A review by loverofromance
Cowboy, Cross My Heart by Donna Grant
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Β This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.
Book Evaluation:
Plot: ποΈποΈποΈποΈποΈ
World Building:ππππ
Cover:ππππ
Hero: π¦Έπ»π¦Έπ»π¦Έπ»π¦Έπ»
Heroine:π¦Έπ»ββοΈπ¦Έπ»ββοΈπ¦Έπ»ββοΈπ¦Έπ»ββοΈ
Intimacy Level: π₯π₯π₯
Relationship Building: ππππ
Heart & Feels:ππππ
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: πππ
Page Turner Level:ππππ
Narration:π§π§π§π§
Ending:π§§π§§π§§π§§
Overall View: β¨β¨β¨β¨
First Impressions
Cowboy Cross My Heart is the second installment in the "Heart of Texas" series. This is a book about the bad boy cowboy from the first book. If you have read the first book, the hero is the troubled kid from the first one who went rebellious and made some bad choices wanting to provide for his siblings. I absolutely adored seeing Brice reach his HEA and seeing him being such a responsible hard working adult. I will be honest in that this one was entertaining, thrilling, kept me on edge and had a solid romance. It definitely has Donna Grant's typical writing style.
First Line
Excitement rushed through everyone as the lights suddenly cut out in the arena.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Brice Harper
Brice Harper is a redeeming hero. As a teenager, made mistakes with good intentions, served in the military and determined to run his own ranch with his brother. He is sexy, protective and caring.
The Heroine: Naomi Pierce
Naomi grew up in a Texas small town, naturally born in the saddle, living in D.C.. She has a strong will, a fighter when needed and has always yearned for love and a good life
Summary
Naomi Pierce has come to Texas to visit her best friend who is part of a Rodeo Queen beauty pageant. When there is a evil plot against her best friend because she and the other contestants have been assaulted by men secretly in power and using them for sexual favors. Naomi gets targeted as she has some photo evidence, where she runs into the Harper brothers. Brice is protective and strong, and when he runs into Naomi, he is determined to protect her no matter what. When it becomes apparent that her life is in danger, he and his family use all their influence to protect them. But as tensions escalate as the danger increases, the pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place. But will Naomi and Brice survive and find a way towards their HEA?
What I Loved
Cowboy, Cross My Heart was a delightful story. It really reminded me why I fell in love with this series originally and not sure why I haven't finished the series yet. I really had a blast with Brice's book. We see him being such a responsible young man and I loved how he is with Naomi. He is so wonderful for her. I really enjoyed that. I also found it most interesting to see how he is with his siblings and became so endeared by their relationships with each other. To see him change from the young boy who made so many mistakes for his family, I just fell hard for it.
We also have a kick-ass plot. There is something so captivating about the danger-themed plot that this author implements, and she really builds on the tension regarding the mystery and intrigue. We also have a solid friendship that we see with Naomi and her best friend. I loved their bonds to each other and what a great friendship they have and have been building for years. I really admired Naomi and her strong spirit. She has such a great balance to her. She is strong and feisty but not kick ass. She is such a relatable independent heroine that I just loved seeing her within this story and her great growth in this story and the moments where we see her face adversity.
What I Struggled With
The romance was more in the backstory. While I really enjoyed their chemistry, and the spice in this book is powerful, I felt like the relationship aspects could have had a bit more focus that what we see.
Narration
Truly delightful. Not the perfect narration, but it was solid and she did a great job in building the danger feels to the story.
Overall View
Cowboy Cross My Heart is a superb read that really delivered in what I was looking for. Its a story of thrills, superb plot portrayal and an romance that endears the reader in a very solid way.
Favorite Quote(s)
Her beauty might have caught his attention, but it was her strength, steadfastness, heart, and authenticity that kept pulling him back to her
There are a great many things I regret, but being attracted to you isnβt one of them.
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Character Types: Bull Rider, Cowboy, Rancher
Themes: Small Town, Family Bonds, Western,
Tropes: Redemption, Forced Proximity
Book Perspective
3rd POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Plot Conflict
Song This Book Inspires
Dust on the Bottle
Recommendation For Reading Order
You can do either, these are easily read as standalones
Steam/Spice Explanations
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Narrators:
Rebecca EstrellaΒ
Book Evaluation:
Plot: ποΈποΈποΈποΈποΈ
World Building:ππππ
Cover:ππππ
Hero: π¦Έπ»π¦Έπ»π¦Έπ»π¦Έπ»
Heroine:π¦Έπ»ββοΈπ¦Έπ»ββοΈπ¦Έπ»ββοΈπ¦Έπ»ββοΈ
Intimacy Level: π₯π₯π₯
Relationship Building: ππππ
Heart & Feels:ππππ
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: πππ
Page Turner Level:ππππ
Narration:π§π§π§π§
Ending:π§§π§§π§§π§§
Overall View: β¨β¨β¨β¨
First Impressions
Cowboy Cross My Heart is the second installment in the "Heart of Texas" series. This is a book about the bad boy cowboy from the first book. If you have read the first book, the hero is the troubled kid from the first one who went rebellious and made some bad choices wanting to provide for his siblings. I absolutely adored seeing Brice reach his HEA and seeing him being such a responsible hard working adult. I will be honest in that this one was entertaining, thrilling, kept me on edge and had a solid romance. It definitely has Donna Grant's typical writing style.
First Line
Excitement rushed through everyone as the lights suddenly cut out in the arena.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Brice Harper
Brice Harper is a redeeming hero. As a teenager, made mistakes with good intentions, served in the military and determined to run his own ranch with his brother. He is sexy, protective and caring.
The Heroine: Naomi Pierce
Naomi grew up in a Texas small town, naturally born in the saddle, living in D.C.. She has a strong will, a fighter when needed and has always yearned for love and a good life
Summary
Naomi Pierce has come to Texas to visit her best friend who is part of a Rodeo Queen beauty pageant. When there is a evil plot against her best friend because she and the other contestants have been assaulted by men secretly in power and using them for sexual favors. Naomi gets targeted as she has some photo evidence, where she runs into the Harper brothers. Brice is protective and strong, and when he runs into Naomi, he is determined to protect her no matter what. When it becomes apparent that her life is in danger, he and his family use all their influence to protect them. But as tensions escalate as the danger increases, the pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place. But will Naomi and Brice survive and find a way towards their HEA?
What I Loved
Cowboy, Cross My Heart was a delightful story. It really reminded me why I fell in love with this series originally and not sure why I haven't finished the series yet. I really had a blast with Brice's book. We see him being such a responsible young man and I loved how he is with Naomi. He is so wonderful for her. I really enjoyed that. I also found it most interesting to see how he is with his siblings and became so endeared by their relationships with each other. To see him change from the young boy who made so many mistakes for his family, I just fell hard for it.
We also have a kick-ass plot. There is something so captivating about the danger-themed plot that this author implements, and she really builds on the tension regarding the mystery and intrigue. We also have a solid friendship that we see with Naomi and her best friend. I loved their bonds to each other and what a great friendship they have and have been building for years. I really admired Naomi and her strong spirit. She has such a great balance to her. She is strong and feisty but not kick ass. She is such a relatable independent heroine that I just loved seeing her within this story and her great growth in this story and the moments where we see her face adversity.
What I Struggled With
The romance was more in the backstory. While I really enjoyed their chemistry, and the spice in this book is powerful, I felt like the relationship aspects could have had a bit more focus that what we see.
Narration
Truly delightful. Not the perfect narration, but it was solid and she did a great job in building the danger feels to the story.
Overall View
Cowboy Cross My Heart is a superb read that really delivered in what I was looking for. Its a story of thrills, superb plot portrayal and an romance that endears the reader in a very solid way.
Favorite Quote(s)
Her beauty might have caught his attention, but it was her strength, steadfastness, heart, and authenticity that kept pulling him back to her
There are a great many things I regret, but being attracted to you isnβt one of them.
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Character Types: Bull Rider, Cowboy, Rancher
Themes: Small Town, Family Bonds, Western,
Tropes: Redemption, Forced Proximity
Book Perspective
3rd POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Plot Conflict
Song This Book Inspires
Dust on the Bottle
Recommendation For Reading Order
You can do either, these are easily read as standalones
Steam/Spice Explanations
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Narrators:
Rebecca EstrellaΒ