Penny Cash is down on her luck. Her dream is to become a teacher, but finding a school with an open position is proving to be difficult. In need of money, Penny accepts a job as a housekeeper at the Monroe Ranch. She’s not one to shy away from hard work, but Penny didn’t realize how tough it would be to resist the sexy cowboy who’s now her boss.
Bad boy Sam Monroe has no intention of ever getting tied down. But from the moment Penny begins working at the ranch, there’s nothing he enjoys more than getting under her skin. And before too long, he finds himself flirting with forever. So when Penny’s little brother comes to town and gets involved with the wrong people, Sam will stop at nothing to protect the woman he’s coming to love–and the family she holds dear.
Titles in the Montana Strong series include – Cowboy on My Mind – The Cowboy Next Door –
Also includes the bonus novella Saved by the Cowboy by A.J. Pine
Title: The Cowboy Next Door
Series: Montana Strong #2
Author: R. C. Ryan
Genre: Modern Western Romance
Published: February 26, 2019
Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
My Rating: 4.5 stars
THE COWBOY NEXT DOOR is exactly the type of Modern Western Romance that I’m drawn to time and time again. Both Penny and Sam have past issues to get beyond to find their own personal happiness together, a strong sense of family, an acknowledgement that something has to change in a life in order to get that happy ending and a slow burn that heats up the pages, the kind that leads to a truly lifelong happy ever after.
On the surface, Penny and Sam might seem to be opposites but at their core, they have so much in common. He’s determined to grab hold of all the fun and enjoyment in life possible because it might be snatched away at any moment. She’s had to be the adult, the strong one as she raised her younger brothers and had no time for much of anything beyond family and studying for her teaching degree. Now these two will find that with a little trust, some give on some subjects, a strong sense of family, love worth fighting for and a future that can bring them everything they believed they would never need is within their reach… but they’ll have to work for it, trust each other, fight together for what could be their future.
I was easily caught up in THE COWBOY NEXT DOOR. This story is full of believable characters facing real-life situations, secondary characters that help bring the story alive and who will or have had their stories told one day. I loved Mac and what he did for these brothers, without his love, discipline, and encouragement they would not be the men they are today. If there is a hero in this series, then, in my opinion, that man is Mac.
If you’re in the mood for a slow-burning love story, realistic characters to care about, some swoon-worthy moments, some laughter, a bit of suspense and an ending that will stop your heart… then you’re gonna love THE COWBOY NEXT DOOR.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
Available in paperback and for the Kindle
