The Rancher's Marriage Bargain
Leslie North Presents
by Mary Sue Jackson and Leslie North

This a bit of a slow going read. Although is A sweet and fluffy read with a little humour thrown in. Very predictable. A reasonable read if not wanting and in-depth storyline.

Jolie was vibrant with a bubbly laugh while Colson was a bit on the dull side, no, slash that he was a lot on the dull side. It took Jolie’s adventurous side to break Colson out of his dull cocoon. This was a romantically sweet and delightful story.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
A sweet and fluffy heartwarming take. A good read.

This was a slow moving story. The book had a hard time holding my attention from beginning to end. There were some funny moments in the book. However, there were no surprises, and it was a predictable read.

After a bad breakup Jolie takes a job at a ranch, working for Colson, as a nanny for his son Adam. Jolie doesn't want to get involved, but her heart is pulled toward them both. It will take a leap of faith on both their parts before they can find their HEA.
Thank you Mary Sue Jackson, Leslie North, Relay Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

Such a sweet story! I absolutely loved it. This is the first book I have read by either author and I must say I will be looking for more. I thought this was very well written, yes it was predictable, but that was part of the charm. You really felt pulled into the story and talking to the character about their decisions. I enjoy a story with believable character and these are very believable.

Maybe cowboy romance just isn't for me? I thought I'd try it, but nope...I'm not a big fan of kids in romance novels either, so this one's on me and my taste, not the author.

I enjoyed this book and it was a quick and easy read. This story is about a rancher (Colson) who has taken responsibility for his friend's son, Adam, after Colson's friend and wife were both killed in an automobile accident. Colson's friend indicated Colson should obtain custody of his young son - and not Colson's friend's parents (who were horrible people). After Adam came to live with Colson, it became clear that the older cook Colson had employed on the ranch wasn't going to be able to keep up with all Adam's food allergies, Adam himself and the housekeeping (which was her main job). So Colson set out to hire someone specifically to be a ranch cook.

Jolie is coming off a work romance that ended poorly. She is a trained chef at an upper quality restaurant, but since she needs to escape the city and her life in general, she applies for the ranch job. And she gets it. To read about her start as a ranch cook is funny - she definitely miscalculated how these hard working ranchers eat. And her bond with young Adam is really sweet.

Adam's grandparents decide that they want and should have custody of Adam since they are his only living relatives. Can anything be done to keep Adam at the ranch (which is where he thrives and wants to live)?

I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.

The female character in this book is really the one that keeps the story moving along and also the boy. Jolie answers an ad for a chef and nanny. Colston's son has many allergies and she is able to cook without making the food taste bland. She had left work at a top-line restaurant because of a workplace romance and she was not looking for one when she started.
After being there for a short time Colston is being sued by the boy’s grandparents for custody and one way to have a stronger case is for the two of them to be married. She agrees to his fake marriage and the two of them become closer and Colston actually starts to become human only to revert back to his old ways. Will he be able to snap out of it to win the court case, also will he get his head in order to win Jolie back? Read this story to find out what happens.

Jolie has left her job in the city to work on a ranch as a chef with one special job, she needs to take care of Adam, a young boy with multiple allergies. Colson is Adam’s guardian, appointed by his parents before they died
I liked Jolie as a character, she is quick and adaptable as well as being able to get Adam to be happier. He had been living off of ready meal type things that catered for his needs but with Jolie he got proper home cooked meals which helped him to open up with her and for them to form a bind. Jolie quickly learns from her mistakes and doesn’t hold a grudge which I really liked about her
Colson is quieter and finds things harder to cope with as he’s really worried about Adam which is something that I loved about him but also something that possibly unconsciously held Adam back but he is willing to be more flexible as the book goes on and the more I learnt about him the more I liked him
This book focuses a lot on the difficulties that allergy suffers can have and the things that have to be done to keep them safe. It looks more at the people side of things than anything else which I think really worked as I could imagine the characters living their lives in a more real world scene
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a romance with a brilliant cast of characters who will make you smile

This is one endearing story that will transport the reader to the world of the lush farms and sexy cowboys. It looks sweet at the surface to lure the reader, but it contains enough content to hold your attention to the very end. A story of love and recovery, that will touch your heart.
We meet Jolie, a girl devastated by her past, and lack of luck in love, who is looking for a serene place where she can hide herself and lick her wounds. She expects many things when she discovers her perfect destinations, but certainly not the sexy cowboy who manages to arouse her interest like no one before. He’s arrogant, he’s cocky, but so generous and tender-hearted at the same time. She manages to bring some joy and season the dullness of the farms everyday life. She is also the perfect solution for his problem, and his best hope to receive custody. But what happens when that same solution manages to spark emotions that he hasn’t anticipated? Can those emotions push the boundaries from employee/employer to lovers?
Mary Sue Jackson and Leslie North have once again managed to write an amazing cowboy story, easy to read, yet profound on the same time, with well-developed characters. The story line is a bit predictable and far-fetched at times, but interesting enough to make this book a great choice for a nice, afternoon read.

What is is about a good cowboy romance that has all the little butterflies rolling in my stomach? This book had it all -instant family and an attraction like no other. A cute little boy you could not help fall in love with. Leslie does it again!

3.5 Getting It Together Stars
* * * 1/2 Spoiler Free
When Colson said yes to be the guardian of his best friend's son, he never thought he would ever have to do anything. He said yes, for the honor his friend gave him. Then a car accident stole his friend and his wife from the son. Colson took on the raising of Adam and changed everything in his life to do it.

The taking care of Adam has its complications. It turns up, Adam is very sensitive and has lost of allergies. Being on Colson's ranch only makes it harder, too. After a period of time, Colson decides he needs help with looking out for Adams, life-affirming requirements. He has hired a chef to live in and help out.

Jolie is that chef. She has been having some tough luck in her life and running into Colson before her arrival at his ranch hasn't helped. After some difficult times, these two start to see each other in a different light. As they become more than friends, the need to protect Colson and Adam staying together causes them to take another step.

This had the cowboy feel with a dash of fake/real engagement/marriage.

This was a fairly good read. There isn't anything new or different here. Just a cowboy romance with no surprises.

This was a charming love story, not too long, not too short, beautifully written!
I loved how the heroine had her quirks which all made her more adorable and how the hero was so steady and involved in his son's life and how he knew when to do the right thing after he was wrong. The whole action is low on drama, and even when the really bad people come into the scene, their part is small. It's a lovely read, perfect to get your romance fix.

Don’t let the title and cover fool you, this is actually a good read. Drama, angst, romance and small amount of steam, this story does not center around the steam. Decent read. Great for the beach, add to your TBR list.

❤️❤️❤️1/2
💋

Enjoyable read that keeps your attention.

Maybe a little to many thoughts that stole the smooth running of the storyline.
And Colson was a bit of a pain at times , I think he was meant to come across as strong, moody and alpha, to me he was just arrogant and annoying.

Apart from that I really enjoyed the story and the other characters especially Jolie , she a bubble of life and passion, the girl has it all .

I’m sure your going to have your own views , these are my own personal ones.
I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

Love this book it was a sweet easy read that kept me glued till the very last word. I can't wait for more from these authors!

If you’re looking for a feel-good romance story, this one is for you. The plot is a bit predictable, but still a good read when you are looking to relax in your down time.

Having read several books by Leslie North, I thought the writing style would be similar to what I’ve come to expect. However, a big clue should have been “Leslie North PRESENTS Mary Sue Jackson” prominently displayed on the book cover. Because, really, what does that mean, folks? Upon conducting a few minutes of on-line recon, I found Ms. Jackson has already published numerous rancher themed books before so likely doesn’t need the nudge, and this is hardly a southern belle debutant type situation. So I’m left scratching my head mentally speculating why an established author needs the coat tail endorsement of another successful romance author. I’m going out on a limb here and possibly incorrectly guessing they are one and the same author, but that is honestly just a guess in the dark, my fellow romance book loving friends.

What is of importance, of course, is this romantic tale itself. I can relay after finishing the book I did mostly enjoy the overall premise of this very predictable storyline. However, I did almost stop reading by Chapter 9, due to finding the writing up to that point often mechanical at times, the hero’s at first bland and one dimensional character was starting to annoy me, and overall just not finding things that engaging. Due to Colson’s lackluster appeal, I struggled to find why Jolie, the heroine, would even be so smitten with him. She at least had some personality, folks. It was Colson’s determination to raise his best friend’s son that kept me hanging around this ranch. Thanks to Jolie he started to lighten up some and show some spark of personality. She was more than just the light mentioned in the synopsis in regards to Colson’s world, but brought energy and a flicker of interest to an otherwise mediocre read. Yep, I finally started to like this rich cowboy hero.

Since the writing did improve in my advanced reader copy, I am glad I didn’t scoot out of town too soon. This despite the unlikely set-up that caused drama and a rift between these two that almost ended things entirely. I am a little miffed Colson got off so easily with such a short, brief apology. I’d rather he would have had to saddle up and chase after Jolie and grovel for days on end. But that’s just me, folks, and it is what it is. This wasn’t my first romance rodeo, so sometimes you just have to roll with it. I’m sure you know what I mean.

Here’s to hoping others really enjoy this tale. For me, it was an overall okay read, but I really had to fight not to give up at the point I referenced earlier.

Title: The Rancher’s Marriage Bargain, Author: Mary Sue Jackson, cowboy/rich ranch owner hero, chef and ranch hand heroine, guardian of a child hero, only one very brief graphic smex scene-others were only hinted at, relationship angst, no OW/OM drama, no cheating, no love triangle, knucklehead, illogical at times hero. Rating: 3 - 3..5 stars

(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review. There is no affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author/publisher/NetGalley.)