ARC REVIEW Justified by Jay Crownover

 Loveless Texas #1, The first full length story, if you haven't read the prequel novella that's fine it's not required. Case Lawton was the golden boy in high school, but then his mother died, he got injured, lost his scholarship, and his girlfriend got pregnant. He joined the military and when he came back he became a Sheriff's Deputy and everyone just assumed he would follow in his father's footsteps. But everyone was wrong working under his abusive, prejudice, I-going-to-use-the-law-in-my-favor father gave Case the ammunition he needed to get his father out of the Sheriff's office and get elected himself and then he cleaned house.

Aspen Barlow always felt like she was the outsider, not having been born in Loveless and being different made her even more of an outcast. Only one person made her feel special in school, Case, he made a point to welcome her and include her in events she ended up falling in love with him. She watched as his life derailed but she never lost faith that he was a better man than his father. In order to protect Case and his son she made an enemy out of the man she once love and represented his wife in the divorce. Eight years later he is still holding a grudge but when he gets called to a break in at her office everything changes.

I loved this book! Being so new to Jay Crownover I haven't read any of the other books in which Case ties into but that's fine I really wasn't missing anything, except now I want to go and read more of her books. Told in duel first person POV you get both sides of the story and that really makes you want to smack Case at different points in the book because he basically made Aspen his scapegoat and when she finally calls him on it you want to pump your fist in the air and cheer her on. I got very attached to the characters, they felt so real and I am really looking forward to Kody's book!! I loved the pacing of the book and it was well balanced of emotional and suspense with just a smidge of humor, usually Kody. Overall, this book has definitely won me over, I am now a fan of Jay Crownover and I can't wait for my next fix.

ARC REVIEW Texas Lightning by Gerry Bartlett

Lone Star Suspense #1, The fact that this takes place in Texas and is Romantic Suspense, I love those, completely outweighs the fact that the main guy is a billionaire, not impressed with billionaire romance it's not really my thing I rarely read it. An added bonus the main female lead is a computer geek; we're off to a good start. This is my first time reading Gerry Bartlett and I'm impressed I definitely want to catch the next books in the series. I enjoyed this very much likeable characters, a strong, intelligent woman a swoon worthy guy who is devoted to his newly found love he's that  he's willing to do anything to keep her safe, some suitably heinous bad guys, and the plot doesn't skimp either.

Anna Delaney had an idea, one that could save countless lives and she is so close to achieving that dream. A Boston native she moves to Texas where the company who bought her idea was located. One day while she was exploring the capitol she meets King Sanders. King, billionaire rancher/farmer/jack of all trades, takes an instant liking to Anna takes her to lunch and then drives her home but when they get there they discover her apartment has been broken into, all her computer equipment stolen. Coincidentally King happens to be friends with Anna's boss and an investor in the company that owns Anna's program. Not that he cares about the money her program can make him he's too worried about her safety and rightly so. Anna's best friend, Scarlett, who came with her from Boston was kidnapped and used as leverage to get the code to get into her computer but Anna's the only one who can work her code so they keep coming after her. King even goes as far as hiring Anna's brother, former military and FBI, new security company. But that doesn't stop the bad guys from coming or from trying to kidnap Anna to finish the program.

Overall, great read. There's great sexual chemistry between Anna and King and the romance takes a side step to the suspense it is a good romance they work through stuff. Anna is headstrong and King has a time getting her to admit her own feelings. I look forward to the next book which is Scarlett's and I believe ties into another one of Bartlett's series.