The new novel from the bestselling author of Wind River Cowboy Healing, like love, takes time . . . For Noah Mabry, it’s easier sometimes to relate to the dogs and horses he trains than to other people. Ever since his marriage became a casualty of the war in Afghanistan—torn apart by the PTSD he brought back with him—he prefers to be on his own. At the Bar C Ranch, where he works with a crew … be on his own. At the Bar C Ranch, where he works with a crew of fellow military vets, his gentle patience helps tame even the rowdiest mustang—but he’s about to meet a woman who needs a healing touch he’s not sure he can give.
Dair Wilson, a half-Comanche ex-Marine who lost a foot to an IED, has been hired on to assist Noah, but her deepest wounds aren’t visible. Growing up in an abusive home, she learned not to trust men, even ones who seem nothing but kind. After a wild horse sends her sprawling, the attentive care she receives from the Bar C family—and especially from Noah—is enough to convince her she’s found a place she can finally breathe easy. But one angry, damaged man poses a threat not only to Dair and Noah, but to everyone who’s built a new home at the Bar C . . .
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I love this author I have read this series from the beginning. I would recommend this series it keeps your interest and is a easy read. You cannot be disappointed reading most of her fun reads. Lots of action and romance!
It’s wonderful that this series is about veterans, their very real life problems and the strength that some have in them to survive.
The Bar C Ranch in Wind River Valley is owned and staffed by vets. The entire staff is made up of military veterans who have all come together to work there, become a family, and support one another through PTSD and other issues from their military service. Dair is an ex-Marine that lost the lower part of a leg to an IED in Afghanistan. While recovering at the military hospital in Bethesda she was able to go on an outing to a nearby ranch where she met Noah. They shared an amazing kiss and never thought they would see one another again. Dair has now returned to her home state of Wyoming looking for work. Since her Comanche grandmother taught her to train horses from a young age, she is a great candidate for the assistant horse trainer position at the Bar C Ranch. During her interview, she finds out that Noah is the horse trainer she would be assisting at the Bar C. Can Dair deal with her feelings of not being a whole woman in order to let Noah into her life? Can Noah learn from his failed marriage in order to have a strong relationship with Dair?
Dair is a strong woman who feels vulnerable because of her amputation. The author did a good job of portraying the emotions of a recent amputee and the daily struggles they deal with. Noah is a good man who just wants to care for and protect Dair. I found their love story inspiring. The characters are well developed and the plot is good but it did move a bit slow for my taste. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and all of the characters in it. I love that the entire ranch is run by veterans and that they have their Friday night group “meetings” that include a therapist. Our military veterans don’t get enough support from the public or the people around them so it was nice to see them band together to support one another. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series of books.
i have read her for years and she has a style that gives a look into and maybe understanding of something about our service men and women.
Slow, boring dialogue and uninspired story. I was disappointed as I generally like the author.
The story was fine about veterans who found jobs on a Wyoming ranch. It gave you insight into some of their struggles. However, I thought the writing was amateurish and way to cheesy.
As a horse owner & rider, this author writes realistic and accurate descriptions of training and riding horses. The love story is nice also-really like the characters.
Really slow read. I usually love her books but this was hard to get into the story.
I love this book. I love this whole series, you need to read this book!
A great read.
Revolves around disabled vets and strength within us with romance on the side. Really like this. author
This book was awful. The writing was stilted and a little on the archaic side. The story was okish otherwise. I’m not sure when it was published but it seemed a bit dated. The characters were a bit wooden and I just couldn’t find myself caring about them.
It was informative about veterans and problems they have with PTSD. Sunday 8 am to 5 pm ET
Wrangler’s Challenge is part of a series but after reading a review I decided to give it a try since it involved ranches, horses, and people overcoming adversity. This book had many things going on from Vets working through PTSD, a female soldier adjusting to losing part of her leg, and childhood abuse. All of the issues are handled in a compassionate manner and made for a good story. The main characters are Noah Mabry, an Afghanistan Vet with PTSD and Dair Wilson, the ex-Marine who loses her foot to an IED along with her bomb sniffing dog Zeus. They meet briefly when Dair goes to a ranch with other amputees and then as fate would have it she ends up interviewing and working for Noah at a ranch owned by Vets who want to give Vets another chance at life. The story flows smoothly and you will find yourself rooting not just for Noah and Dair but all Vets trying to find their way back home. Though part of a series you will not need to read the others first to enjoy this book. Warning: Adult Sexual Content with – which you can skip over and still fully enjoy the book.
Wrangler’s Challenge by Lindsay McKenna
Wind River Valley #4
Love grows slowly in this story of two veterans of war who work on the BAR C Ranch in Wyoming. Dair Wilson is has worked with dogs and lost her WMD companion and part of her leg in Afghanistan when she arrives at the ranch hoping for a job training horses. Noah Mabry is unsure she can do the job with a prosthetic leg but after a trial decides she can.
The BAR C Ranch is a haven for veterans of the military. All have PTSD and need a safe place to land. In previous books Shay & Reese and Garret & Kira have had their stories told. Through the books there has been a theme of the impact of war and also of abuse on survivors and this book continues that theme. Shay, owner of the ranch, has a particularly disagreeable father who appears again in this book – my hope is that he is locked away or put down as one dangerous horse mentioned in this book was dealt with. There is a great deal of information about amputees, prosthetic devices, healing and more in this book that will be educational for some. The main thing about these books is the team and the friendship, ties, caring and support that is found by all on the ranch. It is a bit of a fairy tale world with work and hardship but also a place to heal.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books-Zebra for the ARC – This is my honest review.
3-4 Stars
With action packed tales and emotionally revealing characters, Lindsay McKenna has been bridging the gap between romance and suspense for years. Although she has a foot in both genres what appeals to me is the fact that she takes on high risks subjects that are realistic and far reaching. For me the appeal is that she uses her voice to make a difference in the world by spotlighting topics that are controversial but no less important. Subjects like rape, war and the after effects of the people who experience these. Wrangler’s Challenge puts two such character’s center stage as they struggle with the danger they’ve seen, the people they’ve lost and the demons that followed them home. Impactive reading that is both entertaining and informative.