She’s not the country nanny he advertised for But she could be perfect for him… Jon Blackwell needs a woman ready to tackle the duties of a cattle ranch and two lively, take-no-prisoners twin girls. But ever since Lydia Newbury showed up at his six-generation Montana spread, the frazzled single father is rethinking, well, everything. The Philadelphia dazzler is a marvel. What he doesn’t know … What he doesn’t know is the secret that has Lydia on the run…
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I LOVED this book. I enjoy learning about new things when I read, and with this book I was able to get a glimpse of the difficult life of cowboys. They work hard from sun-up to sun-down. They have to keep those animals in line and cared for, assist with calving, mend broken fences, and the list goes on and on.
I loved so much about this book: the suspense of Lydia’s past threatening to catch up with her; Jon, the handsome, rugged cowboy; the farm animals and ranch dogs; the secondary characters. It all worked, and the story flowed seamlessly from beginning to end.
Lydia Newbury is on the run and finds herself as a nanny to Jon Blackwell’s five-year-old twins. To say they are spunky is mild. They are little imps of joy and curiosity. Will Lydia be able to convince the grouch faced rancher she is the woman for the job?
I have not read a Harlequin for many, many years and I am impressed with the Harlequin Heartwarming books. The Rancher’s Twins was full of clean romance with a detailed storyline. The plot of helping one another was the main focus and not how fast they could get in the bed.
The twins are utterly adorable and I hope they make cameo appearances in the rest of the series. You will find yourself falling in love with these little girls.
Fans of western romances written by Diana Palmer and Linda Lael Miller will enjoy this clean romantic story set on a ranch in beautiful Montana.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
Well, after finishing the first book in the Return of the Blackwell Brothers, I’m ready to binge read them all. Unfortunately, I can’t fit them all into my schedule right now—probably works out because they aren’t all out yet, anyway.
So instead of my binge read, let’s talk about Carol Ross’s contribution. The Rancher’s Twins sets readers up for what’s coming well. We’re introduced to the town, the family ranch, and a few people I’m sure will be making appearances in future books.
And seriously, if you want to up the cowboy attraction factor, give the man adorable twin daughters. Girls who are a little wild due to being raised on a ranch but with hearts for girly things too (which we all know that cowboy dad has no clue about, right?).
Good thing the new nanny does! There is plenty of tension between Jon Blackwell and Lydia when she arrives. He makes plenty of assumptions about the city-girl based on his past experiences. But Lydia squares her shoulders and proves herself repeatedly until Jon’s distaste for city women is no longer.
I can’t wait to meet the rest of the Blackwell clan and find out how the other authors of this series (did I mention each book is written by a different author?) build on the foundation Ross has laid out so well. And I’ve got some guesses of which townspeople just might play a larger role in some of the Blackwell’s lives.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
5 Stars!
The Rancher’s Twins was the perfect start to the Blackwell Brothers series written by one of my favorite HQ authors. I was again swept away to a fabulous locale within an impressive story line and wonderful main characters. The story was excellent in the details, character development, and plot, as well as drawing connections to the future books in this series. I’m going to enjoy learning more about every Blackwell brother and their plight to save their childhood ranch.
I loved the story, if you like cowboys, animals, twins you have to read the book. Jon is trying to run his ranch, then his grandfather takes off and all kinds of thing start to happen, I was given a copy of the book but this is an honest review. you will fall in love with the twins and all the animals
We meet Lydia and Jon in this book, Lydia is staying under the radar after running away from her ex boyfriend and takes up a job as a nanny, she has never been a nanny but loves kids so what could go wrong? Jon is at tipping point not only is he looking after the family farm but his Uncle has gone awol which means he has to look after things for his place but also can’t find a nanny for his twins who are more than a handful. As soon as they meet there is friction between then however Lydia doesn’t want to ruin things but is also trying to fit in while Jon doubts Lydia knows what she is doing and even when he does trust her he cannot let him self get close to her. There is plenty of times you want to whack not only Jon but at times Lydia in regards to the way they act or think towards each other but will her past come back to haunt her and can they work through self doubts and take a chance. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series as some great world building was done in this book and I want to meet more of the family!
“The Rancher’s Twins” by Carol Ross is book 1 of Return of the Blackwell Brothers continuity. Once I started reading, I didn’t want to stop!
Jonathon Blackwell needs a nanny for his rambunctious five-year-old twins, Abby and Gen.
Lydia Newbury needs a place to hide and, with help from a friend, hires on for the job as nanny.
Jon isn’t interested in having another city girl on his ranch, but as Lydia works a miracle with his daughters, she also does with his heart.
While Lydia expects to stay in Falcon Creek for a short time, she doesn’t expect to lose her heart to a grim-faced rancher and his adorable girls.
“The Rancher’s Twins” is delightful and captivating and a wonderful introduction to the Blackwell Brothers.
First of all, I love the cover! That alone would draw me into reading this book! The “blurb” also was another draw. It was enough to whet my appetite. I wanted to see what Lydia was running from! I was not disappointed! In the end, her story was tied up a little too easily but it didn’t diminish the overall enjoyment of the story for me! I still loved it! The twins were adorable and I especially liked how they were supposed to be “holy terrors” but after Lydia becomes their nanny, no one can believe how well behaved they are! It just shows you how one person can make a difference in the lives of children! Jon Blackwell wants a certain type of nanny and Lydia certainly isn’t it! She’s too much like his ex-wife and he wants her out of there, as soon as possible, except that everybody loves her, including his twins! I loved the interaction between Jon and Lydia. I wanted to slap Jon upside the head so many times! He wouldn’t give Lydia the benefit of the doubt on anything! Fortunately, everyone around him saw that she wasn’t like his ex-wife at all and thought she was great! This was just a great book and I loved it!
I received a complimentary copy from the author. My review of the book was not required and these opinions are my own!
She may not be what he ordered but it seems no one but him minds. She is on the run and has a good reason and is looking forward to learning something new. She misses her friends but she knows the decision she made was the best if she can only prevent the past from catching up. Can she convince him he needs her and can he let the past go and move to a future that is best for his girls?
I have never read anything by this author so I wasn’t sure what to expect and I was not disappointed. This book was so fun and a super quick read, I had a hard time putting it down. I loved the twins they were super fun to read about. I also really enjoyed Lydia and her amazing independent take no prisoners sassiness you always know what she was thinking she held nothing back. The author held nothing back. I loved how this book was a good clean read no foul language and suitable for all ages. Seriously grab this book you won’t be disappointed.
The Rancher’s Twins is the start of a new series with a collaboration of wonderful authors who truly mesh well with their writing styles. This is a story of hiding from the past and not letting the past determine your future. Lydia is hiding from a former beau who she discovered was cheating people financially and to right this wrong she took millions and donated it to several charities anonymously. Now in fear for her life, she takes a job as a nanny for two adorable five year olds on a remote ranch in Montana. Rancher Jon Blackwell is a single dad and over-stressed rancher trying to manage his life. He hires Lydia from an agency but when she arrives he thinks she will be just like his ex-wife, materialistic and vain. He agrees to temporary employment until he can find another but as Lydia conquers every task he sets, he realizes he misjudged her and also starts falling in love with her. As her past catches up with her, she tries to find a way to live the happily ever after that she found with Jon. This is a wonderful story filled with intrigue, laughs, a few tears and beautiful love story.
Great introduction to the Blackwell series
4.5 Stars
This was such a sweet beautiful story. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it. It’s one that just warms the heart. I loved Jon and his little girls. His girls were just too adorable. They were one of my favorite parts of the book. Their love of animals is something special. I also loved Lydia. My heart went out to her having to start over and thrown into an unexpected situation, but she’s one heck of a trooper. She’s exactly what Jon and his girls need. She brings so much light and happiness, but a surprise for Lydia they do the same for her. Except Lydia is keeping a secret of why she applied for the nanny position. Will it be a deal breaker for Jon? Jon already struggles from the hurt his ex did on him. Can he see past that hurt to grab the chance of a HEA he’s always pictured? I would highly recommend this book. I can’t wait to read more from this series.
Fun, fun, fun! This book by Carol Ross is such a sweet contemporary romance novel that takes place on a cattle ranch in Montana. The idea of the series is pretty neat – five authors are writing five separate novels about five brothers in a family that has effectively fallen apart. The Blackwell family has gone through a ton of ups and downs and the only one who has stuck around the vicinity of the family ranch is the oldest brother, Jonathon. While Jonathon tries to keep his head above water in running his own cattle ranch while single-parenting his twin daughters, his grandfather who owns the family ranch disappears and things spiral down even faster. This book is a great read and did an excellent job setting up the stage and whetting the appetite for the next books in the series.
The author’s writing style is smooth and easy to follow. She sucks you right into the beauty of Montana as well as the hardships and bountiful rewards of the ranching life. Jonathan is a weary soul, trying his best to keep his ranch functioning while taking care of his five year-old twin girls. He’s been hurt by his ex-wife and sports the grumpy grouchy rancher attitude to shield his heart. Still his loyal, devoted, tender heart shows through in his interactions with his daughters and friends and his determination and steadfastness shine in his management of his ranch. And he’s such a romantic when his guard is down!
Lydia is a warm, fun, loving, and loyal woman unfortunately on the run from her ex-boyfriend. She gets hired as a nanny for Jonathon’s twins through an agency and the rest is history…..until her past catches up with her. She’s a city girl thrown into middle-of-nowhere America on a ranch of all places, but her fighting spirit, giving nature, and domestic skills help her fit right in. The dialogue between Jon and Lydia is so fantastic and the twins are incredibly cute.
Oh, I can’t wait to pick up the second book in the series! I may end up reading all the released books in one sitting! The suspense of what the missing grandfather is doing is slowly killing me…..
I received the book from author/publisher via Prism Book Tours and was under no obligation to publish a review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
She’s everything he thought he didn’t want
My rating is 4.5 stars
Though the rest of the town saw the twins as terrors, Lydia saw Abby and Gen as two girls needing some gentle guidance and a whole lot of love. If for no other reason, I adored the book for just that reason.
However, I did like the book for many other reasons. The handsome yet somewhat clueless rancher, Lydia, the practically perfect in every way nanny (with apologies to Mary Poppins), the mystery about the disappearance of Big E., the small town. . .
Speaking of small towns, Falcon Creek, MT really came to life for me. I felt like I had actually been there, getting to know the locals. While there were a heap of people introduced, it was done in such a way that I didn’t have trouble keeping track of them.
The Rancher’s Twins was a mix of romance and light humor with a little suspense and mystery mixed in, though it was more romance than the others. Knowing how and why Lydia ended up at the ranch, I kept waiting for her ex to find her. Knowing something would happen. As I was reading, I would think “oh, this is how he finds her”. And then he didn’t. I was kept on my toes until it happened and the ending surprised me.
The story stands alone, and yet it doesn’t. There are five books in this series, by different authors, each highlighting one of the Blackwell brothers. And I have a feeling the mystery of Big E. won’t be resolved until the last book. I have read at least one book by most of these authors and can vouch for them; they write books worth reading.
Read with a Preview at AmongTheReads.net
I was given a free copy of this item. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.
The Rancher’s Twins starts an all new series, Return of the Blackwell Brothers. It, also, my first experience with Carol Ross’ books. She does not disappoint. I will definitely be looking for more by her in the future.
In this installment of the series, a reader is introduced to a handsome rancher and single father of two precious little girls, Jon Blackwell. He needs a nanny for his girls. But his idea of a nanny did not involve someone like Lydia Newbury. At first, I would have to argue with him. I was not sure what to think of her, but she quickly grew on me. She is surrounded with a little bit of mystery that gave the story some suspense. What could she be hiding?
I liked The Rancher’s Twins and recommend it for readers who are looking for a good, sweet and heartwarming read.
Five plus stars.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
Oh, I simply loved this story from start to finish! It was packed with characters that I enjoyed reading about. The twin girls were so sweet and I enjoyed watching them blossom under the care of their new nanny, Lydia.
I really liked Lydia and Jon. Lydia was such a genuine person and worked so hard to do things for others. I liked her attitude toward the girls and the way she set out to do the best that she could in her job as nanny.
Many times, Jon reacted negatively to situations. He tended to jump to conclusions and they were always the wrong ones! However, these reactions showed exactly how much damage his ex-wife had done to him. I loved watching the attraction build between Lydia and Jon. Their relationship was so sweet and this book was an excellent start to a new series!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
4 1/2 STARS!
Love when they least expected it! With the kick off to a new Harlequin Heartwarming series, Carol Ross brings us the story of the eldest Blackwell brother. He’s the only one left in the town they grew up in, and he’s still hard at work in the ranching life. The siblings are fairly estranged, and Jon finds himself missing the camaraderie they once knew, and the support system around him. Not only did this book bring us Jon and Lydia’s sweet love story, but it also laid the foundation for the sibling stories to come. The characters we were developed and captured my attention quickly. The adorable girls had me smiling often, and the added intrigue of Lydia’s past was an interesting twist. Really enjoyed and looking forward to the next brother’s story!
Montana rancher Jon Blackwell is running out of steam! He’s a single father to two rambunctious little girls, trying to run a cattle ranch at prime birthing season and pick up the slack at his grandfather’s place while he’s gone MIA … he needs help! He’s sure that the nanny agency he has sending him the perfect candidate will be the answer to his prayers … and sanity! After all, they advertised that they could match him with whatever he needs … and he needs a nanny that is familiar with life on a ranch.
Lydia Newbury is thrilled to have a job that will take her somewhere far away from Philadelphia, but she’s familiar with teens, not toddlers so this might be a hard job to pull off. When Jon tells her that he wanted a country nanny who knows ranching life, she promises to learn everything she needs to learn quickly because she needs this job. She manages to pull off a miracle and make his more than a handful twins into well behaved angels, and Jon finds himself enjoying her more than he should … but when her past catches up with her, what will the fallout be?
The Rancher’s Twins was such a pleasure to read. I immediately felt for Lydia, and I loved her interactions with Gen and Abby. It felt like their connection was so genuine. Jon really needs to stop assuming things. He just might be surprised. I loved the humor Lydia would throw out, especially when it caught Jon off guard and made him smile and maybe even think twice. Jon and Lydia’s story was so good. I loved it so much that I never wanted it to end. I highly recommend this book.
I was super excited to read this book as I know there are others in the series and I wanted to get started reading about the Blackwell Brothers. I think the first story is always hard as it has to set up the entire premise for the rest of the books. Ms. Ross did a great job and I can’t wait to read about more from this family.
The story opens with Lydia Newbury taking a position as a nanny to Jon Blackwell’s two little spitfire twin girls. Both Lydia and Jon are expecting different things (Lydia thinks she’s heading for a teenager who needs some supervision; Jon thinks his nanny will be a ‘ranch girl’), however, due to a mix-up at the nanny agency, they each get the surprise of a lifetime. Lydia handles it better but John is extremely hesitant. I won’t go into details as you’ll need to read the story.
I loved, loved, loved the twins, although their transformation seemed pretty quick. No biggee; I totally enjoyed their storyline. Lydia should be nicknamed Superwoman because she whips this family into shape in no time at all. And Jon can be pretty clueless but at heart, he is a wonderful dad and a good person. And there are enough sparks between them to make it interesting!
I’d have to agree with another reviewer that how Lydia’s “issues” get resolved is a little too easy but it was refreshing to read and enjoy. I really liked the story and am looking forward to more of this family.
A sweet, funny and heartwarming book. A single father trying to work his ranch and raise twin five year old daughters. He desperately needs a nanny. When Lydia Newbury arrives he’s not impressed at all. She’s a city girl from Philadelphia and so not what he needs. He lists exactly what his expectations are. He hoped to scare her off, but just the opposite.
She has two weeks. His daughters have never been happier, and he actually finds himself finishing work earlier. He hopes she’s not like his ex wife who up and left them. She couldn’t stand country life. So he’ll give Lydia a chance.
Lydia was expecting to be watching over one teenage girl. It turns out it’s two twin girls who are holy terrors. But all they needed was some guidance. They were delightful little girls. It didn’t seem like anyone could rein them in. When Jon told her he needed someone with more ranching background she rose to the challenge. She was not going to quit. She loved the girls, Falcon Creek, and Jon. It was just onc
once her secret came out what would everyone think of her, especially Jon.
Buy this book to see what happens after the two week challenge is up.
Highly recommend.