Trouble In Texas By Katie lane

Title: Trouble In Texas

Series: Deer in the Heart of Texas bk 4

Author: Katie Lane

Genre: Contemporary western

Inheriting the most notorious house of ill repute in Texas can spell trouble for a girl’s reputation . . . especially when she’s Elizabeth Murphy, Bramble’s prim and proper librarian. Yet when she discovers a buck-naked cowboy handcuffed to a four-poster bed, she forgets all about the town gossips.  Elizabeth has sworn off men, but the stranger’s kisses melt her resolve faster than ice cream on a hot summer day. 

Waking up in Miss Hattie’s Henhouse isn’t how Brant Cates reckoned on getting to the bottom of his great-granddaddy’s murder. The plan was to solve the centuries-old crime, then get the heck out of Dodge. But after meeting Elizabeth and discovering that the buttoned-up beauty is a sexy siren in disguise, he just can’t pull himself away. Now Brant needs Elizabeth to finally put his past to rest, but is she willing to risk her future on Bramble’s newest bad boy?

Elizabeth Murphy, an uptight librarian, is known as the old maid of Bramble, Texas. She is also the secret and reluctant owner of the rundown Miss Hattie’s Henhouse—the most famous whorehouse in the state. Closed off and repressed, Elizabeth spends her days hiding behind shelves of books and frumpy clothes. And even though she is only thirty seven, she is more than happy with her loveless and boring life. Her mother had convinced her that men are a waste of time.

Until she gets a call from one of the old hens, the nickname for the ladies who once worked for said house of ill repute and is still living at Miss Hattie’s. Told it’s an emergency, Elizabeth rushes out to Miss Hattie’s. Where she finds the hens have chained a naked and wounded man to Miss Hattie’s bed.

The man happens to be Branston Cates. Branston who is Obsessed with the Cates Curse and solving his great-granddaddy’s murder so he can free the family of the curse, Brant showed up at Miss Hattie’s hoping to find answers. What he finds instead are three little old ladies, one of whom is holding a loaded gun. After an unfortunate coughing fit, Brant finds himself shot, drugged, and then handcuffed to a bed.

Brantson Cates is a man who has known loss and heartache and loves his family greatly. But he can also be cold and calculating even Ruthless. And after an unexpected encounter with Elizabeth, while he was cuffed and not in his right mind, the librarian finds herself on his bad side, Which, I must say, is not an entirely bad side to be on.

Elizabeth and Brant were such a hoot. I love the way that Elizabeth sweeps into Brant’s life and riles him up. It’s funny and heartwarming watching these two bicker like an old married couple. And, yeah, I also love that it led to some seriously hot and sexy times.

Henhouse Rule #27: An angry cock is better than a passive one.

And we can’t forget the old hens themselves—Minnie, Baby, and Sunshine. The old gals might have scared me out at first, but they wear on you and have you laughing right along with their outrageous antics. Who wouldn’t adore three crazy old ladies who spend their days in lingerie and have a penchant for chain-smoking and match-making? They warmed my heart something fierce.

This is not my first visit to Bramble, Texas and I guarantee, it won’t be my last!

Favorite Quote:

Which didn’t explain why Brant remained outside with Elizabeth, even when he started to suffer from heatstroke. Or maybe heatstroke was only the excuse he used for what happened next. With one eye pinned on Elizabeth, he stripped off his shirt, something he rarely did, and proceeded to perform feats of strength. He moved large rocks for no good reason, grunting as if he were leg-pressing a good five hundred pounds. He welded hedge clippers like Edward Scissorhands. And hoed like a lumberjack bent on clearing the Sierras.

It was heatstroke. It had to be. There was no other way to explain a thirty-eight-year-old man flexing and posing for a woman like some goddamned body builder in a competition.

And the worst part about it was she didn’t even pay him the slightest bit of attention.

Grade A+