ARC Review: A Cowboy Kind of Love (Heart of Texas #6)

A Cowboy Kind of Love (Heart of Texas #6)

by Donna Grant 

Blurb:

Who wants to rodeo again?

Jace Wilder has been rebuilding his life since the love of his life, Taryn, up and left town unexpectedly. But when she mysteriously returns, Jace’s dependable world comes crashing down. Taryn is hiding a dangerous secret, and no matter how hard he tries, Jace can’t stay away―especially when Taryn is at risk. And especially when the attraction he thought he’d buried long ago is back and hotter than ever. Will he be able to trust Taryn again?

Taryn Hillman’s world fell apart one horrifying night, and it’s never been the same since. When she sees a small chance at untangling herself, she takes it, though it means returning to Clearview – and seeing Jace again. But when he vows to protect her, will Taryn take a chance, and this time, never let him go?

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating:  

Review:

We have finally reached the ending of another fabulous series brought to us by our favorite romance author and while I really wish the story had been a lot longer than it turned out to be, I loved seeing all of the couples from the previous novels come together in such a meaningful way to  save Jace and his future.  We have been in suspense for a long time now waiting to find out the story behind and the outcome of Jace’s love life and to see how the end of this series would come around, but Donna Grant never fails to light a match to the fireworks of love and set the world of fire in a huge way. I have loved this series since the very beginning and watched it grow into something truly amazing and unlike any other series out there, with suspense, family devotion and drama to rival the romantic connections of each of the leads.  Jace and Taryn’s love story is one for the ages for sure, filled with pain and heartbreak and in the end the ultimate betrayal that makes a person wonder if there is truly a way to recover from some pains. If you are a fan of romantic suspense, second chance love, or just a truly amazing love story then you can’t go wrong with this one.  Truly an amazing ending to a series that has left us more and more enthralled and I am sad to see it end for sure. 

Jace is trying his best to deal with the heartbreak that is bringing him low, but his inability to get past the love of his life leaving him is slowly killing him, and his friends and family do not enjoy watching it happen.  Jace is almost at the end of his own endurance of the pain, when suddenly he begins to see his ex, Taryn, everywhere he looks, making him question his sanity until he is confronted with the truth of her return once and for all.  Taryn left Jace behind years ago for his own safety and the protection of the family she always did her best to protect, but now she has only one recourse left and has returned to their hometown.  Faced with a love that never died, Jace demands the full truth not only of Taryn’s return but why she left and where she has been all this time, though he never imagined the story he would hear.  Now they have to find a way to free her only remaining family from the hands of a psycho, keep Jace and his family safe, and hopefully find a way for them to stay together once and for all.  But sometimes the truth is buried even deeper than imagined and when Taryn is confronted with the lies she’s been fed for almost a decade she has to come to terms with it quickly, or face losing the man who owns her heart and soul.

This story was entirely unexpected and surprising in the twists and turns that we were taken on, not the least of which was the depth of love that Jace carried all the years Taryn was away.  Very few men are portrayed as such devoted lovers in novels when they are left behind in such an abrupt and abortive manner, making me love Jace all the more.  That kind of honor, in addition to his sweet but alpha personality, determination, and sexiness made him truly the whole package.  It was hard to see him struggling so hard in the beginning, but we were able to connect with him so much more and live his pain with him through that and as he healed when he learned the hard truths he’d always needed, it showed us his inner strength as well.  I loved seeing how he interacted with Taryn, not just in the bedroom, but working with her to save her and her family, reminding her that she was love and wanted, and bringing her back into the fold of his huge and loving family to give her something she so obviously was lacking.  Taryn has obviously led a troubled life, living so much for the family that she loved, but that never gave her the love and respect she needed in return.  I was upset on her behalf through most of the book, but at that same time just as angry as Jace at some of the decisions she made, especially when the truth came out and we learned just how much she truly sacrificed for ungrateful people.  She was sweet, and smart in her way, but it was obvious that she needed her blinders removed much sooner.  I loved seeing her find her way back into Jace’s arms and into his family so that she could have the love and safety she needed in order to find her happiness and the steady and loving support she needed to flourish.

While I can honestly say that I enjoyed this story, I wish there had been more time for Jace and Taryn to spend on their reunion and rebuilding their relationship.  There is such a tight and deadly timeline through most of the story that they are rushed in their emotional development as they reunite and try to find a way to enact the ultimate plan to save all of them.  Jace is the quintessential cowboy badass, with the perfect amount of extra added from his time in the military and I loved seeing him getting to use those skills in order to save his woman.  He was just the right amount of alpha combined with a deep and abiding loving nature to make him the perfect mate for Taryn.  Taryn is a woman at her endpoint in so many ways and taking the chance to see the man she never stopped loving one last time is the only hope she has for a few moments of happiness, but she never imagined that it would bloom into her salvation.  When she finally accepts his assistance and allows his friends to help they make the ultimate battle team, even when confronted with the unthinkable betrayal. The passion between these two was off the charts from the very first moment, even when they were just arguing, but once they allowed themselves the freedom to embrace their emotions again the heat became almost too much to witness.  I am very sad to see this series end, especially with a few new characters introduced and some others that didn’t get their story yet, which leaves me hoping for the possibility of a spinoff series in the future.  In the meantime I will say I loved every second of this series and the passion and family drama that Donna shared with us, and look forward to whatever comes next.  Truly one of the greatest series I have read recently.

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