Loveless Texas #2, I'm listing this as more contemporary then suspense because while there is a mystery and some action it falls secondary to the emotional romance between Hill and Kody. I was so excited for Kody and Hill and it did not disappoint. Hill has loved Kody from the very start of their friendship but as they got older Kody fell for his brother. Hill while happy for them was heartbroken and as soon as he could he left. Kody was torn between the two brothers, Aaron was her age and the most like her he was quick to react, moody, and so sweet. Aaron and Hill Gamble were Kody's first real friends and even after Hill left Kody would call on him for advice. But Hill could only take so much loving Kody from afar and seeing how Aaron was falling apart and sometime horrible to Hill so Hill started to back off. It wasn't fair that Aaron killed himself before the wedding and it wasn't fair that Kody spewed all her anger at Hill and Hill took it because he thought she was right it was all his fault. Now he's ready to take the brunt of her anger and hatred again because her father was murdered and he was the one who told her.

Kody starts to remember that her feelings for Hill go way back and even as mean as she has been to him since Aaron's death Hill still stands by her, he still worries about her and he still in little ways shows her he cares. Little by little Kody starts to realize her anger was misplaced and that his abandonment all those years ago is what fed her anger. But Hill his here now and although the timing might not be ideal Kody and Hill are finally getting their chance to clear the air and as long as the psycho killer doesn't get to her first they are willing to try for their HEA.

The small suspense part deals with who murdered Conrad Lawton and why. Hill while not technically on the case is helping out because the Tx Rangers believe have a local will help loosen lips and as hated as Conrad was the suspect list is endless. Now the ending is a little open ended all the major question get answered but one little detail is left which is what leads us to the next book. Overall, outstanding book. It's an emotion book about unrequited love finally coming to fruition. The suspense part was good, I enjoyed it and I kind of figured it was going to leave off the way it did.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Kody and Hill have history, the kind where Kody was engaged to Hill's brother and Hill harbored a secret love for her. Kody resented Hill for taking a step back from her and his brother and after his brother killed himself, Kody barely wanted to speak to Hill.

Now that they're older and Hill is assisting in the investigation into Kody's father's murder, there is no escaping each other.

They've had a painful past but maybe there's love in their future.

“I never want to see you again, Hill Gamble. I hate you.”

Second in the Loveless, Texas series, Unforgiven gives us Kody Lawton and Hill Gamble's story. A novella and first in the series starred Kody's brothers, Case and Crew, while giving reader's glimpses at the pain and unresolved feelings between Kody and Hill. The author does a great job of recapping anything you might need to know from the series and I would say you could comfortably pick this up without reading the rest in the series.

Half the time I don't know if I'm helping or hurting things where you're concerned. I'm always trying my best to do right by you, Kody, trying to be all the different things you need me to be. I failed at that task once before. I don't want to let you down again.”

Hill is back in town to help assist in the murder investigation for Kody's father. He was an abusive alcoholic who made Kody and her brother's childhood miserable and while he was sheriff, he committed many corrupt acts; due to this, the murder suspects could be endless. While the murder investigation is the reason to keep Hill in town, the majority of the story is focused on the relationship between Kody and Hill.

I thought the author did a good job showing the emotional struggle of Hill feeling guilty for having feelings for Kody and distancing himself from her and his brother because of it and how Kody not realizing his feelings, being angry with how she felt he abandoned them. I thought there was some repetitiveness with Kody going over and over how Hill wasn't there for her and how she had always saw him as her protector only to have him cut her off, in the first half. However, I did think it gave some emotional heft to the story and Kody's character when Kody works through why she pushed away her feelings for Hill in the beginning and accepted, transferred them to Hill's brother.

He kissed me back in a way that made me wonder if he'd been secretly fantasizing about this moment for as long as I had.

Kody had her frustrating immature moments at times, due to age and/or simply impulsive personality type but our Texas Ranger Hill was the perfect calm, cool, and collected hero who burned hot for her. I thought the war he battled with himself in wanting to help his brother with his issues of bipolar and depression but not being able to be around Kody when he felt so deeply for her were expressed emotionally through the writing.

Could a guy like him, controlled, concise...and, more importantly, honest and law-abiding, even have feelings for someone as messy and reckless as I was?

The murder mystery involving Kody's father is only half-way solved, in that it is revealed who was most likely responsible but that the person isn't caught. The whole murder mystery comes off as its sole purpose was to bring in the character Presley, who turns out to be a secret half-sister to Kody and her brothers. She looks to be the heroine in the next book along with Kody's friend Shot, the President of a motorcycle club called the Son's of Sorrow. If you're looking for more of focus on a friends-enemies-lovers with second chance-ish romance, this would be it. Internal character dialogue with emotional searching and growth that slowly changes into external between Kody and Hill is most of this book rather than outside plot threads driving the show.

I enjoyed the return to Loveless and liked how the author has interwoven the characters, loved how Kody and the two past heroines have invited Presley to their girl's night. I'm definitely looking forward to reading how Presley and Shot get together.

“You. My entire world looks like you.”

It was about time, because mine had always looked like her.

Friday goodies!

Unforgiven by Jay Crownover (Feb. 25th) pre-order link

Homemade Ding Dongs recipe

Take work but delicious

Hope everyone gets to spend the night with some goodies, too :)

Let's start off by saying this is a first time author for us and we really enjoyed our first read by them.

The story started off with a bang and continued to be full of suspense to the very end.We love these small town romances where everybody knows everybody.The story was full with a ton of surprises and were surprised at every new reveal some we suspected others we didn't see coming.

This was one of those complicated friends to lovers stories or enemies to lovers I guess you could say both but, no matter Case and Aspen have some major chemistry going on.

Case and Aspen have a history some good and some bad but ,now she is a lawyer and he is the town sheriff but, both have common goals even though they should be enemies do to their chosen professions.

The story was a complicate one with a lot of moving parts and with a lot of history between this couple making things already complicated but, with Aspen in trouble they have to find a way to get along.

Overall we loved it! We loved the characters and the plot that was full of twists and turns.We loved the sweet love story between both Aspen and Case as it was heartfelt and or so endearing.The story was also about change and growth and letting go of the past and living with past regrets but, moving forward and finding the perfect someone to complete you.I have to say one character stood out the most and that was Kody and we are so looking forward to seeing more of her in future stories to come as well as her own because that girl is one heck of a firecracker that made us laugh out loud time and time again and she is also a little bad*** and we totally loved her.

An amazing start to a brand new series that we plan on continuing with as we are hooked !

 Loveless Texas #1, The first full length story, if you haven't read the prequel novella that's fine it's not required. Case Lawton was the golden boy in high school, but then his mother died, he got injured, lost his scholarship, and his girlfriend got pregnant. He joined the military and when he came back he became a Sheriff's Deputy and everyone just assumed he would follow in his father's footsteps. But everyone was wrong working under his abusive, prejudice, I-going-to-use-the-law-in-my-favor father gave Case the ammunition he needed to get his father out of the Sheriff's office and get elected himself and then he cleaned house.

Aspen Barlow always felt like she was the outsider, not having been born in Loveless and being different made her even more of an outcast. Only one person made her feel special in school, Case, he made a point to welcome her and include her in events she ended up falling in love with him. She watched as his life derailed but she never lost faith that he was a better man than his father. In order to protect Case and his son she made an enemy out of the man she once love and represented his wife in the divorce. Eight years later he is still holding a grudge but when he gets called to a break in at her office everything changes.

I loved this book! Being so new to Jay Crownover I haven't read any of the other books in which Case ties into but that's fine I really wasn't missing anything, except now I want to go and read more of her books. Told in duel first person POV you get both sides of the story and that really makes you want to smack Case at different points in the book because he basically made Aspen his scapegoat and when she finally calls him on it you want to pump your fist in the air and cheer her on. I got very attached to the characters, they felt so real and I am really looking forward to Kody's book!! I loved the pacing of the book and it was well balanced of emotional and suspense with just a smidge of humor, usually Kody. Overall, this book has definitely won me over, I am now a fan of Jay Crownover and I can't wait for my next fix.