HOT COWBOY NIGHTS is Book 2 in Carolyn Brown's Lucky Penny Ranch series set in Dry Creek, Texas. After reading HOT COWBOY NIGHTS, I want to go back and see what I missed by inadvertently skipping the previous book. I like the unusual premise, in HOT COWBOY NIGHTS, taking two people who had a strictly physical relationship and have it morph into something more. Usually I read about friends who decide to take their relationship to a more intimate level, rather than having a story start out with the hero and heroine sexually involved. Within the first few pages of HOT COWBOY NIGHTS, Lizzy Logan is contemplating breaking off her red hot fling with equally hot cowboy Toby Dawson. Little do Lizzy and Toby suspect that the convoluted circumstances that lead them to have a faux courtship only heralds some unexpected trouble with some fun and sexy times thrown in for good measure.
Even though their relationship isn't particularly deep at the opening of HOT COWBOY NIGHTS, I love how Lizzy and Toby always manage to keep things friendly and stick together -- even at the risk of incurring the wrath of persnickety self-righteous church ladies. Carolyn Brown breathes life into these characters and makes the reader invested in their stories. Even secondary characters on the periphery of this story snared my interest. The tight family relationships exhibited by Lizzy and Toby's extended family are phenomenal and add greatly to my overall enjoyment of this story.
The friendship and fun flirtations between Toby and Lizzy make their evolving relationship entertaining. Carolyn Brown manages to create a romance that's steamy, light and fun, while also a relationship with substance and heart. Lizzy is flawed and real, as well as likable. I love the wild things she says when her detractors come into her store with the express purpose of harassing her. I like a woman who can stand up for herself. Although Toby has a reputation with the ladies, I like that he is affable and pretty straightforward. The magic Toby tries to spin as he woos Lizzy is a delight after her controlling and sanctimonious ex-fiancรฉ. The sexiness is expertly balanced with the moments of levity and tenderness.
HOT COWBOY NIGHTS is a character-driven delight for romance fans. I like this story is told from alternating perspectives, because the reader is able to see how caught by surprise Lizzy and Toby both are by love creeping up on them. I love how the majority of characters in HOT COWBOY NIGHTS are pragmatic and know how to enjoy life. I look forward to the next Lucky Penny Ranch book by Carolyn Brown.
LET'S GIVE 'EM SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT . . .
If gossip is the lifeblood of a small town, then Lizzy
Logan
has been its beating heart. After being dumped by her
fiancรฉ
for another woman, she could have decided to crawl under
a
rock. But no, she'd rather really set tongues wagging by
"moving on" with one of the hottest cowboys in Texas, who
happens to live next door at the Lucky Penny Ranch. Those
busybodies don't have to know it's actually all pretend.
And
just because Lizzy has no aim to tame her wild, blue-eyed
neighbor doesn't mean she can't enjoy the ride of her
life.
Toby Dawson never was and never will be the settling-down
type. But what harm could there be in agreeing to be
Lizzy's
pretend boyfriend? They'll put on a show for a few weeks
and
be done. Yet the more he gets to know Lizzy-really know
her-the harder it is for him to keep his hands off of her
in
private. Soon this rough-and-ready cowboy is hoping to
heal
Lizzy's bruised heart and turn their fake affair into a
true
romance . . .
EXCERPT
Lizzyโs plan was to sneak inside the house, up the stairs
and into her room. She could already feel the cool water
from the shower, washing away the hot sex still lingering
on her body.
Her plan did not work.
She hadnโt even kicked her boots off in front of the hall
tree when her sister Allie shot out of the kitchen,
grabbed her by the hand and tugged her into the table,
where the man sheโd been in bed with not thirty minutes
ago gave her a sly wink. Oh my God, how could her motherโ
standing right thereโnot notice the sparks bouncing
around the room. She was sure Allieโs husband, Blake,
also at the table, was picking up on something.
โWhere have you been?โ Allie accused. Lizzy braced
herself. Allie never paused for breath when she got
worked up. And sure enough she started talking faster
than some auctioneers that Lizzy had heard.
โIโve called a dozen times and we were ready to start up
a search and rescue party to find you. Mama says youโve
been puttinโ in too many hours at the store. Youโve got
to get out of this depression, Lizzy. Mitch isnโt worth
it. Heโs a sorry son of a bitch, but donโt let him ruin
your life. Itโs been over six months since that bastard
left for Mexico. In fact, tomorrow is June first, and I
declare it the day that you are moving forward with your
life.โ Allie paused to suck in some air and looked around
at the other three people in the kitchen. โOkay, now that
sheโs here, get out the ice cream, Mama, so we can tell
yโall our news.โ
Lizzy pulled out a kitchen chair and melted into it.
Droplets of water still hung from Tobyโs hair. So heโd
had time for a shower before heโd been dragged across the
fence to Lizzy and her motherโs house. If she hadnโt had
to run by her feed store for a late delivery, she might
have already had time to clean up, too. But Fate had not
liked her in a very long time. She tried not to notice
the way those droplets ran down his neckโexactly where
her mouth had been less than an hour earlier. Or that
sexy white scar on his face where a bull gored himโher
fingers itched to touch it again like sheโd done so many
times.
He gave her a wink, and she could scarcely believe the
heat between them hadnโt set the wallpaper on fire. A
downright miracle.
Her mother, Katy, dipped ice cream into five bowls. These
days she was less stressed, now that Granny was in a care
facility in Wichita Falls that specialized in treatment
and care of folks with dementia and Alzheimerโs.
Allie, looked like she was about to explode with some
kind of fabulous news. Her husband, Blake OโDonnell, had
one of those smiles on his face that a dose of alum
couldnโt erase. And then there was Blakeโs brother, Toby,
leaning against the wall, his rock hard body sending
waves of desire shooting through her body like blasts of
lightning. It wasnโt fair that he could stand there all
calm and collected while butterflies fluttered around in
her stomach. Sweet Jesus! Why did he have to be right
there in the room with her so soon after theyโd gotten
all slick with sweat on that twin-sized bed in the back
room of her mamaโs convenience store?
Allie and Katy carried the ice cream to the table and as
luck would have it, Toby sat beside Lizzy around the
table made for four people. His thigh pressed against
hers and she had trouble concentrating on the ice cream,
the excitement in her sisterโs dark brown eyes, her
brother-in-lawโs grin or anything else.
โWe had the ultrasound done yesterday, and itโs a
girl...โ Allie reached for Blakeโs hand.
Katyโs spoon hit the table with a thud.
Toby jumped up and hugged his brother across the table.
Lizzy felt as if someone sucked all the oxygen from her
lungs and left her to smother to death in a grove of
mesquite trees. It was exactly the vision sheโd had for
herself before her fiancรฉ had run off with another woman.
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