REVIEW: At Wolf Ranch by Jennifer Ryan

In At Wolf Ranch (Montana Men #1) by Jennifer Ryan, Gabe Bowden finally has his dream home within reach only to have it snatched away at the last minute. He had saved up enough money winning tournaments in the rodeo to strike a deal to buy the Wolf Ranch outside Bozeman, Montana. Plenty of room for cattle, horses, and a family he hopes to have some day. But when he finds Ella Wolf cold and nearly dead on the side of the road, Gabe’s life is altered forever. Not only is she not willing to part with the ranch at first, but someone is after Ella. And Gabe promises to help her while at the risk of falling in love with the sassy millionaire from the Big Apple.

‘Wealth. Prosperity. Hard work to build something to encompass that vast land and large house. All of which belonged to the woman in his arms. He wanted that place, but damn if he didn’t want the woman in his arms more.’

Ella Wolf and her twin sister Lela were as close as they could possibly be. The day that Lela is murdered, it sends Ella on the run to avoid being the next victim in a devious plot. She has very few clues to go by to find out how to stop the killer, but they all lead her to her family’s ranch in Montana. Things go from bad to worse when she’s left for dead in a miserable snowstorm. But Gabe Bowden comes to her rescue and is kind enough to assist her in her search for the truth. Can Ella really trust that he is doing this out of the goodness of his heart? Or is there some other motive?

“Most girls dream of a knight in shining armor atop a horse coming to save them. Not you, honey, you’re already a princess, ready to ride off all by yourself. You don’t need no stinkin’ knight.”

Unable to help herself, she laughed. “Doesn’t mean I don’t want a cowboy all my own.”

The new Montana Men series by Jennifer Ryan is filled with her trademark sexy alpha cowboys and smart & sassy ladies who can keep them in line. I only hope the installments to follow will be as hawt as this one. *whew*

I’m not kidding when I say this novel is hot as sin. The chemistry between Gabe and Ella was absolutely off the charts. Of course it didn’t hurt that there was an exciting thread of suspense, giving them limited time together while they fought off their delicious sexual tension. I really enjoyed how the story itself was set up. We found out right away who the killer was, but we didn’t immediately find out why and what/who else was involved without finishing the book.

There are certain alpha males that stand out as total book boyfriend material, having just the right amount of badassery (that’s a word, right?) and charm. I always first think of Rowdy in Lori Foster’s Getting Rowdy novel. Yum. But I have to say that Gabe definitely had that vibe as well. That fierce protectiveness over his loved ones. Plus, he was a guy you don’t wanna mess with. What really knocked me out, though, was how tender, understanding and oh-so-sweet he was with Ella after the traumatic ordeal she had been through.

Ella was one tough, smart woman. I truly loved her character and personality. She let the public think whatever they wanted about her, knowing that her true friends, coworkers, and her twin of course, knew how dedicated she was to the family business. It tickled me that Gabe wasn’t fooled by her public persona as a party girl and saw the truth about Ella’s real life. They both instinctively knew the real person beneath their masks and had a strong, steady connection, regardless of the chaos around them.

I enjoyed every second of my time with Gabe and Ella and hope you do, too! At Wolf Ranch is simply down-home-meets-big-city magic.

Book Info:

Published February 24th 2015 by Avon | (Montana Men #1)

Everything’s bigger in Big Sky country, including the hearts of the Montana Men…

After years on the rodeo circuit, Gabe Bowden wants nothing more than land of his own and a woman who will claim his heart for more than one night. When he has the chance to buy the enormous Wolf Ranch spread, he snaps up the incredible deal. Everything is set, until Gabe rescues a woman on the deserted, snowy road leading to the property, and the half-frozen beauty changes everything.

Ella Wolf rushes to her family’s abandoned Montana ranch after her twin sister is murdered. She knows she’s next . . . unless she can uncover a secret hidden somewhere at Wolf Ranch. The last thing Ella expects is to be rescued by a rugged rancher with his own agenda. A man who almost makes her forget how dangerous love can be.

As an unlikely partnership sparks into something so much more, and a killer closes in, can Ella and Gabe learn to trust one another before it’s too late?