Montana Rogue By Debra Salonen

My Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Debra Salonen is an author I have grown to love over the years. The first time I picked up a book of hers was when it started. Ms. Salonen writes characters that are flawed, funny and fabulous. I received an ARC of Montana Rogue in exchange for an honest review. Amanda is a wonderful character. She makes bad choices and is stubborn but has a good heart. She is seeking acceptance and love from the people that matter the most. Her family. Tucker is hardworking, focused and suffering from an unexpected injury. What I found refreshing about these two characters is although nothing alike, they both struggled with fears of not being good enough. There were so many things that stood out for me in this story. The most compelling was that no matter what you do or who you are, you are special and important to others.

I knew this book was going to be great! I've been waiting and hoping Tucker's story would be coming soon! This is the crazy, sexy love story of Tucker and Amanda! How can you not love a Hot Shot Fireman/Male Dancer and an uptight city girl! Throw in a grandmother who needs her help. Family dysfunction and this book just keeps you turning those pages. Hot! Sexy and Heartwarming!

A hot romance book that an easy read!!!

Tucker is taking a break from dancing and fire fighting to follow his dreams and open a Zip line resort. He hurts his ankle which puts him out of commission and now he has made a deal with Amanda and they have to help Amanda's Grandma. When things start heating up will they be able to what right by Molly or will they find out they are better off separate. Amanda is at her parents becking call again. She is looses her job and is off to Montana to help her grandma Molly who she only remembers meeting once. She is not happy to find out she is going to be here a month and she is going to have to deal with more then she thought and she is not to happy about any of this. I thought this story of loss and love was pretty good. While Amanda deals with loss and Tucker deals with so much loss it heart breaking this story shows that the loss of both is not always what it seems. In the book it gives you the feel of the small town feel of be rallied around and helped out no matter whats going on. The chemistry seems like a second thought in the book but its there and its makes for a fun read. This love story is short, sweet and fun.

It was the fling that shouldn't have happened. Tucker Montgomery and Amanda Heller were total opposites. He is a semi-retired male stripper and she is a socialite who works in advertising.

Amanda's parents sent her to Montana to oversee the repairs and remodeling her grandmother's house. Little did Amanda know, the real plan was to fix up the house to sell and send her grandmother into a nursing home.

While Tucker is recovering from an injury, he is working on his dream of opening a zip line when Amanda offers him the use of the cottage at her grandmother’s house. All he has to do is be available to take care of anything that comes up during the renovation. Tucker had no idea he would fall for a city girl who reminded him so much of his mother who abandoned him when he was a baby. Tucker gets to see the real Amanda while they are staying together in the guest house. That’s when he fell in love with her. But in the end, Amanda has reasons why she has to go back to New York City.

Will Tucker ever see Amanda again?

This is a really good story with a great plot and characters. I think I fell a little bit in love with Tucker as I read the story. The descriptions of the town of Marietta felt so real. Ona was a fun addition to the story. I would love to see her in more books. I am also curious about Tucker's mom Caro and Philip’s new relationship too.

Tucker couldn’t believe his luck. Laid up with a bum ankle now – now, right when he needed to be onsite getting his zipline business up and running. In dance and wildfire fighting timing is everything – but right now, his timing sucks.

Amanda isn’t having the best of luck either. Without a job, thanks to dumping her ex-boss’s son rather spectacularly she might add, hadn’t exactly endeared herself to her parents or many other people back in Manhattan. Now, here she was in Marietta, Montana looking after the grandmother she hadn’t seen in years. She’s a big city girl with a even bigger big city attitude, on the surface at least. She really has no clue how to live in a small town where people know your family from years back and most know all your business as well. She has some adjusting to do.

I loved Montana Rogue. Tucker is a sweetheart who has lost too much in his life. Now he has a chance to lay down roots of his own with a woman who fascinates and frustrates him within the same five minutes. Amanda doesn’t know how to just be herself. She’s stumbled a lot in her life and now it seems she’s found exactly where her place could be – if only Tucker was a permanent attachment, instead of the temporary fling they had agreed upon.

Each has unresolved issues in their lives, ones that won’t be decided overnight. Time, love and understanding of the reasons that things happened in the past as they did is going to be a part of their lives. Amanda’s grandmother, the sweet soul Molly, will have issues long after this story ends. And Tucker will have his on ongoing family connections to sort out over time. So, I want to say that this is a lovely romance, but it really is so much more. Since I’ve known the author, Ms Salonen, to tackle ongoing issues that will continue as a thread through several stories. I’ve a feeling we’ll be seeing Molly again.

Again, I loved this story and this couple. Plus anything that takes me back to Marietta, Montana is a winner in my opinion – I want to move to that small town with the handsome men and lovely ladies. I would highly recommend Montana Rogue to anyone who loves a simply, basic love story with the complications of life added in. There is no sweeter romance than one that could happen to your best friend or even you.

(Just my own notation – many people, myself included consider the very short, remembering type of story Her Forever Gift to be #5 in this series, which would for me make this one Montana Rogue #7 – it’s all a matter of personal opinion, folks. But for those that keep track of numbers that’s my explanation – it’s not the official numbering but the keeping track of stories in order line up to me)

*I received an e-ARC of Montana Rogue from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

This is the 7th book in he series and I am glad that it focuses on Tucker. We met him in a previous book and it made me wonder what his story would be. Tucker and Amanda are total opposites. She has been raised as a "little rich girl" and Tucker was raised by his Cajun grandmother after his mother left him when he was a baby. His father had died suddenly and his mother wanted to pursue her musical career. There was much more to the story than Tucker was aware but what he perceived as his mother's abandonment definitely molded him into the type of man he was. Amanda's parents sent her to Montana to oversee the repairs and remodeling her grandmother's home. The true plan her parents had was to fix up the house, put her grandmother in a nursing home and sell her house. They were not nice people. Tucker is recovering from an injury and he is working on opening a zip line business. He is feeling the pressure of losing his dreams because his injury prevents him from working. Amanda offers him the use of her grandmother's guest house while he recovers. In exchange he will make sure that things run smoothly with the repairs to her grandmother's home. Amanda ends up staying in the guest house with him and Tucker get a look at the real girl behind the socialite facade. That is when he starts falling in love with her. As Amanda's feeling for Tucker grow she knows she has to make some changes in her life...and that requires that she leave Montana and return to New York. I loved Tucker and once the true Tucker was revealed I love him even more. It was nice to see that things weren't always as he had imagined concerning his mother. This is a really good story with a great plot and characters. Tucker and Amanda both had things in their lives that they had to deal with before they could give their all to a relationship. I really enjoyed this book and I am hopeful that there will be more in this series.

A summer fling, or should I say roommates with benefits. Two opposites are in Marietta Montana. Tucker, an injured fireman/male dancer is now building his zip line and Amanda has come to oversee the restoration of her grandma's house, whom she never knew. Amanda is a rich girl, that just ended her engagement. They both share the guest house on her grandma's property. As the summer progresses so does their love for each other.

Loved the grandmas, Ona and Molly, both with such words of wisdom. Kind hearts and giving. Ms. Salonen did a wonderful job of writing on the alzheimers of Molly. I felt so bad for her and the separation from her family.

This is well written book of finding love when least expected and opposites do attract. This book will have you laughing and smiling through out the story.

It was great to see the wedding and catch up with the other characters from previous Big Sky Mavericks. This book is part of a series can be read as a stand alone.

I highly recommend this series. I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

Loving this continuation in the Big Sky Mavericks series. Tucker Montgomery is the typical carefree, no strings attached kind of guy. When a potentially life altering injury forces him to abandon the set up of his new zip-line business, he must re-evaluate his life and somehow Amanda Heller his become a huge part of this evaluation.

With plenty of laughs, romance and a few teary moments, Montana Rogue is a well paced and fun read. 2 thumbs up!

3.5 Making the Change Stars * * * 1/2 Over and over again, I have found so many books addressing the issue of family pressure to be a certain way... having a deaf ear when the child says no, I do not want to follow your path. It happens with all types of demographics; high society, working class, whatever... it doesn't matter... The challenge is for the main characters to stand up and take charge of their lives...to be who they want to be, no matter how difficult the path.

In Montana Rogue, we have one obvious character going through that type of life lesson. Amanda Heller was always the perfectly behaved little girl. She came from great wealth and her parents thought of her like a bargaining tool... a commodity to trade. She would be raised to do the right thing... of course...Marry a son of an equally wealthy family and toe the line. That her father could make or brake a man's company, finances or life with a single phone call did not go unnoticed during Amanda's formative years. She always listened and obeyed until the time she realized she could not in all good conscious marry the man she was engaged to....

For this time was different. After the knee-jerk reaction of accepting the expected proposal from the son of the company she worked for...reality set in. Yes, they had been thrown together...yes it was expected and was a family merger...But that was the problem...it was just another acquisition... not love...she was being acquired and used... and finally she had the strength to say no.

No, she was not going to be a "little woman" and do the society shuffle. She had worked hard to be an accomplished professional in marketing. She had overcome the pain of her peers acting like she only was there due to family connections. Yet, the second she kindly explained to all concerned this marriage wasn't happening, she was discarded.

The company "downsized" and her position was eliminated. She had moved in with the fiance so she was back home. Her mother was furious and felt embarrassed by Amanda's actions letting her know it repeatedly. The final slam was when her parents decided she was the designated relative to go to Marietta, Montana and take care of her grandmother's house and affairs. It seems the woman was ill and the house was in disrepair.

Amanda barely knew anything of this Grandmother. Her mother and father never visited or discussed her. Amanda had a very faint memory of being in Marietta as a little girl when the grandfather passed. They had stayed with the grandmother and then the next thing she remembers is hearing fighting and leaving the very next day. Going to Marietta to take care of this situation was the way her family dealt out suitable punishment for canceling the wedding. She was tasked with certain goals and if she didn't achieve them... there would be more hell to pay.

Tucker Montgomery has made a leap of faith... literally. He has invested every dime of his own and of his sweet Cajun Granny's in his new business of Zip Rides. His best friend, Flynn, moved out to Marietta recently and both Tucker and Justin, Flynn's brother followed. Tucker saw the potential the Montana Mountains held for this type adventure...His past experiences all over the world gave him the foundation; understanding what was needed to make it a go. When Flynn found his heart and life in Marietta, Tucker was all in with committing to this project....and to do this was a huge change.

Tucker was another firefighter like Flynn and Justin... but with a twist... for when he wasn't fighting fires, he was creating heat of his own with his dancing. He was part of a troop which traveled all over the States and around the Globe titillating women of all ages with buff bodies and sexy moves on the dance floor. He was known as the Marvelous Mountie with a following which sought him out. This talent was something he enjoyed...the music flowed through him and it was a rush. Music was a life's blood for him, learning and excelling in piano from a young age. But he didn't pursue a concert life as expected... and transitioned to dancing instead.

His Lady's Man persona also worked to camouflage the little lost boy inside. No one would ever guess he was still hurting from the abandonment of his mother. Yes, she left him with the most loving and caring grandmother...but his mother's absence was something hard to forgive. Tucker learned early how to be liked and used his humor and flair to show others how easy it was to be around him. The longing and pain would not be seen... he was too busy distracting.

These two meet because of Amanda's Grandmother's condition. The house is a safety hazard. Flynn sent the notice to her parents saying it must be updated and repaired before the grandmother could return. Amanda was given instructions to oversee the repairs and make the house sale worthy. She was staying at the only major hotel in the area, The Graft. Tucker was staying at the Graft, too. He had fallen out at the Zip site and now had a severely twisted ankle. It was a real problem as he couldn't be out on the site making sure things were getting done. Amanda needed someone to be at the house making sure things were done correctly...Tucker needed a place to stay which wasn't eating up his dwindling funds while his Zip line was being built... A deal is struck; Tucker will stay in the guesthouse on the Grandmother's property overseeing the repairs and Amanda will do some marketing and promotions for the Line.

Oh, and she will also move into the guest house, too....

Tucker.... handsome, friendly, cute and just plain adorable in the same guesthouse with City Gal, Amanda... now what could possibly be the outcome of that....hmmmmm

Well it turns out to be more then just these two bantering and having a friendly fling...Tucker starts to see he could be more than just the "fun" guy in life...He develops affection for the community and works to make things better for the Grandmother, Molly. Amanda, first feeling out of place and alone, slowly sees what true family can be... not dictatorial but loving with a ying / yang balance to it. She and Tucker start out with a common goal of only a Summer Fling... and it morphs into so much more...and it is the more which we watch and see...see them be confused... see them tentatively reach for each other and then finally understand what all of this is about.

Montana Rogue is part of this amazing group of books which happen in Marietta Montana. There is this inter-connecting community and all of them play parts in these different series. We are able to have secondary characters we already know from other books and hints of what may be coming in the future... It presents families, life and people who seem real...with flaws as well as big hearts. Everything is not perfect...and that is the way it should be... for when we get our happy ever afters... we feel as if the characters earned them.

If I have any pulse on these books, then my guess is Justin, "The Goat" will be having his own book soon. Hints have been made that he has a darker soul...so get ready for his love story.

I loved Montana Rogue from the moment I read Tucker's first lust filled thoughts about Amanda and her f-me heels. A continuation of Debra Salonen's Montana Mavericks series, this book brings us back to the gorgeous town of Marietta. While it is part of a series, Montana Rogue stands alone just fine, though I would recommend you read Montana Hero first just to help with context. And because that too, like every book in this series, is a really good book.
Tucker has a broken ankle, just what he doesn't need as he is setting up his zip line business in Marietta. Ankle aside, he seizes life with both hands, having spent his summers fighting wildfires and wintering as an exotic dancer called The Full Mountie. He is irrepressible, and wicked and sexy and lots of fun, though a lot of this is just a front to keep people at a distance. Left with his grandparents after the death of his father when he was just a baby, Tucker harbours a fair bit of resentment towards the mother he doesn't know, wealthy and celebrated First Chair with the New York Philharmonic, Caroline Mayhue.
Amanda is the typical poor little rich girl. Sent to Marietta by her wealthy parents, her mission s to get her grandmother's house into shape so they can sell it and make a killing at the same time. After they've had her grandmother declared mentally incompetent, that is. Trouble is Amanda is a softie inside the polished New York exterior, and it isn't long before she's on her grandmother's side, fighting to keep her home for her. She's also a bit of a prude, though it doesn't take her long to warm to Tucker's style. Before long she's dressing like a local and learning to have fun and falling for Tucker along the way.
This book has it all! There's the obvious fun and laughter that tells you Deb Salonen thoroughly enjoyed writing it, but there's also deceit, betrayal, and those sacrifices parents sometimes make for their children. I loved it. More please!

What can I say about this story? I finished it with tears and sniffles...it was such a sweet and special story, and Debra Salonen seems to excel at them, especially in he Montana Mavericks series.
I love Tucker. He is who he is, and is grateful for every thing he has. He is the complete opposite of society-girl Amanda Heller, who works hard to be perfect. She is like a fish out of water when her family banishes her to Marietta with the job of "redeeming" herself by renovating her grandmother's house...a grandmother she really doesn't know. When dancer and adventurer Tucker injures himself, he can't oversee construction of his Zip line, so Amanda offers him a place to stay in exchange for overseeing the renovations. These two very different people find that they aren't so different. The characters are so wonderful, from the main characters to the secondary, all are written so well they evoke the emotion they were intended to. It was wonderful to see Amanda find herself and Tucker realize he may have been raised in the Bayou, but his life was richer than Amanda's. From Amanda and Tucker, to Molly, to Tucker's Ona and Mother, this was such a heart-warming story.

This is one of the saddest stories to come out of the Montana Born line. Tucker Montgomery is one of three men who have relocated to Marietta, a joint decision when one of them suffered PTSD from a fire rescue gone bad. Tucker is building a zip line attraction with the help of his friends and generally helping them out as well when he steps in a hole and is off his feet for months while his facility is being built. To help a friend out, he agrees to babysit and look at a house in terms of making it safer for its elderly occupant. When said occupant's granddaughter comes to "look after her grandmother", things pick up.

Amanda Heller's life is pretty much, well, hell. Her parents suck in a big way. Her ex-fiance is a loser and her parents want her to marry him anyway. They are more interested in "let's make a deal" and "let's add more money to the coffer" than in caring at all about their daughter. She's only in Marietta to do her parents bidding and get her standing back with them. But you know, Marietta being the place it is, it tends to absorb people and keep them - a lot like a black hole. With Tucker's help, Amanda starts to loosen up a bit and lose the deer in headlights and starched schoolmarm look. It takes a while, but he makes inroads. And he should.

Tucker is also a male dancer. It pays well; it's fun; it allows him to travel. It also helps to make his zip line come true.

So why is this such a sad story? Well, it starts with Tucker's family history and a mother who walked away. It follows with Amanda's horrible family. It's reaches a zenith with what is visited upon Amanda's grandmother. And then, it all comes right again. This is a very emotional story from start to finish and a story in which both MCs find themselves and their strengths despite the odds. I'd have to say this is my second favorite in this series behind Meg and Henry's book but it packs the emotional punch of Paul and Bailey's book. A great addition to the series and the Marietta lexicon.

Big Sky Mavericks just keeps getting better and better. I wondered what Debra Salonen would do after all the siblings in the original Mavericks had their stories. Well, Flynn and friends are here to the rescue and while Flynn and Kat were wonderful in Montana Hero, Tucker is THE MAN in Montana Rogue, Book 7. I loved everything about this character from stage performer to his lost little boy side or entrepreneur or as the loving grandson. I have never given any thought to see a male dance review but seeing his side of the stage certainly gives a different perspective. I even liked rich, snooty, convincing Amanda. I just knew that she had a good side that was dying to pop out and time with Tucker and Molly would encourage that to happen.
This book reads well on its own. But be aware if you read this one you will be hooked, so plan to read them all. Each is so different but all well- written with wonderfully developed characters in situations that bring out their best.

Meet the “Montana Rogue” – Tucker Montgomery. Sexy and charming, kind and protective, his dance moves makes your heart go wild, and all he wants is to zip into Amanda Heller’s life and make her, his own.
Coming to Marietta to help renovate her grandmother’s home, Amanda Heller ends up been housemates with Tucker. From a New York to Marietta sure is two ends of the spectrum, but Tucker makes it one heck of a temptation to go wild.

With childhood insecurities plaguing them, Tucker and Amanda take a risk with their hearts to give us a good romance. Witty banter and a simple narration makes “Montana Rogue” a fun filled read, and the good characterization of Amanda and Tucker gives our heart the satisfaction of reading a sweet love story.

Debra Salonen weaves another Big Sky Maverick story under the beautiful skies of Montana, and around the characters that have charmed us with their very own love stories. And the cover is one of the most endearing ones I’ve seen!

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Amanda Jeannine Heller is the daughter of manipulative parents.you don't cross them and if you do, don't let them know about it or beware the consequences! Unfortunately Amanda has let them down by breaking her engagement to the son of her father's best friend who is also her boss - or ex boss now she's been fired. On top of that, her mother had been looking forward to a show wedding and had been planning just such an event. Now, having annoyed both her parents she's been ordered to travel to Marietta to 'sort out' her maternal grandmother who is in hospital following an accident. By sorting out, her mother means update her home ready to be sold and get her grandmother taken into a care home whilst making her Mum legally in charge of all her financial decisions.

Amanda hadn't met her grandmother, Molly, before - she's a resilient feisty old lady who really just wants to get back to her own home again. As Amanda gets to know Molly she starts to find out more about her family and herself. One of the reasons she has her eyes opened is Trucker Montgomery, who is recovering from an ankle injury sustained in a pothole but is the ideal person for her to oversee the renovation of her Grandmother's home. They make a deal to help each other - her using her promotional skills to develop his still being constructed zip line adventure experience and him helping sort out her grandmother's home renovations. Neither planned on the attraction between them or on her parents' reactions it is going to take some dramatic revelations and good old fashioned scheming before they'll stand a chance of achieving their HEA together in this well written, engaging read.

A lovely romance to get lost in, recommended to anyone who enjoys these Marietta tales which just keep on transporting the reader into this becoming familiar community.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley, too, for letting me read an ARC of this book in exchange for this, an honest review.

I really love the setting of Marietta, Montana! I've read quite a few (actually a lot) of different stories by different authors all set in this town and I have enjoyed the heck out of reading them all.
This story was no different!
Amanda Heller ends up in Marietta trying to hide from a public media frenzy of sorts. Tucker Montgomery ends up in Marietta because his best friend loves it so what the heck ... And they both end up under the same roof ... You can imagine from their a relationship is bound to form.
I know it sounds like this is a predictable story-line you may have read before, especially if you're an avid reader, and you might be right. But the way that Debra Salonen tells this story is so endearing and funny and sexy all at the same time. It takes away all it's predictability and makes it a huge success. Both Amanda and Tucker have to hurdle thru their past and what baggage it brings to their #sexybuddy (haha) relationship. This is not a light-hearted read at all, but the characters are fun to read and the story is quite a page turner.
The best part about a Marietta, Montanan story is that while each individual book may focus on the growth of a couple to a HEA or HFN, the town itself is also a story all by itself and you get to see past characters intertwined in all the different stories.
ARC provided by Tule Publishing via NetGalley

Debra Salonen weaves a Magical Tale and once again we are transported too the magical town of Maverick, a heartfelt moving yet beautifully spun book