Series:
Covert Cowboy Inc. (Book 4)
Thorn Drennan stares death in the face when he's
nearly shot by a ranch trespasser. But this is no ordinary trespasser.
Pregnant and running for her life, Sophia Carranza has crossed the
Mexican border, leaving a trail of ruthless enemies behind.
Sophia's protection is Thorn's first assignment as an undercover agent
and he senses trouble. Inexplicably drawn to Sophia's beauty and
fighting spirit, Thorn fears his growing desire for Sophia could
jeopardize the mission. And when Sophia's captors finally catch up to
them, will Thorn trade his own life for another?
Excellent conclusion to the series. The action started on the first page and didn't stop until the bad guys were taken down. While checking the fence line Thorn finds Sophia hiding in a nearby line shack. She is on the run from her abusive fiance who is also a member of the Mexican drug cartel. His boss makes her protection his first assignment with CCI. He doesn't expect to feel an intense attraction to her as he tries to keep her safe. Sophia feels the attraction also but she also knows that her fiance won't give up until he has her back and will kill anyone who gets in his way.
I really liked both Sophia and Thorn. Sophia had been fooled by Antonio when she first met him, not knowing what he was really like until he got her away from her family and imprisoned in the cartel compound. Once there she was subjected to emotional and physical abuse. When she discovered she was pregnant she knew she had to escape. With the help and encouragement of another captive she got away and headed for the refuge the woman told her about. Her guide was killed along the way, leaving her to go the rest of the way alone. With a storm coming she took refuge in a shack, terrified that she would be found. When Thorn burst in, she thought she was doomed, until he convinced her that she would be safe. Finding out that his boss was the person she'd been sent to find was a relief, until they were attacked on the way back. She was convinced that she was putting everyone in danger and just wanted to be turned loose. The more she insisted on leaving the more determined Thorn was to keep her safe. She also found herself increasingly attracted to him, and those feelings grew the more she was around him. I loved her determination to escape her captivity and give her baby a chance for a better life. She pushed herself in amazing ways in order to get to Hank's ranch. Her concern for the safety of the others showed what a caring person she was. She had a hard time believing that they could protect themselves against the cartel. Every time it looked like she was going to be safe something would happen to shake her up again. She was constantly trying to give herself up to save others. Throughout everything she tried to contain her feelings for Thorn. She knew he still mourned his wife and child and didn't expect anything to come of their attraction. At the end she nearly lost everything.
Thorn had been emotionally frozen since the death of his wife and unborn child. As the local sheriff he had been targeted by a recently released criminal who missed him and hit his wife instead. He quit his job and had been doing mostly nothing until Hank hired him to be part of CCI. He wasn't happy about being assigned to Sophia because he was feeling things with her he hadn't felt since his wife's death. There wasn't anyone else available so he sucked it up and did it. It wasn't long before her beauty and determination started getting to him even more. Once they got past their initial meeting I loved his gentleness with her. He could see her suffering and wanted to do what he could to protect her. The more time they spent together the more he wanted to do for her. When he had to take her to his home as part of her cover it was hard to see her there where he pictured his wife. When that home was destroyed he finally started to see that he hadn't been living just existing and that was no way to honor her memory. He also started to realize that there was room in his life for more love.
The conclusion to the mystery was very satisfying. From the first book on the CCI have been fighting a battle against one of the drug cartels. It seemed that no matter what they did they couldn't get a break. It became obvious that there was someone on the American side feeding them information. More and more they were sure that there was a mole inside the FBI who was working against them. In this book Sophia's fiance seemed to be just one short step behind them whatever they did. There was a surprise piece of information that Sophia had that sent Hank and the CCI into Mexico to the cartel compound. It was there that the final confrontation with the cartel leader took place, ensuring a happy ending for all of them. In the last chapter, Hank talks about hiring some more cowboys, and maybe a cowgirl, for the CCI. I hope this means there will be more books for the series - especially the cowgirl one!
Series:
Covert Cowboys Inc. (Book 3)
In a small town in Texas, everyone has a secret.
Especially Chuck Bolton. Formerly a Special Forces soldier, Chuck now
poses as a ranch handyman. His real mission? To protect his ex-fiancée,
and the baby girl he never knew they'd created, from a malevolent masked
man.
Who is behind the attack -- and what could they possibly want with Peggy
Jane ("PJ") Franks? While the answer remains unclear, one thing is
certain: Chuck never stopped loving PJ after she left him. And PJ,
afraid of falling for the same man who broke her heart, doesn't want to
repeat history. But that's the least of her worries when her enemy's
motive is finally revealed.
I really didn't think it was possible for the series to get even better, but I was wrong. I was on the edge of my seat during almost every page. Chuck's first assignment for CCI is to protect PJ and her daughter from the man stalking them. At the time he didn't know that Charlie was his. He was stunned to learn of it and determined that both of them would be safe. PJ had broken things off with Chuck before she knew for sure that she was pregnant and had never told him. Now that he's back she won't keep them apart but she isn't sure she wants to risk her heart. She also doesn't know his real mission at first but does know that she feels safe when he's with her.
PJ had been in love with Chuck, but broke things off with him when he chose to leave her behind to go to war. Having lost everyone else she loved she wasn't willing to take that chance with him. When she discovered she was pregnant she chose not to tell him rather than risk him being distracted by the news. She didn't intend to keep it from him forever. She didn't expect him to show up in Wild Oak Canyon a couple months early and not right across the hall from her. She was glad of his presence when he saved her from an attacker. I did like the way that she didn't deny that Charlie was his and made sure that he knew that his participation in Charlie's life was welcome. She discovered very quickly that her feelings for Chuck had not gone away but she was still intent on protecting her heart. As the attacks escalated Chuck made the decision that he and his boss had to let PJ know what was going on and why. She was furious at the deception but came to accept that she needed the protection. I loved her independence and determination to make a better life for Charlie than she had had. I also liked the way that she held her own against Chuck and made him think about his own family issues. The intensity of the final chapters really had my heart racing, especially when it came to the discovery of her parentage.
Chuck had never stopped loving PJ and when he returned to the US in need of a job he went back to Wild Oak Canyon. When Hank asked him to join CCI and protect one of his employees he said yes, not knowing it was going to be PJ and Charlie. I loved the way he burst onto the scene to save her from her attacker before he knew it was her. His initial anger at PJ's deception ended pretty quickly once he held Charlie. It only reinforced his need to keep them safe. I loved the way that he became uncomfortable with the deception and insisted that Hank tell her the truth. He had never gotten over his love for her and was trying to find a way to show her that he still cared and wanted them to be together. I loved all the instances of him being a daddy, from falling asleep with her on his chest to his first time trying to diaper her. Those all went a long way toward softening PJ's feelings for him. I liked the insight we got into his problems with his own family and the way that becoming a father started to get him thinking about changing things. The conclusion was great.
The escalating attacks really kept my attention, especially since each one was different. Chuck and Hank really had their work cut out for them trying to figure out who was doing them. I figured out pretty quickly who the older Hispanic guy was, but not what his role would ultimately be. There wasn't really anything in this book about who was behind the troubles in the first two books, especially within the FBI. Hopefully we'll get more about that in the next book.
Series:
Covert Cowboys Inc. (Book 2)
After witnessing the murder of his partner,
former FBI agent Zach Adams suffers the weight of his own guilt. An
unexpected assignment hunting down the members of the Texas gang
responsible -- who have kidnapped a local woman -- could offer
long-awaited revenge.
Zach understands the danger of tracking the cartel, but it's his desire
for the sister of the missing person that he fails to anticipate.
Determined to find her twin, Jacie Kosart is as strong-willed as she is
alluring. But when Zach's ruthless search for the kidnappers lands Jacie
in the crosshairs of deadly enemies, Zach realizes he'll risk
everything to keep her alive…even if it means confronting the demons of
his own past.
Very good book. So far I really like this series. Based on my experience with Elle James's books I don't see that changing any time soon. Zach has been invited to join Covert Cowboys Inc. after leaving the FBI. He is still suffering from guilt and anger over the death of his partner and isn't interested until he is offered the chance to go after the gang who did it. This pairs him with the sister of a woman kidnapped by the cartel. He is very attracted to her but tries to keep her out of the action, not wanting to be responsible for danger to another woman. But she won't be left behind and soon she's in just as much danger as her sister.
Jacie was great. She is a woman with a very nontraditional job of being an outdoor field guide. She knows her way around the woods, is handy with firearms, and is cool in a crisis. When her FBI agent twin comes to visit she gets worried that there is something wrong. When the two of them take out a pair of hunters things go bad quickly and Tracie ends up getting kidnapped. Jacie's cries for help bring in CCI who quickly discover that Tracie was investigating a possible mole in her office. She and Zach strike sparks off each other right away until she is able to convince him to help save her sister from his partner's fate. I really loved the fact that she was so independent. She was also able to show Zach that they could work very well together. I especially loved the part where they worked together to question the cartel member they caught - she was very convincing. She did have a tendency to disregard Zach's orders for her to stay back when he went to do something dangerous. It got her into hot water a couple times especially at the end. Though it also saved Zach's neck a couple times. I really enjoyed the strength of their attraction, but that they were also able to control it when they needed to.
Zach had left his job with the FBI after his thirst for revenge interfered with his job. He's not too interested in the job with CCI until Tracie's kidnapping gives him a lead into his own search. Plus he can't handle the idea of another woman going through what his partner went through. He is unwillingly impressed by Jacie and her capabilities. Because of them he can't deny her the opportunity to help him find her sister. I loved seeing his attempts to keep her out of the action and how she ends up in the middle of it every time. He is also fighting his attraction to her because he doesn't want to open up his heart to another risk. Even though he tried his protectiveness kept coming out. He also had his gentle moments with her when treating injuries and trying to comfort her. I loved the effect that helping Jacie had on his need for revenge. She was also able to enable him to look at a future for them in a more positive way.
Series:
Covert Cowboys Inc (Book 1)
To protect their future, a Texas bodyguard must revisit his past
After taking justice into his own hands, Austin police officer Ben
Harding faces an unknown future. But a new job referral carries the
possibility of salvation. His mission seems simple: protect a woman and
her young daughter -- recent residents of the Flying K Ranch who have
become the target of threats.
When Ben meets Kate Langsdon, he is immediately struck by her beauty…and
by the memories of the tragedies that touched his own family. Resolved
not to become emotionally invested, Ben protects the pair as new dangers
-- and old ranch secrets -- emerge. As enemies draw closer, can Ben
keep this family alive long enough to explore a future with Kate?
Excellent book with nearly constant action and suspense. Ben lost his job as a cop after killing a suspect. When he's offered a job with the new Covert Cowboys Inc., he accepts. His first job is to protect Kate and her daughter Lily. Kate inherited the ranch from her father, who she had never known. Someone is trying to drive her away with threats and attacks and it's Ben's job to keep them safe. Ben is fighting the memories of his murdered wife and daughter as well as his attraction to Kate.
Kate had never known her father and was stunned to find out she had been left his ranch when he died. Shortly after inheriting her home in Houston was broken into and ransacked. No longer feeling safe there, she packed up her daughter Lily and moved to the ranch, only to find the danger there was even worse. After contacting a friend of her father's he sends Ben to protect her. He arrives just in time to save her from another attack. She is immediately attracted to him, something that hasn't happened to her since the death of her husband four years earlier. Ben has made it clear that he is there for protection and will leave as soon as the job is done. She sees the anguish in his eyes when he looks at Lily but also the gentleness and care that he treats her with. She is afraid of falling for him and the suffering that will follow for her and Lily, but she can't stop her feelings. One of the things I really liked about Kate was her determination to make the ranch her home. She was afraid for herself and Lily but she wasn't going to run away. I loved seeing her stand up to the sheriff and the others who threatened her.
Ben lost his job as a cop when he killed a suspect who had been trafficking and abusing girls. The boss at Covert Cowboys Inc. hired him because of his abilities. Ben's first assignment was to protect Kate an Lily. At first he tried to get out of it because of the memories being around them brought back. His wife and daughter were killed by a criminal that Ben had caught but who had been released on a technicality. He was also attracted to Kate which opened up a whole new set of guilty feelings. I really loved seeing Ben with Lily. In spite of his sadness there was something about her that he just couldn't resist. Seeing him read her a story or brush her hair was so sweet. It didn't take long before Ben no longer wished to get out of his assignment. He was fully invested in keeping Kate and Lily safe. I liked the way that he was able to make connections between what was happening on the ranch to what had been happening with his case in Austin. It made him even more determined to get to whoever was behind the troubles on the ranch. Ben continued to try to fight his feelings for Kate but he wasn't succeeding. It took nearly losing her for him to realize he was ready to start living again.
Series: Covert Cowboy Inc. (Book 4)
