The Renegade Rancher - Angi Morgan (HI #1499 - June 2014)

Series: Texas Family Reckoning (Book 2)

A TEXAS RANCHER FINDS TROUBLE ON HIS DOORSTEP IN THE FORM OF A KILLER'S BEAUTIFUL NEXT TARGET…

It's clear to Texas rancher Brian Sloane that Lindsey Cook will be a serial killer's next victim. For twenty years someone has been systematically killing off her family in "accidents," and recently her car was deliberately run off the road. The handsome cowboy is willing to be the protector the gorgeous blonde wants -- but unwilling to act on their instant attraction. Before long, the search for Lindsey's stalker leads Brian into more trouble…and right into Lindsey's arms. After one smoldering kiss, he knows there'll be no turning back. Though never one for relationships, he'll risk his life for her…and the surprising secret her family has been dying for.

We met Brian in Navy SEAL Surrender, as the twin brother of the hero. He had taken the blame for a fire that killed a woman so that his brother, who he thought was guilty, could follow his plans to join the navy. Though he was never charged with anything, the people of the town blamed him and treated him badly. Twelve years later he discovers that neither he nor his brother were responsible and wants to find out who is and clear his name. In the process he finds out that the woman killed is part of a family whose members have been dying in accidents. There is one person in the family left and Brian attempts to warn her of the danger. Lindsey doesn't believe him, until her car is run off the road. Then she goes to him and asks for his help.

I really liked Brian in this story. I completely understood his desire to clear his name, especially after having been treated the way he was for so long. I don't understand why his brother and father didn't fully support him in his efforts, it made me lose some of the liking I had for them from the previous book. As a paramedic, Brian is in the business of saving lives, so his attempts to warn Lindsey make complete sense. He is reluctant to become her protector at first, as he doesn't feel that he is qualified to do it. But there's something about her that won't let him leave her alone. Even though Brian has avoided relationships because of the way his life is, Lindsey really gets under his skin. He tries fighting the attraction, but it's no use.

Lindsey is a strong character. Once she accepts that Brian is right about the danger she's in, she doesn't hide in fear. She's ready to find out who it is and stop him. It doesn't take her long to realize that she can trust Brian to protect her and help her find out who is behind it. I really liked her determination and loved how her persistence gave them a good lead to follow. Lindsey was also just as attracted to Brian. She, however, didn't fight it too hard. 

Their attempts to find the stalker before he could get to them was really intense. There were times when the book was told from his point of view and we could see just how dangerous he was. Just as in the previous books, Brian gets no help from law enforcement - just the opposite. This seems to play right into the stalker's hands, especially at the end. The final confrontation was one that had me glued to the pages as I waited to see how Brian was going to save the day.

The only thing that was missing for me was a little satisfaction after it was all over. I would like to have seen some sort of public acknowledgment from the town about how wrong they had been all those years. And perhaps a few months down the road to see if they saved the ranch and how everyone is doing after all the troubles are finally gone.

Navy SEAL Surrender - Angi Morgan (HI #1495 - May 2014)

Series: Texas Family Reckoning (Book 1)

A NAVY SEAL RETURNS TO TEXAS TO FIND HIS FAMILY IN TROUBLE AND HIS HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART IMPOSSIBLE TO RESIST…

Navy SEAL John Sloane thought he'd come home to Texas to save the family ranch and reconnect with his estranged twin brother. He never expected to reunite with the girl whose heart he broke. But when Alicia Adams's daughter is kidnapped, the fearless SEAL jumps into action.

However, the off-book op poses unfamiliar dangers to John, none more risky than his feelings for Alicia. To regain her trust and protect her from the kidnappers, he'll risk his career and even his life. It all hinges on one daring scheme that could prove he's the hero she needs -- or break her heart all over again….

Good story. John had come home after receiving a message that his father had had a bad stroke. He has taken leave in order to help out on the ranch and try to reconnect with his twin brother. He and Brian hadn't seen each other or spoken in twelve years, after a misunderstanding over a girl and both being blamed for a deadly fire. Brian took the blame and sent John off to join the Navy. Now he's back and seeing Alicia again is bringing back memories of how it used to be.

I felt some sympathy for John as he didn't know what to expect when he got home. His father is worse than he expected, the ranch is in bad shape, and his brother tries to beat him up. John is glad he's there when Alicia's daughter is kidnapped. He swears to her that he will find Lauren and bring her home. He's had quite a bit of experience doing rescue missions overseas, so he expects that he won't have too much trouble. He doesn't expect Alicia to be as much of a distraction as she is, and overconfidence causes him to make some basic mistakes. Those things together with some general feelings of discontent have him rethinking his future.

I had mixed feelings about Alicia. She was a fantastic mother, and had had a really bad time of things since her husband's death. Her in-laws are a real piece of work, and thanks to them she's barely making ends meet. She is terrified when her daughter is kidnapped, and goes to the only person she can think of who might be able to help. She's still mad at John for leaving without saying goodbye, but she also discovers that some of those old feelings are still there. She tries to resist them as they make her feel disloyal to her late husband. I got frustrated with her during the whole kidnapping event. In spite of everything that John told her, she spent an awful lot of time believing that if she could just get Lauren back everything would be fine. She couldn't get it through her head that everyone thought she had staged the kidnapping herself and getting Lauren into her hands would just make her look guiltier. Sometimes she would be strong and willing to do whatever John told her to do then she would turn around and turn into a horrible whiner. She did redeem herself at the end by being the one who kept her head.

There were some very interesting twists and turns with the whole kidnapping plot. We knew early on who was behind it, but some of the details only came to light bit by bit. I liked seeing John call on his friend Dev for help, and liked seeing him deal with the fact that he got more help than he originally wanted. Dev provided a calm voice of reason when things would get a little heated. 

The secondary story of the estrangement between John and Brian was very good. As twins they should have always had each others' backs, but there had also been some problems over John's feelings for Alicia. The night of the fire, both John and Brian thought the other was guilty and they had never talked about it letting their feelings fester over the years. I loved seeing the way that they finally confronted those feelings and actually talked, thanks to Alicia treating them like the children they were behaving like. Once they actually talked, there ended up being more questions than answers, creating an excellent lead-in to Brian's book.