Ella Kendall has inherited a rundown house from her grandmother. She loves having her own place. She wants to belong. I was touched by her desire to belong. She hides her feelings and emotions. Being in the foster system taught her to hide her heart. She's such a wonderful person. The way she cares for the abandoned animals made me feel good. When she runs into her high school crush Luca Prince. I had to laugh. The wealthy playboy doesn't know how to handle the fiery Ella. She won't let him know that he flusters her. He's Texas Royalty. At first glance he seems to be a flirt with no purpose, but Julia London skillfully reveals an insecure man. He suffers from a learning disability that is a well guarded secret. My heart broke as he struggled to conquer his issues. His dreams were amazing. I hoped that he wouldn't let others crush them. . Charmer In Chaps was an uplifting story. Watching Ella and Luca grow close was sweet and romantic. I connected with the characters. I cared for them. The dialogue sparkled. It was sharp and sassy. I couldn't put this book down. It's a wonderful start to this new series, The Princes Of Texas. I can't wait for the next book.
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.

This book has all the feels for me. I’ve been reading Ms. London since her Harlequin days and in my opinion, this is a start to one of her best series. Of course, I don’t really read her historicals, so I can only compare this to her other contemporaries. One of my all-time favorite series that any author has ever written is her Thrillseekers but then that’s just me.
I live in Texas, so the setting and Luca’s story about the land, is powerful and relevant. I could also see the resistance from his family, too. Most rich ranchers don’t want people to know that they are in dire straights when it comes to money. Trust me on this. You wouldn’t believe the huge ranches in Texas that are basically bankrupt but since we are dealing with old money, the resistance for help just isn’t there. They don’t want people to know that the land has been over ranched and depleted of its natural resources. This is what Luca wants to do. Find solutions to the problems that not only his family ranch has endured but to all the others in Texas.
One problem and it’s a biggie. And no, I’m not going to say what it is but my heart broke for Luca. I can’t even imagine what it was like growing up with that secret. And then to have the town bully, Blake, the town sheriff never let you forget it. What was heartwarming was when Luca did tell Ella and she didn’t even bat an eyelash over it. She was proud of him and it showed.
Ella is a tough nut to crack. At times, I really wanted to smack her for the walls that she had put up, but I could understand it at the same time. Her friend Stacy was a trip, but she was also holding Ella back from any true relationships. Stacy is the type of friend that is selfish and doesn’t realize what she is doing. I was truly happy when Stacy rode off in the sunset and I felt Ella’s loss, but it was necessary for any type of growth for Ella and her relationship with Luca.
The secondary characters in this book are fantastic. From Luca’s brother Nick and sister, Hallie. Dolly, his grandmother and Cordelia, his mother. Cordelia is such a strong name for his mother, but she is a hot mess in the book. At times, funny and other times, annoying. There is a bigger story arc that will play out in Hallie’s book, which is next and hopefully we will get Nick’s story sometime.
Overall, the romance is a slow build and sweet. They went to high school together and Hallie has never forgotten Luca. And that’s her biggest problem. She is still in love with him but doesn’t really know how to have a real relationship with anyone. Luca, on the other hand, has found his soulmate but he must climb her walls for her to be able to see that.
There really isn’t a villain in the story but Blake comes close. I’m glad that he finally got his comeuppance in the end and from an unlikely source. Unfortunately, it cost Luca in the end and I’m hoping for some resolution in the next book.
I can not recommend this book more highly. A sweet, sexy romance with real life problems that both Luca and Ella must overcome in the end. Ms. London has delivered her best story yet. A Western Contemporary Romance that is relatable, relevant and touching.

This is book 1 in the Princes of Texas series. In it we meet Luca Prince and Ella Kendall. Luca has a dream that he is attempting to follow but he has to make a few things happen before he can realize his dreams. And part of that is trying to incorporate some property that is owned by Ella into the property left to him by his father. Ella has inherited the house and property and has decided it is time for her to finally have her own dreams realized. And that is having a permanent home after being raised in foster care. What she doesn't want or need is a player, especially one who doesn't remember that he has already met her. But what neither realize, is that them meeting again and getting to know each other might be what they both need in order to make their dreams a reality.

I absolutely loved this book! I wasn't too sure when I first started it because Luca seemed like he was too much of a ladies man. I usually don't like men like that, they put me off. But reading about his own personal growth and how he and Ella come together? I loved it! Luca has some issues but he is finally working on changing those issues and dealing with the things he didn't think he could change. Ella has so many different issues due to her childhood, and I don't blame her a bit. But the fact that she knows she does, and actively decides not to let them hold her back any longer? I absolutely love that! The side characters are excellent as well! I can't wait for Hallie's book next! Perfect way to start a series for me!

For a rich boy/poor girl story this book had a lot of depth in both characters. Luca' with his struggles regarding his learning disability and Ella being in the foster care system really touched me. What I didn't like was Ella's childhood/foster care friend, there is no way to like this character. It' was all about her and she continually put Ella down, but always said it was for her own good. If Stacy were to get her own story I would not read it, that's how much I disliked that character. With that said it was a sweet, sexy & sometimes funny read.

The Charmer in Chaps is a sweet and endearing romance that is sure to past the test of time.

Ella is an accountant that has struggled with her beginnings in the foster care system. She is pulled back to Cimarron County when she is told that her biological grandmother has left her her run down farm in her will. Ella jumps at a chance to have something of her own and goes back to Cimarron, only to discover that the farm is inhabited by a rag tag collection of misfit animals, the house is in worse condition then she thought and she doesn’t have enough clients to support herself so she takes a job hostessing at the local restaurant.

On her way into town, Ella’s car breaks down for the umpteenth time, bringing her high school crush, Luca back into her life. The only problem, even though Luca shamelessly flirts with Ella, he doesn’t remember Ella at all.

It all starts as some harmless attraction but for Luca it turns into so much more. He sees in Ella everything that he wants in life if he could just convince her he’s in it for the long hall.

The road is rocky, the family dynamics are unquestionable difficult and the collection of animals congregating on Ella’s property steal the show.

I received this ARC copy of The Charmer in Chaps from Berkley Publishing Group. This is my honest and voluntary review. The Charmer in Chaps is set for publication May 7, 2019.

My Rating: 4 stars
Written by: Julia London
Series: The Princes of Texas (Book 1)
Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN-10: 0451492358
ISBN-13: 978-0451492357
Genre: Western Romance

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Princes of Texas Book One.

Ella Kendall is given the chance to make a home for herself when her grandmother leaves Ella the deed to her childhood home. Since Ella grew up in the foster care system shortly after leaving that home, she truly values the idea of a home no one can take away from her so she jumps at this chance, even though the house needs a lot of work. When she runs into her high school crush, Luca Prince, and he doesn't even remember her, Ella is disheartened. However, over time Luca begins to hang around and the two grow closer. The relationship Ella has built with Luca is put in jeopardy when Ella's foster sister falls back into her old ways.

If you're looking for a story with family drama of all kinds, cowboys, and animals that won't take no for an answer, this book is for you.

What an appropriate title for the first in a new series by Julia London. I was definitely charmed by the lead male character, Luca, who at first may seem like an entitled rich Texas cowboy, but after getting further into his story, he is just like anyone else with self- esteem issues in their lives. Ella has been charmed by Luca since high school, although she believed him to be way out of her league, as she grew up in the foster care system. This was a very nice relationship to see grow.
Julia London always finds a way to make her stories relevant with what's going on in the world today while also bringing a smile to her readers.
Thanks to Berkley Publishing for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Luca Prince is a South Texas rich cowboy, or more correctly man as he is thirty, who has always seemed to be someone who was all hat and no cattle as we say in Texas. He has finally put away childish things to pursue a long held dream of making part of his family’s ranchland come alive again after years of environmental abuse. Along with starting to realize that goal, Luca meets Ella Kendall years after they graduated from school together and realizes she is someone he wants to get to know. Ella was raised in foster care and has made her own life successes with some serious hard work and determination. She lives in an old dilapidated farmhouse with property that is surrounded by the Princes’ thousands of acres. Ella had a crush on Luca back in the day and she vows not to fall for this womanizing pretty boy now.

Ella’s issues stem from her years of feeling abandoned and not in control of her life. Luca has much work to do in order to convince Ella of his sincerity and not be defined by a wicked reputation. Luca’s own surprising struggles have been kept hidden from most people and unsupported by his family. Since quite a bit of drama is also going on at the big ranch, complications are added to Luca and Ella’s attempt at a relationship. Ella really does not want her heart torn to pieces so she keeps Luca outside of her carefully constructed walls. Add to that, her best friend from foster care takes advantage of Ella to her detriment.

Being a Texan, it was fun for me to read about places I know and a landscape that may seem quite harsh at times, but has the potential for beauty especially after restoration of large ranch land areas despite years of abuse and overuse. The manmade desert can bloom again; it takes a lot of courage and commitment by Luca to go against the standard practices to try and make things right. Luca and his very challenging family who put the fun in dysfunctional add a lot of color to the story. Ella has to decide whether she will risk it all to be with Luca and not miss her chance at love and happiness. This book is first in a series about the Princes of Texas.

I was kinda excited about this new series by Julia London. It looked slightly different than her usual stuff so I couldn't wait to try it. I was hard-pressed to remember if she's written about a cowboy before. I'd have to go look. Since I love me a good cowboy, I jumped right in.

As I mentioned, The Charmer in Chaps is the first book in the Princes of Texas series. I think the author did a wonderful job of setting up who everyone was and gave you enough about the upcoming characters to want more.

I will start off with the fact that this is one messed up family. You know they are going to make for good reading.

I think the way they treated Luca is close to neglect. Very bad parenting. I'll let you read for yourself to decide but I think you'll agree with me. You'll see how just because you are rich doesn't mean your life is wonderful. Crap happens no matter how much money you have.

I really liked Luca. Yes, he was a playboy who didn't take anything seriously or did he. He is full of layers that I'm not even sure we got to know about while reading this book. I think only Luca could fill us in on it all. I liked how he took charge of his life even when it wasn't the popular vote. At one point he no longer cares what others think and has to do what's right for him.

I enjoyed Ella but there are times when she got on my last nerve. She let everyone influence her and even sometimes talk down to her. She had very little confidence in herself and it was reflected in her character. There are times I want to shake her. Yes she came from a sad beginning and you sometimes have the be there for those who were there for you but you can't use them as an excuse not to really live. Their actions made it easier for her to disconnect.

I might have has some issues with her but I did like her and her tiny animal haven. She's a good person who's loyal to those who don't always deserve it.

As a whole, this was a great start to this new series. I can't wait for Luca's brother and sisters stories and what is going to happen with the half brother. I also want more of the grandma and mother even though I'm not always happy with the mom.

I received a copy of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. A Charmer in Chaps is the first book in Julia London’s excellent new series The Princes of Texas. On the surface Luca Prince would seem to have everything going for him, wealth, charm and good look and while his family is slightly dysfunctional he’s never doubted their love for him. He’s been hiding a secret though .... because of his dyslexia he’s never learned to read and so now at the age of 30 he’s taking reading lessons in order to be able to pursue his passion in land conservation. Ella Kendall spent her youth bouncing from one foster home to the next, she’s living in the ramshackle farmhouse she inherited from her grandmother along with a bit of a menagerie that came with the house. Working two jobs and struggling to start up her own accounting business she’s barely making ends meet. When her disaster of a car breaks down and Luca rides up and offers to help her heart sinks right down to the bottom of the winter boots she unthinkingly put on to run out to hardware store in order to fix her broken kitchen sink ... because Luca Prince star of all her high school fantasies doesn’t even recognize her. This is a lovely modern day cowboy take on the Cinderella fairytale, a delightful escape of a read that I enjoyed very much. Medium Steam. Publishing Date May 7. #NetGalley #TheCharmerInChaps #JuliaLondon #BerkleyPublishingGroup

I had read several of Julia’s highlander books, so I was pretty intrigued at what a cowboy story from her would look like.

I loved Ella and Luca. They’re both genuinely good people and more alike then they know. I enjoyed their playfulness and their conversations and how the relationship grew into something more naturally. There’s a pretty good base of characters here and some of them stole the show {Grandma Dolly, I’m looking at you}. Hopefully we’ll get to see more of them in the future.

Plot wise it was okay? There were a lot a lot a lot of threads and I’m not sure all of them were needed. The pages and pages of inner monologue was sort of dense to get through, but the dialogue always made up for it. I guess I just wanted scenes with Ella and Luca and I wasn’t really invested in everything that happened around them.

Overall, it was the two main characters that kept me reading. They were so easy to root for and I can’t wait to see them in cameos for the next book.

FYI: talk of rape, forceful grabbing, sexual assault. {There are no scenes of any of it, but something happens off the page.}

**Huge thanks to Berkley for providing the arc free of charge**

I have never read any of Julia’s books before and I sincerely loved it. Ella is tough but sensitive and she is determined to make this rundown house she inherited from her grandmother work. She is trying really hard to survive so when her high school crush rides up on a horse she doesn’t think she can breathe never mind survive, but he doesn’t remember her.
Luca has the world at his feet and his family has more money than they know what to do with but he doesn’t care. Luca wants to return the land to what it once was and he is trying to drum up donations but when checking out the land he runs into one of the most beautiful souls he has ever met but she refuses to acknowledge him. When Luca finally corners her he finds out she is the girl from high school all those years ago but she has such high walls built around her he may never get in.
This story deals with insecurities in both Luca and Ella and to see how they both handle them completely differently. It was nice to see that the bad boy wasn’t really so bad he just needed someone to believe in him.

I am a newbie to Julia London, but no more! I absolutely loved this book! The Charmer in Chaps is hilarious (Luca's mother and grandmother especially), honest, sexy, and romantic. Regardless of how things were growing up, we all had that one guy that was our vision of perfection, right? Twelve years after Luca randomly kisses Ella at prom, they meet again when she moves back home to inherit her grandmother's crumbling house. She snubs him at first, mortified that he doesn't remember her, but once he realizes she's not falling at his feet like other women, he's a goner and finds himself sharing more with her than he ever imagined.

I'm going to start with the only thing I didn't like about this book - Ella's oldest friend and fellow foster child, Stacy. I've thought about this a lot during and after reading but honestly, she had no redeeming qualities, brought Ella down, and was just awful. I tried to put myself in her shoes regarding the foster care life, but being a child of a parent that grew up in foster care, I don't buy it. She was just a shitty person. Selfish, immature, killer of joy, thief, etc... Shall I go on? No.

Moving on, besides Stacy, I loved every other character. Even the horrible Sherriff, Blake, was a well-written character, despite his sleaze factor. Ella was amazing, as was Luca, and as I stated before, Luca's mother and grandmother were fantastic! London's realistic characterization was fabulous and left me longing to lounge around the tombstone with the mom and Grandma!

But I can't help but saying that one of the things I loved most was Ella's random animals that ended up at her house, followed her, etc. I mean, I LOVED this part of the story!

So many important issues were covered in this book ranging from foster care to environmental concerns to dyslexia to death. I applaud Julia London for tackling such difficult issues with grace, respect, and above all - amazing humor! I am truly overwhelmed at the incredible balance within this novel. It's hilarious, sexy, frustrating, and socially relevant all at once.

I adored The Charmer in Chaps and hate that I didn't get to this one sooner, however, it comes out next month and is certainly not a book to miss. This novel made me laugh, made me crazy, and made my heart swoon all at once. This is a must-read for anyone that loves romance, family drama, overcoming insecurities, and especially, anyone that has ever lived in a fixer-upper.

Julia London, I am now your biggest fan!

I am not really into westerner books. I gave this one a chance and I liked it, but this genre is just not me. I think people who like this genre will enjoy this book.

This book takes place in Three Rivers, Texas. The Prince family are prominient landowners and do a lot for the community. Luca Prince, younger son, twin, dyslexic who barely made it thru high school, couldn't read, and wanted to be an enviromentalist, turning the land back to nature. Ella Kendall., a foster care child who's Mother is in prison for murder, had a major crush on Luca in high school, worked several jobs to graduate from college as an accountant, and returns to town when she inherits her grandmother's house in the middle of the land Luca inherits upon his Father's death. This is their story. Intertwining lessons and morals are learned in this entertaining book about this couple. Without any spoilers, I highly recommend this book. It is well-written and highly entertaining. I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read more about the Princes.

In THE CHARMER IN CHAPS, author Julia London offers her fresh, modern take on the classic Cinderella story. Luca Prince is born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Ella Kendall grew up in foster care.

In London’s version, however, our Cinderella story is no fairy tale where the prince sweeps in and saves the poor, abused young lady. In THE CHARMER IN CHAPS, Ella is working hard to save herself by changing the path of her life. Luca, meanwhile, has his own struggles.

The best part of this book, in my opinion, is the fact that our charmed Prince and our wrong-side-of-the-tracks Ella have much more in common than Ella, especially, ever thought. (And one of my greatest chuckles while reading the book came on the first page where author London uses “crusher” and “crushee” in the same paragraph. Priceless!)

Julia London is one of my favorite authors, no matter what time period she sets her books. THE CHARMER IN CHAPS is a delightful start to her new The Princes of Texas series.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ever read a book and that makes you feel like you really know the characters? Well this is that book. It reads like your living their lives right there with them. I loved it! Luca Prince, enough said. Luca and Ella were so not what the other expected. Luca was so perfectly imperfect that your heart just melts. Ella had a tough upbringing and lots of self-worth issues, but you get it. Together they were super hot and surprisingly funny. Great supporting cast of friends and family that leave you wanting to hear more about the Princes and the people they interact with. I really enjoyed this book and am excited to see the next Prince family member to find their happy ending.

The Charmer in Chaps (Princes of Texas #1) by Julia London .. This is the first book in a new series PRINCES OF TEXAS by Julia London.. Thanks to her, the publisher and #NetGalley for allowing me to preview this book. This is Lucas and Ella's story... they each have their problems to get over... she has crushed on him since high school ..she was a foster child and is trying to make ends meet ..he is good looking and rich. This story has laughs, tears, angst, problems to solve, interesting family to meet and steamy sex all getting us to a very HEA. I enjoyed this story and can't wait for the next book THE DEVIL IN THE SADDLE...

Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Funny Happily Ever After Wonderful characters Easy-to-read Steamy Great world building Romantic Page-turner Entertaining

This first book in Julia London’s new series is all about perceptions, and how what you think you know based on what you see, may not necessarily be the truth. From the rich family that has it “all”, the woman who grew up in foster care (and worked her way thru college), the sheriff who is a bully and predator, all are seen thru a lens of ones own experiences. Yes, it is a wonderful, feel good, romance, but it is so much more. Read it and let it live with you even after you finish it, as it has done with me.

Julia London's newest series lands us in Texas, where we meet Ella and Luca. Both have overcome a lot in their lives - one living what appears to be a charmed life while the other is battling their way to respectability. And the obstacle now is each other. A wonderful read with a great cast of human and animal characters.

Thank you to the author and Berkeley Publishing for the chance to read an advanced copy in exchange for review.