Book Review: Texas Blue

Texas Blue
By Jodi Thomas
Berkley Books, 2011
English, 336 pgs


Description:
Gambling man Lewton Paterson wants to marry into a respectable family. After fleecing a train ticket, Lewt makes his way to Whispering Mountain. But seducing a well-bred woman is hard, and Lewt realizes that to entice a McMurray sister, he'll need to learn a thing or two about ranching-and love.

Review:
Over the past year I've really become a fan of Ms. Thomas' work. This is not something I would  have picked up off the shelf to purchase and read this time last year. However, after reading and thoroughly enjoying a couple of her books prior to this one, I'm glad I was asked to read and review this one.

The story is really engaging and the ending did leave me with questions I want answered. I really, really hope I can guess what the next Whispering Mountain book will be about. I'm dying to know what happens with the other sisters and Duck. I'm also curious about other books which relate to the Whispering Mountian series. I've got some reading to do I think...

Anyway, the story is based on a working horse ranch and that was really cool for me since we had horses when I was growing up. Granted, I didn't do the work with them but I still loved my Charlie Horse (yeah, I know...strange name. I also had a cow named Matilda.). The only thing I wanted more of was tension between the suitors for the girls. It would have been pretty cool to have them fight over one of them or something, but it really wouldn't have worked in the story I guess.

I think I've discovered a new genre of book that I'm going to be obsessed with for a while. I read it in two days and it wasn't that I couldn't put it down. It was more that I didn't want to put it down.

Jodi was kind enough to send me some information about the book:

From the first page I had a great time with TEXAS BLUE.  It opens with two friends parting ways one stormy night in Austin.  Duncan McMurray, a Texas Ranger, is off to fight at the border and Lewt, a gambler, plans to find a wife while his friend is away.  Lewt knows if his friend finds out he plans to court one of his cousins Duncan, or Duck as the girls call him, would be furious.  Lewt is a wonderful friend, but a gambler would never be husband material.  Only, Lewt is willing to do whatever it takes, including learn about ranching and proper manners, to find a wife.

 

What he finds is Emily McMurray who can run a huge ranch, but is shy around men.  Lewt has to learn that in the end it’s what she wants and needs that will make her happy…and what the lady wants is him.  Only his skills can save Duncan and he hopes to win her heart.

 

TEXAS BLUE is filled with adventure and laughter.  The proper young ladies are not what Lewt expected.  The raid at the border is based on a raid that happened in 1875 that the Texas Rangers still talk of, though today the line between fact and legend blurs.  When I mixed the two stories running at once, they made a great mix.

 

I know my readers are going to love this story as much as I loved writing it.  For those of you who would like more about what was happening at the ranch before Lewt arrives, check my website  www.jodithomas.com and read two chapters that had to be cut from early in the book.  Remember, they haven’t been edited so jump over the misspellings.

There is a video trailer available HERE if you'd like to watch it. 

I received an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. No additional compensation has been received and I was not required to write a positive review.