Tougher in Texas

Kari Lynn Dell

Aug 2017 · Texas Rodeo Book 3 · Sourcebooks, Inc.

About this ebook

"Dell takes you on a fun, wild ride!" —B.J. DANIELS, New York Times Bestselling Author

He's got five rules

And she's aiming to break them all

Rodeo producer Cole Jacobs has his hands full running Jacobs Livestock. He can't afford to lose a single cowboy, so when Cousin Violet offers to send along a more-than-capable replacement, he's got no choice but to accept. He expects a grizzled Texas good ol' boy.

He gets Shawnee Pickett.

Wild and outspoken, ruthlessly self-reliant, Shawnee's not looking for anything but a good time. It doesn't matter how quickly the tall, dark and intense cowboy gets under her skin—Cole deserves something real, and Shawnee can't promise him forever. Life's got a way of kicking her in the teeth, and she's got her bags packed before tragedy can knock her down. Too bad Cole's not the type to give up when the going gets tough...

Texas Rodeo Series:

Reckless in Texas (Book 1)

Tangled in Texas (Book 2)

Tougher in Texas (Book 3)

Fearless in Texas (Book 4)

Mistletoe in Texas (Book 5)

What People Are Saying about the Texas Rodeo series:

"Look out, world! There's a new cowboy in town." —CAROLYN BROWN, New York Times Bestselling Author

"An extraordinarily gifted writer."—KAREN TEMPLETON, author of Wed in the West series

"Real Ranches. Real Rodeo. Real Romance."—LAURA DRAKE, author of Sweet on a Cowboy series

"A sexy, engaging romance set in the captivating world of rodeo."—Kirkus

"Illuminating...a standout in western romance."—Publishers Weekly

Ratings and reviews

Kari Lynn Dell has quickly carved out a place for herself on my bookshelf. Her ability to create stories that are heartbreakingly realistic and deliver them with power and grace is refreshing. Her stories help you breathe through the pain with laughter and an optimistic point of view. Tougher in Texas blends courageous with outrageous to put a smile on our face as we hand over a tiny piece of our hearts. We laugh, we learn, we enjoy. Well done, Ms. Dell.

Another winner. Cole Jacobs is the autistic cousin of Violet, the two of them have worked together at rodeos but now she's pregnant he's been forced to work with a series of substitutes. After he runs off yet another cowboy Violet invokes her worst punishment - Shawnee Pickett. Shawnee is a straight-talking roper, one of her favourite things is winding up Cole with his lists and his regimented view of life, but weeks on the road working cheek by jowl shows both of the them that there is more to the other person than meets the eye. Wow, this book tackles some really tough issues and doesn't shirk from the unpleasant truth but it also shows the complete joy of working together doing a job you love. I was surprised because I was hoping for Shawnee and Wyatt - that man is going to be a difficult one to match - but Cole and Shawnee was a good match. On to the next one, even though I have a ton of ARCs to review - only sad that I got turned down by the publisher for the latest ARC - boo hoo.

TOUGHER IN TEXAS was incredibly emotional and I balled my frickin’ eyes out. A lot. First off, I want to applaud the author for creating an autistic hero. Cole has Asperger’s Syndrome, a type of autism. Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental disability that affects a person’s ability process information and to communicate and interact with others. Asperger’s is a form of autism located higher up in the spectrum. This means people with Asperger’s are highly intelligent, but have difficulties with social and communication skills. My review is going to be a little different because this story really hit home for me… because I have a son with autism. It was difficult for me to just sit back and read this one because as the story went along, I kept seeing my son in Cole. It was often times a little TOO real for me. I will say though that Ms. Dell did an excellent job with Cole’s character and the story. It’s an amazing book and I’d recommend it to anyone. The whole series is awesome. It’s tough to review the story without being completely biased so I won’t even try it. I will say though, that all the elements of a true romance are here. I always learn something new from these Texas Rodeo books. Ms. Dell shares her love for the rodeo circuit with us and it’s a joy to read. Thank you Kari Lynn Dell for creating this wonderful character. It gives me hope that maybe one day, my son will be able to see his own dreams come true, not by accepting his limitations, but because his courage is limitless. I voluntarily read a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

About the author

Kari Lynn Dell is a native of north central Montana, a third generation ranch-raised cowgirl, horse trainer and rodeo competitor, most recently the 2017 Canadian Senior Pro Rodeo Association Breakaway Roping season champion. She attended her first rodeo at two weeks old and has existed in a state of horse-induced poverty ever since. She currently resides on the family ranch on the Blackfeet Reservation, loitering in her parents' bunkhouse along with her husband, son and Max the Cowdog, with a tipi on the front step, a view of Glacier National Park from her writing desk and Canada within spitting distance.The third book of her Texas Rodeo series, Tougher in Texas, is a 2018 finalist for the Romance Writers of America's RITA® awards.