THE HEART OF A
TEXAS COWBOY
Men of Legend, Book 2
by
LINDA BRODAY
Genre: Western / Historical / Romance
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Date of Publication: May 2, 2017
Number of Pages: 384
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Three Brothers. One Oath.
No Compromises.
The MEN of LEGEND
One bullet is all it takes to shatter Houston Legend’s world. He swore he’d never love again, but with the future of the Lone Star Ranch on the line, he finds himself at the altar promising to love and cherish a woman he’s never met—a woman whose vulnerable beauty touches his heart.
All Lara Boone wants is a name for her baby. The best she can hope for is kindness and acceptance. She never expected to fall in love with her own husband—or any man—after the heartache she’s endured.
In an effort to save the Lone Star Ranch, Houston decides to drive two thousand longhorns up the Great Western Trail to Dodge City. The day before he leaves, the cook quits. When he can’t find another on such short notice, Lara offers to go along and fill in. Over his best judgement, he lets her. Three days out, he notices riders trailing them. Things go from bad to worse and it’s an all-out fight to try to save themselves and the herd.
And when Lara’s troubled past catches up with them, Houston will move heaven and earth to protect his bride…and discover depths to a marriage of convenience neither realized could be theirs to claim.
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Praise for The Heart of a Texas Cowboy:
“Broday brilliantly captures Lara and Houston’s hesitations and growing love. The exciting plot, rich setting, and superb writing will delight fans of historical romances.” ~~Publisher’s Weekly *Starred Review
“This compassionate, poignant marriage-of-convenience love story demonstrates Broday’s ability to bring a wide range of emotions to her characters in a fast-paced plotline without losing a bit of the powerful love story. Add this to your Western romance collection!” ~~Romantic Times
“Ms. Broday’s conclusion of this phenomenal book is heart gripping, blood pounding drama at its finest. This one will keep readers revisiting again and again in years to come.” ~~ Tonya Lucas- Goodreads Review
“One of the best historical Western authors.” ~~ Fresh Fiction
“Broday will appeal to fans of such authors as Georgina Gentry, Leigh Greenwood, and Jodi Thomas.” ~~Booklist
Lara is a strong, independent woman who gets up and keeps fighting, despite all the hurdles she faces. Houston is betrayed by his childhood sweetheart. After a year of brooding on both parts, their fathers hatch a scheme for Houston and Lara to marry. What starts as a marriage of convenience soon blossoms into the love of a lifetime in The Heart of a Texas Cowboy. As Houston says to Lara after their wedding:
We’ll work this out together. We have mountains in front of us, and Lord knows you have one of tallest, but no one can tell you when or how to climb. I’ll help you figure it out and, if I can’t catch you, I’ll pick you up when you fall.
The plot of The Heart of a Texas Cowboy is a slow-burner. Ms. Broday takes the time to develop the characters. Houston and Lara are given the opportunity, and more importantly, the time to get to know each other. Both Houston and Lara need time to heal and learn to trust again. The long cattle drive allows them this freedom. I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the growth and watching the love mature between these two characters.
In addition to the main characters, the secondary characters really shine here. Dr. Mary is a rare breed. A doctor in a small town, she has tenacity. She has turned the remains of all the bullets she’s removed from patients over the years into a necklace as a reminder of how fragile life is. Clay is Houston’s right hand man on the cattle drive. He keeps the cows and other drovers in line. Clay has a secret past that I’m hoping to learn more about in the other books in the series. Lara’s brothers Virgil, Quaid, and Henry do all they can to support Lara and her daughter Gracie. And without a doubt, baby Gracie is the linchpin in the whole story. Houston is immediately drawn to her. Gracie is a natural on a horse. I love the scene where she’s a pint-size bandito (or is it bandita?), with a bandanna protecting her face, driving the cattle with the other drovers. Finally, there are Houston’s brothers, Sam and Luke. Sam is the main character of the first book in the Men from Legend series. Luke is the main character of the third book in the series. All three Legend men are very appealing!
I wholly enjoyed The Heart of a Texas Cowboy. After finishing this book by Ms. Broday, I can already say I’ll be reading about the other Legend brothers!
I received The Heart of a Texas Cowboy free in exchange for my honest review. Thanks to author Linda Broday and Lone Star Book Blog Tours for providing this opportunity.
Linda Broday, Historical Western Romance Author
I’m a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 8 full length historical western romance novels, with another set to release 2017, and 10 short stories. Watching TV westerns during my youth fed my love of cowboys and the old West and they still do. I reside in the Texas Panhandle on land the American Indian and Comancheros once roamed. At times, I can feel their ghosts lurking around every corner. Texas’ rich history is one reason I set all my stories here. I love research and looking for little known tidbits to add realism to my stories. When I’m not writing, I collect old coins and I confess to being a rock hound. I’ve been accused (and quite unfairly I might add) of making a nuisance of myself at museums, libraries, and historical places. I’m also a movie buff and love sitting in a dark theater, watching the magic on the screen. As long as I’m confessing…chocolate is my best friend. It just soothes my soul.
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May 15-24, 2017
CHECK OUT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:
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5/15
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Guest Post 1
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5/16
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Review
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5/17
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Character Interview
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5/18
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Guest Post 2
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5/19
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Review
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5/20
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Excerpt
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5/21
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Author Interview
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5/22
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Review
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5/23
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Bonus Short
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5/24
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Review
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[…] this novel, we meet up with Clay from The Heart of a Texas Cowboy and Tally, the de facto leader of the women living in Deliverance Canyon after escaping from […]
Thank you so much for having me and for your awesome review. I’m glad the story found a place in your heart as it did mine. No matter how many more books I write, this one will always remain a favorite. You’ll be happy to know that Clay Colby is getting his own book. I’m in the process of writing it now in a series called Texas Outlaw Legends. It’ll be out next year.
You know, Texas makes such a great setting for historical westerns with its rich history and large feel. I wouldn’t set my stories anywhere else.
Book #3 of Men of Legend will come out this November.
Thanks for stopping by, Linda. And I AM GLAD to hear that Clay is getting his own book! I look forward to it. I’ve learned quite a bit about Texas history from the Westerns I’ve read. And I can honestly say, I’d never make it on a cattle drive!
Many of my readers will be happy to hear this. Actually, my editor was the first to say that he had to have his own book. Of course, I totally agreed. Yes, cattle drives weren’t for wimps. They were darn hard work. Glad I don’t have to do it.
Linda Broday recently posted…The Curiosities of Barber Poles