Lacey has fought hard to get custody of her son back. Now that she’s won that emotional battle, she’s determined to never let anything jeopardize her role as his mom. As a target of gossip in their small town, her waitress job makes her more visible than she’d like. But being friendly brings bigger tips.

Flirtatious and outgoing, Mack is drawn to Lacey and tries to get her attention. He’s sure she’ll be smitten when she finally notices him. Eventually, she flirts back but refuses when he asks her out. Normally, he’d take her rejection as a sign and not put his heart on the line. This time, something makes him ask again.

Just after she says yes to a date, he finds out she has a kid. Since he’s not plugged in to the gossip mill, this news is a surprise. When she puts him on the spot and asks if her son is a problem, he says no.

Little did either of them know that one date could change everything. And one little boy could be the center of a family that was meant to be.

Titles in the Sagebrush Ranch Sweethearts series include: A Montana Fake Marriage ~ A Montana Perfect Family ~ A Montana Childhood Promise ~

This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors, fade to black, or only kissing.

Title:  A Montana Perfect Family
Series:  Sagebrush Ranch Sweethearts #2
Author:  April Murdock
Published:  July 30, 2025
Publisher:  
My Rating:  4,5 stars

A Montana Perfect Family is the second title in the Sagebrush Ranch Sweethearts series, bringing us Lacey’s and Mack’s unexpected romance.

Lacey is focused on one thing, and one thing only… her son, Bridger, whom she only recently regained custody of from her parents.  Her greatest fear is that her mother will try to prove that she’s unfit and take her young son from her again, so she doesn’t date beyond her one date and done rule.  She takes no chances and doesn’t believe romance or a forever love is destined for her.

Mack is a middle son, the one who feels like a failure in his parents’ eyes since his dreams are different than what they expect of him.  He’s also a harmless flirt with no intention of settling down to a serious relationship since his own dreams would put him on the road far too much.

His attraction to the local diner’s waitress, Lacey, has him determined to get her to go out with him, and he’s been smacked down, politely with a smile, countless times.  But he’s wearing her down with his charm and stubbornness until she agrees to one date, only one.  He’ll take it and convince her that he’s worth more.  The thing is, Mack isn’t a gossip, isn’t plugged into the small town whisper-mill, and has no idea that she has a young son.  That’s about to change as he and Bridger hit it off immediately, and Mack is falling quickly for Lacey and her son.  Now, he just has to show her what a great family they’d make.  And that means fighting not only her fears, but issues they both have with their parents that won’t simply disappear because love entered their lives.

I enjoyed A Montana Perfect Family by April Murdock so much.  It’s a well-written romance with definite issues to be resolved, a tender love story that brings so many unseen possibilities to this couple.  It’s also an emotional rollercoaster ride for the adults, with a sweet, adorable little boy at the heart of it all.  I’m definitely looking forward to the next story in this series.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

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