ARC Review: A Cowboy Like You (Heart of Texas #4)

A Cowboy Like You (Heart of Texas #4)

by  Donna Grant 

Blurb:

In the Heart of Texas, a heartthrob cowboy may get his second chance at love…

Danny Oldman, the handsome Lone Star sheriff, is still single. He tells himself, and anyone who asks, that he is married to his job―and what matters most is keeping the people of his beloved Texas hometown safe. The truth? Danny still hasn’t gotten over his high school crush. She moved away after graduation and took Danny’s heart with her.

Skylar Long never thought she would have to flee Houston and return home―where it all began for her. But that’s what happened after the man of her dreams turned out to be an actual nightmare. Now, Skylar is desperate to escape her obsessive boyfriend. Nothing shocks her more than seeing Danny again and realizing that their long-ago attraction is more powerful than ever. But can she and Danny find a way to fight against Skylar’s wealthy, powerful ex who is dead set on tearing them apart?

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating:  4.25 stars

Heat Rating:  

Review:

 Grant comes back in a big way with her story of two people reconnecting and finding in one another exactly what is needed. Grant has led us through many years and some amazing stories as we learned about this small Texas town and the folks who call it home, not the least of which was the family at the heart of the community.  Danny has been a big part of each of the previous stories, somehow being a hero without taking away from the magic of the lovebird in those stories, but I was thrilled to learn he was finally getting his own love.  Danny is an interesting mix of brooding hero and sweet lover that reminds us that the men we fall in love with aren’t all built from the same mold.  I really enjoyed getting to see him flex his muscles as he used his influence as sheriff to protect the woman that he was falling for and to allow her to return to the woman she once was before a bastard tried to break her spirit.  If you are looking for a story with a rugged and sexy alpha hero that knows how to show his gentle side to the woman that steals his heart, you don’t need to look much further that Donna’s new story.  I am dying to see what comes next and find out who might be falling in love.

Danny is in a rut; he works all the time and has no desire to even cultivate much of a personal life, so when he stops for dinner at his favorite truck stop, he never imagined his life would change forever in an instant. Skylar has finally made an escape from the bastard that has turned her into a virtual prisoner, but he’s caught up with her and she’s sure she will soon be dead.  Luckily Danny comes to her rescue, a dark shadow coming into the light and taking her tormentor into custody as well as providing her with a refuge while he helps her to get her now-ex off her back.  Danny and his friends are determined to do whatever is necessary to make sure that Skylar has a chance to get back to her life, but Danny is slowly losing his heart to the sexy woman that he had a crush on through most of his young adulthood. Soon the dangers are coming from every corner and only Danny and his team can make sure that the two of them have a chance to explore their passions and have a future together, before Sky’s past ends all chances for them.

I really enjoyed getting a deeper understanding of Danny and seeing him in action as Sheriff even in the mundane moments.  He is obviously a very controlled and brave guy, sexy as all get out and sweet to the women in his life.  We have seen so much of him in the past that we assumed we knew him inside and out, but the loneliness we get to see Skylar overcoming as they spend more time together reminds us that even some people are hiding from us. My favorite moments with him was when he was just spending quiet time with Skylar and encouraging her to come out the shell, she has put herself into for protection or when he’s with the East family.  There are also moments where his passions are undeniably hot and I envied Skylar for being the focus and recipient of that heat, but it’s obvious that she is the missing piece of this life and his soul. Skylar is a strong woman that has found herself in a situation that she swore she’d never be in and one she needs serious help to get out of.  When Danny and his friends offer her the helping hand, she needs, she doesn’t hesitate to grab ahold of it and get out of the terrifying situation she has found herself in, and thankfully she is soon able find her old strength and bravery.  I loved watching her in action as she found her footing again and remind Danny why he loved her spirit so much as a young woman, but I also enjoyed watching her find her home again in both Danny and the small town where she belonged.  Us small town girls need to stick where we belong, even if we get confused sometimes.  The best part of the whole story was seeing her take a stand against her ex and demand her due, even to the point of putting herself in danger in order to protect the man she loved when he is put in danger.  That is true love and the ultimate sacrifice.

A Cowboy Like You is one of those stories that seems so much shorter than it truly is because it flies by as you are reading, and you fall in love with it quickly.  There is enough action and drama to keep you on the edge of your seat, but the real core of the story is two people finding each other even in the turmoil of their lives and finding a way to overcome their obstacles to love. Danny is a hero in every sense of the word and a sexy beast in boots on top of that.  I enjoyed every moment of truly getting to know him and found myself wishing I had my very own Danny to love.  Skylar was in a truly difficult situation, but she managed to get herself out and instinctively took herself home, leaving fate to do the rest and bring her right into the arms of the one man that could truly save her in every way.  She needed help, but she doesn’t cave under pressure or in the face of danger and leave others to fight her fights, standing up and making sure that her tormentor knows she is done and will bring him down once and for all.  The passion between these two was incendiary and I was dying to see them in one another’s sphere each time it happened, but the sweet heat that was left burning after the initial flashes always left a warm glow for extended time.  The love between Danny and Skylar is the kind we all hope to find someday and reminds readers that there truly is someone out there for us all if we just let fate lead us and keep our eyes and hearts open.  I can’t wait for whatever comes next in this series and would love to see police chief Ryan maybe get his own book (wink wink, nudge nudge Donna)! Thanks for the repeated magic, Ms. Grant.

*ebook provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.