Looking for a Cowboy

Heart of Texas, Book #5

By Donna Grant

ISBN# 9781250250063

Author’s Website:  https://donnagrant.com/

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Former cop turned P.I., Marlee Frampton, has been hunting down a ring of kidnappers/murderers ever since they killed her pregnant twin sister.  This ring of murderers find pregnant women, knock them unconscious, cut the babies from their wombs, and slit the women’s throats for a slow and painful death.  They then sell the babies to the highest bidder.

Marlee’s investigation brings her to Clearview, Texas and to the Family First Adoption Agency that she knows is moving babies illegally.  She is looking for a baby boy that was recently stolen and she believes it to be the one that Brice and Naomi Harper just adopted from Family First.

Cooper is immediately drawn to the beautiful redhead that just showed up in town.  And, he was excited for an opportunity to get to know her over a meal at his favorite diner in town.  Until, he discovered she was using him to get Intel on Brice and Naomi!

Once it’s proven that baby Nate isn’t the missing infant, Jace, Cooper, and the Harpers, and Easts join Marlee to help her find out who is killing these innocent women and kidnapping their babies.  And, both Marlee and Cooper give in to their mutual attraction as well!  Can the group find the killers and take them out once and for all?  Or will they be taken out first?

I really liked this series initially.  However, these last two installments have been quite boring.  I had hoped the previous book, A Cowboy Like You, was just a fluke.  Unfortunately, I don’t feel this installment was any better.  Which makes me especially sad since I’ve always liked Cooper.

I had a very hard time believing all the characters we’ve grown to love can look past the fact that Marlee was initially trying to take Brice and Naomi’s baby away days after they adopted him.  Everybody was just okay with her accusing them of taking a stolen baby instead of going through the proper channels.  And, yes I understand that they wanted to get this evil out of their town.  I just can’t imagine anyone being that forgiving.

I found the relationship between Cooper and Marlee developed too fast, that insta-love so many romance readers despise.  And, in some instances I don’t mind some insta-love, but I wasn’t feeling it in this book.  They just met, and Marlee had used Cooper initially for her own means, and both are already thinking of changing their whole lives for the other?  This romance and the entire book just seemed too unrealistic for me to truly enjoy it.

The next book is supposed to about Jace, who is also one of my favorites.  A former prisoner of war with tons of baggage, his book could be amazing and I truly hope it is!  It has to make up for these last two … please!?!