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Blue River Ranch #2
Gunfire on the Ranch
Ten years ago, he was a suspect in her parents' murder. Now he's back to protect the family he never knew he had.
DEA agent Theo Canton may have been the town bad boy but murder was never his MO. Too bad his girlfriend at the time didn't see it that way. Now Ivy Beckett isn't just the girl who broke his heart—she's the target of a killer. Theo vows to keep the blue-eyed beauty safe, even as he meets the son she never told him about. But will it be enough to catch the perp and give their family a second chance?
DEA agent Theo Canton may have been the town bad boy but murder was never his MO. Too bad his girlfriend at the time didn't see it that way. Now Ivy Beckett isn't just the girl who broke his heart—she's the target of a killer. Theo vows to keep the blue-eyed beauty safe, even as he meets the son she never told him about. But will it be enough to catch the perp and give their family a second chance?
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published December 19, 2017
163 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Delores Fossen
638 books815 followersThank you for finding me on Goodreads!
Want to know more about me? Well, here it is in a nutshell:
I’m a USA Today bestselling author, and I’ve sold over 100 novels. Yes, 100! Needless to say, I write a lot. I’ve had the honor of receiving the Booksellers' Best Award for romantic suspense, the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award, and I was a finalist for the Rita. My books have been featured in Vogue, Woman’s Day and Woman’s World. I’ve also had nearly a hundred short stories and articles published in national magazines. I love hearing from readers, and you can contact me through my webpage at: www.deloresfossen.com.
Want to know more about me? Well, here it is in a nutshell:
I’m a USA Today bestselling author, and I’ve sold over 100 novels. Yes, 100! Needless to say, I write a lot. I’ve had the honor of receiving the Booksellers' Best Award for romantic suspense, the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award, and I was a finalist for the Rita. My books have been featured in Vogue, Woman’s Day and Woman’s World. I’ve also had nearly a hundred short stories and articles published in national magazines. I love hearing from readers, and you can contact me through my webpage at: www.deloresfossen.com.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 21, 2019
Mercy! What the heck was this? By the time it was over, I couldn't really make sense of anything that happened. It's like Delores threw everything she could think of at the wall to see what would stick. It was a complete mess.
Theo Canton is a DEA agent who returns to Blue River Ranch when a criminal informant reveals that a gunman is heading there to kill Ivy Beckett, his ex from 10 years ago, and possibly other Beckett family members as well. From there, things just get ridiculously convoluted as the two of them try to figure out who wants to harm Ivy, and deal with the fact that Ivy has kept Theo's son a secret from him for 10 years.
Delores usually gives us three suspects, but it didn't work here, because one of them is Theo's uncle, August Canton, who was already a suspect in the first book of the series. (And I imagine will be a suspect in subsequent books). So we're left with Wesley Sanford, Theo's DEA partner, who is possibly corrupt and was part of a botched raid. There's also Lacey, Ivy's stepdaughter, who is pissed off that she isn't part of her father's inheritance, which has gone to Ivy and her son, Nathan, instead.
The problem is, the motives are too weak to justify the lengths one of these two might have gone to in order to achieve their goals. Wesley....doesn't want to get caught? I think? And Lacey wants her inheritance, but apparently already has all the money in the world to hire a never-ending supply of thugs for hire? And which person is actually the target? Wesley has a beef with Theo. Lacey has a beef with Ivy. I already can't remember what August's motive might have been, but I had pretty much discounted him as a suspect anyway. The reader's attention is just pulled in far too many directions.
For example, the watch that belonged to Ivy's father that was taken when he was murdered. It has turned up with Lacey's fingerprints on it, of all people. She says she found it on the car and threw it away. August says he had possession of the watch, but doesn't know how it found its way to Lacey. This plot strand is abandoned and never explained.
Or how about the woman that Theo, Ivy and the others find on the side of the road, who claims to have been kidnapped? She gets shot, and later dies in hospital. Delores obviously found this a convenient way to deal with the character, because it's never revealed exactly what end the bad man/woman had in mind when they kidnapped her in the first place!
This sort of element extends to Theo, Gabriel and others when they shoot the never-ending supply of thugs. Instead of incapacitating them, they go for the kill shot, conveniently killing them, leaving them unable to be questioned. It's a lazy way of prolonging the "mystery". If Delores can't be bothered with an explanation, it's a case of kill 'em off and forget they ever existed!
Like I said, this was a complete and utter mess!
Then we have Ivy. I've said many a time before, I am not a fan of secret paternity. Ivy is a particularly odious example. She kept Theo's son a secret for 10 bloody years! Inexcusable! She offers up a ripper of an explanation: "I couldn't find you to tell you." Pull the other one, Ivy! In the 10 years that have passed, Ivy went on to marry another man who loved her, but she didn't love in return. This REALLY riles me up. Marrying someone you don't love is really a despicable thing to do. Ivy's even high and mighty about not giving her husband's money to his own daughter. Ugh, I really didn't like her.
The action is repetitive. It's the same old same old Delores scenario of a guns being shot at cars going between ranches and safe houses, and then a great big firefight in the finale before the Big Bad is revealed. Even that showdown was a snore, with Theo and Ivy seemingly neverendingly running between the ranch house and a barn and a vehicle. Zzzz.
So, how's the romance? I thought it was a fizzler! Delores is very much tell and not show in this department, as usual. We get a couple of "reminders of that old punch of heat", but I never really felt it. Especially considering that I thought Ivy was a selfish bitch who married a man she didn't love and didn't even try to find the man she supposedly did love FOR 10 YEARS to tell him they had a fucking child together. Jeez. The book wraps up without this ever being properly discussed.
Usually, Delores' plot template works quite well, but here, none of it really made a lick of sense. There's a lot of running around by everybody, and a lot of supposed urgency, but it didn't make me care a great deal about the outcome.
"Mercy" word count: 7
Theo Canton is a DEA agent who returns to Blue River Ranch when a criminal informant reveals that a gunman is heading there to kill Ivy Beckett, his ex from 10 years ago, and possibly other Beckett family members as well. From there, things just get ridiculously convoluted as the two of them try to figure out who wants to harm Ivy, and deal with the fact that Ivy has kept Theo's son a secret from him for 10 years.
Delores usually gives us three suspects, but it didn't work here, because one of them is Theo's uncle, August Canton, who was already a suspect in the first book of the series. (And I imagine will be a suspect in subsequent books). So we're left with Wesley Sanford, Theo's DEA partner, who is possibly corrupt and was part of a botched raid. There's also Lacey, Ivy's stepdaughter, who is pissed off that she isn't part of her father's inheritance, which has gone to Ivy and her son, Nathan, instead.
The problem is, the motives are too weak to justify the lengths one of these two might have gone to in order to achieve their goals. Wesley....doesn't want to get caught? I think? And Lacey wants her inheritance, but apparently already has all the money in the world to hire a never-ending supply of thugs for hire? And which person is actually the target? Wesley has a beef with Theo. Lacey has a beef with Ivy. I already can't remember what August's motive might have been, but I had pretty much discounted him as a suspect anyway. The reader's attention is just pulled in far too many directions.
For example, the watch that belonged to Ivy's father that was taken when he was murdered. It has turned up with Lacey's fingerprints on it, of all people. She says she found it on the car and threw it away. August says he had possession of the watch, but doesn't know how it found its way to Lacey. This plot strand is abandoned and never explained.
Or how about the woman that Theo, Ivy and the others find on the side of the road, who claims to have been kidnapped? She gets shot, and later dies in hospital. Delores obviously found this a convenient way to deal with the character, because it's never revealed exactly what end the bad man/woman had in mind when they kidnapped her in the first place!
This sort of element extends to Theo, Gabriel and others when they shoot the never-ending supply of thugs. Instead of incapacitating them, they go for the kill shot, conveniently killing them, leaving them unable to be questioned. It's a lazy way of prolonging the "mystery". If Delores can't be bothered with an explanation, it's a case of kill 'em off and forget they ever existed!
Like I said, this was a complete and utter mess!
Then we have Ivy. I've said many a time before, I am not a fan of secret paternity. Ivy is a particularly odious example. She kept Theo's son a secret for 10 bloody years! Inexcusable! She offers up a ripper of an explanation: "I couldn't find you to tell you." Pull the other one, Ivy! In the 10 years that have passed, Ivy went on to marry another man who loved her, but she didn't love in return. This REALLY riles me up. Marrying someone you don't love is really a despicable thing to do. Ivy's even high and mighty about not giving her husband's money to his own daughter. Ugh, I really didn't like her.
The action is repetitive. It's the same old same old Delores scenario of a guns being shot at cars going between ranches and safe houses, and then a great big firefight in the finale before the Big Bad is revealed. Even that showdown was a snore, with Theo and Ivy seemingly neverendingly running between the ranch house and a barn and a vehicle. Zzzz.
So, how's the romance? I thought it was a fizzler! Delores is very much tell and not show in this department, as usual. We get a couple of "reminders of that old punch of heat", but I never really felt it. Especially considering that I thought Ivy was a selfish bitch who married a man she didn't love and didn't even try to find the man she supposedly did love FOR 10 YEARS to tell him they had a fucking child together. Jeez. The book wraps up without this ever being properly discussed.
Usually, Delores' plot template works quite well, but here, none of it really made a lick of sense. There's a lot of running around by everybody, and a lot of supposed urgency, but it didn't make me care a great deal about the outcome.
"Mercy" word count: 7
October 15, 2018
This book started with a bang and kept up the tension all the way to the end. Ivy has returned to Blue River for her brother Gabriel's wedding (Always a Lawman). She hasn't been back to the ranch in ten years, ever since her parents were murdered by her boyfriend's father. Obviously, that put an end to their relationship. Theo also hasn't been back to Blue River since then. He left town and went into law enforcement, becoming a DEA agent. He's come back to warn Ivy that someone is planning to kill her that night.
The scene at the ranch was intense as the shooter showed up practically on Theo's heels. There was barely enough time to fill in Ivy and Gabriel about the threat that had brought him there. There was added tension because of the history between Theo and Ivy, and the unexpected and unwelcome punch of attraction that both of them felt. Theo then got the shock of his life when he met Ivy's son - and it was like looking in a mirror.
I had some issues with Ivy at this point. Yes, she hadn't been able been able to find Theo to tell him. But she hadn't told anybody. She hadn't even told her own brothers that she had a child, or asked them (both are law enforcement) to try to find Theo after her husband died. Then she makes the ridiculous comment to Theo that she doesn't expect anything from him. At least she finally realized that she would have to deal with having Theo back in her life.
I liked Theo. He'd been a bit of a bad boy as a teen, which put him at odds with Ivy's sheriff father. But murder would never have occurred to him, so being suspected of it was a blow, especially when Ivy didn't stand up for him. But in spite of their turbulent past, Theo was determined to protect Ivy from the danger. I also thought he handled the news of his fatherhood pretty well. He was understandably angry, but he also knew that the fault wasn't entirely hers. I liked his determination to be part of Nathan's life.
The rekindling of the relationship between Theo and Ivy happened very quickly. There was no doubt about the attraction that still burned between them, but there were obstacles that needed to be overcome. First was the fact of the murders of her parents by his father. That's not an easy thing to get over. There are some trust issues that also need to be handled, but they do a pretty good job of actually talking to each other about their problems. The biggest obstacle is trying to find out who wants Ivy dead and why. I liked Theo's protectiveness toward Ivy, and his happiness at the being a father. I was a little disappointed in Ivy's tendency to fall apart so easily. I would have liked to see a bit more steel in her spine. The attraction between them was strong, but I was a bit surprised to see them giving in to it when they did - it was not a good time for that kind of distraction. I liked their big moment at the end, with a good solution for their future.
The suspense of the story is complicated and convoluted. My biggest question at the beginning was why was some San Antonio CI contacting a DEA agent (Theo's partner, Wesley) about the hit out on Ivy? This was complicated by the fact that Theo is investigating Wesley because of something that happened during Theo's last case. Something isn't sitting right with Theo, but how could that have anything to do with Ivy? Another possible suspect is Ivy's adult stepdaughter. Lacey is furious with Ivy because Ivy and Nathan inherited the bulk of the family estate, and Lacey believes that she was the only one who should have gotten anything. There are several things that make her a likely suspect, but are they real or is she being set up? Then there is Theo's uncle August. He has been insisting that Theo's dad is not guilty of the murders and that the Becketts railroaded the case through the courts. He has plenty of motivation to cause harm to the Beckett family. The constant and escalating attacks on Ivy and Theo had me glued to the pages as I waited to see what would happen. Ivy's determination to draw out the attacker drove both Theo and Gabriel crazy as they just wanted to keep her safe. The final confrontation was intense as it seemed that every precaution that they had taken was overcome by the bad guy. I wasn't too surprised at who the bad guy turned out to be, but there was an unexpected twist to the details. The overarching story of Theo's dad's guilt is still going on, and I'm looking forward to finding out the truth.
The scene at the ranch was intense as the shooter showed up practically on Theo's heels. There was barely enough time to fill in Ivy and Gabriel about the threat that had brought him there. There was added tension because of the history between Theo and Ivy, and the unexpected and unwelcome punch of attraction that both of them felt. Theo then got the shock of his life when he met Ivy's son - and it was like looking in a mirror.
I had some issues with Ivy at this point. Yes, she hadn't been able been able to find Theo to tell him. But she hadn't told anybody. She hadn't even told her own brothers that she had a child, or asked them (both are law enforcement) to try to find Theo after her husband died. Then she makes the ridiculous comment to Theo that she doesn't expect anything from him. At least she finally realized that she would have to deal with having Theo back in her life.
I liked Theo. He'd been a bit of a bad boy as a teen, which put him at odds with Ivy's sheriff father. But murder would never have occurred to him, so being suspected of it was a blow, especially when Ivy didn't stand up for him. But in spite of their turbulent past, Theo was determined to protect Ivy from the danger. I also thought he handled the news of his fatherhood pretty well. He was understandably angry, but he also knew that the fault wasn't entirely hers. I liked his determination to be part of Nathan's life.
The rekindling of the relationship between Theo and Ivy happened very quickly. There was no doubt about the attraction that still burned between them, but there were obstacles that needed to be overcome. First was the fact of the murders of her parents by his father. That's not an easy thing to get over. There are some trust issues that also need to be handled, but they do a pretty good job of actually talking to each other about their problems. The biggest obstacle is trying to find out who wants Ivy dead and why. I liked Theo's protectiveness toward Ivy, and his happiness at the being a father. I was a little disappointed in Ivy's tendency to fall apart so easily. I would have liked to see a bit more steel in her spine. The attraction between them was strong, but I was a bit surprised to see them giving in to it when they did - it was not a good time for that kind of distraction. I liked their big moment at the end, with a good solution for their future.
The suspense of the story is complicated and convoluted. My biggest question at the beginning was why was some San Antonio CI contacting a DEA agent (Theo's partner, Wesley) about the hit out on Ivy? This was complicated by the fact that Theo is investigating Wesley because of something that happened during Theo's last case. Something isn't sitting right with Theo, but how could that have anything to do with Ivy? Another possible suspect is Ivy's adult stepdaughter. Lacey is furious with Ivy because Ivy and Nathan inherited the bulk of the family estate, and Lacey believes that she was the only one who should have gotten anything. There are several things that make her a likely suspect, but are they real or is she being set up? Then there is Theo's uncle August. He has been insisting that Theo's dad is not guilty of the murders and that the Becketts railroaded the case through the courts. He has plenty of motivation to cause harm to the Beckett family. The constant and escalating attacks on Ivy and Theo had me glued to the pages as I waited to see what would happen. Ivy's determination to draw out the attacker drove both Theo and Gabriel crazy as they just wanted to keep her safe. The final confrontation was intense as it seemed that every precaution that they had taken was overcome by the bad guy. I wasn't too surprised at who the bad guy turned out to be, but there was an unexpected twist to the details. The overarching story of Theo's dad's guilt is still going on, and I'm looking forward to finding out the truth.
December 17, 2017
2.75 stars
Action was good. Suspense not so much.
Romance was a big "thumbs down"
I didn't like Ivy. She spent majority of the book shedding tears/trembling/gasping.
She hid their son's truth from Theo and was not even planning to tell him until he discovered the truth. Although I understand that earlier she couldn't find him but what about later, her brothers were in law enforcement she could have asked them to find him. She didn't stay in touch with her brothers even. Dont know for what lame reason.
They both have sex just 1 day after meeting.
Like WTH
Shouldn't he have been angry at her.There was so much baggage between them and how can everything vanish with sex. Then there is cliché declaration of love and getting married. It just didn't fit in the story. It was so far fetched(even by Harlequin standards).
Action was good. Suspense not so much.
Romance was a big "thumbs down"
I didn't like Ivy. She spent majority of the book shedding tears/trembling/gasping.
She hid their son's truth from Theo and was not even planning to tell him until he discovered the truth. Although I understand that earlier she couldn't find him but what about later, her brothers were in law enforcement she could have asked them to find him. She didn't stay in touch with her brothers even. Dont know for what lame reason.
They both have sex just 1 day after meeting.
Like WTH
Shouldn't he have been angry at her.There was so much baggage between them and how can everything vanish with sex. Then there is cliché declaration of love and getting married. It just didn't fit in the story. It was so far fetched(even by Harlequin standards).
March 23, 2019
Reviewed at Lovin'A Cowboy Romance
GUNFIRE ON THE RANCH is full of fast-paced action and lots of twists and turns – you will, most likely, be guessing right up until the reveal. I had my suspects, but honestly, there are a lot of suspects in this story.
I have to find a way to say this that doesn’t come off as rude. For me, there were just too many bad guys to keep track of. There are suspects galore, and some make sense and others make no sense at all. Now knowing the reveal (which I’m not telling) it’s easier to trace back certain bits of information that came across the pages and that our good guys knew about. Still, having said that, I was glued to the pages right up until the final page… so there’s a lot going on, but it did keep my attention.
While I adored Theo, it was Ivy that took me longer to warm up to. On some levels, I understood her decision process, but ten years is a long time to not tell a man he’s a father… especially when your brothers are in law enforcement as well and could have easily tracked Theo down. So, I’m not really buying that. Oh, she had reasons I just don’t think it was only because she didn’t know where Theo went to after he was cleared of her parents’ murders.
GUNFIRE ON THE RANCH is one of those stories that I’m equally torn on how I feel about it. There were parts that I loved – and others that either made no sense or annoyed the heck outta me. I am very glad to find that Jodi and Gabriel (the couple from the first story in this series) played such a large part. That always makes a series more realistic and believable for me… usually.
So bottom line, I had fun with this one for the most part. Enjoyed my time in this world and will continue on with the series for I need to know what happens next.
I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
GUNFIRE ON THE RANCH is full of fast-paced action and lots of twists and turns – you will, most likely, be guessing right up until the reveal. I had my suspects, but honestly, there are a lot of suspects in this story.
I have to find a way to say this that doesn’t come off as rude. For me, there were just too many bad guys to keep track of. There are suspects galore, and some make sense and others make no sense at all. Now knowing the reveal (which I’m not telling) it’s easier to trace back certain bits of information that came across the pages and that our good guys knew about. Still, having said that, I was glued to the pages right up until the final page… so there’s a lot going on, but it did keep my attention.
While I adored Theo, it was Ivy that took me longer to warm up to. On some levels, I understood her decision process, but ten years is a long time to not tell a man he’s a father… especially when your brothers are in law enforcement as well and could have easily tracked Theo down. So, I’m not really buying that. Oh, she had reasons I just don’t think it was only because she didn’t know where Theo went to after he was cleared of her parents’ murders.
GUNFIRE ON THE RANCH is one of those stories that I’m equally torn on how I feel about it. There were parts that I loved – and others that either made no sense or annoyed the heck outta me. I am very glad to find that Jodi and Gabriel (the couple from the first story in this series) played such a large part. That always makes a series more realistic and believable for me… usually.
So bottom line, I had fun with this one for the most part. Enjoyed my time in this world and will continue on with the series for I need to know what happens next.
I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
December 12, 2017
There's lots of action right from the start in Gunfire on the Ranch, book #2 in the Blue River Ranch series. Author Delores Fossen is a master in the art of suspense writing and she really shows her talent in this story. This was a real page turner and my heart was in my mouth throughout the entire book. She sure kept me guessing. Once again the excellent characterization of the main players in this story generated an excellent read. Kudos to author Delores Fossen on her fine storytelling. I can't wait for the next installment of the Blue River Ranch series.
October 17, 2022
I enjoyed this intriguing romance. I bought this at a local library book sale and I voluntarily chose to review it. I've given it a 4.5* rating but it's not for the under 18 readers. This is another of those, hold onto your seat reads with plenty of action to get you to the end of the story. This is another of the Blue River Ranch series. I've read several in this series and hope to find out the murder soon.
February 16, 2019
Intriguing and compelling!
This was once again a amazing story from start to finish by Delores Fossen. The characters were complex and intriguing, lots of thrilling action and suspense with heartfelt moments between the main characters. The Blue River Ranch Series continues and I can't wait till the next installment.
This was once again a amazing story from start to finish by Delores Fossen. The characters were complex and intriguing, lots of thrilling action and suspense with heartfelt moments between the main characters. The Blue River Ranch Series continues and I can't wait till the next installment.
August 4, 2019
I like this author, very much. She can write just about anything, this turned out to be exciting. It started out a little slow but once you got into it it rolled right along. Theo was a DEA agent and Ivy was the girl he left behind.
You'll like!
You'll like!
January 4, 2018
Wow
Exciting,fast paced and full of thrills and action. Took me forever to figure out who was the crooks.I'll be looking for more by Delores Fossen.
Exciting,fast paced and full of thrills and action. Took me forever to figure out who was the crooks.I'll be looking for more by Delores Fossen.
January 10, 2018
Really worth reading lots of twists and suspense.
January 23, 2018
I loved the Harlequin Intrigue book called Gunfire at the Ranch. I really enjoy reading the Intrigue Series of Harlequins.
June 11, 2018
good book i will have to check the others in the series
June 29, 2018
Yet another awesome book by one of my favorite authors. Cant wait to read the rest of the series.
December 8, 2018
Theo is Jodi's brother from the 1st book in this series. I am enjoying the mystery and suspense in these books
March 11, 2019
Gunfire on the ranch
Great read.. holds the attention...I couldn’t put it down I am looking forward to reading the whole series. Pure enjoyment.
Great read.. holds the attention...I couldn’t put it down I am looking forward to reading the whole series. Pure enjoyment.
July 14, 2024
Ivy didn't deserve Theo. She was a horrible heroine.
February 12, 2024
DEA agent Theo Canton left town after he was accused and cleared of the murder of his girlfriend's parents only to come running back when hears that Ivy Beckett was in danger. Even though she's hiding something from him he will do anything to protect the only woman he has ever loved.
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January 25, 2018"Fossen’s second story in the Blue River Ranch series has fast-paced, non-stop action and twists and turns that fans of her series have come to expect. Fossen adds intriguing complexity to the mystery with the addition of multiple bad guys. The romance is hot and the characters have nice chemistry, .... Romantic suspense readers who like plenty of action will enjoy Gunfire on the Ranch and the Blue River Ranch series" (RT Book Reviews).
Miniseries: Blue River Ranch
Miniseries: Blue River Ranch
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January 1, 2018*Miniseries: Blue River Ranch
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