Looking for a Cowboy by Donna Grant
Heart of Texas #5

Fetal abduction/kidnapping is an evil crime that is not often talked about. I have heard of it and seen it in a TV series, but it is not a crime that is talked about often. I did look it up online and found that reported cases of this crime are not nearly as prolific as the reader of this book might believe but it is bad enough to have it happen even one time. That this book tackled the topic and provided romance within such a dark setting was an interesting story to read.

What I liked:
* Marlee: strong, knowledgeable, dedicated to her job, professional, loving, tired, tense, ripe for love with the right man. She is committed to finding her niece – the fetus abducted from her sister’s body.
* Cooper: strong, warm, caring, capable, there for friends, warrior, smitten by Marlee and pnerfect for her
* The men of Clearview, TX – intriguing men that are there for one another. I am hoping that Jace will get his HEA next
* Wondering about the woman probably in WITSEC briefly met in this story – perhaps she will get her HEA with one of the Clearview men.
* Getting to briefly see and hear about some of the couples from previous books in the series.
* That the crimes were not explicitly gone into
* That it was so easy to dislike the baddies
* The romance between Cooper and Marlee
* Wondering if future cases Marlee’s PI company takes on might become a series offshoot
* All of it really except…

What I did not like:
* The criminals – evil incarnate – deserved to be put down like rabid dogs
* Knowing that the crimes mentioned in this book do happen
* Having to wait for Jace’s story

Did I enjoy this book? I did, though the topic was dark
Would I read more in this series/by this author? Definitely!

Thank you to NetGgalley and St. Martin’s Paperbacks for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

This is the 5th book in the Heart Of Texts series and I loved this book so much! The characters, the storyline, the challenges met by Marlee, Cooper and friends. Why do things alone when there are people who will help? That's a question Marlee will have to answer during her journey. Tissues may be needed but there will also be lots of emotions through this book. Plus I want to read Jace's story next.

I love this series and the "boys" in it. It was nice to go back to Texas to get another HEA. This was a little more "darker" just because of the subject manner of the crimes with the suspense part of the book. We know the side characters pretty well at this point but it could be read as a standalone. Cooper we know for the other books and just falls over boots for this pretty redhead that comes into town. Marlee has been chasing murders and kidnappers for a decade and comes into Cooper's life as she is tacking down an infant that is adopted by his friends.
Their chemistry is hot and heavy, and not slow! Its a bit closed door most of the time.

Overall, 4 stars and 3.5 steam

TW: murder of pregnant women, child kidnapping, black market adoption

Oh my goodness! When Marlee's sister is murdered I wasn't sure where the story was going to go. But when she comes to Clearview and we find out that's she a PI looking for missing children my heart broke. Quick read, and while it is part of a series, it can be read as a stand alone. There are characters from previous books that make appearances in this book, but you can still understand the dynamics without reading the previous books. Can't wait to see what happens to Jace in the next book!

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary copy of Looking for a Cowboy by Donna Grant for the purpose of reading and reviewing prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and no one has influenced them.
Looking for a Cowboy is book 5 in Donna Grant’s Heart of Texas, and it’s an exciting addition to this series. The writing pulled me in from the start and kept me enmeshed until the end. This book has plenty of action-packed scenes that had me biting my nails, wondering how the hero and heroine will get out alive!


Marlee Frampton’s character is endearing, and I became vested from the start. Her pain at losing her twin is truly heartbreaking. I could understand her drive to find the culprits who are killing women nearing their due date and stealing their babies. Her determination drives this suspenseful novel.

Cooper Owens is an easy-going cowboy who loves playing the hero. Although he wants to help Marlee, he knows she has big secrets, but I loved his willingness to accept her when he learns that she believes his friend’s recently adopted son may be a stolen infant. His loyalty to his friends and Marlee impressed me.

If you enjoy hot cowboys with a hero complex, and a great cast of supporting characters, along with plenty of suspense, then you will love Looking for a Cowboy as much as I did. I’ve enjoyed this fantastic series and look forward to book 6. Happy reading!

I haven't read Donna Grant previously, but I will go out and look for some of her other books. The story pulled me in from the first moment. There was plenty of suspense to keep me going. The pace was good so I kept reading from page one to the end. I really liked the characters, both the main and the supporting ones. I recevied an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. I would recommend the book whole heartedly. I liked Cooper and Marlee and they seemed destined to be together!

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

This is the 5th in the series but the first I have read. While it is a stand alone I did feel like there were other background characters that I should have known from previous stories but it did not take away from the story of Marlee and Cooper.

Marlee always seems to see the bad side of life and now she is in Texas investigating when Cooper walks into her life. He knows right off that Marlee is the one for him so he will do what he needs to so that Marlee becomes his.

I really enjoyed the story of these two but I am sure I am missing a bit from the previous books. But I think it would be a good series to catch up on especially since the way the story ended left a few unanswered questions.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is very intense. It starts out with a bang, and just keep going from there. Marlee is a PI on a mission to stop a ring of baby kidnappers. In the course of her investigation, she meets Cooper and sparks fly. I really liked these two characters. They were well-written and each strong, yet respectful of the the other’s views. I’m not usually a fan of insta-love, but this was well-written to really help the reader feel the attraction and be a part of it. For me, this book is not five stars because I found Marlee’s actions at the end of the story to be out of character for this very experienced, cop-turned-PI, strong capable woman. (And yet we needed a way to get to the big finish). A really good book. Four and a half stars. I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my freely given, honest review.

This was my first experience with the Heart of Texas series. It won't be my last. An interesting and exciting romantic suspense tale. While the subject of the crime was heart-breaking and difficult and the unnecessary inclusion of the occasional "f" word, the story drew me in and I was kept turning the pages. Some surprises.

A whirlwind romance with an unforgettably dark storyline that makes my stomach ache for my children and the ones they one day may find themselves having. Marlee has had her life turned upside-down by an unthinkable tragedy that sets her on a new course. That path leads her to Clearview and straight into Cooper Owens path. She did not expect him and is totally unprepared for what she is feeling. In the middle of trying to bring down the murder / kidnapping ring can they find time for a romance that will bring them insurmountable happiness? A beautiful story with strong characters and an evil that they will fight tooth and nail to destroy!

Wow, this was a hit you in the heart hard, read. Heavy on the drama with suspense and action relating to crimes so heinous, it's unimaginable, until you've experienced loss from it, then it's all too horribly real. Very impacting!
Marlee, a cop turned P.I. has been looking for her own sister's murderer for ten years now, while working for the families who've suffered the same debilitating losses. Following leads lands her in Clearview, TX, where she meets Cooper and the rest of the crew. They all agree they need to help Marlee, but with Cooper, he knows there's more to what he feels for the gorgeous redhead. Their romance was rushed and I would class this more of a murder mystery thriller with life and death situations. Nonetheless, they did get their HEA.
I liked this read a lot, but I didn't love it. Parts of it kept me engrossed, other times I had to shake my head. This is a stand alone, but part of a series.
I got an early reader's copy from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily giving my own honest thoughts and opinions

This is the first book in this series by this author. This is the amazing story of Cooper and Marlee. This is a contemporary/romance story with added suspense. This book has many things to love about it, the storyline, the characters and the situations all the characters find themselves in. You may need to get the tissues at the ready for this book, it is emotion filled right from the start.

I was given an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This was so completely unexpected that I honestly don't know where to start. I've not read any of the other books in the series but it appears this could be a standalone read. I legitimately wasn't going to continue reading the book because it was definitely not even remotely what I was expecting, there really should be a little bit more to the blurb and I try to avoid reviews so that I can leave an honest one and not be influenced by others. If you are all put off by suspense and really uncomfortable topics of murder, kidnapping and worse you should stop reading this book right now. I will say that this will suck you in and I read it from start to finish in one day. The characters are well developed there's enough connections to characters who must appear in the other books so I'm assuming they're equally tragedy driven.
This is Cooper's story, he's like the glue that keeps their group together always there to lend a helping hand. After the instant attraction he feels to Marlee of course he's going to want to help her solve the case that's brought her to the area. That's where things get very complicated and I don't want to ruin your read, you've been warned proceed at your own risk.

Marlee is searching for missing children!

Private investigator Marlee Frampton has dedicated her life to find missing children after the murder of her twin sister and the kidnapping of her niece. Her investigation takes her to Clearview TX and the Harper family after they adopt an infant boy from a possibly shady adoption agency.

Cooper Owens had served his country and knows he wants to do more with his life but after meeting Marlee during her investigation of his friends maybe he has found his calling helping her with her search for missing children with the help of his friends.

Looking for a Cowboy is the fifth book in the Heart of Texas series. It is a good romantic suspense because you want to keep reading to find out who did it. Now you’ll need to read the book to find out more especially after the statistics about the numbers of missing children.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A driven PI and an ex military man come together in this fast paced book. Well written, great characters, lots of twists and turns and an enjoyable romance. Highly recommended - I couldn’t put it down.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was just an okay read for me. I've read the previous books in the series and have enjoyed them for the most part. But this book was incredibly dark. The previous books had their suspense and were definitely not without bad things happening, but this book took things up 100 notches and that prologue almost made me not want to read it. I was honestly shocked to learn that was what this book led with. But I will say that the suspense is what kept me reading until the end.

The first half of this book moves incredibly slow. I kept finding myself checking to see how many more chapters were left. The last half starts picking up with the final 20% really intensifying the action. It seemed as though the romance was an afterthought to the suspense. Again, not a bad thing if you're reading this for the suspense and not the romance, but most of us read a romance book to get the love story and the suspense is just an added bonus.

I definitely felt the attraction and lust that Cooper and Marlee had and could certainly see them turning their relationship into something more. The 'I love you's' came after danger, which is cliche and it takes some of the genuineness out of those 3 words.

I loved Cooper. He was a real sweetheart who had a big heart and love for his family and friends. He fell hard and fast for Marlee, but I had to appreciate that he didn't rush to push those feelings onto her and gave her a chance to get to know him first, while still being firm in his pursuit and willingness to help her.

Marlee had something terrible happen to her family and I really had hoped the author would give some resolution to the niece search. It was disappointing that the book ends without that happening. I mean what was the point of the whole computer info if that wasn't on there somewhere? Ugh, so frustrating.

Side note: Since I read an ARC, I'm assuming the lack of space between character POV changes in the final 10% will be corrected in the released ebook. That was a bit annoying but at least it was clear who was speaking at the time when we had many POV changes in one chapter.

I can't wait for Jace's book. He's been the mystery of the series (even though we know he loves to eat lol). To hear what he went through was heartbreaking, so I can't wait to learn more about him and what's running through his mind now.

Marlee is a local cop in a small town, she comes home and cannot find her pregnant twin sister. She comes to find out she has been murdered and her baby has been taken from her belly. Jump 10 years and Marlee has gone from cop to PI. She now specializes in child abductions. Which leads her to Cooper, and his family and friends. This book is action packed and non-stop. The book is graphic, so not for the squeamish, and talks about sensitive subjects.
But it is a great read.
Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Looking for a Cowboy is the fifth book in the Heart of Texas series by Donna Grant. A steamy, suspenseful western romance full of dark secrets that is sure to keep you turning the pages. Grant clearly pulled out all of the stops with her gut-wrenching opening that sends you on a suspenseful journey into the unknown. Cooper knows what he wants with a bit of love, at first sight, when he meets Marlee. Their chemistry is off the charts and makes for one steamy romance full of drama and lots of secrets. Looking for a Cowboy left me wanting more!

More action than romance, this story will keep you up well past your bedtime.

After a very strong yet heartbreaking opening, our story starts ten years later with Marlee, a former cop turned PI investigating black market baby kidnappings, and Cooper, an easy-going cowboy with a solid group of lifelong friends. We got to know a bit about Cooper in the earlier books, and he's as charming and down-to-earth as any girl can hope for. Marlee is haunted by the one case she can't solve, which motivates her to keep pushing against the odds to solve the few she can.

These two have chemistry for days and their romance has nary a hitch, as far as their feelings for each other go. The main snag is keeping at least one step ahead of the killer on her trail, which leads to enough action and suspense to keep the reader on the edge of their seat throughout the book. (Content warning: you will learn enough about black market baby selling to make you lose a few nights sleep pondering how much was fiction and how much is probably true.)

I loved seeing all the familiar faces pulling together to help out a friend in need, and I especially loved getting updates on the HEAs of the couples from earlier books in this series. This book crashes into a heart-pounding HEA of its own, though it does leave a couple unsolved cases in its wake that I wish had been resolved. The writing was superb throughout, making this book truly unputdownable. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

I will leave a review on Amazon or B&N on Oct 27, 2020

Looking for a Cowboy is a action packed romantic thriller, which is one of my favorite genres. This was my first book by this author and I found this book to be very well written. She had the ability to pull me in and had me turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. I found the subject a little hard to deal with, but I do know the world we live in is a evil place at times. I would certainly recommend this book to others.

I received a ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press and was under no obligation to leave aa favorable review, all opinions expressed here are my own.