Montana Series

Attracting a woman has never been a problem for wealthy, handsome Montana rancher Jake Ruskin, but finding a woman to marry...that’s quite a different dilemma. Fortunately, Chicago matchmaker Becky Montoya, whom many happy clients have called the best in the business, has promised Jake she can find him precisely the kind of woman he’d like to marry. Becky’s been dreaming of expanding her business, and, once she finds Jake his perfect mate, she’ll be able to do just that with the windfall fee he’s promised her. Considering the amount of money involved, Becky flies to Montana to handle every detail of the Ruskin case personally. To her surprise, she soon finds her personal dealings with Jake have become a bit too intimate, and, before long, sworn-single Becky is beginning to wonder--should she give in to her feelings for her handsome cowboy client or should she fly straight back to Chicago before she breaks every moral rule she’s ever believed in? Excerpt: Setup: Caught in a rainstorm, Jake and Becky spend the night in a country cabin. Becky awoke as the first rays of light filtered through the windows. She didn’t know where she was at first, but it didn’t take her long to remember she was in the little cabin in the beautiful meadow--alone with Jake. As she surveyed her surroundings she caught sight of her handsome host. He lay cramped on the tiny sofa half naked and deadly asleep. Her gaze drifted from his handsome face to the black and gray curls covering his well-built, expansive chest. She watched his ribs expand and contract. Her cheeks burned as she remembered the looks, the touches, the embraces she and Jake had shared over the last days. She thought about the first night she was with him and recalled how he’d engulfed her cheeks with his hands. They’d dropped the “Mr. Ruskin” and “Miss Montoya” titles as they’d gazed at the stars, the horses--and each other. They were Becky and Jake that night, not a matchmaker and a client, just a man and a woman. She’d wanted him to hold her, touch her, kiss her. He almost had kissed her the very first night they were together. He’d wanted to be with her too. He hadn’t tried to hide his interest in her. Last night--Becky sighed and pulled the quilt to her chin. She had no idea how they got through last night without getting close. Each of them half clothed, alone and vulnerable with nothing to keep them out of each other’s arms but their own restraint, she’d feared they’d get much closer than they should have. She’d tried to shield her desire for him, but Jake was a very intuitive and intelligent man. She had no doubt he was as aware of her attraction to him as she was of his attraction to her. If she hadn’t fallen asleep--passed out was more like it--on the sofa... She bolted forward. She’d fallen asleep on the sofa! Her cheeks began to burn again when she realized Jake must have carried her to bed. She closed her eyes. The thought of her half-dressed body being pressed into that magnificent, bared, masculine chest sent heat rushing through her. A deep groan from the couch prompted Becky to gaze at Jake again. She watched him raise his arms over his head. He stretched and wriggled as his eyes slowly opened. “Becky?” ----- Reviews: New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carolyn Brown says, “5 Stars. A wonderful book to curl up and read...Lovable characters.” MyShelf.com says, “Ms. Shaff does a fantastic job showing true sensitivity. It is very well written and fast-paced...pick up this book. You will not be disappointed.” The Romance Studio: “Ms. Shaff is a gifted writer that always delivers in her stories.”

A man without memories, and the cop who never gave up hope. When he wakes up in hospital, the victim of a brutal beating, John Doe, has no memories of who he is or who hurt him. The cops can find nothing to identify him and he can't remember anything to help... except the name Ethan and one recurring place from his dreams. Three words, and they're not much, but it's a start. Crooked Tree Ranch. Cop, Ethan Allens has never stopped searching for his brother and his brother's best friend who vanished. When a report lands on Ethan's desk that may give new leads he jumps at the chance to follow them up. The man he finds isn't his brother, but it's someone who could maybe help him discover what happened ten years ago. What neither man can know is that facing the very real demons of the past could very well destroy any kind of future they may think they have together.

Had C.R. Whitmore been struck by lightning? Had the polar axes of the earth shifted? Or was it merely the smile of the exquisitely lovely Deanna Worthington that had doused him with the feeling that everything in his world had suddenly changed? Whatever it was, C.R. needed to set his emotions aside as best he could. He had a secret mission on the Ruskin ranch, and nothing could deter him from reaching his goal. Deanna had traveled from Peoria to Montana for two reasons: one, she wanted to help her sister Catherine with her new baby, and, two, she wanted to finish writing her Master’s thesis. Her plans for the summer had seemed simple enough--until she met Cade Robert Whitmore... Hand in hand walks in the open meadows, horseback riding through pristine wilderness, moonlight swims in secluded waters... Deanna supposed, when it came to handsome cowboys, it was okay for a girl to change her summer plans, but would it be worth the risk to her career and her heart? Excerpt Setup: C.R. is giving Deanna a tour when they end up at his favorite place on the ranch. “You like to swim, don’t you?” C.R. said enthusiastically. He’d led her to a quiet lagoon which branched off the river. “I love swimming.” She’d gotten rather warm during their hike--from the exertion of the walk and from being with C.R. A swim in this magnificent pond seemed mighty tempting. “I had a feeling you would.” He moved quickly to a nearby hollowed-out tree, lying on the ground and retrieved a duffle bag. He opened it up and pulled out a large towel. “I come here every chance I get so I try to keep extra clothes and towels around in case I want to come straight from the range. Nothing makes a person feel more alive than a swim in the river.” Deanna clapped her hands together. “Oh, what fun! How lucky you are to have a place where you can swim whenever you want.” “Well,” he said, “it isn’t always easy to fit a swim into my day. I’m usually awful busy with work during the warm months when swimming here is most pleasant.” “I’m sure you are.” She walked right up to the water and stuck her hand into it. “Is it safe to swim here? The pond looks calm enough, but the river is rushing pretty fast.” He joined her at the water’s edge. “It’s perfectly safe.” Deanna stood up and tugged at the large, unbuttoned shirt she’d worn over her tank top and shorts. “Ooh, I’d love to jump right in, but I don’t have a bathing suit with me.” He took her hand and gave her a naughty grin. “Neither do I.” She smiled back at him as all sorts of wicked thoughts raced through her mind. She’d been skinny dipping before, but not since she was eight years old. She’d certainly never gone swimming in the nude with a man. She pondered her situation a moment longer. Then, without further hesitation, and going completely against her usual cautious nature, she decided, why not? “C.R.,” she said, taking off her shirt, “I’d love to go swimming with you.” ----- Reviews The Long and Short of It says: 4 Books. If you enjoy wide open spaces, hunky ranchers, you’ll enjoy this read... Fran Shaff’s writing style suits the sweet content of her story and lets her characters come alive on the page. For those looking for a sweet read, this is a book well worth considering. The Romance Studio says: 4 Hearts. This is a fabulous novel...The sensual part of the novel is very nicely written, there are no vulgar parts in it...I like the fairytale image. CataRomance says: “Fran Shaff is a wonderful storyteller, and she knows how to pull her readers immediately into the world of her characters. I like this author’s writing style, and it makes for a fast-paced and entertaining read.”

When the cowboy meets the guy from the city, he knows everything will have to change. On the spur of the moment, with his life collapsing around him, Jay Sullivan answers an ad for a business manager with an expertise in marketing, on a dude ranch in Montana. With his sister, Ashley, niece, Kirsten and nephew, Josh, in tow, he moves lock stock and barrel from New York to Montana to start a new life on Crooked Tree Ranch. Foreman and part owner of the ranch, ex rodeo star Nathaniel 'Nate' Todd has been running the dude ranch, for five years ever since his mentor Marcus Allen became ill. His brothers convince him that he needs to get an expert in to help the business grow. He knows things have to change and but when the new guy turns up, with a troubled family in tow - he just isn't prepared for how much.

When they spend time alone on a Montana mountainside will Tyler ever convince Martin that like sapphires, love is worth searching for? Martin’s name was the very last on a kill list. The son of a murderer, he’s had no childhood; lost in a horrific holding pattern of death that turned his heart to stone. Thanks to the man who called him brave and spared his life, he no longer has to look over his shoulder, but he does have one question. Why did Justin let him live? Tyler Colby has identified a major flaw in the seismic mapping system used to monitor earthquake activity. Sent to Crooked Tree by his employer, the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, he is tasked with adding a new remote station to the network. The installation should be his entire focus, but the lure of sapphires and his attraction to a heartbroken young man called Martin is enough to make him want more.

Rob runs to Crooked Tree determined to find a safe place for his nephews. A family for them is the final thing on his list, and then he can vanish completely. Falling for a local paramedic along the way is a disaster in Rob's otherwise perfect plans. Paramedic Aaron, the middle of five brothers, would like someone to love. A great believer in fate he is convinced though, that one day he'll find someone. He just never thought it would be a man in so much pain, or that children would be part of the package. Rob is ready to leave. Aaron wants him to stay. Their love has an expiry date, and it's tearing them apart. Can they find a way to save what they have?

An actor in the closet, a sheriff in love, and memories that won’t stay hidden. Jordan Darby is known as the King of Christmas. The star of eight made-for-TV Christmas movies, the leading man who always gets his girl. Filming at Crooked Tree Ranch in Montana, in the ice and snow, Jordan is fighting to make a go of his new company and dealing with fears of exposure over one huge secret. After all, who the hell would buy into him being a romantic straight lead if rumors about him being gay were proven to be true? Sheriff Ryan Carter is advising on the new movie being made at Crooked Tree. He hoped this would be one day of work and nothing more. Until, that is, he meets the hero. But while Jordan is sexy, he’s also very much stuck in the closet—everything that Ryan doesn’t need in his life. And then lust becomes part of the equation, and Ryan’s quiet life is thrown into turmoil. Their story unfolds against the chaos that overtakes the ranch, with Adam regaining memories that terrify him and make him look at Justin differently, and Justin leaving the ranch to make things right. Only through trusting in love and friendship can Justin and Adam learn to look to the future instead of letting the past destroy everything. But will they ever see clearly enough to do that?