Hank, a bull fighter, left his hometown in a destructive fury, hurting the one person who always stood by his side. He isn’t sure if Grace will ever be able to forgive him when he returns home three years later. That hope seems even less likely based on the way Hank hurt her and the secret she has kept during his absence. Hank and his father Johnny have never gotten along, so a woman who was like a mother to him during his years away follows him in an effort to help Hank repair some broken fences. To the surprise of many, the Hank who returns has grown up during his years away. The question is whether he has grown up enough to repair all of the fences that need mending.

Having read this series from the beginning...and remembering the cocky young Hank paired up with the veteran Joe, and that first back if the head slap from the latter to the former...finally Hank having his own story was so well worth the wait...the author has out done herself in the range of emotions this story brought about.

The memories evoked of the young Hank, to his appearance again when he turned up at Bing’s and the transformation to the Hank who came back was so very gratifying to say the least. How Ms Dell was able to create such a character who swung the pendulum through the series is once again a testament to her story telling talent. In Hank is a character who initially made me smile and then brake my heart at his spiral downward, to his charming me with his gentleness where Grace was concerned and then finally his abilities to recognize the amends he needed to make and the effort at overcoming them...especially with his father. Wow! Talk about pulling at the heartstrings. I cannot put into words the changes between Hank and his father...it can only be experienced within the pages of this story.

Throughout the story, leading up to Hank’s stories, I felt myself being weaved through the truths of Hank and Grace’s lives and how each person played an integral in the very heartwarming conclusion not only to story, but for each character who has made an appearance throughout. Now if only Gil could find his HEA!

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Mistletoe in Texas is the fifth book in the Texas Rodeo series written by author Kari Lynn Dell. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the advance copy.