Reviews

Tangled in Texas by Kari Lynn Dell

katemc7's review against another edition

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4.0

I really enjoyed this book and this town! You can read this as a standalone but note that it is book 2 in a series. You now know who ends up with who from book 1, but I am intrigued enough to where I may go back and read their story This is a second chance romance with a dash of not good enough vibes.

Delon has been on the rise in the bull riding world until an accident that leaves him unable to ride and unsure about the future. At his first appointment for his knee he runs into Tori, the woman that disappeared without a trace along with his heart seven years ago. The good thing that came out of Tori leaving is his son who he had with his best friend after wallowing about Tori leaving. The bad thing that came out of it are his insecurities about why she left. He knows that he could have handled what they had differently. He was the guy who called when he was back from an event. He never checked in in between with her even though he really wanted to. He never thought to ask for more or to see what she wanted. He didn't fully realize what she meant to him until she was gone. Now she is back and willing to give him another chance, but is she here to lay down roots? Or will she dash away into the night like she did before?

Tori is going through the stages of grief since her husband passed away unexpectedly. Instead of staying and being strong for the family, she runs back "home." Home for her is a little different though since her dad is a senator. Her life has an added element of publicity that she can't stand. A part of her thinks she came back to town for the man she left all those years ago. The man who failed the test she setup for him without even telling him what it was. The man who is now on the broken side too with an unknown future. She is determined to help him get on the other side of this. She is the only one besides his brother who really sees the real man behind the mask. They decide to rekindle their old flame and she is all in making it clear she wants to see where this goes. But Delon has pulled back. He doesn't seem to want to mix her with the other part of his life- his world before she got there. How can she show him that she is where she wants to be?

I really liked the depth of these characters and how they were both broken and found the light together through it. Tori was dealing with the grief of her husband, and Delon is dealing with the grief of his career maybe being over as well as this idea of a perfect family in his head now over since his son's mother is engaged to someone else. This was a little on the slower side which is why it took me a minute to finish, but once I got invested I was in. I am looking forward to reading more about these characters and especially Gil's story!! Of course he is the last one LOL.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.

katemc7's review

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4.0

I really enjoyed this book and this town! You can read this as a standalone but note that it is book 2 in a series. You now know who ends up with who from book 1, but I am intrigued enough to where I may go back and read their story This is a second chance romance with a dash of not good enough vibes.

Delon has been on the rise in the bull riding world until an accident that leaves him unable to ride and unsure about the future. At his first appointment for his knee he runs into Tori, the woman that disappeared without a trace along with his heart seven years ago. The good thing that came out of Tori leaving is his son who he had with his best friend after wallowing about Tori leaving. The bad thing that came out of it are his insecurities about why she left. He knows that he could have handled what they had differently. He was the guy who called when he was back from an event. He never checked in in between with her even though he really wanted to. He never thought to ask for more or to see what she wanted. He didn't fully realize what she meant to him until she was gone. Now she is back and willing to give him another chance, but is she here to lay down roots? Or will she dash away into the night like she did before?

Tori is going through the stages of grief since her husband passed away unexpectedly. Instead of staying and being strong for the family, she runs back "home." Home for her is a little different though since her dad is a senator. Her life has an added element of publicity that she can't stand. A part of her thinks she came back to town for the man she left all those years ago. The man who failed the test she setup for him without even telling him what it was. The man who is now on the broken side too with an unknown future. She is determined to help him get on the other side of this. She is the only one besides his brother who really sees the real man behind the mask. They decide to rekindle their old flame and she is all in making it clear she wants to see where this goes. But Delon has pulled back. He doesn't seem to want to mix her with the other part of his life- his world before she got there. How can she show him that she is where she wants to be?

I really liked the depth of these characters and how they were both broken and found the light together through it. Tori was dealing with the grief of her husband, and Delon is dealing with the grief of his career maybe being over as well as this idea of a perfect family in his head now over since his son's mother is engaged to someone else. This was a little on the slower side which is why it took me a minute to finish, but once I got invested I was in. I am looking forward to reading more about these characters and especially Gil's story!! Of course he is the last one LOL.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.

slelswick's review

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4.0

This is the first time, I've read Kari Lynn Dell. Although I enjoyed reading this story about Delon Sanchez and Tori Patterson reconnecting years later after a brief, but intense, relationship, the first 1/3 of the book was difficult to push through. In part because of the emotional dysfunction of both Delon and Tori, and the people surrounding them, influencing their choices whether indirectly or not. As a result, the plot is convoluted at first. By the time, the couple start over, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge, so to speak, with Tori recently widowed and Delon a father, though not married to the mother of his child. In the end, I'm glad I continued to read this novel. The ending is rewarding because both Tori and Delon admit past mistakes and let go of assumptions. They worked so hard for their happier for now ending that I felt overjoyed for them. I'm looking forward to reading Kari Lynn's other novels.

kbranfield's review

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4.0

4.5 stars.

Tangled in Texas by Kari Lynn Dell is a delightfully charming second chance at love romance between an injured bronc rider and a physical therapist. Although this latest release is the second installment in the Texas Rodeo series, it can be read as a standalone, but I HIGHLY recommend the previous novel as well.

With his rodeo career hanging in the balance, Delon Sanchez is determined to do whatever it takes to regain mobility in his injured kneee. Stunned to discover that his new physical therapist is Tori Patterson, the woman he had a fling with seven years earlier, he tries to put aside his reservations in order to achieve his goals. At the same time he is trying to rehabilitate his knee, Delon is trying to come to terms with the fact that Violet Jacobs, the mother of his son, Beni, is involved in a serious relationship with bullfighter Joe Cassidy. Watching his dream of the three of them eventually becoming a family disappear, Delon is already angry and bitter as he tries to understand where he fits in his family-owned trucking business. With so many difficult changes occuring his life, is Delon in any position to act on his still simmering attraction to Tori?

The daughter of a well-liked Texas Senator, Tori managed to escape the limelight when she married Wyoming roper, Willy Hancock. A year and a half after Willy's death, she moves back to the TX Panhandle in order to live a quiet life out of the public eye while she still continues grieving his loss. In her years away from Texas, Tori has really come into her own and she is now a little outspoken and a whole lot more confident. Still a little numb from the sudden death of her beloved husband, she is shocked out of her comfortable and rather sterile life when she becomes reacquainted with Delon. Tori is no longer content to sit back and quietly accept whatever he is willing to give but is Delon ready to stop playing it safe and risk his heart?

Although both Delon and Tori have moved on since their relationship abruptly ended years earlier, they are both quite stunned to discover their burning hot desire has not waned. However, when they first meet again, neither of them is ready to do act on their passion. Tori is still picking up the pieces of her life, but emotionally, she is in a much better than Delon is at this point. He is not much for introspection so Delon ignores his feelings about the things that are bothering him. However, with so many changes in his life out of his control, his anger is eating away at him. Unwilling to concede that his expectation of becoming a "real" family with Violet and Beni has always been unreasonable, Delon is feeling displaced and out of sorts as Violet's relationship with Joe continues.

Meanwhile, an unexpected situation with Tori's family thrusts her back into the public eye just as she and Delon begin dating. As they find themselves falling back into a familiar pattern, Tori continues to coast along without making too many changes to her life. She is much more outspoken about what she wants but her inertia is doing just as much harm to their fledgling romance as Delon's unconscious decision to play it safe is. Their unresolved issues, individual insecurities and an unwillingness to honestly and openly discuss their needs and desires eventually becomes a huge obstacle. Will Tori and Delon be able to repair the damage to their relationship before it is too late? Or will their emotional baggage prevent them from making the changes they need to live happily ever after?

Tangled in Texas is another well-written and charming addition to the Texas Rodeo series. Once again, Kari Lynn Dell pairs up two emotionally wounded and somewhat vulnerable characters with realistic problems to overcome. Flawed yet immensely appealing, Delon and Tori are endearing protagonists that are easy to like and root for. Old and news fans are going to absolutely love this sweet yet very sensual contemporary Western romance.

aspygirlsmom_1995's review

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emotional hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

peachypitstop's review

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challenging emotional tense medium-paced

4.0

syndi3's review

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 DNF

I like the blurp. I really do. A second chance romance. I am also aware this is a slow burn story. So it is not going to be short. I dived into the audiobook untuk about 4th hours. The audiobook is more than 11 hours long in total. I lost my interest around 2nd hour. 

The plot is too confusing. Miss Dell is building too many plot over a small things. Too many secondary characters, too many unnecessary drama, too many misunderstanding. And I do not have patience to understand it all. Sadly after 4th hour mark, I give up. 
 

nipomuki's review

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5.0

My re-listen to the Texas Rodeo series is going well. In that I am not doing a thing, just listening, sniffling, smiling. The heart ache was as acute with this one as when I read it for the first time. What great story, what great characters! And you can watch them deal with shit in the most realistic way. With friends and family at their side, being there when it is needed. Both Tori and Delon have to deal with loss, and it was heart-wrenching and inspiring at the same time. Also Gill came into much better focus, and the reader realizes along with Delon, that his brother is much more than just a sarcastic a... Love that guy and look forward to his book. And Shawnee is an instant favorite. So glad she gets to be her badass self and also vulnerable and soft in her own book. The next one!

Original review from September 2019:

This was amazing! Not as many Rodeo scenes as in the first book, but those that were in there were worth while.

I enjoyed the romance, and the family stuff made me tear up again and again. I am so glad how it all worked out, and will love spending more time with these people. I am especially taken with Tori‘s new roping buddy. She had me in stitches.

This time the difficult way to the HEA did not „only“ relate to the romance, but to Delon‘s career. Will he compete again after his horrible accident?

Tori being his therapist made the situation complicated, but I felt it was handled in a way I could accept. They knew each other from before, and did decide on working together regardless.

I also really liked how her first husband was clearly a great guy whom she loved dearly.

Both main characters have to process some dramatic life changes and loss, and it was all so well written and realistic.

All the characters are well fleshed out and very different from each other. The differences between the couple from the first book to this couple even played a part in the story.

I am learning so much about the sport in this series, it is like getting the inside scoop.

I was very sad for her wonderful horse being kept by himself. The author made some jokes about it, and the descriptions were funny, but horses should never ever have to live alone. They need other horses to be content and healthy. Luckily he got his HEA too.

This series is world class. And the narration was again very, very good.

smisaacs's review against another edition

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4.0

A great follow-up to the first in this series! I loved getting to see the characters I knew and loved from the first book in a totally new perspective. As always, I can't call it a great literary accomplishment, but I can call it what it is - steamy, western, and tons of fun!

ceeb's review

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5.0

My first romance and I LOVED it. I could hardly put this book down. This was a nice easy read with characters easily related to. The entire novel was fun and flirty with just enough spice. I found it had quite a simple yet nice story line making it a good read for anybody in the mood for cowboys.