Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Texas on My Mind (Spring Hill #1) by Delores Fossen

Contemporary Western Romance
Texas on My Mind (Spring Hill, #1)
From Goodreads:

The McCord Brothers are the most eligible bachelors in Spring 
Hill, Texas. But these cowboys are about to get wrangled by the love of some very special women—the kind who can melt hearts and lay it all on the line.

Air force Captain Riley McCord has come home on medical leave to find one heck of a welcome reception. Every unattached woman in Spring Hill, Texas, wants to nurse him back to health. That includes his childhood friend Claire Davidson—the only person who understands how damaged he really feels. In high school, she chose his best friend over him. According to Riley's rules, that should make her off-limits forever. But when Claire suggests a no-strings fling, he can't refuse.

Claire always wanted Riley—but she also craved the safety and stability he couldn't offer. So she chose another path, only to end up crazier about him than ever. She's even convinced herself that this time she won't be devastated when he leaves. Yet once Riley realizes the depth of Claire's feelings—and his own—he'll have to make the ultimate choice: return to the job he loves or stay home for the woman who's always lived in his heart.

The start of the Spring Hill series contains some familiar tropes but they are familiar because they work well in romance stories.  They start with three brothers whose parents were killed before they were all adults.  The oldest came home and ran the business.  The other two left after they were grown. Riley McCord, the hero in this book, is home recovering after being wounded.  He is one of the two who left and this is his story.

One of the unusual twists to the story are the man rules.  Rule one is do not take someone who belongs to another.  Claire is the someone and Daniel is the one everyone except Clair thinks belongs to him.  Daniel expects Riley to keep hands off of Claire.  This is a great set up to the story.  Riley and Claire have been attracted to each other for years but because of the rules nothing has every happened.  Add in Claire’s cute son, Ethan, who looks just like Riley and you have another twist.  Everyone thinks he is Riley’s but he is not.  Oh and of course there is the fact that Riley does not plan to stay.

The plot thickens from there.  I enjoyed meeting all three of the McCord’s.  While Riley is the main male character both Lucky and Logan make appearances in Texas on My Mind.  Both are interesting and will make great main characters in the next two books in the series.  I also loved Riley's take on potty training a 2 year old.  Very unique.

Fossen is an accomplished writer and Texas on My Mind highlights that fact.  The story is fun, tension filled, full of romance and has a great plot.  Everything flows together making this a fun western romance.  Like most Harlequin books it tells a complete story in a easy to read length.

A great start to a new series.  Pick it up for a fun romantic read.

Harlequin published Texas on My Mind by Delores Fossen in 2016.


I received an ARC of Texas on My Mind from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

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