Showdown at Shadow Junction - Joanna Wayne (HI #1563 - May 2015)

Series: Big D Dads: The Daltons (Book 5)

When Jade Dalton escapes a ruthless kidnapper on the trail of a multimillion-dollar necklace, she flees to the one place no one will find her: her estranged father's Texas ranch. Booker Knox is also on his way to Dry Gulch. After a potentially dangerous situation thrusts her into his arms, the navy SEAL appoints himself Jade's personal bodyguard.

It isn't every day Booker finds himself being kissed by a gorgeous stranger. Except Jade's a fugitive from justice who's also being hunted by a determined killer. Now Booker will do whatever it takes to protect the beautiful big-city event planner. Failure isn't an option. Neither is walking away when this is all over.

Good mix of romance and suspense. Jade is an event planner in New York and her latest job has been running a multi-city tour for a jewelry maker. On this night the man invites her to his suite before the show and shows her a beautiful necklace. They are interrupted by a delivery of champagne that turns out to be drugged. The next thing Jade knows, she's being held captive, the jeweler is dead and she's being blamed, and the kidnapper thinks she has hidden the necklace somewhere. She escapes the kidnapper, who is also a dirty cop, and unwilling to trust the police, heads to her father's ranch to regroup. On the way she meets Booker, who is also headed to the ranch, to meet the half sister he didn't know (she's married to one of Jade's brothers).

Booker's protective instincts are raised when Jade throws herself at him to escape the notice of those who may be looking for her. He doesn't know who she is at first, but once he hears her story he suspects that she's been set up. He's determined to keep her safe while the investigation goes on. It doesn't hurt that she's beautiful and the chemistry between them is pretty hot.

Jade is used to taking care of herself and not depending on anyone's help. Her mother is a bit of a drama queen and has been through multiple husbands. Her father, RJ, pretty much abandoned the family until recently, when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She's not inclined to forgive him, but she knows she will be able to hide out on the ranch for a couple days. She doesn't expect to find several of her half brothers there along with her father, or that all of them are determined to help her. She's not quite sure what to make of the previously unheard of family support.

I loved seeing Booker and Jade together. The attraction between them is strong, but neither is interested in a relationship. As a SEAL, Booker feels that he's a bad bet until he done with deployments, as constant separations are hard on relationships. He keeps his involvements light. Jade also avoids them as she hasn't had good examples and isn't ready to risk her heart yet. As they're thrown together Booker discovers that Jade is strong and independent, and she finds that it's comforting to be able to lean on someone else for a change. When all the fuss was over I loved the way they got to know each other while staying at the ranch. The ending was really sweet.

The suspense of the story was good. The big question was what had happened to the necklace. Jade's escape from the kidnapper was pretty intense. There was also her need to clear her name about the murder and theft. There were some pretty intense moments when Booker's bodyguard/SEAL abilities came in quite handy. Just when I thought that everything was over and done, a twist in who was after the necklace became apparent. That final confrontation was nerve wracking until it was all over.

I also enjoyed the continuing story of the reconciliation between RJ and his kids. I liked seeing RJ finding ways to help Jade through her trouble. She was pretty wary of all the family togetherness, but it was great to see the way her brothers stepped up to help. I'm looking forward to the next book.

Midnight Rider - Joanna Wayne (HI #1539 - Jan 2015)

Series: Big D Dads: The Daltons (Book 4)

THIS COWBOY WON'T BACK DOWN

Houston homicide detective Brittany Garner just got hit with a one-two punch. The twin sister she never knew existed has been found dead, leaving behind a three-month-old daughter. Brittany's vow to find her sister's murderer, as well as the father of the orphaned infant, leads straight to Cannon Dalton. A bull rider who spends his life roaming from rodeo to rodeo, Cannon has only one mission now: protect the beautiful cop and the child who could be his. Caught in the crosshairs of escalating danger -- and his powerful desire for Brittany -- Cannon races to stop a desperate killer…and a revenge that's been a long time coming.

Good book with a strong start that just keeps getting better. Brit is a Houston homicide detective who is dedicated to her job. Just as she's getting ready to take the first vacation she's had in years, she's called to the morgue to view a body - one that looks just like her. She discovers that the woman is the twin sister she never knew she had, and that she left behind a three month old daughter. First order of business is to find the little girl's father, then find out who murdered her sister and why.

Cannon Dalton is a rodeo bull rider who doesn't believe Brit when she tracks him down. She informs Cannon that she left the little girl with his father at the Dry Gulch Ranch while she looked for him. He accompanies her back to Houston to take a paternity test, all the time certain that there's no way he could be a father. When Brit is attacked while he's in Houston, his protective instincts kick in and he's determined to protect her, even if that means taking her to his father's ranch.

Cannon's father, RJ, was a terrible father when his kids were young. When he found out he was dying of a brain tumor, he was determined to try to reconnect with them. He's made peace with three of his sons, and now he's hoping to do the same with Cannon. Cannon isn't interested, having too much resentment over his dad's abandonment to want anything to do with him. But in order to keep Brit and Kimmie safe, he'll put up with RJ for a little while. Being on the ranch and around his brothers gives him a different perspective and things begin to change a little for him. I also liked seeing how Cannon went from denying he could be a father, to falling for little Kimmie and wanting to be a better father than his own had been.

Brit's been told to stay away from the investigation until she has recovered from her injuries, but she can't and won't do that. Cannon won't step back and let her investigate without him there to keep her safe. There's more than just protectiveness going on, as Cannon feels a powerful attraction to Brit, even though their lives are very different. I liked seeing the trust that developed between them first and how that trust turned to love.

The mystery is very good. Brit starts out by trying to figure out what the connection is between her sister's murder and the attack on her. There also may be a connection with her father, who was murdered three years earlier, and whose killer hasn't yet been caught. Brit's instincts tell her that her attack is related to a murderer she helped catch and convict right after she became a detective, but she can't figure out what the connection would be to her sister and father. In trying to find out more about her sister, she also learns something disturbing about her father. Just when Brit thinks everything is safe, a twist in the investigation puts her life in danger, and Cannon is the only one who can save her.