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LONE STAR INTRIGUE Texas Heat Accused of embezzling $100,000, Charli is stunned when Sheriff Jack Mansfield arrests her. Charli and Jack were teenage sweethearts years ago until she foolishly dumped him and married another. Now a single mom, Charli has no money to defend against the false accusations. Jack still pines for Charli even though she broke his heart all those years ago. At first, the evidence against Charli seems compelling. As sheriff, his duty is clear, and Jack is never one to shirk his duty, regardless how painful. Jack’s brother, Sonny, is a Private Investigator, and after questioning Charli, Jack asks Sonny to dig deeper into the allegations hoping to find proof of her innocence. Jack soon becomes convinced that other forces are at work, and someone wants to tie up a few loose ends. This novel kept me interested and I enjoyed the way in which Charli and Jack ignited the fireworks between them for a second chance at love. Charli’s daughter, Bonnie, is a sweet child who stole a couple of scenes. There are, in fact, several supporting characters that are honestly portrayed and well-developed. I was disappointed that the actual way in which the crime was carried out is left mostly unexplained. Texas Pursuit For the past two years, Tanya has been fearful and worried because a stalker has made her life increasingly uncomfortable, to say the least. Finally, she has a chance for a fresh start since she and her adopted son, Coty, relocated to Bullard, Texas. Rushing out the door to his brother’s wedding, Sonny Mansfield is hailed by a well-dressed man wishing to hire him to track down his missing wife. Sonny agrees to meet the potential client later that night and after hearing his story, agrees to take the case. Sonny is low on cash and his mortgage payment will not pay itself. Sonny finds the errant wife and passes on her address and car license number to his client. However, his gut, and the client’s shifty demeanor alerts him to the possibility that he has just made a terrible mistake. Sonny introduces himself to Tanya and arranges to rent her garage apartment. He figures he will watch over her and Coty, but what he does not plan on is falling in love. For the most part, this novel held my interest though I feel it became a bit too preachy at times, which, for me, became a distraction. I also had a difficult time accepting Sonny’s rather sudden epiphany. Coty is an adorable, frustrating, little guy; he brought back to my mind those years, long past now, when my children were toddlers and how very demanding they could be. The suspense is better maintained in this novel than in the first book, I feel. Both books are enjoyable and fast-paced. For me, the religious element was somewhat overdone in Texas Pursuit, but I am sure that is exactly what will appeal to many other readers. What most enchanted me while reading both novels is the lovely East Texas setting. While I am familiar with Bullard and have been through that town several times, I am most familiar with Tyler, as, at almost 100,000 in population, it is the closest large-size city to my rural home. I also vividly recall the scorching heat and awful humidity we had in this area last summer. The description of the sweltering heat and humidity in both novels was masterfully and accurately conveyed. Laurie
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