The Texan's Twins - Pamela Britton (HAR #1514 - Sept 2014)

Series: Texas Rodeo Barons (Book 4)

Definitely Not Daddy Material!

Jasmine Marks is focused and hardworking, and when she took a job as engineer for Baron Energies, she left behind her support network. Now, the burden of caring for her twin girls is all on her, and she doesn't have time for a dilettante playboy like Jet Baron. Besides, she needs her job, and she can't blow it by getting involved with the boss's son.

On the surface, Jet Barron is a dabbler, dropping into work one day and riding rodeo the next. But when he makes his mind up, he goes for it, full-out. He knows a lot more than anyone suspects, about the oil business, about women. And this woman needs someone to count on -- which will be Jet, if he gets his way.

Wonderful story. Jasmine is a hardworking oil engineer, a woman in a man's field. It has taken her awhile to find a job and now that she has it she doesn't want to mess it up. She is also the single mother of twin girls, which adds another layer of stress to her life. Things are going well until she's assigned to work with Jet.

Jet isn't known for commitment to anything. He has a job at the company, but is rarely at the office. He's more known for his rodeo activities and the number of women he has dated. But he's getting more involved with the company, as he's going to have to step up while his sister, who really runs things, is out on maternity leave. On his first day as the new Jet, he is scheduled to meet the new engineer at a prospective site. When he gets there, he sees a beautiful woman that he assumes is a stripper that his friends have sent to prank him. Open mouth, insert foot. The woman is the new engineer and she has no trouble setting him straight. I loved seeing the way that he shows he's much more knowledgeable than she expected, but that he also has some balance in his life. 

From the beginning Jet is drawn to Jasmine in a way he's never been drawn to a woman before, He's always avoided women with kids, but Jasmine and her girls get under his skin and into his heart. While he is definitely attracted to her, Jet realizes that what Jasmine needs more than anything else right now is a friend. I loved seeing him be there as a shoulder for her to lean on or to cry on. It was great to watch as he overcame the confusion of his feelings to realize exactly what he felt for Jasmine and her girls. It was fun seeing him getting into being with the girls, playing with them, but also worrying so hard when Brooke got sick. I loved seeing the changes in him, from the carefree and sometimes careless guy at the beginning to the loving and responsible man at the end.

Jasmine's life has made her very independent and self reliant. She is used to doing everything on her own. She isn't quite sure what to make of Jet when she discovers that he's not the careless and clueless guy she thought he was. His help and support are hard to resist and she finds herself falling for him. But Jasmine is reluctant to believe that anything between them can last as she's had far too much experience with good things coming to an end. She pushes him away, telling herself she's doing it to protect her girls, but in reality she's afraid to believe that that kind of happiness is possible for her. I loved the ending and seeing how Jet's patience and understanding of her fears enabled her to overcome it all and reach for the happiness she wanted.

The Texan's Little Secret - Barbara White Daille (HAR #1510 - Aug 2014)

Series: Texas Rodeo Barons (Book 3)

Hiding The Truth

Coming home might be the worst decision Carly Baron has ever made. Each minute on her family's busy ranch is one minute closer to seeing him -- her first love -- the man who broke her heart seven years ago. While coming face-to-face with Luke Nobel again brings back painful memories, Carly quickly realizes there are other strong feelings just under the surface….

Luke would be a lot better off if Carly had stayed away. Being a single dad to an adorable two-year-old girl and managing the Roughneck is tough enough, but resisting the sparks that fly whenever he and Carly are together is near impossible. But first she must tell him her secret. The truth could heal their past…or forever destroy their chances of becoming a family.

Good story of second chances and the importance of family. Carly has come home to help take care of her dad, but she's also going to have to face Luke again. Years earlier they had parted ways when she accused him of using her to get a job on her father's ranch. Seeing him now brings back painful memories, but also the knowledge that her feelings for him never really went away.

Carly was known as the wild child in her family. Everyone saw the way she was trying new and different things, but never really settling for any one thing. What they didn't see was that it was her way of trying to figure out where she fit in her world. Being with Luke had given her that sense until it all went wrong. Now that she's back she's putting on a great show of being the tough and independent wild child, but it's still hiding a world of insecurity. She's tempted to see if there is still a chance for them, but the secret that she is hiding could ruin it all. Her fears are such that she is afraid to be around Luke's daughter.

Luke grew up on the poor side of town and worked hard for everything he got. He couldn't believe that Carly was really interested in him, especially when she wanted to keep their relationship secret. He wanted a job on her family's ranch so he could be closer to her and because it was a better job than working on cars. He was hurt when she accused him of using her, and rather than defend himself he just walked away. Years later he's got the job he wanted and is raising his little girl with the help of his mother. Having Carly back on the ranch shows him that he's never forgotten her. He really wants to see if they have a chance to get it right this time, but she keeps pushing him away. He's determined to break through her barriers and show her that they can have it all.

The search for Carly's mother is ongoing, though Carly and Savannah are the only family members who are doing it. A few more leads have come to light, and they are pursuing them as best they can. Carly's determination has her confronting her father about what he knows, and getting frustrated by his unwillingness to talk. It will be interesting to see what the other books reveal.

The Texan's Cowgirl Bride - Trish Milburn (HAR #1506 - July 2014)

Series: Texas Rodeo Barons (Book 2)

SHE WASN'T LOOKING FOR LOVE

Savannah Baron is determined to turn The Peach Pit from a simple roadside stand on her family's Texas ranch into a bustling country store. She's too busy with her business to even enter many rodeos anymore, let alone date. But when a health scare prompts her to search for her long-estranged mother, she discovers more than a helping hand in an old friend.

Soldier-turned-private investigator Travis Shepard never thought he'd move on after his wife's tragic death, yet with Savannah, the walls he built around his heart begin to crumble away. But Savannah still faces a medical crisis and Travis can't bear the idea of losing anyone else. Can he find the strength to love again?

Good book. I really liked both Savannah and Travis. Savannah has taken over the family store as her contribution to the family business. She loves what she does and has great plans for expanding the business, if she can just get her father to agree. About once a month she takes some time for herself and competes in a barrel racing event at a rodeo. At the latest rodeo she runs into Travis, an old friend from high school. He is a widower and has a private investigations business. Savannah suddenly notices him as more than just a friend. Travis is there when she takes a spill and is the one to drive her to the hospital.

Travis is trying to get his life back together. While he was serving overseas with the army his wife was shot and killed during a robbery attempt. He has guilty feelings because he wasn't there when it happened. He's also filled with a lot of anger toward the young man who did it. He never expected to be attracted to another woman, but he's having a hard time forgetting about Savannah after seeing her again. He had a big crush on her in school but never had the courage to go after her. 

Savannah has been thinking a lot about her mother who left them years ago. When she has a need to find out more about her medical history she turns to Travis for help in finding her. While working together they also discover a chemistry that they can't deny. I loved seeing Travis do things with Savannah that were fun. He could see that she is so focused on business that she doesn't do much for herself. Then the stress of her health concerns adds another layer to it and he wants to see her laugh and smile. But he also worries about getting too close to her. He's put up some pretty high walls to protect his heart and the thought of losing her is something that scares him. He doesn't know if he can open himself up again. 

Savannah has her own issues that she is dealing with. She has been keeping her health concerns to herself so that she doesn't worry her family. She also feels that she can't tell them about her search for their mother. Savannah is the one in the family who tries to avoid confrontations, but things are rapidly building for her. Her feelings for Travis are growing, but she's wary of telling him because of fears of rejection. She's also been dealing with her father over the future of the store. Ever since his rodeo accident has kept him home from work he has been interfering more and more. She knows what she wants and how to get there but convincing him has been impossible. I loved seeing how her feelings for Travis give her the confidence she needs to stand up to her father and fight for what she wants. 

In the end Travis had to face his fears and decide whether loving Savannah was worth the risks. I really enjoyed the way the story finished up with a couple of really neat twists.

The Texan's Baby - Donna Alward (HAR #1502 - June 2014)

Series: Texas Rodeo Barons (Book 1)

Unexpected Consequences

As a powerful Dallas oil executive, planning is what Lizzie Baron does best. But she certainly didn't plan on getting pregnant following one memorable night after a rodeo in Fort Worth. Now she needs to figure out how she's going to raise a baby with a man she barely knows.

Aspiring bronc rider Chris Miller always hoped he'd see Lizzie again, though not quite like this. The pregnancy is a surprise -- and so is finding out she's a member of the powerful Baron clan -- but the more Chris gets to know Lizzie, the more he realizes he wants to be with her. When Lizzie learns Chris works for a rival company, she feels betrayed. Can two perfect strangers trust each other enough to become the perfect family?

Very good book. Lizzie is the oldest in her family, and the one who plans everything in her life. She has one night when she wants to cut loose a little and ends up with Chris for one memorable night. A few weeks later she discovers she's pregnant and goes looking for him. She's independent and quite capable of raising the baby on her own, but figures he has the right to know. Chris hadn't forgotten her, and had hoped he would get a chance to see her again. He is stunned by the news, but adjusts rapidly. 

I loved the way that Lizzie and Chris handled the news. Lizzie knew he had to be told, so she did what she had to in order to find him. Chris was surprised at the news, but after a few minutes accepted it readily. There were no accusations of  entrapment or lives ruined or anything like that. That's not to say that both of them don't realize that there are going to be big changes in their lives. I loved the way that Chris made sure that Lizzie knew he planned to be involved in the baby's life. 

Just as Lizzie and Chris are settling in to talk about the baby and their future, she gets word that her father has been in an accident. Now, on top of a pregnancy she's not ready to tell her family about yet, she has to take over the running of the family oil business. She's always felt she's had to work extra hard to prove herself to her father and she doesn't want to mess it up. Being pregnant adds another level of stress. Having Chris's care and support means a lot to her. I loved seeing a strong friendship develop between them, and her love for him grows quickly out of that friendship. But Lizzie also has some issues from her past that have her attempting to keep some control of her emotions. Her mother abandoned them when Lizzie was younger and Lizzie fears that her own mothering skills are not up to the job. She also had a relationship in college go bad because the man was more interested in who she was that in Lizzie herself. 

Chris had taken leave from his job to spend some time on the rodeo circuit. He's not particularly happy in his work and is taking the time to try to figure out what he wants to do with his life. Lizzie's pregnancy is a huge surprise and he realizes that if he's going to be a good father he needs to get his life together. He goes back to his job, but takes a promotion that moves him closer to Lizzie. He's determined to be there for her every step of the way. I loved his sensitivity to her needs and how he seemed to be able to anticipate things. He occasionally feels like he isn't good enough for her because of their differences. I loved seeing how quickly he took to the idea of being a father and how happy he seemed to be about it. I really enjoyed watching he and Lizzie get closer together. The chemistry is definitely there, but there is so much more.

There is some trouble at the end when their insecurities create quite a misunderstanding. Lizzie gets a bit out of control there and says some terrible things to Chris. Both of them end up with some decisions to make and some soul searching to do. I loved the way it ended.

As the first in a series of six, there was a good introduction to the other members of the family. I loved their closeness and the way they support each other. They aren't too good to be true, though, and there are hints of issues yet to come. I'm looking forward to the rest.