This is the second book in a series but you do not feel as if you missed anything by not reading the 1st. book.

I absolutely loved this book. I could not put it down which meant I was up half the night reading and late for work.

This book had so many twists and turns. I loved how fast Naomi and Brice fell in love and how Brice's Family stood behind him and Naomi, It was quite the surprise on who the attackers were. I can't wait for Whitney's book. Nor Cooper and Jace's I am reading Caleb's now.

I highly recommend reading this title. It is an enjoyable read with unexpected twists and turns.

Thank you netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this title for an honest review.

Cowboy, Cross my heart isn't your average love story. It's filled with mystery and intrigue. Brice and Naomi are brought together during difficult situations. Secrets unfold and bad things start to happen. But Brice is there every step of the way to protect his girl.

A hot steamy romance with a twist!

What was meant to be a relaxing trip home turns into quite an ordeal for Naomi as she finds her best friend caught up in some corrupt affairs.

Naomi had just returned home to Texas to visit her mother and best friend, Whitney who was the reigning Rodeo Queen. Attending a roping competition with Whitney, Naomi was viewing the cowboys and everything around them through the lens of her camera. Naomi had left this world behind to attend college and begin her photography career. Being home, reminded Naomi of what she had left behind. Whitney had been acting strangely since Naomi had arrived and now, viewing Whitney through her camera Naomi could see that what she had felt, was not just a feeling. Naomi now had proof, as she clicked her camera, that Whitney was not acting like herself.

The struggle was real as someone tried to pull Naomi’s camera away from her. Naomi struggled to hold onto it and soon someone else was helping her. In the end, she now had the broken camera. Who tried to take it from her, they don’t know but Whitney seems upset with Naomi for wanting to investigate the matter. Seems a bit strange but with Whitney acting weird to start with, perhaps these two incidents are related? Naomi decides to develop the film which was inside the camera and that’s when events in the book start getting interesting.
With the pictures developed, more individuals are added to the troubles in the novel. Brice, the individual who helped save Naomi’s camera, and his family now play an important role in the novel. This was originally a short visit to Texas, but there is an immediate attraction between Naomi and Brice. Things gets pretty hot between the two of them as this investigation gets underway.

There are some very evil men who take advantage of their power in this book. Why they went this route is beyond me but they needed to be stopped but they had other plans first.

I read that this book is the second in the series but this is the first book that I had read and I didn’t feel lost as I read it. I enjoyed the story and I liked the male characters the most. They seemed more honest and reliable. There were a few parts in the story that I felt were kooky. As I read these parts I was thinking, what? Are you serious? So that just happened and I am supposed to believe that without any explanation. I wished the author would have provided some backup for all the major events in this story, it would have made it more believable.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆
A cute story that quickly morphs into something dark and twisted.

Naomi is back home to enjoy a rare visit with her mother and her best friend, Whitney. Whitney is the current rodeo queen and Naomi loves watching Whitney in all her pageant glory. It takes a dark twist one evening, when someone tries to grab Whitney from the rodeo grounds and then attacks Naomi. She's rescued by Brice Harper and the two quickly make a connection.

Unfortunately, that's only the tip of the iceberg and as weekend goes along, other tragedies occur. Brice's feelings for Naomi grow as do hers for him, but she can't help but blame herself for dragging him into her mess.

The ending seemed a bit rushed after all the drama leading up to the reveal of the person behind the attacks. I did enjoy the book and can't wait to see where the author takes us next.


Dawn – ☆☆☆☆
I didn't know how this book would compare to the first book, however. I was so happy it lived up to my expectations.

Brice was just a boy in book one and has grown up to be an amazing man in this book. When he was faced with helping a stranger he didn't think twice. What he didn't know, was by helping Naomi Pierce he would be thrust into a world of drama and corruption within the rodeo circuit.

I loved the chemistry between Brice and Naomi. The twists and turns in this book kept me reading on.

Such a great addition to this series.

Cowboy, Cross My Heart is the second novel in Donna Grant's Heart of Texas Series and also the second novel I've read by her, and I found it engaging and suspenseful. It gets a 4-star rating from this reader.

The protagonists in this novel are Naomi Pierce, a Texan by birth, now living and working as a photographer in Washington, D.C., and Brice Harper, who, with his brother Caleb, form a rodeo roping team. Naomi is in town to support her best friend, Whitney, who is vying for the title of Rodeo Queen. While in the stands, Naomi is busy snapping photos of the opening parade when she spots and photographs Brice and his brother, Caleb, the two handsome halves of a roping team. Her attraction to Brice is instantaneous, and when he spots her, he has the same reaction--not my favorite scenario, but I can accept insta-attraction better than I can handle insta-love. When Naomi is behind the scenes looking at the horses, she's attacked by someone who tries to steal her camera, and when Brice comes to her aid, he's attacked as well, but Naomi manages to hang on to her camera as their assailant gets away. When she develops the film, she realizes that she caught an image of her attacker, but it doesn't show his face, and from this point on, she and Brice team up to try to discover the identity of their assailant and the reason why he so desperately wanted Naomi's camera.

Add into the mix, Naomi's friend, Whitney. The two friends haven't seen each other in years but have stayed in touch, and it's obvious to Naomi that something just isn't right with Whitney, and when she asks her friend what's wrong, is told that it's nothing but nerves and exhaustion, but as romance readers we know it's a whole lot worse than that, and is it ever. Told from alternating points of view, we know that Whitney and the other young women vying for the Rodeo Queen title are being systematically coerced into performing sexual acts (let's call it what it is--rape) for a group of older, powerful, local men, and are being threatened into keeping silent about their abuse. One contestant has already fled the state, and because these men believe that Whitney might just open up and tell Naomi what she knows, she too is attacked, ending up broken and comatose, and Naomi is nearly trampled to death after being pushed into the arena during the wagon race.

There are more than a few subplots in this novel. Brice and his brother Caleb are at odds because Brice went ahead and purchased a house and ranch for both brothers to share without first mentioning it to Caleb, who took offense to being left out of the purchase until it was a done deal. There's also a return to the characters who were featured in the first book in this series, Clayton East and his wife, Abby, who is having a difficult pregnancy and close to giving birth. Brice and Caleb are Abby's younger brothers, and she raised them when their mother deserted them, expecting Abby to raise her two younger siblings. They were all quasi-adopted by the wealthy East family, and now live and work on the East ranch with their sister and her husband. It's there that Brice first brings Naomi after Brice is attacked again, and his copies of Naomi's photos are stolen. But the suspense doesn't stop there--the evildoers want the negatives.

Now on high alert, Brice brings Naomi to his new home, which no one except Caleb seems to know that he owns, and it's there that they finally admit to their mutual attraction. It was a tad too insta-love for his reader, but since I found both characters extremely likable, and since the alternating narration gives the reader insight into their feelings and their attraction to one another, it didn't strike me as terribly odd that these two characters got together as quickly as they did. Their time together was well-paced and a nice interlude between the traumatic events that made up the more suspenseful sections of this novel, and there are more than a few of them as the action heats up, and the threats become deadly.

I liked that the author took what was billed as a contemporary western romance, added a lot of suspense, and then added some realism to the story by bringing up the fact that these young and beautiful pageant contestants are all too often victimized by the men (and sometimes the women) who are the powers that be, the wealthy backers behind these events, who use their positions to manipulate and abuse these young women who are then forced to remain silent about their abuse.

I found Cowboy, Cross My Heart to be an exciting and suspenseful read, and a sweet, topical, and somewhat sexy western romance, and I'm looking forward to the follow-up novel, which I'm guessing will be Caleb's story.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS TO SOME OF THE CONTENT OF THE STORY.


I could not get enough of Brice and Naomi in Cowboy, Cross My Heart!
Now, I went into this book not knowing it was the second in a series. It’s ok because I still got the impact of the sweet relationship between the main characters. However, if you are a stickler for reading books in a series in order (like me), I would suggest picking up the first book The Christmas Cowboy Hero, which is the first in the Heart of Texas series. I really fill like by not having read the first book, I’m missing a lot from the other characters. I plan to go back and read The Christmas Cowboy Hero, Clayton and Abby’s story, as soon as I can so I have a better understanding of all the characters before the third book, My Favorite Cowboy comes out – which I will absolutely have to one click.

While I loved the build up and slow burn of the relationship between Naomi and Brice, I also loved how Donna Grant didn’t shy away from a really hot topic that very prominent in our country right now. I’m sorry if this is a big spoiler for you (as I put the warning on here just in case) – but Naomi’s friend in the story, Whitney, is sexually assaulted along with other girls that are in the rodeo circuit by men who have powerful positions in the community. When these men come after Naomi and Whitney to keep them quiet, Naomi makes it her mission to expose them.

This is such a powerful topic to cover, especially in the times we are currently in, and I have to give it to Donna Grant for not only taking this on in Cowboy, Cross My Heart but doing it tastefully and showing how strong and powerful women can be as well as showing how important it is for women to stand up and fight.

Brice and Naomi’s romance was very sweet and very much a slow burn to get to that first kiss. But it was well worth it the wait! It went from a slow burn to scorching hot in a split second! I enjoyed every second of their romance because kept me turning the pages as they continued to build their relationship around the chaos of trying to keep everyone safe from the guys they were trying to expose.

My first book by this author and what a fun and yet dangerous ride she took me on.
Insta love between this former barrel racer and a rodeo cowboy. There's a background mystery going on here and I was hooked. Some parts seemed a little rushed but the author put together an intriguing tale. I need to go back and find the first book now.

Another good story for this series, this time we get Abby's brother Brice, and Naomi, and the sexiness they share between them, along with the mystery that surrounds Whitney.

Donna Grant’s new series, “Heart Of Texas” continues with her next book, “Cowboy, Cross My Heart”, another enticing story of hardworking cowboys, their destined stories of love, redemption and a future together.

Naomi Pierce and Brice Harper steam up the pages of this rodeo romance when she returns to her Texas hometown to support her best friend in the rodeo. But then danger seems to stalk her and her friend and the ever protective Brice wants to keep her safe. But in the game of love and danger, looks like Brice is going to be losing his heart to Naomi as they can’t keep the attraction from being ignited into flames!

Another romantic suspense from Donna Grant, captivating her readers. She’s one author who does tremendous justice to paranormal as well as romance with an ease of mastery.

“Cowboy, Cross My Heart” is worth a read!

Received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for an honest review.

This is my first Donna Grant book, and I was actually surprised with the turn of events that happened. There was a mystery theme of a crime that needed to get solved. I also liked how Donna wrote that some scenes made me feel like I was actually there. I really liked it, I had just picked up book 1 in the Heart of Texas series so I'm curious to see how Clayton and Abby's story developed.

ARC received for review

Second book in the series and of course, I missed the first one. This one a brother from the first book. This one is a stand alone, and I wasn't lost.

Great love story with some really nasty bad guys to take care of. Naomi comes home and runs into some trouble helping her BFF. Brice and his yummy cowboy friends help them out. Can't wait to read the rest of their HEAs.

I voluntarily read an advanced review copy of this book

This book was really good. I liked that both Naomi and Brice were so much more than I had initially expected. Naomi came off in the beginning as such a big city girl in a small town but luckily for her Brice showed her that a small town can offer you more than any big city ever could.

Overall this book was great. I laughed and I am not going to lie I cried multiple times. Donna Grant did a great job drawing the reader into the rollercoaster ride of their romance.

Naomi wanted to visit her mom and her best friend Whitney who was competing for Rodeo Queen and also to get a feel for if she wanted to come home to Texas. When she went to the rodeo to find Whitney she was mesmerized by a cowboy in a plaid shirt but her friend was acting squirrelly so she started taking pictures which was her job and a hobby.
Brice and his brother Caleb had just finished their roping competition when he saw Naomi but he really noticed when he heard her scream. Someone didn’t like their picture taken so they tried to steal the camera and hurt Naomi but she fought back until he got to her but the guy got away. The camera was broken but the film was still good and Naomi was determined to see what the man didn’t want her too. The story isn’t as simple as that there is more danger and terror to come but also a family theme and some romance too. This is the second book in series but can be read alone but it is so good you want to read them both.

This is my first time reading a contemporary romantic suspense from Donna Grant. I loved Cowboy, Cross My Heart! It was interesting that the main mystery focused on something that was happening to Naomi's best friend, and Naomi gets caught up in it by accident. It was kind of like a chain reaction as Brice gets involved and then his friends, and then his family. Now the dark secrets behind the rodeo pageant are bound to come out while Naomi vows to protect her friend. The story is dark and suspenseful with a heavy dose of romance. Brice and Naomi fall for each other easily and their romance is one of the most positive aspects of the plot. Brice's family is very family oriented which is what connects the stories in the series. Cowboy, Cross My Heart is a standalone, but if you want to know how it all started I'd recommend reading The Christmas Cowboy Hero.
*ARC provided in consideration for review*

Wonderful book! Love those Texas cowboy stories. This book has more than a traditional romance. It felt like more mystery and suspense added into a great romance. The characters were wonderfully complex and real. I enjoyed the whole book from start to finish. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author and hopefully more on these minor characters.

I'm perplexed at all of the reviews saying this is a cute isnta-love romance. All this book did was make me feel icky. How can someone think about starting a romance when she finds out her friend has been repeatedly forced to have sex all to get ahead in a pageant. Whitney also doesn't want to end it because of the connections she will gain from the scene. Really? I also didn't like reading the group of men's point of view about what they are doing to these young women. The whole thing made me feel gross. I couldn't get behind a romance amid all of the ickyness. To each his own I guess. Sorry, but this was a DNF for me.

If you want a cowboy book full of intrigue that is fast-paced and overflowing with romance, then you will love this book. The rich descriptions of rodeo and pageant life satisfies all those want to be cowboy or cowgirls out there. With the stalker element the reader will be sitting on the edge of the chair wondering who it is. There are lots of twist and turns to the plot and resolution to the story is not predictable.

With plenty of cowboys to fall in love with the primary character is my first choice. Brice, a very hunky protective man, has grown up and has learned his lesson from The Christmas Cowboy Hero book 1 of this series. In this book he and his younger brother Caleb have a disagreement and are drifting further apart while he and Naomi are getting closer and closer as he works to protect her from danger.

Going home is not always easy so Naomi struggles to be back in Texas while realizing how much she loves the hometown life. I liked her character because she has a backbone with a kind loving heart. She was fearless and not afraid to speak her mind. I am glad that she found resolution for herself in this book and it was rewarding watching it slowly happen.

I give this book 5 STARS for showing how when families and friends stick together they can solve the impossible.

I loved this adventure into Texas cowboys and what it really means to protect what you love. This story was supremely written and so enticing i went back and downloaded the first book in this series. After falling in love with Brice, I cant wait to read Clayton's story. I look forward to reading more from this exquisite author.

4 Stars

Cowboy, Cross My Heart is the second title in the Heart of Texas series. This was my first time reading Donna Grant, nd this title can easily be read as a standalone. I will say that I really enjoyed the secondary characters and at some point hope to read the previous title in the series as well.

Brice is a sexy cowboy, and a rodeo star. He's also a gentleman and very protective of not only those he cares about but others in general, a country boy at heart. Naomi may have been raised in the country, but she's spent several years living in the city. She's smart, intelligent, sweet, kind and honest.

When I picked up this story I was expecting your typical cowboy romance, but it was quite different to my expectations. This title is more of a romantic suspense, full of mystery, intrigue, secrets, action and danger, blended beautifully with strong themes of family and friendship.

Although I liked Naomi and Brice together and their connection is realistic, their relationship moves at a very fast pace, and the time frame may be a tad more fictional. I would have really liked more development of their relationship, and most of the focus of the book is on the events unfolding, and their relationship is secondary.

I look forward to reading more of Ms Grant's work in the future, and highly recommend this title to anyone who enjoys a romantic suspense.

I do love a good suspenseful romance! This was no disappointment. I loved how this really drew out the romance and dug into the mystery and suspense. Hard to pass up a cowboy for sure.
Once of the things I liked about this book is how there were different levels of the story going on. This was a great way to keep the intrigue going through the pages.