Jackson appears to be the first book of the Restoration Ranch series.  The author gives us a romantic suspense set in a small town in Texas.  Aja Everett and Jackson Dean both have baggage they weren't ready to unpack, but as fate would have it, they are thrown together under an extreme circumstance; murder attempt/s on the owner of Restoration Ranch. 

Aja has lived a life of luxury as New York's celebrity attorney.  She has witnessed the good and bad of the system. Jackson, a Texas Ranger has vowed to serve and protect. But, when he's unable to save the one person he was in love with, it causes him to lose all faith in love.

It is long overdue for Aja to visit the ranch, and she doesn't hesitate when she is requested to come back.  When she returns, she finds that there is a lot to be done.
Once there, she sees an opportunity to give others a redo on life by turning it into a place of all things restoration.  This tribute to the land causes some unrest to some of the townsfolk.  They seek to sabotage.  Jackson was asked to go undercover to find out who is behind the mishaps at the ranch but, Aja and Jackson bump heads along the way.

I enjoyed getting to know this couple and seeing them get to a place of healing and putting the past experiences behind them. The supporting characters were an integral part of moving this story alone.

I am a newcomer to author LaQuette, but I plan to follow this series and other titles.  The end left me with a few unanswered questions, which I hope we'll get in the next installment. If you love suspense and romance, you will want to check this out.

Jackson was a great start to LaQuette's Restoration Ranch series. I featured the book as Book of the Day on all of my social media platforms and interviewed the author for my blog.

This is a romantic suspense book about Aja who is trying to turn her family farm into a place for people to get second chances, like the one she is giving to her two workers who are ex-convicts..  Her place has been suffering from accidents but local law enforcement will just blame her employees instead of actually investigating.   So when her barn is blown up she knows she needs to call in help.  Enter Jackson who is a Texas Ranger and his two men Colton and Storm who are posing as ranch hands but are really under cover.  I really tried to push through this book but after finding every excuse I could I decided that I needed to DNF.  I always hate doing that but sometimes you just need to.  I was really enjoying the writing style but I am just not a fan of insta love and thats where this was going.  Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca for my gifted copy for review.

He renamed it Restoration Ranch because the land that was once his condemnation to a brutal life became his redemption. 

Aja Everett left her high powered lawyer job in New York to start Restoration Ranch, a project of her heart, on her family's land in Texas. It's supposed to be a place where people can get a second chance but as sabotage instances keep mounting, someone clearly doesn't want Aja to succeed. 
When Texas Ranger Jackson Dean gets called in to work a case as a favor to a judge friend of his boss, he thinks the judge's niece is playing the spoiled princess card. 
The danger turns out to be all to real though, along with the sparks between Aja and Jackson.

Jackson closed his eyes again as he tried to control his breathing. He’d hoped for short and simple. But this woman standing in the middle of his office, looking the picture of a poised, dominant professional mixed with a touch of down-home goodness, was as complicated a start to this case as Jackson could imagine.

Jackson is the first in the Restoration Ranch series and I loved the backstory the author created for the idea behind the Ranch. The backstory involves Aja's great-great-great-great-grandfather and his start as a free man, it grounded the setting for me and infused the purpose of what Aja is working to do, give parolees an opportunity for work and a second chance to succeed. We're plunged right away into the sabotage plot and I was a bit disoriented with what was happening as we don't get to see the scene that has caused Aja to be on edge, creating a feeling that I was missing some of the story. This doesn't last long however, and we soon learn that the town sheriff isn't taking Aja's concerns seriously, doesn't want convicts in his district, and in fact wanted to buy the ranch before Aja came from New York. These issues with the sheriff cause Aja's uncle to call in a favor and brings the Texas Rangers into the picture. 

Why did a Texas Ranger with dusty jeans and boots make her mouth water and her mind wander to places it had no business going?

Jackson Dean (seriously, how sexy is that name?) doesn't take the case seriously until a bomb goes off in Aja's barn and she is injured. They decide to do an undercover case (only Aja knows they're TX Rangers) with Jackson and his two colleagues, Colton and Storm, with them pretending to be ranch hands while they work to uncover who wants Aja dead. After the bomb and Jackson is on the ranch, the focus shifts some from the mystery suspense and onto Aja and Jackson's attraction for one another. They have more than insta-lust but just by a smidgen, I would have liked to have more scope to their relationship. Obviously, a lot of the story takes place at the Ranch and I felt they weren't really growing beyond the just get to the bedroom depth. There were times that their sexiness did give me hints of Alisha Rai and Tessa Bailey.

Who would’ve thought Jackson Dean, the big, burly Texas Ranger, needed someone to make him feel safe?

I connected with Aja quicker as we get more of her character up front, how her relationship with her sister, family, and experiences have shaped her personality and drive to start Restoration Ranch. Jackson's story is doled out slower and if I had known about how his previous marriage and the issues that stemmed from it had went down and his mother's abandonment, I might have been more into or forgiving of his “I can't trust any women” very used hero trope. This might be another weird like of mine but I adored how Jackson said “Daddy” instead of father or dad, good father-son relationships are more in absence and this just added some love to theirs. In fact, I thought this author's strong point was in her familial relationships, added so much richness to her characters and story. 

“All right, Ranger. I’m game if you are. But are you sure you can handle me?” 
He pulled her into his arms, cupping her cheek, and leaning in close. “I can handle anything you’ve got.”

The pace of this was a little different, the mystery/danger plot seems to be wrapped up around the 70% mark and then Aja and Jackson start dating; when I would expect their relationship to hitting their climax of coming together, instead it feels like they're starting the build. The mystery/danger has it's obviousness and some anti-climatic as the villain is mostly off-screen and then some forced surprise as it ends in a cliffhanger to connect and lead into the next of the series. Jackson's friends and colleagues, Colton and Storm along with the two friends and parolees, Brooklyn and Seneca, Aja is helping, are obvious series set-up characters. The pacing didn't always work for me but the idea behind Restoration Ranch and the relationships behind and being built from it pulled me in and I'm curious to see where Colton's protectiveness of Seneca leads.

This was a first time read for me from this author. I immediately connected with her on social media. The writing in this book is superb, I really enjoyed the book. I think it did take me longer than I anticipated to get into the story but when I finally grasped the storyline- I couldn’t put it down. I am here for the representation of black love. Good work from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley for the book. I'm not really much of a suspense/mystery reader, but this was good. I will say that it felt like the resolution took too long to get to, and I got a little bored trying to get to the end. However, I really enjoyed the characters in the book and would recommend to those who are usual romantic suspense readers.

Aja Everett longs to turn her family's ranch into a second chance safe haven for the formerly incarcerated, but some one wants it for them selves, and will do anything to get it, including murder.  

Texas ranger Jackson dean was asked to do a favor by a prominent judge, who happens to be Aja's uncle. and that is to find out who is trying to kill Aja.  He is attracted to her form the start, but his past is making him fearful of following his heart.  The two of them must come to a decision to risk it all or leave each other alone.

This is my first read from this author, and I'd definitely would read another romantic suspense from her.  This felt like a book that would do very well as a movie.  There was not only romance, but excitement, danger and intrigue..  I am honored that I was able to read this book.  The characters were also engaging.  I'm hoping Jackson's team mates also get books.

Jackson starts out with getting to know Aja Everett, a ranch owner, a people pleaser, a woman with a mission. Aja is in trouble and the ranch that she owns is getting destroyed. Someone is after her and is willing to do anything to stop Aja from expanding the ranch and helping previous felons to reestablish themselves into society. In walks Jackson. a Texas Ranger, who is charged with helping figure out who is after Aja. 
From the start, this story is very well written, The character descriptions really bring everyone to life and the author makes you feel apart of the story. Aja helps people and makes them feel at home, despite being in a constant struggle to keep herself and her ranch safe. The way the author portrays her selflessness is simply lovely, and makes you root for that happy ending. Jackson goes through a pretty big character arc where he is very set in his ways regarding love and marriage and then by the end you can see such a change in his way of thinking. Not just within his own life, but when looking at his dad's life too. It was nice to see the dynamic between Jackson and Aja and how their story played out. The ending had a little bit of a twist, that made me wanting another book.

Y'all there was so much that I loved about this book. Aside from the Black love, we have a full figured main character who embraces it and is portrayed as sexy and confident. Never did she say anything about how she wasn't okay with her body. Also, the damaged hero was so sweet and gentlemanly and never disrespected her. The writing in this was so good and binge-able. I read the most of it over a day because I needed to know what was coming next. The angst of them pining for each other through the book was amazing. I just wanted them to get together already. And the sex scenes were steamy as hell. 

There was some Black history seamlessly woven into the story and I really enjoyed the discussion on Black land ownership and generational wealth. There is a mystery/suspense in plot in the story and I thought it was well done. The book was well balanced with the romance and the suspense plot line. The resolution of the mystery was interesting and not too abrupt either. 

One con is that it took me a minute to get a good visual of what our heroine looked like physically. I couldn't get a good picture of her until about 30%. That's a minor thing but I felt it worth noting. 

Overall, I highly recommend Jackson and I can't wait to see who the next books follow. I really want to read more from this author for sure.

Sizzling attraction, strong characters, and danger on a Texas ranch with a capable and determined Texas Ranger on the job had me jazzed with excitement over a new series from an author I have enjoyed in the past.
Review

Jackson opens with Aja Everett nearly killed in the latest mishap to stalk her project to renovate the family ranch into a relaxing B&B.  Someone doesn’t want her to succeed, but they aren’t scaring her into selling out.  This land has been in her family for several generations right back to her freed slave grandfather who carved out a heritage that she intends to continue by giving second chances and new lives to her workers and a wonderful, relaxing environment to customers.  She reluctantly lets her uncle call in a favor to a friend in the Texas Rangers when once again, the local sheriff shrugs off her complaint of sabotage.  She is less impressed with the mulish take-charge Ranger who she wishes she wasn’t so infernally attracted to.

Jackson has a job to do and it doesn’t involve exploring that crackling chemistry he feels with the former high-powered lawyer who defends her workers and cares deeply for everyone’s welfare but her own.  Butting heads with Aja must be some sort of flirtatious foreplay because his resistance to her is non-existent in short order.  Meanwhile, he is on the spot when the latest attempt to attack is nearly lethal and is no accident.  They have a suspect, but now they need to get proof.  The property is huge and he gets his dad and brother out to install security even as Aja has a new contractor and team out working on the plans for her B&B.

Jackson doesn’t trust in love after his mom abandoned the family and his ex did a number on him and Aja is carrying around so much guilt about the past that it’s choking her and she has to punish herself by denying that she deserves happiness.  The pair must find away to help each other and survive the troubles on the ranch.

I do love my cowboy and ranch romances, but plug in some suspense and I’m in heaven.  Jackson as a Texas Ranger who can also work on a ranch like a veteran hand, draw so beautifully, and leap into action against an invader had this reader swooning right along with Aja.  But, I was also swooning over that strong, smart and fiery plus-sized sexy gal.  She was a successful defense lawyer and she champions the underdog, but she’s no dreaming idealist.  She goes in where angels fear to tread for a scared teen who needs someone on his side and two women finishing up their parole who are trying to turn their lives around.  And, she even fights for Jackson when he is still in pain from his past.

The suspense was a strong lead in the story and I had it figured out until that final reveal at the end showing there was a series mystery arc hiding behind the one that was resolved in this book.  I’m looking forward to seeing what comes with that and hope that Jackson’s fellow Texas Rangers are still on the job with him and get their own stories.

All in all, this first in series was a sensational start and left me satisfied with the first book and impatient for the next one.  This has a spicy and sensual romance, deep characters and situations, and a nice action suspense running through out.  Romantic Suspense fans need to jump on this one.

My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the characters in this one. It's a great romantic suspense story focusing on hijinks happening at Aja's ranch and her Uncle calls in the Texas rangers to help her out. Which is how the main characters meet.  But I truly felt like the star of this book is the characterization and development of Aja and Jackson. Having strong leads who both butted heads but addressed each other as equals was a great addition to the suspense genre. I feel like, the surprise at the end hopefully leads us into book 2 in this series!

Jackson by LaQuette is an excellent romantic suspense novel. The author brings together two strong personalities in a great mix of these genres. Aja Everett was a high-powered celebrity defense attorney in New York until two years ago when she returned to her family ranch in Texas. She paid off the back taxes and is working to make it into a viable business for people who want rest and healing. When petty vandalism escalates, her Uncle Ricky calls in the Texas Rangers. Ranger Jackson Dean and his team go undercover on the ranch.

Aja is spirited, dedicated, kind, stubborn, generous, confident, and always taking care of others. Jackson is strong, opinionated, determined, committed to doing the right thing, and doesn’t trust love after being burned by his first wife and abandoned by his mother. Both have troubled pasts that affect their happiness as well as their opinions of themselves and others. Their flaws add to their believability. What could possibly go wrong when these two must live and work together to determine who is trying to sabotage the ranch? The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat and made this a quick read.

The author does a good job of transporting us to Texas and living the events along with the characters. They are the real stars of this story. Some are likeable, others aren’t. But which one of them is out to destroy Aja? Steamy scenes are peppered throughout the book, but will it be a happily ever after or just a momentary fling?

I loved the backstories of Aja, Jackson, and the ranch, but wanted some of the information to be divulged earlier in the book. Despite the ending being dramatic, it wasn’t a total surprise and not all threads were brought to a close. But the author led this reader there in such a way as to make it a fitting end to the book. One other thing the author does is highlight peoples’ biases and the lack of support for second chances.

This was a suspenseful and fast-paced book that was entertaining and kept my interest. This is the first book that I have read by this author, but it won’t be the last. Will this become a series? I hope so. If you enjoy steamy romantic suspense with strong charismatic characters and lots of action, then you may want to check out this novel.

SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and LaQuette provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for February 23, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Romance, Action, Stalker and Sabotage.

Aja Everett, Trial Lawyer for Celebrities, retires after a tragic family loss. Aja returns home to heal, and save the family ranch. Someone is stalking Aja, and  isn't happy that she's hired ex cons to work on her, and begin sabotaging construction. Aja's uncle, Judge Henry calls in the Texas Rangers to investigate. Ranger Jackson Dean, feels instant attraction toward Aja. They both have trust issues, and aren't looking for a relationship. Danger increases on the ranch, and someone tries to kill Aja. The fear of losing Aja makes Jackson deal with his trust issues, and guilt, as an unexpected villain is revealed, and thinking everything is ok, there's another attempt on Aja's life. I loved the plot twist at the end. Will Jackson give love a try again, and will Aja share her quilt and pain of family heartache, and let Jackson in? I look forward to reading the next book in the Restoration Ranch series.

From the first words, LaQuette's story of a Texas Ranger fighting against his attraction to a beautiful, smart determined woman while trying to keep her safe grabs you and tugs at your heart. Her story is so beautifully created, you feel like you're watching everything unfold before your eyes. I love a good mystery and she definitely kept me on the edge of my seat, even when I thought I had everything figured out. I would highly recommend this story.

This is my first book from LaQuette and I'm certain not the last.

Strong-willed Aja returns to her family's ranch to turn it into a place for second chances. A few circumstances of vandalism have escalated into arson. Aja's uncle calls in a favor and asks that the Texas Rangers investigate.

Jackson is the lead Ranger on the case and he is instantly attracted to Aja. There was a lot happening in this story to keep me interested. Ready to see what is next up at Restoration Ranch.

After someone tries to kill ranch owner Aja, Texas Ranger Jackson plays bodyguard while investigating the crime. The attraction between them is immediate and palpable. Spending so much time together, they're bound to give in to their feelings. But Aja is focused on her career, and Jackson has been hurt in the past. Can they let down their guard and let love in? 

This is a steamy romantic suspense with strong, well-developed characters. It's a good balance between the romance and suspense storylines. I loved how Aja stood her ground with Jackson, and how he listened to her concerns. They're mature characters dealing with real problems. It's clear that they're made for each other, if only they can overcome their wounds from the past. 

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Jackson is the first book in Restoration Ranch contemporary romance series by LaQuette. It’s set on a ranch with the same name near Austin, Texas, that’s been in the Everett family ever since their ancestor was freed after the Civil War. The current owner, Aja, a former hotshot defence lawyer from New York in her late thirties, wants to turn it into a holiday resort, but someone in her town opposes the plan. Accidents plague the construction, and when Aja is almost killed, her family intervenes and calls in Texas Rangers. Enter Jackson Dean, a ranger as protective as he is hot.

There’s instant attraction between the two, but this is a grown-up romance, where both parties bring in a lot of baggage, so neither of them intend it to last. Alongside the romance, there’s the mystery of who’s trying to harm Aja. There are some really hot scenes, but once the case is solved, they go their separate ways—only to realise they need each other after all.

I liked both Aja and Jackson, separately and together. She knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid of going after it, and he wasn’t afraid of letting her be who she is, provided he could be there to save the day and comfort her. The supporting cast remained a little distant and I didn’t really get a hang of them.

This wasn’t a bad book, but unfortunately it suffered from a clumsy execution. We plunge in with a brief action scene when the situation on the ranch has been going on for a while already—and then everything halts. We’re told about the troubles, but we never witness them, and the investigation takes place outside the narrative.

The narrative was on a constant holding pattern. It consisted of filler scenes between brief bursts of action when the bad guys made their moves and the characters reacted. The characters were never in charge of the plot, never proactive, and the reader was an observer. Even the romantic scenes felt emotionally distant. It made the book feel overly long, and even the twists at the end couldn’t really save it. But Aja and Jackson got their happily ever after, and it made the ending satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the chance to read an early copy of this book!

JACKSON is a contemporary romance with a heavy dose of mystery and suspense - but don't worry, nothing too gory! I had a great time reading this book and letting the story carry me along. Our heroine Aja and hero Jackson are both such strong, smart, admirable characters, and their strengths mean they butt heads at first despite their instant attraction - my favorite kind of story! As we progress with the mystery, we also learn more about the tough backstories that have shaped our characters, and in a particularly touching section, we learn about Aja's ancestry and their connection to this ranch. Along the way, there's some delicious food and some fun quips -- my copy was an unfinished ARC, but I sincerely hope they keep "Is their anything sadder than a vegetarian Texan?" I also adored the way that some of the laziest tropes in romance get tossed away with the flick of the wrist--Aja doesn't eat dessert because the sugar will keep her awake, not because she's concerned about weight, and at another time she automatically criticizes Jackson's ex then apologizes and says she doesn't want to villainize another woman just for being in his life.

This romance focused pretty tightly on Aja and Jackson, and I wanted to get to know her employees Brooklyn and Seneca better, as well as his fellow rangers Colton and Storm. The way it's set up, I wouldn't be surprised if their stories have some timeline overlap to give us other perspectives. Plus, the end of the book also comes very quickly, with plenty of loose ends to the mystery still waiting--no epilogue, which I'm always a sucker for. But I hope this means that there are sequels in the works to give us some answers, and soon!

I love a romance with a bit of a mystery or suspense included, and this one fits the bill.  Two sexy characters who have to figure out how to let go of the past so they can move on and love in the future. I love when both characters have a story arc like this, it's a nice switch up to have them both handling the same kind of self-doubt and learning to trust.  Aja is a strong woman, a nurturer, someone who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to take it, ask for it, speak it into existence. Jackson is the perfect hero for Aja, the strong Texas Ranger.  There is a lot of heat on the page, plenty of sex times with these two and their on fire chemistry. For my tastes, those scenes could have been a little shorter, I didn't always feel like they were moving the plot, but that's a matter of my own tastes and I know a lot of readers will be here for it. It was the quieter moments that I loved more. There is a scene in the kitchen when Jackson watches Aja baking, and he basically says she's glowing. It's a sigh worthy moment of pure romance and I loved it. The side characters and family are all spot on and some have great potential for their own stories. Pacing is pretty good, I knew when Aja and Jackson were basically together at 80% that we had an additional twist coming, and that took a little longer to get to than I thought it needed to, but it all still worked. No surprises for me on the who done it/villain, but that's ok, the point is the romance. All in all an enjoyable sexy read.

I have been dying to read LaQuette's books for a while and was so lucky to receive an arc of Jackson. This book is steamy, it's suspenseful, it's magnificent and I really enjoyed the ride!

Aja is a big time lawyer who moved back to her home in Texas to open up a resort on her family's farm. But when scaffolding falls down and her barn blows up with her almost inside, Aja realizes that someone doesn't want her to succeed. Enter Jackson, a Texas Ranger who sets up at Aja's farm to try and find the culprit. Two attractive and successful people in close quarters means sexiness abound and Aja and Jackson have to figure out if their relationship is worth fighting for.

A few things I loved: not baby hero/heroine - Aja is 39 and Jackson is 40. I loved that they were older and not 23 years old finding love. It makes their relationship so believable because they have had their own lives before they meet. I also loved the focus on consent: Jackson is a CINNAMON ROLL but also kind of an alpha? He is a gentleman and I loved that he continually asked for Aja's consent during sex - and their discussions of condom usage! Yes for sex positivity. I also love the mystery and whodunnit. It was a but obvious but the different complexities were interesting to unweave. It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger so I need more now! Finally, I loved Seneca and Brooklyn, two women who work on Aja's farm as part of a Pathways Program due to prior convictions and parole. It was a great side story about second chances and now we are responsible for ensuring that one mistake doesn't derail a person's entire life.

This is a romance but there are so many layers, so much depth, and lots of complexity. But the STEAM! Jackson is a must read.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for an arc to review