Customer Reviews

Don't Mess with Texas

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I sat up half the night reading and laughing. Remember the old movies with everyone talking at once? The cross dialogue in her books is fabulous.

The Don't Mess With Texas Detective Agency is manned by men named after Texas cities, Dallas, Austin, and Tyler. I predict women will be chosing up sides about a favorite like Ranger and Morelli in Evanovich's Plum series.

You'll want the sassy, confident heroines as your next door neighbors and best friends. And the heros? OMG!

I had planned to buy a couple more for Christmas presents, but I think I'd better do my shopping right now before they sell out or TXdot makes them pull it off the shelves. What's that about? It's the best publicity they've ever received.

Did someone over-react? When did Texans lose their sense of humor? Chill. Y'll should just read the book. You'll love it.

Ms. Craig has a highly developed talent for writing sassy, fun romances. Her romantic comedies are wonderfully entertaining, but this is absolutely her best one yet. The longer format allowed her to more fully develop the plot as well as the characters, and what characters they are! The crowd scene at the hospital, where the heroine lies bleeding as no fewer than seven people press in to see about her is not to be missed.

But get your copy quick! The Texas Department of Transportation is suing her over the title and you don't want to miss out on your copy!

Christie Craig's new book, DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS is a delight. As usual, she has managed to combine laugh-out-loud funny with warm-your-heart sexy.

Nikki Hunt has a bad habit of muttering to herself and this time it's gotten her into deep trouble. When several people hear her threatening to kill that no-good louse of a cheating ex-husband shortly before his body turns up in the trunk of her car, she becomes the prime suspect.

Dallas O'Connor is familiar with being falsely accused. He and his friends, Tyler and Austin, are ex-cops, sent to jail for a murder they didn't commit. Now exonerated, they've formed a PI firm named Don't Mess With Texas to help those unjustly accused.

Both Nikki and Dallas have vowed never to fall in love again. But that was before they met each other.

Add in Dallas's brother as the lead detective, a fictitious case of bedbugs, Nikki's Nana and the Ol' Timers Group as character witnesses, and a dog that sleeps in a coffin and you'll be having too much fun to put this book down.

When Nikki Hunt's ex-husband is murdered, she becomes the number one suspect. True, she has mentioned once or twice that she'd like to kill him, but that's only because she caught him "in the act" with one of her employees. In HER office. On HER couch. Nikki got rid of all three (the husband, the couch and the employee), but now the louse has turned up in the trunk of Nikki's car...dead. Nikki is not the one responsible, but can she convince the cops of that?

Dallas O'Connor is a private investigator who, along with his partners Tyler and Austin, is convinced that Nikki is innocent and intends to do everything he can to prove it. Of course, he would never get personally involved with a client - until now. Will the ex-con, ex-cop find out who really killed the ex-husband before Nikki winds up in jail?

First of all I have to say that this is not a bad book, but it really didn't work for me. I'll try to explain why without treading into Spoiler territory.

Three partners in a Texas PI firm named Dallas, Tyler and Austin is just to "cutesy" for me. Are there more partners that we haven't met yet, like Waco, Balmorhea and Nacogdoches?
It just screamed "Silly story ahead" and blew any hopes I had of a semi-serious suspense plot right out of the water.

On to our main couple, Nikki (the definition of a Mary Sue) and Dallas. They fall for each other pretty much at first sight. I believe in love at first sight - really, I do - but Nikki and Dallas meet under unusual circumstances. First she vomits all over him at the crime scene, then he catches up with her in the Emergency Room. Although Nikki has literally been vomiting for hours, Dallas can't help but be turned on. He can't keep his eyes off her, wondering what she looks like under that flattering hospital gown and thinking to himself that she smells "fruity". Really? She looks beautiful and smells good after that ordeal? Huh. But wait! Just because our little lovebirds have fallen head over heels doesn't mean that there's no tension, no conflict. They spend the majority of the book denying that they have feelings for each other because they've both been burned in relationships before and they're afraid of getting hurt. Grrr - this is my least favorite source of conflict - self-induced misery. In the end there just wasn't enough here to keep my interest, and it was a bit of a chore to finish this one.

On the plus side: The author certainly has an easy, breezy writing style that is pleasant to read. My only real gripe with the writing is that the male dialog just didn't have a natural feel to it. For instance, within days of Nikki and Dallas meeting each other just about every guy in the story asks Dallas if "they're getting serious". Honestly, it seemed kind of an odd question to ask after only a few days...unless you're in 7th grade!

Bottom Line: Very much a "Barbie & Ken" romance with no surprises. Light and silly with a couple of interesting side characters. Read it for the humor, not the suspense.

Occasional strong language and moderate sexual content

When you are standing in front of the most gorgeous man, you have ever seen the last thing you want to do is puke on him, twice. However, Nikki Hunt is not your ordinary girl and having just found her ex-husband in the trunk of her car murdered her throwing up on anyone is the least of her worries.

Dallas O'Connor is the kind of man that knows better than to judge a case by its obvious evidence and he sees allot of things in Nikki but murderer is not one of them. He and his two best friends were falsely accused and imprisoned due to quick decisions to close a case. Now they fight for the underdog and find a way to free the innocent while tracking down the person that wrongly sent them to prison. Right now, he sees Nikki and while getting her off on the charges is his first priority he does think freeing her of her clothing might be his second, but he can keep business and pleasure separate right?

Nikki and Dallas discover that someone believes she knows a secret they do not want revealed at any cost. The mysterious person has no issue using violence against anyone that is going to stop him or her from the search for what Nikki has. While Nikki had no on-going relationship with her ex-husband, apparently she has something of his that is so important she needs to die over it. Whatever this mysterious something is Dallas is going to figure it out, immediately and keep Nikki safe in his arms. The only obstacle to his solving the case is his brother the police officer trying to convict her and Dallas himself if he cannot concentrate on solving the problem and stop thinking about the delightful time he wants to have with Nikki sans clothing of course.

With a slow burning relationship brewing between them, family surrounding them with unasked for opinions, and a murderer lurking behind them what is to stop Dallas and Nikki from falling in love?

This book hits on every level of a romance reader wish list. You have a great set of main characters, secondary characters with their own stories that add so much to the book, and a mystery to solve. Read this book and remember what it is like to let go of past pain and say hello to a future of love and happiness. Big sigh goes here!

She didn't do it. Nikki Hunt didn't kill her ex-husband. Sure she was angry at him. And, okay, she may have been overheard - twice - saying something about killing him. He ditched her during a dinner that he had invited her to and stiffed her on the check! And the only reason she was meeting him to begin with was her wretched financial situation. She couldn't afford a candy bar, let alone a five star meal, so yes, she may have muttered under her breath about offing the jerk and those mutters may have been overheard. It isn't like she would ever actually do it. Hell, she didn't even use kill traps on mice!

Try convincing the cops of that, though.

Okay, the facts that his dead body was crammed into her trunk and she was the listed beneficiary for his life insurance were a mite damning, but she didn't do it!

When Dallas O'Conner was a cop, he was set up and did time in prison before his name was cleared. Now he and his two best friends, also former cops sent to prison along with him, are private investigators. It shouldn't be at all surprising that they specialize in investigating cases for the unjustly accused.

Stumbling onto a murder scene with his homicide detective brother Tony and coming face to face with a shaken Nikki was a coincidence. Being puked all over while he was talking to her was just bad luck...that his partners would be tormenting him over forever. Still, he believes her when she says she didn't kill her ex, and there are too many suspicious things going on around her that have to be connected to his murder. In fact, not only is he positive Nikki Hunt didn't kill her ex-husband, he's pretty sure she's in danger from whomever did.

Speaking of pretty... When she's not projectile vomiting all over him, Nikki is definitely all kinds of that, and soon it becomes more than just a job to keep her fine behind out of prison...it may just be his reason for being.

~*~

It didn't take me too long into this latest Craig book to realize I was going to be in the minority with my review. Don't Mess with Texas is certainly classic Craig. It's romantic suspense with plenty of humor and instant, sizzling chemistry between likable characters. It reads easy, with a fast pace and some nice depth of plot provided by a couple of strong ancillary storylines, including a secondary romance thread that had a lot of appeal. Yet despite all that goodness, I had some problems with it.

As much as I enjoyed Nikki and Dallas, they're fairly interchangeable with all the other Craig romantic lead characters I've read: macho manly man gets a rise from weaker female lead who needs a man to help her out/protect her from whatever danger she's gotten herself into. Nothing there to dislike, really, but I prefer a bit more strength and independence in my female lead characters and more equality in the gender roles.

I also wasn't sold on why Dallas' brother Tony was so set on Nikki as the most likely suspect, especially after tallying up the events that occur the night of the murder. Not to mention the doubt caused by sheer logistics and scene evidence. It never seemed feasible, even initially, that the petite Nikki could kill, then physically dump her larger ex into her trunk given her size and without getting any blood on the clothes she was wearing, be cagey enough to ditch the murder weapon, then scream when she "discovered" the body, drawing instant police attention. The ills and imps of that threw off my ability to fully embrace the core of the plot concept.

Beyond that, I struggled with the development of the romance arc throughout the book. Most of the relationship conflict was the result of a lack of communication - not a favorite theme of mine - and there was a lot of waffling from chapter to chapter by both characters regarding the depth of their feelings for each other and the importance of the relationship to each of them. That was especially troublesome in this case, where the characters have known each other for too short a span of time to warrant a relationship longevity issue.

I wish that the secondary plotline between Tony and LeeAnn had been given more room for development. It was one of the high points of the book for me and had a lot of story potential that I would have enjoyed seeing expanded.

Unfortunately, there's something else that's been bothering me about the last few books I've read by Craig, an issue that has had an impact on my rating of this book and my willingness to read others by Craig. This is the sixth romantic suspense I've read by Craig and out of those six books, four of them have included material and/or characters disdaining homosexuality, or using gay stereotypes as punchlines or to infuse humor into various situations. This seeming trend disturbs me on a personal level and fosters an impression of a lack of sensitivity awareness that makes me uncomfortable. In a day and age where children are killing themselves because they're traumatized or hopeless because of their sexuality, macho men threatened by pink couches sort of loses comedic appeal for me. This sort of humor no more appeals to me than racial humor.

I wanted to settle back and enjoy this book for it's lighter-toned suspense and humor, for the hallmark Texas settings and manly men, for the quick and easy read that's pure pleasure. And honestly, even with one or two of the exceptions I mentioned, there were pleasant stretches in which I was able to do so. Craig writes entertaining books. The problems I had with this one may have tarnished the gold for me, but I'm the first one to say that I know I'll be in the vast minority.

Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Forever publisher Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.

When struggling artist and art gallery owner Nikki Hunt agrees to meet her ex husband Jack for dinner, she's sure he wants her back. Nikki knows the reasons why they didn't work out--and they extend well beyond the night she caught him cheating--but she might be just desperate enough to sweep it all under the rug if it means financial security.

When Nikki returns from the restroom in the middle of dinner, her ex is nowhere to be found, and the $200 dinner bill is waiting to be paid. Sure he's skipped out on her, and reassured of the bastard she knew he was, Nikki overdraws her debit card to flip the bill and leaves the restaurant, only to discover Jack's dead body has been stuffed inside of the trunk of her car.

Once the police are on the scene, it becomes clear that Nikki is the prime suspect in Jack's murder.

You have to laugh out loud at Nikki and Dallas O'Connor's first meeting. Nikki, having become sick after leaving the restaurant, more or less projectile vomits on Dallas's shirt...and then all over his shoes.

Dallas is part owner in a Private Investigative company called "Don't Mess With Texas" which he started with his friends Tyler and Austin after the three spent time in prison for a crime they didn't commit. Making it their mission to exonerate others who share similar situations and face wrongful imprisonment, the team of PI's take on Nikki's case when she swears her innocence.

Throughout the book we're also given a side story about Dallas's detective brother, Tony, and his estranged wife, LeAnne. The two have been separated since a tragic event in their lives caused a rift that neither knew how to repair. When Tony sees LeAnn, a nurse, at the hospital where Nikki is admitted after the incident at the restaurant, he decides instantly that he will do anything to get the love of his life back.

Ugh! Tony and LeAnn's story is so emotional! Their relationship really got to me, and I found myself rooting hard for Tony to convince LeAnn that they still belonged together, and for them to heal together. Although there was a resolution of sorts for Tony and LeAnne at the end, I still wonder if they will get their own book or if their story will at least be elaborated on further down the road. I felt their story could easily warrant its own very worthy book, and had thought it was being set up in this book, but now I'm not so sure that's the case.

Don't Mess With Texas is the first book in a new trilogy from Christie Craig, so it inevitably spends a good amount of time setting up the next books, in this case, by letting the reader know some, but not all of the reasons Dallas and the rest of the Private Investigation team spent time in prison after being wrongfully accused of a crime. I was left wanting to know further details of what led to their incarceration, how they got out of it, and what they'll do over the next two books to make the person responsible pay.

There's not a lot to gripe about in this book. It's humorous, its characters are likable, the plot was interesting enough, and there's a dog that farts. Yes, I said that. I was, however, expecting maybe a little bit more from this book in the way of the romance between Dallas and Nikki, since it was "their" book. I felt like I was more emotionally invested in the side story of LeAnne and Tony than I was with Dallas and Nikki and found myself more eager for their scenes at times than I was for the main couples scenes.

Overall, I thought Don't Mess With Texas was an enjoyable read, and it made me eager to read the next book, Blame it on Texas, featuring PI Tyler. We really only got a taste of Tyler's character in this book, but it was enough to make me want more!

I gave Don't Mess With Texas 3 stars on the blog because what I consider 3 stars is what Amazon considers 4 stars.

I've enjoyed other books by this author, and kept reading from a sense of owing it to the author to finish it. However well-intentioned, I couldn't contine and stopped about 3/4 way. I think I also was hoping for the female lead character to get smarter; maybe that happened in the final 1/4, but she wasn't heading that way. The problem I had with this character, Nikki, NEVER makes a good choice. No matter how many options in front of her, she goes for the one most likely to get her in trouble. That her choices lead to other nice people having something not-so-nice happen to them is supposed to be funny. Nikki vomits down the front of the male lead's shirt and onto his shoes. Later she maces the friend of the male lead when he is cleaning blood from her gallery while Nikki is supposed to be home recuperating from her injuries. In another scene, former cop and PI Dallas tells her to go next door to a friend while he checks out her just-burgled apartment. Does she do the safe thing? No, she waits a few minutes, goes into the dark apartment, "hears" someone, and just about gets herself shot by her rescuer who thinks the noises she made is the intruder still in the apartment. Read the book for more examples of a woman who definitely does not deserve the continued support and rescue by a soft-hearted P.I. I can't imagine a real guy staying that patient with a reluctant client, even if she is cute.

The three men who have formed the Don't Mess with Texas P.I. agency are developed as funny, warm-hearted, smart and capable men. Here's to the other two finding women who appreciate them.

The better story here is a sub-plot around Dallas's brother trying to reconcile with his uncertain wife. Both Tony and his wife are imperfect, but caring individuals trying to come to terms with a tragedy in their lives.

Christie Craig has a corner on the humorous suspense market in a way no one else can match. The characters feel so real--and the predicaments are so funny. Yet Craig makes her main characters sympathetic and not cartoonish or stereotypical. This is the first book in a series, and I definitely have to get the next one.

Nikki Hunt has a very bad day--a 24 hour bad, can't-get-any-worse day--when her ex-husband turns up dead, and she was the last person seen with him. Even the PI who takes her case thinks she might be guilty--at first. His life is complicated enough without another non-paying client, but there's something about a girl who barfs on a guy that makes her irresistible. Fast paced, lots of suspense balanced with romance and relationship building. Craig knows how to drop in plot twists at just the right time. The mystery kept me puzzled until a satisfying end.

Nothing was going right for Nikki. Money is tight, her ex is dead and she's being blamed for his murder. How was she going to pay the bills and stay out of jail? Will they find the real killer so she can get her life back? With former cop and sexy investigator Dallas on her side, things might start looking up.

Dallas and Nikki manage to get themselves in and out of a few scrapes in this story. With a killer on the loose and Nikki being blamed they are trying to keep her safe and help the police figure out the who and why. Can they keep out of trouble? Will the killer finally slip up?

I really enjoyed this story! I felt for Nikki, after finding her ex stuffed in her truck she's questioned, blamed and watched by the police. She's tougher then she looks and manages to keep Dallas and his brother Tony on their toes. Not only did this story have great main characters like Nikki and the sexy Dallas - it had fun secondary characters like Nikki's Nana and her posse of costume wearing friends.

Christine Craig is a new author for me. The story was funny, easy to get into with fun characters. This will definitely not be the last of this author for me, and I look forward to finding out with happens with Tony and his estranged wife LeeAnn. For anyone who loves a good contemporary this is definitely one you should check out.