I absolutely loved the two novellas in one book. It starts with a mistaken identity, a kidnapping and then a finally where the girl n o longer is trying to escape.
Second story: a little visit to a castle, instant attraction, and a necklace that shouldn't have been sold. A little breaking and entering and it's true love.

The first one was a little over the top with the kidnaping and sex. I wasn’t sure what the angle was until about 80% into the book. The second book unfortunately i didnt finish. I got to about the 3rd chapter and couldnt go any further.

Hot, hot, hot!! We've got TWO sexy, swoon-worthy cowboys, each in their own story.

In the first story, Luc is seeking vengeance on Maria by kidnapping her, only he mistakenly kidnaps her virtuous twin, Melina. She's one tough cookie, more than a match for Luc. The second book follows Jack, an Irish heirloom, and a sassy angel named Angel. Angel is determined to recover her family's heirloom, but she didn't count on Jack being the one man who could capture her heart.

These romances are panty-melting, sheet-grabbing, clutch your pearls Mabel and bring me the smelling salts HOT! But even with all the steamy naughtiness, there's a strong story with real heart. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book through NetGalley.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Ok read, nothing really new...but if you love cowboys this will work for you. 3 star

Lora Leigh's Rugged Texas Cowboy entails two stories. In the first story friend Luc Jardin and Jack Riley are duped into flying Maria Catarina Angeles and a box of drugs into the United States. Maria has a couple of thugs waiting to kill Luc and Jack at the landing strip to ensure their silence. After getting away Luc swears vengeance. Unfortunately when Luc thinks he is getting vengeance by kidnapping drug addict Maria he mistakenly takes her innocent twin sister, Melina instaed. What follows is a well crafted plot whereby Luc learns he has the wrong twin after falling in love with her. Lots of action and sexy love scenes.

In the second book, Cowboy and the Thief the reader again meets up with Jack Riley who purchases a Celtic torque which brings Angel into his life, This story does flow as well as the first story and drags at times.

I received an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

Cowboy and The Captive:

This is an enemies to lovers and a mistaken identity situation. Melina has a twin sister, Maria who is addicted to drugs. Her parents keep guilting Melina into impersonating Maria when she gets caught to get her out of trouble. The problem is Maria is getting in worse situations that Melina can't talk her way out of and it's going to cost her her life.

Luc has been buying his time until he can seek revenge on Maria for almost getting him and his friend, Jack killed. Luc doesn't want to hurt her, but he thinks he can straighten her up by kidnapping her and making her detox. What he doesn't know is that he kidnaps Melina instead of Maria.

Luc and Melina's story was very entertaining. Lora Leigh has no problems with letting the sparks fly between her main characters. I really enjoyed this one.


Cowboy and The Thief:

Enemies to lovers trope. Jack is visiting his old friend Joseph in Ireland when he meets his daughter, Angel. Angel is very prim and proper with a hidden temper underneath and no one can get her riled faster than Jack.

Joseph is conspiring to get Jack and Angel together and he takes a risk by selling a family heirloom to Jack that is legend to be responsible for granting true love to the daughters in the line. Angel is furious and follows him back to Texas to try and steal it back.

Once again, Lora Leigh had the sparks flying in this short novella but I will admit I was a bit confused in the beginning. I couldn't tell if Jack and Angel had already known each other or had just met. I felt like I was missing the true beginning of the story. Still a very entertaining read!

4.5 stars

Lora Leigh is my go to author, especially when I want steamy. I love all of her books especially the Breed series, but this is the first time I’ve read cowboy stories by her and I’m hooked.

The first story was a case of mistaken identity. A kidnapping that leads to the capture of the wrong twin is the least of Jardin’s worries especially when he doesn’t believe her. Melina has always been the good twin and her family pushes her to get her sister out of scrapes with the law. She finally put her foot down and is subsequently kidnapped by a cowboy that was wronged by Maria. The kidnapping leads to hot, steamy sex. When Jardin finally learns the truth will he be able to part with Melina?

In the second-story Jack from book one is the main focus. Jack ventures to Ireland to meet with an old business partner, Joe, but what he doesn’t expect it’s for Joe to have a beautiful daughter named Angel. She has the persona of a prim and proper lady but underneath is a firecracker waiting to be unleashed. When Jack buys a family heirloom from Joe, Angel doesn’t want to part with it and vows she will steal it from Jack. Fate will intervene putting these two on a collision course of love, but there is a lot of fireworks in getting there.

** I voluntarily read an ARC of this provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review **

This is an anthology of two separate novellas that have overlapping characters although the stories are separate.

COWBOY AND THE CAPTIVE: Melina is the "good" twin who is constantly seeking her parents approval in the face of their preference for the "bad" twin who is always in trouble. Now Melina has been kidnapped by Luc Jardin who is seeking revenge against Melina's twin -- and doesn't realize that Melina is not her.

This is a very sexy story. I enjoyed the relationship between the main characters, but I have to admit the story of Melina being intimidated to taking punishment in place of her sister is a thin story in a modern context. I also was a bit annoyed with Luc in his continued willful ignorance of Melina's identity.  I wish he had had to grovel more for his treatment of Melina. But this was a quick and easy read.

Rating: 3.5 stars.

COWBOY AND THE THIEF

Angel Manning is furious when the family heirloom that is supposed to lead her to the man for her is sold by her father to Jack Riley. She is determined to get back what is her destiny and certainly has no intention on becoming attached to a playboy like Jack. She's been that way before and knows to protect her heart.

This story felt a bit disjointed and I never really became attached to the characters. For me, I felt there was something missing in their interaction and not enough drama. I didn't feel the emotional connection and even the sexual tension wasn't that exciting. I certainly didn't think that this book was as good as the first in this anthology.

Rating: 2 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

Review to be published December 5th 2017.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rugged Texas Cowboy is set for publication Dec. 5, 2017.

Now that we've stated that~
This book is actually a combo book of two novels~
The first book, Cowboy and the Captive, follows Melina and a case of mistaken identity with our hunky cowboy Luc Jardin. Melina is kidnapped by Jardin when he attempts to get even with her sister Maria.... unfortunately she is NOT the sister (drone) he's looking for...

Book two, Cowboy and the Thief, follows the story of Jack Riley who is disillusioned by life and meets Angel Manning, an Irish spitfire - they bring out the worst (and best) in each other. However, Angel is blinded by fury when Jack 'steals' (or is sold) a family heirloom that belongs to her.

I picture Jack as a more Brad Pitt cowboy~ <3

Now if you're not familiar with Lora Leigh she writes Erotic Romance. Very erotic... let's get that clear now in case you get shocked when reading her books. ;0)

Cowboy and the Captive - 2.5/5
I really wanted to like this one more. I loved the logistics of the family using Melina as basically a 'spare'. I loved the plot. However, the writing on this story seemed disjointed and never fully immersed me. Not only that but in the kidnapping scenario the author KEPT emphasizing that Jardin believed her to be Maria, over and over.
At some point this guy has got to google her family right? Wrong. (Even though a friend's wife clearly did!)
The fact that he blindly believed one thing without doing any sort of research or checking.... kind of stopped me from getting into the story fully. THAT BEING SAID - I did find the family heart ache and pain to be extremely gripping. On this I would say I liked the story for her, Melina, and less for Luc. Jardin could have used more depth but I understand this is a short novella.

Cowboy and the Thief 3.5/5
This story I loved~ however it could not be a stand alone. You'd need to have the information from book one and it now makes sense why these are together.
This one has a 3rd party perspective in it (other than Jack and Angel) and it does give the book a different feel. Not in bad way, just different from book one.
To boil this down - Jack meets a woman he can love~ After all the crap he's been through, he meets Angel and Angel is ready for a throw down. :0)
I loved the background story on this, the insight from her father and the influence from the 'magic' of the family tradition. I do feel this book had more sexy time in it but yet less graphic, if that somehow makes sense? LOL

Overall I give Rugged Texas Cowboy: 3/5 stars

The Rugged Texas Cowboy by Lora Leigh is an interesting collection of two novellas. I found myself blushing, laughing, and enjoying the characters' as they developed. Heat is sure to be found here, as well as intrigue. Both stories were realistic. I found myself feeling frightened, worried, and happy for Melina in the first tale. The woman in the next one, Angel, is just as tough as the first one was. I loved how Lora Leigh captured these women and made them feel so real. Their heroes were believable, too. Tough, cocky, and sexy these men would make any woman faint on site. They weren't expecting the women they found yet once they met, they couldn't let them go.

Cowboy and the Captive was about a young twin sister whose parents never loved her. She was the good twin. Yet her parents were obsessed with Melina's evil twin. The evil twin had both her parents hooked on her finger. Melina was harassed into accepting jail time for her twin sister. Now, after another bad time, Melina's parents are asking her to take the rap once more for Maria. Melina was brutally tortured and raped in prison for taking the rap for her twin the first time. Her parents weren't there to help her nor did they care. All they are about is the drugged up, no good daughter...and when Melina is kidnapped for her safety...her evil twin goes in search of her. To have her serve another prison term while she goes free again...only Maria wasn't counting on two cowboys...especially, on Luc. Luc would give anything to keep Melina safe. She was his. Sweet, compassionate, and sexy as hell. Melina and Luc have a connection. He'll fight like hell to save her.

Cowboy and the Thief is full of fiery heat. A woman who can level any man. The heat the comes off the pages is intense. Both feel a pull but due to the cowboy's reputation, Angel doesn't want anything to do with Jack. Jack is a love them and leave them kind of cowboy. Until he meet one woman he can't stop thinking about...Angel. Angel and her Irish language and charm have Jack wanting her more. She wants a happily ever after...and Jack wants only a one time fling. Fun, intense, and charming. Lora Leigh has presented her hero, Jack, with a female that matches his compassion and challenges him as a man. I loved the playful banter between the two protagonists.

Overall, The Rugged Texas Cowboy is a must read. Strong female characters with matching male protagonists. Hot, hilarious, and thrilling to read. Lora Leigh has always been one of my favorite romance novelists. In this book, readers can see why. Her teasing words, vivid scenes, and intensity of curiosity sucked me into this collection. The characters...are ones that tugged at my heart and made me smile throughout the pages. I highly recommend this contemporary romance to readers everywhere.

Two stories and one book about cowboys. I liked the first story more, because I'm a sucker for misunderstanding and subsequent explanations and HE, but the second also was not bat. A very fast and enjoyable reading as your usual Lora Leigh.

Un libro con due storie sui cowboy, di cui la prima mi é piaciuta di piú perché le storie con le incomprensione e le seguenti spiegazioni e happy ending sono le mie preferite, ma anche la seconda novella non era male. Una lettura rapida e divertente, come tutti i libri di Lora Leigh

This is a two book set. Now, when I got toward the end of the first one, I confess that I was so wrapped up in the story that I forgot there was a second. I was quite worried about what other trouble Melina and Jardin would encounter. On the other hand, I would have liked a little more explanation as to her parents’ total lack of parenting skills. I did not like Jardin much, even after he figured out what was going on.
Jack and Angel’s story was fun. Not a lot of danger as compared to Melina and Jardin, but a good read. I like Irish legends, especially where love is concerned. Angel’s dad knows the right buttons to push for both of them.

Two headstrong, hot cowboys and the two women that are a match for them!

Partners Luc and Jack get caught up in some deceptions and behind the scenes matchmaking.

Melina has suffered so much heartache because of her twin sister and will finally prove her innocence. Angel is hurt when her father sells her family heirloom and is determined to find a way to get it back..

Two great stories about four headstrong, determined people that are a perfect match!

I had a really hard time getting into the book. I feel like she was thrown into a situation without enough build up/back story. Not one I would recommend.

Cowboys and Captives is a fabulous name for this series and it's one well-worth reading! Lora Leigh is an amazing author that always wets your appetite with great characters, quality writing and passion. I thought these two stories were both fun and unique. Not at all a recycled concept or plot. All around excellent!

In Cowboy and the Captive, Melina is the good girl younger twin. She has spent years getting her sister out of trouble by pretending to be Maria for her court appearances and charity work. So much so that the world doesn't even realize that she even exists. But when her parents try to pressure her into helping again when Maria might spend the next 20 years in jail, she's had enough. She stands her ground and gets disowned for her trouble. Little does she know her troubles just begun, when she gets kidnapped by one of Maria's victims. One of the especially hot ones too!

In Cowboy and the Thief, ever since being sent to boarding school when she was young, Angel has been keeping herself contained so as not to be sent away again. She loves her home and family and has no interest in being anywhere else. But keeping herself contained doesn't allow for finding someone to spend your life with. When her father sells a family heirloom out from under her, she can no longer contain herself. Following the buyer back to Texas, she breaks in to his house to get it back. While getting caught wasn't on her agenda, the pleasure it brings may just be worth it.

This author is an auto read for me, but somehow when these books first came out years ago I never read them. Now that they are being re-released I figured it was a good time to check them out. Sadly I was disappointed with both of them.

In the first one, COWBOY AND THE CAPTIVE, what turned me off what Luc kidnapping Melina, who he thought was Maria and how he treated her. Yes I get why he hated Maria, but it seemed like from the start he thought things were off with the Maria he kidnapped, so when he didn't believe what Melina said about not being Maria annoyed me. It didn't help that I wanted to hurt the brother for setting things up. Yes he did it to protect his sister, but maybe he should have clued both parties on on things.

The second one, COWBOY AND THE THIEF, wasn't any better for me. I was on Angel's side, loved how she called Jack out on his man-whore ways. Funny how Jack seemed to be upset with that, dude you made your bed, it's time to sleep in it. I was annoyed with Angel's dad for giving away something he knew she treasured. Sure he was doing it on a gamble that these two were made for each other. I liked that Angel went after the treasure, but then hated how she fell into bed with Jack.

This is two connected Ellora's Cave erotic novellas that have been republished into one book with a new publisher after Lora got the rights back. As always Lora's erotic stories are HOT and passionate. This is about two old friends and business partners who find unexpected love. Both stories are kidnapped scenarios so be warned. They also have what I call light BDSM, spanking and some bondage, and lots and lots of descriptive sex. I enjoyed the connected-ness of these two stories and how they made a complete story together even though they were written years apart. They are loosely connected to another series of Lora's. No one writes sex like Lora.

I received this book as a free NetGalley ARC for an honest review. I have enjoyed all the Lora Leigh books I have read so I was delighted.

Rugged Texas Cowboy written by Lora Leigh are two previously published but revised and expanded bundle into one complete book. Is a Western Romance that both books even though are like a semi-series, but can be read as a standalone.
In the first story Cowboy and the Captive, to me, it was like reading a western romance of Cain and Able, just with a happier ending. You know one sibling jealous of the other. Well in this book, you have the parents condoning what one twin does and uses the other to take the punishment. Until one mistaken identity may have saved Melina Caterina life.
Cowboy and the Thief I just couldn’t get into this book. The story just didn’t click for me like the first. Whereas the first had a plot I can get behind. You know a dysfunctional family, mistaken identity, and betrayal.
Rugged Texas Cowboy was okay, it wasn’t bad. Some may like this bundle but the one story wasn’t for me.

Luc was consumed with vengeance after being burned by a femme fatale. Several years have passed since he encountered the one person who changed his life forever. Taking the woman he thought whose family was determined to ruin his life he quickly questioned his actions. Melina was always under her families thumb and sacrificed everything to feel the love she had always been denied. Will they finally let go of the past to embrace the future.