The Devil in the Saddle is a cute and endearing second chance at love romance.

Hallie Prince’s fiancé cheated on her right after she lost her father and discovered that her father had left the family with gambling burdens. Distraught over the betrayal, Hallie returns home to lick her wounds only to be caught off guard by her childhood friend Rafael.

Rafael is a retired Army Ranger who has returned home to assist is father with the Prince’s family ranch, Three Rivers Ranch. Rafael has always been in love with Hallie since they grew up, but understands that he will always be the ranch hand and employee and not the social elite that Hallie deserves.

When things turn difficult Hallie turns to Rafael only to discover there could be more to their relationship then she ever could imagine, only to find Rafael taking one step forward to two steps back.

Now, the fun begins, with Hallie and Rafe both unequivocally draw to each other but knowing where they stand.

Lots of heart, some agonizing hurt and some fantastic chemistry makes The Devil in the Saddle a great cowboy contemporary romance.

I received this ARC copy of The Devil in the Saddle from Berkley Publishing Group. This is my honest and voluntary review.

One of my favorite types of romance, childhood friends to adult lovers. Julia London knows how to weave just enough comfortable history into steamy angst. Hallie grew up with a silver spoon in her mouth and Rafe, "the help". But people change just as much as situations do and we get to see over the course of this novel just how true that is. It's always refreshing to see a strong female lead, and the kind caring nature of her man Rafe. While sometimes frustrating to see how he kept his feelings buried, it was well worth the pay off in the end when they found each other and where they belonged.

I am really loving this series, and look forward to Nick's tale which is hinted at, at the end! Really enjoyed this novel and can't wait to devour the next one!

Princes of Texas Book Two.

Hallie Prince was devastated to find her fiance and best friend/maid-of-honor together soon before her wedding. When she tied one on and ended up by her car in her reception dress, Rafe Fontana found her and took care of her. The two have been friends since they were children, and Rafe has been in love with her almost as long. Now, Rafe is planning to finish his degree and move as far away from Hallie as he can. Hallie begins to see him in a new light, but Rafe is terrified that he is just her rebound.

If you wanted more from the Princes of Texas, this book delivers. Claudia and Dolly make appearances and add comic relief to the story.

This is book 2 in the Princes of Texas series and while you probably could read it as a standalone, I would read book 1 first so you not only understand how this book comes about but the things they speak of that happened in book 1. In this one we get Hallie Prince and Rafael (Rafe) Fontana's story. Rafe and Hallie have been best friends since they were kids. Hallie has called of her wedding and is feeling sorry for herself and the life she is living. Rafe is home to visit his parents while trying to get his own dreams to come to reality. And while home, he spends time with Hallie again and rescues her yet again.

I absolutely loved this one! Hallie is this young woman who is desperately trying to figure out what to do with her life in order to not only be happy but to figure out who she really is. Rafe is this beautiful man who is trying to make his own dreams happen while still keeping his heart intact. I really felt for them both but at the same time wanted to smack them sometimes to get them to wake up and understand that together they are not only perfect but strong and able to make both of their dreams come true! This book has a lot of funny parts but there are also parts that make you want to cry and parts that make you smile knowing that finally love wins! I loved it!! And after that little snippet in the back for the next one? I can't wait for that one!!

More drama with the Prince family! This time it's Hallie's turn, and her interactions with long-time friend Rafe Fontana. They've known each other for most of their lives, and now are dealing with real 'grown-up' feelings for each other. But their relationship is tinged by the fact that the Fontana family has worked for the Princes for many, many years, and now the Princes are dealing with somewhat reduced circumstances due to their late father's gambling problem. Rafe is afraid he can't take care of Hallie in the manner to which she's become accustomed, she can't convince him that she's not that person anymore. It's a great friends-to-lovers story. And as an added bonus, there's part of the next story, about Nick, at the end.







.

If you haven't yet started this series I have no clue why not. It's been so good so far. I love flawed families. I think because who's isn't? I don't want the perfect family all the time, sometimes I want to ones that are so messed up you wonder why they get up in the morning.

The Princes have whats called 'rich peoples problems'. At the moment they aren't as rich as they thought they were but they are also not poor either.

This is the second book in the Princes of Texas series and I just loved it. Maybe even more than the first book. I'm really not sure. In this one, Hallie has called off her wedding for good reasons. Even with those good reasons shes still very unhappy. Sad really. But who walks into her life and makes her happy but Rafe.

What I loved so much about this book is the fact that these two have been in love with each other for a very long time and one of them hasn't even realized it. That's Hallie by the way. I know, we are so used to the guy not know. Not in this case.

I did feel bad for Rafe because he knew he loved her and had to deal with her having a life that wasn't with him. Of course, he's the son of the help so how would these two ever really be able to fall in love.

You see touches of Hallie loving him too when you realize just how close they are. She talks to him a lot, he's there when she needs someone. She also sent him care packages when he was away for the military. He was often in her thoughts. Let she didn't know she was in love. This is the stuff that makes a good romance story.

When these two finally decide to get together neither family is happy about it. It's crazy that her family came around quicker than his. Silly how things like that work. There are a lots of ups and downs for them and at one point you wonder if it will ever happen then you remember this is a romance so there will be an HEA.

I'm so glad I took the time to read The Devil in the Saddle. I loved visiting with the Prince family. Mom and grandma will crack you up! I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Sometimes you just need a book to be good. You sit down, and you hope that the author knows what they’re doing because you’re too tired to make the effort to try and be entertained. You just want to be entertained and not end up mentally bracing yourself for the next dreadful line of dialogue like a parent clinging to the handle of the passenger door as their learning-to-drive-teenager takes a turn like a racecar driver in the family car. In case you haven’t caught on, ‘You’ means ‘Me’. But if it happens to be you, too, at any point, I can inform you that Julia London’s The Devil in the Saddle is quite good, if imperfect.

Hallie Prince is not “thirty, flirty, and thriving” to borrow a quote from the 2000s rom-com 13 Going On 30. Hallie is thirty, lost, and in a state of disarray, to such an alarming degree that I was embarrassed on behalf of the sisterhood when I first encountered her. She’s taken the abrupt end of her life plans very poorly. She’s dumped her fiancé after finding him “when he pile drove his body into” her bridesmaid (I first thought this was just some sort of farm term – Urban Dictionary informed me that “pile drive” is, in addition, a sexual position.). Her solution to all this is to take herself to the family ranch, which is floundering in the wake of the death of her cheating, gambling father. There’s also Rafe. The son of the ranch boss, he’s got plans to get out of town, but in the meantime, he offers to help Hallie get her act together in one small way:  he’ll teach her to run. Yes, it’s absurd, and Hallie’s brother points that out to her. But give “a lovesick cowboy” a break. He can’t be picky about how he steals time with the girl he loves (we learn he loves Hallie in chapter two), so he’s signed himself up.

I was worried at first. In chapter one, Hallie is in a hungover state, at a loss unless using reality TV or food or booze to cope, and angry at her fiancé and bridesmaid. It was all so stereotypical, and I feared the book’s humor might be in laughing at Hallie rather than with her. Luckily, that’s not the case. Yes, she does turn her bridal Instagram into an account called “the Deconstruction of a High-Society Wedding” in which she systematically blows up, breaks, or burns various paraphernalia from her wedding. But her main story arc, aside from falling in love (of course), is how she comes to find meaning in her life and identify her priorities, and she also displays a maturity, especially in how she finally deals with her ex, that I found refreshing.

Rafe Fontana is an unusual breed. I don’t know why this book is called The Devil in the Saddle because there’s nothing devilish about the man; he’s strong like an alpha, but with a beta’s quiet gentleness. He’s grown up in a family with a cancer-survivor mother, and an alcoholic brother, and he’s an enabler and caretaker at home and at work; a former Army ranger, he’s now trying to finish college in Texas (social work) and open a gym in Chicago to help underprivileged children. Rafe is “quietly, privately, and desperately in love with” Hallie, and I really liked that this was a romance where one of the people in the couple was emotionally invested from the start. When I think of other romances I’ve read where this is the case, a lot of them have the woman as being the one crazy for the guy, so it’s nice that in The Devil in the Saddle, it’s Rafe. I was always eager for the chapters told from his perspective.

The writing is smooth and rife with lots of Texas details. As someone who went to school in Texas and has family there, I appreciated that Ms. London clearly knows the state and didn’t just pick it as a setting BECAUSE COWBOYS. She doesn’t get caught up in any wealth fantasies or employer/employee fantasies either. There’s no whitewashing here about the relationship between the Princes and the people they employ; when Rafe’s mother tells Hallie that “We’re family”, Rafe thinks “Well, that was a stretch, and judging by the look on his father’s face, he thought so, too.”

Overall, I had a good enough reading experience that I looked up the other books in the series about Hallie’s (male) siblings – The Charmer in Chaps and The Billionaire in Boots (to be released soon). If you’re looking for a romance read that is no frills in the best possible way – no attempts to be avant-garde – then The Devil in the Saddle is a safe bet.

Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
Visit our Amazon Storefront

The Devil in the Saddle (Princes of Texas, #2) by Julia London ...Another great book Julia.... Thanks to Julia, the publisher and #NetGalley for letting preview this book. This is a wonderful series but this book can be read as a stand alone if you have not read the first book... But I do suggest you read The Charmer in Chaps (The Princes of Texas Book 1). Hallie Prince (has her hangups ..failed ballerina, cheating now ex-finance, trying to find herself) Rafael "Rafe" Fontana (he has loved Hallie forever..but feels he is not good enough, ex-Ranger, wants to start a business with friends from service) The Prince family still working through the loss of their father and the fact that they are not as wealthy as they used to be. I love the interaction between Hallie's mother and her grandmother(her deceased father's mother). There is so much love, laughter, tears, angst and steam..lots of steam all leading to a very HEA. I am so looking forward to The Billionaire in Boots... Nick and Charlotte's story.

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

This is only my second Julia London read (and no, the first read was not the first in the Princes of Texas Series, however this did not affect my reading of book 2).

Hallie Prince is the princess of this family. However to me, for a lot of the first half of the book, I was more inclined to think spoiled brat. I found her quite unlikable for a long time, however she did get better as the book progressed.

Rafe, sometimes he annoyed me, but mostly I adored this guy. Even when I wanted to slap some sense into him lol

I did enjoy watching these best friends become more - slowly but surely anyway. Though there was a time or two where I wanted to bang their heads together and tell them to get their act together.

I don't think at all the Rafe was a "devil in the saddle" - he's way too good of a man to be a devil anywhere at all.

I will go back and read the first book, and want to read the next book in this series.

Hallie Prince thought she life all planned out with a high society wedding to become a doctor’s wife flitting through life as a social butterfly. As the only daughter of a wealthy ranching family, Hallie learned early on what was expected of her in that rarified atmosphere. After having given up her dream of being ballerina, Hallie pinned everything on this relationship. Everything comes crashing down when her fiancé turns out to be a lying cheater. Now Hallie is quite adrift at the family ranch burying her sorrows in ice cream and one particularly bad night, too much tequila.

Rafael Santana, whose father has worked at the Prince ranch his whole life, grew up with Hallie and in all that time, he secretly loved her. Rafael comes to Hallie’s rescue preventing her from driving drunk to go take a piece out of her ex. As Hallie comes out of her funk, she sees Rafe in a new light; however, she has a lot of angsty emotional mess to work through before they could ever be a reality as a couple. Rafe keeps focusing on their societal differences thinking that he could never provide Hallie with the lifestyle she is accustomed to from day one. While they keep bouncing off each other in a complicated dance, desire and strong emotions culminate in a steamy way.

Rafe has his own dreams of taking his newly minted degree in Social Work to help underprivileged kids with some army buddies, but that is proving to be a challenge coupled with some serious family problems, and then there is Hallie. There are several entertaining family members including Hallie’s irascible grandmother and domineering mother. Hallie and Rafe have some very major hurdles to overcome to realize that they are meant for each other. Some of the problems are their own blind-sided stubbornness and Hallie’s lack of emotional maturity. This book is the second in the Princes of Texas series, but can be read as a standalone, the first being The Charmer in Chaps.

Full review to be published online in late October.

The Devil In the Saddle and I have to say it was my favorite Julia London book ever. The 2nd in the Princes of Texas series’s the second book in Laura London’s new “Princes of Texas” series. Rafe and Hallie’s book was a heartwarming, romantic, and funny story. The book starts off with laughter at Hallie’s broken engagement and resulting reaction; then onto a friendship that has stood the test of time, and a long time secret love. I hated to see this story end, but know that it will continue into The Billionaire in Boots, Nick Prince’s story and I can’t wait. This is a must read book if you love Julia London or cowboy romances.

The Devil in the Saddle by Julia London is the 2nd book in her Princes of Texas series. Hallie Prince, our heroine, is a socialite daughter of the renowned Prince family, who in the first book lost their patriarch and the family has been living in hard times due the father’s gambling debts. Hallie recently broke off her engagement to her cheating ex fiancée, and has been totally in disarray, even drinking, which is not her norm. But when her best friend since childhood returns home, she immediately begins to perk up.

Rafe Fontana, our hero and an ex army ranger, returns to of Cimarron County and the Three Rivers Ranch, where his father helps run the Prince ranch. He runs into Hallie, who happily embraces Rafe, but he has a secret he will never tell her…he has always been in love with her. Rafe is a gorgeous hunk, with a smile that would melt anyone; but Hallie has always looked at him just as a friend. But now that she has broken off her engagement, she has begun to look at Rafe in a different light. Rafe enjoys being with Hallie, but plans to leave for a new business in Chicago; as he cannot stay near her, knowing that he loves her, and feels he is beneath her.

Hallie was a bit spoiled early on, but she was also a riot, especially when she puts on Instagram pictures of her destroying her wedding invitations, gown, shoes, etc. It becomes a very popular site, and also brings back her ex trying to win her back. But once cheated on, Hallie will never take him back. Hallie is determined to find herself, and along the way she totally changes, and embarks on possibility resuming her ballerina dance lessons to start her own business in training children. When she starts to feel the strong attraction to Rafe, they will both eventually succumb to their feelings, but she doesn’t understand why Rafe pulls away.

What follows was a sweet, heartwarming, fun romance between two people destined to live other lives. Hallie and Rafe were a great couple, and their chemistry was hot. Throughout the story though, we didn’t see any chance for them to find a way to stay together, but fate always wins. Rafe was a wonderful hero, always there for Hallie, even if he felt she deserved better. It was great to see Hallie begin to change and discover what she has been missing is right in front of her. Will the two find a way to stay together?

The Devil in the Saddle (why that title??) was a perfect small town romance that Julia London does so well. I suggest you read this series, and start with the first book, The Charmer in Chaps.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. The Devil in the Saddle is the second book in Julia London’s contemporary cowboy series The Princes of Texas. Hallie Prince is at a crossroads with plans for the wedding of the year in ruin after she catches her fiancé in bed with her bridesmaid while still grieving the the loss of her father. She feels like a failure at everything she’s attempted and is unsure of what to do next. When her childhood best friend Rafe Fontana rescues her from a drunken disaster in the making she begins to see him in a new light, but Rafe has a secret and plans that will take him away from Texas to Chicago. I enjoyed this story with it’s theme of starting over and finding your dream and if things go well, love along the way. Medium Steam Publishing Date October 29, 2019.
#NetGalley #TheDevilInTheSaddle #JuliaLondon #BerkleyPublishingGroup #Bookstagram #CowboyRomance #ContemporaryRomance

We are back in Texas with the Princes. They are a lovable family. This time we watch as Rafe and Hallie turn their childhood friendship into something more. But first we have to go through some things that happened in their lives as they figure things out. The families are there as usually to help. I absolutely love Dolly. Love this series!

There’s something about a friend to lovers romance that makes them my favorite. This is the story of Hallie and Rafe, childhood friends who grew up together amidst different backgrounds. I genuinely liked both main characters and loved how their relationship grew throughout the story as well as themselves. It is the second book in a series and it was great to read about some of the previous book’s characters also so you could see how they were doing. I couldn’t put this book down and had a huge grin on my face for most of it. I will definitely be reading the next book in this series.

I really like how this story begins. Hallie, the only daughter of the rich ranching Prince family finds her fiance in bed with one of her bridesmaids. The wedding is cancelled but Hallie isn't dealing well. One evening when the family is away she gets drunk on tequila and longtime friend, ex-Army Ranger Rafe Fontana comes to her rescue and gets her back inside her house and into bed. Since Rafe has always loved Hallie I found this a very gentlemanly thing to do. This is a very interesting read. I didn't read the first book in the series, The Charmer in Chaps but plan to do so in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for a copy of this book to review! This book hooked me right from the start when Hallie (who is not a drinker and recently found her fiancée cheating on her) woke up hung over not remembering what happened the night before. The interaction between her and Rafe was hysterical. The story follows these childhood friends on their road to romance! I loved it and couldn’t put it down! It was a quick engaging read!

Book 2 in Julia London's Princes of Texas series was, as usual with her books, so entertaining. Scorned by her cheating fiance, Hallie Prince needs to find a different future for herself. Moving back to her family's ranch she confides in her life-long friend Rafe, whose family works for the Princes. Rafe, home from Afghanistan, is also trying to find what the future holds in store for him. Of course, both realize how much they've loved each other from childhood, but neither will come forward with the revelation. Rafe is especially hesitant because he is not on the social level of the Prince family. With Julia London's signature wit and compassion, The Devil in the Saddle is certainly a book that you can fall into an easy chair and read all afternoon. I'm looking forward to what the next Prince installment has to offer.
Thanks to Julia London, Berkley Books, and Netgalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

I read The Devil in the Saddle, and this one was near and dear to my heart due to Rafe’s character.

Growing up with Mexican parents and the line between the workers and the boss was relatable. Love conquered over cultural and labor norms, a mix of John Thornton, Margaret Hale and Nicholas Higgins.   

We saw Rafe and Hallie’s mature and toil for their future in this book.  There is a lot of communication between the 2 main characters, so you get to know them well.

 Like always with Julia London’s there was smart comedic bantering. That is why I love her books.

 I have to say I loved this this book because you could feel the struggle during the growth not just with Hallie and Rafe but with their extended family. Strong are the connections we have with those we grew up with.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to book 3 of the series.

I love all of Julia’s books because of the way she writes the story starts right away and you can get straight to it .Hallie and Rafe’s story was up and down, best of friends but wanted more and just couldn’t find a way round it . I Enjoyed reading how . I do recommend reading this book as the story is lovely, don’t let the title put you off if you are not into cowboy stories Rafe is not really a cowboy at least I didn’t think he was and he was more of a saint than a sinner .