Are you ready to laugh out loud? Be prepared for random outbursts of laughter. You can't avoid it. ONCE A RANCHER is a true, honestly fun ride of a romance by Linda Lael Miller who is always my go-to for an entertaining read.

In ONCE A RANCHER you get to meet Red, who more often than not speaks in old western idioms. The hilarity gets a boost whenever someone other then Red uses one of these odd quotes. Pure Linda Lael Miller joy I tell you. Makes you wish you lived on a ranch and belonged to a family like the Carsons.

That's what Grace is finding wonderful. The Carsons are a close knit boisterous loving family who would do anything for each other. Being included in this family even in an ancillary manner would be a privilege.

But Grace has major misgivings about relinquishing her control over her life. Her ex-husband Hank is career military and spoke in absolutes, and candidly it was his way or the highway. Grace was a policewoman before moving to Mustang Creek and was trained to be in charge or else. These two weren't a good match in anyone's book—but they had fallen in love and married albeit for a rather short stint. Now Grace has kind of assumed day-to-day responsibility for her fourteen-year-old stepson Ryder. It's just the two of them since Hank is generally off on a mission.

Grace's attraction to Slater was not expected nor very welcome as it was going to upset the gentle balance of her world. But love is in the air, and Slater is becoming a more integral part of her and Ryder's world. What's a girl to do?

Like any true romantic, I'm up for a passionate romance filled with the requisite love scenes. But I'm a sucker for a Linda Lael Miller ranch romance where the emphasis is on creating a perfect environment—a stage so to speak—for a fabulous love story. ONCE A RANCHER is a treat on so many levels.

The stars of this book are too many to mention. The only downside was it was too short—I wanted more. Thank goodness ONCE A RANCHER is book one in a new Linda Lael Miller series, The Carsons of Mustang Creek. I eagerly anticipate the next one.