Customer Reviews

Montana Legacy

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I really, really wanted to like this book. I saw it in the store, noticed the cover - cute boy! - and was excited to take it home. Unfortunately, Montana Legacy is as dull as dishwater. The author spends so much time on backstorythe author concentrates on the angst of the grandsons so much that I was like, OKAY, I GET IT ALREADY.

I also found the relationship between the hero/heroine to be lifeless. They sort of pay lip service to a past relationship but I didn't feel any real connection between them. For me, Montana Legacy was a disappointment and I didn't finish it. ~ Cerise, [...]

R.C. Ryan is the pen name for Ruth Langan.

Jesse McCord and his cousins have heard the stories that supposedly there is a fortune in McCord gold to be found. There grandfather searched for years but never found any as did many of the other generations, until the stories were regarded more as just that stories.

Amy Parrish left a long time ago. When she did, she took Jesse's heart. She has now returned. Jesse isn't sure he wants to give Amy another chance but he can't deny the feelings he still has for her. Will Amy and Jesse finally have the happy ending they wish for?

Montana Legacy is book one in this trilogy. I thought this book was a pretty good start to this trilogy. Amy and Jesse's relationship was more on the sweeter side. While there were some good moments in this book, there wasn't anything that really jumped out at me and kept my interest going full speed. I do have to admit that this is a quick read, even though I couldn't fully get into this book as much as everyone else seemed to enjoy it. The setting for this story...Montana ranch with hot cousins is enough to make me willing to give a second chance to RC Ryan and check out Montana Destiny, the next book.

New York Times best-selling author Ruth Ryan Langan, under the pen R.C. Ryan, has written more than ninety fiction novels, both contemporary and historical in a career spanning more than twenty years. Other titles include: Montana Destiny, Montana Glory, Heart's Delight, Paradise Falls, Ashes of Dreams, Cover Up, Wanted, Passions Law, Angel, Deception, and Nevada Nights. She has also co-authored books with Nora Roberts. She resides in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Amy Parrish was the one person that Jesse McCord ever let in. But when she left with no explanation, Jesse closed himself off, focusing only on his family's ranch. Except now Amy is back, tending to a sick father and offering to help Jesse find the illusive McCord gold, a legendary tale of hidden treasure passed down in the McCord family for generations. With Jesse's grandfather passing away before telling of where he's searched for the gold, his two prodigal cousins returning to the ranch, Amy back in his life tearing at his heart, and an unseen enemy closing in and threatening their lives... Jesse is about to lose his sanity.

There are three criticisms that stood out to me while reading the book. One, it is never mentioned what Amy's father is sick with, though cancer is implied. Two, the mystery element wasn't really introduced until halfway through. And three, Jesse seemed to forgive Amy rather swiftly. None of these things deterred me from reading, but were more observations.

This is the first of Ruth's books I've read, though I did, of course, recognize the name. It's no surprise how she's captivated audiences for as long as she has. Ruth writes with an elegance rarely seen anymore, with imagery in her setting as her strongest suit. You really get a feel for where you are and who you're reading about. Without dumping it on the reader, you'll learn a lot about ranching and Montana while reading this book. The secondary characters really stand out, from an eccentric Aunt Cora, a sly Cal, or the two displaced cousins, Wyatt and Zane, they add to the story nicely. I like that the hunt for treasure will continue in the next two books, Montana Destiny (Wyatt's story) and Montana Glory (Zane's story). A great book about life, love, dreams, and coming home again. Recommended!

Montana Legacy is the first and the foundation for a trilogy of novels about the "McCords" a family dynasty of ranchers whose history dates back to the 1800's. Specifically, their ancestor "Jasper" and his son supposedly found a sack of gold nuggets at `Grasshopper Creek' which was later stolen by another prospector. Jasper's descendent "Gabriel `Coot' McCord" made it his mission in life to find the gold that was purportedly buried somewhere on the thousands of acres of rangeland owned by the family. In fact, the quest for the treasure consumed three generations of McCords. The treasure is thought to be "cursed". Unfortunately old Coot's obsession with finding it ripped his family apart and only one of his three sons remained on the `Lost Nugget' ranch to raise his strong minded son "Jesse". As noted in the synopsis, Montana Legacy is Jesse's story.

Jesse and his first cousins "Wyatt" and "Zane", had been closer than brothers during their early years growing up in their large extended family on the ranch. However, when Wyatt and Zane's parents left and took them to other parts of the country the boys became estranged. Jesse was young when his parents died and was raised by Coot and his sister "Cora" an eccentric, brilliant artist. Coot was therefore a father figure for Jesse and he loved his grandfather and his Aunt Cora beyond measure.

As the story opens, old Coot has passed away after an accident which brings Wyatt and Zane back to the ranch for the funeral. This is the first time they have been back since their parents took them away. Jesse is very angry with his cousins as he feels they neglected their grandfather for all these years. So, while the reunion for Wyatt and Zane is warm, it is less so with Jesse. Ms. Ryan wrote 3 strong Alpha males in the McCord cousins, each unique and there are hints Zane particularly did not have an easy life after leaving the ranch. I loved Aunt Cora, the matriarch of the family who, despite the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the boys reunion wants them to find the friendship they once shared. It is, after all what Coot would have wanted.

"Amy Parrish", Jesse's childhood sweetheart, also attends Coot's funeral. The circumstances surrounding the dissolution of Amy and Jesse's previous relationship was painful and the introspective thoughts related by the author for these characters lets readers know that misconceptions are held by both. Amy is a gentle willowy woman whose strength of character and determination belies her form. Amy had returned to town from her job in another part of the State to tend to her ailing father. She intends to return to `Helena` and her teaching position when her father's health issues are resolved.

After the funeral Cora, Jesse, Wyatt, Zane, "Dandy Davis and Cal Randall" (long-time employees at the ranch and close friends to Coot) are called together for the reading of the Last Will and Testament. Coot proves to be an extremely wealthy man and a very clever one at that. He essentially manipulates Wyatt and Zane into staying on the ranch and working with Jesse to continue the search for the "lost treasure". Jesse is less than happy about this arrangement but as it turns out Coot knows what he was doing because following some rough first weeks it forces the cousins to work together toward a common goal, trying to piece together the snippets of their grandfather's efforts to find the treasure.

I found Jesse and Amy's love story to be a subplot woven into the family history and dynamic in the narrative of this book. They certainly have chemistry and there is considerable conflict because of an old family feud between Coot and Amy's curmudgeonly father, and misconceptions concerning what ended their previous relationship. However, there is a lot going on in this story which IMHO lessened the page time given to the rekindling of their feelings for one another and eventual reunion. That being said, Ms. Ryan writes a couple of nasty antagonists into a suspense subplot involving threats on Amy's life and adds a couple of plot twists that were surprising. I was shocked by the identity of one of the bad guys who isn't revealed until the closing pages. In addition there is lots of action, including a scene involving the McCord cousins in a barroom brawl that was great fun, a car chase through the country and a near death experience. Ms. Ryan does have a lovely voice, her lush descriptive prose is excellent, I also found the dialogue and tone appropriate to the setting of the story.

Wyatt's story "Montana Destiny" is to be published in May 2010, and I'm looking forward to the read. I'm very curious to see where Ms. Ryan will take the McCords next.

If you enjoy a story about a large extended family reunited on a sprawling western ranch and a theme of lovers reacquainted, you may like to try "Montana Legacy".

Heat Level: Good sexual tension and chemistry, not sexually explicit. A sweet love story.

My Rating: 3.5/5 A good read.

The McCord cousins were closer than brothers when they lived on their grandfather's sprawling cattle ranch in Montana. It was a working ranch and prosperous but the family's legacy also included a long lost treasure in buried gold. This treasure which was generally regarded as the McCord curse because of the obsession that fell on the different generations - each trying to find what had long been buried and lost.

The day of Gabriel McCord's funeral was painful for everyone, but particularly hard on Jesse McCord. Of the three grandchildren, he was the one who had stayed on the ranch with his grandfather. Aside from the deep loss, he dreaded having to deal with his cousin who never bothered to keep in contact or drop in to visit them over the years. There was his cousin Zane McCord who moved to California when he was a child. Zane stayed out West and became a famous actor in his own right, but never once reached out or came back to visit. Then there was Wyatt, whose parents took him traveling. Even after the accident that killed them, Wyatt continued on his travels - working on ships, all sorts of jobs in far off places - but never headed home. As Jesse, Wyatt and Zane find themselves living on the ranch together, they slowly adjust to their shared responsibilities and rediscover their old friendships. The friendship between the cousins is one of the interesting subplots of Montana Legacy. It's clear that R.C. Ryan intends to give each of the cousins their own fleshed out stories - their banter and camaraderie certainly adds to the fun of Montana Legacy.

The novel centers on Jesse and Amy Parrish, his longtime and long lost love. It's clear from the start that they're both still attracted to each other and that they still care about one another, but it isn't until the very end of the novel that we learn what has kept Jesse and Amy apart for years. Montana Legacy has twists and turns, a mystery and danger - as well as a fun, satisfying romance.

ISBN-10: 0446548618 - Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Forever; 1 edition (March 1, 2010), 304 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

Coot McCord spent his life seeking gold lost on the family ranch. His endeavor destroyed the family, but in death his three grandsons, first cousins, return to the spread to pay their respects to the old Coot. His will simply states that the trio will earn a share if they remain on the ranch to search for the missing gold.

Jesse McCord remained on the ranch though his beloved Amy Parrish broke his heart when she left without a word. Besides his two cousins (Wyatt and Zane) who left years ago, Amy is also back in town caring for her sick father. To his chagrin he still loves her, but needs to know why she left and how she truly feels. He may not have time to learn what he wants to know as someone has plans for the ranch and eliminating a cousin or a girlfriend is no problem.

The opening act of the McCord cousins' trilogy is an enjoyable contemporary ranch romance with suspense coming in the second half of the story line; once the reader meets the key cast. This second chance at love is character driven with solid secondary protagonists and a wonderful lead pair although fans will think Jesse is using his wrong head with how fast he forgives his beloved Amy. Still that aside, the audience will appreciate this Big Sky Country opening act with Wyatt's Destiny and Zane's Glory to soon further enjoy R.C. Ryan's Montana tour.

Harriet Klausner

The Lost Nugget is a working ranch in Montana. Grandpa Coot had purchased all the surrounding land possible, so the ranch now boasts thousands of acres. Three McCord cousins and their families live with Grandpa Coot and Aunt Cora in the massive house. Jesse McCord, the oldest cousin, never leaves the ranch. However, the other two leave when their parents move away from Montana. Once adults, Wyatt and Zane do not return to the Lost Nugget until they receive word of Grandpa Coot's death. The estranged cousins are brought back together for the funeral. The will forces the trio to remain on the ranch together and to continue Coot's search for the family lost fortune.

Amy Parrish is Jesse's lost love. As a teen, she had moved away suddenly, with no word of explanation. Now she has returned to care for her ailing father. Their feelings for each other have never dimmed, but neither is willing to hand over their heart for fear of rejection. Danger lurks them as well, because someone close is threatening Amy and Jesse's very lives.

**** FOUR STARS! A well written story with fully-developed characters that I easily came to care for. The tempers of the cousins are short and they enjoy venting their anger with their fists; however, the author makes it clear that they never abuse innocents. The unknown enemy does not begin causing trouble until half-way into the story. Until then the story focuses on reuniting the cousins and bringing Jesse and Amy back together. By the end, I felt as though I had read two back-to-back novellas. (Before danger starts and after.) However, since this title is the first of a trilogy, I understand that a solid foundation for all three titles needs to be built. The author does a fabulous job of it too. I eagerly await the next McCord cousin's story in May, 2010. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Jesse McCord knew from birth he was a cowboy who loved the open spaces and hard work on his family ranch. Growing up with his cousins and the grandfather he adored made the life worthwhile everyday he came home tired and weary. But his cousins had left young and some hard feelings were developed but now they are back after their grandfather's untimely death and the reunion is bittersweet. The other person back in his life is Amy Parrish, his first and only love. She came to care for her father but they are both crossing paths with one another and fighting off the passion that drew them together as young adults and it is as uncontrollable now as it was before.

Jesse works through the troubles of having his cousins back to share the responsibility of ranch life added to the hatred Amy's father feels towards him but resolves to work out past hurt and despair to move forward with Amy in his life. Adding to all this emotion the secret search for the gold their grandfather spent his life seeking is back on everyone's mind. Old notes his grandfather had written show up and town gossip is stirring up the fact that there is gold in the hills and the cousins plus Amy may just be able to find it with fresh eyes, new thoughts and modern technology.

But along the rocky path to finding their relationship Jesse and Amy discover someone does not want that to happen and one near death experience after another haunts Amy distracting everyone from the search for gold. Could it be that someone is trying to harm Amy to get back at Jesse, but why he has enemies but nothing worth killing over or is there something no one is aware of stirring up the troubles they are fighting off.

If this book is any indication what the next two will be I can't wait to read them. The action never stops and when you are drawn into the story you find yourself unable to stop reading. This was a start to finish in one day book because only stops for snacks are worth putting this book down.

Mary Gramlich (The Reading Reviewer)[...]

Montana Glory is a refreshing story that takes the reader straight to the state of Montana. I like the assortment of different characters and their traits. They are fresh and lively, even the secondary players add a variety of zest. It was heartwarming the way Zane took up time with Summer. The contact between Riley and Zane lights up with chemistry throughout the pages. The nice intrigue with Riley's secret was a good addiction to the storyline. R.G. Ryan spins a tale of romance and thrilling suspense that keeps the reader engaged throughout. The writing is beautifully scripted entailing a close-knit family, some rugged cowboys, and an unforgettable cast sure to please. - Linda L.

MONTANA LEGACY
R.C. Ryan
Forever - Hachette Book Group
ISBN: 978-0-446-54861-8
$6.99 - Paperback
304 pages
Reviewer : Annie Slessman

The first book in the Fool's Gold trilogy, MONTANA LEGACY, by R.C. Ryan introduces the reader to the McCord family. As the story opens, the family matriarch, Coot McCord has passed away bringing his family together for a final goodbye.

Coot's three grandsons, Jesse, Wyatt and Zane grew up as youngsters on the ranch and were as close as brothers. However, as the years unfolded, parents of Wyatt and Zane moved from the ranch taking Wyatt and Zane with them. Remaining was Jesse's father. When he lost his father, Jesse became even closer to his grandfather and made the Lost Nugget his permanent home. When grandfather Coot passes away, both Wyatt and Zane return to the Lost Nugget and Jesse's wrath.

Due to the illness of her father, Amy Parrish returns to the area and renews her former relationship with Jesse. When the ranch is left to the three cousins, they once again join together in the search for the lost treasure their grandfather has sought his entire life. Supposedly the treasure is located somewhere on the ranch which consists of thousands of acres. Along with the boys beloved Aunt Cora, now the elder of the family, they began their search for the lost treasure using Coot's notes of his search.

This is a book will provide a nice day of reading and keep the reader's interest throughout the entire book. At $6.99, this reviewer would say this provides good entertainment at a very low cost.