"The Texan's Favor" by D.K. Deters


 

DESCRIPTION AS ON AMAZON:

Ambushed, Texas Ranger Jake Fontaine's a dead man until a Kansas spinster raises her shotgun in his defense. Despite the rogue lawman's obsession to bring in his brother's killer, duty demands he escort her to the next town.

Kat Collins is a thief, though an honorable one. She's on the run from controlling kin and aims to escape her past. Traveling with Jake offers the perfect cover—until her uncle finds them sharing a campfire and imposes his own kind of justice—a wedding.

Marriage will cost Jake his freedom, but refusing may cost him his life. Kat figures he's bound to recognize her on a wanted poster. Would sharing passionate nights in his arms be worth the peril?






The description of this book snagged my attention. I liked Kat's spunk in saving a Texas Ranger's life. Her grit and determination in escaping her nefarious family ultimately led to the rift between her and Jake. Throw in another woman with her cap set on Jake, some nasty criminals who want the ranch, and a good-intentioned relative and it's an interesting story. Jake and Kat had too many emotional swings from cold to hot to cold, and the story could have been shortened up, in my opinion. 

I never purchase a book based on a single review, so go ahead and check out other opinions before you make up your mind about this one. 🤔🙂



"The House Guest" by Mark Edwards

 


DESCRIPTION AS ON AMAZON:

When British twenty-somethings Ruth and Adam are offered the chance to spend the summer housesitting in New York, they can’t say no. Young, in love and on the cusp of professional success, they feel as if luck is finally on their side.

So the moment that Eden turns up on the doorstep, drenched from a summer storm, it seems only right to share a bit of that good fortune. Beautiful and charismatic, Eden claims to be a friend of the homeowners, who told her she could stay whenever she was in New York.

They know you’re not supposed to talk to strangers—let alone invite them into your home—but after all, Eden’s only a stranger until they get to know her.

As suspicions creep in that Eden may not be who she claims to be, they begin to wonder if they’ve made a terrible mistake…



This novel begins and the premise hooks me. Genuinely creepy, don't let a stranger inside... but she stands in the rain with nowhere to go and knows details about the homeowners. A harmless, damsel in distress, right? As the story progressed, I didn't like Adam much. That could be okay if it leads to something bigger, and more important. But, he kind of lurked between being jealous of his girlfriend's success while he failed and displaying pride in her achievements. Eden's weird obsession with Ruth should have been clear while she watched Ruth's film. To me, it seemed Adam intruded on Eden while watching her lover's role in a movie, disturbing. Things spun out of control for me. The bearded man searching for his daughter's abductors real story turned too much for me and continued into a crazy ending. I recommend the author, but it's not my favorite Mark Edwards book. 

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