This book has a slow start but once it got going I didn't want to put it down. The main characters were very likeable and worked well with each other. The sex scenes were extremely hot but didn't diminish from the story line at all. I can't wait to see what else happens in this quite little town.

Suspicious things are happening in Deerhaven and Hunter is determined to find out what is going on. Three close friends, including Hunter’s uncle and Sam’s aunt have died in what are meant to appear as accidents. The manner of deaths don’t match what they know about the victims.

Small town corruption comes to a head and Sam and Hunter nearly die. It is in keeping with Lora Leigh’s other works. Lots of danger and action taking place.

I went into this novel blindly...I did not read the blurb and I haven't read anything by either of the coauthors before. That said I really enjoyed it but was a bit surprised by the book.

Given the title, I expected a typical cowboy romance. While Hunter does live on a ranch, that's about all there is to the cowboy aspect. The setting is a rural community but Hunter being a sheriff and the plot having nothing to do with ranching, there isn't anything to really say cowboy romance about it. The heroine has recently moved back to her hometown after having relocated to a big city when just a child...so nothing there either in regards to ranching life/cowboy theme.

I was also not expecting the level of suspense in this one. It was a really good drama. The authors were able to create that nail biting feeling perfectly. There was plenty of tension and fear despite the very competent hero and strong heroine.

One Tough Cowboy certainly had the steamy romance aspect down though. The sexy scenes were intense for sure. And Hunter was definitely swoon worthy.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. The authors also did a great job at setting up the next in the series while also leaving the reader fully satisfied that this story is complete.

From their very first encounter Sam Ryder fell hard for sexy cowboy Hunter Steele, but she was young and wild, and he was older and wiser, and just didn't see her the way she saw him. But that didn't stop her from constantly trying to make their lives intersect, by finding trouble and then calling for him to come to the rescue. But there little love affair never had a chance to bloom because her family packed up and moved away, and so she had to say goodbye to the cowboy who held a piece of her heart.

She has often thought of him through the years and wondered if he was still just as sexy and sweet as he use to be, and lucky for her she is about to find that out firsthand. She is returning to Deerhaven to settle her late aunt's affairs and then of course head back to Detroit and her life there. That is unless she has a good reason to stay... like maybe a certain sexy sheriff that comes to her rescue?

One Tough Cowboy does not disappoint, with it's sultry and suspenseful story line it will pull you in from the first page, and keep you completely mesmerized until the last. This first installment in the Moving Violations series was impressive on all fronts, the characters were well crafted, had great chemistry, and had an exciting and satisfying story to tell.These authors expertly designed words kept me glued to the pages, between the sexiness brewing between the main characters, and the danger lurking about town, there was so much action to hold my attention. Highly recommend you check this one out, the story you will find waiting amongst it's pages is sure to take you on a thrilling and satisfying literary ride!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from NetGalley, and I am leaving my honest opinion.

One Tough Cowboy was HOTTTTT and pretty intense, especially near the end. Like, my heart was pounding as the suspense built in the last few chapters especially. Sam and Hunter haven't seen one another basically since she was too young for him to look at in that way. But now things are different and Hunter is determined, confident, and has all the moves. He's using them all just for Sam, his little Pixie. Apparently she used to cause all kinds of mischief when they were younger, and now it just translates to her being tough and stubborn. These two uncover something way bigger than what anyone would suspect from their small town. As much as I loved their story, I can't wait for the next book!

Even though this isn’t the first collaboration by authors Lora Leigh and Veronica Chadwick, it is the first one which I have had the pleasure of reading.

If you’ve ever enjoyed Lora Leigh or Veronica Chadwick’s work, then you are in for a very pleasurable surprise, as this time you’ll get double the pleasure with this intoxicating new series. If “One Tough Cowboy” is any indication to what we may expect, then this series is going to be one hell of a ride ;)

Samantha is back in her hometown for her aunt’s funeral. She is heartbroken to have not had the chance to see her one last time and feels that there is something suspiciously fishy going on with her death. Being a detective in Detroit, she is determined to get down to the bottom of this. Now all she has to do is get in control of her ceaseless attraction to her childhood crush and the town’s sheriff, Hunter.

Hunter’s Pixie is back in town, but she is no longer the little pest that he remembers her to be. She is not only drop-dead-gorgeous, but she is also smart, fearless and determined. Hunter has been suspecting that there is something going on in his town that seems to have a reach far beyond its borders and with Samantha’s help he is going to uncover it.

I liked the mystery and suspense of the book and loved the little girl returns to her hometown premise, but I just wish that the book were a little longer and that Hunter and Samantha had a little bit more time before giving into their mutual attraction. The love scenes were insanely hot and while I do appreciate the heart pounding intensity of those scenes, I wanted a little more chasing before our couple yielded to temptation. Having said that, there promises to be many interesting and sexy men in this series and I can’t wait to meet them all and the women who will bring them to their knees ;)

One Tough Cowboy by Lora Leigh and Veronica Chadwick is the first book in their Moving Violations series. I really liked the premise of this story with the mystery of corruption and suspected murders being identified as accidents. I thought the attraction between the hero, Hunter Steele and the heroine, Samantha "Pixie Pest" Ryder was entertaining. They had known each other when they were younger and meet again when Samantha returns the town she grew up in after the death of her aunt.

This story has lots of action and intrigue, but maybe too many sex scenes especially at times when they seemed out of place. I also had a bit of a problem in some sections of the book because timeline discrepancies disrupted my reading. It was an interesting story though.

I enjoyed this story. It was an entertaining novel that kept me on the edge of my seat. It was hard to put down. Sam & Hunter were well developed characters & their chemistry was smoking. Highly recommend this book & look forward to the next one in the series.

Something is rotten in the little California town of Deerhaven. Three suspicious deaths, Lillian Henderson, the mayor's wife, Zachariah Steele, the sheriff and their childhood friend, Dorthea Coulter, within eight months, all declared accidental by the incompetent or corrupt coroner. The sheriff was replaced by his nephew, Hunter Steele, ex military and local ranch owner. Hunter does not believe any of the death were accidents, but murder, and he is aiming to prove it, despite the mayor shackling him with two belligerent, incompetent deputies.

Samantha Jolene Ryder, Dorthea's niece, returns for the funeral. At eleven years old, she had cried when her family moved away to Detroit sixteen years, leaving behind her home, her beloved aunt and her hero/protector Hunter Steele. Now she works for the Detroit police, and knows that her aunt was murder. Her two week leave will not provide enough time for her to find the murderer, so she gives notices and reluctantly agrees to hire on to the Deerhaven PD. Suspicious that it was the mayor's idea, Hunter nevertheless needs her help. When they were younger he had called her Pixie Pest when he rescued her from bullies and jams and she reciprocated when she saw him with girls, who did not deserve him. As they work together now as adults, trying to keep their relationship platonic, they realize that they have always loved the other. Can they find out what evil has invaded the small town, before they are snuffed out too?

I had a hard time putting this book down. Engaging characters, a compelling plot and an action packed, skillfully written narrative keep this steamy page turner moving. There are also enough interesting additional characters to keep this series going for several more volumes. I received a free ARC from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

One Touch Cowboy by Lora Leigh & Veronica Chadwick. I've read past Lora Leigh books but haven't read anything by Veronica Chadwick. I look forward to reading more by both author. Enjoyed this book with it's setting and great storyline with it's spicy content.

Exciting journey for two people that were close as children but then life put distance between them. When Sam returns to Deerhaven following a family tragedy, she is put directly back in Hunter’s path. Hunter was her brother’s best friend growing up and she loved him. She was always getting into trouble, the Pixie Pest, as he dubbed her and he would always rescue her. When her family moved away, she left part of her heart behind but didn’t realize it until she returned. Hunter is now the sheriff after spending time in the military. He is just as hot today as he was years ago which has Sam all tied up in knots. Hunter has a real mystery on his hands in town for a suspenseful set of twists and turns. Sam is now a cop in Detroit which allows them to work together putting them in each other’s path. The chemistry these two have is off-the-charts giving us intense sexy encounters. I loved their connection as kids to adulthood. Seeing how they didn’t lose that spark they had which allowed it to glow hotter as adults. The mystery was captivating and intense which kept me guessing. I voluntarily read an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.

Samantha and Hunter knew each back in the day but it has been more than 10 years since they’ve seen each other. When she returns home after her aunt’s mysterious death to do her own investigation she find Hunter is just as yummy now as then. When he warns her off the investigation she finds the order hard to comply with. Being a Detroit cop now to his hometown sheriff she doesn’t bend as easily as she may once have. She knows her Aunt is one of a few mysterious deaths that she needs to figure out.

Hunter has a lot of eyes on him so he wants to do everything by the book. He knew Samantha coming home would be a problem for him and his investigation but he didn’t think it would be his attraction to her causing the issues. Working together to solve these cases has his imagination on overdrive, but does she feel the same way about him?

This was my first read by these authors and though it read ok it wasn’t a grab my attention kind of read. It had good bones, for sure, but wasn’t executed well in my opinion. The storyline dragged at times and I found myself skimming pages pretty often. It was erotic with tons of sex and encounters with little to no storyline dictation (not that sex needs that but usually it has a rhyme or reason within the story). A 3 ½ star read for me that I received from Netgalley without expectation for review. Any and all opinions expressed are my own.

4 to 4.5 stars.
First let me explain my 4 to 4.5 rating. There were parts of this book that I liked and there were parts I loved. For me the reason for the 4 was because their were several areas where I feel the author didn't give me the full closure I needed. Bottom line, when the end came I had questions. Unfortunately, I really can't go into details without spoiling this book for you. I definitely don't want to spoil it because the suspense aspect was amazing. I was constantly on the edge of my seat. There are definitely surprises and moments of "what the heck!"

I haven't read anything by this author(s) before and I am so glad I have now. Wow, despite my few qualms with the book, I can't fault anything about the writing talent. It was amazing. I will definitely be on the watch for the next book in this series.

Hunter and Samantha
Hunter is the small town's current sheriff. Sam and Hunter new each other from when they were younger. But she moved away with her family. Samantha is back in town to settle things at her aunt's. Her aunt "accidentally" overdosed on pain medication. Samantha is planning to stick around town for awhile and investigate her aunt's suspicious death. She just so happens to be a Detroit police officer. Hunter and Sam will have to work closely together on the investigation. The attraction between these two is scorching. I am not exaggerating when I tell you there is a lot of intimacy. These two could not keep their hands off each other. Also, it was impossible to keep their attraction to each other from growing into love. I really loved Hunter and Sam together. Their chemistry was believable. Another aspect I loved was despite Sam being a police officer, Hunter still felt the need to protect her. Gosh, he is a total book boyfriend!

This story has a good amount of twists and turns. Surprises around every corner. And while there is some predictability, I was genuinely entertained and totally engrossed in the plot. So if you are a fan of romantic suspense and a sexy as sin alpha sheriff, I highly recommend One Tough Cowboy as a must read.

This is my honest and unbiased review. Thank you for taking the time to read it. :)

First of all - warning - this story contains a scene of sexual assault. If you can't handle it just stop right now. That's not why I gave this a lower rating though. The title, technically the man lived on a ranch and had horses and some animals, but he was a sheriff. So if you're looking for a true cowboy story this isn't it. Second they kept calling it the South and referencing Yankees and up North but the story is set in Southern California., last I knew, all references of things Southern would be more like Georgia Alabama or Mississippi area not Cali. There was a fair amount of sex scenes that I was getting bored with and skimmed a few. The overall story was good there were just faults in the execution in my opinion

This was a new to me author and I loved the idea of someone moving back to a small town and a rekindling of sorts.

I liked Sam and Hunter well enough. I enjoyed their banter and the button pushing. I didn’t quite believe their “chemistry” and would have like more conversation of substance.

Plot wise, it was sort of a hot mess. I liked the idea of the mystery, but there was so much sex all over the place, the idea of an actual plot {which happened to be a sex trafficking slash terrorist ring O_o} seemed to be added as an afterthought. There wasn’t any tension or sense of urgency.

Oh and by the way, the very climax of the story has Sam tied up, stripped, and assaulted in front of Hunter and a bunch of other bad guys. Then she gets free and her and Hunter go have sex. So there’s that. And yeah, I’m not putting this under a spoiler tag because everyone needs to see this. It was quite graphic and jarring.

Overall, the story had a lot of potential, but fell flat for me. If it wasn’t for the last few pages, it would have been a 2 star read, but I can’t over look the ending. I will not be reading any other stories in this series.

**Huge thanks to St. Martin’s Paperbacks for providing the arc free of charge**

I'm usually a fan of cowboy romances but let's face it- this isn't about a cowboy, it's really about Sam, who is the sheriff in a small California town where there have been several murders. She finds herself reunited with her childhood crush Hunter. You know these two will get together so it's the journey that's important- and that's what failed for me. There's some stilted language, some steamy sex scenes, and a somewhat illogical mystery. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

First book in a new series

Sadly One Tough Cowboy by Lora Leigh and Veronica Chadwick was just an “Ok” read for me. I liked the premise of the story, with Hunter and Samantha reconnecting, this time both adults. I just didn’t feel the chemistry though the sex scenes were plentiful but often at odd times considering the potential danger around them. I also thought the location, California and the southern drawls just didn’t make sense. Nor did the title, I don’t really see hunter as a cowboy at all.
I received an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

Y'all. This Book!

I loved it, i loved everything. the way its written and the plot, the pace, the characters and the romance. Yes the romance was of the charts hotter then hell, the chemistry these two have is busting from the pages. And the suspense mystery of whats happening around them all, had me leaping of the sofa and pacing it was so good. i didn't mind the killings, the people acting weird it all was a perfect balance and i was trash for it all. i can not wait for more, i am so happy with this new series.

One Tough Cowboy has the potential to be really good story. I was very interested in the plot at the beginning, and then in the middle the plot just died in favor of sex. What? Not only was there a lot of sex, which normally wouldn’t be a problem, but each scene was repetitive, so it got boring. Not only was the sex boring after a while, it was the most ridiculous unrealistic sex I have ever read in a book. We are talking, they have sex, he finishes, and before he even pulls out he’s hard again and they have sex again, he finishes, and again doesn’t get to pull out and he’s hard again and they have sex a third time. This happens several times, no, not happening, ever. Then there is the unrealistic timing of sex, in the middle of a murder investigation, nah let’s have sex instead. Just got in a shoot out, sounds good for sexy time. Supposed to be on a steak out, let’s have sex not once, but twice, because you know the bad guys are just going to wait to do bad things until after you are done. But the most unrealistic part was something I’m not going to into detail about, but let’s just say that no woman be would be jumping into sex anytime soon, and here we have sex the same night. On top of the boring, unrealistic sex, there was Sam, she would of been a decent character but she is that girl, that girl that says “no” when she really means “yes”. Thankfully Hunter was written well enough that he stopped several times and made sure Sam wasn’t actually saying no. There is nothing sexy about rape, and having half of your sex scenes start with the woman saying no through the first half just becomes annoying, nothing sexy there.

Finally in the last couple of chapters the plot resurfaces, but then it’s a wham, bam, thank you mam, and it’s over. This story overall wasn’t bad, but it could of been so much more.

I needed to read One Tough Cowboy. I had come off a string of books that had some heavy subjects in them. I needed a book that I could read, not worry about the plotline and enjoy. I got that in this book.

The plot of One Tough Cowboy was pretty simple. Samantha has come back to the town she grew up in for her beloved Aunt’s funeral. She is also there to investigate her aunt’s death. See, her aunt overdosed on pain medication. The only thing, she didn’t like to take it and that was a well-known fact. Which made her death very suspicious not only to Samantha but to Hunter, the sheriff for her hometown. The deeper Samantha and Hunter dig into her death, the more danger they both are in. Who killed Samantha’s aunt? And why?

I liked Samantha. She was going to back down when it came to investigating her aunt’s death. As a detective in the Detroit police force, she was tough. She wasn’t going to let anyone stand in her way. I was chanting, in my head, “You go girl” every time she did something that empowered herself. Loved it!!

I wasn’t as big of a fan of Hunter. I liked him at the beginning of the book. He knew something shady was going on. There was a string of suspicious deaths which included his uncle. But he lost his mind as soon as Samantha arrived. Strike that. As soon as he had sex with her. Then it went all downhill from there. He spent all his free time (which seemed to be a lot) in bed with her. People were starting to comment on it. I kinda wanted to shake him and say “Dude, it can’t be that good.” But since it is a book, I had to be satisfied with muttering to myself.

I will say that the sex scenes were scorching hot. The sparks between Hunter and Samantha were hard to ignore. I figured that they would have sex early in the book. But, they had hot sex every single time. Every single time. It was amazing that the author could keep that sexual attraction and tension up the entire book. I mean, with most books, they usually lost it after the first encounter. I also liked that there was a bit of voyeurism in this book. Hunter got caught watching his friend nail a chick outside his house. People kept walking in on Samantha and Hunter as they were messing around. That made the sex spicier and, dare I say, hotter?

The suspense angle was wonderfully written too. You knew who the major players were early in the book. But, what they were doing was kept under wraps until almost the end of the book. I was taken by surprise at what was going on. But, at the same time, I had no problem imagining what was going on actually happening in real life.

There are a few disturbing scenes that are later on in the book. There is an attempted rape (well, there was penetration with fingers. Is that considered rape?). It was graphic and disturbed me.

I didn’t like how the book ended. Not getting into it but I would be pissed if I was woken up and told that. Talk about rushing into something. Jeeze.

I would give One Tough Cowboy an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is violence. There is language. There are trigger warnings. They would be attempted rape, human trafficking, and domestic violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread One Tough Cowboy. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.