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Men of the West #24
His Texas Baby
West Texas horse trainer Kitty Cartwright didn't expect a romantic proposal…especially from the New Mexico rancher who was her business rival. She didn't expect a proposal at all! But Kitty was having Liam Donovan's baby. And now the daddy-to-be was insisting they make it legal.No child of Liam's was going to be born without him around. The surprise was how quickly Kitty said "I do"—for the sake of the baby, of course. But with passion reigniting, this marriage of convenience was starting to feel an awful lot like the real thing. Was Liam ready to risk his heart? Because Kitty wasn't settling for anything less.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
26 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Stella Bagwell
448 books88 followersAt seventeen, Stella married her high school sweetheart: Harrell, and they had a son Jason. She began her writing career almost by accident. She was a hairdresser and worked in her sister's beauty shop. Ironically, Stella developed a severe allergy to hairspray and was forced to resign. With time on her hands, Stella wanted to do something creative. She remembered a high school English teacher telling her she could be a writer if she wanted. Although she always loved reading romances, she never thought to write one herself. Armed with that now notion and an old, manual typewriter, she went to work, attempting to create a story similar to those she liked reading. The result‚ her first book, purchased by Mills & Boon and issued under the Harlequin imprint. After that, she became a full time writer and today, has close to forty published novels. Her for the future is to continue writing romance novels as long as there's an audience to enjoy her work.
Next to writing, traveling is one of her most favorite activities. Yet, because the southwest is dear to her heart, she sets most of her books there in rough, rugged ranch country. She feels it's essential to know a place before writing about it; that philosophy gives her more reason to plan trips! The marriage has always lived in southeastern Oklahoma. But, they purchased a portion of a twenty-two hundred, acre ranch; they now make their home there. Before moving onto the ranch, she had a swimming pool in her back yard and spent most of her summer evenings in the water. Her husband has promised to put in another pool, but for now she has to make do with the creek that runs through their property. The closest town of three thousand is fifteen miles away; she says she loves the seclusion, living among the woods and horses and wildlife. The only thing she doesn't like is making the thirty mile round trip to the post office or grocery store. Worse still, is the eighty-five mile trip to get office supplies!
One of her greatest joys was to see Jason, her only son, graduate from college with degrees in math and physical education. He now lives in Port Lavaca, Texas, where he teaches high school algebra and geometry and coaches football and weightlifting. Family has always come first with Stella and she enjoys spending time with her son when he visits Oklahoma. Sometimes, she and her husband drive down to the Texas coast to see him. However, her mother, step-father and siblings all live nearby and they have routine get-togethers. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing violin and guitar, both of which she can play by ear. She claims to need years of practice before calling herself a musician. Stella also enjoys gardening and being outdoors.
Next to writing, traveling is one of her most favorite activities. Yet, because the southwest is dear to her heart, she sets most of her books there in rough, rugged ranch country. She feels it's essential to know a place before writing about it; that philosophy gives her more reason to plan trips! The marriage has always lived in southeastern Oklahoma. But, they purchased a portion of a twenty-two hundred, acre ranch; they now make their home there. Before moving onto the ranch, she had a swimming pool in her back yard and spent most of her summer evenings in the water. Her husband has promised to put in another pool, but for now she has to make do with the creek that runs through their property. The closest town of three thousand is fifteen miles away; she says she loves the seclusion, living among the woods and horses and wildlife. The only thing she doesn't like is making the thirty mile round trip to the post office or grocery store. Worse still, is the eighty-five mile trip to get office supplies!
One of her greatest joys was to see Jason, her only son, graduate from college with degrees in math and physical education. He now lives in Port Lavaca, Texas, where he teaches high school algebra and geometry and coaches football and weightlifting. Family has always come first with Stella and she enjoys spending time with her son when he visits Oklahoma. Sometimes, she and her husband drive down to the Texas coast to see him. However, her mother, step-father and siblings all live nearby and they have routine get-togethers. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing violin and guitar, both of which she can play by ear. She claims to need years of practice before calling herself a musician. Stella also enjoys gardening and being outdoors.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Did Not Finish
October 16, 2019FFS, she was a strong heroine. Why couldn’t she just seriously kick him to the curb and ask for a divorce?
This h was nauseatingly optimistic. She needed to divorce the husband, get a restraining order and counseling session for the brother and run away with her assistant!
Hero: “I’ll always love my ex wife, I’ll never offer you my love. I’ll only ever care for you as my baby’s mother. So I’ll use you”
Also hero: “I thought you married me for love, (even thou *I* will never love you) but you married me because you want use me. I thought you loved me!”
Heroine: “umm, you told me you DON’T want my love and you’ll be using me as a baby maker and convenient sex. Do you see the double standards here?”
Hero: “THAT IS NOT THE POINT HERE!”
Yeah, go fuck yourself!
This h was nauseatingly optimistic. She needed to divorce the husband, get a restraining order and counseling session for the brother and run away with her assistant!
Hero: “I’ll always love my ex wife, I’ll never offer you my love. I’ll only ever care for you as my baby’s mother. So I’ll use you”
Also hero: “I thought you married me for love, (even thou *I* will never love you) but you married me because you want use me. I thought you loved me!”
Heroine: “umm, you told me you DON’T want my love and you’ll be using me as a baby maker and convenient sex. Do you see the double standards here?”
Hero: “THAT IS NOT THE POINT HERE!”
Yeah, go fuck yourself!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2019
I'm not having much luck with my Texas heroes, fictional or otherwise. This one may have me eating my words about hating angst and mean heroes. At least those Greek tycoons are interesting even if they make want to commit violence to my Kindle/computer.
She loves him. He thinks he loves his dead wife. Cue an eyebrow raise when the widower uses words like "calm", "easy", and the relationship just flowed from high school to marriage about his wife. Honey, if he's talking about you, you'll be pushing up daisies soon.
I can't say the heroine is much better. Boring. Does she really want to be a horse trainer or is she just trying to prove something to her dead father and live brother? Do I care? No.
They seem to have passion as the author tells me so, but perhaps my alarm that they get up before 5:00 am everyday colored my emotions.
I'm going to write one of the worst things you can say about a book. It was boring. And I do hate saying that, and will add it was a huge case of "It's me not you."
She loves him. He thinks he loves his dead wife. Cue an eyebrow raise when the widower uses words like "calm", "easy", and the relationship just flowed from high school to marriage about his wife. Honey, if he's talking about you, you'll be pushing up daisies soon.
I can't say the heroine is much better. Boring. Does she really want to be a horse trainer or is she just trying to prove something to her dead father and live brother? Do I care? No.
They seem to have passion as the author tells me so, but perhaps my alarm that they get up before 5:00 am everyday colored my emotions.
I'm going to write one of the worst things you can say about a book. It was boring. And I do hate saying that, and will add it was a huge case of "It's me not you."
May 31, 2016
I quite liked this book…finished it in one go, forsaking two others I was already reading at the time. The angst level really ramps up at some points in the story. The angst is more in the tenor of the story rather than any real big events.
An aloof, almost cold H and a younger h who has been in love with him for a long time while he is still in love with his long dead wife. The h/H have a ‘drunken’ one night stand and now the H meets her after few months and finds her obviously pregnant. He offers a moc minus love being an option even in the future and she accepts against her better judgment. All this in the background of horse racing and training, which complimented and distracted from the story at the same time.
I started out liking the H more than the h and ended up not liking him too much. The h was too uptight and offish to begin with, brushing off his overtures probably as a self defense measure. But she opens up and even tells him of her love for him sending him off into a perma freeze. Worse were his almost uncaring ways with his pregnant wife. One instant I particularly disliked was when after a hard day she comes home beat to find him having his dinner and instead of getting her dinner for her, he points out it’s in the fridge. I would have liked him better if he had told her to sit down and gotten her plate for her. He is always berating her for not taking it easy and working too hard during her pregnancy but he rarely does anything to make things better for her.
It seemed he had zero interest in her outside the bedroom, even jumping to the most shameful conclusions without much justification. I would have liked him be a less of a nag and more of a hero to her.Your heart goes out to the h who is strong, patient and enduring in spite of all her lonely physical and emotional hardships.
An aloof, almost cold H and a younger h who has been in love with him for a long time while he is still in love with his long dead wife. The h/H have a ‘drunken’ one night stand and now the H meets her after few months and finds her obviously pregnant. He offers a moc minus love being an option even in the future and she accepts against her better judgment. All this in the background of horse racing and training, which complimented and distracted from the story at the same time.
I started out liking the H more than the h and ended up not liking him too much. The h was too uptight and offish to begin with, brushing off his overtures probably as a self defense measure. But she opens up and even tells him of her love for him sending him off into a perma freeze. Worse were his almost uncaring ways with his pregnant wife. One instant I particularly disliked was when after a hard day she comes home beat to find him having his dinner and instead of getting her dinner for her, he points out it’s in the fridge. I would have liked him better if he had told her to sit down and gotten her plate for her. He is always berating her for not taking it easy and working too hard during her pregnancy but he rarely does anything to make things better for her.
It seemed he had zero interest in her outside the bedroom, even jumping to the most shameful conclusions without much justification. I would have liked him be a less of a nag and more of a hero to her.Your heart goes out to the h who is strong, patient and enduring in spite of all her lonely physical and emotional hardships.
May 18, 2019
***3.5 Stars***
This was a great book but it missed being a five-star due to so much negativity and repetition from our heroine. I won't be reading it again.
Kitty Cartwright is a West Texas horse trainer following in her father's footsteps. Her father was a tough man and he has just unexpectedly passed away. A few months before his passing she had a one-night-stand with handsome horse trainer Liam Donovan who she has been in love with for some years and now she carries his child. I was not always thrilled with her attitude but I liked her nonetheless.
She was a heroine shrouded in sadness throughout the book for several reasons. She lost her dad, she may lose their ranch and prize-winning horses due to a horrible change in the will, and she's going to marry Liam (as he insists) but he tells her there will never be love...just sex. The greatest of these is the unrequited love. It breaks her heart. He is a widower and his pregnant wife was driving while foggy and went off the side of a mountain. He says he buried his heart with his dead wife and child. Wow! What a horrid thing to tell the woman who will deliver his child in three months. It took a lot of convincing for her to agree to marry him but said over and over that it was the best thing for the child. There are times after the marriage that I think Kitty regrets marrying him because of the pain of him being determined not to love her. I felt for her but I don't think she handled things as well as she could.
Liam Donovan was horse training royalty who had suffered a traumatic loss seven years previously and has sworn to protect his shattered heart, never to become involved with the fairer sex...EVER! When Kitty tells him he is about to become a father, he insists they marry, but love is not on the menu. He is marrying her only because of his child.
Liam also had guilt about loving or caring for someone other than his deceased wife and child. How on earth could he do that to them? That got old real quick.
Will he ever be able to let go of the ghosts of his past and risk his heart again?
I definitely recommend this book! As I do frequently, I like to re-read the books that I consider exceptionally good. This was my fourth and final read through. Each time I've read it I liked it a little bit less.
This was a great book but it missed being a five-star due to so much negativity and repetition from our heroine. I won't be reading it again.
Kitty Cartwright is a West Texas horse trainer following in her father's footsteps. Her father was a tough man and he has just unexpectedly passed away. A few months before his passing she had a one-night-stand with handsome horse trainer Liam Donovan who she has been in love with for some years and now she carries his child. I was not always thrilled with her attitude but I liked her nonetheless.
She was a heroine shrouded in sadness throughout the book for several reasons. She lost her dad, she may lose their ranch and prize-winning horses due to a horrible change in the will, and she's going to marry Liam (as he insists) but he tells her there will never be love...just sex. The greatest of these is the unrequited love. It breaks her heart. He is a widower and his pregnant wife was driving while foggy and went off the side of a mountain. He says he buried his heart with his dead wife and child. Wow! What a horrid thing to tell the woman who will deliver his child in three months. It took a lot of convincing for her to agree to marry him but said over and over that it was the best thing for the child. There are times after the marriage that I think Kitty regrets marrying him because of the pain of him being determined not to love her. I felt for her but I don't think she handled things as well as she could.
Liam Donovan was horse training royalty who had suffered a traumatic loss seven years previously and has sworn to protect his shattered heart, never to become involved with the fairer sex...EVER! When Kitty tells him he is about to become a father, he insists they marry, but love is not on the menu. He is marrying her only because of his child.
Liam also had guilt about loving or caring for someone other than his deceased wife and child. How on earth could he do that to them? That got old real quick.
Will he ever be able to let go of the ghosts of his past and risk his heart again?
I definitely recommend this book! As I do frequently, I like to re-read the books that I consider exceptionally good. This was my fourth and final read through. Each time I've read it I liked it a little bit less.
June 6, 2020
This was just “meh.” I enjoyed the angst that picked up toward the end, but the H didn’t grovel enough for me. The h wasn’t relatable and her constant wallowing in misery didn’t help. What her father did was unnecessary and cruel. Her brother was probably rightfully mad about (the way it reads) being mostly excluded from the will. Liam has his head up his butt. Wasn’t enough chemistry between the MC’s for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2012
Excellent book with lots of emotion. Kitty has been in love with Liam for years, but he never gave her a second look. Liam had been married before and lost his wife and child in a car accident. He swore he would never love again and risk the pain of losing again. One night they had dinner together and ended up sleeping together. They decided to not risk their friendship by doing it again. Then Kitty ended up pregnant and Liam insisted on them being married for the sake of the baby. Kitty said yes quickly, hoping that Liam would come to love her. Liam knew he was developing feelings for Kitty which scared him, so he kept denying them to himself. Kitty was also fighting for her horse ranch, which she may lose because of a requirement in her father's will. She never told Liam about it, and that lack of communication caused a big fight between the two of them. I could see how the lack of communication was causing stress between the two. When Kitty confessed her love to Liam it also caused stress because he wouldn't admit to returning her love. When Liam's brother finally pointed out the obvious to Liam, he was stunned by his own idiocy. I loved the way that he made things right. The ending was very satisfying.
July 27, 2012
Okay, I'll put on my big girl panties and admit at certain parts in this book I bawled my eyes out. I can own up to it. This book was really great though, the emotion and characters were intense. It was a learning experience for the characters in the book, as well as many other things. It's definitely worth reading.
September 30, 2018
For Texas being in the title we spent alot of time in California. This couple didn't connect for me. Most of the book felt like the hero being 'fought over' by two women just in his mind. The heroine never asked for anything that hero couldn't give. Never asked him to forget his past love, but he acts like she did. Even though it's short, it felt like a slog to get through. Pass on it.
April 22, 2026
great book but
Sorry co that handles you “Free” books ok ones that I’ve purchased. Unhappy it’s the third one free that would not down load . No problem ones that I purchased. Loved your books
His Texas Baby =. Special & sweet.
Sorry co that handles you “Free” books ok ones that I’ve purchased. Unhappy it’s the third one free that would not down load . No problem ones that I purchased. Loved your books
His Texas Baby =. Special & sweet.
January 25, 2018
May try to reread later and see if I like it more.
Did Not Finish
September 29, 2021Didn't hold my attention dnf@30%
May 12, 2013
A friend passed this on to me recently.
Kitty Cartwright and Liam Donovan are the poster children for people who unnecessarily complicate their lives by not speaking their minds at critical moments. Of course, therein lies the greatest source of the story's conflict. Each one is so entrenched in their own little protective universe that they are terrified of exposing any vulnerabilities, even when it sabotages what they want most -- each other.
The plot was a bit predictable and the ending, well, I won't spoil it. Let's just say the story was decently written and worth reading. It was a quick read, and I would definitely read more by Stella Bagwell.
Kitty Cartwright and Liam Donovan are the poster children for people who unnecessarily complicate their lives by not speaking their minds at critical moments. Of course, therein lies the greatest source of the story's conflict. Each one is so entrenched in their own little protective universe that they are terrified of exposing any vulnerabilities, even when it sabotages what they want most -- each other.
The plot was a bit predictable and the ending, well, I won't spoil it. Let's just say the story was decently written and worth reading. It was a quick read, and I would definitely read more by Stella Bagwell.
Read
December 27, 2014Miniseries: Men of the West
Category: Heart & Home
Category: Heart & Home
September 24, 2012
nothing really to write home about.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews