Forever Theirs by Katee Robert

From Author’s Website

Meg Sanders enjoyed her wild night with a prince and his bodyguard—but now she’s moving on. She has enough problems without borrowing the kind of trouble Theo brings just by being who he is. But no matter how determined she is to leave that night a fond memory, she hasn’t seen the last of Theo and Galen…

Galen Mikos’s life boils down to one goal. Keep Theo alive. But as long as Theo draws breath, he’s a threat to the powers that have taken over Thalania—and anyone they associate with runs the risk of becoming a target, too. Galen will never forgive himself if they let their selfish desire for Meg puts her in danger. But it might already be too late…

Theo Fitzcharles might be an exiled prince, but he doesn’t intend to stay that way. He’s only concerned with one thing—clearing his mother’s name and reinstating himself as Crown Prince of Thalania. There’s no room in that plan for distraction, especially when it makes him forget himself the way Meg does. But after spending one perfect night with her and his best friend, Theo has no intention of leaving her alone.

Even if it damns all three of them in the process.

My Review:

I got this book as an ARC a month ago and over the past month I have read it multiple times including last night. I absolutely love these characters. We are first introduced to these characters in the novella, Theirs For A Night. While it is not required to read the novella prior to this book, I would highly recommend it.

This is a ménage à trois (aka polyamorous) story. The only other book with a relationship like this is Lorelei James’ Rough, Raw, and Ready. But of the two books, I think Katee did a better job showing the trials and joys of a polyamorous relationship. It might because polyamorous relationships are more accepted now compared to when Lorelei wrote her story. It could also be because Katee’s story takes place in an urban setting versus a rural setting. This story is suspenseful and extra steamy.

WARNING: This book has male with male sex as well as two men with one woman sex.

I give FOREVER THEIRS a 5 Horseshoe rating.

FOREVER THEIRS is available from Amazon in Kindle edition, and from Barnes and Nobel in Nook/Epub edition.

Publication Details:

Author	Katee Robert
Title	Forever Theirs
Format	Ebook
Length	251 Pages
Publication Date	September 11, 2018
Publisher	Katee Robert
ISBN	978-09-9884-0253

The Pages of the Mind by Jeffe Kennedy

From Publisher’s Website

Magic has broken free over the Twelve Kingdoms. The population is beset by shapeshifters and portents, landscapes that migrate, uncanny allies who are not quite human…and enemies eager to take advantage of the chaos.

Dafne Mailloux is no adventurer–she’s a librarian. But the High Queen trusts Dafne’s ability with languages, her way of winnowing the useful facts from a dusty scroll, and even more important, the subtlety and guile that three decades under the thumb of a tyrant taught her.

Dafne never thought to need those skills again. But she accepts her duty. Until her journey drops her into the arms of a barbarian king. He speaks no tongue she knows but that of power, yet he recognizes his captive as a valuable pawn. Dafne must submit to a wedding of alliance, becoming a prisoner-queen in a court she does not understand. If she is to save herself and her country, she will have to learn to read the heart of a wild stranger. And there are more secrets written there than even Dafne could suspect…

My Review:

While the story does have romance in it, the romance doesn’t drive the story forward. This is a Fantasy novel that happens to have romance. Which is a nice departure from my typical Romance Novels. Fantasy has always been a favorite of mine. My first “adult” book in 4th grade was Andre Norton’s Beast Master.

This story is my favorite of the Twelve Kingdoms series. I love Dafne, probably because I can identify with her more than I could Andi, Ami, and Ursula. She is a bibliophile and relies on her book knowledge as a shield against the world. I wish I was the polyglot that she is. Dafne’s ability to assimilate languages is amazing.

Luckily for Dafne, that skill as well as her research skills, help her when King Nakoa decides to keep her. I enjoyed Dafne’s journey of learning the Nahanauian culture and discovering not only the history of the islands, but also history of Annfwn and possibly the Twelve Kingdoms. I would love to see more stories from Dafne’s point of view and what she is learning from that vast library and from her new friend.

As the etching on the knives Ursula gave Dafne says, “This is why it’s perilous to ignore a librarian.”

As you can tell, I loved this book. I’ve read it from start to finish a few times since I got it. I wish I knew why it took me so long to read a book by Jeffe.

I wonder if there will be a book about Jepp and Kral……

 

I give The Pages of the Mind a 5 Horseshoe rating.

 

The Pages of the Mind is available from Amazon in Print and Kindle editions. It is also available from Barnes and Noble in Print and Nook editions.

 

Publication Details:

Author	Jeffe Kennedy
Title	The Pages of the Mind
Format	Ebook
Length	432 Pages
Publication Date	June 15, 2016
Publisher	Kensington
ISBN	978-1-4967-0425-2

Hot Cowboy Nights by Carolyn Brown

From Publisher’s Website

LET’S GIVE ‘EM SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT . . .

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 . . .

My Review:

Hot Cowboy Nights is the second book in Carolyn Brown’s Lucky Penny Ranch Series. So far, of this series, this is my favorite. I loved watching Lizzy rediscover her true self and realize how much of a controlling, emotionally abusive man her ex-fiancé actually was.

I’ve always loved stories with a heroine who knew her worth and was confident in herself and her skills, whatever they might be. Over the past few years, I’ve discovered that I also enjoy stories of heroines who either learn how strong they actually are or rediscover that side of herself, especially if that realization and change is helped by a man who values those traits.

I found myself yelling at Toby. One reason he didn’t want to settle down was because he wanted to always be able to flirt when he was out at the Honky Tonk. He just needed someone to take a 2×4 to the side of his head until he realized that he could still flirt at the Honky Tonk if he settled down. The only difference is that instead of flirting with any female in the bar, he would flirt with his other half.

Since I started reading and reviewing Carolyn’s books, there has been a definite improvement in the story telling. I’ve enjoyed the journey.

While I loved this book, I can’t quite give it 5 Horseshoes. There are some continuity issues in the story. I’m guessing that Lizzy named the kittens with Toby’s help instead of with her sister’s help. There is a conversation with Toby that starts with Lizzy saying she hadn’t named the kittens yet, but by the time they go to pick up Toby’s donkeys, she had. I’m surprised it hadn’t been caught during the final editing, but oh well.

I am really looking forward to the next book in the series, Merry Cowboy Christmas.

I give Hot Cowboy Nights a 4 Horseshoe rating.

 

 

Hot Cowboy Nights is available from Amazon in Print and Kindle editions. It is also available from Barnes and Noble in Print and Nook editions.

 

 

Publication Details:

Author	Carolyn Brown
Title	Hot Cowboy Nights
Format	Ebook
Length	400 Pages
Publication Date	May 31, 2016
Publisher	Grand Central Publishing
ISBN	978-1-4555-3490-6

Ransom Canyon by Jodi Thomas

From Publisher’s Website

Rancher Staten Kirkland, the last descendant of Ransom Canyon’s founding father, is rugged and practical to the last. No one knows that when his troubling memories threaten to overwhelm him, he runs to lovely, reclusive Quinn O’Grady…or that she has her own secret that no one living knows. 

Young Lucas Reyes has his eye on the prize—college, and the chance to become something more than a ranch hand’s son. But one night, one wrong decision, will set his life on a course even he hadn’t imagined. 

Yancy Grey is running hard from his troubled past. He doesn’t plan to stick around Ransom Canyon, just long enough to learn the town’s weaknesses and how to use them for personal gain. Only Yancy, a common criminal since he was old enough to reach a car’s pedals, isn’t prepared for what he encounters.
In this dramatic new series, the lives, loves and ambitions of four families will converge, set against a landscape that can be as unforgiving as it is beautiful, where passion, property and pride are worth fighting—and even dying—for.

My Review:

Overall, this was a good book. It was well written and there was good character development. However, I would not classify this book as a romance novel. A romance novel has a plot that is driven by the developing romantic relationship of two or more characters. This book more along the lines of Chick-Lit. While there is a Happily Ever After ending, this still wasn’t a romance novel.

This was an ensemble novel. Every few chapters (sometimes every chapter) was from the point of view of a different character. There six different points of view written in this book. All of them were written in third person, which was nice otherwise I would have been confused even with the beginning of the chapter having the character’s name. Eventually, all of the story lines collide at the end of the novel.

These types of stories are some of my least favorite to read. There are very few exceptions, but I don’t tend to select ensemble books.

There were only two story lines (which actually covers four of the characters) that I was interested in. I feel that each story line could have been it’s own story. The other story line, I’m not sure why it was included other than to give a uniting event for the climax and ending of the novel.

I give Ransom Canyon a 3 Horseshoe rating.

This book was provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Ransom Canyon is available from Amazon in Print and Kindle editions. Also available from Barnes and Noble in Nook and Print.

Publication Details:

Author	Jodi Thomas
Title	Ransom Canyon
Format	Print
Length	335 Pages
Publication Date	August 25, 2015
Publisher	HQN
ISBN	978-0-3737-8844-6

Dark Debt by Chloe Neill

From Author’s Website

A vampire never gets old. But neither do his enemies. When a figure from Ethan’s dark past makes a splashy debut in Chicago, Merit and her Master don’t know whether he’s friend or foe. But they’ll have to figure out soon, because trouble is brewing in the Windy City.

At an exclusive society soiree attended by the upper echelons of the human and supernatural worlds, Merit and Ethan barely stop the assassination of a guest. When the target turns out to be a shady businessman with a criminal edge, Merit suspects a human vendetta. But the assassins have fangs….

The connections to Chicago’s Houses go deeper than Merit knows, and even one wrong move could be her last….

My Review:

First a few things about the series. I originally added the first book, Some Girls Bite to my Goodread To Read list in August 2010. I don’t remember who recommended it to me. For some reason, it got lost in the shuffle of life. Recently, I was looking at Goodreads and discovered the book again. But this time I discovered that there was 11 books, and 3 novellas in the series. I will admit that I read the entire series in approximately 14 days (from initial ebook purchase of the first book to my finishing this book). I love these characters. I love Merit almost as much as I love Kate Daniels from Ilona Andrews. I have a feeling that I will be re-reading this series much like I do the Kate Daniels series.

This series is not a romance series. This series is a Paranormal Fantasy series that does happen to have some romance and sex included. But the romance does not drive the individual books or the series.

Now, on to Dark Debt. This was a great book. While the author does give basic background for first time readers of the series, I would not recommend reading this book without the previous ones, especially Blood Games. Of all of the books in the series, this one’s twists and turns are more complicated that involved than previously. Chloe Neill did an amazing job on this book.
As much as I loved this book, I couldn’t give it 5 Horseshoes. There are some continuity issues. One is series related, but the rest are related to this book only. The series related one is about the existence of Incubi. In book 9, Wild Things, one of the supernatural creatures kidnapped was an Incubus. However, in this book, the reader is told that Incubi do not exist and the legend was created as a way to explain the sexual bent that some vampires’ powers take. While it isn’t a big continuity issue, it still bugged me.

The book related continuity issues mostly had to deal with Merit’s wardrobe. While most nights she is dressed in her beautiful new leathers (which actually don’t get mentioned as being her new ones since she was gifted them) there are a few times that she wears the House’s standard uniform, a black suit. There is one scene where she is wearing the suit and ends up chasing a perp. After the unsuccessful chase, there are mentions of her wearing her leathers. Once again, for most people not a big deal, but for me…… I feel that this should have been caught in the various levels of editing that takes place. There are other continuity things but I can’t think of them at this time.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the next book to come out in March 2016.

I give Dark Debt a 4 Horseshoe rating.

This book was purchased by the reviewer.

Dark Debt is available from Amazon in Kindle and Print editions. Also available from Barnes and Noble in Print and Nook editions.

Publication Details:

Author	Chloe Neill
Title	Dark Debt
Format	Ebook
Length	295 Pages
Publication Date	March 2015
Publisher	New American Library
ISBN	978-0-6981-8071-0

Legend of the Fae by April Holthaus

From Amazon’s Website

The Legend begins…

For centuries, stories of the Fae have been passed down from generation to generation throughout the Scottish Highlands. Over time, the truth of their existence was reduced to nothing more than childhood fairytales. Until now! On the eve of war between Good and Evil, Ella of Andor, the Fae Princess of Darkness embarks on a journey that would ensure her kingdom’s victory as prophesied. But in a twist of fate, Ella is led to the mortal world where she soon discovers a mystery about her past that could destroy everything she has ever known.

After returning home from battle against a neighboring clan, Laird Galen Graham stumbles upon an injured woman in desperate need of care and protection. Wanting to return her to her family becomes a difficult task when he discovers the lass cannot speak. While trying to solve the mystery behind who she is, Galen finds himself falling in love with a lass he knows nothing about.

Forced to return to the Fae world, can Ella stop the war threatening to destroy her kingdom, or will she give up her destiny to return to the man she has fallen for in the mortal world? After discovering the truth about the mysterious lass, will Galen be able to let her go?

Follow Ella and Galen’s fantastic journey filled with magic, danger, love, and mystery.

My Review:

Oh, where to start. In general the writing was good, as well as the character development. But this story had many issues. So many in fact that I almost quit reading the story multiple times. I did finish the book, but it was painful.

There are two sides to this story. There is the Fae realm and 15th Century Scotland. The Fae Realm was nicely created and well rounded. I could easily see the land and the creatures that were described. The history of the land was interesting and the author does a good job in making the reader want to stay in this realm and discover what happens to the people of it.

Then we get to the 15th Century Scotland. The number of items incorrect drove me nuts. I will admit that Scottish History is a big interest of mine and has been for a very long time. I usually don’t mind dialect in stories, but I felt that it was over used. There was at least one time where the author used the words dinna and no in the same sentence, causing the sentence to have a double negative.

The author also tended to use words that are not in common use and for one, the context wasn’t correct. At one point Galen tells his second to impose a cheminage for those who crossed his border. Cheminage is a fee traditionally applied to people taking items to market through a forest that is owned by a Lord. Very few clans would be able to man their entire border to collect this fee. The amount of money they would make compared to the man power needed makes it ridiculous. The economy of the Highlands in the 15th Century was still primarily barter based and due to poor roads, trade with others was not widely done. Trade and coins were common in strong economic centers like Perth, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, etc. The average person wouldn’t be carrying coin, therefore making the cheminage unrealistic.

Much to my surprise, we discover that the clan blacksmith and the clan healer lived ten miles from the clan seat. Why would you put these two very important people so far from the center of the clan? Typically both of these people would either live within the castle walls or just outside the walls. The average person walks at the speed of three miles per hour, and a walking horse averages four to five miles per hour, a distance of ten miles would not be covered at a trot or faster pace. At these speed averages, it would take people two and half to three and half hours to cover ten miles. No intelligent Laird would have these people so far from the largest grouping of clan members. Later in the story we discover that the armory is nine miles from the castle. Why isn’t within the castle walls?

At one point, Galen is planning on going to Stonehaven to visit the market because the trade ships would have come in that day or the day before. The author lets the readers know that Stonehaven is two hours from the castle. There are a few issues with this. First, the Laird would not have left to do the marketing. He would have a man who would do that and only a few times a year. By stating that Stonehaven is only two hours away, the author has stated that Stonehaven is closer than the clan blacksmith or healer. In the 15th Century, Stonehaven was a fishing village. It was never a trading port. The closest trading port was actually Aberdeen, which is north of Stonehaven. Even now, Stonehaven is still a fishing village but also relies on tourism for income. Then there is the name issue. Stonehaven did not get its name until the start of the 17th century. Stonehaven and much of the land around it was Clan Keith land. Another reason this whole scenario wouldn’t work is that trade ships wouldn’t attempt the North Sea in the winter. The sea is too treacherous.

When the author finally gave us a general idea where in Scotland the story was taking place, I discovered that the story is taking place over a hundred miles from where the author really wanted. Stonehaven is on the eastern coast of Scotland. During the story we learn that Galen’s clan Graham was having a feud with Clan MacGregor, and Galen was trying to forge an alliance with Clan Campbell and their Laird the Duke of Argyll. These clans never had land along the eastern coast of Scotland. For the most part, their lands were northwest of Glasgow, approximately a hundred miles from Stonehaven.

Imagine my surprise when I read the author biography at the end of the story and discovered that she has written three other Scottish Historicals.

I found that the relationship between Galen and Ella very platonic. Yes, Galen lusted after Ella but I never really felt that these characters fell for each other. The sex scene was not necessary to this story. It didn’t move forward the story or their relationship. It felt like the author went, “Wait, this is romance. It must have sex.” This story would have been just fine without the sex, especially since I feel that the characters didn’t have mutual desire for each other.

The end of the story was very abrupt. There were things not resolved in the Fae realm. How can Ella take the Queen’s offer and leave the Fae realm without completing a task she had set for herself? The author could have extended the story by having Ella and Galen working together. Even if they failed at the task, it would give a level of closure. Instead, Ella didn’t pursue the task and left it for others who looked to her for leadership. I realize that the author wanted to keep the task unfulfilled so she can have a series, but there should have been an attempt.

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I give Legend of the Fae a 2 Horseshoe rating.

Legend of the Fae is available from Amazon in Kindle and Print editions.

Publication Details:

Author	April Holthouse
Title	Legend of the Fae
Format	Ebook
Length	236
Publication Date	March 2015
Publisher	Self Published Through Amazon
ISBN	978-1-5077-6137-3

Anointed by Maggie Mae Gallagher

From Author’s Website

My name is Alana Devereaux. I enjoy the simple things in life, walks in the park, sky gazing, and ripping a demon’s heart out through its chest. I am a demon slayer, the last of my kind, and I have been sent back through time to save your world. How am I doing so far? My time travel went haywire, all the signs I needed to stop the prophecy have passed, and the only way I can save my world is by keeping yours from ending. Then there’s Gaelen, most days I want to deck him. He hides his true motives and if it was not for the intel he had, I would be rid of him. Any day in my life without a demon attack is a good day; I haven’t had a whole lot of those lately. The only problem is, if I don’t stop the Mutari, the world will burn.

My Review:

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and the premise of the book. I found the world interesting and definitely would like to read more about this world. I will be reading the prequel novella, and the sequel once it is published.

I’m not quite sure how to categorize this book. There is a dystopian Urban Fantasy future but then the main character is sent back in time to prevent the event that caused the dystopian future. I wouldn’t list it as a romance novel, because the relationship between Alana and Gaelen wasn’t the core of the story. The core was stopping the disaster that was coming. It was very similar to Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniel series, in that it has romance but it isn’t the driving force of the book.

I did find some issues. This novel could have gone through one more time with a copy editor. I found wrong words (using triskette instead of triskele) and some phrasing that didn’t make sense. There is one scene where there is a slight tense change during an observation that Alana makes and it makes is seem like she was comparing the situation to a previous time instead of seeing it for the first time.

This story is in the First Person Point of View, which I have no issues with, and I have no problem with switching between First and Third Person Point of View. (My favorite author jumps between the two regularly, but it is done by chapter usually.) My problem was the occasional jump to Third Person Point of View to provide information that the author felt was vital to the story. Since my first read through, I have read parts again, including a couple of the Third Person Point of View scenes. I’ve decided that the Third Person Point of View scenes are not needed. They really don’t provide information that the main character doesn’t figure out later, except for one scene which I still can’t figure out why the information was revealed in this book.

You might look at my rating and wonder why I gave the rating I did after listing the problems I found. Well, let me explain it. I felt that this book was better than a 3 Horseshoe rating but not quiet a 4 Horseshoe rating, but I couldn’t bring myself to do a 3 ½ Horseshoe rating only because you can’t have half of a horseshoe. (I know. There aren’t very many 5 legged horses out there….) Because of my waffling, I talked to my husband about my dilemma. He stated that most people won’t pick up on the things I do. He had me rate the book as if I was an average reader.

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I give Anointed a 4 Horseshoe rating.

Anointed is available from Amazon in Kindle and Print editions. Also available from Barnes and Noble in Nook and Print.

Publication Details:

Author	Maggie Mae Gallagher
Title	Anointed
Format	Ebook
Length	401 Pages
Publication Date	February 2014
Publisher	Self Published
ISBN	978-0-9914-8171-2

How to Kiss a Cowboy by Joanne Kennedy

From Publisher’s Website

This cowboy is living a charmed life

Winning comes naturally to bronc rider Brady Caine. Ruggedly handsome, careless and charismatic, the rodeo fans adore him and the buckle bunnies are his for the taking. He’s riding high when he lands an endorsement deal with Lariat Western Wear that pairs him up with champion barrel racer Suze Carlyle.

Until one wrong move changes everything

A stupid move on Brady’s part lands Suze in the hospital, her career in tatters. Now it’s a whole new game for both of them. Brady is desperate to help Suze rebuild her life, but he’s the last person she wants around now. Suze’s got plenty of grit and determination—learning to trust Brady again is a very different matter.

My Review:

Thank you, Joanne! Finally a large busted cowgirl (like me) who knows the importance of keeping the girls from bouncing too much and the struggle of getting out of one of those $60 sports bras! Somehow, I’m able to ignore breast support in romance novels, but I absolutely love when an author gets it right, including the acrobatics it takes to put one on or take it off. 🙂

I swear Joanne was in my head when she wrote this story. Like Suze, I’ve always wanted a horse service animal, and I don’t know who said it to me as a child but cowgirls don’t cry (especially in public) is so seared in to my brain that I don’t think a mental health professional can remove it.

I truly love these characters; Brady with his hidden need to take care of others, and Suze with her hidden belief that she isn’t good enough for anyone. I understand the pain of feeling like you aren’t good enough for your daddy. Just like my Andy did for me, Brady shows Suze that she is good enough and doesn’t need to worry about what her father thinks (which works most of the time). It’s amazing how much love can heal.

I love stories of friends falling in love. Probably because that is how my marriage happened. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.

How to Kiss a Cowboy is the second book in Joanne’s Cowboys of Decker Ranch series.

I give How To Kiss A Cowboy a 5 Horseshoe rating.

How To Kiss A Cowboy is available from Amazon in Kindle and Print editions. From Barnes and Noble in Print and Nook editions.

Publication Details:

Author	Joanne Kennedy
Title	How To Kiss A Cowboy
Format	Print
Length	480 Pages
Publication Date	February 2015
Publisher	Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN	978-1-4022-8369-7

The Trouble with Texas Cowboys by Carolyn Brown

From Publisher’s Website

Can a girl ever have too many cowboys?

No sooner does pint-sized spitfire Jill Cleary set foot on Fiddle Creek Ranch than she finds herself in the middle of a hundred-year-old feud. Quaid Brennan and Tyrell Gallagher are both tall, handsome, and rich…and both are courting Jill to within an inch of her life. She’s doing her best to give these feuding ranchers equal time—too bad it’s dark-eyed Sawyer O’Donnell who makes her blood boil and her hormones hum…

My Review:

Okay, Carolyn, my second favorite couple from your books is a three way tie! Trace and Gemma from Just a Cowboy and His Baby will always be my favorite but Lucas and Natalie from The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby , Finn and Callie from Cowboy Boots for Christmas, and Sawyer and Jill are in a very close second.

One of my favorite romance tropes is friends falling in love. While technically Sawyer and Jill are strangers who become friends almost from necessity, they do go from friends to a couple.

Like all of Carolyn’s heroines, Jill is smart, sassy, and isn’t afraid to kick ass. I love that being “dolled up” isn’t a priority. Like me, she is happiest in her Wranglers and boots. While very independent, Jill understands that being in a couple is about being partners and taking care of each other. It was a hard lesson to learn but she did. Sawyer needs a partner not a princess.

Jill came to Burnt Boot to help her two aunts out but quickly finds herself the center of attention in the the Brennan and Gallagher feud. One of her aunts, Gladys, has property that sits smack dab between the two feuding families, and has water rights that both families want. Bring on the hard core wooing and one up-man-ship. I’m sure Quaid and Tyrell are nice men but their courting skills need serious improvement. Hopefully they will find women, that they truly want, who will show these cowboys that money and land size doesn’t matter.

Sawyer is part of the O’Donnell clan that we met in the Spikes and Spurs series. He is the cousin of Finn and Gemma. This hard working cowboy comes to Burnt Boot originally to get away from his ex girlfriend, and to spy on his cousin Finn, but he ends up getting a foreman job on Gladys’ ranch. Because the feuding families want the ranch so bad, they each send a single lady after Sawyer so that Quaid and Tyrell have a shot at the heir of the property.

I was sad that we didn’t get to see Honey Brennan in this story. In Cowboy Boots for Christmas, Honey was sent after Finn. Her nemesis, Betsy Gallagher was in this story. I think the women in this feud spend more time fighting each other than actually wooing the cowboy they have been unleashed upon.

The feud between the Brennans and the Gallaghers crack me up. Probably because it is very easy for me to image a small town divided by one. Having grown up in a farming and ranching community that had one primary family, I’m sure that at some point in the history of the town there was a feud. But no feud will ever be as epic as the Brennan and Gallagher feud.

Sawyer and Jill make a great team. They truly complement each other well. Once they settle their minor dispute, they are a united front against the onslaught of wooing.

There were a few minor editing errors and the cover model doesn’t have the “soft black hair covering his bare chest”. (As Jill says: “… Little boys have bare chests. Men have hair. Hunky cowboys have just the right amount…”) Plus, I’m still baffled by the reasons the feuding families did a couple of things to Sawyer and Jill. However, this book deserves the rating I’m giving it.

The Trouble with Texas Cowboys is the second book in Carolyn Brown’s Burnt Boot series.

I give The Trouble with Texas Cowboys a 5 Horseshoe rating.

Publication Details:

Author	Carolyn Brown
Title	The Trouble with Texas Cowboys
Format	Print
Length	332 pages
Publication Date	January 6, 2015
Publisher	Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN	978-1-4022-9608-6

The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby by Carolyn Brown

From Publisher’s Website

Tis the season for…
A pistol-totin’ woman who’s no angel
A tough rancher who doesn’t believe in miracles
Love that warms the coldest nights

After a year in Kuwait, Lucas Allen can’t wait to get back to his ranch for Christmas and meet his gorgeous Internet pal in person.

When he pulls in, there’s Natalie Clark right in his front yard with a pink pistol in her hand and a dead coyote at her feet.

Lucas is unfazed. But wait…is that a BABY in her arms?

My Review:

Recipe for a great Christmas season romance:
Ingredients:

• Snow
• Holiday Decorations
• A Sexy Cowboy
• A Gun Toting Sassy Cowgirl
• An Adorable Baby

Shake until well mixed. Sprinkle in three ranchers who want to have babies around the ranch. Finally, enjoy the wonderful story that Carolyn Brown has written.

While Trace and Gemma from Just a Cowboy and His Baby are my favorite characters that Carolyn has written, Lucas and Natalie are not far behind. Actually I could easily see Natalie and Gemma being best friends (too bad it’s 300 miles between Savoy and Goodnight)!

Natalie is a handful. She is a woman who can handle ranch chores, raise a child alone, cook killer meals for the men on the ranch, and shoot better than most men. But she has been lonely since her best friend died in Kuwait. Luckily, Lucas was more than willing to fill those boots. After eleven months of chatting online, they are finally meeting. Lucas’s tour in Kuwait was done and he was coming home.

Natalie and Lucas thought they knew each other after all the hours they spent chatting online but they quickly learn that there are things you can only learn about a person when you are together. They learn to navigate through a meddling ex-girlfriend, Lucas’s male relatives, Natalie’s mother, and assistance from the ghost of Lucas’s grandmother to find love.

I loved this book. I’ve read bits and pieces multiple times since I finished it. This will be one that I will re-read regularly, not just during the holidays. I’m hoping that Carolyn will give us glimpses of these two in the other books of this series. Life for this couple will be filled with fireworks and love.

The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby is the second book in Carolyn Brown’s Cowboys and Brides series.

I give The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby a 5 Horseshoe rating.

The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby is available from Amazon in Print and Kindle editions and from Barnes and Noble in Print and Nook.

Publication Details:

Author	Carolyn Brown
Title	The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby
Format	Ebook
Length	346 pages
Publication Date	September 24, 2013
Publisher	Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN	9781402280498