This was an okay read. The writing flowed okay, but the whole story wasn't really developed enough for me. Lacey's thoughts are always that Jake doesn't share enough. Jake gets annoyed that Lacey didn't come to him when a family emergency comes up. Neither problem is ever addressed. Jake never talks about his grief, and Lacey never shares about her family. The whole thing with her family isn't really resolved either. The ending was pretty abrupt, although the epilogue does give a glimpse into the future. This was a first for me from this author, but I would read her again.
I voluntarliy reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.

The Rancher Takes a Family is book number one in the Montana McGregor Brothers series by Paula Altenburg. This is Jake McGregor and Lacey Anderson’s story.

Jake finds himself the guardian of his sister’s three children. Lacey who Jake used to date is the children’s school teacher. This is a heartwarming and second chance romance.

Altenburg delivers a sweet second chance romance about an unprepared guy who steps up to take care of his orphaned niece and nephews. And it is absolutely adorable how these big strong guys are responsible for the oh-so-cute kids. They each have a connection with a different kid and it wonderfully sets up future stories. Even better it’s done with just the lightest amount of drama – all three guys are opinionated, but they handle any disagreements pretty well.

There’s also only a little drama on the romance side of things. Jake and Lacey had a high school relationship but thanks to some miscommunication and assumptions it ended with hurt feelings. Now, years later, they are thrown back together again thru the kids. And I am so happy that Altenburg made it so the relationship was about the couple and not some desperate need for a surrogate mom. Instead Jake is just taking advantage of the situation to reconnect with Lacey and give a relationship as adults a chance.

The relationship portion flows pretty easily and the story is as much about the new family dynamic. You’ll totally go “awww” over these kids and how the men work to make the adjustment to their new situation as easy as possible. They do the best they can to help the kids, as they all are having to get used to their loss and the new normal of their lives. I’m very much looking forward to the next brother’s story so I can spend time with this group again.

Eh... I'm still unsure about this book.

The story line was interesting and some of the characters were well developed. My issue is how incredibly short the book was. It's priced as a full length novel, but in reality is barely over what is considered a novella. I point this out because generally I don't read novellas, they typically fall short for me.

And that's exactly what this one did.

The book felt rushed. The kids haven't even made it into the house before the author has them attending school in the next paragraph. Where is the time to adapt to the new house? I would have loved to read more about how Jake handled the kids on the road trip, especially after his struggles on the plane.

I didn't really feel the connection between Jake and Lacey right away. They have a past together, but it's really just hinted at. I would have loved a few flashbacks to that time. Something to tell the reader how much they cared about each other at that time. By the end of the book I felt the connection, but it took a LONG time to get there.

The ending felt incredibly rushed, just like the rest of the book. I would have loved the author to spend more time developing the relationship rather than checking things off a list to discuss.

I did enjoy reading about the brother's and can't wait to see what's in store for them in future (hopefully longer) books in this series.

** ARC received from Netgalley **

I absolutely loved this book it was intriguing and suspenseful and a fabulous read and I recommend giving it a try

I give this book 5 stars. It was amazingly written and a must read book. The storyline between Jake and Lacey was believable and I love the way the Author incorporated three children in this second chance romance. I whole heartedly recommend this book. I voluntarily reviewed this Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

Such an amazing story in every aspect! I loved Jake's character arc and the history with Lacey. I have a special place in my heart for second chance romances and this touched every single one!

Add in an EXCEPTIONALLY happy happily ever after (because OMGsh those are my fave) and I am completely done for. This was a great read on every level. The story and the technical writing were impeccable. I can't wait to read more about the MacGregor boys!

THE RANCHER TAKES A FAMILY by Paula Altenburg is an easy short read. A tragic airplane crash kills Jake's parents, sister and her husband. Jake ends up the guardian of his sister's three children. Jake and his two brothers come together to help with both the family ranch and the children. Lacey dated Jake when she was sixteen.and has been gone from the area for years. Lacey returns to teach at the local grammar school. This is truly a great second chance romance. A very enjoyable read!

Jake is the rancher who acquires an instant family of three children after the deaths of his sister, brother-in-law, and parents in a plane crash. Jake runs into his high school girl friend, the one who got away, when he takes his two nephews for their first day of school. They begin to reconnect as Jake traverses the ins and outs of instant parenthood combined with running a large ranch without his father for the first time. His two younger brother’s have taken leaves of absences from their jobs to help him for a while, and while he loves them both, they are conflicts there as well. Eventually, Jake and Lacey find a way to make things work and get their HEA.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed the story but wished it was longer. It ended abruptly in my opinion too. ‘‘Tis book takes place in Grand, Montana. It is the story of the McGregors. The parents and sister and brother in law have been killed in an accident in Peru. Jake, the oldest brother was named guardian of the sisters 3 children. Jake had been helping run the ranch with his dad. The other brothers were working in corporate America but have returned for a year to help get the children acclimated. Jake realizes that his old girlfriend and first love now is a teacher at the school. He sees her when he takes the 2 oldest kids to school. The book chronicles the slow but steady relationship that has popped back up between Jake and Lacey. The ranch, the children, the nosy townsfolk all present challenges for Jake and Lacey. The book was short but a good plot and a nice group of characters. I can see how the 2 brothers are possibly being set up for a series. I give it 5 stars.

4.5☆
I liked it!

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Finn
Part of a series: The Montana McGregor Brothers
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue

I look forward to reading the other books in this series.

Jake ends up with an instant family when his sister and her husband pass. He has no idea why she would make him their legal guardian. When Jake meets his nephews teacher he can hardly breathe. It is none other than his Lacey from high school. He left her broken hearted all those years ago. Now her she is to see him in unfamiliar territory with the kids. While she offers to help him find his way in his new role, she sees a different side to him - the nurturing side that makes her think what if things could be different. Can she risk another heartbreak? Can Jake let her into his heart? Great read.

When I started this book I was expecting a lot of angst and heartbreak so I was surprised that it actually turned into an easy, light read. There is a nice second chance romance here. There are just something I really enjoyed about the maturity of these characters and the respectful way they treated their history, their present and their future.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

I love reading Tule books because Marietta, Montana and I rarely stray outside that zone. But the title and back cover blurb for The Rancher Takes a Family was just impossible to resist, so I snagged it. I'm really glad I did.

I loved Jake from the first. It all started with his way of dealing with grief, because I am the same. I loved how he dealt with his nephews and niece and how he struggled but still figured it out on his own. I loved how he got indignant when the women acted like he knew nothing. I just loved the way he loved them. And the way he loved his brothers too. A strong man who is also vulnerable? Yes, please!

I liked Lacey. She was a bit more mysterious. I couldn't always figure out what motivated her, for instance. But she "felt" right for Jake. Her gentle brand of help without being obnoxious but still being forceful was great. Her uncertainty about the relationship made sense and her struggles with her family were sad.It's obvious she has a fairly good grasp of basic psychology and that she uses it to help people.

This is a character-driven story with few outside issues. Because Jake and Lacey have a past history, this is also a second chance romance. It's definitely a slow burn kind of book and not an instant conflagration. There isn't a huge amount of angst here either.

I'm seeing books for Jake's brothers and Lacey's brother too and I want to read them.

Jake is now the guardian of his two nephews (Mac age 10 and Finn age 5) and his niece (Lyddie 2). Both his sister her husband and Jake’s parents were killed in a plane crash.
That leaves Jake and his brothers Luke and Zack were now in charge of the three children and the family business. Luke and Zack agree to put there lives on hold for a year to help out.
Lacey (Jake’s high school sweetheart) and Jake reconnect when Jake registers the boys for school. (Lacey is a teacher at the school). Will there romance blossom? Read on to find out how Jake adjusts to parenthood and dating again.

"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough sweet, sexy romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

Jake McGregor is struggling to create a stable and secure home for his sister’s three orphaned children with the help of his two brothers. He is at a loss as to what to do to reign in angry Mac and engage grieving Finn. The baby, Lydia, is a source of strength and joy for him. Teacher and high school sweetheart, Lacey Anderson, sees the struggle and need for assistance in Jake. She takes Jake under her wing to help guide him along the new parent path.
They have history of a bad break up that demands explanations and a love for each other that has not gone away over the years.

The Rancher Takes a Family is a heartwarming story by Paula Altenburg. The children stole my heart from the beginning as Jake is attempting to get them all to the ranch. Their tragic loss is heartbreaking while their resilience is inspiring. This book has a strong feeling of realism that you wonder if the author had been through such a tragedy or knows someone who has.

The plot flows as it would happen in life. Jake is the well-meaning, strong silent type of guy. He would fit into a Clint Eastwood role, he is just that emotional closed off. Lacey is the opposite which easily showed why they would have had problems in high school. It was a pleasure to read how now they could be the balance each needed. Having this sweet romance happen at this terrible time of their lives is like a ray of hopeful sunshine. Now we can look forward to Jake’s brothers’ finding some happiness too. I really liked how they were close family but still brothers who could and did get on each other’s nerves.

Paula Altenburg is a new author for me and I am so glad I found her! This was the best book I have read in months and I sat up late to finish. It was good. This is the first book of the MacGregor boys who were raised in a huge ranch that has been in the family for generations. It is about contemporary cowboys using modern ranching methods. The children were raised using traditional values and the family environment was nourishing. Jake, the eldest son was named as guardian to his sister's three small children after a plane crash took his mother and father as well as his sister and her husband. Jake's two younger brothers came home to help him get settled with the children. They lived in a small Montana town and the locals were full of advice about the children including the local school teacher Lacey. When Jake took the two oldest children to enroll in elementary school, He realized that the chemistry between him and Lacy was still there as she had been one of his younger high school dates. Lacey had been away and had just returned to her hometown to teach. Jake had never married and was all Alpha male. Seeing Lacey again was not unlike a match to kindling. However, small towns being what they are there were a lot of things to consider. After all Lacey was a self centered teenage sixteen year old girl when eighteen year old Jake dated her. Lacey thought Jake might need her help with the children but Jake was responsible and confident about the children and the ranch, but Jake wanted Lacey for himself. ARC provided by Netgalley.

Such a wonderful book with sadness yet throughout the book it makes you feel so good. Paula Altenburg did such a wonderful job with this book. Kudos to her. The story of Jake and Lacey is one of love lost - but how they found it again is wrapped in the tragedy of Jake losing his family and become the guardian of three small children. If you want a book that makes you feel and smile then this is the book for you.