🐎 👩‍👧‍👧👨‍👦 “A Family for the Orphans” (Triple C Ranch #2) (2023) 👩‍👧‍👧👨‍👦 🐎 – Book Review

 

MY REVIEW 

 

 

Series: Triple C Ranch (Book #2)
Paperback: 224 pages 
Publisher: Love Inspired Books (November 28, 2023) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 1335597069
ISBN-13: 978-1335597069
⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information 

 

“Three little hearts have been broken.

 

Now they must find a way to heal them…

 

Tragedy turned Walker McCaw from bachelor cowboy to guardian of his late best friend’s three children. Now they’re living on a new horse farm—and it’s a disaster. Trisha Campbell’s arrival couldn’t come at a better time. Together, they’ll need to work to save the struggling farm. But it takes more than hard work to make a family. It takes courage and love…” 

 

Thank you in advance to the author, Heidi Main, for providing a complimentary review copy through her launch team. A positive review was not required nor requested, and all words are my own.

This is the author’s second book in the Love Inspired line, and I have to say – it was fantastic! 

 

Most middle or second books tend to lag. This didn’t. 

 

While it is the second book in a series, it COULD act as a standalone. However, there is a “spoiler” here for those who haven’t read the first book, A Nanny for the Rancher’s Twins, so I’d HIGHLY recommend reading that first. 

 

Returning from that book are Cora, Wade, Ethan and Laney. Main also introduces readers to:

 

🐎 Walker

🐎 Trisha

🎀 Sophie

🐎 Tommy

🎀 Gabby 

 

Along with other ranch staff, and a “resident” – Wilbur, along with his two dogs. Oh, and puppies will be involved as well. 

 

This will have some content that could be upsetting to some readers – the mention of a helicopter crash (prior to the book) and orphaned children. This also has some issues of parental neglect or rather parental disinterest, the mention of a DUI fatality involving an 18-wheeler.

 

That said ... 

 

Main gets right into the story with Trisha arriving at Serenity Stables and recounting how she and Walker McCaw became the guardians to the three kids – (7) Sophie, (5) Tommy, and (3, almost 4) Gabby. Their parents were killed four (4) months earlier in a helicopter crash. Trisha and Walker – friends of Parker and Avery – were named as guardians.

 

Trisha, an Iowa University professor, feels inadequate at being a guardian. Then again, most parents do feel inadequate. Though the kids don’t seem to care and take right to her. And, she dearly adores them. She’ll do anything to take of them and secure their future – a future their parents wanted for them. 

 

She is there for the summer to help Walker take care of the kids and transition the ranch to be self-sufficient. It doesn’t help matters when a slimy developer can’t wait to come in and take the property either. The developer seems to think they will fail. Walker and Trisha cannot fail – Serenity Stables is where the kids’ parents wanted to raise the kids. Losing the ranch isn’t an option. Though there are times neither Trisha or Walker are certain that Serenity Stables can make it. 

 

From the beginning, Trisha plans to head back to her teaching job; and Walker is hoping his success will allow him to go back to his cyber-security job. 

 

Right off, Walker makes a mistake costing them their barn manager, and almost loses two clients in the process. It is Trisha who comes to his aid and “saves” the day there in keeping the two clients there. She intermittently steps in as the barn manager. 

 

It’s clear they’ve each got baggage when it comes to romance. For Walker, it is feelings responsible for killing his wife – Phoebe in an accident (as of note – he was NOT at fault). For Trisha – it is her father rejecting and neglecting her after her mother’s death. In addition, when her fiancé rejected her, his parents dropped a job offer which caused her to relocate to Iowa. She wonders if she is truly unlovable – her father didn’t want her, her fiancé didn’t want her – who would want her?  

 

For now, Trisha and Walker’s focus is the children and the ranch. Though they do seem to differ on their ideas. Once they get together as partners, things do seem to be going their way – to a point. It’s also clear Walker has a lot to learn about community relations as well. There’s also the case of Wilbur, an older relative of the former owners. He lives on the property with a couple of dogs, and Walker isn’t quite sure about the man. Though, he’ll come to rely on his advice and help. And, the man is great with the kids. Trisha sees him more as a bonus grandfather for the kids. He adores the kids and they adore him – it’s a win/win scenario. 

 

Sophie laments that she’s going to miss Trisha when she goes back to Iowa, and despite video chatting, it is clear the girl is attached. She also complains is that “Walka” never seems to do anything with them. Trisha reminds him to “stop and smell the roses” and spend time with the kids, something they need. She’s also wondering why he went to college when his family’s farm, the Triple C, was right there for him to work. 

 

Walker realizes the kids need a mom. He’s fairly certain Trisha is a great candidate, though he doesn’t have plans to remarry. 

 

In addition to helping Walker, Trisha is also helping mentor a student – Lauren. It is clear that Trisha is torn between being a mentor to the girl, and being a mother figure to the three kids in her care. But, despite her own reservations about being good enough, she definitely has a maternal instinct. Still, she has her career and her focus is on that.

 

As with any romance when there are roadblocks, Walker and Trisha have to overcome what holds them back in order to grab the future in front of them. For Trisha it would be giving up her career for a man like she did before. For Walker, it is getting over the fact he wasn’t able to protect his wife who was killed in an accident. 

 

Yet, together – and with the kids – they have what they need right there. Getting over the past might be the easiest part when a storm bears down and threatening an event that could secure their future. They might lose the future before they even get started. 

 

I would suggest a small pack of tissues because this is a heart-breaking, emotional, sweet, and inspiring read. It was definitely a bit hard to put down though once I got to reading it. The author drew me right in, and I felt like I had a ringside seat to the fun as well as frustrations. I absolutely LOVED the small-town feel, as well as Walker’s family who took to Trisha and the kids. 

 

The only part I have a problem with, and this is true for a lot of books – the characters and their “baggage” of either not wanting to get a heart broken again, feeling guilty about something that was beyond their control, or feeling like they’re never enough. Though without it, sometimes a story wouldn’t work. It can still be a bit tedious though. 

 

The romance doesn’t really get going until about 80% into the book though. It is definitely a “slow-burn” romance, but the story doesn’t lag. There are plenty of other tidbits to keep the reader’s interest. 

 

I absolutely related to the residents’ concerns about the slimy developers targeting their town. Outside the fictional pages, this is a very real and growing problem for some cities, and there have even been news reports on it. 

 

Even where I am living – which isn’t a small town by any means, despite being a suburb of a LARGE city – has been no stranger to the practices. Big developers or corporations buy up smaller housing tracts and/or rental complexes. At first, the changes are subtle, then they renovate and price locals completely out of their housing, or community. This has been done in many areas, including a mobile home park here in Las Vegas. Even my townhome complex has experienced a similar issue. In January 2016, it was sold for $24 million, yet 20 months later (September 2018), another company bought it $64 million. The value (as of 2021) is only $18 million. One has to wonder about the true motives about such a transaction. I’m the type to use two apps (my account and my mother’s) to get a deal even at a burger place. I can’t imagine spending over 3x the value of a property to get it 🙄

 

If I didn’t have evidence, it would be an interesting plot in a book – sadly, it’s quite real. So, the author definitely added some reality to that part of the story. In fact, she did such a good job, I really had an urge to punch the two men who showed up at Serenity Stables, quite a strong urge. 

 

Since this is from the Love Inspired line, there will be some elements of faith in it. They are very subtle so as not to seem “preachy” to the reader.  

 

I’m definitely looking forward to the next book as there are some loose ends from this book that I’d like to see resolved – even if they’re only mentioned. As of note, the slimy developers can walk off the page and NOT return. Well, if they do come back and slip in some horse manure, I won’t cry 🐎💩🤣

 

Those who read the author’s first book are definitely going to want to read this, as well as those who love stories about kids, horses, and ranches. 

                                                                      

 

 

RATING:  

 

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads  

 

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub  

 

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html; update: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2022/07/what-goes-into-my-reviews-2022-edition.html) 

 

 

 

Previous Book in the Series: 

 

Series: Triple C Ranch (Book #1)

Paperback: 224 pages

Publisher: Love Inspired Books (October 25, 2022)

Language: English

ISBN: 1335585354

ISBN-13: 978-1335585356

⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information

“Returning to small-town Texas was her fresh start.

 

She never expected a ready-made family.

 

What could be better than running a rustic wedding venue? Event planner Laney Taylor has it all laid out…except for the serious renovations her inherited property needs. Rancher Ethan McCaw will help—but only if she’ll nanny his toddler twins. Laney’s all about planning weddings for others and shielding her own heart, but Ethan, Zoe and Tori might be just the ones to change her mind …”

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

 

Heidi Main writes sweet inspirational romance novels set in small towns. Though she lives in the central North Carolina’s suburbs, she dreams of acreage and horseback riding, which is probably why her novels include wide-open ranches and horses. Before starting her writing career, Heidi worked with computers and taught Jazzercise. A perfect Saturday is lounging on the deck with her husband and watching the many birds in their backyard. Learn more about her books at: https://heidimain.com.

 

You can find her on the following social media accounts:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHeidiMain/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heidi.h.main/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeidiMain