Review of Starting Over in Montana

[Bertha Jackson]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Starting Over in Montana" by Ann Dunbar.]

---

4 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Two years after her husband is killed in a tragic accident, 45-year-old Ivy Rose goes to work as the housekeeper for 37-year-old Gabe Hawthorn and his two children, Amanda and Kevin, at the Hawthorn Hope Ranch in Montana to get a new start in life. Gabe is interested in Ivy, but she is insecure because she is short, fat, and has uncontrollable long, curly red hair and freckles. The children's nanny, Tiffany, is a beautiful young woman who wants Gabe for herself and tries to use Ivy's insecurities to make her leave the ranch. Is Tiffany successful in running Ivy off? Can Ivy overcome her insecurities and have a future with Gabe and his children? Read the first book in this series by Ann Dunbar, titled Starting Over in Montana, to find out if Ivy is successful in starting her life over in Montana.

Ann Dunbar's writing skills are evident throughout this novel by the character and demographic development. All the characters are realistic, and I could easily visualize the towns, mountains, and the ranch. Tiffany's abusive attitude toward Ivy and the children supports her role in the story as someone beautiful on the outside but ugly on the inside. It made me laugh when little Kevin said he was hungry because he reminded me of my children when they were young. I particularly liked how the steamy sexual scenes were overshadowed by family activities like catching a school bus, cooking, family meals, picnics, watching TV, and horseback riding. Ann's translations of foreign words allowed me to learn an Italian curse word and a few other new words. Some of the most important things I learned from this story were that risk and pain come with all relationships, beauty is only skin deep, and you cannot allow bullies to change the way you think about yourself.

The only thing that disappointed me about this book was its need for professional editing. A professional editor would have found many capitalization inconsistencies, incorrect punctuation, and other mistakes. I still enjoyed reading the book and want to read the next book in the series.

The character development, the story's important message about self-esteem, and my enjoyment of reading the book would have earned it a perfect score, but due to the number of errors, I have to give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Adult fans of steamy romance novels are the ones I recommend this book to. If emotional abuse, descriptive sexual content, and non-borderline profanity are offensive to you, you need to skip over this book.

******
Starting Over in Montana
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Emmanuel olowolayemo]

Here's a summary of your content:

**Summary:**
Two years after the death of her husband, Ivy Rose, a 45-year-old woman, takes a housekeeping job at Hawthorn Hope Ranch in Montana, working for 37-year-old Gabe Hawthorn and his two children, Amanda and Kevin. Ivy struggles with insecurities about her appearance, particularly in the face of competition from the children's nanny, Tiffany, who is young, beautiful, and determined to win Gabe for herself. The story revolves around whether Ivy can overcome her insecurities and start a new life with Gabe and his children.

The novel, *Starting Over in Montana* by Ann Dunbar, is praised for its realistic character development and vivid descriptions of the Montana setting. Tiffany’s antagonistic behavior highlights the theme that true beauty is internal, not external. While the book balances romance with family life, it includes some steamy scenes that may not be suitable for all readers. The story emphasizes important lessons about self-esteem, the risks and rewards of relationships, and the importance of not letting bullies dictate your self-worth.

However, the novel suffers from numerous editing issues, including inconsistent capitalization and punctuation errors, which detract from the overall reading experience. Despite these flaws, the book is still enjoyable and earns a 4 out of 5 stars. It is recommended for adult fans of steamy romance novels, with a caution for those sensitive to emotional abuse, explicit content, and strong language.

[Adina Lutinger]

This seems like a lovely book. The love story between Gabe and Ivy sounds heartwarming, and the fact that the author is such a skilled writer and managed to build such well-developed and realistic characters make the book sound even better. Thank you very much for the beautiful and interesting review!

[Elsa Davis]

A great read that captures the book’s engaging characters and themes. This book is perfect for fans of steamy romance.