Audiobook Review of Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Gracie Snow and Bobby Tom Denton's book





Heaven, Texas

By Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Narrated by Anna Fields

Book Blurb:
It seems like an easy assignment for an assertive but sweet woman like Gracie Snow: track down her friend, Bobby Denton, a famous ex-jock, and bring him to Heaven (Texas, that is) to shoot a movie. How could he refuse a glamorous offer like that?

Easy, if you've got a big ego, a 1957 T-Bird and prefer cruising the highways for girls. And Bobby Tom isn't certain about being a movie star. Sure he's charismatic and good looking, but that doesn't mean he'll help out an overhearing Ohio wallflower.

But Bobby can't get Gracie, an angel, out of his mind. Why not head to Heaven and raise a little hell? Gracie can look out for the consequences. And chaos is sure to follow these two as they discover and delight in each other, a match made... in Heaven.

I love the characters that Susan Elizabeth Phillips creates. Yes they are awesome but they are also flawed. Bobby Tom is charming and sexy and oh so arrogant. I wanted to smack him upside the head a few times. Gracie is sweet and determined but stubborn to a fault. In fact that stubbornness made me dislike her on a few occasions. So clearly I had a love/hate relationship with this couple. 

Forced into an early football retirement due to a career ending knee injury, the former quarterback of the Chicago Stars really hasn't a clue what to do with his life. It seems like pretty much everyone who has ever met Bobby Tom wants a piece of him or a favour of some sort. I really felt for him. Taking an acting role for a Hollywood film wasn't really what he wanted but it helped him pass the time begrudgingly. 

Since Bobby Tom inadvertently got Gracie fired he devises a plan to rehire her but under the ruse that she is still employed by the film studio. Bobby Tom starts out thinking that Gracie is a bother, then he thinks she is kind of cute and after he arranges for her to get a makeover, she morphed into someone quite attractive that Bobby Tom can't seem to keep his hands off of. 

Gracie's personality and looks really mature within Heaven, Texas. She is a 30 yr old virgin, she is sexually frustrated and she just wants to lose her virgin status. She almost immediately falls in love with the handsome Bobby Tom and my favourite scene in the book is where she becomes completely drunk after three coolers and pretty much begs Bobby Tom to have sex with her. I was laughing out loud when she was crying to Bobby Tom's mother that her son was not a good man because he wouldn't have sex with her. I love a drunk and silly heroine. Always good for a laugh. 

I really loved listening to the story about these two. I laughed, got angry, gasped and all sorts of other emotions. I truly loved it but I will admit that Gracie's stubbornness made me quite angry at the end and it was almost like she was trying to be a misplaced martyr. Probably my least favourite part of the book and I was really worried that chapter was going to lose all the love I had gained for this couple. I have to say that it didn't ruin it but I was debating between a 4 and 5 rating. 

Teasers: cross country road trip, breast feeding film dilemma, excellent side story for Bobby Tom's mother, celebrity golf tournament

Love Letters: Volume 6 Cowboy Command 6 by various authors

Love Letters Cowboy Command
Volume 6

By: Maggie Wells, Ginny Glass, Emily Cale and Christina Thacher

Book Blurb:
These men know how to ride! Meet red-hot ranchers and captivating cowboys in five new short stories in Love Letters Volume 6: Cowboy's Command.

V Is for Vindicated by Maggie Wells
W Is for Wanted by Ginny Glass
X Is for XXX Ranch by Maggie Wells and Emily Cale
Y Is for Yearning by Christina Thacher
Z Is for Zeal by Emily Cale

Cowboy Command came into my TBR pile at a perfect time. I was so pinning for some cowboy loving stories. Love Letters: Volume 6 Cowboy Command did not disappoint. 

Broken up into different cowboy stories, this anthology started off with:

V Is for Vindicated by Maggie Wells
Barrel-racing queen Michelle Kelly likes to ride wild—but her old flame Cole Powell might have what it takes to rope the woman he loves once and for all.
Well vindication is exactly what Michelle got! 
I could totally feel how attracted Michelle was to Cole while she battled her emotions and maintained her cool around him. Very realistic and her feelings were captured perfectly. 
As it turned out Cole needed to tame his own emotions. 
I loved reading how these two reconnected and patched up their former fallout with some hot loving in the straw. 

I also completely loved that the author understood that the readers would know that the straw is not comfortable for laying around in naked and included that description in her story. For me, that just increased my love of the story. I appreciate when authors make fantasy stories as real as possible. 



W is for Wanted by Ginny Glass
When Samuel Thrasher is forced to return to his family's ranch, he doesn't want to revisit his past…except when it comes to Merrit Hightower, who's definitely not the innocent girl he left behind!
I didn't really care for Samuel at first. Although he was a young man at the time, I thought he took advantage of Merrit when he took her virginity and then left town. He knew he had done wrong by Merrit when is was taking every precaution to not run into her when he returned to town 15 years later. 
It was nice to read Samuel explain himself and finally have him figure out that Merrit was his soul mate. He was lucky that she was still available all these years later. I probably would not have been as understanding and would have required a lot more grovelling. 



X is XXX Ranch by Maggie Wells and Emily Cale
Jane Richardson is stunned to discover that the property she's inherited isn't the working ranch she imagined. Handsome neighbor Clive Boland offers to buy the XXX Ranch—and proposes more than just a business deal.
XXX Ranch would be a great full length novel. Even though it was a short story I felt that a lot of the back story was delivered and Jane and Clive's personalities clearly resonated off the pages. I loved XXX Ranch. 



Y is for Yearning by Christina Thatcher
Cowboy Ben Hastings is everything Diana wants in a man. He may be quiet, but their passion between the sheets is anything but. Yet making a place for her in his bed and life may be a challenge…
Yearning was great because it is very close to what I imagine a one night stand would be like. Girl likes boy, boy likes girl, they are attracted to each other and then they mutually create a hot memory. I actually would have been totally fine if that was how the story ended but being a romance, the author opted for the happily ever after. 


Z is for Zeal by Emily Cale
Rancher Aaron Lyons hates when tourists take over his local bar during rodeo week—until he meets Nathan Howell, and their encounter turns into a one-night stand neither of them will forget.
Zeal is a M/M story. I have read some really great M/M and I am a fan of the genre. I liked how the Aaron and Nathan became acquainted with each other because it was very realistic. They were two guys that were attracted to each other. It was very normal. I liked it. 

Short Rides by Lorelei James

Short Rides (Rough Riders book 14.5)

By Lorelei James 

Book Blurb:The stories included in the Short Rides anthology are:

King of Hearts* -- Deputy Cam McKay deals with a murder/suicide case on Valentine's Day.

Rough Road -- Chassie, Trevor and Edgard Glanzer spend a romantic weekend away from the ranch and kids celebrating their anniversary...only to return home to face their biggest challenge yet.

All Knocked Up -- Keely and Jack Donohue are having a baby. Given Keely's raging pregnancy hormones, will Jack need to wear a cup in the delivery room?

Lorelei James is an auto-buy author for me. I didn't even know what these stories were going to be about. All I knew was that Short Rides was a collection of updates from the Rough Rider series' characters. 'nough reason for me! 

What a treat it was to have updates regarding some of my favourite Rough Riders characters. These are not stand alone stories. In fact if you have not read the previous books, you would be lost. I look upon Short Rides as a gift from Lorelei James to her fans. She makes us all fall in love with her characters and that she takes time to write updated snippets is pure joy. 

King of Hearts - Cam and Domini's updates
Cam is one of the McKay brothers that are not ranchers. He is the area deputy and unfortunately his job often entails gruesome and unpleasant circumstances. King of Hearts allows the reader to peak into situations that Cam has to face and then follows up on how he in fact does deal with it. Cam and Domini have a brood of adopted children and I love how their stories always touch on the fact that adopted children are just as precious and loved as biological children.

Rough Road - Ed, Trevor and Chassie's update
Rough Road deals with the "gay" issue and the "perverted" lifestyle that the loving triad's children encounter. Now that their first son is in grade 1, he is now starting to get teased at school about having "faggot" fathers and an immoral home life. This story made me spitting mad. I loath "good Christian people" who hide behind their faith to dictate what should or should not be. The hurt. The pain. My heart was in my throat when other kids bullied their kids about something that they cannot control. 
In the end, Rough Road demonstrated how powerful a strong supportive family can be. I almost teared up at the end with happy tears. 

All Knocked Up - Keely and Jack's updates
Keely and Jack are one of my favourite couples. I LOVE the way they talk to each other. So real. Keely's smart ass mouth and with Jack never putting up with her shit makes this pair one of the most realistic couples I have read about. This story made me want to re-read All Jacked Up all over again. 
Keely and Jack have big news on the baby front. I was laughing at them and I was so pleased that I was not them. YIKES!
Once again, a heavy loving family message was at the fore front. 

1000 thank yous Lorelei James for these updates and if you continue to publish outstanding bits of updates like this grouping, you can be sure I'll be right there to snatch them up!

Nate by Beth Williamson

I reviewed my Twitter feed for a "New to Me" author for the month of March and I selected Beth Williamson. I selected Beth Williamson because she has nice Twitter presence (and by that I mean she doesn't bombard the feed with constant "buy my book" tweets). I love historical romances as well as cowboy books so I figured my decision was quite easy. Plus I already own a story of hers on my Kindle so that was a bonus. 

Nate Marchand and Elisa Taggert's book




Nate (Devil's on Horseback book 1)

By Beth Williamson

Book Blurb:Nate Marchand grew up as the only son of the town drunk. As a Confederate soldier, he found that order in the chaos was the only thing that kept him sane. Numbers, information, keeping everything in its proper place became second nature. The chaos of the war and its aftermath sent him into a rigid state that he couldn't seem to overcome.

He and his friends, nicknamed Devils on Horseback, leave behind the aftermath of war to start fresh in the west. Their new business venture flounders and desperation drives them to take whatever work they can. The Devils are hired to remove the Taggert family from land claimed by Samuel O'Shea, the largest landowner in Grayton, Texas.

When he meets Elisa Taggert, his entire world shifts beneath him. Attracted, bewildered, and off-kilter, Nate ignores his conscience in favor of his wallet. The simple task of removing a woman, a boy, and an old man, along with a small herd of cattle, resembles a Medieval siege.

I wanted to love this book, Nate. I really did. Nate just came across as a unmemorable story for me that lacked incentive for me to continue with reading the rest of the series. I liked it well enough but just not enough to read on. 

I didn't connect with the heroine, Elisa at all. For me, the strength of a book usually rests on the heroine's shoulders. At every turn Elisa was an immature perplexing woman that changed moods and story direction with each page. Even though her family was wronged in the most atrocious manner, I couldn't pull any character growth from her. One moment she was cunning, brave and highly protective of her family and then in the next moment she was an inexperienced virginal cowgirl seducing the educated former soldier, Nate. She lost her virginity to him up against a tree and then she rides away as if nothing happened. The next day, she shoots and injures his best friend. Elisa was like a B rated action movie all on her own. I haven't a clue how or why Elisa and Nate fell in love.

Another component to Elisa that I found off-putting was that she was described as dirty and wearing thread bare pants. For a rancher girl I totally get that. But when it came to intimate scenes, I wish there was a mention of how clean she was at that particular time or some blurb indicating that she'd had a bath or washed her hair. I kept picturing a mess of a woman and I just wanted to hose her down or something.    


What I did like about the book was the scheme and the creative twist the book had to offer. It was interesting how the story unfolded and how the story-centered real estate deal disentangled. I enjoyed the friendship between the Devils on Horseback men and their camaraderie is worth more than a mention. They are as loyal as they come and their alliance with one another is embedded in a deep history. The group of men have been through a lot of life changing events together. The risks they are willing to take for one another was highly admirable. 

Teasers: brotherly love, honey poop covered trap, tied up cowboy, cattle massacre

More Than a Cowboy by Paige Tyler

Both stories combined into one book

I purchased "More Than a Cowboy" directly from the author, Paige Tyler at the Reader & Writer Convention in Cincinnati during a book signing event. What a wonderful time to meet authors! Paige Tyler is a new to me author and she did not request this book review. 

"More Than a Cowboy" is one book with two stories.  I'm a fan of sexy cowboy books so "More Than a Cowboy" caught my interest. 

Karleigh & Mav & Holden's book

Karleigh's Cowboys

By Paige Tyler

Book Blurb:
Two ranch hands are better than one!

Karleigh Blake hasn’t take a vacation in years, so when her friend talks her into coming out to her Colorado ranch for some fun and relaxation, she jumps at the chance. Once there, she meets up with two hot and hunky ranch hands named Holden Donnelly and Mav Ryan who definitely know how to show a girl a good time.
It starts as two separate rolls in the hay, and she’s concerned she isn’t going to be able to hide that she’s sleeping with both of them. She's surprised when the two cowboys compare notes and decide they don’t mind sharing her – as long as they can do it at the same time!


Nothing lifts my spirits than reading about a woman taking what she wants. Those are my favourite types of erotic stories. Society wouldn't even bat an eyelash if a man decided to do what Karleigh did by taking two lovers. 

Fitting the story is called Karleigh's Cowboys. 

Karleigh is on vacation and she has been so busy working in her New York life that when the chance to just let loose and experience some wild sexual encounters comes up, she just goes for it. I loved that her decision was guilt free and she just let herself do it. Her thoughts were not heavy nor did they bog down the story. Instead the author, Paige Tyler wrote Karleigh to unabashedly take on Holden one night and then Mav the next. Why not? All consenting adults right. 


I loved what Holden and Mav's reaction was on the third night after discovering what Karleigh had done. As reader, I just went with their lustful reactions and a super hot threesome ensues. In fact, the confrontation was so hot that it moved my rating of a 3 (Liked) up to a 4 (Really Good). 

Teasers:  cowboy boots, pony tail love, hot picnic, barn spankings

Heather & Clint & Blaine's book

And The Ranch Hand Makes Three

By Paige Tyler

Book Blurb:

In this sequel to Karleigh’s Cowboys, Heather Collins and her husband Clint hire hunky new ranch hand Blaine Saunders. While he clearly has the qualifications to work on a ranch, Heather and Clint are more interested in how good he is in bed.

Clint gets turned on by watching his wife have sex with other men, and since Heather is more than happy to oblige, she doesn’t waste any time seducing Blaine. She and the new ranch hand go from knocking boots in the barn to putting on a show for her husband before finally engaging in a kinky threesome that involves bondage, spanking and some scorching hot sex for all three of them.


Wow the second half of "More Than a Cowboy" was even hotter than the first half. And The Ranch Hand Makes Three dabbles in a little of each of the erotic genres. There is voyeurism, bondage, spankings, orals, threesomes and a whole lot more. Clint and his wife, Heather have some serious kink fetishes and their new ranch hand, Blaine was very happy to oblige. 

I liked that Paige Tyler wrote that the hunky Blaine was all new to this sort of kink. Although he was not virginal by no means, I did like that he had never spanked before nor had he participated in a threesome with a married couple before. The initial offer made to him by Heather, made him have to think about it for few days. The delay helped with the climatic group finale. (Which was extremely hot). More Than a Cowboy was really good book with two really great stories so it is a perfect fitting for my 4 heart rating. I am going to have to look up what other erotic stories Paige Tyler has put out. 

Teasers: Shower smut,  new uses for a saddle, duel crop & strap paddling

Photo a Day Challenge Day 10 - Loud

Today's challenge word was "LOUD" 

Oh yes, I was screaming in the stands like a 60's teenie bopper at a Beatles concert. My love of cowboys is actually recent. I only started loving these alpha tough guys when I started reading romances with cowboys and *giggles* the books were full of smut. I credit author Lorelei James and her Rough Riders series for having me attend a PBR Bull Riding Competition. 
(incidentally, I was not the only one LOUD at this show) 


Do you have a love of cowboys at all? Do they draw you in their drawls? Who is your favourite cowboy romance author or your favourite book featuring the studly men. 

Taken by the Cowboy by Julianne MacLean

Truman Wade and Jessica Delaney's book






Taken by the Cowboy


by Julianne MacLean


Book Blurb:
HERO AND PROTECTOR 

Former bounty hunter, expert gunslinger, and the toughest sheriff Dodge City has ever known, Truman Wade is a real man from the tip of his black Stetson right down to his spurs and leather boots. He’s never met his match in a gunfight, but he’s never met a gorgeous, gutsy woman from the twenty-first century either… 

TORN BETWEEN TWO WORLDS 

Newly single after a rocky breakup with her self-absorbed fiancé, newspaper columnist Jessica Delaney crashes her car in a lightning storm and soon finds herself dodging bullets in the Wild West. Before the night is out, she’s tossed in jail for a murder she didn’t commit, and if things don’t seem complicated enough, the impossibly handsome sheriff in charge of her arrest has danger written all over him - and a sexy swagger to die for. Jessica knows she needs to get home, but when Sheriff Wade’s enticing touch sets her passions on fire, she begins to wonder if fate has other plans for her, and soon she must choose between the life she longs for in the future… and the greatest love she’s ever known. 

Taken by the Cowboy was one of those Twitter feed posts that grabbed my attention. "Free - Taken by the Cowboy" I didn't even read the blurb. I just saw "free" and I saw "cowboy" and clicked to download.  Even after I loaded the book onto my trusty Kindle, I still didn't read the book blurb.  So I'm reading away and right at the very beginning of the book, I was captured. Emotionally sad but gripping beginning. Then the next chapter, wow same thing. So I'm clicking away and then I wonder what the heck is going here and THEN I read the blurb. Taken by the Cowboy is a time travel book. Awesome. What a surprise. I was not expecting that from just glancing at the yummy front cover. So now that I understood what was happening, I hunkered down to enjoy the story. 

I do enjoy time travel stories. They often leave me wondering what I would do if I was in that situation. I believe that I would have handled myself pretty much the same way that Jessica, the female protagonist of Taken by the Cowboy did. That is great news because it made the story not so far fetched. 

Jessica is transported back in time to around the 1888 time era and is in Dodge City, Kansas. She is stumbling around town there wondering what movie set she fell into and in less than an hour she is somehow implicated in committing murder against a highly wanted man. Enters in Sheriff Truman Wade and her journey back in time became that much more interesting. 


Taken by the Cowboy was a truly fun and enjoyable read. The old west is not romanticized and there is no shortage of cow dung stink and the lack of women's rights is apparent. Even her clothing was not made out to be fabulously garbed out. Jessica or shall I say "Junebug Jess" as she is now affectionately called stumbles into dangerous situation after dangerous situation. Trouble finds her like a fly to a pile of cow dung. As Truman and Jessica become closely acquainted, Jessica is becoming torn on the matter of returning back to her own time or staying to be with Truman if the opportunity presents itself. I felt her befuddlement. The confusion was so well written and it was certainly left up to the reader to decide what they would do in that circumstance. 


I completely enjoyed the story and I loved the writing. I will certainly not hesitate to look up this author, Julianne MacLean's other works. 


Teaser: lost watch, Junebug Jess, basement cellar, reincarnation puzzle