I have a number of books by Lora Leigh in my TBR file. I heard they were racy. I love racy. So this one sounded just perfect to me. Who can resist a hot cowboy sheriff and a strong female cop? Not I. I jumped right in.

Hunter Steele was a sheriff in a small town where mysterious "accidents" were occurring and folks were acting mighty shady. Samantha returns home to that town after her beloved aunt dies; she believes there is no way her aunt had an accidental overdose. She is reunited with Hunter, who was her hero when she was a kid. Well, Sam is no longer a child. Sam is a cop back in Detroit, so she teams up with Hunter to investigate.

I really enjoyed the mystery and investigation. Then Sam and Hunter have sex. Again. And again. And again. Get the picture? Don't get me wrong; I love hot sexy times in my romance books. However, it got to the point that it started to get old. They were like manic bunnies! The investigation and mystery were totally overshadowed by the physical activities. The descriptions of bodily fluids got to be a bit much. Sometimes less is more. Hopefully the next book in the series will be heavier on plot and romance instead of sex.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

I wanted to love this one so much, and I did, up until near the end, which blindsided me a bit. I don't want to spoil anything but I will say some things that happen to the heroine toward the end of the book didn't sit right with me and knocked this from 3.5/4 Stars down to 3 Stars. Though I was stunned and saddened at the turn of events, it does still have an HEA, which saved it, in my opinion.

Hunter Steele is a small town sheriff in his home town in California. He took over the job from his uncle, who died under mysterious circumstances. He knows there are people in this town that don't want him there, and others who are actively involved in his uncle's, and a couple of others', deaths. He only has 1 deputy out of 3 that he can trust, the mayor is involved in the corruption up to his eyeballs, and Hunter's not sure how to continue his investigation. Things get even more complicated when another good friend of his uncle dies from a supposed accidental overdose, and it brings her niece back to town to settle her estate. He wasn't prepared to see her again after all these years, and she takes his breath away.

Samantha Ryder was still just a girl when she was forced by her father's new job to move out of her hometown, and into the big city of Detroit, Michigan. She grew up, and became a Detroit cop, but she never forgot her small hometown of Deerhaven, California, or her girlhood crush, Hunter Steele. When she has to return to town to settle her aunt's affairs, she lets Hunter know she's not buying the bizarre circumstances surrounding her aunt's "accidental overdose", and she's sticking around to get to the bottom of her aunt's murder. She's shocked by her still visceral attraction to the sexy sheriff and even more shocked when he seems to reciprocate it. But she's not a kid anymore, and she won't let him get away with distracting her, or trying to keep her away from her aunt's case. No matter how hot he is.

Sam and Hunter had a ton of red hot chemistry and they just couldn't keep away from each other. They were constantly falling into each other, even when it was an inopportune time or place. I enjoyed their passion for each other, and it helped to deepen their relationship more quickly. When Sam agrees to become a Deerhaven deputy and work for Hunter, she's afraid they'll have to leave their connection behind, but Hunter isn't having it. As they dig deeper into the conspiracy that is surrounding their town, they put themselves in even greater danger.

The suspense plot was decent, and it had me very intrigued, until a connection from Sam's past in Detroit became a part of it. That was a little too strange and coincidental to me. Also, what the bad guys were doing seemed to be a little disjointed. A lot of different elements with too many variables caused it to become pretty convoluted. Also, I feel I must give a trigger warning for sexual violence, most of which I felt was unnecessary, and over the top.

There seemed to be a lot of dropped threads in the story that bothered me as well. We didn't really get to see all the bad guys wrapped up to my satisfaction. It seemed rushed towards the end. Also, Hunter never did talk to Sam about his ex, or any of the circumstances involved in his divorce, even though she had heard some of it from people in town. Mostly, they hardly talked, even when they should, because they got distracted with their physical connection. It started to be a little much for me, when I felt they should finally be baring their souls to each other, but instead they just bared their bodies, AGAIN.

Overall, I enjoyed the story most of the book, until close to the end, and that just makes me sad. There was an epilogue, which did resurrect some of my good feelings about the story, but it was mostly a case of too little, too late. I typically enjoy this author, though I seem to enjoy her paranormal titles more than her contemporary romantic suspense ones.

Samantha was always the trouble making littler kid, who found herself fascinated by the older, protective Hunter. She wasn't surprised when she returns home to find Hunter a law man. But Samantha is also a police officer and very suspicious of her the circumstances surrounding her aunt's death. She doesn't know who she can trust.

Hunter knows that his home town is filled with corruption. He is doing everything in his power to dig it out and the last thing he needs is to put the hot little Samantha in harms way. But Samantha isn't going to be side lined.

One Touch Cowboy supplies a strong mystery with lots of hot and steamy. I have to admit, I was more for the story and less for the steam, finding myself skimming over the pages after pages of sex to get back to the heart of the mystery.

I received this copy of One Tough Cowboy from St. Martin's Press. This is my honest and voluntary review. One Tough Cowboy is set for publication Jan. 29, 2019.

My Rating: 4 stars
Written by: Lora Leigh and
Series: Moving Violations
Sequence in Series: Book 1
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publication Date: January 29, 2019
ISBN-10: 1250309484
ISBN-13: 978-1250309488
Genre: Contemporary Romance Western

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Ok, y'all know I have been a fan of Lora's writing for years, of course, I snagged this one once I had a chance and I'm so glad I did. This is a second chance romance and apparently, it's the start of a new series?? Heeyyyyy!!!

Let's look at the setup, Sam returned home to the small town that captured her heart. She's also back for the man she has idolized since she was younger. A veteran police officer in her adopted city she's visiting to put her grandmother to rest, and to carry out her will. I absolutely loved that Hutner and Sam had a history but were always 1 to 2 steps away from each other. Just a little out of sync. One of my fave lines was "Sam, we're in a cornfield right now". I cackled for a good fifteen minutes. They had good chemistry and flowed together well.

I was intrigued by the mystery of the town and wondering what the mayor was up to. I loved how the mystery behind the town drew Sam in and put her in the position of wondering if she should move back home. This also put her back in Hunter's crosshairs as they hadn't synced before and yet here they are now, she's grown and capable and they have the opportunity that they never had before.

I was horrified at the end during the woods scene because like Hunter I knew it would have broken Sam. The idea that people would be so careless and greedy is always so shocking (and yet if we only look to the news now we can tell this is something that really happens) . I have to say as the story unfolded and the villains became known, I had to wonder at people's motivations. I especially had to wonder about the people in each of their lives, like her ex showing up and putting himself in the mix of things and expecting her to be happy about it. UGhhh.

I want to know more about Hunter's mystery friend and his team especially the woman that gave Hunter the peep show. Cackling at that scene by the way.

A few cons I noted was each time that Sam started to show some skill as a police officer, to question things, Hunter shut her down by seducing her. Now I don't know if he meant to do that each time, but whenever they were alone and should be working on the case they just ended up having sex. It was erotic and steamy but at times I was like Right now?? You think right now is the time for this??

As erotica, it flowed well and was very erotic and kept you turning the pages to get to those scenes, however as erotica that's supposed to have a mystery suspense angle they spent way too much tie having sex (I Know shock I said that. Lmao). Lora herself has written the Breed series which balances this at times good and sometimes they end up like this where the story kind of gets buried beneath the romance and erotica aspects. I felt like necessary scenes were either too short or kind of rushed so that we could get back to the romance, and I wanted more of a balance. Don't get me wrong I still enjoyed the story and can't wait to see more from Hunter's friend, but I'm hoping there is more of a balance from the second novel.

Have you read it?? Let me know what you think in the comments down below.

★★★★☆

RECOMMENDATIONS

Sierra Cartwright's Danger Zone ( Contemporary- Military)
Lauren Dane's Undercover (Sci-Fi Erotica)
Kaitlyn O'Connor's Clone Wars: Armageddon (Sci Fi Erotica)
Forbidden Pleasure by Lora Leigh ( Contemporary Erotica-- Romantic Suspense)
Jory Strong's Inked Magic (Paranormal Suspense~~ Menage)

Happy Reading my loves,

One Tough Cowboy has the potential to be a romantic suspense that is both gritty and gripping. Add in a sexy, alpha male cowboy and this one should sizzle. Sadly, it doesn't. The story starts off well-enough with a handful of suspicious deaths, an old flame rekindled, and corruption in town government, but quickly snowballs into something else. The mystery is still there, but it's overrun by one long sex scene after another once Hunter and Samantha get together. I can understand a strong attraction, but considering the personal stake they each have in this case and that they're both law enforcement, I would've expected them to be able to focus on that at least some of the time. Instead, they act like teenagers who can't control their hormones. The steamy fun certainly has its place, and the authors certainly know their stuff in writing detailed, scorching hot scenes, but it just got to be too much. If only that talent for details had been applied to the actual story, this could've been a terrific read. We do get some moments with terrific banter, and I loved one particular part with Hunter solving a set of riddles, but there are just too many inconsistencies in the story. One such inconsistency lies in the setting. It is supposed to be a small town in California, but the vernacular and several descriptions just don't fit. So much so that I turned back through the book to make sure I remembered the setting correctly. It should also be noted that there is a particularly disturbing scene toward the end that could have and should have been handled much better. The list goes on, but suffice it to say that the cons far outweigh the pros here, at least for me.

Review: ONE TOUGH COWBOY by Lora Leigh & Veronica Chadwick https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-b0D
Publication Date: January 29, 2019
Genre: Western/ Contemporary Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated 4 Stars

This was a fast-paced story of intrigue and mystery, making you wonder who friend or foe was. Even when you knew who the bad guys were, it kept you reading to see how it played out. Hunter and Samantha were easy to get to know and had me invested in their future right away. Granted, Hunter got a bit smarmy later in the book with all his sexual innuendo. It seemed a bit excessive and out of character to me. As for the romance – it was red-hot sizzling. It’s a wonder they got any police work done. I think this book revolved more around their relationship than the dangerous mystery. I enjoyed it, but wish they spent more time on their non-bedroom working relationship. I look forward to the next installment in this new series.



*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

~*~*~*~
Kindle https://amzn.to/2CTU6tB

Samantha loved living in Deerhaven, California - not least because of her childhood crush, Hunter. She was the rebel who he seemed to be constantly saving. But she is all grown up now and after her aunt dies, she returns to Deerhaven and once again her heart lights up at Hunter. But she is a Detroit cop and he is the local sheriff - talk about match meet accelerant!

Hunter is wary of his little towns soaring murder rate - 3 murders in less than a year! When Sam crashes back into his life, he realises that the cute kid has morphed into a gorgeous woman. But he may be a little too long in the tooth for her. But with age comes experience - and well, let's just say this man has endurance!!!!

Unwelcome childhood memories, suspense, action, passion off the charts and all in all this was a great book. Please note that there may be a trigger for some readers #attempted sexual assault. Other than that the characters felt really fleshed out and the snarkiness between Hunter and Sam was fab! Hope there is not a huge wait for book 2!

One Tough Cowboy

***received an ARC in exchange for an honest review***

3 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I really wanted to like this book but it was a struggle for me to get through. The plot of the book was good and that’s what got me through it but i felt like i was continually missing important things. And when the two main characters got together it was fast and it seemed like it was hurried and not part of the flow of the book.

I have mixed feelings about this book. The chemistry between Hunter and Sam was there right from the beginning and I really loved their interactions together. But the storyline, just wasn't flowing for me as well as I wanted it to. I didn't like it that Sam was kind of a pushover - telling Hunter that she wanted to go slow, but then in the next scene they're having sex together. The sex scenes were super hot, but some of them happened at the weirdest times (also Hunter watching another couple having sex - kind of creepy). So overall I think it was a decent book, but it didn't really blow me away. **ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own**

Love the story setting. Love the story plot. Love the hero of the story, Hunter and his deputy, Shane. Love the state troopers and Hunter’s military buddy Jacob. The rest fell flat.

The relationship between Sam and Hunter should work. They had delightful, often hilarious, banter. Their interactions as children is an interesting back story. I just never felt the chemistry. Being as this is the first in a series I don’t want to straight out say there are holes in this story. There’s a slim chance certain things will become more clear in future books, but it’s doubtful since they are things very specific to the main characters of this story. The authors made the reason Sam’s family moved away from Deerhaven seem a bit mysterious, yet that was never any elaboration made on that subject. Things like that meant the story lost depth for me.

I also cannot say with 100% surety that neither author is from the Detroit area, but there’s quite a strong possibility that they’ve never even been there. I’ll be honest, I really didn’t understand why they used Detroit as the other city in this one until way later in the book. Trust me, it does end up making sense. But most of the thoughts of Detroit in this book are way off base. We do not, for the most part, dress up in more than nice jeans to go to a bar. We do not have, in any way, a proper or well-cultured voice. (In fact, we’re known for the way we drop sounds and turning two words into one such as yoosta = used to and we actually say Detroit with barely pronouncing that last T.) And it’s definitely very humid here in the summer. Having live in both California and Michigan, I can guarantee the humidity in the California mountains would have been a non-issue for Sam after years in Michigan. Can you tell this was a bone of contention for me?

I’m sure there Detroit stuff won’t bother anyone not from the Detroit area the way it bothers me. If this was my only issue, this story would get a higher rating from me. I’m nitpicky, but I’m not unreasonable. The lack of chemistry keeps me from making my rating any higher, though.

To be fair, the last couple of chapters of this story are intense. Once the suspenseful stuff starts happening, the authors really had me hooked into the story. I was on the edge of my seat. If there would have been more of that through the rest of the story, this would be rated higher. I must also say there is a HUGE trigger scene in this book and proceed with caution if that will be an issue for you. But it’s written with great skill. I’m not sure if I’ll look for the next book. Like I said in the beginning of this review, I love Shane, Jacob, and the troopers. While I’m curious for their stories, the lack of chemistry in this one gives me pause.

This one is a decent scorching hot read. I felt there were parts that didn't flow as easily as they could have and while I do enjoy sexy times in my stories there were times in this one that it just seemed odd that they would pick that moment to get busy. That said there is a lot of action and suspense to help pick up the story and keep it interesting. I enjoyed the characters and the relationship between Hunter and Samantha felt real and natural. One question I did have is about the title. What cowboy?? Still I'd recommend.

One Tough Cowboy by Lora Leigh; Veronica Chadwick is the First book in the Moving Violations Series. This is the story of Samantha and Hunter. Hunter used to look out for her and protect her when she was younger. So it was no surprise when learned he had become the sheriff of their town. But she was taken back by her feelings that still linger their for him and how attractive he has become. Hunter too is drawn back to Sam and the feelings of protectiveness that he has...along with other growing feelings. Besides the hot love story there is a underline suspense story.
Enjoyed their story!

I would definitely read more work with these to authors collaborating together. I enjoyed one tough cowboy suspenseful ,romantic and hot I highly recommend.

I received this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest opinion.

I have to admit, I was a bit leery about reading this book. I am a BIG fan of Ms. Leigh's "Breed" series and this is SUCH a big genre change! Since I love her writing in general, I had to read it. I totally APOLIGIZE Ms. Leigh, for ever having any doubts...you have slayed me once again!

Samantha moved away from town to Detroit right before he teen years due to a job change for her father. She hated leaving her home town and Hunter. Hunter was a bit older than her and he had become her protector from bullies and yes, even when she started the trouble. She idolized him, followed him around like his second skin and even ruined his young love life, LOL.

Samantha has now come home because a beloved Aunt has died. They claim the Aunt O.D'd on pain meds but she knows that can't be true and learns there were several other suspicious deaths in town also but since the Mayor, part of the police force and other officials are crooked she isn't getting the truth.

She comes home to discover Hunter is now the Sheriff and it is he that tells her all is not right in town but it is not something they can talk around because "the walls have ears". He and Sam, who is a cop in Detroit, go off where they can talk and Hunter tell her his suspicions but has no real proof. There is talk of child abductions/trading and even terrorism.

When Sam sees Hunter she realizes she still has feelings for him. Just being round him makes her mouth water and her lady bits tingle! Hunter is quite attracted to the woman Sam has become and sees she is still the feisty one she always was. Their relationship soon becomes physical and it is no going back for either of them!

Sam ends up transferring to town to work and other occurrences are happening making it hard to ignore and placing Sam and Hunter's life in danger. Can they discover the truth and end what could be danger for the entire country? And what does Tom, Sam's ex from Detroit have to do with all of this?

This story just built up so great! Bits and pieces would emerge that told you all was not well in town and had me trying to crack the case in my head, LOL. And the steam between Sam and Hunter??? OMG! Loved it! The evening I thought I would finish it...I kept nodding off because it was late and finally had to close it because I couldn't remember what I'd read and didn't want to miss a detail!

We meet some other very interesting characters in this book, can't wait to read about them!!

This is a must read!!

While growing up, Samantha always got in trouble just to be saved by Hunter. Then, her family moved out. She is working as a police officer. She learns that her aunt passed away and she has to go back to the place from her childhood. Hunter and Samantha meet again. Will they find out who is behind her aunt passing, or they meet her at the other side. Loved the story.

Hunter and Samantha find themselves face to face after not seeing each other for several years. She moved away with her family and only saw Hunter once when she came back to visit with her father at 17. She is now a police officer in Detroit and has come home after the suspicious death of her aunt. Hunter is now the sheriff and took over the position after the suspicious death of his uncle. They agree to work together to try and solve these murders.
Their chemistry was not to be denied, however, I could have done with a bit less of the sexiness and more of a believable interaction out of the bedroom between these 2. I had a hard time at one point in the book buying that while on a stakeout they wouldn't be totally professional about it. Did not buy the whole running around naked in the woods part either. They didn't know who was where but couldn't help themselves....not likely.
I also think there should be a trigger warning as parts of this book were not for the faint of heart. I didn't quite understand why that had to be put in the book, but it was so I think the authors should at least give a heads up for those who can't deal with those types of situations.
Overall a decent read but, again, too many times there were things that didn't seem believable.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

The first book in the Moving Violations series, One Tough Cowboy, is a steam, sex driven romance. I like the characters but did find sometime the sex disrupted the flow of the story. I love Lora Leigh and read everything she writes, and I will continue to do so but this one I have to say is not one of my favorites. I would still say recommend you pick it up and read it for yourself because it might just be the book you are looking for!

Samantha Ryder is strong, smart and funny person. She has a sense of loyalty. Don't mess with what is mine or the people I love. As a cop she has the wherewithal to go after you. Hunter Steele is the county sheriff. He is as honest is the day is long, a veteran and believes in protecting the people in his county. Trouble has come to Deerhaven and Samantha is back to find out what. happened to her aunt. That Hunter is the sheriff is a bonus. Sparks are flying and that school girl crush she had has morphed into something more. Fighting desire and trying to find the bad guys, is keeping her grounded. Who to trust? Hunter's military training is telling him there is a more to this situation. Can they both find them and survive? Hold on. This book is going to take you on a wild ride.

Samantha, a Detroit police officer returns to Deerhaven, California (small, rural Northern California) to bury her aunt. She runs into Hunter, the guy she pestered as a youth. Hunter is now the sheriff. Three people have recently mysteriously died. In a span of two weeks, Samantha starts having unprotected sex with Hunter, quits the police force in Michigan, moves to Deerhaven, joins the sheriff's department, totals a police cruiser on her first day on the job, and torches a human smuggling operation. An explanation for the three deaths is included in the story. Did I mention that Samantha was having unprotected sex with her boss, the sheriff?

TW for rape.
Problems with this book: 1) lack of use of condoms (not acceptable for a contemporary in 2019) 2) an officer involved shooting that will only affect the shooter for a day or two? I don’t buy this explanation. 3) she doesn’t trust him, but she keeps having unprotected sex with him? No. Just no. 4) I don’t think Northern California would refer to Detroit as “up north”. I find this wording suspicious. 5) Did I mention that Samantha was having unprotected sex with her boss, the sheriff?

Was this supposed to be a contemporary romance? Or a romantic suspense? The title would indicate that it is a western. It is not. This book was sex, sex, and then more sex up to the 60% mark. That was where the action begins. Interspersed between more sex. A sexual assault was also described. I don’t understand why this had to be included in the story. Did I mention that Samantha was having unprotected sex with her boss, the sheriff?

One Tough Cowboy is a perfect example of a typical Lora Leigh book with new, touches from a new author I have never read before Veronica Chadwick. Leigh is one of the best romance authors in the romance book world, she weaves beautiful stories together and somehow adds other elements to her stories and characters that keep me very invested. 

A lot of contemporary romance books tend to focus just on the romance and relationships of the couple in the book, which is fine for myself and many other readers but that doesn't always keep everyone interested. Don't get me wrong I like to read about a couple falling for one another and everything in between that occurs but it can become repetitive and dull. Leigh shines mainly because she has the ability to not only include romance within her books but also keep her readers hanging off each page. 

One Tough Cowboy is the story of Sam Ryder and Hunter Steele, two people who met at the wrong place time, go their separate ways but years later reunite under different circumstances. Sam is older, more mature and settled, she had no clue that Hunter would be so attractive to her now considering he's older and different than the old Hunter she used to know.  

When sudden deaths threaten the hometown they know and love they find themselves trying to solve the murders while also dealing with their reawakened attraction for one another. One Tough Cowboy by Lora Leigh and Veronica Chadwick is a great contemporary romance and suspense book that will leap off the page and right into your heart and bookshelf, One Tough Cowboy is a must read!