Down in Texas

Delilah Devlin brings readers a fascinating trilogy of connected stories with her novel DOWN IN TEXAS. For those of us who love a good contemporary western romance, this book is a triple-treat! The stories are all set in a town called Honkeytonk, and one of the main characters in each is related to one of the leads in the next story, deftly setting up each story as the previous tale finishes. ~WEARING HIS BRAND~ Lyssa McDonough has been trying to get Brandon Tynan's attention for some time, but getting caught in a barbed wire fence would not exactly have been her first choice - or even her last one. Somehow, though, it seems to have done the trick after Brandon rescues her from her plight. Since then, he hasn't been quite the same with her, although he hasn't quite given in to the feelings she is sure he has for her. Now it is time to turn up the heat another few notches... OK, I loved this story! Maybe it's because I'm just a little bit jealous of Lyssa McDonough. Oh sure, the fact that she ends up with a hot cowboy stud like Brandon Tynan is reason enough to be jealous of her, but that's not why I am (much). No, I admire this woman's tenacity and gumption in her quest to snare the man of her dreams - a man who has been a friend for years but has the potential to be so much more. Not only does Lyssa have the envious ability to read his true feelings for her despite his denials, she knows just how to get his attention and sweep away his objections once and for all. For his part, Brandon is an equally admirable, albeit misguided, character. He is determined to do right by Lyssa and the promise he made to her brother regarding her, even stifling his own consuming feelings for her in order to `protect' Lyssa. When he finally caves, the resulting love scenes practically burn the pages under the readers' fingertips. ~SLOW RIDE~ Years ago, Daniel Tynan worked on Maggie Dermott's husband's farm, learning to train horses. He might have been a teen-ager then, but he was old enough to develop some pretty strong feelings for his boss's wife. Of course, he could never act on them, not while he was underage and she was married, but he never forgot the woman who stole his heart at an early age. Now Maggie is widowed and needs a horse trainer. Now an adult, Daniel is determined to show the lovely widow that he is the man for the job, in so many ways. In SLOW RIDE, Delilah Devlin shows just what a conscientious and talented author she is. Here she takes a theme with a potential for a slight `ick' factor, and handles it so responsibly, that it never once moves into questionable territory. Sure, Daniel is a teen when he and Maggie first meet, but there is never any contact between them before he is an adult. And really, there aren't that many years between them - only seven, actually. So when they meet up again as two single adults, there is nothing to hold them back from acting on their feelings - except perhaps Maggie's reservations.

"Wearing His Brand" Lyssa McDonough is in trouble, again. The barbed wire she is wrapped in is ripping her clothes to shred. To top it off, her next-door neighbor, Brandon Tynan, is the one to find her and help her out of the mess. But will she end up in worse trouble with Brandon or the barbed wire? She is about to find out. "Slow Ride" Maggie Dermott inherited her husband's ranch. Unfortunately, she does not know the first thing about horses and needs all the help she can get. Help comes in the form of Daniel Tynan, who is willing to teach her a lot about horses and life. Daniel plans to take his time and enjoy every moment of the teaching. "Straight Up Soldier" Suki Reece is in trouble. When one of her friends sends her help in the form of Mac McDonough, she finds she may be in worse trouble than she originally thought. With Mac being a hardheaded and hard-bodied ex-Marine, she will have to find out just which one of them is in control. Strangely, win or lose she wins. HOT! HOT! HOT! Down in Texas is three tales of hot cowboys and the women they tame. I found myself compelled to read the novel from beginning to end enjoying every moment and falling in love all over again with cowboys. Ms. Devlin's descriptions drew me in immediately and did not let me go until I realized that Down in Texas was finished. All I wanted was more, so I read Down in Texas again, enjoying it for a second time. I am hoping that Ms. Devlin gives one of my favorite characters, Tara Toomey, her own story. Down in Texas is now a book in my permanent reread pile. As such, I Joyfully Recommend Down in Texas. Emma reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Delilah Devlin really delivers "down home" entertainment in her sizzling western anthology, DOWN IN TEXAS for Kensington Aphrodisia (Nov. 2008). In "Wearing His Brand", Lyssa McDonough, who's been running the family ranch while her brother is off serving his country, is desperate to get neighboring rancher, Brandon Tynan to notice her as more than just the girl next door. When Lyssa gets herself caught in barbed wire, she's sure she can catch Brandon's attention with her womanly curves when he's forced to doctor her wounds. However, it's not until Brandon sees her dirty dancing at a honkytonk with another cowboy that Brandon decides he has to stake his claim. In "Slow Ride" Brandon's younger brother, horse whisperer, Daniel Tynan, has never forgotten earthy Maggie Dermott, the wife of the rancher he worked for as a teenager. When he hears of her husband's death and Maggie's need for help to keep her ranch going, he rides to her rescue. Maggie can't believe the young, sexy cowboy would want anything to do with a mature, older woman but Daniel is more than willing to show Maggie that her bed is exactly where he'd like to hang his spurs at night. In "Straight Up Soldier" ex-Marine, Mac McDonough is living as a recluse in a cabin in the woods trying to recover from his wounds in Iraq and wondering if he'll ever be free of pain, flash backs and the cane he needs to walk. When bar owner, Tara Toomey shows up with supplies for him, she asks him to help her friend at a local cabin, Suki Reece, who needs protection from an abusive stalker boyfriend. Mac can't refuse but plans to just make Suki go to the police. However, when he meets the petite Asian-Anglo woman and discovers her ex-boyfriend is the drug runner they've been trying to catch on nearby ranches, Mac decides he needs to stick around not only to protect Suki but also to see if their attraction is mutual. Western fans don't miss DOWN IN TEXAS with its three terrific, fast-paced, sexy tales!

WEARING HIS BRAND Lyssa McDonough has her eyes set on the hunky rancher next door, Brandon Tynan. The problem is that her big brother, Mac, exacted a promise from Brandon to keep an eye out for her. She's got all this pent up sexual frustration and the only man who interests her treats her like a pesky little sister. Brandon definitely wants Lyssa in his bed however he doesn't do permanent relationships and knows that she's a forever kind of girl. He certainly doesn't want to destroy his friendship with her brother just to `scratch an itch' so to speak. Brandon rescues Lyssa from the barbed wire where she somehow becomes entrapped and he's none too happy about it either. It's foolish for her to be out checking fences on her own - especially when there's evidence that they've been deliberately cut. He tends her wounds himself and despite the tension between them drops her off back at her place. His good intentions are hopelessly blown when he sees her dirty dancing with another man. Brandon and Lyssa have such remarkable chemistry that they practically ignite the pages. She's a spirited determined female intent on getting and doing exactly what she wants. Brandon's an equally strong character and knows exactly how to handle her ornery attitude. SLOW RIDE Daniel Tynan isn't one to let a prime opportunity pass him by which is why when he saw the job notice for a position at Dermott ranch he didn't hesitate to send in his resume. He still remembers well the time he spent there many years ago learning about working with horses - and lusting after Douglas Dermott's wife - Maggie. Maggie's marriage to Douglas wasn't the hearts and flowers romance girls dream of - he'd wanted someone to take care of his home and cook meals and she wanted security and a family. Now that he's passed away she's got a second chance at happiness but dare she act on the infatuation that she's felt for Daniel for so many years? Daniel's surprised when he receives the call from Reggie Haskell offering him the position on Dermott ranch. Right away he realizes that the ranch is in sorry shape. The stock isn't as plentiful as he remembers and the facilities could use some tending. The one creature he truly wants to take for a ride though is `Miz Dermott' herself. It's going to take more than really great sex to win her over - she requires a gentle hand and some sensual persuasion - both of which he's determined to provide. There's something almost inspiring about this story. Maggie doesn't view herself as desirable and has a difficult time believing that Daniel could truly want her. He's capable, determined and absolutely loveable. I especially love his brand of `convincing.' STRAIGHT UP SOLDIER Ex-soldier Mac McDonough is still recovering from the injuries he suffered while serving his country. Since returning to the U.S. he's avoiding being around his family and friends but a special favor from a friend may just provide the reason he needs to `live' a