This is the last book in the Miller’s of Morgan Valley series and I'm sorry to see it end. The story is about the youngest Miller Evan and his romance with Josie. The book was a little slow getting started but well worth the wait.

Kate Peace does an awesome job of writing families. This is the last Miller brother who the family views as a screw-up and who can't keep his mouth shut. He's now old enough to decide what he's going to do with his life. When he meets Rio's sister Josie Martinez, who is visiting her brother, they strike up a friendship. Josie is taking an extended leave of absence from her office after a traumatic experience. They both make a bucket list of sorts, things they're afraid of doing or have put off, and they decide to help each other tick off the items.

Josie is an accomplished bull rider given she grew up on a bull breeding ranch and her big brother is a champion bull rider. But she's a girl and they are not generally accepted in the sport. The first thing on her list is entering an off circuit event. As they spend more time together each open up to the other bearing their hurts. His first on the list is ticking off his v-card. It leads to a friends with benefits relationship. I really enjoyed seeing them help heal each other and find there are ways to bring their lives together.

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

While at a crossroads in their lives, they decide to help each other out...

Evan, the second youngest Miller, is at a crossroads. He's happy being a ranch hand, but is considered kind of the screw up of the Miller family. So, he's trying something new out at Rio's ranch. Josie, Rio's half sister is on the ranch to reassess her life. So, she's riding bulls instead of being the VP of finance at Howarth's.

They make their respective lists and decide to help each other.
Recommend.
4.5

Romancing the Rancher is the sixth book in Kate Pearce’s Millers of Morgan Valley series. Youngest Miller brother Evan is seeking to make his own mark on the family legacy. His four older brothers have already established their places in the world, but Evan’s only claim to fame is that of the plain talking screw up. When he meets the younger half sister of neighboring rancher and billionaire businessman Rio Martinez, Evan begins to change, even grow up.

Josie Martinez also worked, as does her brother, in the fast paced Howarth Corporation until a tragic occurrence left her traumatized and in fear. At that time she fled San Francisco and came to stay on her brother’s ranch. As a physical way to deal with her trauma, Josie begins working with the young bulls being bred on the ranch and seems to have a knack for bull riding, as does her new acquaintance, Evan. Josie talks Evan into entering a small scale rodeo and she comes out ahead of all other entrants. But before she can get too excited about her win, Josie learns her assailant has been released for good behavior when she receives a threatening text.

This is a very interestingly plotted story by a dominant writer in this genre. The way Josie and Evan both overcome the issues they are individually dealing with to find their ways to their own promising futures takes many turns, but they work together towards that point. I enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

I really enjoyed returning to Miller's Ranch in Morgan Valley, California.  I liked this story that once again delved into the family dynamics of the Miller's with their patriarch dad, Jeff, who seemed to be mellowing out as he grew older, with the help of his ex-wife, Leanne.This was an interesting, romantic story that focused on the youngest Miller brother, Evan and on Josie.  I liked that there was a lot of drama, some heartache, some funny moments, and some scary moments to make me quickly turn the pages.  I also liked Evan, who just like his brothers fell in love.  I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

Rating 4.5 stars
This is the sixth and final book in The Millers of Morgan Valley Series. This series has been a favorite of mine since I read the first book and this installment was no exception. It was a wonderful book. The characters were lovely and the pace made it hard to put down. It was a great end to a great series.

I had a hard time getting into this book. It did not hold my attention and I easily walked away from it lots of times. I found it hard to follow and uninteresting.

Romancing the Rancher is a bittersweet goodbye to an irresistible series. Pearce treads a fine line between haunting and heartwarming. Evan and Josie lure readers in by the heartstrings and hold onto to them with a complex blend of intrigue and inspiration. From painful reveals to a determination of spirit, The Millers of Morgan Valley are one contradiction after the another. Larger than life and all heart should be their battle cry.

The last of the Miller siblings story, this is Ethan the baby of the bunch. Ethan is known for not being able to keep a secret, but he's decided to change things in his life. It's almost like he realized he's a grown up and it was time to make adult decisions. He doesn't appear to have much ambition or direction to his life other than working the family ranch. Honestly, he seems like a goofball at times and really doesn't want to actually talk things through. But I guess that comes with growing up.
Josie Martinez is home for a break, she's dealing with some turmoil in her life and needs to decompress. Having access to her brother Rio's bull raising ranch is the perfect solution. When she meets Ethan they are drawn to each other, with each of them at a crossroads they decide to start a challenge of sorts. And honestly some of the truths revealed are hard to believe and really come out of nowhere, you'll see what I mean. When dealing in truths you'd think communication would be key, but yet again there is that pesky failure to actually talk to the person and making decisions without discussions.
**Overall, the series gave you a glimpse into the complicated family dynamics of a slightly dysfunctional yet close knit family. Was taken out of the book several times, mainly by the fact that the kids are supposed to be alphabetically named, but not sure how Kaiden fits as the third son. And the huge difference in wealth standings was never fully dealt with and just glossed over.

I’m sorry that this is the end.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the connected Morgan Valley books from Kate Pearce. The two connected series started with The Reluctant Cowboy – book one of the 6-book Morgan Ranch series and then came The Millers of Morgan Valley – also a 6-book series. It makes me sad that these connect stories are coming to an end but Romancing the Rancher was a fantastic way to wrap things up.

Each book in this series has been about one of the Miller kids – 5 boys and 1 girl. Their father has been a significant character in each book and I loved watching this pretty horrible man mellow as the series continued. Many other characters from the two series show up in Romancing the Rancher but it can still be read as a standalone story.

Evan Miller is the youngest of 5 brothers and he falls for Josie the sister of one of the MCs from an The Billionaire Bull Rider. The two of them form a connection as friends first but they quickly become more. One of the obstacles to their romance is that Josie’s work has her traveling a lot and she’s based in San Francisco. There’s also the matter of something that happened to Josie which caused her to go stay with her brother to get some much-needed rest. We don’t find out exactly what happened until fairly far into the book.

I really don’t think the blurb does this book justice but I’m not sure how to improve on it without giving too much away. This was a story that held my attention from start to finish and I read it in less than a day.

I can’t believe that these connected series started back in November 2016; it doesn’t seem like it’s been that long. I’m really going to miss all of the great characters from these two series.

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

This is the last book in the Miller’s of Morgan Valley series. And while I did enjoy it, and how everything was wrapped up, for most of the book, I could not get into it until the last few chapters. I loved all of the Millers, and their love stories, but with this one, it was difficult. But overall, I enjoyed this series.

Kate Pearce brings us back home with the Miller boys again with this romance. This precious romance shows just how stubborn a cowboy can be but also Kate brings out the insecurities that men feel. I was up all night reading this book. It is a sweet but action-packed romance. ARC provided by NetGalley for my honest review.

This is my first read from this series, and I don't think that did me any favors this time around. I think that if I had the context of other people in the series, it may have helped this one along a bit.
Sadly for me, this one fell a little flat. It felt like it was missing that little zing that a good western romance can give you. This just felt really two dimensional, and didn't quite wow me. It was in the middle. It didn't do anything wrong necessarily, it just didn't do what I hoped it would. I would try this author again, but this book didn't do it for me.

I had some difficulty getting started with this book. I would keep picking it up try ing to start, lose interest, and put it down again. It took me some time to get involved in the story.

I had read the previous books in the series, but I felt like I should have reread a few before this one. There was the constant commentary about Evan being nice, kind, and honest, but a big mouth, being irresponsible, etc. There were never any details given as to what specific things Evan had done to make him be so down on himself. When he said those things, his family didn't try to dispute them.

Evan and Josie definitely had a connection but it did seem more like friendship than romance. There was no excitement or heat, but there seemed to be comfort in the relationship. The bucket list thing Evan and Josie started on was kind of unusual. I felt like it didn't really fit, and possibly took away from the romance.

This was a sweet story. It was nice to get an update about the lives of the other Miller brothers. I would not suggest you read this one before reading at least a couple of the other books in the series. Just my opinion. It was an ok read once I got into it, although the storyline felt a little all over the place.

Everyone got their HEA, and I guess that is what mattered. I voluntarily read and reviewed the Advanced Reader Copy of this book received via NetGalley.

Having previously read 3 of the novels in this series, I wanted to read the sixth and final one, and although it wasn't a terrible read, it certainly wasn't my favorite book in the series either. It gets 2 stars from this reader.

First, Evan is the youngest son in the Miller family and the only one who's still playing the field, although he really isn't seeing anyone at all. My problem with Evan is that while he's likeable enough, we never find out his age, so when he admits to still being a virgin, in this day and age you just have to wonder how a guy who at least has to be in his twenties, is charming, honest and attractive has accomplished that feat. He's also rather ambivalent about what he wants to do with his life, other than staying put and working on his father's ranch, especially when he knows that ownership of the ranch it will eventually pass to his eldest brother, Adam.

Then, there's Josie, VP and CFO of a billion-dollar company, based in San Francisco. After a traumatic experience, she's taking time off out of the city and spending it in Morgan Valley with family, and when we first meet her she riding a bull--not usually something women do, but she's great at it. She isn't sure if she'll ever feel safe in a city again, or whether or not she wants to go back to her high-pressure job. More ambivalence.

The attraction between Josie and Evan is instantaneous, but they start out as friends and enjoy spending time with each other, and, as their relationship develops, they come to an understanding that Josie will eventually move back to San Francisco, and no matter what or how she and Evan move their relationship forward, she and Evan will remain friends. Yeah, right.

Other than a few opportunities for these two characters to have mostly off-screen or rather tame sex, neither is good at communicating, with each other or with anyone else, for that matter, and there are plenty of "others" to deal with. If this is the first book you've read in the series, I have no clue how you'll figure out who is who in this novel, because every character in the series appears in this one, and although I'd read books #2, 3 and 5, I spent a good deal of time doing just that.

The one character who was central in the installments I read was Evan's father, Jeff, who was totally unlikeable throughout the series, gruff, impossible to please, and who certainly didn't qualify for a father of the year award. He redeems himself somewhat in this novel, even his ex-wife, who's been absent for decades makes peace with him, but he still rubbed this reader the wrong way at every turn.

Finally, the chemistry between Evan and Josie--it just wasn't there. They made better friends than they did lovers, and neither seemed capable of expressing their true feelings, having one misunderstanding after another, with hurt feelings on both sides. I expected a lot more romance from a romance novel, especially when its title is Romancing the Rancher, but it just wasn't there.

While I've enjoyed a number of books by Kate Pearce, this wasn't one of them, and if you feel as if you must read the last novel in the series, go for it, but I cannot recommend it.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions stated are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington books for giving me early access to this book!

I will start out by saying that it is rare for me to pick up a book part way through a series, let alone the last book in a series. I like to start at the beginning and read through books in whatever order the author has designated. So jumping into Romancing the Rancher, the last in the Morgan Valley series, was an interesting experience. There were a lot of characters that felt a little random at times, but it was clear they had had their own story at some point in the series. In retrospect, I think I would have enjoyed this book more having already been invested in the family of characters and the ranch itself.

The book's main characters seem to fall near instantly for each other but at times it was hard to feel their chemistry come off the page. I felt like I was often being told things about the characters that weren't backed up in the dialogue or their actions. Plot happened and then no one seemed to process it or bring it up later and so it was hard for me to get invested in the love story or anything else. There is a lot of plot early on about Evan, one of the lead characters, being mad or not mad at his brother and I never got a sense of whether he was ACTUALLY mad at the brother, but everyone talked about it. I think, because of this, the characters often fell flat for me and it was difficult to tell if I would have felt more for them if I'd read the earlier books.

The plot also was a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but nothing felt consistent. Were the leads making a list and doing things off of that? Making decisions about a company or their next step in life? Surviving assault? All of those things were happening but inconsistently throughout the book. It felt like everything was happening then nothing at all because no decisions were discussed after the fact.

Overall, this was a fine read for the last few weeks but I wish I had read the other books in the series first. I might go back and read them now? Maybe?

Romancing the Rancher by Kate Pearce
The Millers of Morgan Valley #6

The conclusion of this series with the youngest Miller son finding his HEA was not my favorite but did tie the family series up without any strings dangling.

What I liked:
* Evan: I had mixed feelings about him. He was a good guy but varied from empathetic and wise to immature and clueless. That said, he was on a mission to find himself and did a pretty good job of it as the story progressed.
* Josie: I liked her but again, had mixed feelings about her. She wasn’t as open as I might have liked her to be but she did care about family and was willing to get the help s he needed to overcome the trauma she experienced.
* The location: Love going back to Morgan Valley and wonder if there is another spinoff coming that might include this location in the future.
* Getting to see the rest of the Millers and how they are doing
* The to-do lists the two created
* The friendship that developed between Josie and Evan
* That Danny didn’t give up on Evan
* The tattoo scene – wondering if that could be a spinoff to a new series set in another location
* The tight family bonds
* That there was a HEA without strings left dangling and the series completed

What I didn’t like:
* the bad guy…not sure he was needed but…it added a fillip of flavour to the story
* That I didn’t really feel the zing between Josie and Evan that I had hoped for
* The total acceptance of Jeff, the Miller patriarch, and his past behaviour…sure…he worked on himself and forgiveness is golden but…
* Having the series end

Did I enjoy this book? Yes, but not as much as the previous ones
Would I read more by this author? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington-Zebra for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

Evan is the youngest of the Miller brothers. He has a reputation as a happy go lucky guy who takes responsibility lightly. Tired of still being treated like a kid, Evan decides it's time for him to make some changes..
Josie Martinez, Rio's (of the The Billionaire Bull Rider) sister has come to her brother's ranch to rest and recover after suffering a trauma. When Evan shows up at the ranch to check out the bulls heist surprised to find Josie riding one. Josie is also at a crossroads, unsure of herself and her high profile position in her brother's company. She and Evan decide to help each other overcome their fears and start making some changes in their lives.
The more time Evan spends with Josie the more he grow to respect her and the more time he wants to spend in her company. Evan knows Josie's time in Morgantown is limited, besides, he's not good enough for her. But no matter what he tells himself, he can't help falling for her. For her part, Josie knows Evan won't want to leave Morgantown and his family, no matter how much they annoy him. She knows she can't stay; she just doesn't know how they can make a relationship work. Of course, first Evan needs to acknowledge he wants a relationship.
Evan's lack of self confidence, his sense of inadequacy, and his family's low expectations for him add to the hurt and insecurity he's feeling and become his driving force. They are so well painted by the authors words and illustrated in the scenes she creates that they were as real to me as they were to Evan. I've been a fan of this series since Chase Morgan's story in The Reluctant Rancher, and, while I've enjoyed the individuality of each story, none have spoken to me like Evan's story has.
Kate Pearce takes us back to Morgantown and the last Miller family son. While this story can be read as a stand alone, it will be much more meaningful and Evan's journey much more powerful if you read the earlier stories of the Miller siblings first. And I highly recommend them.

Ranching will always run in Evan Miller’s blood, but as the fifth son, he also wants to prove to his sceptical family that he can forge his own path. Evan encounters Josie Martinez, half-sister of world champion bull rider Rio Martinez.. Josie’s at her brother’s ranch recovering from an unexpected attack at her home & she’s struggling to get her life back on track. The ranch offers a sanctuary—with one gorgeous exception: Evan. But is he just a distraction, or can their growing bond—and undeniable attraction—persuade Josie that her heart is big enough for work and love.
This is the sixth & final book in the series. I’ve loved the Miller siblings & will be sad to leave them. I loved Evan the youngest son & somewhat lacking in self esteem & far more sensitive & caring than the image I’d built of him, I also loved Josie who was recovering from the trauma of a home invasion & still vulnerable. The pair were immediately attracted to each other & agreed to be friends & to help each other complete their wish lists. I loved their road to a HEA, which was strewn with obstacles, assumptions & some misunderstandings. A very well written, entertaining read which I found very hard to put down. I loved how this story meshed with earlier stories & there were a couple of weddings
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Really enjoyed Evan & Josie’s book, but am very sad this family is done. I was completely surprised by Evan’s truth that he dropped on Josie when they were talking about their bucket lists. I’m glad that Josie & Evan got together in this story, even though there were times I didn’t think it would happen. There was a sweetness to their relationship that had you swooning & hoping things worked out. I enjoyed seeing all the Miller family again, as well as Rio, Yvonne & Innes. The drama surrounding Josie’s stalker/attacker kept me hanging on the edge of my seat waiting for him to pounce. I was also surprised by all the weddings but it was great to see them all moving forward. Definitely love this book & entire Morgan Valley series. Thank you to Kensington Books, author Kate Pearce & Net Galley for letting me read this book for an honest review.