Ben Buttars is the youngest of the four Buttars brothers who come to Steeple Ridge Farm, and he finally feels like he’s landed somewhere he can make a life for himself. At only twenty-five, and having been cared for by his older brother when their parents died a decade ago, Ben’s never dated, never had a serious relationship, never really worried about anything.
Reagan Cantwell is a decade older than Ben and the recreational direction for the town of Island Park, five miles from the farm where Ben works. When she visits him to discuss a partnership between the farm and the recreational department, she likes a lot more than just his horse. But she’s practically married to her job, works with two dozen other men, and doesn’t know how to carve out room in her life for Ben.
Though Ben is young, he knows what he wants—and that’s Rae. Can she figure out how to put what matters most in her life—family and faith—above her job before she loses Ben?
Be sure to read Starting Over at Steeple Ridge, a Timeless Romance novella, to get an introduction to the farm and all it's wonders in fictional Island Park, Vermont.
Other inspirational romance novels coming this fall/winter, each featuring one of the Buttars brothers! ** Learning Faith at Steeple Ridge ** Kissing Santa at Steeple Ridge ** Coming Home to Steeple Ridge
★ USA TODAY BESTSELLER, AMAZON BESTSELLING AUTHOR, and KINDLE ALL STAR! ★
Liz Isaacson writes inspirational cowboy romances. Her Three Rivers Ranch Romance series has multiple #1 bestsellers in half a dozen categories. She loves all things to do with contemporary cowboys, and will write romance in Texas, Montana, Vermont, Wyoming, and anywhere else she can find horses and mountains. Find out more at lizisaacson.com. Join her fandom by texting COWBOY to 801-618-2114 for exclusive sales and freebies.
This is a decent story, but it's not my favorite by this author. Rae is older than Ben by a decade, and I'm not comfortable with "cougar" relationships - especially since Rae is so much more "worldly wise" than Ben. The maturity levels are too disparate.
I tuned out that aspect of it as much as I could to focus on the relationship development instead, and it was a good opposites attract kind of story at least - laid back guy with type A gal. So from that angle, they had complementarity & their relationship was happily worked out
A great new series by Liz Isaacson. I really like the Buttars brothers and can't wait to read their stories. Ben is the youngest and has been sheltered by his big brother Sam, but all that changes when he meets Reagan Cantwell. Ben and Rae are so different, but they complement each other. I enjoyed getting to know each of them and reading about how they got to know themselves. Finding Love at Steeple Ridge is a sweet clean romance and a good start to a new series.
Ben lives with his three older brothers at Steeple Ridge Farm just outside of Island Park, Vermont. After their parents died 10 years ago when Ben was only 15, his oldest brother Sam came home from Montana and has tried his best to keep the 4 brothers together. This meant traveling from ranch to ranch until 9 months ago when they settled down at Steeple Ridge. Ben has been content with his quiet peaceful life on the farm only going into town for church here and there. That is until he meets Rae, the director of recreation for Island Park, when she comes to the farm to discuss setting up horse riding lessons. Rae is instantly attracted to Ben but is concerned about his age since she is now 35. Ben is definitely interested in Rae but he has never really dated so he is not sure how to proceed. Can Rae forget the lies of her previous boyfriend and let Ben into her life and her heart? Can Ben figure out how to have a serious relationship when he doesn’t have any clue what he is doing?
This is another sweet romance from Liz Isaacson. The setting is great and the characters are even better. Ben is such a sweet man who was dealt a rough hand in life but has a super supportive older brother who basically took over as a father figure. Rae might as well be married to her job but she doesn’t really see it that way until it is pointed out to her. Both characters are well developed as are the foundations of Ben’s brothers’ characters for future books- which I can’t wait to read. I was skeptical of this storyline due to the age difference in the main characters but I really enjoyed it. There were enough twists and turns in the plot to keep me interested and it was a quick read.
I received an ARC of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest review.
Lately I've been in the mood for western romances. Historical, contemporary.... it really doesn't matter as long as there are cowboys. So I knew it was time to listen to this book. Her Restless Cowboy is a sweet romance, which was mostly set in Vermont, which I found a little odd for a "western". But it has cowboys so I let that little fact slide.
I liked the fact that Reagan was about 10 years older than Ben. She had more relationship and life experience. It was interesting to see the insecurities that both characters had and the growth they had to overcome them to find love.
The narration by Sarah Sampino was solid. I enjoy her pacing and style. She put enough emotion into her performance to draw me in. And the voices she did for the various characters were just enough to distinguish the characters without crossing that line to hard to listen to.
I've read quite a few books by Liz Isaacson. I like that she writes sweet romances with just a touch of inspirational tones, that don't get preachy. I'll be happy to read more by her... especially if narrated by Ms Sampino.
I did receive a copy of this audiobook for review. All opinions are my own.
This is a wonderful story. It’s full of love, desperation, sadness, family and faith. It really goes full circle. There was something said in this book that really hit home for me. They are in church and the pastor is talking about addiction. How addiction isn’t only limited to drugs and alcohol. It also includes work and favorite past times. Too much time spent away from family, spouse and friends. It’s that comment that gets someone thinking. Which it did in this book. The characters are struggling to make a relationship but as time goes by other tasks pull them away from each other.
Anyhow. The story is nice and slow. It get you involved in each of the characters lives. Ben has had a event that he struggles to get over. He has his horse and the love of his brothers but sometimes it’s not enough. I loved the relationship between Ben and Sam. Big brother does what he can for little brother. It is lovely and something I would wish on many sibling relationships. They will always be there for each other.
This is a first time author for me. It was a good story I listened to on audio. Sarah Sampino did amazing narration. She did great being the boys voices and putting emotion into Rae.
This is a wonderful start to a new series, centered on four brothers living at Steeple Ridge Ranch. This book focuses on youngest brother, Ben. He is only 25 but after losing both his parents at 15 he did not have the typical teen years and has never dated. He meets Rae and is instantly attracted to her but she is older than him and more experienced with relationships. He has no idea how to even talk to a woman he is attracted to never mind how to ask one out. I was drawn to Ben from the beginning, he may be inexperienced but he knows what he wants and was so cute when asking for advice about dating. I couldn’t help but think of Gideon from the movie Seven Brides for Seven Brothers when Ben was unsure how to act with Rae. Rae’s life is her job but then she meets Ben and longs for more. Can she make room in her life for him? Is he ready for a relationship with Rae? The age difference between Rae and Ben bothered me at first, but they were so great together that I didn’t even give it a second thought after a bit. I really enjoyed following these two through the downs and ups of their relationship. I look forward to reading the next books in this series and getting to know the other brothers more.
(I received an ARC of this book from the author; opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)
The family tragedy the Buttars brothers have survived is heartbreaking and watching Ben deal with the losses brought me to tears more than once. This is not a new experience for me with an Isaacson title. In fact, I usually recommend to grab the tissue box before reading the first word. My teeth ache from how utterly precious and sweet Ben is. Don't get me wrong, he has his flaws too but those are what make him perfect. He's young and inexperienced, also a little bit broken and a whole lot vulnerable. Rae is both easier to define and more complex. She's a typical, driven Type A workaholic, but with an odd resistance to authority thanks to some childhood family drama. Together, this pair pushes each other to be better people, to be better partners. I love that this relationship gives us the flip side of the age-gap with Rae being 'the older woman'. After meeting the Buttars brothers I can't wait to get to know the special women to win their hearts. I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book.
Finding Love at Steeple Ride is a gentle story about an older woman and a younger man. Ben Buttars is a sweet but very naïve young man and from the story line it would appear that he is a grown up teenager. He did grow and mature as the story progressed but there was nevertheless an imbalance between himself and Rae. The one thing that Ben could give Rae was love and admiration, aspects of her life that are missing. Ben is also young enough to be able to speak the unbiased truth and this does help Rae to see life from a new perspective. Rae on the other hand, is a driven workaholic, and it would seem that her job has got in the way of relationships in the past. She needed Ben’s love and the tenderness that he displayed. The story is well written, focusing on truths that we all need to hear and it does flow easily. However, I was uncomfortable with the theme mainly because I was unable to relate to it. I received a copy of this book as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.
A little taboo, this story lets us get to know the youngest of the Buttars brothers. Ben is 25 and finally beginning to come into his own. When approached by Reagan to begin a horse riding class for town recreation, he immediately feels a pull to her. A decade older though, and deep into her career, will he be able to win her heart? This is a feel good story! I love the family dynamic with the Buttars brothers, their story of how they came to Vermont and their support of each other. Ben is a great character, while young, he is mature for his age in some ways and he is not afraid to pursue what he wants. Reagan is my favorite in the story.She is career oriented, but they way she begins to re-evaluate life and prioritize what is important to her is a life lesson! This is a faith based, loving story and I enjoyed it.
Sarah Sampino always brings her A game when she narrates and I loved her performance of Ben and Rae. She finds the nuances in a character's personality and is able to portray that through her voicing. She did an amazing job with this book!
This is the first full length novel set in Steeple Ridge following on from the novella that introduced Tucker and Missy, the owners of the ranch. This is the story of Rae and Ben, the youngest of four brothers. Ben had been raised by his eldest brother since the death of their parents when he was just 15. As such moving from ranch to ranch, he' s never had a relationship with a woman. Rae, on the other hand has had a few disastrous relationships. I like the fact that no one seems to bat an eyelid at the fact Rae is 10 years older than Ben, when in other books or films she'd be referred to as a cougar ( I hate that term)! In fact the biggest issue seems to the green eyed monster Ben is inflicted with. I am glad in this book Rae is an equal opportunities animal lover with both cats and dogs as pets! Having three demented cats myself its nice not to see them sidelined. A nice introduction to a new family.
Can you really learn to trust again after being abandoned and betrayed by your father? Can one really bad boyfriend experience bring home the ugly even more than the betrayal of your father?
Sometimes, the answer is yes, at least in terms of self esteem and the ability to trust.
Two horse loving young people try to find their way together, and work to stay together, despite the wounds of the past, their fears for the present and the future, and the struggle to balance work, love, faith and family in a modern world.
These lovers are faith motivated, and work for guidance by faith, but manage to do it without being pocket bibles or wayside pulpits.
They're just two people trying to works things out, and finding that faith can help with that.
I was honored to read an advanced copy of this book. I honestly very much enjoy the second chance life/ romance stories Isaacson shares in these warm and human books.
I absolutely love Liz Isaacson and all of her many different novels that she has written! She is wonderful and creates so many different stories that I have all fallen in love with, and I am so excited to read this new series about Steeple Ridge.
"Finding Love at Steeple Ridge: A Buttars Brothers Novel (Steeple Ridge Romance, Book 1)" is an adorable tale about the youngest brother, Ben and his new older, girlfriend Rae. Whereas one of them has never been in a relationship before, the other has dated around and has jealous ex-boyfriends. Can these two put their pasts behind them and move forward in a loving relationship that God has designed for them? Is it possible with all of the history and difficulties between them? Only time, reading, and prayers can tell at this time.
Please, if you have never picked up a novel by Ms. Isaacson, I would like to encourage you to do so. I promise you that you will not regret it!
In Liz Isaacson’s Finding Love at Steeple Ridge we meet Ben Buttars and Reagan Cantwell. Rae (Reagan) is older than Ben and is recreation director for the town of Island Park while Ben works as a ranch hand at Steeple Ridge Farm. Oh did I mention that Rae is 10 years older than Ben? Ben has been taken care of by his older brother, Sam, since he was 15 and isn’t sure of what a ‘grown up’ is supposed to act like, but he does know he wants Rae and vice versa. Though there are ups and down in a relationship with Rae’s high power job does she have room for a cowboy? What happens when you are given an ultimatum, your job or the man you love? Time will only tell. Liz Isaacson is a story teller you want to keep reading and reading, and this book is no different. Everyone has problems but reading is a good way to escape and know there will be a happy ending.
Finding Love at Steeple Ridge is the 1st book in the Steeple Ridge series by Liz Isaacson and the beginning of the Buttars Brothers books! !
Ben is the youngest Buttars brother and at age 25 has always been sheltered by his brothers. They come to Steeple Ridge to work and he feels he may have found his place in the world and maybe the lady of his dreams. When this beautiful lady comes to the ranch to try and get a partnership going for the recreational department in town, he finds his heart aflutter for her….
Regan is a decade older than Ben and has dated her fair share, but feels the pull of attraction to him but because of the age difference she tries to keep this a strictly business arrangement…but can she keep it that way or will the attraction be so strong that age will not be a factor???
I loved reading Finding Love at Steeple Ridge: A Buttars Brother Novel Book 1, all about Ben Buttars a 24 year old cowboy who is the baby of the Buttars Family & Reagan Cantrell a thirty-five year old Recreational Director at the sports complex in town. The owner of the farm Steeple Ridge is Tucker & Missy Jenkins and she told Ben that the Director of Recreation was coming out to the farm to discuss horse back riding lessons for the kids during the summer from the Sports Complex. Reagan came out and met Ben and both took notice of the other in an interesting way. The author wrote a story about a man who never dated before and didn’t have a clue as to how to even ask a girl or lady out! Read the story and see how Ben & Raegan fair together! I loved reading the story, and fell in love with all four Buttars brothers. Can’t wait to read book 2.
Ben and Rae's story is a roller coaster ride of emotions. Ben's quiet, unassuming personality coupled with his humbled demeanor and his love for his family sucks you right in to his world.. Rae's determination to not let anyone in, to excel at her job and ignore her emotions makes this book quite a treat. With every obstacle that comes their way, you have to wonder if they will ever have common ground and just give in to their love for each other and decide to be a couple for real. Both have the tendency to run away from matters of the heart and clean to their past as a shield from getting involved. The Buttars Brothers I definitely worth exploring deeper and I'm here for all of it! Liz Isaacson knows how to catch you, reel you in ,and keep you hooked until the very last minute of release. Yet another awesome story thanks Liz!
I always enjoy Liz Isaacson's books. She writes a clean, entertaining love story. With my personal life in such a turmoil right now, I love that I can take one of her books and get away for awhile, without leaving home. I am sorry to say this is not one of my favorites. It is a personal thing, but I thought the age difference between the two main characters was a little too much. I felt Ben due to earlier circumstances was naive and more like a teenager than a twenty five year old man. Rae on the other hand is ten years his senior and is very mature. She has had a few bad relationships. Serving as over seeing of the recreational director of the town. To me it just didn't seem a plausible match.
Ben is an awkward inexperienced young man. At 25 , he never dated, never had a girlfriend. Rae is smitten with this quiet cowboy! There is a spark there. Ben is absolutely clueless when it comes to dating. Rae and Ben are taking dating at his pace. Rae is addicted to her job at the recreation center. Trying to find time together was getting harder to do. Ben has jealousy issues and unsure of the emotions he never felt before. Will their romance survive? Liz Isaacson develops the story at the slower pace, and portrays the angst and anxiety of each character. Sarah Sampino narration seamlessly smooth soft tones brings life and emotions for each character. I really enjoyed listening this story. I was gifted this story in exchange for an honest review.
Ben is just the epitome of a sweetheart cowboy, and Rae can't help but be attracted to him. She's a strong career-driven woman who is almost surprised by her attraction to a much-younger man. This is a sweet love story between two opposites who somehow find a way to make it work. The writing is as on point as we've come to expect from this very talented author, and the story moves along beautifully. The life lessons learned by our characters are gently presented and honestly handled. You can always count on Liz Isaacson for a tightly-written and captivating love story, and this one is no exception. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
I laughed I cried I was frustrated and pure simple joy Ben Buttars, the youngest of 4 brothers, moved to Steeple Creek just after Tucker bought it. He doesn’t stray from the farm often just church, he suffered through tragedy. He meets Reagan or help to set up a program with the rec sender in town. Rae is the partner on the project, even though they can’t make the program work. Rae and Ben become friends, lovers, and companions. This is a wonderful, inspiring story that shows how faith and patience can bring good things to you.
Liz Issacson does it again, wonderfully written and completely inspiring.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and loved it so much, I purchased a copy.
Wow!!!! There were times in the story that I teared up. Ms. Isaacson's stories just draw you in and make you feel a part of the story. The emotions that the characters feel, I felt. I so fell in love with Ben (long before Rea did!!!!) I just hated to see this story end. I wanted to stay with them and to continue their journey. That is what a great author does. Makes you feel. The dual POVs was wonderful. It really helped to connect with the characters. I highly recommend this story to anyone!!!!! Now onto the next one!!!!
Ben Buttars and his three brothers had moved from Wyoming to the farm,Steeple Ridge that was owned by Missy and her husband. The brothers had worked on farms all over the place because when their parents were killed in a plane accident Ben was only 15 and the twins just a bit older and Sam at 25 had no desire to split the family so they all went with him to whatever farms he worked on. Reagan worked for the town at the Complex looking after the scheduling of all the sports that took place at the rec complex. This book tells of love, loss and how to be there for each other. This is my review and mine alone. Norma Gorrill
Ben Buttars, the youngest of four sons, has never really dealt with his parents deaths in a plane accident. Rae has buried herself in work rather than deal with her father leaving her and her mother. In Finding Love at Steeple Ridge, both of the leading characters learn to listen to God directing their lives and move on to the future. I recommend this contemporary romance to others. I receive a complimentary e-book of Find Love at Steeple Ridge: A Buttars Brothers Novel from the author. This is my honest opinion.
This was my first time to read Liz Isaacson, so I had no idea what to expect. I was surprised by everything. When the cowboy came downstairs making note of the dusty floors, I was thoroughly shocked when he stepped outside the ranch house....in Vermont! The heroine is older than the hero by a decade, yet it seemed to work once Ben Buttars matured into the relationship. All in all, a good read. I'm going to start on the next book in the series right away.
Every book from Liz Isaacson feels like stepping into a community that is HOME. Ben and his 3 brother's lost their parents when Ben was only 15. He and his brother's moved from ranch to ranch, working anywhere they could stay together. When they landed in Island Park Vermont, they found work at the Steeple Ridge Ranch. Ben met Reagan (Rae) when the ranch owner asked them to work together to put together a riding program for the city rec center Rae managed. Their story is full of emotion and love.
Can you youngest Buttars find love with an older woman? The author made me forget that there was a big age difference. Ben seemed mature and Rae didn't seem immature but not as old as her age. Sweet couple. Liked how there was instant attraction but a slow build up to their relationship. Also enjoyed getting to know the other brothers and looking forward to their books. Another sweet, clean, romantic, good cowboy book.
Finding Love at Steeple Ridge is the first novel in the Steeple Ridge Romance series, although the Starting Over novella is considered book one. This series is about the Buttars brothers. This book focuses on Ben, the youngest of the four brothers. Ben wants Rae. It doesn't matter to him that he is younger than her. Will he get what he wants? This is a sweet romance with a clean feel, and I really enjoyed it.
It’s been a long time since I’ve listened to (or read) a Liz Isaacson book, but I thoroughly loved it! I needed to laugh and this book made me laugh! I needed to cry and this book made me cry! I needed an escape and this book was that and more! Thank you! The narration was very good except a few of the brothers’s voices sounded odd. They didn’t speak much so it’s wasn’t a big deal. I LOVED the voice for the hero Ben though! That voice was perfect!