When Hunter and Sam were young, she would follow him around and cause trouble, but her family moved away before anything developed between them. Years later the death of Sam's aunt brings her back to the sleepy little town, to find out that Hunter is now the Sheriff. Hunter can't believe that his little "pixie pest" has grown up to be a beautiful woman who is a cop in Detroit. It doesn't take long before the chemistry between them lands them in bed together. With Hunter and Sam investigating the 3 specious deaths in their sleepy little town will they be safe?

Holy crap is this book scorching hot! Plus the mystery of the 3 deaths had me on the edge of my seat and turning the pages. But the title confused me ... the cowboy part. Sure Hunter inherited his uncle's ranch ... but through the whole book, he only went there once. There were hired cowboys that actually ran the ranch because Hunter was the Sheriff. Anyway ... I can't wait for Jacob's book coming next!

I received an ARC courtesy of St. Marten's Press through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

I am knew to both of these authors and I must say I really enjoyed this book. Samantha and Hunter are one hot pair. I liked the story line from beginning to end and romantic suspense is a favorite trope of mine. This story pulls you in from the very beginning. There is definitely something going on in this small town and both Samantha and Hunter will stop at nothing to figure it out. It doesn't hurt along the way that the chemistry between these two can't help but heat up as they try and solve all the mystery of what is going on. I really liked this story and can't wait to see what the next book in the series is going to be about. Wonder ending!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of One Tough Cowboy by Lora Leigh and Veronica Chadwick that I read and reviewed.
All I can say is this book was HOT HOT HOT. If you are offended by explicit sex and vulgur language about women’s body parts this book is not a book for you but if you enjoy an xrated book with a mystery thrown in this one could be right up your alley.
Overall, this book was filled with sex and murder. The characters were sizzling the pages and when they could keep their hands off each other they were solving the murder of three people in their town.
Overall, the book was pretty good so I am going to give it four out of five stars.

I really wanted to love this book, and there are parts of it that I greatly enjoyed. The sex scenes were about as hot as they come (hehe) and there were certainly plenty of them. Hunter and Sam are well-developed characters who are just right for each other, and the action/suspense part was nicely paced.

However, having grown up in the general area in which the story takes place, I just couldn't get past my frustration with all the errors relating to the region's geography and political structure. I read something that suggested this book was originally set in Tennessee; if true, that would explain all the inconsistencies that I found, as there's a world of difference between Tennessee and Northern California. Cowboys and small-town rednecks are the same, though, so the character-driven parts of the story were just fine. If I wasn't so familiar with the Northern California setting, the rest of it probably wouldn't have bothered me.

I did love the HEA and the way Hunter went about securing it. It was a move completely in line with his and Sam's personalities, and it was perfect. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

One Tough Cowboy is the first book in Lora Leigh and Veronica Chadwick's new series, Moving Violations. The story introduces readers to Samantha, a Detroit police officer that finds herself heading back to her hometown of Deerhaven after the death of her aunt. There, she's thrust into a building mystery surrounding multiple deaths in the town. Which leads her to the towns Sheriff, the boy she had the biggest crush on when she was younger, who is definitely all man now.

Hunter and Samantha had an almost instant, and undeniably electric, connection once they were back in the same town together, which was really fun to read about. Their characters easily shared the spotlight with the mystery going on and I thought the authors did a good job of on the character development throughout the story.

I don't even know the best way to describe this book, and that's honestly an amazing thing. It had the thrill of a brilliant romantic suspense book, with a great deal of steaminess and the sweetest moments between Hunter and Sam. I just loved that everything blended together so well to make such a captivating story.

Bottom line, I loved the crazy ride that this book took me on. I was completely enthralled with the story and once I started and it had me ignoring everything as I read.

Great suspenseful story with smoking hot sex. Oh, and there's a hunky cowboy sheriff involved. What more need I say?

When three close life-long friends have separate "accidental deaths", the local Sheriff is determined to get to the bottom of what's happening. One of the deaths is his Uncle, and another is the Aunt of the young girl that grew up driving him crazy.
From nearly the start of the story, you're thrown into a murder mystery that you can't put down until it's solved. I enjoyed the chemistry between the characters after they reconnect years later, especially now that they're both adults. With dynamic characters that'll keep you entertained and a enough twists to keep you guessing, this book has just the right amount of romance and mystery. Definitely a story I wouldn't mind revisiting again in the future!

Sensual!!! Sizzling!!!
Two main characters get reacquainted after
years apart. Steamy and suspenseful action
packed, fast moving romantic suspense.
Her Aunt Dottie dies bringing Samantha Ryder,
a police detective in Detroit back to the town
where she lived for awhile when young.
Hunter Steele is the Sheriff in Deerhaven,
California. His family runs the Steele Spur
Ranch.
Three deaths have occurred recently in the
town; the mayor’s wife, the former sheriff
and a longtime friend of theirs. To Hunter
they are all suspicious.
The characters are vivid, very colorful,
well define, artfully creative and extremely
interesting.
The plot includes murder,drug running,sex
trafficking and terrorists. All these are being
run by corrupt officials.
There is plenty of tens, drama, thrills & chills
adding to the suspense.
I volunteered to read One Tough Cowboy.
Thanks to Net Gallery andSt Martin’s Press
representative, Natalie Tsay for the opportunity.
My opinion is my own.

Lora Leigh can certainly right a hot, steamy romance. I enjoy reading books set in small towns, with all their quirks. Hunter and Samantha were childhood friends with Hunter acting as trouble-prone Sam's protector more often than not. Until Sam's family moves away and break their connection. When a family tragedy brings Samantha back to the small town, their juvenile connection springs to full-blown adult attraction. Add in dirty cops, corrupt politician, busybody town folk, and a dangerous criminal element and you have all the necessary ingredients for an entertaining read. Samantha is a strong female character but is far from perfect. Hunter is a full alpha male but willing to do whatever it takes to keep Samantha happy and safe. The story felt rushed at the end and the couple indulges in far too many sexcapades while on stake-out in my opinion, but otherwise, this is a fun read with an interesting twist at the end. I look forward to reading more stories set in this world.

I tried to get into this story, I really did, but it was just too much of a mess. While I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this one, I will not be reviewing this anywhere but on Netgalley.

SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW

This book was a hot mess. That's literally the only way I can describe this one. The blurb makes this story sound like it will be a sexy small town, second chance romance that reunites childhood sweethearts with a dash of mystery. What this book is is a hot mess of sex scenes, and very little plot. Describing Sam as Hunter's “childhood sweetheart” in the blurb is HIGHLY misleading and disturbing. She was twelve, he was an twenty when she moved away. Their childhood “friendship” was weird enough without throwing in the words “childhood sweethearts.”

Reasons I could not finish this book:

* The bizarre relationship between the main characters wherein Sam basically stalked and harassed Hunter's girlfriends when she was a child and he was an adult but they just fall into bed immediately upon reacquainting years later while investigating the deaths of their loved ones. Because to Hunter, nothing is sexier than a pre-teen girl bullying grown women, apparently? That adult-Sam was still proud of bullying his girlfriends was one of the things I disliked most about her.

* Sam was obnoxious. She had mood swings that gave me whiplash and made me want to kick her. Hard. She went from sexing Hunter up to calling him a misogynist for being angry that she inserted herself into his crime scene after being told explicitly to stay out of it. Crying misogyny here was pathetic. But don't worry y'all, he's not too sexist for her to resist getting jiggy with him in his office the next day. With other people in the building.

* Poorly-researched law enforcement background/situations. Sam can't just be hired by the mayor without going through formal channels – especially since she already has a job out of state. Sheriff's are voted in, not hired. Hunter has the power and just cause to fire the two deputies. A little bit of research would have helped this book tremendously.

* A crap ton of over the top, eye-roll-worthy coincidences. While I'm all for a little bit of suspended reality, the idea that this specific little town in California and Detroit are the kinds of places that would be tied together by terrorism (Arabic terrorists of course, not domestic) and human trafficking is just beyond ridiculous. Not to mention all of the things that were in play with trying to crack the secrets. It was all just way too convoluted. (I skipped ahead to find out what was going on in the town. Kinda sorry I did.)

* SO. MUCH. SEX. I like sex in a book, but this book was literally nothing but cussing, coincidences and copulating. INCLUDING a sex scene almost immediately following a disgustingly graphic attempted rape scene. If these two “top cops” weren't having sex, they were thinking about it. Yeah, there's people dying and bad, bad things happening all around them, but the sex is what matters to these two ace detectives. I mean, what's a stakeout without sex? I'm pretty sure that's how it's taught at the police academy.

I tried to read this book, I honestly did, but it just got worse and worse. Life is too short to read a book that is so bad. I will steer clear of both of these authors from here on out.

Cowboy loving and romantic suspense. This book has it all. Hot cowboy sheriff falls for a pest from the past. Sam has grown up and she is smart and sassy and she hits all the buttons for Hunter. This is a sharp and sexy story that will leave you limp. Bring on Jacob’s story.

Twists with a little bit of twisted. The chemistry between Sam and Hunter is undeniable. They practically singe the paper. It took me a little longer to read through this book, not really sure why. Sam and Hunter are immediately likeable, and from the get go, you can get a sense of who the smarmy players will be.

The story moved along wells lough, and the direction(s) that the story flows in is unpredictable and sometimes dark.

The main thing is that love, happiness, and justice prevail!

Lots to say here, and lots of skimmed reading. Multiple chapters on detailed bedroom antics was too much for me, skimmed almost three chapters. I don't mind a hot scene but it offered nothing for the story. I also have issues with the particular details concerning job titles and geography. I'm from Butte County, the story takes place near Oroville in the fictional town of Deerhaven, but the geographical details are wrong. Hunter is the Sheriff appointed apparently, however sheriff's are voted in not appointed and they work the county not one town. Technically, Hunter should have been town chief of police. The story started to get interesting in the last few chapters, almost didn't finish but I was committed to finding the answers. I was excited to get my copy through Netgalley, my rev given voluntarily. Not sure I will read the next one.

One Tough Cowboy is a collaborative effort by Lora Leigh and Veronica Chadwick as they begin a new series set in Deerhaven, California, a small mountain town in Butte County northeast of Sacramento. Sheriff Hunter Steele had been appointed by the governor, his Aunt Madeline, when the deceased sheriff, his Uncle Zachariah, met with a very suspicious hunting accident, considering Zachariah didn’t hunt.

Lillian Henderson, the mayor’s wife, met with a suspicious drowning accident, and Dorothea Coulter, a good friend of both Zachariah and Lillian, died from what the shady coroner is calling an accidental overdose of pain medication. Former Deerhaven resident Samantha Ryder has come home to Deerhaven for her Aunt Dorothea’s funeral and to settle her affairs.

Since moving away from Deerhaven when her father was transferred, Samantha has grown up in Detroit and is now on the Detroit police force. When she and Hunter meet again, the annoying little Pixie Pest he remembers is all grown up and the attraction between them is overwhelming. It is obvious that they both are nonbelievers as to the coroner’s reports concerning their loved ones demise and vow to work together to get to the bottom of whatever is going on in the forests, mines, and caves around their county.

This is a story braided with the need to determine what is happening in the hills of their county, who is responsible, and why their loved ones are dead, that is if the heat between them doesn’t get in the way. Samantha and Hunter have met their match in each other, in work and in life. While the sensual aspect sometimes oversteps the mystery aspect, I did enjoy this book. This was a good first entry and is recommended to those who follow this genre.

This is book 1 in the Moving Violations series and is about Samantha and Hunter. Hunter is the Sheriff in the small town that Samantha is originally from. She is back in town after her aunt passes away to take care of her estate. And to try to figure out what happened because she doesn't believe what she has been told. She and Hunter have known each other since she was a kid and she had made it her mission in life to drive him crazy. She knew at a young age that she wanted him but then life and her families choices got in the way. Hunter is back and is now the sheriff of their small town. He also knows something is wrong in the small county that they grew up in, but he feels like his whole department is against him and he has no help to figure out what is going on. He never expects to still feel the attraction to Sam that he does. And he surely doesn't expect for it to be mutual and to lead to the things it does. But now he not only has to figure out what is going on but keep her safe as well.

I really wanted to love this book but there were a few things that kinda threw me with it. It is definitely a good read and will draw you in quickly and make you want more when it's done. It just has some things that I questioned. Like the characters talk about being southern and how her southern accent is gone and she sounds more like a yankee now that she was in Michigan for so long. But the book is based in California. That is not the south. And it talks about her family moving up north when she was a child, but again, MI is not north of CA. It was things like that that threw me off while reading it. If you completely disregard that, the rest of the book was great! I liked the introduction to the characters, I liked the side characters and kind of hope that we can see books about them in the future. especially Jacob and the FBI agents! So on a whole it was a good read, just some minor inconsistencies that threw me off and make me go wait, what? I would still recommend it and will be waiting for the next book!

One Tough Cowboy (Moving Violations #1) by Lora Leigh .. Thank you so much to the publisher and #NetGalley for letting me preview and review this book. Hunter(the sheriff...and always her protector) Samantha ( moved away at a young age...always thought of Hunter as her personal hero...Detroit cop) So much action and steamy sex...terror...laughter, tears, mystery and sometime a little hard to take...but it all gets us to a very HEA... I'm hoping we hear more from them in the next book.

Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Twisted Tear-jerker Happily Ever After Entertaining Scary Romantic Wonderful characters Action-packed Page-turner Steamy Unpredictable Funny

While I enjoyed the steamy aspects and unexpected mystery of this book, I did not like the attempted rape that was very graphically detailed. It was especially uncomfortable to read that and then read about Sam and Hunter having sex right after. Overall it was really hot and I enjoyed the chemistry between Sam and Hunter!

I’m a huge Lora Leigh & am glad I found this book. The sexual chemistry between Hunter & Samantha is explosive. I loved how Ms Leigh added the humour to the story with the history of Hunter & Sam (aka Pixie Pest), with Hunter being her hero & protector growing up. As well as her attempts to chase off his dates due to jealousy as a kid. Now they’re looking for answers in 3 deaths, 2 of them related to each of them. The number of suspects is growing, including 2 of Hunter’s deputies & the Mayor, as well as someone from Samantha’s past come to stake his claim again on her. The tension, the chemistry, the well written drama had me sitting on the edge of my seat. Definitely recommend.

Unfortunately, this did not work for me. I respect the authors and have read Lora Leight in the past, so I know I will read other books in the future.

My first thought when reading this book was ummm it is ok. The first half was slow and I caught myself loosing interest. That was my thought and not everyone will have the same opinion. Then, a little over the halfway point my thought was oh holy crap! I was then so drawn into the book that I wanted to keep reading, to not put it down. To say I was glad I kept on reading is an understatement. WOW! There are things that point to who the bad guys are (I really want to say something worse, but I will be nice) however I did not expect how things went down. No spoilers. I loved the ending and how things did play out.