One Tough Cowboy: A Novel

Lora Leigh · Veronica Chadwick

Jan 2019 · Moving Violations Book 1 · Sold by St. Martin's Griffin

About this ebook

First in a brand-new series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh and Veronica Chadwick about one man’s pursuit of justice—and unbridled desire.


LAW AND ORDER.
For as long as Samantha can remember, Hunter—a man as strong as steel, with a heart of gold—has been her hero. It came as no surprise to Samantha when she found out that the ranch-hardened cowboy who always protected her from bullies went on to become the town’s sheriff. What does surprise her is how incredibly hot he still is. And how much she still wants him...


PRIDE AND PASSION

And, lo and behold, Hunter still has feelings for Samantha. The long-smoldering heat of their innocent flirtation has grown into a full-raging fire. But when tragedy strikes, and their small-town community is shattered, Hunter vows to do everything he can to keep his childhood sweetheart safe. But can Samantha trust that Hunter has her best interests at heart...and that, after all these years, his love is true?

“Leigh’s books can scorch the ink off the page.”—RT Book Reviews

Ratings and reviews

One Tough Cowboy has the potential to be a romantic suspense that is both gritty and gripping. Add in a sexy, alpha male cowboy and this one should sizzle. Sadly, it doesn't. The story starts off well-enough with a handful of suspicious deaths, an old flame rekindled, and corruption in town government, but quickly snowballs into something else. The mystery is still there, but it's overrun by one long sex scene after another once Hunter and Samantha get together. I can understand a strong attraction, but considering the personal stake they each have in this case and that they're both law enforcement, I would've expected them to be able to focus on that at least some of the time. Instead, they act like teenagers who can't control their hormones. The steamy fun certainly has its place, and the authors certainly know their stuff in writing detailed, scorching hot scenes, but it just got to be too much. If only that talent for details had been applied to the actual story, this could've been a terrific read. We do get some moments with terrific banter, and I loved one particular part with Hunter solving a set of riddles, but there are just too many inconsistencies in the story. One such inconsistency lies in the setting. It is supposed to be a small town in California, but the vernacular and several descriptions just don't fit. So much so that I turned back through the book to make sure I remembered the setting correctly. It should also be noted that there is a particularly disturbing scene toward the end that could have and should have been handled much better. The list goes on, but suffice it to say that the cons far outweigh the pros here, at least for me.

Hunter and Samantha’s love story was HOT, HOT, HOT!!! I absolutely enjoyed One Tough Cowboy by Lora Leigh and Veronica Chadwick, book one in their Moving Violations series. Detroit Detective Samantha returns to the small California town where grew up after the suspicious death of her aunt, an overdose of pain pills. Hunter was appointed sheriff by the governor after the suspicious death of his uncle; while hunting, except he didn’t hunt. When Samantha encounters Hunter, the cowboy who always protected her from bullies, she finds she is still attracted this handsome, hot sheriff, with a heart of gold. Hunter still has feeling for Samantha and the low-smoldering heat of their innocent childhood flirtation has matured into a raging fire, consuming them both. When Hunter enlists Samantha’s help in an investigation, he prays he can keep this love of his life safe and show her how much she means to him. All he needs is for Samantha to believe and trust in him. This reader felt singed by the heat and chemistry between these two characters. The suspense of trying to find not only the killer, or killers, was intense as was Hunter’s search to find out what evil was going on in his county and by whom. Ms. Leigh and Ms. Chadwick wrote an amazing, erotic, suspenseful and emotional story that is not to be missed. They provided a tale rich with sizzling chemistry, amusing banter, scary situations, and endearing characters. I struggled to put this book down. I highly recommend One Tough Cowboy to other readers. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Exciting journey for two people that were close as children but then life put distance between them. When Sam returns to Deerhaven following a family tragedy, she is put directly back in Hunter’s path. Hunter was her brother’s best friend growing up and she loved him. She was always getting into trouble, the Pixie Pest, as he dubbed her and he would always rescue her. When her family moved away, she left part of her heart behind but didn’t realize it until she returned. Hunter is now the sheriff after spending time in the military. He is just as hot today as he was years ago which has Sam all tied up in knots. Hunter has a real mystery on his hands in town for a suspenseful set of twists and turns. Sam is now a cop in Detroit which allows them to work together putting them in each other’s path. The chemistry these two have is off-the-charts giving us intense sexy encounters. I loved their connection as kids to adulthood. Seeing how they didn’t lose that spark they had which allowed it to glow hotter as adults. The mystery was captivating and intense which kept me guessing. I voluntarily read an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.

About the author

#1 New York Times bestseller Lora Leigh is the author of the Navy SEALS, the Breeds, the Elite Ops, the Callahans, the Bound Hearts, and the Nauti series.

VERONICA CHADWICK was the author of Rude Awakening and The Warlord's Gift, along with One Tough Cowboy and Strong, Silent Cowboy, co-authored with Lora Leigh.