Book Review for THE RANCHER by Kate Pearce

On the legendary ranch she can now call home, one woman searches for her place in her birth family—and finds so much more . . .
 
Now that she’s completed her engineering degree, Rachel Ford Morgan is trying to find her footing around her birth father and her four brothers. She gets a chance to prove herself when she discovers worrisome fault lines around an abandoned silver mine. But they’re nothing compared to the cowboy who seems determined to shake up her world . . .
 
Cauy Lymond doesn’t take kindly to the woman nosing around his property—especially since she’s a Morgan. He came home just to keep his father’s failing ranch out of their super-wealthy hands. But he soon realizes that Rachel’s skill—and admirable courage—may be the only things that can shore up the old mine that threatens both their futures. Still, it will take pouring all of their blood, sweat, and secrets into saving the land—and ultimately, themselves—to bring their true feelings for each other to the surface . . .

---

The family drama at the Morgan Ranch has intrigued me over this series. The characters are interesting with their strengths and weaknesses, their appealing and irritating habits of nature make them like most of us, thus easy to relate to. 
The family has faced so many problems over the years, or should I say decades, yet one of the happier events was when they found their little sister, Rachel, again. No, it hasn't been all dancing on the roses to adjust being part of a family Rachel Ford Morgan had no idea existed, but with time and lots of TLC, she is slowly but surely finding her place with the rambunctious crowd that is her biological family. Some of the struggles of that adjustment are shown in this story, and the mix of pain and jubilee Rachel experience aided her way to my heart. 
Cauy Lymond has faced troubles and heartache in his life from the young age. The difficult relationship with his father drove him from home at the early age of sixteen. He has made a good life for himself, but paid the price dearly, with an accident that scarred him for life, and a divorce that left him skeptical towards love and romance, happiness in general. He is on the quiet side, an introvert, who avoids big crowds and rather lets other people take care of the conversation surrounding him.  
The connection between Cauy and Rachel is immediate, the attraction somewhat sweet in nature, and their physical chemistry sizzles. They seem so perfect together, like two opposite making one harmonious whole, if they could just communicate better with each other, and trust the raging emotions in their hearts and minds. 
I enjoyed the story. It is entertaining as it pulled me into the country life; to the troubles and concerns of the rancher's life, to the drama of the families, the neighbors, and unruly guests of the dude ranch. As much as the book is a love story between Rachel and Cauy, it is also a part of the Morgan family saga, that has continued over the series. The whole family is gathered together for the holiday season, and the readers get to witness the progress of their lives and loves.  
An enjoyable, inspiring, and touching story of families that sticks together and has each other's backs in all the hurdles of life, and in the midst of it all, two broken souls, people who deserve to be loved and cared for maybe more than most, find the home of their hearts within the safe harbor of each other's souls. 
~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

---

---

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kate Pearce was born in England in the middle of a large family of girls and quickly found that her imagination was far more interesting than real life. After acquiring a masters degree in history and barely escaping from the British Civil Service alive, she moved to California and then to Hawaii with her kids and her husband and set about reinventing herself as a romance writer.
She writes the hot stuff for Kensington Aphrodisia, Random House UK Rouge Romance, Ellora's Cave and Cleis Press and is known for both her unconventional heroes and her joy at subverting romance cliches about exactly who gets into bed with whom. In her spare time she self publishes science fiction erotic romance, historical romance and whatever else she can imagine. She also writes for Signet Eclipse and Carina Press.

---