Confessing to the Cowboy - Carla Cassidy (HRS #1755 - June 2013)

Series: Cowboy Cafe (Book 4)

"The Price of Deadly Secrets..."
Someone is killing waitresses at the Cowboy Cafe. Three women are dead, and Sheriff Cameron Evans means to find out why. But as he works to solve the case, the hunky sheriff must push beyond his feelings for the cafe's owner. There's a murderer on the loose. Passion has no place here.
For Mary Mathis, the crime is personal. Not only are the victims her employees, they may be a sign of something deeper. Eight years ago she came to Grady Gulch fleeing a violent past that has scarred her for life. Now she has to discover if that history is dooming the women who work for her. She already knows it has made new love impossible--no matter what she may secretly desire.

Excellent book and conclusion to the series.  Cameron is at his wit's end.  Someone is killing the waitresses at the Cowboy Cafe but whoever it is isn't leaving any clues behind.  Mary is worried about her waitresses and now she starts to think the deaths are aimed at her personally.  Mary and her son came to Grady Gulch eight years earlier.  Shortly after that she bought the cafe and has been running it ever since.  While Mary is friendly to everyone she keeps her own life very private.  When she starts getting things that remind her of her old life she goes to Cameron and confesses her past to him. 

I really liked Mary.  She took control of her life when her husband's abuse became too much, doing whatever was needed to keep herself and her son safe.  I loved the way that throughout the series she was always there to help others who needed it.  She has been drawn to Cameron since the very beginning, but because of her past does not allow herself to pursue those feelings.  When she starts receiving reminders of her past she realizes that the murders may be related to it, so she decides to go to Cameron and tell him everything.  She is afraid she'll end up in jail and also fears Cameron's reaction to her story.  She doesn't want to lose his friendship.  When those fears are relieved their relationship starts to heat up, but Mary fears that Cameron will now become a target.  She also doesn't really trust her feelings and fears risking her heart.

Cameron has been attracted to Mary since she arrived in Grady Gulch.  He seems to be content to see her every day at the cafe and doesn't try to push a relationship.  I liked the way that he has a softer side that shows in his care for the little dog and the way he is there for Mary's son.  When the murders begin being around Mary is the only thing that relieves his stress a little.  When she comes to him and confesses her past he is stunned.  He is also angry at everything she went through and impressed by what she has made of her life.  The first thing he does is check into her story and finds that she is not guilty of what she thought she was.  He then uses that information to find out if her past has indeed come to Grady Gulch.  I really loved his determination to solve the murders and to keep Mary and her son safe. Even when Mary initially rejects his love he is intent on remaining close to her. 

The suspense itself, of discovering who was killing the waitresses was very intense.  Cameron and his deputies are stymied by the complete lack of evidence at the scenes and frustrated by their inability to make progress on the case.  As we finally discover the who, the question becomes how.  The mind games played on Mary amped up her fear.  When the final confrontation came the disclosure of the murderer was an unexpected twist.  I loved the way that Mary was able to take control and face him down.

Cowboy With a Cause - Carla Cassidy (HRS #1735 - Jan 2013)

Series: Cowboy Cafe (Book 3)

"I'd apologize for kissing you, but I'm not all that sorry."

Dancer Melanie Brooks had escaped small-town Oklahoma, giving up the country for Broadway's bright lights. Yet after her mother's funeral called her back, her own health issues forced her to stay. Now her tenant, too-hot-for-his-own-good Adam Benson, is giving her a reason to dance again. But has a killer set his sights on her, too?

Adam knows a little something about fresh starts. As for his beautiful neighbor, he doesn't see a wheelchair -- he sees a woman who understands. But as the heat grows between them, he can't avoid the feeling that more than her big-city past haunts her -- and that danger has been lurking, waiting to strike….

Very good book.  Melanie is back in her hometown.  She had been planning to leave again after her mother's funeral but she ended up staying because of her health issues.  She has spent the last seven months holed up in her house feeling sorry for herself.  But she really needs the money that renting out the top floor of her house would bring in, so she rents it to Adam.  She has resigned herself to being alone for the rest of her life, but suddenly she has an intense attraction to Adam to deal with.  She also finds that he is drawing her out of her self-imposed isolation and making her dream of a  different future.  She feels, though, that it wouldn't be fair to Adam to tie him to a woman in a wheelchair so she denies her feelings.  Melanie is a lot stronger than she thinks she is.  When she is targeted by a stalker she is able to think past her panic and save herself.  With Adam's help she is also able to start to take charge of her life and future.  I wanted to shake her a few times when she would start to accept possibilities for her future and then she would talk herself right back to her "poor me" attitude.

Adam was a great guy.  He has finally pulled himself back together after the tragedies of losing his sister and then his oldest brother trying to murder someone.  Now he wants to figure out what he wants to do with the rest of his life.  When he rents his rooms from Melanie he doesn't expect the instant attraction to her.  She is dreadfully rude to him but he recognizes the attitude of someone who is dealing with too much.  Even though he knows she doesn't want his help he can't resist her.  He really wants her to realize that just because she is in a wheelchair doesn't mean that she isn't a beautiful, wonderful woman who can do anything she wants to do.  I loved the way that his love for her grows steadily the more he is with her and that he really doesn't see her as limited in what she can do.  I loved the way that he was so steady in his love even when she was pushing him away.  He also refused to accept her attitude that she was useless and showed her that she still had a lot to give.

The mystery continues about who is killing the waitresses at the Cowboy Cafe.  When attempts are made on Melanie's life Adam steps in to make sure she is safe.  There are things about her attacks that make it seem like it is the same person, but other things just don't add up. This kept me reading well past bedtime as I tried to decide if this was the killer or someone else that had a problem with Melanie.  The sheriff is growing more frustrated with each murder and the lack of evidence that is found.  I am really looking forward to the next book and finding out who and why.