THE HEART OF A
TEXAS COWBOY
Men of Legend, Book 2
by
LINDA BRODAY
Genre: Western / Historical / Romance
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Date of Publication: May 2, 2017
Number of Pages: 384
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Three Brothers. One Oath.
No Compromises.
The MEN of LEGEND
One bullet is all it takes to shatter Houston Legend’s world. He swore he’d never love again, but with the future of the Lone Star Ranch on the line, he finds himself at the altar promising to love and cherish a woman he’s never met—a woman whose vulnerable beauty touches his heart.
All Lara Boone wants is a name for her baby. The best she can hope for is kindness and acceptance. She never expected to fall in love with her own husband—or any man—after the heartache she’s endured.
In an effort to save the Lone Star Ranch, Houston decides to drive two thousand longhorns up the Great Western Trail to Dodge City. The day before he leaves, the cook quits. When he can’t find another on such short notice, Lara offers to go along and fill in. Over his best judgement, he lets her. Three days out, he notices riders trailing them. Things go from bad to worse and it’s an all-out fight to try to save themselves and the herd.
And when Lara’s troubled past catches up with them, Houston will move heaven and earth to protect his bride…and discover depths to a marriage of convenience neither realized could be theirs to claim.
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Praise for The Heart of a Texas Cowboy:
“Broday brilliantly captures Lara and Houston’s hesitations and growing love. The exciting plot, rich setting, and superb writing will delight fans of historical romances.” ~~Publisher’s Weekly *Starred Review
“This compassionate, poignant marriage-of-convenience love story demonstrates Broday’s ability to bring a wide range of emotions to her characters in a fast-paced plotline without losing a bit of the powerful love story. Add this to your Western romance collection!” ~~Romantic Times
“Ms. Broday’s conclusion of this phenomenal book is heart gripping, blood pounding drama at its finest. This one will keep readers revisiting again and again in years to come.” ~~ Tonya Lucas- Goodreads Review
“One of the best historical Western authors.” ~~ Fresh Fiction
“Broday will appeal to fans of such authors as Georgina Gentry, Leigh Greenwood, and Jodi Thomas.” ~~Booklist
The Heart of a Texas Cowboy
Lara unpacked the basket. “I don’t want to start off my life here bothering people and being the helpless wife.”
Houston had to somehow fix this uncomfortable situation. “You’re never going to be a bother so get that notion out of your head.” He watched her sort the items into two piles. In one she put eggs, ham, cheese, butter and a loaf of homemade bread. In the other went the fresh vegetables along with various and sundry other things. Her eyes lit up when she removed the fresh apple pie.
“Since it’s getting late and I haven’t eaten today either, I thought we might scramble the eggs and fry some of the ham,” he suggested, seeing indecision on her face.
“I haven’t checked to see if we have pans to cook with.”
“We do.” The cooking utensils were left from a year ago when he thought….
“That settles it then. Go talk to Gracie. I might not know much about a lot of things but I’m an expert cook.” Lara’s hand collided with his when they bent to push aside a small curtain that covered the lower shelf. She froze. An awkward silence filled the room.
At last, Houston said, “Let me get the pan for you.”
She nodded and moved back. “I need to check on Gracie.”
Houston retrieved the skillet and set it aside. He stood staring out the window, cursing his incompetence as he bumbled his way through the strange maze of his life with this woman. At the sound of baby babbles, he turned to watch her sit the child on the floor.
Making up his mind, Houston went and gently took Lara’s hands. “We have to find a way to coexist. I can’t live with you frightened of my every move. We can’t occupy the same house without touching or bumping into each other on occasion. It’ll get easier as we go. But for now, trust me.”
“I do, Houston.” Her vivid green eyes held misery. “It’s just that I don’t know what you expect of me.”
Her statement caught him by surprise. What did he expect? Certainly not a wife, given they were utter strangers. But not a cook and housekeeper either. That wasn’t right. No wife of his would ever fill the role of a maid to be at his beck and call.
Hell! He yearned for a stiff drink.
“A friend.” His answer surprised him probably more than it did her. “I expect you to be a partner. We both have gaping wounds that have to heal and things in our past to forget. I need someone who’ll stand with me in good times and bad.”
Lara’s smile transformed her face. She was a beautiful woman. He felt the urge to let his fingertips brush her delicate cheekbones and drift along the curve of her jaw.
“I can use a friend,” she said. “I’ll try not to ever make you sorry for your decision.”
“You won’t.” The words came out gruff and he didn’t know how he could say them with such confidence. Yet, somehow deep in his being a calm surety settled like disturbed silt back to the bottom of a riverbed.
He felt a tug to his trouser leg and glanced down. Gracie had crawled to him and gripped the fabric in her tiny fist. He picked her up. They would face lots of ups and downs but they’d survive. For no other reason than the little girl giving him a toothless, slobbery grin.
The babe needed a father. Lara a husband.
And Houston desperately needed some reason to keep living.
Linda Broday, Historical Western Romance Author
I’m a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 8 full length historical western romance novels, with another set to release 2017, and 10 short stories. Watching TV westerns during my youth fed my love of cowboys and the old West and they still do. I reside in the Texas Panhandle on land the American Indian and Comancheros once roamed. At times, I can feel their ghosts lurking around every corner. Texas’ rich history is one reason I set all my stories here. I love research and looking for little known tidbits to add realism to my stories. When I’m not writing, I collect old coins and I confess to being a rock hound. I’ve been accused (and quite unfairly I might add) of making a nuisance of myself at museums, libraries, and historical places. I’m also a movie buff and love sitting in a dark theater, watching the magic on the screen. As long as I’m confessing…chocolate is my best friend. It just soothes my soul.
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CHECK OUT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:
| 5/15 | Guest Post 1 | Hall Ways Blog |
| 5/16 | Review | Chapter Break Book Blog |
| 5/17 | Character Interview | Books in the Garden |
| 5/18 | Guest Post 2 | Books and Broomsticks |
| 5/19 | Review | Margie’s Must Reads |
| 5/20 | Excerpt | Reading By Moonlight |
| 5/21 | Author Interview | The Page Unbound |
| 5/22 | Review | CGB Blog Tours |
| 5/23 | Bonus Short | StoreyBook Reviews |
| 5/24 | Review | Missus Gonzo |
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Hi Ruthie, thank you so much for hosting me and letting me tell readers about my new release. Houston Legend and Lara Boone have a great marriage of convenience to tell. They wed out of need to give a babe a name and their love grew slowly. But oh man, when it blossomed their union became one that nothing could tear apart.
Book #3 of this series – To Marry a Texas Outlaw – will follow this November to conclude the series.
Have a great weekend that will hopefully involve a book.