REVIEW: Luke by RC Ryan

In Luke (Malloys of Montana #2) by RC Ryan, Ingrid Larsen doesn’t need a man to make her happy. She has her sister and her father’s ranch; a ranch she’s fighting very hard to keep in her family. How she’s supposed to do that when someone keeps sabotaging her efforts is beyond her. Until she rescues the handsome and unconscious man she finds while out exploring her part of the country. Allowing him the chance to recover at her property, she can’t ignore her growing attraction to him. Will Luke be able to protect her from the danger she continues to face, so that he can prove to Ingrid that love is worth fighting for?

She sighed. “Most people would be so eager to get away from all this, they’d run screaming into the night.”
He gave her an unexpected wink. “I guess I’m not most people.”
“You’re not like anybody I’ve ever known.”
“Good. That’s part of my charm.”
She laughed out loud. “You always have the perfect answer to everything.”
“Just part of the package, ma’am.” He gave an exaggerated drawl. “Not only charming, but smart as a whip, too.”

The Malloys are a warm and welcoming family that ever since reading the first book of this series called Matt, I wanted to discover more about and this story was definitely worth the six months – give or take – wait between books. Right from the beginning, this book offers a good dose of suspense with what happens to Luke. Why is someone out to hurt the hero? Are they after him, or is he just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Discovering the answers to these questions had me hooked. Yet, it was from the moment that the heroine met the hero that had me flipping the pages quickly, determined to read how far Ingrid would go to help Luke.

The dialogue was well-written and intense due to the main characters back stories, the incidents that provide a great dose of suspense to this story and of course, how this story ended. The danger the heroine is facing definitely had me on the edge-of-my-seat. What would happen next to scare her? Who is targeting her? However, there were plenty of light-hearted moments that balanced out the intense dialogue. Luke proves that Ingrid is the woman he wants. That there’s no way he’d do what another man in her past did by being enticed by another woman; a woman that the heroine should be close with because of their relationship. Yet, this particular woman doesn’t know the first thing about love and loyalty. At least not until it’s too late to do anything about it.

The Malloys are a close knit family, and I loved how the secondary characters were willing to do whatever it took to prove to Ingrid that she didn’t have to do things alone. They welcomed her and her sister into their family and show them how a family should be. Then there’s Luke. He’s stubborn, wild and reckless. He isn’t one to quit when the going gets tough and that’s never going to change. But most of all what I liked about the hero was how determined he was to prove to the heroine that he was unlike any of the men she’s been with in the past. That he can break through her high walls and make her realize that not all men will desert her. That there are still good men in the world she can trust and will be loyal to her. Men like him.

He took the helmet from her hands. “Was that a victory shout out?”
She couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled up. “Yeah. My version of the happy dance.”
“I guess that means you’re not sorry you gave up the truck in favor of this?”
“Not sorry at all. Oh Luke, I loved every minute of it.”

While Ingrid, her life hasn’t been easy and the things she’s gone through have made her extremely independent. Her fight to save her family ranch and be able to hold onto it is a struggle, and yet, she handles everything she goes through exceptionally well in my eyes. Everything such as the horrible attitude of those from her own family, the trouble she faces and people looking to buy the ranch. Then there’s the close bond she shares with her little sister, and I could understand why Ingrid is so protective of her. Their mother isn’t the best role model, so the heroine has to show her little sister what family is all about. That they need to stick together through thick and thin.

Overall, this was a fantastic second book for The Malloys of Montana series by Ms. Ryan, which offered really strong chemistry between the main characters that eventually spilled over onto the pages in hot sex scenes. Ingrid isn’t sure she can trust Luke, but there was no doubt that he’d win her over. He’s nothing, if not persistent when he wants something. The way this story ended had me on the edge-of-my-seat wondering whether those that find themselves in trouble would manage to escape it and whether someone would die to protect those they loved. However, it was the epilogue that wrapped everything up nicely and proved that love can conquer any obstacle thrown in a couple’s way to future happiness. I would recommend Luke by RC Ryan, if you enjoy romantic suspense or the sexy protector trope.
 

Book Info:

Publication: November 29th, 2016 | Forever | Malloys of Montana #2

Wild at Heart. . .

Wild. Reckless. Stubborn. That’s Luke Malloy in a nutshell. The solitary life of a rancher and the untamed Montana wilderness make him feel alive-and nothing will ever change that. Not even being thrown from his horse and forced to accept a stranger’s help. The fact that this stranger is a beautiful blonde with a passion for ranching that rivals his own doesn’t hurt. But there’s a secret she’s hiding, and Luke won’t rest until he uncovers it…

Ingrid Larsen doesn’t need anyone’s help. Not with managing her family’s ranch. Not with raising her little sister. And certainly not with the mysterious incidents occurring on her property. When this too-sexy-for-his-own-good cowboy needs a place to recover, she hopes he’ll be in and out in no time flat. But just as she’s beginning to trust Luke’s promise of protection, Ingrid’s secret threatens to tear them apart.