Texas Wedding by R.J. ScottMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Scott takes us back to Texas for the final installment in Jack and Riley’s life together. No, their tale does not end tragically. This is merely the last book that Scott has planned for the couple and it’s a great way to finish out the series – with the guys fighting for what’s right and using the advantages of their fortune (both financial and emotional) to try to make Texas a more level playing field for couples like them.
Within the first chapter, the author reminds us why Jack and Riley have stayed strong over the years together. They pay attention to each other, what their partner says and doesn’t say, what their partner does and doesn’t do, and each man will take whatever action he feels necessary to keep the line of communication open between them and their connection strong. Fortunately for my voyeuristic tendencies, this means that not only do Riley and Jack talk, they are not shy with their physical affections for one another. Not at all. And they just get sexier and sexier with each book. But beyond that, Jack is Riley’s anchor and Riley is Jack’s rock. There is no doubt that they have one another’s back and the support and encouragement Riley gives Jack to move forward with his idea for the ranch, to make it a safe place for young men like Liam to live and work, is merely one of the ways that demonstrate how well they understand one another. Their bond is also vital to them getting through Hayley’s first date. I chuckled several times over the course of the book as Riley and Jack had to face the fact that their little girl was growing up.
As with the previous books in the series, we get a chance to catch up with the other characters and see how their lives have changed since the last book. It was nice to see that Lisa was finally moving on and finding happiness, even if her revelation nearly gave Riley and Jack a heart attack. Being as I work with children and adults with autism, I really, really liked how the author shows Jack and Riley constantly striving to do more for Max and their willingness to learn all that they can about autism and how it affects Max as an individual. One of the things that made Texas Wedding
interesting was watching Jack and Riley’s responses to the impending SCOTUS decision regarding same-sex marriage. Watching Jack remain hesitant about Texas’s reaction regardless of what the high court said was realistic as we’ve already seen in real life how government officials have ignored the law. At the same time, Riley’s enthusiasm for what it would mean – that their home state would have to recognize their marriage – and the plans he hoped to follow-through on WHEN (because there was no IF in Riley’s opinion) the decision came down were heartwarming and trailblazing. Riley’s enthusiasm for making Texas a better place for same-sex couples is inspiring, as is his willingness to use his resources to do what he can to make it happen. Obviously there’s a wedding, so make sure you have your tissues handy because Hayley made me bawl when she talked about what it meant to her to have two dads. Texas Wedding was the perfect way to wrap up the series, with tears and laughter and lots of love, but I won’t lie – I would happily read more about the Jack and Riley and the rest of Campbell-Hayes family.I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!
Check out the Texas Wedding (Texas #7) by R.J. Scott blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.
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is a sci-fi romance that combines space travel with an Old West cowboy feel similar to Firefly. Unlike Captain Mal and his motley crew, Captain Gage is a crew of one (plus a sentient computer) and he’s a legitimate wrangler. Like Mal, Rick is a former soldier who has a strong sense of right and wrong and has no problem wading in to help someone out who is being wronged. This is how he comes to meet Alexia Montoya – the last surviving member of the Montoya family, the family responsible for the discovery of the sinkhole and harnessing its properties for travel. As she had Sea-Mont enforcers pointing guns at her, an unarmed woman whose family was largely responsible for the D-side platform they were all standing on, Rick had no choice but to wade in on her behalf. And thus began their adventure.
was the romance that developed between Skye and Scott. After some rather amusing misunderstandings and assumptions, watching them turn a bad situation into a friendship and the foundation for something more was enjoyable. It’s also what made Skye’s withdrawal from Scott so heartbreaking. Thankfully, Skye’s best friend had no problem stepping in and making sure Scott knew not to give up on Skye and sent him after her – a decision that ended up being even more advantageous than it looked like it would be at the time. I certainly give the author props for lulling me into a false sense of expectancy when it came to who was behind all of the attacks. And I am definitely looking forward to Cruel Serendipity because I have to know if KC lets Josh in or not. 
. I have yet to read one of Petrova’s books and not love it. What did surprise me was the fact that I really didn’t care for Skye. I have a problem with people – male or female – whose knee-jerk response/accusation is that their partner is cheating on them, especially when there is nothing to support it. There is a big difference between a flirt who has a smile and compliment for others and a lech who makes passes by touching, caressing, and engaging in suggestive language. Booker is a flirt and nothing that goes down in the present or their conversations and memories about the past indicate that he was a lech. So while I felt badly for the situation that Skye found herself in – and by no means do I absolve Booker on his failure to do what he should have – she created it with her mistrust and insecurities. I do give her props for her decision to track him down and even more when she decided to avail herself of his employers’ services. What red-blooded heterosexual female doesn’t want a hedonistic week with her very own cowboy…or two?
. It had been a couple of years since I had read any books in the Ugly Stick Saloon and I just happened upon the series again at the start of the McFarlan brothers being lovingly blackmailed by their mother to settle down and start a family – otherwise she was going to sell the ranch. After watching Angus reconnect with a woman from his past and fall in love, I was excited to read about the next brother, especially once I realized that it was the prodigal son’s story.
, but not before he nearly mucks it up so badly even I wasn’t sure he was going to be able to fix it. With only three weeks before their mother’s deadline, Colin finds himself reconnecting with the last woman he should – his brother’s ex-fiancée and the reason for their estrangement … Fancy Wilson. While both Colin and Fancy resolve to avoid one another so as not to repeat their past mistake, all it takes is them being alone in the same room together and all bets are off … as well as their clothes!
is Duke and Frankie’s story and both played significant roles in Jody’s story, there is a bit of overlap in the timeline with this book and Riding & Regrets, but don’t fret because the author doesn’t recycle scenes. This book gives us a look at what Frankie was dealing with immediately after he broke up with Jody and we finally find out about his “dates” post-Jody. We also get more of a look into the events surrounding Duke’s concussion, or more accurately, what happened afterwards. But rest assured, Bradford managed to rip my heart out and ground into the dirt as per usual in this installment in the Mossy Glenn Ranch series. Thankfully, she put it all back together again by the final page too.
was a heartbreaker of a novel for me. I found myself wanting to cry for Prissy’s early years and being shuffled around by a mother who wasn’t prepared to be one. This, of course, made me want to bawl when Jody’s love for his daughter grew exponentially considering how little time passed from her sudden arrival in his life to the beautiful ceremony in the epilogue – yet another event that left teary-eyed. Also heart wrenching was Noel’s past and what he endured at the hands of a man who was supposed to love him. While there were plenty of tears to go around in this installment, they were both sad tears and happy tears and I found the overriding theme of the book to be extremely hopeful despite the heartbreak both men endured before finding their happiness. 
at work and had to stop reading it because it was getting too hot for reading in public. The attraction between Nate and Chloe was immediate and palpable and I for one could not fault Chloe one bit for accompanying Nate to his hotel room the night they met. Goodness gracious the man had me turned on and I would have been calling Chloe names had she not gone upstairs that night. That their one-night stand was not enough, causing Nate to contact Chloe so they could spend time together not only added to my squirming, but also to my enjoyment of watching their relationship develop … and explode.
, I understood my confusion because Barney’s past meant he had to grow up fast and assume adult responsibilities sooner than he should have when his father died. No, Barney wasn’t abused or anything like that. Well not in the sense we tend to think of because he was ridiculed by his peers for being poor and it was his mother’s financial woes that resulted in him growing up fast as he began doing what he could (legally) to bring in money to help his mom pay the bills. Yep, Barney is a keeper and it just so turns out that Ramsey, the Mossy Glenn’s least-liked hand, may just be the one to keep him.
we learn far more about the weathered cowboy than I expected and the man’s layers are far deeper than he likes to let on, especially his sensitive side. 
was Drake’s story as he managed to worm his way into my heart in Chaps & Hopes. Considering the news he got at the end of that book, I was curious to see how Bradford would have him find his match. As it turned out, the author handled a tough subject with sensitivity and a strong, informed dose of reality that made me admire her writing even more. In addition to Drake’s romance, fans are also treated to a bit of intrigue and suspense as an arsonist appears on the scene.
reaffirmed my faith in the author’s ability to write books that are related to others without you having to read all of the prior ones in a series (or the series it spun off of). That said, as a fan of Bradford’s work I do hope to go back at some point to read the Love in Xxchange series as I can only imagine just how hot it is.
, the Cat Star chronicles may have a challenger for that title. 
is the second installment in the series and unlike Cowboy Delight it is a full-length novel, so while we still get plenty of hot cowboy action, we also get fully-developed characters, romance, and a little bit of suspense. 
is that I felt as though it ended too soon. I would have liked to see what Ryder’s father did once Helen got through to him; just as I would have liked to see whether or not Andi’s father was brought to heel. I can only hope that the next book in The Cowboys series gives us an opportunity to catch up with Ryder, Declan, Andi, and Jonas to see how they’re faring in their new family.
was the first book in a revised and re-edited, previously released series, I wasn’t prepared for it to end when it did. I’ve read a couple of Ms. Tortuga’s recent releases and found the writing and storyline in Blind Ride to be just as engrossing and entertaining as her newer works. As this is my first time reading this book, I cannot remark upon the level of revision and how much – if at all – it differs from the original. What I can say is that if you enjoy rodeos, hot cowboy lovin’, and the unconditional love and support of a man in love, then Blind Ride might be right up your alley.
is a quick read with a well-developed story, a good amount of spanking, and some seriously hot sex. Ms. Vale does a very nice job of providing us enough background for both Ellen and Ryder to move the story along without getting bogged down in unnecessary details. The reader first meets Ellen shortly before she is to arrive in August Point, Montana and meet her husband. Through her inner musings, we learn that Ellen was forced to flee Minneapolis to avoid unjust murder charges and because of the circumstances she changed her name and became a mail order bride. Suffice it to say, when she meets her husband for the very first time she, her apprehension over starting a life with a man she knows almost nothing about is quickly replaced by the trepidation of learning that he is the town sheriff. For his part, Ryder is quite pleased with the looks of his new bride and even more so with her response to him once he whisks her home to consummate their marriage. While he disliked the circumstances that led to it, he was even happier with her emotional and physical responses the first time he found it necessary to spank her as punishment for not listening to him and endangering her safety. 
finds us back on the DD ranch with the Campbell-Hayes family and another wedding. Both Riley and Jack are overseeing the expansion of each of their professional ventures. Of course the Campbell-Hayes clan does nothing by half-measure so the reader knows that while the ventures will be successful, they won’t be without drama. But this family is exactly that, FAMILY, and they will always do what they need to in order to insure they remain a strong family without stooping to the level of the previous patriarch of the Hayes family.
. The pleasant surprise I discovered when I began reading the book is that it takes place after Bring Me Home rather than during the same time period. Chloe has returned to Dead End, Texas to spend a few days with her best friend Miya and hopefully get a fresh perspective for the magazine she works for. While there, she and Nick agree upon a no-strings attached weekend – each of their personal preference for “relationships” – and all goes well until Nick decides that once might not be enough. Chloe might be used to a man getting more attached than agreed upon, but what she isn’t used to is wanting more herself and realizing that she might be feeling more for Nick than sexual attraction sends her back to New York lickety-split. But Nick isn’t going to let a couple thousand miles come between him and the first woman who has ever made him want more than a night or two, so when the opportunity to face Chloe on her home turf arises, he’s on his way to New York to show her just how good cowboy lovin’ can be.