Colt Stafford has returned home to the Double S cattle ranch after years away. His brother, Nick, is managing the ranch as their dad has been hospitalized and is struggling with liver failure. The last brother Trey, a top Christian singer, is on tour. Sam, their father, who raised them after Colt's mother died and Nick's mother left has been estranged from the boys since they were young and he focused on growing his ranch and drowning in a liquor bottle. Angelina Morales the housekeeper has brought Sam back to the Lord and now wants to see reconciliation between Sam and his sons.

This book is very well written, full of realistic, complex characters dealing with life the best they can through trials and tribulation. Seeing Colt and Sam return to their faith that they had lost along their way and the role that Angelina played in this while struggling with her own issues was wonderful. The children of Angelina and Nick played a delightful part in making this ranch based story come alive. The sibling rivalry between especially Nick and Colt was so spot on. The best part was seeing how the town came together after the fire and the role that Sam and the boys played in rebuilding it.

Looking forward to reading book two in this series and seeing how the town puts itself back together.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and entertaining,

Thank you netgalley and waterbrook for allowing me to read this title for an honest review.

Back in the Saddle (the first in a series about 3 brothers) is a prodigal comes home story about Colt Stafford. He left Washington for New York several years earlier after a falling out with his father. When he comes back home, he meets Angelina who manages the house on the ranch for his sick father. This is a great Christian romance that’s sweet and clean. I can’t wait to read the next book and find out what happens to Colt’s brother Nick.

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book.

I was very hopefully when I read the synopsis. This sounded like an intriguing book. This being my first Ruth Logan Herne book, I didn't know what to expect. At first I got exactly what it promised me, but it rapidly spiraled into one of those romances that hits a plethora of romance cliches on the way down.

Colt is the prodigal son, returning home to lick his wounds after his business and wealth falls victim to a pyramid scheme. He expects his father to be the same old stubborn, self serving, neglectful man he grew up with. But his father is gravelly ill and as a result has experienced an 'awakening' and is a born again christian. As a result, his father is trying to mend all his fences with people, including his sons, before he dies.

Colt's younger brother is mad at Colt for leaving. Why? Cause he's had to pick up the lack at the ranch (classic younger brother). Plus his wife left him and their two girls. I'm sure he's going to get his own book. There was a brief mention of another brother, who left to find his fortune in the music business. I'm sure he'll get a book as well.

Angelina is the 'new' housekeeper for the Double S Ranch. she's got a secret...that quickly gets discovered by Colt. She's hiding her mother and young son on the property. She moved them all here after her father was killed in a gang retaliation against Angie, maybe. No Angie wasn't part of a gang, because that would be kinda interesting. Angie was a cop that was key in taking down the gang leader. She's a willful, christian, double standard holding Latina woman.

Now she's all convinced she needs to stay away from Colt because he's made it clear that he's only home until he gets his feet back under him and then he's returning for New York to once again seek his fortune. Because you can't fall for a guy like that because he'll just leave...as he has been making clear. HOWEVER, she is also thinking of returning to whatever city she's from, to go back to being a cop. But she's not a horrible person for thinking of leaving. Oh no. Her cause is noble because her mother misses her kitchen...and talking to people. Never mind going back could get them killed. Or that going back to being a cop could get them killed. Double standards. I don't like double standards.

Anyhow, aside from not feeling anything but annoyance towards the woman who's one of the main characters, and is going to get everyone back onto the 'proper christian path' while being a bit of a bigot herself, this book falls into a multitude of classic romance cliches.

We had the instant attraction. The eavesdropping and misinterpreting the information/assumptions entered cliche which is 99% of the time followed up by the next cliche this books hit, the let's not talk and clear the air cliche. The "I can't stop thinking about you" cliche. The "their eyes met and the heat was palpable"(or similar) cliche. The "heat in her belly/she ached for him" cliche. The maybe I'll stay here because I'm falling in love with her/him even though I've known them for less than a week, cliche...Need I go on? You get the point. That is a tiny sample of the ones I noticed.

So if you don't mind a character with double standards and you don't mind reading a good majority of the classic romance cliches crammed into one book, you might like this. It just wasn't my cup of tea at this point in time, which is a real shame because it sounded awesome.

Don't get me wrong. The writing is okay. It's not a bad book. But I wouldn't classify it as a good book either. This one fell squarely into my 'meh' book classification.

When Colt Stafford returns to the family ranch with his tail between his legs after a disastrous turn in the stock market, he must learn to lay old demons to rest and make peace with his aging father. What he doesn't expect is the beautiful house manager his father has hired in his absence. He determines to heal his broken family while discovering the hidden secrets that make her tick.

Colt is a well known person on Wall Street. He has all the nice suits and the look of a winner. But as the stock market starts to take a dive, he makes a decision to go back to his hometown. He grew up on a huge ranch called the Double S. It won't be easy going home for him since he has some relationships that need mending. So begins the story of a modern day prodigal son. Will he be welcomed by everyone?

Angelina finds herself working as a housekeeper at the ranch. She is very hard working and family oriented. When she meets Colt it is almost like an explosion going off. He didn't expect her to be in the house and she wasn't expecting him at all. As they begin to get more accustomed to each other they begin to have feelings for each other. Angelina knows that she is hiding something about her past and it is just a matter of time before her secret is found out. Will Colt support her or will he feel betrayed?

The Stafford men are a force to be reckoned with. Rough around the edges, decent, hardworking, stubborn to the core. But each grapples with deep wounds from their past. Patriarch Sam Stafford is finally ready to face the part he played in his broken family and willing to make amends...if it's not too late. What a wonderful set up for the Double S Ranch series.

I was provided with this book to review by NetGalley Bloggers Program in exchange for an honest review.

A story about a second chance at forgiveness and the prodigal son that will reaffirm that God’s Plan is one that supersedes the best of intentions, bring the joy that only faith can deliver. The characters’ emotions and convictions are what delivered the perfect vehicle to carry the story and leave a lasting impression long after the story has ended.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Thanks for letting me review it! Never read anything by this author before.