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Redwood Falls #3

Resisting the Rancher

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When Janet Smith arrives at the Bar M Ranch, she’s desperate for a job, but not so desperate that she doesn’t recognize the potentially explosive situation she’s put herself in. The tall, brooding owner watches her with a dangerous sizzle that’s almost tangible. His searing looks fill her with confusion—and a paralyzing need unlike anything she’s ever experienced.
It takes less than twenty-four hours for Jeff McIntyre to realize the housekeeper he’s hired has little to no domestic capabilities. But she does have something he wants, and it doesn’t have anything to do with hot meals or laundered clothing. Being exposed to her daily has him on a tight leash that’s fueling his resentment. There’s no question in his mind—he’s going to snap within days, if not hours.
Excerpt:
Jeff studied the girl in front of him, realizing several things in that instant. Although she hadn’t technically lied to him about where she’d been, she certainly hadn’t been one hundred percent open either, and that made it little more than a lie in his book. And the fact that she was hiding something from him was fueling a surge of testosterone in his bloodstream that was manifesting itself in aggression—sexual aggression—he could feel it.
He was already fighting his arousal to such a degree that it astounded him. What was it about this little chick that made him want to invade her personal space, grab her around the waist and throw her over his shoulder before taking her to his room and locking her inside? Really, what the hell was it about her?
Whatever it was, his swollen and engorged hard-on was not going to control his actions. Yeah, he’d have her in bed soon, but for now, he wanted to know exactly where the hell she’d been that day.
Why he felt the need to know her exact whereabouts, he refused to analyze. He just wanted to know and by damned, she was going to tell him the complete truth this time.
Without wasting another second, he pushed off the door and took two steps toward her, intent on seeking answers. Her reaction to his sudden movement made his feet stall. It wasn’t the fact that her face blanched white; it wasn’t the fact that she took a single step backwards with obvious nerves that stopped him in his tracks.
It was the sound of the breath catching in her throat and then escalating into small, panting puffs of air that lifted her chest—and her breasts—up and down. It was the way her cheeks went from white to flushed pink; it was the way her lips parted as she held her breath for a moment before taking rapid inhalations again—and again, as if she couldn’t get enough air.
Well, holy hell. Any sanity where she was concerned was hijacked as he realized she was just as hot for him as he was for her. His motive, his intention to interrogate her dissolved in a split second as an all-encompassing need to lay his hands on her invaded his bloodstream. How the hell many days had he kept himself in check? Too many to count.
He was done being noble, he needed to taste her, now.
As if receiving permission from his brain, his body went into full throttle. Reaching out with one hand, he made a grab for her. She sucked in a breath as his fingers wrapped around the slender bones of her wrist. Unable to control his need, he jerked her toward him, her torso slamming against his, producing a pagan satisfaction deep in his core.
With her breasts pressed against him, he swung her around until her back was against the wall. He wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her into him, not really caring that he was now supporting much of her weight as he pulled her to her tiptoes. The feel of her pressing against him provoked a surge of almost maddened lust as he stared down into her upturned face.
Her beautiful, exotic eyes blinked up at him as she struggled for breath.
Son. Of. A. Bitch. She was more than hot—she was willing—she was addictive, and he couldn’t wait one second longer. His head dropped, his lips crashing onto hers.

333 pages, ebook

First published February 28, 2017

126 people are currently reading
471 people want to read

About the author

Lynda Chance

29 books2,052 followers
Always a fan of romantic fiction, I've always been in love with the alpha-male. So in love, I've never been quite satisfied with the restrictions of series romance. I like to get into a guy's mind and have him do or say exactly what he's feeling at the moment, and sometimes I shock even myself! I consider my stories soft erotica; one man, one woman, heterosexual. But since abiding love is always the happy ending I'm looking for, my couples are always monogamous. My guy would never share his woman with anyone, and she is always enough to satisfy him. Since I believe that love starts with lust, my stories are always highly sexual, explicit in nature, and hopefully totally satisfying to my readers. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.

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5 stars
338 (34%)
4 stars
325 (33%)
3 stars
232 (23%)
2 stars
65 (6%)
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24 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
Profile Image for Carvanz.
2,385 reviews898 followers
March 8, 2017
Lynda Chance is back! This was one heck of an alpha-hole, feisty heroine story. Loved it! I will admit there is not much, if anything, from this author I don’t love. I did struggle some with the hero because he was so intense and sometimes came off feeling almost mean. But the further I read the more I realized he was simply determined. He recognized what he wanted and did whatever he had to do to get it. Sometimes his actions were questionable but then again, he’s a man. Told in dual POV. Hero was married previously, wife died. Heroine never had a romantic relationship with her baby’s father. (You gotta read the book to get the whole story about that.) No other woman drama but a few women in the town are not happy that the heroine snagged the hero. Pretty much low, low angst other than what their growing emotions create. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a strong alpha hero and doesn’t care if he can be a complete jerk at times.
Profile Image for *CJ*.
5,112 reviews629 followers
March 5, 2017
OMG OMG OMG OMG A NEW LYNDA CHANCE RANCHER OMG OMG

So many.. aaaah
Getting a few things out
Firstly- I flove Lynda Chance. She's there in my top ten all time favorite authors and I adore her alphas.
Secondly- I also totally love Redwood falls series. Josh and Hannah was an amazing book- and Jeff and Janet intrigued me with a small glimpse into their life in both aforementioned and Zachary/ Katie's book. I was a bit disappointed that we still don't know what happened with Ethan and Ava, but it was exciting to get a prequel.
Now back to the book,
Overall a good read. When I had thought about this couple in Hannah's book, in my head it was an insta love story. This however seemed a mix between "The Mistress Mistake" and "Under the Cowboys control"- adding loads of new elements.
Basically widow Janet and her baby Hannah find temporary employment in widower Jeff's house- who has a 13 year old son Zach.
While Janet knows about housekeeping, she knows nothing about cooking- something which is evident in her week there.
However the chemistry between them is undeniable and that leads them to having some explosive encounters- initially without feeling from his side.. but later laden with too many.
Jeff was a typical LC hero- obsessive, possessive, kinda crazy overpowering alpha. I adored him but there were some total meh things which annoyed me especially when.. .
Maybe because he suffered loss and never had any affection, he wanted everything from Janet and wanted to give her nothing emotionally. Physically he showered her with hot love makin and materialistically everything.
Janet was a lovely assertive heroine, who thought equally with her mind as much as with her heart. She gives it back as she gets- I honestly wished she fought back more but overall her character was really sweet and forgiving (and maybe that's why we didn't see Jeff grovel more)
The ending and love confession was abrupt- and the last few chapters just seemed whirlwind.
However, major feels and tears throughout the book. I had many heart string tugs at many scenes, though honestly I expected so much more.
Only reason it gets the stars it does is because of its wonderful, sweet epilogue.
Safe
3.5/5
Profile Image for Capt..
581 reviews76 followers
October 12, 2024
Jeff is secretly a comedian 😭😭😭
And oh he’s also seriously crazy and territorial when it comes to Janet that I didn’t mind he had a deceased wife who he loved and had a son with (which I guess is the MMC for book 2 of this series). Since he said that he can’t remember being this possessive and obsessed (Imma add CRAZY) with his previous wife.


—Quotes why Jeff is a comedian 🌸

"A taxi—a cab," she clarified in a stiff little voice that made him want to toss her in a chair and cage her within his arms and explain exactly what it meant to live in the middle of God's country. Damn good thing she had amazing looks, because she didn't seem to have a working brain cell in her head.”
—> Please the last sentence was so 🤣🤣🤣

“The next evening, Jeff ate a meal that was no more palatable than the previous night's supper had been. He could tell that it was supposed to be some kind of pasta dish, because the mush on his plate had apparently been noodles at one time.“
—> I feel this to my bones because I can’t cook for shit too. 🤧

“He was trying like hell not to be jealous of the time she was giving to his kid, because that was just all kinds of fucked up, and besides, it wasn't jealousy anyway—he was actually relieved she was taking such good care of his son.”
—> C R A Z Y 🌚

“Five minutes later, it was all over. Janet Cullman Smith was now Janet McIntyre and at the realization, the possessiveness Jeff had been experiencing subtly shifted and accelerated, turning almost territorial.
And if she thought she was ever getting away from him, she seriously had another think coming. “
—> 🫦🫦🫦

“But he wouldn't scare her with that information—no way in hell. No, scaring her wasn't his intention at all, it would be in stark opposition to his new goal in life. He wanted his wife happy, content to live in his home, happy to mother his kid, and goddamn if he didn't want her to be thrilled to share his bed.”
“And he would make damn sure that she felt all of those things. He didn't totally understand his burning need for her to be happy with him, but he wasn't going to question it. And just as soon as he had this one last detail accomplished, he was going to dedicate his fucking life to making sure she was happy so that leaving him wouldn't ever cross her mind.”
—> 🥹🫦🛐

“Jeff, you don't have to be that way. I'm committed. I committed to this relationship this morning. I'm not going to do anything immoral—you don't need to think of me as something you need to protect or worry about 24/7."
"No?"
She shook her head. "No."
"Then let's have a baby.”
—> Help 😭😭😭

“What's wrong?" (…) "Why, Jeff? Why are you so upset and what can I do to make you feel better?"
"You mean other than getting pregnant?" he asked succinctly.
"Yes, besides that. I want to know what you're thinking, why you'd want me to get pregnant so soon.”
—> Jeff and his one brain cell left 🤣. Pray for him 🙏🏽


About his feelings with his ex-wife, this is what he said:

“Even now, he couldn't believe the amount of satisfaction he felt from the simple ceremony. It was more than satisfaction, it was a huge feeling of relief. Relief that was causing an intoxicating rush of primitive hunger, of ownership, to run through his veins like quicksilver.

Had he felt this strongly after his first marriage? He couldn't remember the feeling being even halfway near as enthralling, and it almost made him feel guilty. But he refused to”
—> I love a self-aware man 🤭

“…feel any guilt—he'd been a good and faithful husband and he'd loved his wife. Besides, Bonnie had begged him to be happy and he was going to take her at her word. He was moving on, and if that damned him in some way, then so be it. “
—>Go off, crazy king! 😤
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Nikki ღ Navareus.
1,097 reviews62 followers
March 27, 2017

***FOUR STARS***

Typical Lynda Chance story. Alpha dominant, bit of an asshole hero, full of testosterone and trying like hell to lock down his uncontrollably possessive feelings for a woman, and being completely unsuccessful at it. Jeff was hot as hell and smoking sexy too. I enjoyed his jealousy over any other men paying the least bit of attention to Janet. Janet was a bit of a pushover, but when Jeff would go full blown asshat, Janet would finally come out of her shell and bite back. I liked that they both had kids from other people. I think this is the first Lynda Chance story that I have seen that in and it was a nice change. The whole reason they "HAD" to get married was a bit silly, but it didn't take away too much from this story for me. Lynda definitely hasn't lost her touch at writing amazing sex scenes either. This story was an enjoyable way to spend the evening.

Profile Image for Mindy Lou's Book Review.
3,012 reviews800 followers
January 16, 2019
I love Lynda Chance books but I will admit she has a few where I feel the love is missing. I get why Jeff was the way he was. He had no family, grew up in an orphanage, married a girl who grew up in the same orphanage but then she died not long after their marriage. Basically he's emotionally stunted. It makes sense that he didn't show any love, but I still want to see it. The ending mostly made up for it. If you aren't familiar with Lynda Chance, her heroes are very intense, jealous, possessive men. Some can come off as mean. I think Jeff came off very mean at first. Since I know this author, I knew it would be worth it to hang in there.
Profile Image for Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves.
1,462 reviews18 followers
July 26, 2020
Not quite the smutfest I expected but plenty of those growly uber-dominant moves by the H.
Profile Image for Cheesecake.
2,800 reviews513 followers
January 24, 2019
I loved this like I've loved my favourite Lynda Chance books.
Jeff is a curmudgeonly rancher who has stepped back from women (except for the odd perfunctory hour in a motel) since his wife died 6 years ago.
He lives on his sprawling ranch with his 12 year old boy (a mini curmudgeon), Zach.
Then one day Janet shows up with her baby Hannah, looking for work as a housekeeper...

The story is simple and mostly about them all getting to know each other. Jeff is super possessive and at first Janet comes across as a bit of a wimp, but she learns to hold her own against his OTT alphaness.

The next two books in the series are about the two kids when they grow up.

safety is good
Profile Image for Penny Watson.
Author 12 books511 followers
April 2, 2017
So excited to read a new Lynda Chance book! This had her trademark alpha-male-hero character, but it also had a lot of emotional development that I really enjoyed.

I don't mind her NA books...they are entertaining. But I love the ones with more mature characters the best!

Grade: A
Profile Image for Melluvsbooks.
1,570 reviews
October 2, 2021
I love the way Lynda Chance writes her Heros. They are gruff and super alpha, but when it comes to their woman, they can barely hold it together. Jeff was no exception to that. The only thing that bothered me is that I didn’t feel much romance here. He’s all cavemanning, and controlling and possessive and jealous from the beginning, but the *love* takes a bit. He gets there though. So, if you like an H who doesn’t always have the best (socially acceptable) intentions and is just one step away from crossing several lines, you’ll like this book. 💕





⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- no OW drama
- no dubcon (skates the line a bit)
- h (26) is a widow with an infant
- H (36) is a widower with a teenage son
Profile Image for Vintage.
2,718 reviews725 followers
May 15, 2017
Tiny h arrives at the ranch with her infant girl in tow and in need of a job. She's a rotten cook so lucky for her the uber-alpha cowboy king melts down in into insta-lovelust. Over the top antics of alpha hero is a little too much. His initial "seduction" of the h verged on forced seduction.

He does warm up later and we're given the hope that his insta-lust, bossiness and domineering ways were just covering up true love.
Profile Image for atomickitten.
1,002 reviews163 followers
February 17, 2023
5+ dreamy stars!

My inner hoe and I are in total bliss right now.
So, please don't interrupt!






My god, what a book that was!
And I loved it with all my heart.

I thought that only Linda Howard was capable of getting me out of my reading slump.
Well, I thought wrong.

Because Lynda Chance is my go-to author whenever I need a book where the hero worships the heroine.
Where the hero is obsessively in love with the girl.
Or where the steam melts my insides.

That is why I always go for Chance.

And yeah, we have it all here.



I deliberately started this series with book 3 as it is where it all begins.
With the parents.

Jeff McIntyre and Janet Smith.
Both single parents.
Both wary of each other.
And yet both so perfect for one another.

The sparks, the longing, the incredible build-up.



I don't wanna get into details but if you like a story about a mancave hero, a sweet but smart and strong heroine then look no further.
Plus, a hot Texan cowboy?
Are u fucking kidding me here?

That is the gold I'm looking for.



The first book is of their (Jeff's) son, Zach.
Can't wait to read.

The second book is of their (Janet's) daughter, Hannah.
Already downloaded.

Book 4 is of Hannah's friend's I think, so not sure if I'll inhale it as eagerly as the others but we will see.

The only disappointment was that they didn't have a kid together.
Because I know how much Jeff wanted it.
But hey, that's just me.

Otherwise, this book lands on my 'fave' shelf because I loved it.
Completely.
Just as it is.
Plain and simple.

Plus, the fact that we see how their lives went on?
5, 10, 15 years later?

Yeah.

That is where the plus comes from.

Absolutely wonderful!


Profile Image for mad4rombks.
661 reviews
July 4, 2022
This hit all my sweet spots. All of them. Growly, possessive hero who lost his mind as soon as he saw the heroine. I've been waiting for Jeff and Janet's story since I read Josh & Hannah back in 2013. Jeff was as OTT possessive as I expected him to be and I absolutely loved it from start to finish.

Reread March 2018.
Profile Image for Jacqueline J.
3,565 reviews371 followers
March 10, 2017
If you like Lynda Chance you'll like this one. I enjoyed this outing. Sort of a prequel since it goes back in time and tells the story of Hannah's parents. Plenty of the stuff we're used to from this author. Possessive jealousy. Same old disclaimer as always: Fun in fiction not in real life.
Profile Image for Varied Books.
1,186 reviews55 followers
November 12, 2017
A lot of lust the emotional feels were missing. The author didn’t spend enough time connecting the H/h emotionally. The H was OTT j/p which I liked. You do get the love at the end & a satisfying HEA.
Profile Image for Kate ☕ (semi-hiatus).
652 reviews
December 18, 2022

Ahhh a grumpy vicious Hero that can be created only by Lynda. 🥰 I especially appreciated the 90's background, felt like reading one of those older Harlequins, but with much better plot. Oh and let's not forget the strong and wonderful character of hers 😊

Profile Image for Rose Maria.
302 reviews55 followers
March 17, 2019
H36,h25
Hero Jeff is a widower who lost his wife to cancer when his boy was 6....now his son Zach is 13 and they are in need of a house keeper, enters our heroine Janet with her 6month old baby Hannah (the Hannah in Josh and Hannah)....and the attraction is intense and hotttt with capital T.
Their attraction was so palpable!!!.... And I loved how Zach was with Hannah.
Beautiful story.
Profile Image for Laura.
792 reviews28 followers
March 2, 2017
I've read and enjoyed quite a few books from this author. She writes possessive alpha males. I hadn't heard much from her in a while then noticed she released a free book on Valentines about a couple I have enjoyed reading about but the latest short story about them was so over the top alpha male wise and I didn't like it. A reviewer mentioned the author was writing new stuff which would be released soon.

I will admit I had not read book 1 and 2 in this series but this book features the parents of the step siblings in book 1 and 2 and is set in 1990.

I just found this story boring. There is a lot of internal monologue and not enough dialogue. Janet would ask a question then there were pages of Jeff's internal thoughts before she got her answer. I didn't feel the connection between them or feel them fall in love. It seemed a bit seedy to me that he employed her as his housekeeper but 6 days later is telling her that she knows why she's really there... for sex. It made her seem like a prostitute! I know it's set in 1990 but it seemed more like 1920 the way Jeff insisted they should marry after only knowing each other 6 days so that they would be able to share a bedroom and not sneak around because his son might notice.

Janet has a six month old daughter Hannah and Jeff is a widow with a 12 year old son Zach. Zach features intermittently and then suddenly half way through we're reading about what an amazing bond Janet has with Zach that seemed to be 'told' to us rather than 'shown'.

Jeff is the usual over possessive alpha male. Janet does put up some resistance especially when he wants to get her pregnant. She goes on the pill to stop that and then years later in the epilogue, we learn that they never did have any children together which seemed odd when he was quite keen to get her pregnant. It's just explained away as if they never got around to it.

In all honesty, this reminded me of the type of debut novel I sometimes download from the list of Amazon UK Top 100 freebies. A 'read and delete' and unimpressive. I hope the author can get back to her best.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Katharine Cordy.
168 reviews3 followers
February 18, 2017
When this book was described to me they said the lead male was Alpha Alpha. To be honest I wasn't sure what that meant. In fact I sorta giggled as I didn't think this was a thing. I was wrong. It's a thing. Now I enjoy a good Alpha male in a romance book. This was Alpha on steroids.
As someone who met and married my spouse quickly when it happens in books and they get a HEA, I'm not shocked. It happens quickly in this book and it does sorta feel proper. The feelings are intense. You can feel them pour off the page. It's my first book from this author and I read it as a stand alone, I didn't know there was a series until after I read the book. So yeah I'll be looking for more.
Profile Image for Carmen.
841 reviews23 followers
March 21, 2020
As soon as I read Josh and Hannah, I wanted to read this prequel! But it wasn't written yet. I remember messaging LC to tell her that. From Josh and Hannah's story, it was clear Janet and Jeff had a great backstory waiting to be told. That is the marvel and magic of storytelling. These formed characters circling in the author's imagination just waiting to be revealed. . .either in a current story or one pages away. Great novella! H is a bit cray crazy at first but h flattens him out by the end!
Profile Image for Megan Fall.
Author 13 books366 followers
March 21, 2017
I love these books and I'm thrilled she went back and wrote about the parents. Now I want to go back and read the first two books again! It was great reading about Josh as a boy.
Profile Image for Sania.
939 reviews
September 19, 2017
Standalone/Cliffhanger: Standalone
Ages of H and h: h is 23? And H is 36
Multi-Luv'n/Ménages:
Was There Descriptive Sex:
Descriptive Sex &/Or Drama Between H/h With OW/OM:
>>If So, Before or After H/h Hookup:
Contains Cheating:
Amount of Sex In The Book:
HEA/HFN/etc Ending:
Will This Meet My 'Safety Gang' Buddies' Approval:
Any Triggers/Warnings: Yes
>>Detail: Both Jeff and Janet have dead ex's and they each have a child.
Do You Recommend This Book: Yes.
Will You Re-read This Book: Yes
Would You Read More Books By This Author:
Profile Image for Jamie.
1,116 reviews276 followers
August 17, 2018
I liked this book and it was pretty good, but it was sooooooo rushed towards the end. I was planning on rating four stars but on account of how rushed it was I knocked it down one. This could’ve easily used three or four more chapters before that mildly satisfying epilogue. I feel like a lot of things were left unfinished.

Changing to two stars after skimming Zach’s book and realizing he always just calles the h Janet and specifies she’s his STEP mother and Janet’s Mom is his STEP grandmother. I’m very picky about this in single parent books, I’m definitely not a fan of “step-parents”. Real life is different, but in books I don’t like the whole “step” thing.
Profile Image for KathyB .
1,642 reviews53 followers
July 20, 2017
I was in the mood for an OTT hero and this one fit the bill. Jeff (the hero) was overbearing, rude and hotter than hot for Janet. The sexual chemistry and interaction between the main characters was awesome. The only thing preventing it from being 5 stars was the inner dialogue, I thought there was too much.

I'm sure a few hours in a therapist chair would help me understand my love for this type of hero, in the mean time I'll look forward to reading more stories like this one. This was a great read for me.

4.25 Stars
Profile Image for 100sweet.
1,602 reviews
May 25, 2017
I didn't find this book as good as other works by this author. However, I enjoyed the possessiveness and obsessiveness displayed by the H. I think the addition of the children hurt the story. I also found myself a little annoyed with how mean the H was at times. Nevertheless, this is one of my favorite authors and I can't wait to read more from her.
Profile Image for Clarissa Price.
241 reviews7 followers
March 15, 2017
So very very fantastic!!!!!

I loved it!!!!!!!! I couldn't put it down I wanted more. It's so sexy and hot a great read fantastic characters...a MUST re a d you Wil love it.
229 reviews7 followers
March 5, 2017
It was okay nothing special. I honestly prefer Lynda Chance's other books that are more her style like Josh and Hannah's book!
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