Not Their First Rodeo - Christy Jeffries (HSE #2848 - July 2021)

Series: Twin Kings Ranch (Book 3)

Sometimes all a family needs
Is a chance to come together.
 
The last thing Sheriff Marcus King needs is his past sneaking back into his present. Years ago, Violet Cortez-Hill disappeared from his life, leaving him with unanswered questions—and a lot of hurt. Now the widowed father of twin boys finds himself forced to interact with the pretty public defender daily. Their heartache is mutual—but so is their attraction. Is there still a chance to saddle up and ride off into their future?
 
Another fun chapter in the drama-filled lives of the King family. As in the previous two books, this one started the day of Roper King's funeral, this time from the perspective of Marcus King. Marcus is the oldest of the siblings, serves as the sheriff of their town, and is the single father of twin boys. Two very descriptive words for Marcus are responsible and honorable. During his father's funeral, Marcus's attention is everywhere, from the behavior of his sons to his sister Tessa's sudden exit until caught by a face he hasn't seen in fourteen years.
 
Violet attended the funeral with her mother, a senator, because she and the King siblings have known each other most of their lives. But she knew Marcus better. In love as teenagers, they planned to marry when Marcus finished boot camp, especially after discovering she was pregnant. However, a miscarriage, missed communications, and outside interference tore the two apart. Each went their separate ways believing the worst of each other until their encounter at Roper's funeral.
 
I ached for Marcus and Violet as the truth came out during their first few minutes of conversation. Marcus was devastated by what he learned, while Violet realizes that Marcus wasn't the villain she thought he was. Violet misses her flight back to Texas through an unexpected set of circumstances and remains on the King ranch to spend time with her old friends. This puts her on the scene when the youngest King, MJ, is arrested by one of Marcus's deputies in typically King drama. Their mother, Sherilee (queen of drama!), enlists Violet as MJ's attorney, putting Violet and Marcus on opposite sides.
 
I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Violet and Marcus. With unresolved issues from their past, Marcus and Violet don't seem to be able to spend five minutes together without arguing. But under all of that antagonism is an attraction that burns even hotter than it did in the past. I liked when they finally talked about the past and cleared up misconceptions, though they still had the whole MJ issue to deal with. I enjoyed seeing the lengths they took to avoid each other, knowing their attraction complicates their professional relationship. It was also evident that both enjoyed their arguments as a rather unusual method of flirting.
 
I also enjoyed how quickly Marcus's sons, Jordan and Jake, took to Violet and she to them. From the moment they met, the boys treated her like their best friend. This both pleased and scared Violet, who wasn't sure how to deal with the feelings they stirred in her. I laughed out loud at Jordan's encyclopedic medical knowledge, especially when he used it on Violet. Jake was such a live wire that Marcus's hair should have been either gray or pulled out, but it was clear that he adored his boys. I empathized with Marcus when he described Jake and his trips to the hospital, as I had a similar relationship with the local clinic when my son was small. The more time that they all spent together, the more it felt like they belonged that way. This was blazingly obvious during the hospital scene when Violet did everything a mother would do.
 
I loved the ending, as Marcus and Violet finally admitted their feelings for each other. I loved their frank discussion of expectations and Marcus's somewhat amusing rejoinder to her insistence that she wouldn't change. I also liked the resolution of MJ's problem. The epilogue was terrific, with an unexpected twist involving Marcus's brother Duke and a possible lead-in to the next book.

 
 

Making Room for the Rancher - Christy Jeffries (HSE #2824 - Mar 2021)

Series: Twin Kings Ranch (Book 2)

The wide-open prairie never felt so crowded
 
Finding love is the easy part…
 
To Dahlia King, Connor Remington is just another wannabe cowboy who'll go back to the city by midwinter. But underneath that city-slicker shine is a dedicated horseman who's already won the heart of Dahlia's animal-loving little daughter. Before she knows it, Dahlia is one-third of a happy trio. But when her ex returns, Connor must decide to step up with this family…or step out.
 
Terrific book. Dahlia is the daughter of the late vice-president, a single mother, and the owner of the local brothel-turned-saloon. The story opens on the day of her father's funeral as Dahlia reaches the maximum amount of time she can spend with her family. Having had enough togetherness, Dahlia takes her daughter, Amelia, and heads for home. On the way, they barely miss hitting a small white dog who has a man in pursuit. Amelia, who never met an animal she didn't like, insists on helping to catch the dog. Dahlia is a bit warier of the unknown man until she finds out he's just inherited the ranch next door. Looking at his jeans and sneakers, she figures he won't last.
 
Connor, a former Marine, left the Corps when his previously unknown aunt left him her ranch and made him promise to bring it back to life. He didn't expect to be chasing a stray dog before he even had a chance to unlock the front door. Nor did he expect to feel an instant connection with his adorable little helper and her mother.
 
I enjoyed the first meeting between Dahlia and Connor. She isn't very complimentary about his lack of relationship with his aunt or his chances of succeeding with the ranch, but she can't help noticing him as a man. His kind-hearted treatment of her talkative, single-minded daughter wins him a few points in her eyes. I loved watching Amelia steamroller him into catching and then keeping the little white dog, opening the door for her to visit the dog whenever she can. Dahlia intrigues and attracts Connor, and he takes advantage of every opportunity to spend time with her.
 
Dahlia accepts the attraction between them but resists the idea of a relationship. Too many men have been more interested in who she is than in the woman herself. The more time she spends with him, the harder it is to resist her growing feelings. I loved seeing Connor fall hard for both Dahlia and Amelia. Spending time with them feels like the family he never had. I liked how Connor freely admitted his interest to Dahlia and his intention to see where it would go. There's a little bit of a rough spot when Dahlia's ex-husband, Micah, returns to town, and Connor wonders if she'll go back to him. Dahlia's relationship with Micah is an unusual one, and Connor isn't sure how to deal with it. There's a hilarious part where Micah takes care of Amelia while Dahlia is away, and he's roped into taking Amelia to Connor's to see the animals. The conversation between the two men was great and led to an even funnier joint venture later that night. But it takes a crisis involving Amelia for Connor and Dahlia to share their feelings. The ending was terrific, with an unexpected twist provided by Amelia.
 
The secondary characters were fantastic. The best, of course, was Amelia. That little girl could talk a mile a minute, and you never knew what was going to come out of her mouth. I loved how she took to Connor, with the father-daughter dance scenes being among my favorites. Dahlia's family dynamics provided plenty of drama, from the constant sniping between Sherilee and Freckles to the various siblings' conflicts. 

What Happens at the Ranch... - Christy Jeffries (HSE #2810 - Jan 2021)

Series: Twin Kings Ranch (Book 1)

Their attraction is anything but by the book.
 
Looking after journalist Tessa King should have been a simple assignment for Secret Service agent Grayson Wyatt. But a family tragedy, and a social media faux pas, forces the vice president's famous daughter to hide out at her family's Wyoming ranch -- and forces Grayson to play cowboy to blend in. Their attraction breaks every protocol -- and threatens to expose Tessa's deepest secret. Worse, the media's chasing a story that could put everything the couple is fighting for at risk...
 
Terrific start to the new series. The book started with a bang as Tessa King, a television news personality and oldest daughter of the vice president, has a panic attack at her father's funeral. She stumbles out of the church and right into the arms of Secret Service agent Grayson Wyatt. Grayson does what he does best - protects the subject and gets her away from the situation. Unfortunately, Tessa doesn't react well once she recovers, and the resulting social media firestorm makes it necessary for her to hide out at the family ranch. As part of the protection detail, Grayson also remains behind.
 
I loved both Tessa and Grayson. Tessa is a former athlete who overcame some incredible obstacles to get where she is today. Though she is a public figure and open about her professional life, she works hard to keep her private life private. Tessa is stubbornly independent and fights the requirement to have protection while on the family ranch, which puts her at odds with Grayson.
 
Grayson is easily as stubborn as Tessa, making their early interactions especially volatile. He allows nothing to stop him from doing his job. His presence on the ranch is complicated by the guilt he feels over not being with his mother and sister, Maddy, as she undergoes a complicated medical procedure.
 
I enjoyed watching the relationship between Tessa and Grayson develop. When Tessa's early attempts to avoid Grayson's protection fail, they reach a tentative truce over the matter. As they spend more time together, that truce becomes friendship. I loved watching them argue, banter, and get to know each other. Tessa's sincere interest in his family, especially his sister, surprises Grayson and adds to his growing feelings for her. At the same time, Tessa trusts Grayson enough to depend on his support as she faces one of her greatest fears. The scene at the pool was intensely moving. I loved Grayson's pride in her accomplishment and Tessa's relief and joy at overcoming her fear and regaining her confidence.
 
I ached for them both as they admitted their feelings for each other but couldn't find a way to be together. Tessa's high visibility career and Grayson's need for anonymity in his made it impossible. I loved that neither one expected the other to give up their career for the other. A chance encounter after their parting brought their feelings roaring back to the surface and emphasized their obstacles. I loved how Tessa coped with their parting and the effect it had on Grayson. His big moment at the end was awesome and the perfect demonstration of the depth of his feelings.
 
I love Tessa's family. They are loving, dramatic, and quirky and have no difficulty butting into each other's lives. I liked how Grayson took a chance and enlisted their help at the end. I look forward to the rest of the series and getting to know the others better.