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Texas Cattleman's Club: The Showdown #5
Temptation
Millionaire security expert and rancher Zeke Travers always separates emotion from work until a case leads him to Sheila Hopkins�and the immediate, scorching heat between them. Suddenly, Zeke is tempted to break the rules. And it's only a matter of time before he gives in….
186 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
66 people are currently reading
503 people want to read
About the author
Brenda Jackson
899 books3,604 followersIn 1994, Brenda Jackson’s first novel, Tonight and Forever, was released. Since then she has had more than 100 novels and novellas published (the first African-American author to accomplish such a feat) and has over 3 million books in print.
A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Brenda is the first African-American author to have a book published by Harlequin Desire and the first African-American romance author to make the New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller lists within the series romance genre.
In 2012, Brenda received the Romance Writers of America’s Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award—one of the highest literary awards a romance author can receive. In 2013, she was recognized by the mayor and the city of Jacksonville as being a Trailblazer in the literary field.
In 2010, she collaborated with Five Alive Films to turn her Truly Everlasting title into a feature film. Brenda’s 2011 novel A Silken Thread is scheduled to be filmed with Debbie Allen attached as director in 2015.
Email Brenda at authorbrendajackson@gmail.com or visit her on her website at brendajackson.net.
A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Brenda is the first African-American author to have a book published by Harlequin Desire and the first African-American romance author to make the New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller lists within the series romance genre.
In 2012, Brenda received the Romance Writers of America’s Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award—one of the highest literary awards a romance author can receive. In 2013, she was recognized by the mayor and the city of Jacksonville as being a Trailblazer in the literary field.
In 2010, she collaborated with Five Alive Films to turn her Truly Everlasting title into a feature film. Brenda’s 2011 novel A Silken Thread is scheduled to be filmed with Debbie Allen attached as director in 2015.
Email Brenda at authorbrendajackson@gmail.com or visit her on her website at brendajackson.net.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
November 25, 2011
I actually liked this book and was glad that Zeke and Shelia conducted themselves as a "grown" man and woman....at one point Shelia did act a little childish but was glad she saw she was wrong and didn't waste much time in letting Zeke know she was wrong......although this was a short story it was a pretty good read that had you guessing about little Sunnie.....Make me wanna read the last book in the series.......
January 8, 2018
This read is ok......I really like Zeke
June 8, 2012
Sheila is a single nurse who has been given numerous awards for her altruistic deeds. Her older sister has a different mother, her mother is always jumping from man to man, and Sheila has determined that she is supposed to spend her life forever alone. Oh, she also nibbles her lower lip so frequently I'm surprised the front of her isn't covered with blood and her nipples are threatening to poke through the front of her shirt. Let's just get you another shirt there, dearie. Possibly a red sweater.
Zeke is a private investigator, who also just recently moved to Royal. His current case is one of blackmail on his uber-rich best friend. He's got smoldering good looks, he's also single and his mother abandoned him when he was a child. I'm really not sure what else to say about his personality. Obsessive? Did I mention that he and Sheila were soulmates?
So, here's the deal. And if you don't follow along, don't worry, because it doesn't actually make a lot of sense. Brad Price, Zeke's rich best friend, is being blackmailed with a baby that somebody claims is his. A baby they then decided to leave on the doorstep of the club he is running for Presidency for. For one thing, why would they hand the baby over? If a criminal mastermind was trying to get money from some rich bloke and they claimed to have his child, you think they would hold the child for ransom and just not hand it over. Especially since Brad is such a good guy that he wants this child to be taken care of, no matter who it belongs to. Sheila is at the hospital when the baby is delivered, and since the baby only stops crying when she's around, naturally the baby comes home with her until the whole situation is resolved. Because she's an award winning nurse, and the baby trusts her, so clearly sending the baby home with her is the logical thing to do. At any rate, once the baby is home with her, Zeke decides to keep visiting her, to check on the baby and not because he's attracted to the nurse. Right. Oh, and the blackmail plot, was orchestrated by some drug dealer in another state. Apparently the drug business was slow this time of year.
There's not really much else to say about the plot. The rest of it comprises of Zeke and Sheila having wild hot missionary sex... whenever Sheila is not agonizing once again that he's going to leave her. Honestly, everything the woman hears, she assumes the worst. And she ends up looking like an ass as a result. And when that's not going on, we're being reminded for the 50th time that Lois has a different mother from her, or that Zeke was raised by his Aunt because his mother abandoned him. Readers are not stupid. Really. We did not forget that information from the last time you told us five pages ago. I promise. Although before writing this review, I nearly forgot his name, because that was how much of an impression that the characters left on me.
Isn't there some sort of rule about the hero and heroine not having the same hang-ups about forming a relationship because it gets boring? Or because two people with abandonment issues very likely aren't going to get over them together? He seemed to get over hers awfully quick, even though every time he left, he was breaking up with her, but every time she broke up with him, he decided to persevere, despite his issues.
Oh, and everywhere Sheila's going, she goes there like there's a fire somewhere. Or maybe she's just embarrassed because she nibbled on her lip so much that it actually started bleeding.
Because it is a romance novel, I would like to evaluate the sex scenes. Boring.. Seriously, that is the only way I can think of to describe them. First of all, the set-up is painfully obvious for the first time. The power's out, the baby's asleep, there's candles everywhere and the fire is roaring. The only thing that was missing was the bear skin rug, and I missed it very much. Instead they had to do it on the couch, which totally ruined the earlier atmosphere. I thought we had moved beyond the point in our society where a woman's job during sex was just to lie there and take whatever her lover was giving her, whether it was good or bad. But Zeke dominates the sex scenes. Literally. He might as well be working a blow up doll for as much presence as she has during the scenes. The only time she did anything was during the very last scene, where she was on top. Then again, that was only because he put her there and told her to do it. Yup, even the one time she was in control of the sex scene, it was only because he put her there. Sheila has the sexual personality of a wet rag.
My recommendation is to give this one a pass.
Zeke is a private investigator, who also just recently moved to Royal. His current case is one of blackmail on his uber-rich best friend. He's got smoldering good looks, he's also single and his mother abandoned him when he was a child. I'm really not sure what else to say about his personality. Obsessive? Did I mention that he and Sheila were soulmates?
So, here's the deal. And if you don't follow along, don't worry, because it doesn't actually make a lot of sense. Brad Price, Zeke's rich best friend, is being blackmailed with a baby that somebody claims is his. A baby they then decided to leave on the doorstep of the club he is running for Presidency for. For one thing, why would they hand the baby over? If a criminal mastermind was trying to get money from some rich bloke and they claimed to have his child, you think they would hold the child for ransom and just not hand it over. Especially since Brad is such a good guy that he wants this child to be taken care of, no matter who it belongs to. Sheila is at the hospital when the baby is delivered, and since the baby only stops crying when she's around, naturally the baby comes home with her until the whole situation is resolved. Because she's an award winning nurse, and the baby trusts her, so clearly sending the baby home with her is the logical thing to do. At any rate, once the baby is home with her, Zeke decides to keep visiting her, to check on the baby and not because he's attracted to the nurse. Right. Oh, and the blackmail plot, was orchestrated by some drug dealer in another state. Apparently the drug business was slow this time of year.
There's not really much else to say about the plot. The rest of it comprises of Zeke and Sheila having wild hot missionary sex... whenever Sheila is not agonizing once again that he's going to leave her. Honestly, everything the woman hears, she assumes the worst. And she ends up looking like an ass as a result. And when that's not going on, we're being reminded for the 50th time that Lois has a different mother from her, or that Zeke was raised by his Aunt because his mother abandoned him. Readers are not stupid. Really. We did not forget that information from the last time you told us five pages ago. I promise. Although before writing this review, I nearly forgot his name, because that was how much of an impression that the characters left on me.
Isn't there some sort of rule about the hero and heroine not having the same hang-ups about forming a relationship because it gets boring? Or because two people with abandonment issues very likely aren't going to get over them together? He seemed to get over hers awfully quick, even though every time he left, he was breaking up with her, but every time she broke up with him, he decided to persevere, despite his issues.
Oh, and everywhere Sheila's going, she goes there like there's a fire somewhere. Or maybe she's just embarrassed because she nibbled on her lip so much that it actually started bleeding.
Because it is a romance novel, I would like to evaluate the sex scenes. Boring.. Seriously, that is the only way I can think of to describe them. First of all, the set-up is painfully obvious for the first time. The power's out, the baby's asleep, there's candles everywhere and the fire is roaring. The only thing that was missing was the bear skin rug, and I missed it very much. Instead they had to do it on the couch, which totally ruined the earlier atmosphere. I thought we had moved beyond the point in our society where a woman's job during sex was just to lie there and take whatever her lover was giving her, whether it was good or bad. But Zeke dominates the sex scenes. Literally. He might as well be working a blow up doll for as much presence as she has during the scenes. The only time she did anything was during the very last scene, where she was on top. Then again, that was only because he put her there and told her to do it. Yup, even the one time she was in control of the sex scene, it was only because he put her there. Sheila has the sexual personality of a wet rag.
My recommendation is to give this one a pass.
March 11, 2012
NOTE: This was the Free Friday book on the B&N website, hence me seeing it to begin with. Okay, we may proceed. :)
******
Dear God in heaven, this was a terrible book. Period. When I saw that it had an average of 4 stars with 110 ratings on the B&N website, I thought, "Well gosh, I don't read many romance novels, and I'm not sure I've ever read a Harlequin novel, but it is free and so I should try it and see if I like it."
Case solved: I didn't like it at all. At one point, the main character actually had "quivering thighs." Gag! C'mon people, could you get any more "purple prose" than that? And the plotline...it made NO SENSE.
SPOILER ALERT: If you have not read the story and do not wish to see its plotline ruined (bwahahaha - too late!) then don't read the rest of this review. :)
But there is some conspiracy to get Brad's brother, Michael, drunk and high on drugs so he wouldn't notice that he was having sex with this skank, a skank who was being paid to seduce him. Then the drug dealer (who was orchestrating the whole thing) could blackmail Michael with this baby.
This plotline is more riddled with holes than Swiss cheese.
First off, drug dealers have enough on their plate in terms of protecting their territory and making sure their drugs come in regularly - they are not into blackmailing high society.
Second, the book never makes it clear why, after the skank got prego with Michael's baby, that the drug dealer suddenly decides to off Michael, but that's just what they do, and they make it look like an accident. In so many ways, this is a retarded plan - what would have happened if the skank lost the baby for whatever reason? Then they would have nothing for all of their efforts. It's not like the skank was going in for regular medical check-ups, I'm sure.
But for whatever reason, the drug dealer decided that Michael has to die, and so they kill him. Then the skank has the baby, hangs onto it for five months (again, why? Why not just put their evil plan in place as soon as the baby was born?) and then the skank drops the baby off at the the Cattleman's Club with a note that the baby is Brad's. Of course, Brad says it isn't, but the paternity test proves that the baby is somehow related to Brad.
The drug dealer is trying to blackmail Brad with this baby, but never does he put any sort of plan into place to actually receive money for this blackmail - he simply leaves notes about how he is GOING to blackmail Brad. The whole thing is just dumb, dumb, dumb. The drug dealer has to be THE WORST criminal on the face of the planet.
Oh, and at one point, they're looking at the security footage of the drop off of the baby and all they can see is the hand of the person who did it. They say something about how the person doing it must have had insider knowledge of the security cameras of the club. Later, when it is revealed who did it, nothing is ever explained about how on earth this skank and this drug dealer knew anything about the security cameras of the club.
I feel less intelligent for having read this book, as if it somehow sucked brain cells out of my head. I cannot more strongly recommend that all copies of this book be set on fire, and for the world to never speak of it again.
But that's just my ever so humble opinion.
******
Dear God in heaven, this was a terrible book. Period. When I saw that it had an average of 4 stars with 110 ratings on the B&N website, I thought, "Well gosh, I don't read many romance novels, and I'm not sure I've ever read a Harlequin novel, but it is free and so I should try it and see if I like it."
Case solved: I didn't like it at all. At one point, the main character actually had "quivering thighs." Gag! C'mon people, could you get any more "purple prose" than that? And the plotline...it made NO SENSE.
SPOILER ALERT: If you have not read the story and do not wish to see its plotline ruined (bwahahaha - too late!) then don't read the rest of this review. :)
But there is some conspiracy to get Brad's brother, Michael, drunk and high on drugs so he wouldn't notice that he was having sex with this skank, a skank who was being paid to seduce him. Then the drug dealer (who was orchestrating the whole thing) could blackmail Michael with this baby.
This plotline is more riddled with holes than Swiss cheese.
First off, drug dealers have enough on their plate in terms of protecting their territory and making sure their drugs come in regularly - they are not into blackmailing high society.
Second, the book never makes it clear why, after the skank got prego with Michael's baby, that the drug dealer suddenly decides to off Michael, but that's just what they do, and they make it look like an accident. In so many ways, this is a retarded plan - what would have happened if the skank lost the baby for whatever reason? Then they would have nothing for all of their efforts. It's not like the skank was going in for regular medical check-ups, I'm sure.
But for whatever reason, the drug dealer decided that Michael has to die, and so they kill him. Then the skank has the baby, hangs onto it for five months (again, why? Why not just put their evil plan in place as soon as the baby was born?) and then the skank drops the baby off at the the Cattleman's Club with a note that the baby is Brad's. Of course, Brad says it isn't, but the paternity test proves that the baby is somehow related to Brad.
The drug dealer is trying to blackmail Brad with this baby, but never does he put any sort of plan into place to actually receive money for this blackmail - he simply leaves notes about how he is GOING to blackmail Brad. The whole thing is just dumb, dumb, dumb. The drug dealer has to be THE WORST criminal on the face of the planet.
Oh, and at one point, they're looking at the security footage of the drop off of the baby and all they can see is the hand of the person who did it. They say something about how the person doing it must have had insider knowledge of the security cameras of the club. Later, when it is revealed who did it, nothing is ever explained about how on earth this skank and this drug dealer knew anything about the security cameras of the club.
I feel less intelligent for having read this book, as if it somehow sucked brain cells out of my head. I cannot more strongly recommend that all copies of this book be set on fire, and for the world to never speak of it again.
But that's just my ever so humble opinion.
December 10, 2012
I absolutely loved the characters and the flow of the story. It didn't lag at all and the male character had me wishing I could run into someone like him when I was dating. Here was a man determined to get what he wanted, unlike other stories where writers make their males bitter and unwilling to commit, make the woman chase him, right or wrong or just drive her crazy because he's indecisive. Here the female had the most emotional baggage but unlike Zeke's scars, hers were the ones he chose to address while he worked to overcome his own issues alone. He was so into her, understanding and empathetic as well as intuitive to the point I could see how he'd fall for her in less than two weeks. What bothered me was Sheila is Afro-American living in a small town and yet the issue of her being with a white man never gave anyone pause for thought. She never thought of it being odd that out of all his choices, Zeke picked her. His explanation of wanting to protect his heart was plausible but the two of them had more than that to deal with once they determined they loved each other. It also seemed weird Sheila never asked about whether any old flames were around and the fact that there seemed to be "none". Small towns can be cruel when it comes to gossiping yet the only talk going round was whether Zeke's friend Brad had fathered a child because he was from a wealthy family. That aside, as well as the few words that were missing in sentences here and there, I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance stories.
September 12, 2016
I absolutely loved the character Zeke. I enjoyed the fact that this took didn't lag and the storyline wasn't complication between him and Sheila. Zeke's explanation of wanting to protect his heart seemed plausible but the two of them had more than that to deal with once they determined they loved each other. Sheila had more hang-ups than Zeke and he chose to deal with hers instead of his own. It seemed wierd Sheila never asked about whether any old flames of Zeke's were around town and that there simply were "none" mentioned. Small towns can be cruel when it comes to gossiping yet the only talk going around was whether Zeke's friend Brad had fathered a child out of wedlock because he hailed from a wealthy family. That aside, as well as the few words that were missing in sentences here and there, I thought this was one of the better romance stories dealing with interracial couples.
April 11, 2012
This book was a real page turner and I could not put it down. I really like the way the author moved from chapter to chapter, a little different than other books I have read. The characters were really fasinating. The way it was smoothly written made you feel drawn into the situation. The romance in the book was done very tastefully and easy to read. I did not feel that the author went overboard on this. These are everyday feelings and emotions that we go through, to have left it out would have ruined the book. I loved the ending. Plus it was nice that the author gave you the finish and not left you hanging wondering where it went from the end. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes action, romance, a little comedy and detective work...(keep the tissues close though)then this is your book.
December 3, 2011
I thought this was a sweet read, and it was nice to read some new subject matter from Brenda Jackson. Sheila was a wonderfully written character. She is the type of woman any child would have loved to call her mother. She and Zeke had great chemistry from the first "meeting" at a stop light, and fate sort of brought them together. There was a bit of mystery in this book which was great and I couldn't figure out exactly what the outcome would be which is certainly another plus. Often times when I can figure out the ending way before the end of the book I am bored while reading and this wasn't the case here. While I enjoyed the book there was still a little something missing which is why I'm not rating it higher.
December 15, 2019
When a baby is placed on the steps of the Texas Cattleman's Club, Zeke Travers is called in to investigate. One of the other members has had blackmailing notes sent saying that he is the baby's father but the man hasn't had sex in over a year.
Sheila Connors is on duty at the hospital when the baby comes in. She is the only one who can hold the baby without her crying so she offers to foster her for the time being. Having seen and noticed, her earlier in the day, Zeke is ready to stay by her side and help take care of the baby.
Both Shiela and Zeke have been burned in the past so it's hard to get past that but they end up in love.
Not a lot of character development and I wasn't sure about the HEA lasting but a quick and fun read.
Sheila Connors is on duty at the hospital when the baby comes in. She is the only one who can hold the baby without her crying so she offers to foster her for the time being. Having seen and noticed, her earlier in the day, Zeke is ready to stay by her side and help take care of the baby.
Both Shiela and Zeke have been burned in the past so it's hard to get past that but they end up in love.
Not a lot of character development and I wasn't sure about the HEA lasting but a quick and fun read.
October 30, 2011
Good book. I liked Zeke and his loyalty to his friend. He planned to do his best to find out who was blackmailing Brad, and who left the baby at the club. Sheila was terrific with the baby, and very intent on taking the best possible care of her. Both Zeke and Sheila had issues with people leaving them in their pasts, and they wanted to be very careful that they wouldn't get hurt again. I enjoyed their interactions, and seeing how good Zeke was with the baby was pretty impressive. I'm looking forward to the conclusion of the series.
April 13, 2012
A romance novel, again a genre I don't usually read. A cute story with some twists and turns. More romance than story (the back story sounds like something I would love to read - suspence thriller). Again too many rich people involved - why can't two poor people ever have a romance in these things or is it easier to explain how they are spending every last minute together if work isn't a big part of their lives????
Dislaimer - free Fridays ebook from B&N
Dislaimer - free Fridays ebook from B&N
March 24, 2012
Really not into Harlequin/romance but my brain needed a no brainer and this was a good, easy quick read that didnt get too sexually explicit like some of these type books can. Nice story line but like all of these, it was very predictable.
November 30, 2011
Another good turn from Brenda Jackson.
November 7, 2011
This was an okay read for me. It was drawn out and it lulled in some places. Midway in, I just wanted to finish. There was an interesting twist at the end that pushed me along. Not her best.
March 25, 2012
Typical Brenda. Hopefully the storyline will grow again. I like the connecting stories
March 10, 2012
Sweet, easy read.
March 18, 2012
Freebie from nook, it was a quick fun read.
March 20, 2012
Free Friday book @ B&N not bad but not really my cup of tea. Not a big ffan of the 2 leads, sheila and Zeke. Just wasn't the book for me
March 20, 2012
this was a freebie so i just wanted to finish reading it, the title speaks itself.
March 25, 2012
Cute book. Fast read and light hearted. I got it off of Barnes and Noble Free Friday. I will probably read more by her.
March 30, 2012
So far, so good...as far as harlequin romances go. It was a Free Book Friday book on the Nook. Good read that only takes 1 brain cell to process; i.e., perfect for vacation.
June 12, 2012
Held my attention from start to finish, read the entire book in one day only 135 pages. I would recommend this book if you are looking for a quick read!
January 30, 2014
for a free download it wasn't bad - sweet story but predictable
September 15, 2014
Great book!!
this was a great book. good plot with some not overly obvious twists. plenty of sizzle and romance.
a good read!!!!
this was a great book. good plot with some not overly obvious twists. plenty of sizzle and romance.
a good read!!!!
August 24, 2024
Zeke and Sheila had a wonderful story. Their was an instant attraction between the two of them. He was working a case involving his best friend. She was a nurse at the local hospital and ended up getting quickly attached to an abandoned baby. His case and that baby were one in the same so he had the perfect excuse to hang around her. It doesn't take long for things to heat up between them. I enjoyed their chemistry. Both had a long list of reasons why they didn't want to get involved in a relationship but that didn't stop their feelings for each other from growing.
This story was so good. I enjoyed the love story. The baby was adorable.
This story was so good. I enjoyed the love story. The baby was adorable.
May 22, 2017
I thought this book had a good storyline and I loved how Zeke won Sheila over! I also liked how the abandonment issue was an issue for all the main characters, including little Sunnie. It made the relationship and trust aspect an important item to deal with and conquer for these lovers. Great story!
October 21, 2023
Una buena historia de amor y detectivesca
Una mezcla de suspenso, amores, secretos y desconfianza. Muy buena la trama. La recomiendo como buen entretenimiento. Toda la serie está increíble.
Una mezcla de suspenso, amores, secretos y desconfianza. Muy buena la trama. La recomiendo como buen entretenimiento. Toda la serie está increíble.
December 7, 2024
Reread....
With this being my second
time with this selection still enjoyed it. Especially with the new feature in my Kindle app. Now l will have documentation so that l can add it to my reading journal...
With this being my second
time with this selection still enjoyed it. Especially with the new feature in my Kindle app. Now l will have documentation so that l can add it to my reading journal...
August 23, 2018
Loving the books
I have this a 5 star. This is my first book of this series I've read and can't wait to read more of them. Thank you.
I have this a 5 star. This is my first book of this series I've read and can't wait to read more of them. Thank you.
May 17, 2022
Fast paced, realistic an a tempting day for sunnie delights.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews