Down in Texas

 

DELILAH DEVLIN

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Aphrodisia Books, 2008.

How acquired: Book Mooch

First line: Her daddy had always told her a man's worth wasn't measured by the size of his bank account or the square footage of his house.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: Three separate stories with Ms. Devlin's trademark heroes. The first story, “Wearing His Brand”, is the best by far. Lyssa has been in love with her brother's best friend for years. Brand has lusted after Lyssa, but being his best friend's sister makes her off limits, especially since Mac entrusted Brand to look after his sister when he was deployed. The story opens on a scene that seemed a bit ludicrous to me – Lyssa was repairing a barbed wire fence and a strand broke and snapped around her, leaving her helpless to move or do anything other than wait for someone to come along and find her. Maybe it's not ludicrous, I've never worked a ranch or dealt with barbed wire, so what do I know. Anyway, Lyssa decides it's time to push Brand until he loses control, and when he finally does, boy howdy. Hawt!

The second story, Slow Ride, is about Brand's brother, Danny. In high school he worked on a ranch and lusted after the owner's wife. Now she's a widow, and her foreman has put up a notice at the local bar, looking for someone to work with her horses. Danny gets the job and realizes he's still crazy about Maggie and sets out to convince her that age is just a number. I'm not a fan of older woman/younger man stories in general, but I liked Danny and Maggie and enjoyed their story. Just not as much as the first story.

The third story, Straight Up Soldier, is about Lyssa's brother, Mac. After being injured, he's back in the states and trying to adjust to the non-soldier life. His friend, Tara, asks him to provide protection to her friend, Suki, whose Mexican mafia connected ex is stalking her. When he leaves a note on the door of the safe house where officers have hidden Suki, she flees police protection to stay in her remote cabin. She's not happy when Mac shows up, and doesn't want his company or protection, but of course once he's met her Mac is determined to stay regardless.

This was my least favorite of the stories. The first two stories feature couples who already have some kind of history with each other. It gives them a foundation to build a relationship on. Mac is described as being desperately in need of a woman – he tried to get Tara to sleep with him but she declined. Of course Mac is still a gentleman and isn't going to push Suki into sex, so Suki pushes him instead. I guess this story of insta lust leading to love in a short period of time was a little jarring for me on the heels of the first two stories. I prefer some buildup, some getting to know each other first. And I just didn't connect with Mac or Suki as well as I did with the first two couples. Especially Lyssa and Brand. The book is worth reading for their story alone, and for that reason I'm giving the book four stars.

Goodreads synopsis: Down in Texas, there's a little town called Honkeytonk, where the women get exactly what they want... and the men know just how to give it to them.

Wearing His Brand Lyssa McDonough just got tangled up in a coil of barbed wire, and her clothes are ripped to shreds. Rancher Brandon Tynan to the rescue--but why is she so ornery? Could it be that the whole state of Texas isn't big enough for the two of them? Hell, they'll still have to share one horse to get home. Lyssa better hang on tight--she's in for the wildest ride of her life...

Slow Ride Maggie Dermott doesn't know the first thing about horses and Daniel Tynan is more than willing to show her the ropes. His gentle ways melt her heart and his sensual passion burns away her inhibitions. Daniel takes the time to love her right.

Straight Up Soldier Suki Reece needs protection and she can see that Mac McDonough has the muscle. Too bad he can't stand taking orders from a woman. The rugged ex-Marine won't listen to a word she says until Suki distracts him with a sexy striptease. That gets his attention. Suki may have gotten the upper hand but Mac is going to be on top...

Forever a Hero (The Carsons of Mustang Creek, Book 3)

LINDA LAEL MILLER

Goodreads synopsis: Mace Carson is no hero. Back in college, he came upon a woman in trouble and intervened—but he was just one irate Wyoming cowboy with his boots planted firmly on the side of right. Now a successful vintner, Mace is shocked to be reunited with the woman he saved. But it turns out she's in Wyoming on business…a corporate executive representing the company that wants to buy his winery. Only, he's not selling.

Kelly Wright has never forgotten that horrible night ten years ago when Mace came to her rescue, has never forgotten him. The surprising success of a winery in the middle of ranch country has brought her to Mustang Creek, and she's secretly thrilled to discover Mace at the helm. Reluctant to mix business with pleasure, Kelly vows to keep things professional, until her attacker is released from prison and comes for vengeance…against both of them.

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Harlequin Books, 2017.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: It all happened in a matter of seconds.

My thoughts:

This is the third book in The Carsons of Mustang Creek series, and while the first book (Once a Rancher) is still my favorite, I very much enjoyed the youngest brother's story. The banter between Mace and Kelly had me smiling constantly, and laughing out loud several times.

Kelly and Mace first met in college ten years ago, when Kelly was attacked while walking across campus one night, and Mace came to her rescue. They were both in relationships at the time, and other than the trial, didn't see each other again. Now the company Kelly works for wants to form a partnership with Mace's winery, and she's in town to present the proposal to him.

While Kelly is in Mustang Creek, trying not to fall for Mace, the man who attacked her is released from prison and begins stalking her. I expected that plot to be resolved in the usual cliched way, and was happily surprised when it took a completely different and unexpected turn.

Mace is the last of the Carson brothers to find the love of his life, but there is still one more book! Raine, Slater's ex-girlfriend and the mother of his daughter, has appeared in the first three books and is still close with the Carson family, and I've already bought her book and am looking forward to it. 

Always a Cowboy (The Carsons of Mustang Creek, Book 2)

LINDA LAEL MILLER

Synopsis from Goodreads: Drake Carson is the quintessential cowboy. In charge of the family ranch, he knows the realities of this life, its pleasures and heartbreaks. Lately, managing the wild stallions on his property is wearing him down. When an interfering so-called expert arrives and starts offering her opinion, Drake is wary, but he can't deny the longing—and the challenge—she stirs in him.

Luce Hale is researching how wild horses interact with ranch animals—and with ranchers. The Carson matriarch invites her to stay with the family, which guarantees frequent encounters with Drake, her ruggedly handsome and decidedly unwelcoming son. Luce and Drake are at odds from the very beginning, especially when it comes to the rogue stallion who's stealing the ranch mares. But when Drake believes Luce is in danger, that changes everything—for both of them.

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, HQN Books, 2016.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: The weather just plain sucked, but that was okay with Drake Carson.

My thoughts: I loved the first book in this series, ONCE A RANCHER, so when I stumbled across this book I snatched it up and started reading it almost as soon as I was back home.

Drake definitely appealed to me. Cowboy, cares about animals, stoic, stubborn. I liked Luce, but I understood completely why Drake was exasperated about her suddenly being on his ranch, interfering with his life. But I loved that when Luce wanted to wander around on her own, thinking she was immune to the everyday dangers of ranch wilderness, Drake resigned himself, gritted his teeth and took time out of his day to be sure she was safe. 

They both fell hard a little too fast. I would've liked the story drawn out a bit more so they could actually have time to get to know each other better before suddenly realizing they loved each other. But I loved the descriptions of the wild stallion and his herd, which included several mares stolen from Drake. And I loved how the tough cowboy was such a softie when it came to his dogs. As in the first book, the banter between Drake and his two brothers made me laugh, as did several other scenes.

Not quite as good as the first book, but still very enjoyable, and I look forward to the next two books in the series, both of which I've already ordered. 

  

LOVING MERCY

TERESA BODWELL

Synopsis from Goodreads: Mercy Clarke had no trouble getting a hundred head of cattle to Abilene. Getting back home through five hundred miles of untamed frontier is something else again, especially with a handsome gambler like Thad Buchanan tagging along. He swears to pay her in gold if she guides him to Fort Victory, but she doesn't quite trust his fine manners and gentlemanly ways. And then there's that look in his eyes --- he could make her forget that she's sworn off men for good ...

As Thad sees it, the same rules apply to playing poker and loving women: it's all about knowing when to hold 'em. And come to think of it, a pretty lady like Mercy Clarke would fit very nicely in his arms. Now, if she could be persuaded to put down that rawhide whip and tell him exactly what she has in mind, he has no doubt they could come to an agreement that will satisfy them both. No doubt at all ...

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Zebra Books, 2005.

How acquired: Bought.

My thoughts:  I’d not heard of this author before, but I picked this book up because of the cover. The picture is a little misleading, in that I did not realize looking at the cowboy on the cover that he was a Civil War era cowboy, not a contemporary cowboy. But I got over that pretty quickly and settled into the story.

We first meet Mercy and her younger sister, Miranda, as they are driving a herd of cattle from Colorado to Kansas, along with two hired hands. Mercy is a strong, serious, determined young widow, who I judged to be in her mid-twenties. She’s been running her ranch alone since her husband died and her father was severely injured. She’s borrowed money from a neighboring rancher, and she needs to get a good price for her cattle in order to repay the loan by its due date, which is fast coming up. If she doesn't pay, she’ll lose her ranch, and that is what drives her. She is all about that ranch, and being the boss of that ranch. Miranda is 19, a typical young, flighty girl. The two hired hands are surly, and resent taking orders from a woman.

Then we meet Thad, a name I almost dislike just because I never know whether it should be pronounced with the th sound, or pronounced as Tad. Which shouldn’t matter when you’re reading silently but I like to know the proper pronunciation of names. I finally settled on Thad with the th sound, since his full name is Thaddeus, and you wouldn’t pronounce that as Taddeus. I don’t think. Thad has an unspecified injury that affects his arm/shoulder at times, and his father and brother both died in the war. After the war he worked on the family ranch with his mother, and after she died he ended up losing the ranch. Now he’s trying to get to Colorado, where his sister and her family live, and he’s looking for someone to guide him through the unfamiliar territory.

Mercy flat out refuses to let him travel back to Colorado with her, but as luck would have it her two hired hands demand their money and inform her they are not returning with her, leaving her to face the long trip back with just her sister. The fact that they would be two women traveling alone doesn’t seem to bother her, but she does prefer to travel with more than two people as there is safety in numbers, especially when you’re carrying a lot of cash with you. And as luck would also have it, Thad’s sister happens to be Mercy’s best friend. She’s often heard Clarisse talk about her “baby brother”, and even though she wants nothing to do with Thad, who she thinks is a no-account drunken gambler, she also knows how much it would mean to Clarisse to see her brother, so she grudgingly agrees to take him with her, along with another young man who is friends of her family. With the understanding, of course, that she is the boss.

I liked Thad right off the bat. What little money he has comes from his poker winnings, so he does spend time in saloons, but he doesn’t drink, and does not consider himself a gambler, as he only plays poker, which he explains is a game of skill. Where Mercy’s mission in life at the moment is her single-mindedness drive to sell her cattle and return home with enough money to save her ranch, Thad is single-mindedly determined to find someone to guide him to Colorado. His sister has told him she knows a widow who would be a perfect wife for him, and the thought of marrying and starting a family and working a ranch again appeal to him. When Thad mentions that to Mercy, she speculates that Clarisse probably intends to introduce Thad to a widow they both know who has two young sons, and she spends some time telling Thad about her. Despite the fact that Mercy is also a widow, it never seems to occur to either her or Thad that maybe Clarisse meant Mercy, though I assumed so immediately.

I was caught up in the story from the beginning, and enjoyed Mercy’s and Thad’s interactions. They’re attracted to each other of course, and Mercy is determined to not acknowledge that. She’s been hurt before, and she doesn’t plan to ever marry again. From the brief mentions of her husband, you get the impression that he was not kind to her and that their relationship was not on good footing (though later in the story we get a better look at their relationship), and she is bent on protecting her heart now. And even when she admits to herself that she likes Thad, she’s still set on not getting involved with him, because he wants a family, which she can’t give him. I’m particularly drawn to stories where the hero and heroine bicker with each other and find each other frustrating and trying, and this book had that in spades.

And then I was suddenly jolted out of the story when, on page 88, the author tells us “Thad was only twenty-three, but sometimes he felt like an old man.” Twenty-three! I was picturing him as being in his late twenties, maybe even thirty. At this point Mercy’s age has not been mentioned, but if Thad is only twenty-three, then Mercy is probably also younger than I thought she was!

After I got over that shock, I settled back into the story. And finally, about fifty pages later, Mercy, too, is surprised when Thad tells her he is twenty-three, saying “Really? I thought you were closer to my age.” She then reveals she is twenty-seven. So I was right about her, at least. But I had to take a few second to wrap my mind around this, as I am not a fan of older woman/younger man. However, I realized at this point I’m way to invested to care about that, and thinking back now I like that the author revealed their ages the way she did. It added some realism to the buildup of their relationship.

On the trail home there are plenty of adventures, as they are attacked, more than once, and grow closer, and push each other away, and get closer again. And by the end of the book I was getting a little weary of the constant push and pull and wanted to knock their heads together and tell them to just admit they want to be with each other. Everything resolved nicely in the end, if a bit pat, and I really enjoyed this sweet western romance.

Hot Cowboy Nights (Lucky Penny Ranch, Book 2)

CAROLYN BROWN

Synopsis from Goodreads: If gossip is the lifeblood of a small town, then Lizzy Logan has been its beating heart. After being dumped by her fiancé for another woman, she could have decided to crawl under a rock. But no, she'd rather really set tongues wagging by "moving on" with one of the hottest cowboys in Texas, who happens to live next door at the Lucky Penny Ranch. Those busybodies don't have to know it's actually all pretend. And just because Lizzy has no aim to tame her wild, blue-eyed neighbor doesn't mean she can't enjoy the ride of her life.

Toby Dawson never was and never will be the settling-down type. But what harm could there be in agreeing to be Lizzy's pretend boyfriend? They'll put on a show for a few weeks and be done. Yet the more he gets to know Lizzy-really know her-the harder it is for him to keep his hands off of her in private. Soon this rough-and-ready cowboy is hoping to heal Lizzy's bruised heart and turn their fake affair into a true romance . . .

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Forever, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, 2016.

How acquired: Fresh Fiction Box Not to Miss subscription.

First line: Lizzy's plan was to sneak inside the house, up the stairs, and into her room.

My thoughts: I loved WILD COWBOY WAYS, the first book in this series. I loved the characters of Blake and Allie. I wasn't crazy about Allie's good-girl sister, Lizzy, who was engaged to a minister, but she began to grow on me toward the end of the book, which I believe was the intended effect. And after her fiance called off the engagement I was looking forward to her book. So I was very excited to open my most recent Fresh Fiction Box Not to Miss and find this book inside.

HOT COWBOY NIGHTS picks up about six weeks after WILD COWBOY WAYS ended. During that interim, Lizzy and Blake's brother, Toby, have been having a secret hot and wild, no strings, sex only affair. Unfortunately that all happened off page, and I was sad to have missed all that action, especially when Lizzy kept thinking about it and bringing it up in her thoughts. They want different things out of life – Lizzy wants a stable man and a family and a home of her own, and Toby wants to keep his man-whore freedom. So Lizzy decides it's time to call it off. And then she learns that Mitch and the woman he dumped her for will be back in town, and while hanging out with Blake, Allie, and their friend Deke, a plan is hatched whereby Toby will pretend to be Lizzy's boyfriend. This will have the dual purpose of keeping Sharlene, the town ho, from trying to get her claws into Toby, who wants nothing to do with her, and convince the townspeople that Lizzy is over Mitch.

I liked Lizzy, but for some reason I never connected with her the way I did with Allie in the first book. I did however, love Toby, almost as much as I loved Blake. I enjoyed watching Lizzy become more confident in herself and become more sassy and outspoken. And even more so, I enjoyed watching Toby come to grips with his feelings for Lizzy and grow from a shallow club hopper out for a good time to a man ready to settle down but terrified to admit it.

The pious church crowd were pretty harsh in their condemnation of those upstart cowboys, and the way they turned on Lizzy and Allie for associating with them was downright cold. I want to say I can't imagine people acting that way in real life, yet I know there are people out there who probably do. Some of the confrontations were pretty funny.

My only real issue with the book was the lack of contractions, which made a lot of conversations feel stiff. Especially in a town where people use the word y'all in their everyday language and the men often call the women Miz (Insert Name Here). But as expected, this was a fun read, and that's my word to describe Ms. Brown – she is just flat out fun.

Lizzy's other sister, Fiona, shows up briefly, revealing a secret to Lizzy – and to us – and I can't wait for her and Toby's cousin, Jud, to meet in the next book. 

Once a Rancher (The Carsons of Mustang Creek, Book 1)

LINDA LAEL MILLER

Synopsis from back cover: THE CARSONS OF MUSTANG CREEK: three men who embody the West and define what it means to be a rancher, a cowboy and a hero in this brand-new series from the queen of Western romance.

SLATER CARSON might be a filmmaker by trade, but he's still a cowboy at heart – and he knows the value of a hard day's work under the hot Wyoming sun. So when he sees troubled teen Ryder heading down a dangerous path, he offers the boy a job on the ranch he shares with his two younger brothers. And since Ryder's guardian is the gorgeous new Mustang Creek resort manager, Grace Emery, Slater figures it can't hurt to keep a closer eye on her, as well...

GRACE EMERY doesn't have time for romance. Between settling into her new job and caring for her ex-husband's rebellious son, her attraction to larger-than-life Slater is a distraction she can't afford. But when an unexpected threat emerges, she'll discover just how far Slater will go to protect what matters most – and that love is always worth fighting for.

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, HQN Books, 2016.

How acquired: Won from Harlequin Books in a giveaway on Goodreads. 

First line: Slater Carson was bone-tired, as he was after every film wrapped, but it was the best kind of fatigue – part pride and satisfaction in a job well done, part relief, part “bring it,” that anticipatory quiver in the pit of his stomach that would lead him to the next project, and the one after that.

My thoughts: Despite having 25 of her books in my TBR pile, this is the first book I've actually read by Linda Lael Miller. I would see her books constantly, and the covers often drew my attention, so I began grabbing them at library sales, thrift stores, etc. I knew that once I read her I would like her, and I wasn't wrong.

Slater Carson and Grace Emery have a fiery first meeting in the opening pages of the book, and I was immediately hooked. Slater shares a ranch with his two younger brothers and his mother, and is a documentary filmmaker. On the night that his latest project has wrapped, he's just arrived home, and he's exhausted. And then Grace barrels into his home office with her step-son, Ryder in tow, a ball of angry energy. Grace, I mean. Ryder is more the stereotypical sullen teenager. He stole something from one of Slater's trucks, and Grace has dragged him here to return it and apologize. So really it's the first meeting between the three of them, because even though Ryder is Grace's ex-husband's son, she's pretty much his only real parent and he's very much a (welcome) part of the book.

I loved Slater from the get go. He's a handsome cowboy, he's charming, he's got a great sense of humor, he's never been married but he has a daughter, Daisy, who he adores...need I go on? He's attracted to Grace immediately, and while he's never been truly in love or into having a real relationship, he finds himself finally thinking that way.

Grace I also loved, though I'm not generally drawn to heroines with “beautiful girl problems”, i.e., a woman who is so knock out gorgeous that men fall all over themselves about her, and she doesn't know if they're only attracted to her because she's so beautiful or if they actually like her for who she is. But she does also have a beautiful personality and I loved her as much for her relationship with her stepson as for anything else.

The last thing Grace is looking for is a relationship, and her relationship with Slater moved along a little quicker than I normally prefer. And yet they did spend a lot of time just getting to know each other, which kept it from feeling too rushed.

I also loved the relationship between Slater and his two brothers, Drake and Mace. The siblings are close to each other, but the younger brothers often exasperated Slater with their teasing and their betting on how soon Slater would bring up Grace's name for the first time and when he would propose to her. I definitely got a kick out of the bantering back and forth between the three men.

And this may be considered a spoiler, but then again it's a Harlequin romance so you should expect that there's likely to be a wedding in the end. And when the wedding plans did a complete 180 after a request from Daisy, well, Slater and Grace's response just made me love both of them even more.

I very much look forward to the next book, Drake's story, and I sure hope Mace's story will come after that! 

Wild Cowboy Ways (Lucky Penny Ranch, Book 1)

CAROLYN BROWN

Synopsis from back cover: 

SOMETIMES ALL LOVE NEEDS IS A LITTLE LUCK

Allie Logan isn't the type to land a hot hunk of cowboy. Truth is, she's given up on dating since shedding her no-good ex. But the new owner of the most ramshackle ranch in Texas might just change her mind about that. He's six-foot-plus of tall, dark, and charming—the kind of guy who could make a girl throw caution to the wind . . . or the kind of guy who could break her heart. 

Blake Dawson hopes he can make Lucky Penny Ranch finally live up to its name, but the property needs a ton of work. Allie and her carpentry skills are his best shot at getting things in order. Besides the fact that her brown eyes and dangerous curves have him roped and tied. Now Blake only needs to convince her that a wild cowboy can be tamed by love—and she's just the one to do it

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Forever, 2015.

How acquired: Christmas gift

First line: The Lucky Penny had never lived up to its name and everyone in Texas knew it.

My thoughts: Fun fun fun! I'm coming to associate that word with Carolyn Brown. Fun characters, fun situations, fun reading! Blake Dawson moves onto the Lucky Penny Ranch to start clearing land and get the placed fixed up before his brother arrives in the summer with the first herd of cattle. The only issue I had with Blake was his name. What with him being a cowboy and all the country songs referenced, I kept picturing Blake Shelton, and I think I flipped the book closed several times to look at the cover picture, trying to get Shelton out of my head.

Blake has a reputation for being wild. Here in Dry Creek he hopes to shed that reputation and become a respected and welcome member of the community. But with every pretty woman who shows up at his door (and half the town shows up with food to welcome him), he automatically slips into his old persona of the flirty dirty cowboy, and has to keep reminding himself he doesn't want to be that person.

When Blake first meets Allie, driving a van with a carpentry company's name on the side, he asks her to look into fixing up his house. He assumes that some male member of her family is the carpenter, but once he realizes it is Allie herself I liked how he just took it in stride and didn't act surprised or amazed.

Allie and Blake were great together. Neither is looking for a relationship, and I loved watching them banter together, lust after each other and slowly realize and come to accept their true feelings for each other. I like characterization over plot, and Ms. Brown is good at creating multiple characters who are all individual and unique. Well, most of them – the three gossips were pretty much all the same but they added lots of color to the story!

I grew up in Texas, and when I read a book like this it makes me wonder what the hell I was thinking to shun the cowboys back in the day! 

Branded (The Cavanaugh Brothers, Book 1)

LAURA WRIGHT

Back cover copy: When the Cavanaugh brothers return home for their father’s funeral, they discover unexpected evidence of the old man’s surprising double life—a son named Blue, who wants the Triple C Ranch as much as they do. The eldest son, Deacon, a wealthy businessman who couldn’t wait to leave the ranch and move on with his life, is looking to use his powerful connections to stop Blue at any cost. He never expected the ranch’s forewoman, Mackenzie Byrd, to get in his way.

Mac knows Deacon means to destroy the ranch and therefore destroy her livelihood. But as the two battle for control, their attraction builds. Now Deacon is faced with the choice of a lifetime: Take down the Triple C to feed his need for revenge, or embrace the love of the one person who has broken down every barrier to his heart.

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Signet Eclipse published by the Penguin Group, 2014.

How acquired: Bought.

My thoughts: I’d never heard of this author, but when I stopped in a CVS to pick up a couple of things on the way home from work one day the dude on the cover caught my eye and insisted on leaving with me.

After the kidnapping and death of their sister, the Cavanaugh brothers all hightailed it out of River Black, Texas, as soon as they were old enough to leave. Deacon, the oldest brother, is a successful businessman in Dallas, buying and selling properties left and right. James has become a media sensation as a horse whisperer, and Cole is an underground fighter.

BRANDED focuses on Deacon, who has attempted many times over the years to get their father, Everett, to sell the Triple C Ranch to him. Now that their father has died, Deacon is determined to completely destroy the ranch and everything it stands for.

Mac was best friends with Cass ten years ago, and had a crush on Deacon, who was four years older and showed absolutely no interest in her. She gave the sheriff a tip about a mystery man called Sweet who Cass had been meeting, but the sheriff decided that Sweet didn’t really exist, and Cass Cavanaugh’s murderer was never found. The Triple C is home to Mac, and Everett was like a father to her. She loves her job as foreman of the ranch, and loves her life on the ranch. The thought of Deacon destroying the ranch, which provides a living for much of the town, makes her sick to her stomach.

The back cover copy is a little misleading. Blue is the son of the ranch housekeeper, and the synopsis makes it sound like he and Deacon are going to be head to head adversaries, which is not quite accurate. Blue is actually a pretty minor character.

Throughout much of the book I could not understand what was driving Deacon. In addition to trying to get control of the Triple C, he’s been buying up land nearby and has construction going on there, with the intention of starting his own spread, Redemption Ranch. He is extremely bitter about his father, and James and Cole appear to feel the same way, though not as aggressively about the ranch being destroyed. Mac of course is also puzzled, and is determined to fight Deacon every step of the way, doing whatever it takes to convince him to leave the ranch alone.

The book was enjoyable enough, and Deacon and Mac were both likable characters. Well, Mac was likable. Deacon acted pretty unlikable at times but he was still a strong charismatic character who I was drawn to. However, I got a little irritated at his constant growling. It’s sexy when a man occasionally growls, but only occasionally. After awhile I wished I’d been keeping count of how many times he growled, it would be interesting to see the final number. 

The sex scenes between Deacon and Mac were explicit, which I don’t have a problem with, but they weren’t really sexy. The dialogue during those scenes was not sexy. It was a little awkward and unrealistic.

During the last quarter of the book, we finally learn just why Deacon is so filled with hatred for his father, and it was a pretty shocking moment, and suddenly the book got so much more engaging and gripping, and that lasted right up to the last page. Which sort of ended on a cliffhanger about Cass Cavanaugh's death, which I gather will be a running theme throughout the series.

I didn't love it enough to want to seek out the author's entire backlist, but I did enjoy it enough to want to get the next book, BROKEN, about James. 

To Love a Texas Cowboy (Wishing, Texas, Book 1)

JULIE BENSON

Synopsis from back cover: New York artist Cassie Reynolds moves to Wishing, Texas to raise her orphaned niece, and discovers she’s in way over her head. Then she meets Ella’s financial guardian, Ty Barnett, a handsome hardworking rancher, with his own ideas on child rearing.

Ty and Cassie clash over almost everything, especially Ella, but when two people have the welfare of one child at heart, suddenly they find themselves looking at each other in a whole new light…

Will Ty make room for another lady in his life? And will Cassie allow herself to love a Texas cowboy?

Stats for my copy: Kindle edition, Tule Publishing, 2015.

How acquired: NetGalley

My thoughts: I like stories where a character who has no experience with kids is suddenly thrown headfirst into instant parenthood. And I like stories where a city girl who has no experience with cowboys is suddenly thrown headfirst into…well, to continue the metaphor, into a cowboy!

When Cassie’s sister and her husband, Chloe and Jack, are killed in a plane crash, Cassie relocates from New York to her sister’s bed and breakfast in the small town of Wishing, Texas, to take custody of her young niece. Ella of course is emotionally scarred from losing both of her parents, and refuses to talk, or participate in anything at school. When we meet Cassie, she is struggling to deal with her own grief, and to relate to Ella and get through to her.

Ty was good friends with Chloe and Jack, and he and Chloe were in business together. Chloe had the bed and breakfast, and Ty provided dude ranch services to her guests at his ranch – trail rides and sightseeing tours on horseback. He didn’t love it, but the money helped support his ranch and his family, which included his widowed mother and his younger sister, Aubrey. Ella’s parents had also appointed Ty to be Ella’s financial guardian, so while Cassie now has custody of Ella, Ty has custody of Ella’s money and makes the financial decisions.

I loved Ty. He adored Ella, and even when being his gruff stoic self, when Ella came into a scene he softened. He was good with her, and she obviously felt very close to him. With her father gone, Ty was now the predominant male role model in her life, and he was determined do not only guard her finances, but also to be sure she was properly cared for, even if that meant butting in, whether or not Cassie felt he had a right to.

Cassie is a pretty successful artist in New York, and suddenly being in charge of an inn leaves her floundering. She considers selling it and taking Ella back to New York with her, but since Ty holds the purse strings, he would have to approve of any sale. And he thinks it’s better for Ella to remain in her own home. So of course Ty and Cassie are going to constantly clash with each other. And of course they are going to be attracted to each other, hard as they try to fight it. Ty has been burned in love, and has no desire to be burned again.

I truly loved those Cassie and Ty clashing scenes, and the banter that flew back and forth between them often made me laugh. I could understand the reasoning behind each character's hesitance to become involved with the other, and considering that having Ella in common would keep them tethered to each other for several years, I could easily agree that caution should be taken. I do wish that Ella had actually been involved in the story more than she was. The developing relationship between Ty and Cassie was very dependent on her, as was much of the plot. But even in the end, as much as I felt I knew both adults, Ella was still more of a little plot moppet than a fleshed out person.

I'm looking forward to the rest of this series, featuring other members of Ty's group of college friends,and here's hoping his sister Aubrey will hook up with one of them and get her own HEA! 

One Fine Cowboy

JOANNE KENNEDY

Synopsis from Goodreads: HIS HEART IS AS WILD AS THE HORSES HE TRAINED...

Nate Shawcross is perfectly content to spend his days training wild horses. So when a beautiful greenhorn unexpectedly shows up for a seminar from the famous "Horse Whisperer" of Wyoming, all Nate wants to do is send her packing...

THE LAST THING SHE EXPECTS IS A LESSON IN ROMANCE...

Graduate student Charlie Banks came to the ranch to learn about horse communication, but when she meets the ruggedly handsome cowboy, she starts to fantasize about another connection entirely...

Nate needs to stay focused if he's going to save his ranch from foreclosure, but he can't help being distracted by the brainy and breathtakingly sexy Charlie. Could it be that after all this time Nate has finally found the one woman who can tame his wild heart?

Stats for my copy: Hardback, published by Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2010.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: The cowboy boot was the most pathetic piece of footwear Charlie had ever seen.

My thoughts: I wasn't sure I would like Charlie at first. She's a Jersey girl who refers to cowboys as “stupid cowboys”. She's a vegetarian animal rights activist, who doesn't believe in riding horses - “It's morally wrong, forcing animals to serve us.” She's a grad student, and has been sent to this ranch in the wilds of Wyoming to attend a clinic for the purpose of “assessing the parallels between the training techniques of Western livestock managers and the nonverbal cues with which humans communicate their wants and needs.” Or as Charlie sums it up, “harassing innocent animals with a bunch of cowboys”. I love animals, and I'm all for animal rights, but I don't support PETA and their over the top, at times bullying methods of grabbing headlines. And Charlie sounded like a card carrying member. She's even participated in PETA protests.

Nate doesn't quite know what to make of her either. Especially when she tells him she's here to attend one of his clinics. Because he has no idea what she's talking about. Seems his ex-girlfriend flew the coop recently, cleaning out his bank account, but not before printing up a bunch of brochures and collecting four deposits for his non-existent clinic services. But Charlie's car has broken down, and she has no way to leave. Plus her boss would expect her to bring that deposit back with her, which neither she nor Nate have. So the shy, quiet cowboy is forced to come up with a lesson plan and carry on with the promises made in the brochure.

Once Nate introduces Charlie to a couple of horses, and she sees his training techniques in action, she chills out with the abuse accusations and becomes quite enamored with one stallion in particular, and of course, despite her disdain for cowboys, with Nate himself. And I did like her quite well after all. The other three students trickle in one by one, and each individual was quite a character in their own right, though not necessarily who or what they seemed to be upon first meeting them.

When the ex-girlfriend puts in an appearance, things get tense and skewered. Nate is the strong sensitive type. He gets tongue tied very easily and struggles to form a coherent sentence, though the smoldering looks he aims Charlie's way speak loud and clear. With the horses he's much more confident of himself, hence his reputation as a “horse whisperer”. I got a little frustrated with him when the ex came back and began taking over his life again, and he let her bully him without standing up to her. But he's a good guy, coming to realize what a crappy relationship they've had, and seeing through Charlie what a real relationship could be like.

My only real beef were some inconsistencies that pulled me out of the story. In one scene, Nate is having trouble sleeping, tossing and turning as he tries to get comfortable on the sofa. “All he could think about was that morning he'd woken up on this same sofa with Charlie in his arms, tucked against him.” Yet on the next page: “He swung his feet to the floor and levered himself out of bed...He shuffled quietly across the bedroom...” When did he get from the sofa to the bedroom? And then later, he and Charlie are riding together on a horse, him sitting in front of her: “Nate leaned back against her, his broad back warm against her chest.” But a few paragraphs later, while they are still riding: “He kissed the back of her neck.” How the hell did he kiss the back of her neck from in front of her?

There's a bit of humor, some nice descriptions of the Wyoming countryside, a locked attic hiding secrets, some twists and turns in the storyline, and a lot of heart as Nate and Charlie dance around each other, fighting, then being friends, getting closer, then blowing up at each other. Not quite as good as COWBOY TROUBLE, the only other Kennedy book I've read so far, but very enjoyable. 

Precious Gifts (Harlequin Heartwarming No. 8)

ROZ DENNY FOX 

Synopsis from back of book: Things have not gone well for Hayley Ryan. Her beloved grandfather is dead. Her ex-husband not only abandoned her for another woman but also stole Hayley's inheritance – and left her pregnant. All she has now is a piece of property to camp on – and a secret mine that might or might not produce.

Jake Cooper is part owner of the Triple C Ranch in southern Arizona. Hayley Ryan's campsite is adjacent to the Triple C. The first time Jake rides into her camp, she points a shotgun at his head – and without even knowing it, takes aim at his heart...

Jake is determined to persuade Hayley to trust him and marry him. As for Hayley's baby-to-be – he'd love the chance to be a dad!

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, published by Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 2011, originally published as MOM'S THE WORD; purchased at a library book sale.

First line: “You're pregnant, Hayley.”

My thoughts: I have a subscription to Harlequin Heartwarming through their Reader Service, but I subscribed late and missed the earliest books, so I was pleased to recently come across this one at a library sale – a Heartwarming, AND a Roz Denny Fox, so double score. And then the hero is a cowboy, and I've really gotten into cowboys over the last few months, so triple score!

Hayley is young and naive, a girl who grew up lonely and fell for the first smooth talker to take an interest in her. She was raised by an undemonstrative grandfather who spent more time at his mine than with his granddaughter, and she was glad to marry Joe despite her grandfather's dislike and distrust of him. Then her grandfather passed away, and Joe forged her name and sold the mine out from under her, and took off with another woman, leaving Hayley with no income. And now she finds out she is carrying his child.

Then she learns from one of her grandfather's friends that he had been working another claim site for several years. She quickly goes to the recorder's office and files a claim in her own name, then sets up camp with her grandfather's old pickup and tiny little camper. She plans to work the site herself for a few months, and hopefully discover something, anything, that will support herself and the baby for awhile.

Enter Jake Cooper, part owner with his parents and brother of the Triple C. He tells Hayley that her claim site supplies water to the surrounding ranches, and Grandpa had a deal with the ranchers to let them use the water as needed, and to turn over the land – and the precious water – to them when he's through with his prospecting. So he's not happy to find this woman here working the site. And neither are the other ranchers, some of who are downright angry about it, and want her out of the way pronto.

It's a little strange that in all the years Grandpa was camping out at this site for a few months each year, he never told his granddaughter about it. And even more strange that in all these years he never mentioned to Jake and his family, who he was on very friendly terms with, that he was raising a granddaughter. But the secrecy also works in Hayley's favor, as Joe doesn't know anything about it, and until her divorce is finalized, she needs to keep it that way so he doesn’t steal it out from under her also. And yeah, it seems a little unbelievable that Joe got away with selling the other mine and keeping Hayley from getting a cent (other than the $1,000 he left her when he took off). She apparently has no recourse, and I had a little trouble believing that to be possible. Oh, she contacted the police of course, but it turns out Joe and the local deputy are tight, so, you know, no help from that quarter.

But put that aside and just go with it. Hayley is very determined to never trust or depend on a man again, and Jake is just as determined to show her that she can trust him and can depend on him. Sometimes I felt Hayley was acting foolish, putting herself out in the middle of nowhere, alone, with no cell phone and unreliable transportation – putting her unborn child at risk if anything should happen and she should need emergency medical attention. Not to mention no regular prenatal care. But I could empathize with that determination I mentioned. My ex didn't do me as badly as hers did, but I still felt the same way she did about not trusting or depending on men.

I enjoyed watching Hayley and Jake dance around each other. Hayley would let her guard down and be nice to Jake and have fun with him, and then he'd say something about the claim site or the water and her defenses would slam back into place and she would turn on him, convinced that he didn't care about her and just wanted her land.

Since most of the story takes place at her claim site, between just Hayley and Jake (and his dog), the secondary characters stay pretty secondary, but I didn’t mind that. Jake's family are a little antagonistic about Hayley (and his father and brother to her face), and since we don't spend as much time with them or get to know them as well as we do Hayley and Jake, we're not always sure if they can be trusted. But that added to the overall tone of the book and worked well.

A quick and enjoyable read with a satisfying HEA. 

Cowboy Trouble

Joanne Kennedy

Synopsis: Fleeing her latest love-life disaster, big city journalist Libby Brown's transition to rural living isn't going exactly as planned. Her childhood dream has always been to own a farm - but without the constant help of her charming, sexy cowboy neighbor, she'd never make it through her first Wyoming season.

Handsome rancher Luke Rawlins is impressed by this sassy, independent city girl. But he years to do more than help Libby out with her ranch. He's ready for love, and he wants to go the distance...

Then the two get embroiled in their tiny town's one and only crime story, and Libby discovers that their sizzling hot attraction is going to complicate her life in every way possible...

First line: A chicken will never break your heart.

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc., 2010; 386 pages; borrowed from my local library.

My thoughts: Over the last year or so I've gotten more and more into the cowboy genre, to the point where I'm actively seeking out and grabbing books that look like they fit that genre. I recently discovered Carolyn Brown who became my favorite new to me author with LOVE DRUNK COWBOY. During my last trip to the library, this book practically jumped off the shelf at me. Well, one of this author's books did, anyway - I had to immediately pull out my phone and look up the author on Fictiondb to check if it was a series so I could be sure to start with the first book. Anyway, to bring my rambling to a point, Joanne Kennedy has now bumped Carolyn Brown down a spot and has taken over as my favorite new author.

I was hooked from the first page. Libby has taken a job with the local newspaper and bought a farm where she plans to raise chickens. She doesn't know anything about farming or ranching or chickens, but she's a journalist, so she knows how to do research, and she figures she can figure it out. As she's unloading her truck on her first day at her new home, her closest neighbor pops in to say hello, a handsome rancher named Luke. Of course Libby is getting over a broken heart and has no interest in dating, hooking up or being in another relationship. Even if he's cute. And such a cliche, she thinks, in his chaps and talking with his cowboy swagger.

Later she meets the local sheriff, Cash, who's even more swagger with his silver star and hero law enforcement vibe. And she actually feels little sparks with Cash. But again, not interested, no more men, on her own, etc.

The book has a lot of humorous dialog and one liners, starting with that opening line and continuing non-stop. One of my favorites:

“I'd like to go along,” she said. “But I think we need to talk first.”

“Oh, no.” Luke backed away as if she'd suggested they take him over to the veterinary clinic for neutering. “It's okay. We don't need to talk.” (pg 91)

Libby and Luke are both fun characters, Cash is too full of himself, and the supporting cast slide seamlessly into the story, capturing you with their own distinct but rarely over the top personalities.

When Lucy hears about a young girl who disappeared awhile back, her reporter instincts kick in and she's intrigued. After the missing girl's mother approaches her and asks for her help, she begins digging into the story in earnest, trying to trace the girl's last steps, and interviewing her friends. Several of the locals seem like good suspects, including both Luke and Cash at times.

The cast is rounded out by several dogs and a wild chicken. And of course charming cowboys, who may be good guys or may be bad guys. I thought I'd figured out what happened to the missing girl before Libby did, but then a little twist came and I was surprised, so that was good.

A quick, lively and very entertaining read, and I'm now eager to collect the rest of the author's books.

Love Drunk Cowboy (Spikes & Spurs, Book 1)

CAROLYN BROWN

Synopsis: High-powered career woman Austin Lanier suddenly finds herself saddled with an inherited watermelon farm deep in the countryside. She’s determined to sell the farm, until her new, drop-dead sexy neighbor Rye O’Donnell shows up…

Rancher Rye O’Donnell thinks he’s going to get a good deal on his dream property – until he meets the fiery new owner. Rye is knocked sideways when he realizes that not only is Granny Lanier’s city-slicker granddaughter a savvy businesswoman, she’s also sexy as hell…

Suddenly Rye is a whole lot less interested in real estate and a whole lot more focused on getting Austin to set aside her stiletto heels…

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, published by Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc., 2011; 391 pages; borrowed from the library.

My thoughts: My daughter and I went to the library last weekend as I needed to find a book my boss assigned as mandatory reading. After I located that book, my daughter was still browsing, so I began wandering around gazing at the shelves, and the title LOVE DRUNK COWBOY just jumped out at me. After reading the back cover, I decided to check it out. And am I glad I did. If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be “fun”.

Austin Lanier’s grandmother passed away six months ago, and left everything she owned to Austin, with very specific instructions on how to dispose of her body. No funeral – she wanted to be cremated and her ashes dropped in the Red River on Good Friday. So while Granny Lanier’s friend Pearlita held on to the ashes, Austin had a phone call every Thursday with Granny’s neighbor, Rye O’Donnell, who was taking care of Granny’s property. Granny and Rye had been good friends, and since Granny only described Rye has being younger than her, Austin pictured a man in his 70s with gray hair and a cane.

Rye expected this city slicker granddaughter to come town, do Granny’s bidding regarding her last wishes, sell the property and go back to Tulsa. While he had seen many pictures of Austin – every time Granny got a new one she had to show it off – he was still shocked to see her in person for the first time. Instant attraction and we knew he was already a goner. And Austin was pretty shocked herself to discover that Rye was not the old man she pictured, but a young hot cowboy.

Austin and Rye dance around each other for quite awhile. Austin originally did plan to sell off the farm, but the business of raising watermelons and running the farm quickly got under her skin, not to mention she didn’t want to put the hired hands out of a job. She had taken two weeks vacation from her own job with an oil company in Tulsa, but as the end of her vacation neared and she learned more about the everyday running of the farm, she was more and more loathe to leave.

There’s a lot of humor, a lot of aw-shucks-honky-tonk-country-boy lingo, a mother who is determined her daughter get back to her fancy Tulsa apartment and continue to advance in her career, a sister who thinks the city girl is gonna break her brother’s heart, and then there’s Granny who seems to be guiding Austin’s life from the great beyond.

I’m excited to have discovered a new to me author, and doubly excited to realize that I have two of her other books in my TBR pile – RED’S HOT COWBOY, which is the second book in this series, and MY GIVE A DAMN’S BUSTED, the third book in her “Honky Tonk” series.