Montana Strong #2, can be read as a standalone. All things are quiet on the Monroe Ranch but it's about to get shaken up when Mac Monroe does a favor for a very dear friend. Mac hires Penny Cash on at the ranch to help out with cooking and cleaning when her teaching job at Haller Creek falls through. When Mac adopted Sam and his brothers over sixteen years ago he turned the three foul-mouthed troublemakers into ranchers. Sam Monroe took to ranching like it was something he was meant to do. Sam was in no hurry to settle down he was content to go out drink beers, hustle a little at pool, and sleep around that was until he walked into the house after three weeks out with the cattle and found Penny in his kitchen.

Penny was used to being in a household of all men, she practically raised her three brothers all by herself after their parents death, so she was prepared for what to expect when she started on at the Monroe Ranch. What she wasn't prepared for was how strongly attracted she was to Sam. A slow burn romance that builds their relationship before anything else. Both are hard workers who know the value of a hard days work but where Sam knows how to kick back and relax Penny doesn't. Penny has worked hard her whole life when she wasn't taking care of her brothers or her elderly aunt she was studying to be a teacher, it's been her dream for as long as she can remember. Penny discovers that her youngest brother is working on a ranch outside Haller Creek, she also finds out he's been betting and losing money playing pool and when trouble follows him Penny gets caught in the middle. Sam just found happiness with Penny and now he's will to put his life on the line to save her.

Overall, it's a contemporary western with a splash of suspense, just the way I like it. R.C. Ryan hits the spot with this heartwarming family relationship, sexy and smart cowboys, a picturesque setting, and a romance that burns slow but hot. Sam and Penny have a lot in common but just enough to keep it interesting. Finn said the dreaded famous last words of a single man, "I guess it's up to me to stay strong and resist whatever love virus is going around." *maniacal laugh* I can't wait for his book.

After spending weeks on the trail, Sam Monroe is looking forward to a hot bath, a home-cooked meal, and a real bed. He's greeted by a wonderful surprise when he opens the door to his family's ranch house and sees the new housekeeper is a gorgeous young woman who cooks like an angel and wrangles his family like a pro.

Penny Cash is down on her luck, and the last thing she needs is a flirtation with a wild, carefree cowboy. Sure, he's funny and sexy, but they're as different as whiskey and tea. And she'll be leaving town as soon as she finds a full-time teaching position. But when trouble comes calling, Penny will find out how serious Sam can be when it comes to protecting the woman he loves...

Claire has moved to a small Montana ranch to hide from the world after being severely burned in a fire. The fire has left her scarred in more ways than just the obvious. She discovered who her true friends were and those who were not walked away. Wes in the playboy rancher next door. When his cattle causes property damage to her ranch he marchers over there, or more accurately rides his horse, to set things straight. The fact that she never looks directly at him and that her hair always covers half of her face intrigues him. When he learns about the horrific fire she endured he can't help but admire her courage. The more he gets to know her the more he wants to be with her and make her happy. Beauty really is more than what the eye can see, it's a feeling. Good read.

**4.5 Stars**

♥ Slow Burn
♥ Swoony Cowboy
♥ Loads Of Suspense
♥ Irresistible Love Story

The Cowboy Next Door is the second book in R.C. Ryan's Montana Strong series.
This series is based on three brothers who were born into abuse and neglect, fighting their way through life until they ended up on Mac's property and Mac took a hand at taking the boys in and raising them to be decent human beings instead of hellraisers.

The Cowboy Next Door is Sam Monroe's story.

Sam has always been the son Mac worried most about. He was the one that hid his pain behind laughter and smiles. Now Sam is living his life as a rancher by day and a pool hustler by night.
But when Penny is hired on as the housekeeper at the Monroe Ranch, Sam finds his thoughts are taken up by the beauty and slowly he begins to change his ways.

This is the second novel I've read by R.C. Ryan, To be honest, I liked the first book in this series (Cowboy On My Mind) but I didn't love it. So I was a bit hesitant to request a copy of The Cowboy Next Door. But because I love cowboys so damn much, I couldn't resist! And I'm so damn glad I caved into the temptation. I loved Every Single Thing about this romance. The slow burn, the suspense towards the end along with those final heart stopping moments. This one definitely had me on the edge of my seat hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.

Penny and Sam's romance is so freaking adorable. I loved their playful banter that ignited in two nights of endless passion. Couples like them are the reason why I read romance novels!

Even though the first book in this series didn't spark my attention I have to say, after reading The Cowboy Next Door I'm more intrigued by this series and I can't wait to get ahold of Finn's story!

Can we just say wow!!! I mean cowboys you really can't go wrong right. This book has lots of cowboys, fun and two broken people who are looking to just belong. There was not one slow part in this whole book, it had me on the edge of my seat and keeps you guessing with every page. I really enjoyed the value of "family" in this book its not all about being blood related but belonging. I also really enjoyed how the story played out overall. Penny has an old soul to her and the author did an amazing job with all the characters. I did not read the first book in the series and I am already to read more to see what happens next to the Monroe family. This book does have adult scenes but over all its minimal and not a huge part in the book. The chemistry is amazing its just seems so natural.

Immediately drawn in with the prologue and couldn't put it down after that. Even though the book was a little tamer than what I usually read, I still bought into Sam and Penny's chemistry. Definitely a good read for anyone looking for a cowboy/rancher story with an extended family, some laughs, and plenty of adventure and suspense.

Penny is having a bit of a hard time finding a job as a teacher and until she can shes working at the Monroe Ranch as a house keeper. She never expected to be attracted to one of the Ranch owner Sam. Sam isnt looking to be tied down but can't seem to stay away from that undeniable attraction that he has for the new house keeper. Then she notices that her little brother finding himself a bit of trouble and she can't help but want to make sure he's okay.

I did enjoy this book, it was a bit slow tbh but then again I've been reading fast paced action thriller books lately and this book just wasn't at that speed for me so it just might be just me thinking that way. Other then that I enjoyed the book. I liked getting to know the characters and seeing Penny's backstory and the reasoning behind why she just can't help but worry for her brothers a wee bit too much. I liked getting to see that connection and romance between Penny and Sam. I loved that there was a bit of a twist that I wasn't expecting and thought it was interesting how things got handled. Overall pretty good book I really enjoyed it.

Here we are again: A Your Mileage May Vary Review

The Cowboy Next Door by R.C. Ryan is the second cowboy romance I’ve read in as many weeks and strangely it also has a new cook coming in to prepare delectable (again, YMMV) goodies for the ranch and, because of this, invites an immediate comparison between the two. Suffice to say, The Cowboy Next Door pales in comparison to that other romantic suspense, B.J. Daniels’ Stroke of Luck; you can read that review here.

Penny Cash may be the most uptight, judgmental, and overall most boring “heroine” I’ve read in a long time. I can only presume her cooking is just really good for Sam Monroe to have insta-love with her. There are so many characters splashed across these pages that I don’t feel the reader ever really gets a feel for who Sam Monroe is; we are told he is a player and a gambler, both of which Penny disapproves of.

Nothing really happens for 75% of the novel except for dinners, breakfasts, and a few meandering outings. The POV shifts between characters seemingly unintentionally. When something finally does happen, it feels a little like many incidents I’ve read before and coming in at too-little-too-late.

Maybe if the characters had been more than one-dimensional, I would have cared. And perhaps if The Cowboy Next Door didn’t feel derivative, I would have cared more.

So why is this a YMMV review? Because lots of readers love, love, love this novel. I am in the minority. Again, I know we all look for different things in the books we read. Many readers describe this novel as “heart-warming” and “sweet”. As such, I encourage you to look at other reviews if you are intrigued by this novel.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Penny had a dream job lined up teaching at a local school. She sold everything and moved and now she's left with nothing. Then she's hired on at the Monroe's ranch to cook and be the housekeeper while she waits for another position to open up. It's a godsend to her. Sam Monroe is the bad boy rebel of the Monroe boys. The start of his life was so bad that when it got good he decided to enjoy every minute of that good. Now though Penny makes him want to slow down and appreciate everything. Penny raised three younger brothers and when her baby brother comes to town and gets himself in some serious debt gambling at pool big sis Penny wants to set him straight. I love this family. I'ts a group of people who aren't blood related but family just the same. It was fun to watch Sam chip away slowly at Penny tough outer shell and get her to open up. This get really intense at the end and had me on the edge of my seat. There was a few places of eye rolling dialog but a wonderful real none the less. Can't wait to see what happens with the last brother Finn.



Find out more about R.C. Ryan and this series here www.ryanlangan.com

The Cowboy Next Door is the second book in the Montana Strong series. I easily read and enjoyed this book without having read the first in the series. I've since remedied that oversight! This is the fun, sweet story of Penny Cas, a teacher struggling to find a teaching position, who takes the job of housekeeper at the Monroe Ranch. That's where she meets the sexy but infuriating Sam Monroe. The banter between these two is fun and the chemistry is sizzling. I highly recommend you grab a copy of this one and enjoy their story.

Upon first meeting Sam and Penny, I was a fan of what I hoped would unfold! Through excellent story-telling and a fun, enjoyable plot, I found this story highly entertaining. I felt the ups and downs of their life and found myself rooting for characters as they experienced many interactions. This is sure to be a hit for fans of Ryan and Romance Readers alike...

I enjoyed the first book of this series and this one didn't disappoint! I love Sam and Penny and together they are great. The Monroe brothers back story, how they came to be and how they interact play strong roles in this series. Penny is just a great character. Overall I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next one!

I enjoyed reading about Sam and Penny. I thought it was a sweet and tender live story. This novel had many twists and turns. I thiught it was well written and a good storyline. This is the second book in the series. Although I didn't read the first book it was still easy to follow.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sam and his brothers Ben and Finn were abused as children. They ran away from the last abusive foster home and were rescued by Mackenzie Monroe. He legally adopted them and raised them, on his ranch, as the men they would become. Sam has always loved the ranch life and after three weeks in the hills with the cattle he returns to find Penny Cash as their new housekeeper. Penny, a certified teacher, was supposed to be teaching at the local school when the teacher she was going to replace remained in the position. Mac knew that she needed a job and was convinced to hire her. After helping to raise her three brothers, she knew how to take care of a household and soon became indispensable to the family. Penny doesn’t plan on staying, as she plans on accepting the first teaching job that is offered, but fate has a way of changing her plans. She finds Sam attractive, but they are so totally different…can they make a go of it? When a relative of Penny’s brings unexpected danger to her, can Sam rescue her in time? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

This is the second book in this series. Although I did not read the first book this book was very easy to follow. I found it to be a very sweet romantic story with a little bit of a twist. From the first moment they meant there was chemistry between Penny and Sam. When Sam meets Penny for the very first time I honestly do not think she liked him very much. This really upsets Sam. He sets out to prove to Penny that they is more to him then meets the eye. This is a very entertaining read with great characters that will keep you smiling and laughing until the very last page. I cannot wait to see where the next book in this series takes us.

I just couldn't get into this book, unfortunately. I tried. The scenes are a bit rushed and there were so many storylines and POV's that I just got lost in knowing what the story was about. Most of the scenes centered around meal time and even then it was rushed and forced dialogue. They'd say something heartfelt and then we moved to the next scene abruptly.
I found the head-hopping distracting. I know that some authors try for third-person omniscient, but it isn't something to do half-hazardly. If you're going to commit to that kind of POV, you have to know when and where to alternate perspectives. In a love story, I've noticed it most successful when it's only the leading man and woman that have shared POV's during scenes. And usually, even they have a full paragraph or so to themselves that builds tension and chemistry. When it switches back to the other person it doesn't feel so forced and abrupt (like head hopping).
I could have seen an occasional chapter with Mac and Mary Pat having a small storyline and maybe an occasional scene with one of the brothers having a POV. But, it was all over the place and everyone had a POV and a storyline and were involved in each scene.
The first half was more about characterization than the actual plot, which moved along slowly. If you can get past that, you can get into more of the actual story. But it took me a long while to get through the first several chapters.

Also, I couldn't really grow to like Penny and Sam either. I think because Ryan spent so much time with each character in each scene, that I never really got to know the main characters well. Which can happen when you change POV's so often, Other than Penny wishing she had a teaching job, I didn't really know who she was or what she desired. It took a good half the book to get that plot rolling. She was completely disgusted with Sam, yet found him hot enough to kiss. I found that unrelatable and I actually skimmed through the first kissing scene. I just didn't "feel" it. The characters lacked real chemistry.

4.5 stars. This cowboy romance stole my heart! I enjoyed these characters very much. I like that things weren't rushed and developed naturally. Though the suspenseful element of the story was a bit far fetched, it was still a great read overall!

Crassy or Classy 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Story 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Enjoyment 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Very sweet, very enjoyable read. Though I struggled in the early chapters, pressing on was highly rewarded with characters that became more relatable and charming with every page, and a thrilling conclusion that had me on the edge of my seat..

I’ve long been a fan of R.C. Ryan, and this series is on track to become a favorite. A lot of good, wholesome and steamy things to be found here. Looking forward to Finn’s book!

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for honest review.

This was a DNF for me. I just could not get into the characters or the overall rushed feeling of the first couple chapters.

I am really enjoying RC's cowboy romances. Great primary and secondary characters. I live series and being able to see what is happening with previous characters. Great read