Review: Her Renegade Cowboy (Moving Violations #3)

Her Renegade Cowboy (Moving Violations #3)

by Lora Leigh

Blurb:

He will risk his life…

The oh-so-proper school teacher, Lily Donovan has learned, the hard way, that men are not to be trusted. Period. Until Levi Roberts, the new cowboy working at her cousin's ranch, tempts her carefully-built resolve and awakens an all-consuming passion she thought lay dormant. But when she discovers his deadly secret, and her own secrets come to light, Lily unwittingly joins the lethal cat and mouse race between Levi and the man he’s been hunting for weeks.

To save her heart…

Former Ranger Levi Roberts has seen his fair share of deadly trouble during his years as a tough-as-nails operative. The ultimate expert in undercover investigations, he’s been tasked to find a man with a dangerous agenda in town. Routine work has been boring…until he runs into Lily, the prickly school teacher who tempts him like no other. Getting under her skin has been deliciously satisfying for his red-hot desire, but when Lily lands in the hands of the very man he’s been investigating, Levi will have to fight with every ounce of his heart and soul to save her—and to heal the heart he broke.

Themes:  Contemporary, Cowboys

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Continuing right along with the cowboy badasses this latest installment of Lora Leigh’s Moving Violations series kicks off with a great story of two people that both have trust issues being pulled into a relationship at truly the worst possible time.  I must admit that when I began this series I was skeptical that I would enjoy it, and the first story didn’t truly light my fire, but as the series progresses I am enjoying them increasingly more.  Lily and Levi’s story is filled with tears, trauma, betrayal, forgiveness, and love and I adored every moment of watching these two circle and finally come together. Lily Donovan has returned to her small hometown bruised but not truly broken after a tragedy, one that she has kept from almost everyone and one that has placed her directly into the sightline of an extremely dangerous man—who is now on the loose and headed straight for her. Levi Roberts is on her cousin’s ranch for one reason, to keep Lily safe from the psycho after her, but if he happens to catch the bastard too all the better.  The minute he sees Lily though everything shifts for him and his priorities change.  Determined now to not only protect her but to claim her and have her in his bed, Levi embarks on a treacherous mission to convince Lily to trust him with her heart and ultimately her secrets.  Once the truth comes out, Lily is faced with the betrayal and Levi will have to work five times as hard to get her back and to protect her.  Because danger is right on her doorstep and Lily is done hiding and putting her family and friends at risk, even if it costs her own life and she is determined to bring the bastard that ruined her to justice, one way or another.  Levi might be too late to protect the woman that has stolen his heart if he doesn’t earn back her trust in time.  This story was by far my favorite of the series so far, even though I knew that it was going to blow up in Levi’s face as soon as he started building a relationship on a foundation of lies.  Levi was an fascinating character, one with a true mission but that quickly begins to cross lines once he loses his heart and mind to the love of a woman in  a way he never imagined he could. He was a hardcore badass to be sure, alpha, bossy, and extremely intense in all he did, but at the same time he was protective, loving and passionate giving Lily just what she needed to remind herself she wasn’t truly broken or a weak woman. I loved how he fought so hard to redeem himself in Lily’s eyes once his lies were uncovered and then put it all out here, begging for forgiveness and forcing Lily to admit her feelings for him and convincing her to take him back. Lily was definitely my favorite heroine of the series so far; she believed herself to be broken and unable to ever trust a man again but she instinctively knows that Levi is a good man and will never truly harm her, and though he ends up being a little shady, she wasn’t wrong about him.  Her attitude and snark was awesome to watch as she butted heads with Levi, but when she finally let him in and showed her sweet, compassionate and loving side, there was no way that Levi couldn’t have fallen for her.  Her bravery and willingness to defend her loved ones, even at the risk of her own life, showed that she was never truly broken by the bastard after her and the anger over Levi’s duplicity was just the catalyst she needed to find her backbone again. The FIRE (caps intended) between these two is off the charts from the second they lay eyes on one another, and as with most of these lovers, they burn up the pages a lot, but that’s the fun of a romance.  In the end, this story of two people coming together in a common fight against the evil of humanity is one that will leave you with tears, fears, and laughs as well as the ability to understand forgiveness and true connection as Lily and Levi fall in lust then love even though they are hiding secrets.  I am looking forward to more in this series and seeing more of these characters again in future novels and hope the series only continues to get better.

*ebook provided by publisher (via NetGalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.