12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
SIZZLING WESTERN CONTEMPORARY, October 30, 2008
This review is from: Down In Texas (Paperback)
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!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A trio of sexy western romances, November 23, 2008
This review is from: Down In Texas (Paperback)
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.
Lucky for her and us, Daniel knows just how to put all her worries to bed, along with Maggie herself. J He woos her relentlessly, but with ample consideration for her needs, ensuring a happy ending for this couple.
~STRAIGHT UP SOLDIER~
Suki Reese is in hiding from a violent ex-boyfriend who just happens to be connected to the Mexican mafia, and is being hunted by the law for his activities involved with them. She needs someone to protect her who has her safety first and foremost in mind and doesn't want to use her as bait.
Enter Mac McDonough. This sexy ex-Marine may have sustained a serious knee injury, but that doesn't render him incapable of taking care of the lovely Suki. Once he meets her, that mission becomes of utmost importance to him.
In the beginning of STRAIGHT UP SOLDIER, Mac is feeling more than a little sorry for himself. Sure, he has ample reason, but dwelling on his injury has sunk him into a depression he is finding it difficult to overcome. What he needs is to be needed. To be necessary. When his friend coerces him into playing bodyguard for Suki, the mission proves to be just what the doctor ordered for his sunken spirits. Suddenly, this man finds a purpose again, and looking protecting Suki restores his own belief in his viability as a man, despite the lingering problems from his injury.
Suki is just great. She's a sharp, self-sufficent woman - she's had to be lately. But that doesn't prevent her from accepting help from Mac when she needs it most. Having been on the run by herself for so long has her run down and functioning at less than full capacity. Having a man like Mac watching her back allows her to rest and rejuvenate her flagging strength. The fact that he isn't bad to look at doesn't hurt her spirit either...
This is the story about two people who are strong apart, but in each other find a love that makes them even stronger together. They learn it isn't weak to need someone, and together they can overcome anything.
**Courtesy of Wild on Books**
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sexy and romantic stories, October 14, 2010
This review is from: Down In Texas (Paperback)
Delilah Devlin created an anthology that a little bit of everything -D/s, romantic suspense with an interracial couple and a relationship between an older woman and a younger guy.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading all stories, and I loved that there was heat, as well as emotion. Even the story that I didn't care too much for - between Suki and Mac- was still sweet and I was glad when it all worked out. (Not all romantic suspense story lines can hold my interest! It's not the writing, it's me!)
The heroines had real issues and hangups and I appreciate that in a romance. The heroes were tender and loving yet very manly.
All in all, I would recommend this as a read after a long day of work with a glass of wine :)
Cheers!
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