Montana Sky

Book on CD read by Erika Leigh

Jack Mercy was a wealthy cattle rancher in Montana’s Big Sky country. At his death he left behind three daughters (each born from a different marriage), two ex-wives, and a ranch worth millions. Only his youngest daughter, Willa, had lived and worked on the ranch, and she’d never had any contact with her half-siblings: Tess, who’s a Hollywood scriptwriter, and Lily, a quiet and unassuming woman who is obviously running from someone. Now the three virtual strangers must live on the ranch for a year in order to inherit anything from the old man. Of course, there happened to be three unmarried men around, one for each of the sisters… Oh, and a psychopathic serial killer as well.

Oh, Nora, Nora, Nora. show more The romance was more than enough to hold our attention, with sibling rivalry and the push/pull attractions between the couples entertaining enough to keep even this curmudgeonly reader turning pages. And I did love picturing all those rippling muscles on the big, strong men! But that serial killer subplot! Totally unnecessary and drove me crazy. Still, I did enjoy this schlocky cowboy romance, even if some of the sex scenes prompted giggles.

Erika Leigh does a fine job narrating the audiobook. There are a lot of characters to handle and she was up to the task, though I thought her interpretation2 of housekeeper Bess and of the bad guy (you didn’t think I’d tell you who it is!) were a bit over-the-top. show less

“Men didn't respect beauty...they used it.”

A disliked bastard of a man is a successful ranch owner who owns millions in property. Cursed with the inability to bear son offspring rather than those silly women seeds, he kicks out two ex-wives who curse him with daughters, never having anything to do with his children until Willa, who sticks by his side devotedly until he keels over. Once dead, his frustrating will dictates that his three daughters must live together on the ranch for a year to evenly inherit.

Overly long and by-the-books predictable, the three women are severe stereotypes. Willa is the tomboy who is loyal to the ranch, always griping about having too much to do to relax or have fun. Tess it the cityslicker from LA who show more turns her nose up at the farming life. Lily is the abused, fragile flower of a woman who is so breakable she's unreal.

I could tell within the first two chapters which men each woman would end up with, that they all would come to bond together, they would end up living happily ever after at the ranch, etc. This isn't spoilers, it's the formula you can guess from this story trope.

The three men blended together into the same personality types.

Can't say I enjoyed the romances since they were simply sweet and nothing much else. No real tension that couldn't easily be brushed aside. I think the author put her sympathy more toward Willa since she had more characters get on to Tess for not having enough sympathy or seeing things from her point of view, but really I was team Tess all the way. Willa started most of the crap and acted snobby and superior from the get-go. Tess definitely didn't fit in right away but at least she wasn't uptight. Willa mentally thinks Tess's career is one of the most worthless ones possible from the start, and the two only start eventually bonding because Tess - as the bigger woman - makes more of an effort. Bess the housekeeper is also disdainful toward Tess. Trust me, put me in that position and I would have been an even bigger bitch to deal with than Tess was.

There was tension of a serial slayer who mauled animals and women and left them for dead on the ranch, but I really didn't care much about that side-mystery. All was alright at the end, of course.

As far as Nora Robert's novels go, this one is rather flimsy, formulaic, and downright dull - especially for a length of almost 500 pages. show less

Rendezvous Review: Wealthy, little liked Montana cattle rancher Jack Mercy dies and leaves his 20 million dollar ranch to his three daughters -- each from a different marriage and who have never met: smart-mouthed and sassy Tess, a Hollywood script writer; Lily, divorced, abused, looking for refuge; Willa, straight talking, proud, part Blackfoot Indian, the only one who had been raised on Mercy Ranch and had known their father. Forced by the terms of their father's will to live together for one year on the ranch, the sisters adapt and learn to care for each other, while facing an unknown killer who seems to have targeted the ranch as the object of his rage. Each sister meets her match in dynamic men who fulfill their needs, and the show more author meets the challenge of fleshing out three unique pairings involving six distinct individuals. Each couple could have had their own book, but together their stories are powerful and mirror universal life lessons. Ms. Roberts, with her considerable skill and understanding of the genre, uses the unforgiving harshness and beauty of the land, suspense, and the bond of family, blended with the passion and tenderness of romance, to bring us a compelling story of love, survival, and triumph. Sara Sweeney show less

Oh my gosh this book had me so torn. It frustrated me becauee the romantic aspect of this book was SO predictable. I had the love stories pegged after about 15min into the book. oh my gosh but this book also put me through a damn loop. I didnt expect it and thats what made me LOVE this book. that twist I never saw coming. I do have to admit I loved the characters all of them. everyone from willa to ham down to Bes and tesses mom. each were great. I have to say this book would make an Awesome movie. I couldnt put it down I had to know who the sadistic killer was. and lemme tell you I guessed my ass off throughout the book and it was the ONE person I didnt suspect. def recommend. I did only give it four stars becauee of the early romance show more predictability show less

Oh my gosh this book had me so torn. It frustrated me becauee the romantic aspect of this book was SO predictable. I had the love stories pegged after about 15min into the book. oh my gosh but this book also put me through a damn loop. I didnt expect it and thats what made me LOVE this book. that twist I never saw coming. I do have to admit I loved the characters all of them. everyone from willa to ham down to Bes and tesses mom. each were great. I have to say this book would make an Awesome movie. I couldnt put it down I had to know who the sadistic killer was. and lemme tell you I guessed my ass off throughout the book and it was the ONE person I didnt suspect. def recommend. I did only give it four stars becauee of the early romance show more predictability show less

This is a re-read for me. I still love the story of the three very different women being forced to spend a year together that forms them into a family. The love interests were perfect for each woman. But as in my past reading the serial killer was too over the top and unbelievable to have stayed undetected for so long. With the amount of blood at each scene it would seem that a little forensics could have located the villain easily. The violent ex-husband scenario was much more believable. Roberts has had groups of three protagonists in several books/series but I like these three women the best.

Montana Sky
4 Stars

Half-sisters, Tess, Lily and Willa Mercy are forced by the terms of their fathers’ will to live on the family ranch together for one year. Against the backdrop of a Montana ranch, the sisters learn to love and trust each other and the men in their lives as danger looms from outside forces.

Just as enjoyable as the first time around.

Each of the Mercy sisters is engaging in her own right whether it be the spoiled and sophisticated Tess whose met the one man patient enough to accept her foibles and all; timid and vulnerable Lily who learns that the right man can indeed be trusted, and strong and fearless Willa who realizes that she can let her guard down and rely on the man she loves.

The suspense elements in the book show more are intense and exciting with two equally deranged villains, and the writing is some of Nora’s best with delightful descriptions, incisive characterization and snappy dialogue.

All in all, an entertaining family saga with charming characters and fantastic descriptions that more than withstand the test of time. show less