Thursday, April 6

Book Review: Texas Secrets by Jean Brashear

Author:  Jean Brashear
Title: Texas Secrets (The Gallaghers of Morning Star #1)
Genre: Romance and Western
Pages: ebook
Published: Aug 1999
Where I Got It: My Shelf (Amazon Freebie)


Up-and-coming chef Maddie Collins finds out that her father's life was a lie when she is bequeathed a family homeplace she never knew existed—by the husband of the only woman her father ever loved. A former SEAL, sexy cowboy Boone Gallagher arrives back in Texas to discover that the father who drove him away has struck one last blow. The only place he's ever thought of as home now belongs to a woman who doesn't want it, and he must keep her there for thirty days—or it will be lost to them both.

If you know me even in the tiniest, I can’t resist a smexy cowboy. So of course when this book popped up free on Amazon, I scooped it up….but I think I made a mistake. Let’s see.

This story follows Maddie and Boone. Maddie is a city girl who is given a house on a Texas ranch by a dead guy named Sam who owed her dad.  Boone is Sam’s son and is currently living in the house. Part of the will states that she HAS to live in the house for 30 days or it will be sold off and Boone will be homeless. So they are forced to live together. Boone is still grieving over his late wife and child (more so the child then the wife because she was a selfish, greedy girl who only married Boone for shallow reasons). Maddie is pretty much an orphan who is a famous New York chef. The only reason she agrees to live in the house for the 30 days because she wants to reconnect with her father’s hometown.

It did take a while for Maddie and Boone to fall in love. There was some lust there, but they just tolerated each other for the sake of the house. Which I liked that part.

Now…I liked Maddie. Her motives confused me tho, but I enjoyed her POV overall.

Boone? I grew to like him near the end. But the rest of the 90% of the book? I WANTED TO THROW HIM UNDER A HERD OF RAMPAGING CATTLE! I skimmed his POV because he annoyed me. He hated his wife because she was shallow and a floozy…but he still missed her and loved her and bleh. He even admitted he never really loved her! SO WHY? WHY? Ugh. And he blamed himself for her accident and death….that happened when she was away on a romantic boat ride with her lover…okay? How is that your fault? And he wouldn’t let it go. He kept repeating himself over and over and over….GAH! He DID get better near the end when he had new stuff to bring to the table, but he was unbearable for way too long. He may have been a cowboy and had been in the Armed forces (Navy? Marines? I cared so little that I can’t even remember), which seems like it would’ve been the full package for me…but bleh. Overly emotional. Overly stubborn. Overly stupid. SO nooooope.

Maddie should’ve gotten with Dev. Hell…old man Jim was nicer to her and deserved her more than stupid, dramatic, emotional Boone.

This book had confusing motives and an annoying “cowboy” hero. The only redeeming qualities are Maddie, the big twist, Dev, and Jim. I think the author was making things too complex. But it was a decent and light read. It was free too, so that helps. I am curious to read Mitchell’s story, but I can live without it. I would love to read one for Dev *does research* Yayy! The third book is about Dev…so that is for sure on my TBR list.

Out of five stars, I’ll give this a 2. A couple good things, but overall? Eh.






5 comments:

Blodeuedd said...

I think I might have dnfed

Melliane said...

Oh, it sounded good... it's sad

Anachronist said...

Eh, cowboys and romances...never expect any good from such a mix!

Carole Rae said...

Ana, LOL! I've read a good couple.

Carole Rae said...

B, I think you did.

Melliane, I know. I'm bummed.