The Rancher's Legacy

by Susan Page Davis

Matt Anderson&;s father and their neighbor devise a Have their children marry and merge the two ranches. The only problem is, Rachel Maxwell has stated emphatically that will never happen.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

ebook

First published April 1, 2022

About the author

FROM AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: I'm a native of central Maine, and grew up on a small farm with a wonderful mom and dad, three sisters and a brother. Most of my books take place in small towns, many of them in Maine.

My husband, Jim, and I moved to his birth state, Oregon, for a while after we were married, but decided to move back to Maine and be near my family. It allowed our six children to grow up feeling close to their cousins and grandparents, and some of Jim's family have even moved to Maine!

Our children are all home-schooled. When Jim retired from his vocation as an editor at a daily newspaper, we moved from Maine to Kentucky.

I've always loved reading, history, and horses. These things come together in several of my historical books.
Another longtime hobby of mine is genealogy, which has led me down many fascinating paths. I'm proud to be a DAR member! Some of Jim's and my quirkier ancestors have inspired fictional characters.

For many years I worked for the Central Maine Morning Sentinel as a freelancer. This experience was a great help in developing fictional characters and writing realistic scenes. I also published nonfiction articles in several magazines and had several short stories appear in Woman's World, Grit, and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

Reviews

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!

I enjoy stories set in the old west. This was a beautiful telling of both heartache and new beginnings. I really liked the main characters Rachel and Matt. I look forward to reading more from this series.

[Tena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beware starting The Rancher’s Legacy. You will not want to put the book down and it is part of a series called Homeward Trails. Well, maybe beware isn’t the right word. But I promise you will want to continue the series. In The Rancher’s Legacy we meet Rachel and Matt. Both are the children of ranchers in beautiful Colorado. Matt knows he is adopted but loves his adoptive father and is determined to be the son a ranch owner needs. But a leg injury makes this a challenge. Rachel has returned from the east as a cultured young woman, excited to see her father and live the life of a successful rancher’s daughter. But her return is marred by a fire that takes the life of her father and puts her in charge of a bunch of cowhands. The plot seems obvious but that’s where Davis hooks you. Weaving at least three different storylines and as many different locations, The Rancher’s Legacy turns into one of those stories that keep you turning the pages long after your husband has turned out the lights and is snoring ( thank goodness for ebooks). Even with the different plots, the story is never confusing or hard to follow. Davis has a gift of sharing just enough of the storyline before sliding back to another that you never feel like you have lost the flow of events and characters. I loved The Rancher’s Legacy and am now getting ready to start The Corporal’s Codebook after I take a nap. I did warn you it’s a series.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is said, ‘the best laid plans’ do not often work out and the plans that Matt Anderson’s father and their neighbor devise to have their children marry and merge the two ranches leaves out one important part of the equation, both of their children may not be willing. That is the case with Rachel Maxwell when she travels to Colorado Territory only to find her father’s ranch has been burned to the ground and her father has been killed. She is left to pick up the pieces and the decision to stay or go back East. Meanwhile, a grandmother in Maine, is seeking to locate her three grandchildren who were sent to an orphanage at a very young age. It is an exciting story that focuses on Matt and Rachel as they become friends and Ryland Akins, a private investigator, who believes he has located one of the grandchildren in Colorado Territory. Can you guess who? I am anxious to continue this series to discover the story of the other grandchildren.

[Yvette · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Matt Anderson meets Rachel Maxwell at the train, he begins their acquaintance with a lie that complicates everything as tragedy quickly ensues and danger abounds.

I've long been a fan of Susan Page Davis's western romances filled with outlaws, family issues, themes of belonging, and faith journeys, as well as sweet, chaste romance leading to a happily ever after. And in The Rancher's Legacy I particularly enjoyed the addition of a secondary storyline, with an elderly woman in Maine employing a detective to find her lost grandchildren, and that I was kept guessing whether this would be Matt or Rachel for some time.

Recommended and I'm looking forward to continuing Susan Page Davis's Homeward Trails series with book 2, The Corporal's Codebook.

This review refers to an ebook I voluntarily read through Amazon's Kindle Unlimited subscription program. A positive review was not required and all opinions expressed are my own.

[Phyllis Rundell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has penned a sweet and heartwarming story with lots of action which includes suspense and mystery, thieves, a grandmother's search for her long lost grandchildren, drama and romance. This is Matt Anderson and Rachel Maxwell's story and the character development of each is excellent. Will Matt and Rachel overcome their aversion to getting married, as desired by their respective fathers? Be sure to read this real page turner to find out if they resolve their differences and reach a HEA. I know you will enjoy this story as much as I did. I look forward to the next story in this series.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was caught up in this story from page one and carried all the way through to the last one. It started out with two story lines that didn’t seem connected at first, but they came together in a great way. I loved watching the relationship between Rachel and Matthew develop. This book had it all. Mystery, romance, adventure, and danger. I would recommend it. This was book one in a series and I am looking forward to reading the next one.
I received a copy of this book from the author and was not required to write a positive review.

[Diana Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hoping for the rest of the series

This is the first tale of at least three. But listed as 1 of1. More exciting action than the bride series, More history than the shooting women series; waiting to read the rest!

[Edward Arrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stories of the Old West have always held special appeal to me. A story like this one enhances that appeal due to all the action, suspense, excitement, and challenges. From the challenges faced by Rachel after finding her home destroyed by fire and her father dead at the hands of outlaws, to the challenges faced by Matt and others as they try to keep Rachel safe, to the challenges of Ryland seeking the Cooper siblings for their grandmother, they keep coming. I enjoyed reading the description of the setting and picturing it in my mind’s eye. Often I find one specific character in a story who becomes my favorite. At times, it is someone other than the hero or heroine. I enjoyed all of the interaction between Matt and Rachel, but I was really touched by the way Rachel tried everything she could think of to get close to Vida, the housekeeper at the Anderson ranch. That woman seemed to be one of the orneriest characters I have ever seen in a book. Rachel seemed to spend almost as much time trying to establish a relationship with her as she spent working to run the Maxwell ranch. What a challenge! Most of us would have given up after being rebuffed two or three times. Rachel refused to give up. I received a copy of this book from the author. This is my honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of the book is set in 1863 Colorado. Two adjoining ranchers hatch up a plan to allow their children to meet and possibly marry, unbeknownst to Rachel. Rachel Maxwell is coming home from her schooling in the East and is picked up by a handsome, blue eyed Matthew Anderson. They smell smoke and Matt fears the ranch is under attack. He sends Rachel up to his ranch and goes to the Maxwell ranch to help. Its too late, Rachel's father Robert was fatally shot along with injuries to several ranch hands.
In a dual storyline set in Portland, Maine a wealthy grandmother is searching for her 3 grandchildren. Her daughter died and the father left the children with a neighbor and never returned. She has hired help to try to track down her family.
This is a faith based story of strength and belief in the power of the Lord.

[Betti · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely story of hope, loss and redemption following several distinct yet related story lines. Grandmother Edith Rose wants nothing more than to once again give her three grandchildren hugs, but will she live long enough for them to be found?

Rachel Maxwell, having finished her education in the east, has returned to the ranch where her father is waiting. Tragedy changes everything! Can the ranch continue on in spite of everything or will it be a total loss?

Start with lots of excitement, add some mystery and a little romance and you have a book you will not set aside until you have reached the conclusion. This first book in the Homeward Trails series was received through Scrivenings Press. These impressions and comments are my own and were in no way solicited.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. There's a storyline of Rachel Maxwell returning from boarding school in the East to her father's new ranch in Colorado. She arrives at a very difficult time so has some decisions to make but thankfully has some good neighbors and ranch hands who help. The other storyline involves a grandmother who hires a private investigator to find her three orphaned grandchildren who have been missing for years. There is action and a bit of romance as the storylines interconnect. I want to read the next book to see if more of the grandchildren will be found.

[Bernard Holler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ranching in Colorado Territory

Interesting story with clean language. It is filled with murder, arson, robbery, cattle rustling and love. As Rachel is arriving at her father' s raǹch, she fiǹds their new home is burning to the ground and her father has been murdered. As Rachel and Matt learn to work together and get to know each other their love develops as their two fathers had hoped it would.

[Dale Kastner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Good Story

I appreciate a writer who can write a story with no cursing and no sex. There are many people in this world controlled by Satan, but God's Kingdom will soon destroy those wicked people. ( Matthew 6:9,10 Psalm 37 :9-11) My book I've written Not Like Cain speaks of that hope. Please visit our website jw.org to learn about God's kingsom.

[Cathy Bickerstaff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy Susan Page Davis books, regardless of the genre. This was a western, with two separate mysteries, and romance thrown in.
Who killed Bob Maxwell, and why? Why burn down the house?
Where are the Cooper children? Do they even know their birth names?
Rachel has decisions to make. What will she do? Will she give Matt a chance?

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Historical Romance

At first, I was confused, as two different stories didn't seem to connect, but they both kept my attention at least! Soon, though, the connection was revealed and the mystery began to unravel! I'm looking, forward to the rest of the story as I continue the series!

[Katy Elizabeth Yager · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

[Deon]

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[judith napier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

Very little romance. It was more like a developing friendship. Then suddenly, they are getting married, and the story ends.