Series: Montana Mavericks: Lonelyhearts Ranch (Book 2)Montana Mavericks (Book 116)
A millionaire…and baby booties?
Rust Creek Ramblings
Pretty-and-pregnant Mikayla Brown is Rust Creek Falls’ newest resident. Poor as a church mouse, she is determined to make it on her own, so what is she doing with Tulsa billionaire Jensen Jones? Everyone knows that the cowboy-booted businessman doesn’t “do” commitment -- and Mikayla is in no position (literally!) to do casual. Yet our sources suggest Jensen may be Mikayla’s Prince Charming in disguise. Could our expectant, independent Cinderella have finally found her perfect match?
Terrific story. Mikayla moved to Rust Creek Falls from Cheyenne after her boyfriend made it plain he had no interest in being a father to their baby. She's living at Sunshine Farm with Eva and Luke Stockton while she gets her feet under her. She may be alone in the world and as poor as can be, but she's determined to be the best mother she can be.
Jensen Jones is one of the Jones brothers from Tulsa. Three of his brothers have met and fallen in love with Rust Creek Falls women, relocating from Tulsa to Montana. This has irritated their father, who has made it plain to Jensen that he's to finish his business in town and get back to Tulsa ASAP. Jensen is in town to purchase some property for a crisis distribution center, but the owner of the land he wants refuses to sell. Jensen is determined and won't give up.
I loved the development of the relationship between Jensen and Mikayla. Both of them are wonderful people. Mikayla is kind, sweet, and independent. She absolutely refuses to let her circumstances get her down, and for the most part, keeps a very positive outlook. She had her heart stomped on by her ex, which has made her wary, but she hasn't given up on love entirely. Jensen is an all-around nice guy. He was badly betrayed by his fiancée, who had purposely gone after him because of his money and his name. Then she ran up huge debts by opening credit cards in his name. Now Jensen is convinced that he's not cut out for love and family, so he limits his relationships to those who don't expect commitment.
I loved the meeting between Mikayla and Jensen. He took one look at her and knew that he wanted to get to know her better. His flirtatious advances were over-the-top, but also kind of cute. Mikayla was surprised, a bit intrigued, and also somewhat amused because she knew something he did not. His shock was clear when she stood up and he discovered that she was pregnant, and he rapidly retreated. But he couldn't keep her out of his mind and counted it a blessing when he met her in the local baby supply store. I loved how easily they were able to talk to each other, and how she helped him out. It was sweet to see the way he reacted to what he overheard, and that he couldn't resist playing fairy godfather. Of course, that didn't set well with Mikayla's independence, and I loved seeing her stand up to him, something he doesn't experience very often. It was fun to see how that affected him and made him all the more determined, to the point of proposing a two-week, "no strings" fling.
After some debate with herself, Mikayla agreed. There were many sweet scenes as the two of them spent time together. Though there were plenty of sparks between them, I really liked the way they just spent time together. I loved seeing how much enjoyment Jensen got out of finding ways to spoil Mikayla, from meals out to simple picnics. I especially liked how they were honest with each other about their expectations, and could talk to each other about their pasts. It was clear that their feelings were changing, but both tried to resist. Mikayla knows that Jensen will be leaving, but she can't help wishing that things could be different. I ached for her as she realized that she had fallen hard for him. She knew he wasn't going to stay, but she couldn't help that kernel of hope that she felt. Jensen fought really hard against his feelings. Every time that he found himself thinking about her, or about a future together, he had to remind himself that he was a "no commitment" guy. His behavior in Vegas showed how much he was afraid of his feelings. The ending was terrific. His eye-opening advice came from an unexpected source, and just in time. His big moment at the end was sweet and emotional, perfect for him.
Part of the book was the story of why Jensen was in Rust Creek Falls. It was interesting to see how, at the beginning, Jensen was sure that it was a case of finding the right amount of money to convince Barnes to sell his land. I loved seeing how spending time with Mikayla changed his outlook. His conversation with Barnes at the end of the book was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.
I also loved how the book spotlighted how much Jensen loves his family. He is bothered by the rifts between his brothers and their father and is determined to change it. In this book and previous ones, the senior Jones comes across as a man who puts his business above everything else. I wasn't at all surprised by his behavior when he first arrived in Rust Creek Falls. The scene between him and Jensen at the party was fantastic and gave excellent insight into both him and Jensen. I also enjoyed the relationships between Walker, Hudson, and Jensen. The changes in Walker and Hudson since their arrivals in Rust Creek Falls are profound and quite surprising to Jensen. I especially liked their clear-eyed, experienced view of what was happening between Jensen and Mikayla, and how they tried to make Jensen see the truth.
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