Generally speaking, I'm not big on romance novels, but in this first of three books about the McCord cousins, Ms. Ryan set me up by starting a treasure hunt for the gold nuggets that were stolen from Grandpa McCord's great-grandpa. Watching the old man spend his life wandering the hills, searching for the stolen treasure, made everybody believe he was a crazy old coot, even Jesse, Wyatt and Zane, his doting grandsons. Love and respect for the old man and his dream fueled them in youth and now is binding them together as partners in the ranch in order to continue the hunt after Grandpa Coot heads to the Big Roundup in the Sky.

Even today there is a lot of responsibility tied up in being the founding fathers and major landholders in an area like Gold Fever, MT, in the Treasure Chest Mountains. Much of the neighborhood history is the same as the McCord family history. Jesse knows this and is loyal to the family, the ranch and to his grandpa's dream. Orphaned as a pre-teen, he was raised by Coot and in the isolation of his devotion, became the Ranch. The return of his cousins and of that purdy little filly on the next range helps to bring him out of mourning for his grandpa and to see more than just the fencepost in front of him. Just why is somebody trying to kill Amy?

I don’t think I’m revealing anything by saying the guy gets the girl. That’s the best part of a romance! The story includes high emotion and a tinge of a thrill as our three heroes loyally protect the life, reputation and dream that is their Montana Legacy.