In her print debut, Jennifer Ryan introduces the first in her Montana Men series, At Wolf Ranch—a contemporary romantic suspense novel with cowboys, socialites and deadly family secrets.
Ella Wolf and her twin sister, Lela, are heirs to the Wolf Industries fortune upon their 25th birthday. The death of their parents put them in the care of their Uncle Phillip, a man with more than his fair share of skeletons in his closet. But as Lela learns of her uncle’s dark secrets, Phillip winds up with her blood on his hands and is determined to frame Ella for Lela’s death in order to secure the family assets for himself.
Wanted for her sister’s murder, Ella tracks Lela’s final steps to Montana in the hopes of uncovering the truth about Phillip. With justice on her mind and grief in her heart, she teams up with Gabe Bowden—a former rodeo champion who rescued her from certain icy death and was unwittingly swindled by her uncle.
Protective and nurturing, Gabe has no issue helping Ella, both in caring for her injuries and being supportive of her quest to put her uncle behind bars. Though cautious after being burned by a former fiancée, Gabe is sincere and genuine as he slowly becomes Ella’s confidant and her shoulder to cry on. He quickly learns that she is much more than the gossip magazines let on when it comes to her life back in New York. As the snow piles up in Montana, Ella and Gabe bond over their dedication to family and carefully try to navigate their growing attraction. But with Ella being the prime suspect in her sister’s murder, it’s a race to see if she can find the evidence to put her uncle away before he finds her.
Gabe and Ella’s attraction starts off as a slow burn, simmering and sparking with every interaction, but it soon becomes clear that they perfectly balance each other out. Gabe is warm and gentle, yet he knows what he wants for himself and is dedicated to achieving it. Ella is driven and intuitive, and everything she does is done with love: love for her sister, love for her parents and her growing love for Gabe. However, the pair never loses sight of what’s at stake as they unearth more and more of Phillip’s transgressions.
At Wolf Ranch is ardently beautiful as Ella bravely deals with her grief, taking comfort where Gabe freely offers it. Ryan’s suspenseful twists test the limits of Ella’s trust as Gabe transforms from stranger to lover in such a subtle, carefully crafted way. Sweet, honest and emotional, At Wolf Ranch has officially put Montana on the map.
