if you enjoyed The Christmas Cowboy - this is another great read. Picking up several years later, the characters have matured and made me realize how much more I want to know about all of them. It's a solid story - romance, mystery, friendships and family. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

This was a really enjoyable read, I love this authors style of writing, it has such an intimate feel to it. This story is standalone but it has characters from the authors other stories and it’s always fun to catch up.
Bryce Harper is the ultimate cowboy gentleman, you can’t help but love him and Naomi was his perfect partner. I enjoyed the suspense though Whitney’s inability to give more answers was frustrating, you could understand why it was an issue. I can’t wait for Caleb’s story.

Naomi is back home in Texas to see her friend Whitney, who is the current rodeo queen. As a photographer, she takes photos of some of the events, including the roping team of Brice and his brother Caleb. After taking a photo of a person hiding in the shadows, she is attacked and Brice comes to her rescue. When it is revealed that Whitney is being harassed and abused by a group of men Naomi and Brice work together to help her, especially after she is almost killed in a car accident, and left in a coma. Overall I liked the book and the characters, although the ending wrapped up too cleanly, and at times I found it hard to see how these men had that much power over so many. Would still recommend this book, and enjoyed it through to the HEA.

Wow, I have to tell you I was not expecting as much suspense in this book as there was. It made it all the more better I think. I loved Naomi and Brice's story and cannot wait to see if Caleb gets one of his own .

Book 2 in the Heart of Texas series takes us back to the East Ranch. It brings us Brice Harper's story, one Abby's little brothers from book 1. However, you can absolutely read this book as a standalone and understand everything that happens from start to finish. I still recommend reading book 1 but just so you understand Brice's childhood and what made him become the man he is. Brice and his brother Caleb are both working the rodeo circuit although Brice has been planning some things that his brother doesn't know about. Naomi Pierce is back in town to visit not only her mom but her best friend, who has also asked her to take photo's for her of at the rodeo as the Rodeo Queen. They both notice each other fairly quickly but also know that now isn't the time or the place in their lives for a relationship. But all that changes when they both find out someone is stalking Naomi's friend, and that there may be something even worse happening. Something that someone is not afraid to hurt them to keep quiet.

I definitely liked this one but I didn't love it as much as the first one. Now don't get me wrong, it's still a great read and I loved Naomi and Brice. But I didn't like how the things with her friend ended up and how it seemed to be pushed through fast. Everything that happened there, I felt, needed to have a lot more consequences. However, that was really the only that I didn't like. Naomi is a strong and loyal woman who isn't afraid to do what needs to be done even if she may get hurt because of it. She will do what is right because it needs to be done. Brice is a man who is not only loyal but protective of those he cares about. If he decides you are a friend, he will do anything he can to help you. Both of these characters, and the side characters that are involved, are great characters with such great relationships that you can't help but want to know more about them. You also won't want to the story to end. I will be impatiently waiting for Caleb's story. And I really hope we get stories about their best friends from this book too.

Cowboy, Cross My Heart by Donna Grant is an amazing western romance. Ms. Grant has delivered a well-written book. The characters in this story are stellar, I love them. Naomi is visiting her friend and photographing the rodeo events. Brice is a cowboy and just bought his a ranch and he's participating in the rodeo. Brice and Naomi's story is loaded with drama, spice, action and suspense. This book hooked me at the first page and held me captive until the end. I loved it and look forward to reading more from Donna Grant in the future. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I didn't make it very far in this book (15%) before deciding it wasn't for me. The dialogue was stilted and awkward, and the meeting between the two romantic leads was underwhelming. I skimmed a bit further to try and see if I could get into the story, but there wasn't enough setup or enough time spent on the romantic tension.

Goodness, do I ever love a smooth talking cowboy, and Donna Grant has written a swoony one! I loved it!

I would rate this book 3.5 stars. I loved the first book in this series & it was great to read about the characters several years later in this book. This story was a lot of build up in the plot & then the book ended very quickly. It was a bit of a let down. A good part of the story was over the top & a little too unbelievable. It was still an interesting book to read, but I would definitely recommend the first book in this series. You can read either book as a stand alone too.

Having read and enjoyed Donna Grant's last cowboy romance, I was looking forward to this book. However, I have to say I was a bit disappointed by how quickly this book wrapped up the suspense factor. The entire novel revolved around this big conspiracy and then it was just over. The bad guys were simply caught too easily in relation to the build-up. Also I just felt like there were some loose ends that were never resolved. But it was nice to see characters from the first book twelve years later. even though this book does revisit those characters, it can totally be read as a stand alone novel.
In my opinion, perhaps this story would have worked better more as a cowboy romance. Because really how can you go wrong with a hot cowboy?

Naomi is a photographer originally from Texas but lives in D.C. She comes back to Texas to visit her mom and best friend Whitney. They are at a rodeo when she meets Brice. Brice is in the rodeo with his brother and lives on a big ranch with his sister and brother in law. When someone attacks Naomi and Whitney, Brice comes to the rescue. She had taken a picture of the attacker but you can’t see who it is.
When Naomi is pushed into the arena and almost trampled, Brice is hit in the head and his hand stomped. Whitney knows what’s going on but won’t tell. They hide Naomi out at the East’s ranch and bring Whitney out to talk. She tells them what’s been happening but not by who. Then they almost kill Whitney and a friend of Brice’s that’s when they act like Naomi has left town but she really hiding out at the ranch Brice purchased. Now Naomi plans to uncover the perpetrators before they try to hurt anyone again.
Great story. Suspense and sex. Cowboys, horses, and really bad guys. Circumstances put them together and hopefully love will keep them together.
* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for Netgalley *

The second book in the Heart of Texas series takes place 12 years after the first one, Christmas Cowboy Hero, where Abby and Clayton get together.  In that book Caleb and Brice were young teenagers and Brice was in trouble for cattle rustling on the East ranch.  Now the two brothers are all grown up and living their lives and Abby and Clayton have two kids with a third on the way.  Naomi left Texas to pursue her photography dream and college.  She has come back to visit her best friend who she discovers is holding onto some very dark secrets about the Rodeo Pageant life, but she won’t tell Naomi for fear of reprisals by the very powerful men who are at the head of the horrible events Whitney and other Pageant girls have suffered. When Naomi goes to the rodeo to cheer on her friend she sees Brice compete and she can’t keep her eyes off him.  When he comes to her rescue as she and Whitney are attacked, it starts the ball rolling on one fast-paced adventure where they work together to bring to light the things that have been going on for years.  People are hurt along the way, there are tense moments of conflict, the plot is strong and moves quickly, and their love story also moves quickly (almost too quickly), but the plot and conflict make that not as much of a big deal as it would be otherwise. I did enjoy their story a lot and was not disappointed at all in how book 2 progressed and ended.  I want more from the Easts and friends.

I found the story not so good written to the point that even if the plot could have been really engaging, I struggled to get to the end of the book.

Credo che piú che altro fosse la scrittura il problema di questo libro, perché la trama in sé per sè non era male, ma nonostante questo ho fatto parecchia fatica per arrivare alla fine del libro.

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

Cowboy, Cross My Heart is a second book in this series. It focused more on the suspense drama than it did in romance between the characters.
It didn't hold the same charm as the first book in the series.

Sweet and adorable western romance with amazing chemistry between characters. This book ends in a HEA with great story line. I am definitely recommending this book.

I enjoyed this contemporary romantic suspense in the Heart of Texas series. This book picks up years after the first book ended. Brice and brother Caleb were teens in that book, now we revisit them as adults and military vets, which gives them lots of skills to use in the plot of this novel.

Naomi returns home to Texas for a visit when she realizes that something is wrong with her best friend, but her friend is too frightened to tell her what is going on or who is involved. Unfortunately, this leaves Naomi, and others, vulnerable as they start being targeted by unknown parties. Once her friend is finally ready to tell her story, she is rendered incapable of telling any more than the briefest overview of the crimes.

This is a compelling tale that kept me interested. I liked Naomi and Brice, but didn't feel as invested in their story as I would have liked, however, still enjoyed this novel.. I'm just a bit greedy, as I love this author's work and she usually has me in love with her characters. However, even with that, ....sexy cowboys, what more do you need? The author is on my must read authors' list.

I liked that this book picks up twelve years later from book 1, The Christmas Cowboy Hero. Very seldom do you get to revisit characters you met when they were teenagers and are now young men. In book 1, we read Abby’s road to happiness with Clayton East. Now we have her brother Brice’s story and his road to putting the past behind him and finding his HEA. Abby is still very much the Harper brothers sister/mother/father, supported with Clayton, but the brothers are young men who are rodeo champions and take care of their own. Brice comes to the aid of Naomi and finds himself, along with his family and friends, going up against unknown powerful men who are intimidating, frightening, and terrorizing girls of the rodeo and anyone who may find them out. The brothers military background help bring justice to the town. Lack of communication has the brothers divided but they still have each other’s backs. With a little help from Naomi, Brice is putting his hurt and abandonment issues behind him and mending his relationship with his brother. Story started strong with a good buildup, then it kind of fell flat for me, but still a good read. A small town, ranch/rodeo setting with a mix of mystery, danger, and romance.
Note: This can be read completely as a stand alone read and you will not be lost with not having read book 1. However, The Christmas Cowboy Hero is a really good read and I enjoyed it.
ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley

Cowboy, Cross My Heart by Donna Grant is the second standalone novel in the Heart of Texas series. This novel takes place long after, events in The Christmas Cowboy. Brothers, Brice and Caleb Harper are all grown up and oh so yummy. Grant brought us passion and suspense in this fast moving, heated tale. Full review will post at Caffeinated Reviewer, August 24th.

I love a book about cowboys so this one was right up my alley! I read it in one sitting- couldn't and WOULDN'T stop. It's a fantastic read with excellent characters and the western heat I long for! I highly recommend Cowboy, Cross my Heart and am definitely going back to the first book in the series.

**I received a copy of Cowboy, Cross My Heart from St. Martins Press and Net Galley in exchange for a voluntary and honest review**

Cowboy, Cross My Heart by Donna Grant is the second book in her Heart of Texas series. I've read the first book and can recommend that this addition can be read as a stand alone without any problems. Plus I can't wait for the third book even though it won't be out until next February 2019.

Naomi Pierce is home to visit her mother and to see her BFF Whitney. Years ago the girls all competed in the rodeo until one night a drunk driver hit their car killing Sue Ellen. She left town becoming a accomplished photographer but all is not well with Whitney who's now the Rodeo Queen, there are secrets and there are men who will kill to keep those involved quiet. But when Naomi becomes the target because she has a photo that could cause blow this scandal up, she meets Brice who sensing an attraction agrees to protect her.

Brice Harper a former Marine, champion roper with his brother Caleb knows that when he meets Naomi he'll protect her with his life if necessary. But he doesn't realize how deep within the towns businessmen until they attack Naomi and then himself and brings in his brother-in-law, Caleb and his two best friend to protect her and Whitney. But even hiding her at his new ranch proves hard, can he keep her safe and take down the men responsible for taking advantage of those girls competing for the Rodeo crown.