Danica Brand has built a thriving luxury real estate business. Sadly, her fiancé and business partner strays with their receptionist and everything crashes down around them. BIG SKY BACHELOR shows us Danica taking a break from California and going home to Big Sky, Montana. One of the triplets, Danica loves her sisters yet hasn’t been on the Brand ranch in a while. She bumps into Dr. Matteo Katz, the local general practitioner, and his cute pet pig, Lu Lu. Good company and a total disconnect from her former life seem required, but she’s only taking a month out to decide what to do with her contested home and business.

The Brands of Montana is a long-running series, and as often happens in series, the romance author Joanna Sims portrays a romance author. Journey Lamar is a single mom whose child has special needs. She’s managed to sell one romance book and wants to gain hands-on background research before penning the next. The Brands host guests at their ranch, so Journey leaves her son with his grandma and comes out here in the off-season to learn about cowboys and horses. Thus we get not just one romance, but two. Cody Ty Hawkins, a horse trainer and former rodeo star, happens to be putting in a few weeks for the Brands, starting their young stock under saddle. Journey is swiftly fascinated by the bluff, kind, cowboy and asks to learn how to do stable work. She might chip a nail, and she’s afraid of horses, but she’ll cope somehow.

Not only are the two romances quite different, but the spread of characters is enjoyable and sympathetic. Matteo comes from a mixed culture family, who are not delighted that he’s the most eligible bachelor in town, as they want him to settle down. The contrast with Danica’s selfish ex-fiancé couldn’t be stronger. There’s also a wake held for a local man who passes peacefully when we see the community coming together to pay respects.

If you have not spent time with the Brand family of Big Sky, I believe it’s easy to start with BIG SKY BACHELOR. We just get introduced to a few people at a time and the focus is on the two ladies arriving at the ranch in January. As winter turns to early spring, and Valentine’s Day is approaching, thoughts naturally turn to love. Joanna Sims has provided an enjoyable, lively and welcoming read, with fine young horses, and a pet pig to steal anyone’s heart. Not to forget the kid goat yoga classes. Best fitness idea ever.