Ten years ago cop Marlee's sister was murdered and her baby cut from her and stolen. Now her life's mission is to shut down illegal adoptions. During her current investigation she meets Ben. Both of them are attracted to each other. But what will he think when he finds out that she is investigating his friends?

A romance blossoms between a cowboy and P.I. when he works with her to find the truth.

Romantic suspense can be tricky to pull off, but Donna Grant did a great job. She balanced the relationship development between Marlee and Cooper with keeping the suspense and mystery. I was invested in both characters and story from the beginning.

I haven't read all the books in this series, but I definitely want to go back and start from the beginning.

For those who have been following the series Heart of Texas, must have already fallen in love with one of the cowboys presented by the author; and with Cooper it would be no different.
An ex-military man, who now dedicates his life to taking care of horses - he has participated in countless rodeos - and his mother (even if she doesn't accept it very well). But his protective side is further activated when he meets Officer Marlee Frampton.

Marlee goes to Texas, from California, with a mission: to find missing children. All this after her own sister was a victim and murdered when she was pregnant, and her baby was stolen from her belly.
Investigating a couple, Cooper's friends, Marlee finds herself ever closer to those who have been doing so much harm to so many families and couples, and making kidnapping and selling children for adoption a profitable business.

The plot is strong, and although the couple has a certain chemistry, the mystery part is much greater than the romance itself.
4 stars

Here is my YouTube review for this book! Truly captivated me and what a beautiful story.

YouTube link - https://youtu.be/0mINnDQ96C8

Looking For A Cowboy is the fifth title in the Heart of Texas series and brings us a mystery to solve and two, perhaps, unlikely people to watch fall in love along the way. This is not a sweet, cute-meet cowboy romance as you’ll quickly discover – there is intense emotional pain in this story, a crime (ongoing) that is heinous, to say the least, and a mystery to solve as well as stopping a crime ring. There were parts of this story that were not easy to read, for me, but needed to be told to tell the entire story. This is one of those times that I don’t see how a reader cannot be somehow affected by the story beyond the romance involved.

Cooper had, let’s call it a thunderbolt moment when he met Marlee – that moment of completely believing he’d just met the woman he’d spend the rest of his life with… now he just has to convince her. Lust, at first sight, would probably be Marlee’s reaction to meeting Cooper, or it would be if she wasn’t planning on using him to further her investigation into bringing down an infant selling crime ring. A ring she believes his neighbors and friends are involved in. Cross-purposes much?

Aside from Marlee’s initial plans for Cooper, we’ll soon find the entire family helping in Marlee’s investigation – with some surprising results that no one expected or suspected was happening in their small home town. A dangerous situation only gets worse the more they learn… and the increased danger is only drawing Cooper and Marlee closer day by day.

And anything more, any other details should be discovered firsthand as you dive into Looking For A Cowboy for yourself.

This story is intense on many levels but there is also time for two people to begin their own journey of falling in love in spite of circumstances going on around them. We get to run into old book friends from previous stories and get a bit caught up on what’s happened in their lives. If this is where you’re starting then I’d say that Cooper and Marlee’s story stands on its own quite well, but the earlier stories are just as entertaining so I’d suggest going back for them if possible.

If you enjoy a really good Romantic Suspense tale, solving puzzles, while watching two people fall in love and enjoy a large cast of characters, then you’ll feel right at home in Looking For A Cowboy.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Looking For A Cowboy is the fifth book in the Heart of Texas series. Although there are characters from previous books in it, I believe this book can be read as a standalone.

After a personal tragedy, Marlee has spent the last ten years on a crusade - recovering stolen children and returning them to their family, while also trying to find the people behind the kidnappings. She's always worked alone, but when she is falsely sent to Clearview in search of a missing child, she realizes she might need some help after all.

When Cooper meets Marlee, he's instantly smitten. After he learns why she's in town, he'll do everything in his power to help her track down the evil people providing the stolen children. And hopefully keep everyone safe.

Excellent book with fascinating main characters, an interesting storyline about an unimaginable crime, and lots of love and care and help from previous characters. Highly Recommend!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.

Marlee Frampton became a PI after her twin sister was murdered and her baby kidnapped from her womb. She had been a cop before becoming a PI and became determined to find her niece as well as find as many missing or kidnapped children as she can and return them home safely. There were some that were dead but at least she could bring those families closure. Now she has gone to Clearview Texas following a lead on the latest missing baby after the mother was brutally murdered. Her husband has hired Marlee to find his son and the leads have brought her to the Harper family. There is where she meets Cooper Owens who is friends of the Harpers. Even though they find the Harpers are good people, Cooper makes it his purpose to help Marlee find and take down that illegal adoption agency. There is a lot of drama and suspense in this story but definitely worth reading. I received a free copy from NetGalley/St. Martin’ Press and this is my honest review.

I am loving this series. Give me a Cowboy and some romance with some suspense thrown and I'm a happy camper. The author has done it again. Spoiler:

The subject matter is a tough one. It includes things like killing moms and babies being cut out.
I thought the author handled it well. You are reading about this type of thing in the news a lot
I loved catching up on the past characters from the series. The story moves at a fast pace and I couldn't wait to see how it was going to turn out.
Cooper is at a time in his life where he would love to find someone to settle down with. Marlee is a PI who has been trying for years to find her sisters killer. When they decide to work together to figure out what is going in his town, they are totally falling for each other.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Former cop turned P.I., Marlee Frampton, has been hunting down a ring of kidnappers/murderers ever since they killed her pregnant twin sister. This ring of murderers find pregnant women, knock them unconscious, cut the babies from their wombs, and slit the women’s throats for a slow and painful death. They then sell the babies to the highest bidder.

Marlee’s investigation brings her to Clearview, Texas and to the Family First Adoption Agency that she knows is moving babies illegally. She is looking for a baby boy that was recently stolen and she believes it to be the one that Brice and Naomi Harper just adopted from Family First.

Cooper is immediately drawn to the beautiful redhead that just showed up in town. And, he was excited for an opportunity to get to know her over a meal at his favorite diner in town. Until, he discovered she was using him to get Intel on Brice and Naomi!

Once it’s proven that baby Nate isn’t the missing infant, Jace, Cooper, and the Harpers, and Easts join Marlee to help her find out who is killing these innocent women and kidnapping their babies. And, both Marlee and Cooper give in to their mutual attraction as well! Can the group find the killers and take them out once and for all? Or will they be taken out first?

I really liked this series initially. However, these last two installments have been quite boring. I had hoped the previous book, A Cowboy Like You, was just a fluke. Unfortunately, I don’t feel this installment was any better. Which makes me especially sad since I’ve always liked Cooper.

I had a very hard time believing all the characters we’ve grown to love can look past the fact that Marlee was initially trying to take Brice and Naomi’s baby away days after they adopted him. Everybody was just okay with her accusing them of taking a stolen baby instead of going through the proper channels. And, yes I understand that they wanted to get this evil out of their town. I just can’t imagine anyone being that forgiving.

I found the relationship between Cooper and Marlee developed too fast, that insta-love so many romance readers despise. And, in some instances I don’t mind some insta-love, but I wasn’t feeling it in this book. They just met, and Marlee had used Cooper initially for her own means, and both are already thinking of changing their whole lives for the other? This romance and the entire book just seemed too unrealistic for me to truly enjoy it.

The next book is supposed to about Jace, who is also one of my favorites. A former prisoner of war with tons of baggage, his book could be amazing and I truly hope it is! It has to make up for these last two … please!?!

Perhaps if I had read the earlier books in this series, I would have stronger feelings regarding this book, but it is the first in this series I have read. I did enjoy this story but it is not an easy romance. There are some darker themes in this story regarding the selling of infants, so it made parts of this a more difficult read for me. I could tell the secondary characters all had stories that I was not familiar with and although this was a standalone, I think it would have helped me feel more connected if I knew their stories. I liked Cooper and Marlee but did not have strong feelings for them. An enjoyable read, but it was lacking an intimacy that I often feel with other books.

I have read every single book in this series and it is one of my favourite series of all times so of course, I couldn't wait to read this one.



Looking for a Cowboy is book 5 in Heart of Texas series. I think it is best to read the previous books since you get to meet the couples from the previous books again.







Anyway, I loved this book and it didn't take me long to read it because I just couldn't put it down.




I do recommend this book.



I give this 5 out of 5

Looking for a Cowboy by Donna Grant is not the ideal title for this book, although she does, indeed, end up with a cowboy. The reality is that Marlee is looking for a gang that kidnaps babies, sometimes right out of their dead mothers' wombs, and sell them to people willing to pay. She has been tracking them for 10 years, since her twin, Macey, became on of the murdered woman, and her unborn niece was kidnapped. She had been a police officer; now she was a private investigator with one type of client. Too often she had to deliver bad news or no news at all. She was on the track of a baby she believed had been adopted right here in Clearview, Texas, just a day or two ago. To that end, she put herself in a situation to meet one of the adoptive parents' best friends: Cooper Owens. She did something she never did: she asked him straight out if he thought his friends would buy a baby. He told her no and suggested she ask them for herself. So she did. They were sympathetic and frightened and agreed to a DNA test to ascertain the truth. Meanwhile, Cooper and his friend, Jace, looked into the situation, put it on a map, and were aghast to learn the Clearview was right in the geographic middle of all the recent kidnappings. They vowed to help. They did, and almost got killed trying.

This is a little bit romance, a good deal more mystery, and mostly a thriller. Marlee getting involved with Cooper brought a whole lot more people into the situation, including both the local sheriff and police chief. They people were friends, and they worked together. Cooper had a mom who had invested wisely and had taught him to do the same, so he didn't really need a job. He could live just fine and help out his friends and others as he saw fit. Plus he's good-looking and responsible. An all around great guy. . .The perps were always one step ahead, and had not qualms about killing. It all got even more complicated and dangerous. Marlee was tired and wary. She was not used to working with others. It had never worked out in the past. Her parents were old and sick and she just wanted to go home, but she couldn't. She had to figure this out. What a terrific book! I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of Looking for a Cowboy by Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #lookingforacowboy

Looking for a Cowboy is the 5th book in Donna Grant's exciting Heart of Texas series. If you haven't read the previous books you will still enjoy this volume, as the romance stands alone. However, you will get so much more from the story after reading about all the prior couples and friends in Clearview, Texas.

Private Investigator Marlee Frampton was a cop ten years ago, until her pregnant sister was murdered and her baby torn from her body. Since then she has made it her life's mission to return kidnapped infants to their families and to bring those involved to justice. She arrives in Clearview, Texas to investigate the Harpers, believing they got their son from a shady adoption agency. She uses Cooper Owens, a good friend of the Harpers, to try to get information on them. Cooper is not happy when he finds that out, especially since he was immediately attracted to Marlee. However, he soon makes it his mission to help Marlee in her quest. Will they survive to make a life together?

This story started out with a bang, dealing with the horrid situation of pregnant women being killed and their babies stolen. Marlee's entire life was focused on righting these wrongs, plus searching for her stolen niece. She was a strong, focused - and lonely - heroine. She didn't think she could have a personal life, never mind romance. Enter handsome cowboy Cooper Owens, the man who was always there for his friends and family. Even though he was angry at Marlee for using him, he knew she was meant to be his and did everything in his power to assist Marlee with her quest. A lot of their burgeoning romance was very sweet, but steamy times also abounded. It was a lot of fun to catch up with characters from previous novels. I hope we'll see more books in this excellent series...Jace definitely needs a HEA!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is book 5 in the Hearts of Texas series and it can absolutely be read as a standalone however I recommend reading the previous books because then you get all the connections between the different characters. Especially because those characters are in the previous books with their own stories. In this one we finally get Cooper's story. When a beautiful stranger comes into town asking questions, Cooper knows there is something more going on than what she is truly saying. And as much as he knows he should stay away from her, he can't help but to get to know her. Marlee is a PI who used to be a cop who just wanted a quiet life. But her whole life changed when her sister was killed and her baby kidnapped. That one incident changed her path in ways no one expected. Now Marlee has come to Texas to investigate the Harper's and whether their adoption was shady. And while Cooper knows they wouldn't be involved in anything shady like that, he takes it upon himself to help Marlee find out the truth. And hopefully keep her safe at the same time.

This book is definitely more on the dark side for me. Did I enjoy it? Absolutely, because you can never go wrong with any Donna Grant book! It was just a tough subject to read about and to know that this really does happen on a daily basis is heartrending. Cooper has always been this man that you loved. He is sweet, loyal, caring, and is never afraid to step up for the things he believes in or the people he cares about. Marlee is stubborn, and hesitant, but she is like a bull dog when it comes to this one specific subject. That was my only drawback, I know she went through something horrible. But I had a little bit of a hard time connecting to her and some of her actions. And my only other drawback? I wish there had been some sort of closure for her in regards to her sister. Now I just need Jace's story because I have always loved him!

Marlee and Cooper’s suspenseful love story in Looking for a Cowboy by Donna Grant, book five in her Heart of Texas series, was truly enjoyable. Marlee Frampton became a P.I. after the murder of her pregnant twin sister while her baby kidnapped. Now she investigates for other families in similar situations. Her latest case has taken her to Clearview, Texas, to investigate the Harpers, who might be involved with a shady adoption agency. Cooper Owens is drawn to the stunning stranger, who has been asking questions about his friends; questions no one should be asking. He doesn’t believe his friends could be involved in anything so sinister and decides to help Marlee find the truth as well as keep her safe. As they search for the truth and the killers, they find themselves amidst a killer without a conscience who forces them to a face life or death situation.

Marlee and Cooper are attracted to each other from the beginning. They share a strong magnetism and off the charts chemistry that would burn up the sheets. Their attraction is strong enough to help them find a love that is soulful and fulfilling; matched together like puzzle pieces fitting together for perfection.

Ms. Grant wrote an amazing, passionate, suspenseful and emotional story that is not to be missed. She provided a tale rich with sizzling chemistry, amusing banter, scary situations, and strong characters, giving Marlee and Cooper a chance at true love and a forever together. I highly recommend Looking for a Cowboy to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

I am a big fan of the Heart of Texas series and I think it keeps getting more and more gripping with every book.

Marlee Compton had a twin sister who was brutally murdered, when she was eight months pregnant Having sworn to find the people responsible for such a horrifying crime, Marlee has been investigating cases that bear similarities to her sister's tragic case: murders, illegal adoptions, infant kidnapping (incidentally, had I read a content warning for this one and had it been any other author, I would have thought twice about reading this book). Her most recent leads make her suspect Brice and Naomi Harper, who have just adopted a baby boy,

Their friend Cooper Owens is aware of the recent spate of horrible crimes involving pregnant women, but he also knows his friends and can vouch for their good intentions. When he meets Marlee, he knows he needs to help her to bring the justice.

The attraction between the two protagonists is very strong, so the book has a lot to offer whether you are a fan of sizzling romances or somebody who likes to see a mystery solved. I really can't resist a strong female lead, and Marlee is a fantastic example of this category. She is dedicated, focused, and smart. above all, she is passionate about what she considers her mission in life. Needless to say, it would take a special man for her to fall in love and Cooper is a great match for Marlee.

Although the book is #5 in the Heart of Texas series, there is nothing to stop a reader from starting from this one. Despite the horrific nature of the crimes described in it, it is a compelling read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

A beautiful stranger has come to Clearview, asking questions that are nobody’s business. Cooper Owens also wasn’t born yesterday. He knows that this out-of-towner is hiding a dark secret of her own. P.I. Marlee Frampton always wanted to lead a nice quiet life, working as a cop in her local police department. But that dream came to an end when her sister was murdered—and her baby kidnapped. Now Marlee’s come to Texas to investigate the Harpers, who may be linked to shady adoption agencies. Cooper can’t believe that his friends could be involved in anything so sinister...and soon he makes it his mission to help Marlee discover the truth—and keep her safe in his arms
This is the fifth book in the series & once again it’s a well written page turning read. There are parts of the book, which some people could find distressing. It's a fast paced, hard hitting book strong on the suspense with some romance thrown in. I personally loved it & read it in two sittings as I couldn’t put it down. I loved both Cooper (I'd really liked him in previous books) & Marlee & the chemistry between them. I was totally drawn in from page one & engrossed all the way through. I hope there are more books to come
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I’m always in the mood for a romantic suspense and this synopsis sounded perfect.

I liked Marlee and Cooper. They’re both good, loyal and hardworking people. The insta-lust and “craving” that happened from two sentences exchanged and a handshake fell a bit flat for me, but their relationship did grow into something tangible. There’s a pretty big cast of characters and I liked the support from the group of friends.

Plot wise, it wasn’t what I expected. There are chapter POVs from the two villains and that took away a lot of the suspense and tension for me. I didn’t get the sense of urgency that the characters kept saying there was and the resolution felt unfulfilling.

Overall, it was the characters that kept me reading and I just might go back and read the other books in this series.

**Huge thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing the arc free of charge**

Once again Donna Grant serves up a hot cowboy with equal amounts of brawn and brains which ultimately helps him to win the heart of his chosen woman.

In this case, the same qualities are found in Marlee, our heroine! She is a strong, independent, intelligent woman on a mission. This time though she has the help Cooper and his friends.

There is nothing more compelling than a good romantic suspense novel where 'romance' is a thread throughout the storyline but the storyline that keeps the reader turning pages is the 'mysyery' that needs to be solved.

Add in well known characters in a familiar setting and you have a sure fire recipe for success.

A 'can't put down' 4⭐

3.5 stars

Looking for a Cowboy brings us back to a small north Texas town home to the East and Harper families we’ve gotten to know in previous books.

Our hero in this book is Cooper, a secondary character we’ve seen as his friends have found happily ever afters. He’s paired with Marlee, a PI in town to find a missing child.

This was an entertaining read with light levels of mystery and a fairly quick developing romance. As with the other books in the series, the large secondary cast gets involved to help solve the mystery portion and save the day. I enjoyed getting to know Cooper and Marlee as they worked together and hoped to find the happy ending those around them had.

Since this is the 5th book in the series, there some elements that might be confusing to a reader just joining in. I definitely recommend reading at least some of the previous books before diving into this one. I am looking forward to seeing if Jace, the last of the Four Horsemen gets a story