Ethan: Black Sheep Cowboy: Sweet Grass Ranch

Parker Ranches, Inc. #7

by Maddie James

Navy SEAL Ethan MacKay returns to Sweet Grass Ranch to recuperate from an injury suffered on a mission, and eventually help manage the South Dakota family ranch with his identical twin brother, Evan. But he's been gone too long, and he's not the man who left the ranch over a dozen years ago. Not by a long shot. His body broken, and hopefully not his mind, he prays what they say is true--that cowboy runs deep in your blood--because this black sheep cowboy could sure use something familiar to hang his hat on.

But being back home at Sweet Grass is almost more of a challenge than heading up a special ops mission in Libya, especially when something familiar turns out to be the major challenge--his ex-wife, Brandley Mendoza.

Brandley and Ethan's marriage quickly unraveled when he headed into SEAL training, and by the time of his first deployment, their relationship was fatally severed. Still, she keeps in close contact with the MacKays and considers them family. Hired by Ethan's brother to review the ranch's accounting books after their father's death, Brandley soon discovers Evan has an ulterior motive. Why he thinks she is the person to help Ethan get his head back on straight, she doesn't know, especially when she's dealing with problems of her own--namely, her ex-husband, who is seeking full custody of their daughter.

But she risks coming down from her Black Hills safe haven to find out--only to realize that her heart is still vulnerable, and that Ethan isn't the cowboy she fell in love with when they were kids.

Can Brandley tease out the cowboy in Ethan's black sheep heart and rediscover the love they once shared? Can she resolve the issues of her own shaky past, to let herself trust again? Or are they both too far gone to even try?

208 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 26, 2021

About the author

Maddie James also writes as Madeleine Jaimes.

The author of 70+ romantic novels, novellas, and short stories, Maddie James pens romance and suspense stories in contemporary and paranormal worlds. Her contemporary worlds often lean toward small towns and western settings, complete with cowboys, Alpha men, and strong, take-charge women.

Her romance writing career launched in 1997 as a traditionally published author with Kensington Books. Currently publishing as an independent author, she writes full time from her Midwest, small town home, where she also gardens, cooks, and chases the dog.

Affaire de Coeur says, “James shows a special talent for traditional romance,” and RT Book Reviews claims, “James deftly combines romance and suspense, so hop on for an exhilarating ride.”

Reviews

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from Sand Dune Books for an honest review.
Ethan MacKay has returned home to the family ranch after years of being a Navy Seal. Now home he is not happy because it is not by choice it is because of an injury caused by an IED which also killed some of his team. Now home he has not dealt with anything, his injuries his losses, and especially his feelings for his ex-wife who he chose to walk away from after Buds. Now when his brother hires a new accountant for the ranch, he was not expecting Brandley Mendoza, or her daughter and also that she was married after him and now is going through another painful divorce because she has a child.
When they see each other Ethan only thinks about himself and his pain from his injuries. It is not until his brother has her and her daughter move in that he begins to deal with the pain that he has put away all of these years from the day he walked away from the love of his life Brandley. As he begins to see life through a child’s eye, he begins to work through his physical pain first then he starts on the other problems he has, anger issues for one.
Brandley has her own issues to work on as well for she feels she let down her daughter and there are some very heartfelt moments between them. She also is surprised by her feelings for Ethan and does not want to get hurt again, even though she does see a change in him. I will say for the readers of this book for me I had no issues with the anger for most of it came from PTSD there are some dealings with wife abuse and swearing. The swearing was not an issue for me either for I grew up in a military home and on bases so it was no problem some men just talk like that to get their feelings across and some to push people away, my wife just lets me talk then finds out what’s really going on. Overall a really good story and I really could relate to Ethan’s character which made this book a better read for me. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at
www.1rad-readerreviews.com

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an interesting, intriguing and somewhat romantic book. The series is a good one and I'm hooked. Look forward to reading and reviewing the whole series in print format.
highly recommend this book and will read again.
**Note: I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway**

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a new to me author so I did not know what to expect with this book. In the beginning of the book I felt like the curse words were just a little to much, I mean a curse word here and there is a book I can work with but it seemed for a good portion of the beginning it felt like every other word. Once you get to about the middle of the book things get really interesting and I did find the book hard to put down after that. I Like Bradley and Ethan but I felt like even though it was their story being told it also came back to being about Ethan's family and how they need to work to help each other out which was fun. I loved Sadie why she was young and she faced some tough things the author didn't sugar coat it at all which made the story relatable. Over all this book while has strong language and sexual content it was a good read. I feel like this is not the end for this group so who knows next where the author will take this family. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Author Collective 20 for providing me this arc via Netgalley! 3.5 ⭐I really liked this. The writing was a bit repetitive at times, but if (like me), you like a second chance romance, with a bonus childhood connection, I definitely think you should check this out. It's also short and easy to read, which helped me get out of a short reading slump.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethan by Maddie James is a sad and wonderful story of a cowboy come home to deal with physical and emotional injuries from an IED explosion that killed members of his company including his dog. He's home to the ranch, a place he was not sure he ever wanted to be in the first place. Evan, his twin brother, was trying to make him care that the ranch was going to go under if they didn't do something soon. He also wanted him to go see their mother, which he had not done yet in the month he'd been home. Someone was coming in the morning to work on the books and help them prepare for a meeting with the bank. Bad news: the person who would help them was Brandley, his ex-wife. He couldn't do it. Worse news: she had a daughter and an abusive ex-husband (not him). Could they figure this all out?

Ethan was hurting; there was not doubt about that. The problem was that he appeared to not care about fixing it. That's what Evan thought and it's what Brandley thought. Both Ethan and Brandley had PTSD. Ethan from the war and Brandley from her ex-husband. Both had trouble sleeping and had nightmares. Both still loved one another, hurt as they were. Both recognized that the most important person to keep safe from it all was Sadie, Brandley's innocent daughter. The ex-husband was crazy and violent and wanted Sadie (at his parent's insistence). Ethan had anger management issues, not really helped by his SEAL skills. Could they come together to save the ranch? Then deal with their other problems? It was interesting and enlightening to watch them work it out. I enjoyed the read.

I was invited to read a free ARC of Ethan by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #ethan

[Holly Doyal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethan and Brandley married at the age of 18 after having been in love since 14 years old. Nothing could keep them apart ... until two years later when Ethan broke her heart by joining the navy and telling her he wanted a divorce as he was at the airport gate waiting to board his plane. He saw how hurt she was, but he just turned and walked on the plane never looking back.

More than 10 years later, Ethan returned home to mend his injuries and the fact that his life as a SEAL was over. He just didn’t expect to run into Brandley so soon. He quickly learned that she had remarried and had a young child. How had she gotten over him so easily when she was always on his mind? He was starting to think (for the millionth time) that leaving her so many years ago was a huge mistake. He knew he always loved her, but he felt he couldn’t do his job effectively as a SEAL if he was always thinking about her.

Can they find their way back together? Will the danger she and her daughter are in prevent the happily ever after? Can Brandley forgive him? And can he forgive himself?

This was a cute book and I will want to read the future stories of Ethan’s brothers, his sister and his mother. It was an easy read that I accomplished in one day.

I was provided this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions above are mine without biases.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for a fair review
3.5 stars.
A great story about falling in love for the same person twice, with a super protective alpha hero, “Ethan”, by Maddie James, is a quick, enjoyable read, presenting a cast of very relatable characters.
I liked Ethan’s characterization as the wounded warrior angry with the world, and loved watching his brothers make him calm down. Usually, this kind of hothead, full of testosterone male isn’t very appealing to me, but Ethan was and his outbursts felt authentic. His instincts and drive to protect Brandley, the tenderness and depth of feelings for the heroine make him likeable.
Even the frequent cursing (another thing I dislike) seemed realistic, particularly during the vivid siblings’ dialogue and interaction.
The domestic scenes and family life were well written and add to the story.
I found it odd that Ethan was unaware about what had happened in Brandley’s life, when his family maintained contact with her.

[Julie Booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethan has not had it easy of late. An IED explosion has ended his career and left him with physical and emotional scars. He has reluctantly come home to the family ranch to help his twin, Evan. PTSD is an invisible wound, and others cannot see the battles waring in your mind. The ranch is in trouble; can Ethan be a cowboy again?

Brandley is Ethan’s ex. They married young and grew apart. Now she is also an accountant and someone Evan trusts to help save the ranch. Brandley is fighting her demons; she remarried and divorced after Ethan to an abusive man and has a daughter.

Can they work together to save the ranch? Will the time apart help them figure out they still love each other?

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.

[Cathylynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ethan comes home to heal and work on the family ranch. Brandley his ex wife also works on the ranch. They both suffer from past traumas. Brandley and Ethan married young and now Brandley has an abusive ex and a daughter, Sadie. They ex wants custody of Sadie. Can they work together and find common ground. I liked how Ethan was a seal and trying to get back to his roots to help him heal. Brandley is dealing with her own issues with her daughter and ex. She wants to shield her and keep her save. I loved the story and how it developed, Ethan had my attention and empathy. Brandley, I could also relate to her issues. This was such a good book. I totally enjoyed it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rebmay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters in this book easily captured my interest and drew me into their story. Ethan is not the same man than that Brandley married and then divorced over a decade ago. An ex SEAL now due to his injuries, Ethan is back on the family ranch once again, worse for wear both physically and mentally. He is shocked to discover that his twin, Evan, has hired Brandley to do the finances for the ranch and that his whole family still treat her as one of their own. He soon discovers that she has another ex-husband, a man who abused her, and a young daughter, when she is forced to seek refuge on the ranch. Her ex is bent on revenge and on taking custody of their daughter, by force if necessary. Ethan’s protective instincts take over, and he is forced to admit that he made a mistake in pushing her away all those years ago. His heart still belongs to petite, feisty Brandley. With her most recent and dangerous ex lurking about, Brandley doesn’t know how to deal with the feelings resurrected in heart at the presence of her first love. Staying at the ranch is her only option right now, and both Ethan and Brandley was deal with their feelings, their painful past and the present dangers together. Can they finally get their happily ever after or are they fated to part once again?

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Esme Greiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethan is home on the ranch recuperating from an injury obtained on his last SEAL mission. His brother has hired Brandley, his ex-wife and childhood sweetheart, to help audit the ranch’s finances also hoping she can help Ethan after his mission. Brandley is dealing with an abusive es-husband trying to take their child and isn’t sure she can deal with Ethan. They both have issues to get over and clearly still have feelings for each other. Do they have a second chance to get it right? Will Ethan help Brandley deal with her abusive ex-husband.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several books written by Maddie James; she has done a great job at writing a good book; she is becoming one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to read more of her books.

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Navy SEAL Ethan MacKay was injured and sent home to recuperate. His task now is to help his twin, Evan, manage their ranch.

Brandley Mendoza and Ethan had married young and divorced as he went into SEAL training. Brandley remarried and has a young daughter, and she is having issues with her abusive ex-husband who is seeking full custody. Evan hired Brandley to go over the books at the ranch after their father’s death. Her presence somehow might also help Ethan get his head right since he is suffering from PTSD as well as the physical injuries. Can they work together to save the ranch which is failing? Would seeing each other again give them a second chance to fall in love again?

[Maggi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ethan and Brandley were were best friends growing up, they became high school sweethearts and right father graduation they got married. Ethan wanted to serve his country and protect those he loved , he joined the navy and soon went into SEAL training. Just before leaving for that training, he asked Brandley for a divorce because he needed to focus on his career and didn’t want her constantly worrying about him. He broke both their hearts that day. Now 12 years later, he is back home on his families South Dakota ranch, recovering from an IED injury that has ended his career and with an unknown as to his future. Brandley is now an accountant, remarried, had a daughter and divorced her abusive ex-husband. Ethan’s twin brother, Evan, had hired her to help get the ranch’s financials in order after the death of their father. She didn’t expect to see her 1st husband at the ranch or that he was home for good. A wonderfully written storyline with heartbreak and heartache, danger, suspense, lost love rekindled, guilt, remorse forgiveness and a fiercely protective SEAL who will stop at nothing to protect those he loves. Wonderful believable characters that capture your heart. Hard to put down!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Niki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story about heartbreak and hard times. Ethan left Brandley shortly after they married to keep her "safe", twelve years later be is back and in his own head after what he experienced. Brandley is trying to keep her head above water and protect herself and her daughter. Together they have to work together to save his family farm and maybe save each other in the process.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethan and Brandley’s story was a good story to read. They were childhood sweethearts that reunited after life threw challenges at them. They were too young the first time around but they are older and wiser. They have to deal with a vindictive ex and learning to trust in each other’s love.I would recommend this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had all the feels in it. The heartache of his leaving. The pain of his loss. The impact of his trauma on his life. The discovery of his actions. The story was filled with so much emotion and then the added drama of his family’s farm. It was a solid story that I enjoyed reading.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read

Ethan and Brandley story is a very heart warming story. I will say that i wasnt very fond of Ethan at first but he warmed my heart later. The story pulls at your heart strings and you get pulled in. Im looking forward to reading more in this series

[Barbara]

Book seven in The Parker Ranches, Inc., series a well written story that held my interest until the end. Navy SEAL Ethan MacKay returns to Sweet Grass Ranch a very broken man. He finds his ex-wife, Brandley Mendoza, but she had moved on after over a dozen years apart, she now has a daughter and a very nasty ex-husband to deal with. I enjoyed seeing this story come together. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Maddie James]

Ethan: Black Sheep Cowboy, is the 7th book in my Parker Ranches, Inc. series, and the first book introducing the South Dakota MacKay brothers. You may have met Sarah, the brother's younger sister, in Protecting Sarah, Book 5. The five Sweet Grass Ranch boys all will have upcoming stories of their own - but this book focuses on Ethan MacKay, and his ex-wife, Brandley Mendoza.

Ethan and Brandley married young. Their love was true, innocent, and strong. But things changed as they settled into life, and they parted ways. Now, a dozen years later, Ethan is back home at Sweet Grass Ranch, and Brandley steps back into his life.

But they aren't the kids they were in high school, and there are chasms for both to cross. Can they?

When writing Sarah's book, I created her brothers, and I knew right then that I had to explore deeper into the MacKay family. I've enjoyed digging into Ethan's past and present, and along the way, discovered a few things about this twin brother Evan, and his other three brothers Dylan, Aiden, and Aaron. I can't wait to share their stories with you too!

I hope you enjoy Ethan's story. Preorder is available now, with release on January 16, 2021. Happy reading!

[Beverly Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book seven of seven in the Parker Ranches, Inc. series by Maddie James. This was one book I did not want to end or put down. Who said coming home was easy was highly mistaken...

Ethan was always told that cowboy runs deep in your blood. He is hoping that is true because he has finally come home to recuperate after an injury he sustained during a mission as a SEAL. There are things that are familiar and yet they are so different.

Brandley, his ex-wife is there to help with the accounting books. She is nothing like the woman he married and divorced, and she is thinking the same thing about him. Will this time be a new start for them, or will too much history stand in their way?

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Norma Wiegert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethan returned home an injured SEAL to heal and help out at the family ranch. Brandley, Ethans ex wife also works at the ranch auditing the books. Brandley remarrdied and has an abusive ex husband and a child she is trying to protect. Will Ethan and Brandley work through their problems and rekindle their love from the past? Mattie James is a talented writer. Her characters are interesting, realistic and well developed. There is just the right blend of romance combined with heartbreak and hard times. An enjoyable read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ethan dumped his wife when he went off to Navy SEAL training. Now years later wounded he returns home. The last person he wants to see is Brandley who his twin brother Evan just hired to straighten out the ranch books. Can he overcome his quilt at leaving her. Will she forgive him. I really enjoyed this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful and complex characters with interesting dialogue and good interaction between them. Lots of drama with a few twists and turns to keep you turning the pages. Good read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Susan Burlew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wounded Navy Seal comes home to the ranch and the girl he left behind. I loved Ethan and his brothers and how caring they were. Brandley was brave and smart. Some romance and some danger. Would recommend!

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Ethan & Brandley's book. It was an entertaining read that was closer to real life. I received a free copy of the book. And am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.

[Connie M Spence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

This was quite a story. So much anger and danger. You wonder what will happen next. Will they find love again

[SHARON HALL · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally enjoyed this book. Very suspenseful. Kept you wondering what would happen next. Loved the ending. I finished reading this book on 5/13/2023.