stepped in and became a great role model. The help allows Grace to relax just a bit, and not be quite so tough on him.

There's a bit of suspense in the story, as Grace deals with a disgruntled former employee. This man had been fired for stealing and doesn't take it well. He turns into a rather nasty stalker, committing various acts of vandalism before setting fire to her house. As a former cop, Grace doesn't panic over it, but turns it over to the local police. I liked seeing her try to rein in Slater, as his protectiveness comes to the surface. The resolution of the problem is well done.

The secondary characters all add depth to the story. I loved Ryder, who was a pretty typical teen who is dealing with family upheaval, While he exhibits some bad attitude at times, he is a good kid. I liked seeing the effect that the entire Carson family had on him. Slater's younger brothers, Drake and Mace are also great. Each one has their strengths, which I'm sure we'll see more of in later books. I enjoyed the sibling rivalry among the three brothers. They could be snarky but the love and support underlies it all. Their mom, Blythe, was awesome. Though the guys all live at home, she is able to treat them as adults - except, of course, when they are acting like teenagers and she gives them "the look". I liked the way that she took Ryder under her wing. The brief appearance of Grace's ex, Hank, showed just why she divorced him and had the issues she did. I was disgusted with his disregard of Ryder and Grace's feelings. It was fun to see his reaction to Slater. There were also brief appearances by previous characters, such as the police chief, Hadleigh, Melody and Becca from the Brides of Bliss County series. show less

Once a Rancher by Linda Lael Miller is a 2016 HQN Books publication.

I love this author, but I am always incessantly behind with her series, so when I saw this one and noticed it was the first one in a new series, I didn’t hesitate.

The ‘Carsons of Mustang Creek’ is centered around the Carson brothers on their Wyoming ranch. The oldest brother, Slater, is a historical documentary filmmaker, with a young daughter, named Daisy. He’s single, not really looking for love, but when he meets Grace, he finds he is missing something in his life, and didn’t know it until now.

Grace is a former cop, now in the hospitality business, and raising her teenage stepson, Ryder, despite being divorced from his father. After the failure of her show more first marriage, Grace is not looking to make a repeat mistake. But, Slater Carson has her considering a second chance at love.

As with many ‘first in a series’ novels, I had a little trouble getting into the story at first. But, once all the characters were introduced, and the lay of the land was mapped out, the story picked up speed, which is a good thing, except it felt like we went from a slow trot to a full blown gallop, in nothing flat.

I did enjoy this story, though, and should explain that although this is pretty much a standard contemporary western romance, it also has some romantic suspense elements mixed in, as well.

When Grace catches an employee engaging in illegal activities, she must terminate him, but he's not leaving without a little payback, which awakens Slater's protective instincts.

I couldn’t help but laugh as poor Grace was literally swept off her feet, caught up a true whirlwind romance. Slater is a cool guy, not a game player, is honest, straightforward, and stable. He showed Grace how a real man behaves, and proved he is a good father, and will be a positive influence on Ryder, who really needed a steady male presence in his life.

Things do seem to happen very quickly between Slater and Grace, and although Grace fights against the inevitable, she runs out of steam pretty fast. It was so funny watching the Carsons help Slater wear her down, and put her fears to rest, too.

I loved the tight knit family atmosphere in this one and the way they all work together, and support each other. I really liked Slater, who is strong, has a dominant personality, but is not a jerk!! He may move at warp speed, but he treats Grace with respect and understands the challenges she faces and her reluctance to move too quickly, even though he hates cooling his heels or having to step back and let her handle things her way, in her own time.

By contrast, Grace is very special, especially towards Ryder. She doesn’t always like being nudged along by Slater or his family, but she grows to love them and accept them just the way they are, while still maintaining her strong independent personality.

Slater and Grace have a different approach to life’s curveballs, but, they complimented each other nicely.

Ryder’s story is sad, but he has found a nice landing spot, and is better off now than he ever could have thought possible, which really warmed my heart.

I think the Carson family series has gotten off to a pretty good start and Miller’s fans will probably like this one. I’m looking forward to Drake’s story in the upcoming ‘Always a Cowboy.”

Overall, this one gets 4 stars show less

Linda Lael Miller's newest series, The Carsons of Mustang Creek, is off to a very strong beginning with the first installment, Once a Rancher. Starring the three Carson brothers, this first release features oldest brother Slater's unexpected romance with newcomer Grace Emery.

A documentary filmmaker, Slater uses the family's ranch as his home base in between projects. Having just returned from a grueling filming schedule, the last thing he wants to deal with is an unexpected visitor but his dismay quickly turns to interest once he meets Grace and her stepson, Ryder. Fuming over Ryder's latest shenanigans, Grace is pleasantly surprised by how quickly Slater defuses the somewhat tense situation. Ryder easily picks up Slater's interest in show more Grace, but she has no interest in pursuing a relationship with the charming cowboy. As their paths continue to cross, they eventually give in to their passion, but will Slater be able to convince Grace to consider making their relationship permanent?

Although he has a reputation as a player, Slater's interest in Grace is anything but casual. He is definitely attracted to the feisty redhead and he is quick to devise a plan to see her again. He is never overbearing or pushy, but he does gently nudge her into seeing him on a more personal basis. Slater also realizes that Ryder needs something to occupy his time so he stays out of trouble and with Grace's permission, he hires the teen to work at their ranch after school.

Despite her attraction to Slater, Grace sees a few too many similarities between the sexy cowboy and her ex-husband Hank. She rushed into marriage only to realize that Hank's career was more important than family so she is not in any hurry to begin another relationship. She has her hands full trying to keep Ryder out of trouble but the more time she spends with Slater, the more irresistible he becomes. Grace is independent and more than capable of taking care of herself, but when a series of troubling incidents endangers both her and Ryder, she gratefully accepts Slater's help.

The relationship between Grace and Slater is slow growing but their attraction soon gives way to love. While Slater is eager to take their romance to the next level, Grace is hesitant since she is afraid of getting hurt again. Slater is eager to move forward, but he is surprisingly patient as she tries to work through her reservations. Grace is sometimes a bundle of contradictions as she tries to maintain her independence while at the same time she is frustrated when Slater gives her the space she needs. Even though Grace and Slater are at a stalemate about their future, their relationship is remarkably free from conflict.

Once a Rancher is a heartwarming and touching romance that has just a hint of suspense. The characters are beautifully developed, sympathetic and quite appealing. The story is fast-paced with an engaging and well-developed plot. Slater and Grace's relationship has a bit of an insta-love feel to it, but their emotions for one another ring true.

Although The Carsons of Mustang Creek is a new series, longtime readers of Linda Lael Miller will enjoy returning to Mustang Creek. However, newcomers to the series need not worry; this first installment easily stands on its own. show less

Slater Carson is the most eligible bachelor - and long time bachelor - in Mustang Creek. But he proposes to Grace in a matter of days!

What this summary indicates is that Slater's dizzyingly fast fall for Grace - and pretty much matched by Grace - makes this novel irresistible in its enthusiasm and romantic energy!

The audiobook is narrated by Jack Garrett and was released in 2016. Garrett has the voice for a Montana cowboy and I like his wonderful drawl. But Slater is a man in his 30s - and I kinda wish the narration was done by a younger sounding voice.

Slater Carson, cowboy film maker is about to meet his match in a whirl of red hair. Grace, is a wonderful woman who is raising and loving her ex's teenage son. Grace isn't looking for relationship complications she is looking for publicity for her resort place and Slater Carson just might be the one to get it for her. So begins a work ,to friendship, to more relationship.
Their relationship is not instant, well Slater falls for her looks with his man parts but his heart slowly takes over. Grace, she is a tougher one to win over, she has had a bad relationship and is not willing to do that again, plus she has a 14 years old son to raise.
Miller's characters are rich well developed and likable people with real world problems and fears. I'd show more love to sit and share a cup of coffee with any of them. I can't wait for more

" Now, that's what I like to see. A big strong cowboy with a dish towel in his hand...."- that is real sexy. show less

Slater makes documentaries but always returns to the ranch and his family, Grace is an ex-cop, now hotel manager taking care of her stepson for her ex. It's very sweet, with cute animal moments, a woman who doesn't want to get married again and a man determined to maker her his all the while dealing with a dangerous ex-employee who has it out for Grace. Cameos by many of Mustang Creeks residents from prior books.

Romance