I had no idea this was in a book in a series, it is the second book, since it was so well written as a stand-alone book. There was a lot of cowboy heart throbs to get your attention.

The love story between Naomi and Brice while seems like the main point of the story was really just that back story to a stalker and huge scandal cover up. When Naomi and her friend are caught in the cross hairs, Brice and his family step in to protect their own.

Lots of drama, intrigue, and sexy as hell cowboys coming together to help those they love.

Cowboy, Cross My Heart is the second book in the Heart of Texas series, but it works as a standalone. There are several years between the events in the two books, and we're given plenty of backstory. This one is loaded with sexy cowboys, instant attraction, some suspense, corruption, danger, steam, and romance. All of these combined should've made for a riveting story, but it ended up being just an okay read for me. I liked most of the characters, and I enjoyed Brice and Naomi's romance. There's also some witty dialogue and general silliness among the Harper family. Then, we have our bad guys, and that's where my problems started with this book. The suspense and danger covers some serious subject matter, but the people involved came across feeling more like caricatures. There just wasn't much depth to that part of the story, which was sad because it could've made this one a gripping story. In the end, the story was okay, but I wasn't left with a need to continue with the series.

Cowboy, Cross My Heart is the second book in Donna Grant’s Heart of Texas Series. It is a suspense romance with a cowboy flair. Plus it is a completely stand-alone read since the first book in the series happened several years earlier. However, after reading Brice Harper’s story, I would be surprised if you didn’t hurry to read his sister’s, Abby and story.

The first book started with a startling fact while this one has a smooth build-up approach. The book is filled with danger, action and romance for two extremely likable characters, Brice and Naomi Pierce. They make a wonderful pair, since both are strong-willed, determined, and sure-minded as they search out the truth. Their relationship is instant and intense, as well as one that turns dangerous as they investigate an attack. Different from the usual rodeo story.

COWBOY, CROSS MY HEART is an amazing look at a cowboy's life, a rancher's world and the not so glamorous life of pageants.

Those who might not remember Brice and his brother Caleb were the catalyst for their sister Abby Harper meeting and falling for her now husband, Clayton East, from Ms. Grant's Heart of Texas series (THE CHRISTMAS COWBOY). They are grown up now and ready to take on the world. The danger brought on by Naomi's friend Whitney's horrible secret and the misunderstanding between the two brothers are the drama that catapults COWBOY, CROSS MY HEART into readers' hearts.

The romance between Naomi and Brice is perfectly written and for that alone, I totally recommend this book. It's a bit slower, though the attraction is instantaneous, and that is due to the things that just kept getting in the way of them enjoying too many steamy moments. It was a perfectly written build up that, of course, does lead to a happily ever after. Something that author Donna Grant is very good at offering her readers.

~ Annetta Sweetko, reviewing for Fresh Fiction

Complete review may be found at: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=66668

When Brice rescues Naomi and her friend, it's the start of a sweet romance. As the danger to both Brice and Naomi escalates, Brice does everything to protect her. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Netgallery. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I liked the first half of the book which emphasized their relationship and the suspense. After Brice takes Naomi to his ranch for protection, Brice and Naomi are more focused on their sexual relationship than the imminent danger. I thought that this took away from the story.

Cowboys, romance and suspense. a great combination

I enjoyed Donna Grant's Cowboy, Cross My Heart. I liked Naomi and Brice together, but would have liked a little more romance, it felt like the book was heavier on the suspense side. The story definitely had twist and turns. I also liked how loyal Naomi was to Whitney and the strong relationship Brice had with his family.
I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley.

Wow I was expecting a nice calm Western romance and that did start when Brice and Naomi made eye contact when she was taking pictures of him and his brother at their rodeo event, she even noticed his blue eyes, but then the danger and mystery started when a man attacked Naomi and broke her camera while trying to steal it, Brice came to her rescue but didn’t catch the man or even get a good look at him.
Loved the characters in this one, especially Brice’s family and friends, they all tried to help Naomi when they saw how much Brice cared for her.
The love story, the mystery and the danger kept me engaged as I flipped the pages, bet they will you to.

Suspenseful and twisty with a romance mixed in. I love reading about cowboys and all their sexiness. Their family values and how they take care of each other are quite impressive.

When Naomi comes home and finds herself a victim of an attack, she realizes that something horrible is happening in the rodeo circuit and she’s determined to discover the truth. All the while she’s getting sucked in by a hot cowboy named Brice, whether she wants to or not.

This book definitely kept me on my toes. It was fast paced and had plenty of heart stopping moments. I am loving this series. And I’m curious to see which cowboy is next in line to fall in love.

Cowboy, Cross my Heart was a cute insta-love, sexy cowboy read. The second book in the Heart of Texas series, Cowboy, Cross my Heart can be read as a stand alone. When it comes to insta-love stories they are normally a hit or miss for me. This one was a hit but it felt a bit rushed. What I mean is that it worked for me because I felt a strong connection between Brice and Naomi, but I felt their relationship went from meeting to moving in together in like a few day span. Which made it feel a little to fast. Still They were cute together. Brice was a sexy texan cowboy. He had sweet southern manners and was so protective of Naomi. I loved not only Brice but I adored his brother Caleb too. Naomi was smart, and sweet, and honest. I love that she was so supportive and protective of her best friend. The plot was really really good. I loved that there was a ton of action in this read. Overall a very enjoyable read.

Everything I love in a book: cowboys, suspense, intelligent leading lady, troubled men, and a Texas drawl. Truly exciting this book kept me interested from page one with the rodeo scene and never stopped. Brice was much younger in the first book, a troublesome teen without a mother while his sister tried to raise her two brothers. The East family took to them and became family. Fast forward many years and the boys grew up, joined the military and returned to the rodeo as stars. Naomi has a rodeo past but decided to live away from it and be a photographer. She's smart, brave, a true friend and true Texan. Although it added to this story to have read the first book, it was not necessary to do so to follow along. Wonder what's next for Brice's brother Caleb? I wrote my review voluntarily after reading an advanced copy.

i was like 30% in when i realized this book was the second book in a series and that i knew a bunch of these characters from the first book, which i read and enjoyed. part of the issue was, that quite a bit of time has passed from the events of the first book to the second. the lead hero was a sixteen-year-old, and now he is a man, a real cowboy.

brice harper is kind of amazing. he's immediately all-in with the heroine, naomi walker, who is only back in town to visit her mom and best friend, whitney. from the first night of her visit, it's clear that things are not right. whitney is tense and afraid, and when she's attacked by a man who comes from the shadows and then proceeds to attach naomi, it's obvious that she knows more than she is letting on. brice steps in to save naomi, and from that moment their fates are entangled.

as the attacks become more dangerous, whitney reveals the extent of evil happening behind the scenes at the rodeo. naomi and brice must work together to keep each other safe and figure out who is behind the attacks. the way these two characters click when they first meet in cowboy, cross my heart you know there is no question that they are meant for each other. this is a lovely second book in this series. and i hope we get a chance to see happy endings for caleb, jace, and cooper in future books.

**cowboy, cross my heart will publish on august 28, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/st. martin's press in exchange for my honest review.

Cowboy, Cross My Heart by Donna Grant

2nd in the Heart Of Texas series. It occurs more than 10 years after the first book.
A fast and immediate attraction for both hero and heroine. Then trouble brews and his strongest goal is to protect her.
The heroine’s support of her friend is admirable.
The underlying mystery is a troubling subject matter.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

I really loved this latest book from Donna Grant ! Whether she is writing paranormal romance, contemporary western romance, or military romantic suspense, this author always delivers a fantastic story.

I just have to brag on Brice and Naomi because they were such amazing characters. They were both incredibly strong, fearless, and the chemistry was super intense between them. They inadvertantly uncovered a twisted conspiracy ring that preyed on young women and immediately stepped up to right a terrible wrong. These two were wonderful characters. I easily connected with them and rooted for the entire way as the very suspenseful mystery played out right up until the happily ever after.

As expected I loved this second book in the Heart Of Texas series. I can't wait for Caleb's book.

Cowboy, Cross My Heart
by Donna Grant
Read 2 times

I am almost afraid to post this review as many seem to think it was just okay. However, I think it is a buy buy buy buy buy book. Contemporary romances are an okay Genre to me, however, this particular one just walked into my heart. I loved the way this author portrayed her story line the way she sets it all up and it becomes a romantic suspense with many layers. I liked the characters, the plot the entire package just kept my attention. I was given this arc via NetGalley. All opinions expressed here are my own. Buy the book and just enjoy it! It was well worth a read and another read on top of that! Regards, Anna

This is not your average cowboy romance. You got 3 cowboys with military training and a town with some very corrupt and sick individuals in place of power, who have been sexually assaulting the rodeo pageant women for years. It all comes crumbling down when Naomi comes home to visit her best friend and current rodeo queen, Whitney and discovers she's being stalked. Trying to get Whitney to talk has put both these women in danger as well as the men who try to save them.

Talk about suspenseful! I spent the whole book trying to figure out who was behind all these assaults, as well as trying to figure out why a strong woman like Whitney wouldn't out these men. It was disgusting how many people were involved with helping these men get away with hurting all these women. On top of that, you have a secondary story line of Brice and Naomi's growing attraction to each other as Brice and his family try to keep these women safe and uncover the identity of the attackers.

With everything going on, this made for a pretty fast paced read. I enjoyed the suspense as well as Brice and Naomi's budding relationship. I didn't enjoying hearing the thoughts of the men and what they have done. Thankfully the author kept that part to a minimum. It was nice seeing Abby and Clayton again and I look forward to Caleb's story. ARC provided by NetGalley.

3.5*
A chance meeting at a rodeo, cowboy comes to the rescue and a romance to that will change their future plans.
Naomi Pierce returns to Texas to support her best friend a rodeo queen. While taking pictures she looks eyes with a handsome cowboy. When Naomi and her friend are walking around the rodeo they are attacked and are rescued by Brice Harper the very man shed eyed before.
Brice Harper and his brother are rodeo roper champions when he sees a woman who makes him feel things he hasn't in years the need to protect her is strong after she’s attacked. When danger calls again theres more going on then mere theft.
Naomi is a very strong woman and everything Brice was not looking for. They both have had tragedies in their lives that have shaped them and how they see the world.
You will cry and laugh and bite your nails during this book. I’m looking forward to reading the next book and I’m going back to read the first book.

4.25⭐
Cowboy, Cross My Heart was a really enjoyable story that pulled me in from the start. Thanks to all the likable characters, and a suspenseful storyline. That was not only extremely well paced, but entertaining, engaging and intriguing.
And as a new author to me I would definitely read more from Donna Grant in the future.

Romance blooms as a dangerous mystery unravels…

This is the second book in the Heart of Texas series that can be read as a stand-alone. The teenage boys from the first book have grown-up and this is the story for one of them.

Originally from Texas, Naomi Pierce went away to college and then settled in Washington D.C. where she became established as a freelance photographer, a profession that suits her for she’s an observer by nature. She’s returned home to support the best friend of her youth who has entered the Rodeo Queen pageant. Armed with her trusted camera she takes pictures during and after the rodeo. When her friend is attacked and someone tries to steal her camera the sexy cowboy she’d taken pictures of earlier came to their rescue. She knows that something is wrong by her friend’s reaction and request that they let things go, she once failed to protect a friend but this time she won’t.

Sometimes things happen for a reason and Brice Harper took notice of the woman taking pictures and when their eyes connected across the arena he was intrigued. When he later hears a scream he’s the first to respond to the two women accosted, the beautiful woman with the camera who had caught his eye and her friend. It’s obvious that something odd is going on, his protective nature and former marine training has him offering assistance. That the attacker wanted the camera could mean Naomi captured him and though the camera was damaged the film might not be. Naomi promises to develop the negatives and show him them afterward giving him a reason for the further contact he desires.

Naomi never imagined that visiting home to provide moral support to a friend would place them both in serious danger or that she would meet a man who draws her magnetically like none other has or even how the memories she’d buried of what she’d left behind would affect her, the countryside, the horses call to her soul. Sinister happenings taint the rodeo which she once loved and participated in, and with the help of Brice, who makes her rethink her wants in life, she’ll solve this mystery as she gets to know the cowboy who rapidly becomes her white knight. Yet Brice is no angel but he’s a good man and quite capable of protecting his own. After meeting this character in the first book it was good to see the man he has become and how he continues to deal with the wounds of his childhood which can forever define a person unless they are accepted and worked through. Naomi and Brice help each other heal.

In this story, a sweet romance blooms amid danger and suspense and family drama. Besides the point of view of the protagonists, we are given that of the villains, seriously depraved, morally corrupt individuals who care nothing for who they harm to obtain their objectives and that places everyone else at risk. It was nice to see how the characters from book one have progressed in the years that have elapsed. Naomi and Brice complemented and understood each other well but this reader did not find their connection to be that all-consuming and compelling.

An advanced reading copy was obtained from the publisher via NetGalley.

A bit of a different twist, but as all the previous Sons of Texas novels I liked this story. The story starts when Naomi returns home to Texas from DC where she now lives to watch her friend Whitney compete in the local rodeo and hold onto her Rodeo Princess title. Being there has brought back many memories for Naomi. Some good, some not so. There were three of them, always. Their friend SueEllen who was the larger than life girl in the group, while the three of them were out celebrating one night they were involved in an accident. SueEllen didn't survive and Whitney and Naomi sustained injuries. Naomi is now a photographer, has a great business going for herself and no longer trapped in small town Texas. She still holds the record time as a barrel racer, but that was long ago.
Taking photos of the rodeo that night was just something she automatically did, while she did catch the eye of a local Harper brother. Caleb and Brice were a team, unbeaten. This pageant thing was a little confusing but the story mainly focused on Whitney of course, the girls all had chaperones to insure there were pure and upheld the high moral standards that were expected of the Queen. When Whitney and Naomi walk off a little to talk while everyone else was busy and that's when Whitney is distracted by something she sees in the shadows, Naomi is attacked and the person is after her camera. Coming to her rescue is Brice. This starts a cascade of events, secrets, lies, murder and the suspense just kept building. Naomi is taken to the East Ranch. His sister Harper is married to Clayton East, a powerful and wealthy rancher. They have a long history, the Harpers and the Easts. Abby is now pregnant and it's been difficult, almost due and confined to bed, which is like trying to tell the sun not to come up. But she helps anyway she can. I also like the brothers friends Jace and Cooper. Good guys. Brice finds himself falling for Naomi but manages to keep his hands off her for longer than expected. I loved the two of them together and also Brice's relationship with his brother Caleb.
The story was suspenseful and so many twists and I found myself waiting for the other shoe to drop in this one. Well written, it will take you on a white knuckle ride.

*arc from NetGalley and publisher for an honest review*

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I read the first book in the Heart of Texas series, The Christmas Cowboy Hero, a couple months ago. In that book, Brice was still a kid in high school, so I was interested to see that they were coming out with book #2 in the series featuring his story. Brice as a hero in his own book though, wasn’t quite what I expected him to be. Not that it was bad necessarily, just wasn’t what I had envisioned for his character. The plot was ok, but the whole story line ended up being a little too cheesy for me. Brice and Naomi were over the moon for each other from the beginning and while I did like how well their characters fit together, it felt almost too easy. There was no conflict between them, which just doesn’t feel realistic. Other than that it was a cute story, just wasn’t one of my favorite romances. I thought it was ok, and I’d still be interested in reading Caleb’s story (Brice’s brother) to round out the series.