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Hell's Outlaws #1
Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys
A sexy cowgirl gives a rugged Texas loner the ride of his life in USA Today bestselling author Tina Leonard’s seductive new series.
Ava Buchanan dreams of a career on the rodeo circuit. Winning a spot on a one-of-a-kind team would be her ticket to the life she’s always wanted. Ava won’t let anyone stand in her way—not even a stubborn cowboy whose slow-molasses smile and red-hot swagger set her senses aflame . . . and whose talents as a trainer could make her a star. Rodeo might be a man’s game, but Ava knows the right woman’s touch can tame the wildest heart.
Trace Carter believes his mayor’s plan to raise the town’s profile has disaster written all over it, and he won’t allow the Hell’s Outlaws Training Center to be dragged into the fiasco. Yet watching Ava’s delectable body on horseback proves too much of a temptation, and his fantasies stray to her riding skills outside the arena. Soon Trace is fighting like hell to rein in his unbridled desire for the petite brunette before it becomes a passion hotter than the Texas sun.
Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from other Loveswept titles.
Ava Buchanan dreams of a career on the rodeo circuit. Winning a spot on a one-of-a-kind team would be her ticket to the life she’s always wanted. Ava won’t let anyone stand in her way—not even a stubborn cowboy whose slow-molasses smile and red-hot swagger set her senses aflame . . . and whose talents as a trainer could make her a star. Rodeo might be a man’s game, but Ava knows the right woman’s touch can tame the wildest heart.
Trace Carter believes his mayor’s plan to raise the town’s profile has disaster written all over it, and he won’t allow the Hell’s Outlaws Training Center to be dragged into the fiasco. Yet watching Ava’s delectable body on horseback proves too much of a temptation, and his fantasies stray to her riding skills outside the arena. Soon Trace is fighting like hell to rein in his unbridled desire for the petite brunette before it becomes a passion hotter than the Texas sun.
Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from other Loveswept titles.
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 24, 2014
6 people are currently reading
307 people want to read
About the author
Tina Leonard
175 books236 followersNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Tina Leonard has sold over 3.2 million copies of her books. She has made the New York Times, USA Today, Waldenbooks, Bookscan, and Ingrambook bestseller lists, and has written over seventy books and special projects. Her work has been published by Harlequin Books, Samhain Publishing, London Bridge, Diversion Books, and Random House Loveswept. Leonard is known for her fun sense of humor, endearing communities, snappy dialogue, and memorable characters. Visit www.tinaleonard.com, www.facebook.com/authortinaleonard, or www.twitter.com/Tina_Leonard for upcoming information on release dates and exciting new projects.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
October 13, 2014
2.5 stars
It’s a man’s world in the little city of Hell, the Mayor of the town cares too much for its future and has a couple tricks up her sleeve to bring some strong females in. The Mayor has selected her favorite Outlaws, the bachelors whose life will be forever be turned upside down. The Hell’s Belles are the first females to be chosen for her vision to open the sport of bullfighting to women, the ladies have the determination it takes to learn from the best, the Outlaws...only they don’t train women, especially on something as dangerous as bullfighting.
But the bulls aren’t the only ones who are proving to be stubborn, as the woman and the men face off and drive each other mad. Ava doesn’t understand what she got herself into; she is only here to make her dream come true and it doesn’t include tying herself to some bull-headed-cowboy.
Trace has calculated the risk and it goes against every protective instinct he has to train these girls, but he doesn’t trust anyone else to keep them safe, even if he really has no plan to ever train them. He knows the Mayor has a couple tricks up her sleeve, and that there is more to her plan of bullfighting than she lets on. In this crazy town anything is possible, but I think they underestimated Trace’s stubbornness…
Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys was an okay read for me, it had nothing to do with the story or the writing, but more my connection and like / dislike of the characters. When I first read the title, I got excited thinking what my ideal cowboy would be, and sadly Trace didn’t live up to my expectations. He is overly protective and stubborn to fault; no matter how much he wanted Ava, he talked his way out of why it was such a bad idea. Poor Ava (and me), she was getting whip lash from all the back and forth, hot and cold. I found it hard to also get what the whole intent of the Mayor was, at times it seemed admirable what she was trying to do, but then at times it was downright petty. Some of the characters I had no clue what their purpose was in the story, but they were there, kinda taking up space where I wanted more of an idea of what the heck was going on. Sadly this wasn’t the book for me, at no fault to the author, it was all me.
ARC kindly provided by Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept, in exchange for an honest review.
***Quotes above are taken from the ARC version of the book and may differ upon publication.
“Beautiful women are like sticks of dynamite to a man’s peaceful existence.”
It’s a man’s world in the little city of Hell, the Mayor of the town cares too much for its future and has a couple tricks up her sleeve to bring some strong females in. The Mayor has selected her favorite Outlaws, the bachelors whose life will be forever be turned upside down. The Hell’s Belles are the first females to be chosen for her vision to open the sport of bullfighting to women, the ladies have the determination it takes to learn from the best, the Outlaws...only they don’t train women, especially on something as dangerous as bullfighting.
For one thing, this was a man’s world. His world, his Declan’s and Saint’s...They’d built this from nothing, bred horses and trained riders, all in the relative calm of Hell. This was where they found peace and quiet, and maybe, at times, redemption.
But the bulls aren’t the only ones who are proving to be stubborn, as the woman and the men face off and drive each other mad. Ava doesn’t understand what she got herself into; she is only here to make her dream come true and it doesn’t include tying herself to some bull-headed-cowboy.
I know cowboys-and red-hot ones like that are guaranteed to break the most cautious heart. Safe, steady, cool-blue is my kind of guy.
Trace has calculated the risk and it goes against every protective instinct he has to train these girls, but he doesn’t trust anyone else to keep them safe, even if he really has no plan to ever train them. He knows the Mayor has a couple tricks up her sleeve, and that there is more to her plan of bullfighting than she lets on. In this crazy town anything is possible, but I think they underestimated Trace’s stubbornness…
“Can lead a horse to water. Can’t make him drink, no matter how sweet the water, babe.”
Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys was an okay read for me, it had nothing to do with the story or the writing, but more my connection and like / dislike of the characters. When I first read the title, I got excited thinking what my ideal cowboy would be, and sadly Trace didn’t live up to my expectations. He is overly protective and stubborn to fault; no matter how much he wanted Ava, he talked his way out of why it was such a bad idea. Poor Ava (and me), she was getting whip lash from all the back and forth, hot and cold. I found it hard to also get what the whole intent of the Mayor was, at times it seemed admirable what she was trying to do, but then at times it was downright petty. Some of the characters I had no clue what their purpose was in the story, but they were there, kinda taking up space where I wanted more of an idea of what the heck was going on. Sadly this wasn’t the book for me, at no fault to the author, it was all me.
ARC kindly provided by Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept, in exchange for an honest review.
***Quotes above are taken from the ARC version of the book and may differ upon publication.
June 29, 2014
2.5 - O.K, but not blown away... Stars.
Trace Carter, Saint Markham & Declan O'Rourke, returned to Hell, Texas looking for the quiet life, after spending years in the same platoon fighting in Iraq & Afghanistan. Together they set up the Hells Outlaw's Training Center.
They'd built this from nothing, bred horses and trained riders, all in the relative calm of Hell. This was where they found peace and quiet, and maybe, at times, redemption.
The Hell Belles - Ava Buchanan, Harper Castleberry & Cameron Dix are looking for help in training for their Rodeo / Bull-fighting act and choose the Hells Outlaw boys for the job.
Hell, Texas is very much a man's town the women are expected to be women, and as such putting together a Rodeo act is not something that goes down too well with a few people, Trace included. But how can he refuse when the chemistry between him and Ava is immediate, and better to train her and her girls, than risk their safety elsewhere.
I wasn't blown away by this book, it was a struggle at points to work out what was going on, as the writing does jump around a little bit and there are an awful lot of secondary characters getting far too much page time. I didn't really feel much of a connection between Trace and Ava either, and at points Trace's back and forth with regards to his feelings for Ava got a bit draining. An enjoyable, but not un-put-downable read.
ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for the above honest review.
Trace Carter, Saint Markham & Declan O'Rourke, returned to Hell, Texas looking for the quiet life, after spending years in the same platoon fighting in Iraq & Afghanistan. Together they set up the Hells Outlaw's Training Center.
They'd built this from nothing, bred horses and trained riders, all in the relative calm of Hell. This was where they found peace and quiet, and maybe, at times, redemption.
The Hell Belles - Ava Buchanan, Harper Castleberry & Cameron Dix are looking for help in training for their Rodeo / Bull-fighting act and choose the Hells Outlaw boys for the job.
Hell, Texas is very much a man's town the women are expected to be women, and as such putting together a Rodeo act is not something that goes down too well with a few people, Trace included. But how can he refuse when the chemistry between him and Ava is immediate, and better to train her and her girls, than risk their safety elsewhere.
I wasn't blown away by this book, it was a struggle at points to work out what was going on, as the writing does jump around a little bit and there are an awful lot of secondary characters getting far too much page time. I didn't really feel much of a connection between Trace and Ava either, and at points Trace's back and forth with regards to his feelings for Ava got a bit draining. An enjoyable, but not un-put-downable read.
ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for the above honest review.
July 5, 2022
Good book, though a little confusing at times. Mayor Judy of Hell, Texas, has big plans for her little town. It is heavy on the male side of the equation and hide-bound in its traditions. So, she hires three young women to be her "team" - train to be bullfighters and be the stars of the rodeo she wants the town to host. She plans to get the men of the Outlaw Training Center to train the women, but Trace, Saint, and Declan prove to be more resistant to the idea than she planned.
Ava has dreams of becoming a bullfighter. The only girl with five brothers, she was devastated when her brother Liam was injured because a bullfighter didn't do his job. She intends to do her best so that no other sister would suffer the same pain. She arrives in Hell with her teammates Harper and Cameron, only to discover that Judy has somewhat misled them.
Trace and his former SEAL brothers came home after their time in the military, looking forward to the peace of doing the work they love. They enjoy their free, bachelor ways and do their best to stay clear of Mayor Judy's hair-brained ideas. The arrival of the Hell Belles blindsides all three. Trace is the leader who considers all the risks before making a decision and refuses to consider training the team. There is a lot of push and pull between Trace, the mayor, and the team, as each tries to get their way.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Trace and Ava develop. The sparks between them are out of control from the very beginning. Trace is old-fashioned and believes there is an uncrossable line between men and women regarding rodeo. He is also very protective, which comes out when he thinks about Ava in the ring with bulls. Neither Trace nor Ava is looking for a relationship. Trace keeps his interactions superficial, while Ava is too focused on her goals to want the distraction. But keeping their hands off each other is nearly impossible and reconciling their attraction with their goals is an ongoing battle. Both Trace and Ava are stubborn to a fault, and admitting their feelings is something neither is willing to do.
When push comes to shove, Trace can't give in to Ava's desire for training or admit that he needs her. Ava gives up on getting through to him and goes elsewhere for her training, believing there is no future for them. Trace earned every bit of the misery he felt after she left town. It took drastic action by Saint and Declan to finally get through his thick head. I liked the ending and seeing them finally get what they both wanted.
There is lots of other stuff going on in Hell also. Judy has an ongoing feud with another woman, and Judy's man Steele, the sheriff, often gets caught in the middle. It also becomes evident that Judy has more than rodeo on her mind as she sets her matchmaking plans in motion. The other two Belles are intended for Saint and Declan, and it is interesting to see the beginnings of their relationships. The Outlaws' rivals, the Horsemen, also play a significant role in the book, most notably as the ones who should not be training anyone. In one scene, the Horsemen pull a dangerous trick that could have gone horribly wrong and feel no remorse over it. I cheered at Trace's reaction and what he did. It will be interesting to see how things play out in the following books.
#netgalley
Ava has dreams of becoming a bullfighter. The only girl with five brothers, she was devastated when her brother Liam was injured because a bullfighter didn't do his job. She intends to do her best so that no other sister would suffer the same pain. She arrives in Hell with her teammates Harper and Cameron, only to discover that Judy has somewhat misled them.
Trace and his former SEAL brothers came home after their time in the military, looking forward to the peace of doing the work they love. They enjoy their free, bachelor ways and do their best to stay clear of Mayor Judy's hair-brained ideas. The arrival of the Hell Belles blindsides all three. Trace is the leader who considers all the risks before making a decision and refuses to consider training the team. There is a lot of push and pull between Trace, the mayor, and the team, as each tries to get their way.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Trace and Ava develop. The sparks between them are out of control from the very beginning. Trace is old-fashioned and believes there is an uncrossable line between men and women regarding rodeo. He is also very protective, which comes out when he thinks about Ava in the ring with bulls. Neither Trace nor Ava is looking for a relationship. Trace keeps his interactions superficial, while Ava is too focused on her goals to want the distraction. But keeping their hands off each other is nearly impossible and reconciling their attraction with their goals is an ongoing battle. Both Trace and Ava are stubborn to a fault, and admitting their feelings is something neither is willing to do.
When push comes to shove, Trace can't give in to Ava's desire for training or admit that he needs her. Ava gives up on getting through to him and goes elsewhere for her training, believing there is no future for them. Trace earned every bit of the misery he felt after she left town. It took drastic action by Saint and Declan to finally get through his thick head. I liked the ending and seeing them finally get what they both wanted.
There is lots of other stuff going on in Hell also. Judy has an ongoing feud with another woman, and Judy's man Steele, the sheriff, often gets caught in the middle. It also becomes evident that Judy has more than rodeo on her mind as she sets her matchmaking plans in motion. The other two Belles are intended for Saint and Declan, and it is interesting to see the beginnings of their relationships. The Outlaws' rivals, the Horsemen, also play a significant role in the book, most notably as the ones who should not be training anyone. In one scene, the Horsemen pull a dangerous trick that could have gone horribly wrong and feel no remorse over it. I cheered at Trace's reaction and what he did. It will be interesting to see how things play out in the following books.
#netgalley
April 3, 2014
It is true it is a man’s world when you add three spit fire women to the mix, with three alpha males the men realize it might be a man’s world but when it counts it’s more a women world. The town of Hell’s is a tough town you have the military vets retired seals who are the toughest of the tough they are the Hells’ outlaws who do not want to be tied down. They have served their country, glad to return alive and just want to live in peace running the Hell’s Outlaws training center which teaches men how to bullfight. This story is mostly about Trace and Ava but is built on more wonderful characters that I fill the author will bring more of them out in future books. I look forward to reading their stories.
The major who is a spit fire herself has dreams that will put Hell’s on the map she cares too much for the town to let it die out. Her dreams are to have the first women bullfighters. Mayor Judy has a little more up her sleeve her plans are to bring women to Hell’s the men don’t know it but they will not know what hit them. The little spit fire mayor wants to see the town grow she wants new blood and she has big plans, the men of Hell’s do not know what hit them. She has a man of her own who she leads around and he doesn’t mind a bit. Oh the trouble she causes the men are on to her but will they catch on fast enough to stop the mayors plans.
Ava dreams of a career on the rodeo circuit she has a few things she most over come. Her brother was a rodeo rider who was hurt because the bull rider (I thought they were called clowns) didn’t do his job. Ava is hunted by this she decides she needs to become a bull rider so this doesn’t happen again to other men. She and the other two girls along with the town are clueless to what Mayor Judy has up her sleeves. Mayor Judy has a few plans that she means to make work come hell or high water. She just knows Ava will be the one for Trace they are made for each other they do not seem to agree. From the beginning sparks fly between Ava and Trace along with a few other. Ava will not give up her dreams of the rodeo circuit and Trace refuses to train her. She isn’t looking for love just wants to live her dream.
Trace is a retired seal he just wanted to come home a live, run his training center and live his life with no worries. When Ava walks into his life he fills like he has been hit by the bull himself. He doesn’t mind a little action on the side but he isn’t going to be tied down. There is no way in hell he is going to train women for the rodeo circuit he wouldn’t mind getting in her pants. She is driving him crazy but nope he isn’t settling down for any women. Just what is the mayor up to? He is sure it is no good and he isn’t going to be no part of it. Trace is an alpha male who protects he has protected people most of his life and he must protect Ava against herself. He couldn’t stand it if she got hurt in such a dangers sport. He plays their game and said he will train the girls to keep them away from the horsemen who have their eyes on the three beauties.
There is nothing like a cowboy the old west is my favorite times in history. Cowboys are real men who kicks butt and take no names. This is a sweet story about alpha males who want to protect, the town and it’s people with lovely characters, people you will chuckle at and others you will downright laugh at and the women who are spit fires who want a piece of it. There is a lot going on in this little town with wild women who want the mayor’s man and men who want the hell’s belles, the mayor who would love to run the wild women out of her little town. The outlaws are stubborn but it seems the women are just as stubborn as they face off to see and drive each other crazy who will win in the battle of wills? Being a women myself my money are on the women!
The book started out a little slow for me but it did pick up and kept me interested. It was easy to follow the author style is easy flowing that makes you want to read the next story of the Hell’s Belles to see the outcome of the women and what else the mayor has up her sleeve for her little town. I have read one other book by this author I have to say I enjoyed this book must more and look forward to reading more from this author.
The major who is a spit fire herself has dreams that will put Hell’s on the map she cares too much for the town to let it die out. Her dreams are to have the first women bullfighters. Mayor Judy has a little more up her sleeve her plans are to bring women to Hell’s the men don’t know it but they will not know what hit them. The little spit fire mayor wants to see the town grow she wants new blood and she has big plans, the men of Hell’s do not know what hit them. She has a man of her own who she leads around and he doesn’t mind a bit. Oh the trouble she causes the men are on to her but will they catch on fast enough to stop the mayors plans.
Ava dreams of a career on the rodeo circuit she has a few things she most over come. Her brother was a rodeo rider who was hurt because the bull rider (I thought they were called clowns) didn’t do his job. Ava is hunted by this she decides she needs to become a bull rider so this doesn’t happen again to other men. She and the other two girls along with the town are clueless to what Mayor Judy has up her sleeves. Mayor Judy has a few plans that she means to make work come hell or high water. She just knows Ava will be the one for Trace they are made for each other they do not seem to agree. From the beginning sparks fly between Ava and Trace along with a few other. Ava will not give up her dreams of the rodeo circuit and Trace refuses to train her. She isn’t looking for love just wants to live her dream.
Trace is a retired seal he just wanted to come home a live, run his training center and live his life with no worries. When Ava walks into his life he fills like he has been hit by the bull himself. He doesn’t mind a little action on the side but he isn’t going to be tied down. There is no way in hell he is going to train women for the rodeo circuit he wouldn’t mind getting in her pants. She is driving him crazy but nope he isn’t settling down for any women. Just what is the mayor up to? He is sure it is no good and he isn’t going to be no part of it. Trace is an alpha male who protects he has protected people most of his life and he must protect Ava against herself. He couldn’t stand it if she got hurt in such a dangers sport. He plays their game and said he will train the girls to keep them away from the horsemen who have their eyes on the three beauties.
There is nothing like a cowboy the old west is my favorite times in history. Cowboys are real men who kicks butt and take no names. This is a sweet story about alpha males who want to protect, the town and it’s people with lovely characters, people you will chuckle at and others you will downright laugh at and the women who are spit fires who want a piece of it. There is a lot going on in this little town with wild women who want the mayor’s man and men who want the hell’s belles, the mayor who would love to run the wild women out of her little town. The outlaws are stubborn but it seems the women are just as stubborn as they face off to see and drive each other crazy who will win in the battle of wills? Being a women myself my money are on the women!
The book started out a little slow for me but it did pick up and kept me interested. It was easy to follow the author style is easy flowing that makes you want to read the next story of the Hell’s Belles to see the outcome of the women and what else the mayor has up her sleeve for her little town. I have read one other book by this author I have to say I enjoyed this book must more and look forward to reading more from this author.
June 27, 2014
I love me a story about a hot cowboy and that is just what Last Of The Red-Hot Cowboys is.
Judy, the mayor of Hell, brings in a team of 3 women to train at the Hell’s Outlaws Training Center. She wants them to be bull fighters. Trace and two of his friends own the training center and said hell no. They believe the world of bull riding and bull fighting is a man’s place, that no man would want a woman protecting him, trusting her to keep him out of danger when a ton of ticked off bull is trying to stomp the life out of him.
Ava is one of the women that Judy has brought in and there is some chemistry between these two right away. Ava is a talented rider but Trace doesn’t want her any where near the bulls and he puts up a fight about it.
And so the story goes.
I really enjoyed Last Of The Red-Hot Cowboys and all of the characters. It was well written and the pages flew by. This would be a great book to take to the beach and read while enjoying the sun, or in my case to sit and enjoy while the storms flood down around you and you can’t take the kids outside.
Trace is definitely an alpha male from days gone by. He thinks there is definitely a line between what women and men do, at least in the rodeo world, and he has a very protective nature when it comes to Ava. I really enjoyed both him and Ava as the main characters.
There are secrets going on in Hell that haven’t been revealed yet, and I cannot until the next book for some of these to come out. There are a lot of characters left to build stories around and I am excited to see where this series is going and which cowboy is going to fall for love next. I also want to be around to read about the next time Ivy and her girls come to blows with Judy and hers. There is something building there that I do not want to miss out on!
Thank you so much for my copy of Last Of The Red-Hot Cowboys!
Judy, the mayor of Hell, brings in a team of 3 women to train at the Hell’s Outlaws Training Center. She wants them to be bull fighters. Trace and two of his friends own the training center and said hell no. They believe the world of bull riding and bull fighting is a man’s place, that no man would want a woman protecting him, trusting her to keep him out of danger when a ton of ticked off bull is trying to stomp the life out of him.
Ava is one of the women that Judy has brought in and there is some chemistry between these two right away. Ava is a talented rider but Trace doesn’t want her any where near the bulls and he puts up a fight about it.
And so the story goes.
I really enjoyed Last Of The Red-Hot Cowboys and all of the characters. It was well written and the pages flew by. This would be a great book to take to the beach and read while enjoying the sun, or in my case to sit and enjoy while the storms flood down around you and you can’t take the kids outside.
Trace is definitely an alpha male from days gone by. He thinks there is definitely a line between what women and men do, at least in the rodeo world, and he has a very protective nature when it comes to Ava. I really enjoyed both him and Ava as the main characters.
There are secrets going on in Hell that haven’t been revealed yet, and I cannot until the next book for some of these to come out. There are a lot of characters left to build stories around and I am excited to see where this series is going and which cowboy is going to fall for love next. I also want to be around to read about the next time Ivy and her girls come to blows with Judy and hers. There is something building there that I do not want to miss out on!
Thank you so much for my copy of Last Of The Red-Hot Cowboys!
August 25, 2016
This is a great book; it is based on a small town in Hell Texas, which are mostly men. The mayor, Judy has some plans for the town and brings in three no nonsense women who are in Hell to learn to bullfight or so they think. Judy has other plans for the women that she is keeping to herself. Trace is a retired seal who owns a training center with his partners; they are called Hell’s Outlaws. Judy wants Trace and his partners to train the women she brings to town. The guys believe that Judy is secretly trying to marry them off, so they are determined to not let her win in her scheme to marry them off. When Trace meets Ava, he is instantly attracted to her, he doesn’t fight the attraction but is determined that his relationship with Ava is just temporary. However, Ava wants a commitment. Ava came to town to work with Judy because she wants to get out of her town that has no opportunities. She is determined that Trace and his partners are going to train her and her friends. Trace is determined that bull riding is not for women and is stubborn. However, Ava and her friends are just as stubborn and determined as the men are. I loved all of the characters in this book; this book is full of romance, humor, and hot cowboys. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
A Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.
A Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.
March 18, 2014
Trace can be over-bearing, "no," Trace said. "It's just that I own it, and i have no record of anyone renting it from me." And Ava and Trace sure have some interesting one on one time together:
She opened the door, not surprised to see Trace still standing outside. "What do you want?"
He looked at her for a long moment, tall dark and mysterious - yet not approachable. "You, in the short run."
I mean the boy can sure be persuasive when needed as well, "I'm glad you're staying in Hell," he got out before drowning himself in her mouth again. "You can help me get over these issues. I may be a long way from recovery, but you're just the woman to cure me," he said, and dove back in, stroking and teasing her with his mouth. He wanted her so badly it hurt, and he felt himself growing rock-hard." Also any thoughts of anyone lips but his touching his girl is just a no-go, "you're not going to be in any kissing booth," he blurted out. "I think I'm in love with your mouth." This book was a fun filled ride that I'd read over and over again.
She opened the door, not surprised to see Trace still standing outside. "What do you want?"
He looked at her for a long moment, tall dark and mysterious - yet not approachable. "You, in the short run."
I mean the boy can sure be persuasive when needed as well, "I'm glad you're staying in Hell," he got out before drowning himself in her mouth again. "You can help me get over these issues. I may be a long way from recovery, but you're just the woman to cure me," he said, and dove back in, stroking and teasing her with his mouth. He wanted her so badly it hurt, and he felt himself growing rock-hard." Also any thoughts of anyone lips but his touching his girl is just a no-go, "you're not going to be in any kissing booth," he blurted out. "I think I'm in love with your mouth." This book was a fun filled ride that I'd read over and over again.
July 20, 2016
3.5 stars
This was a fun read. The chemistry combined with the shenanigans of the supporting characters was great. I did want to knock some sense into Trace and Ava several times though, but it didn't detract from the story too much. For the most part they were self-aware, just stubborn as mules, which was somewhat unique.
This was my first time reading Tina Leonard, but is not likely to be my last. I'm curious how Trace's brothers deal with their own stories which I assume are going to be joining this one. Who will be next to fall, Saint or Declan? And will it be one of the Belles that causes the topple? I can't wait to find out or read about their antics leading up to their defeat. They are sure to be as hot as Trace and Ava no doubt.
I received this book as a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The thoughts above are my own.
This was a fun read. The chemistry combined with the shenanigans of the supporting characters was great. I did want to knock some sense into Trace and Ava several times though, but it didn't detract from the story too much. For the most part they were self-aware, just stubborn as mules, which was somewhat unique.
This was my first time reading Tina Leonard, but is not likely to be my last. I'm curious how Trace's brothers deal with their own stories which I assume are going to be joining this one. Who will be next to fall, Saint or Declan? And will it be one of the Belles that causes the topple? I can't wait to find out or read about their antics leading up to their defeat. They are sure to be as hot as Trace and Ava no doubt.
I received this book as a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The thoughts above are my own.
June 27, 2014
Tina Leonard
This review is going to be a little different because Ms. Leonard not only wrote an amazing, ROFL and "hyperventilating a very organs up" comical book, but she created a whole town for her awesome characters to live in. The town is called Hell and it's run by a determined Mayor Judy Jasper, who wants a female bull riding team. She will not let anything get her way and her BF, Sheriff Steel, will help, if he wants his Saturday Night Specials. Her Hell's Belles are 3 different, unique and gutsy woman, Ava, Harper and Cameron. Judy wants her Belles to train at the Hell's Outlaws Training Center with the 3 returning soldiers, Trace, Declan and Saint. Judy also want to bring in women into her 200 plus male populated town.
Ava and Trace are Judy's first victims to her matchmaking and they go on a wild and uncontrollable ride. Ava wants to ride bulls and Trace thinks NO woman should be in the ring with a bull. Ava pushes and Trace pulls, but they still fall into one another arms, any available surface and sometimes in an actual bed. Trace likes his solitary life and refuses to love ever, because if you love someone, they die. Ava wants her dream of bull riding and she will not let Trace discourage her. With a Mayor Judy's evil nemesis, Poison Ivy, turning up trouble, Trace's toe curling kisses, the rival training center, Horsemen, causing massive problems, hard up against a wall scenes, meddling and scheming Mayor Judy and Declan and Saint unscheduled vacation makes Ava and Trace's relationship come to a head. Does Trace love Ava enough to let her go? Will Ava loses her chance at bull riding for Trace's love? Can Trace see just how lonely he really is without her? What will it take for Ava to see that a life without Trace, will rip out her heart? Will Sheriff Steel get is Saturday Night Specials back?
Ms. Leonard wrote a book cosmos that I fell in love with and didn't want to leave. She created such a wonderful and unique characters and kooky one of a kind town. Hell is place I would love to sit outside the local diner, with a sugared ice tea, and watch all the sparks fly between these down to earth cowgirls and cowboys. I say boys and girls because they all fight their nature to love and act like a bunch of kids having their elementary recess. The steamy scenes were fabulous, sexy, sensual and caused my Kindle to throw a few sparks and singed my furry grandbaby, Simba. Ms. Leonard also left me hanging with blonde virginal Cameron and sassy single mom Harper and their stories with either Declan and Saint. How wild of a ride will these couple go through? I love and hate an author, that leaves me hanging on a cliff's edge, and makes me want to jump and look later. Ms. Leonard wrote a book with humor that will fuel my book cosmos for many years to come. Ms. Leonard receives a score of 4 fingers up and 8 toes and if I have to wait until 2015 for the next book, I will NOT be a happy camper!
NetGalley ARC given for my honest review.
June 12, 2014
Overall Rating: 4 Rockin’ ★★★★
Last of the Red Hot Cowboy’s is the first book in Tina Leonard’s series, Hell’s Outlaws. The story is about a group of ex-military cowboys from Hell, Texas, that are thrust into an arrangement by the mayor with Hell’s newest team of ladies, Hell’s Belles. This story was skillfully written and full of hot, steamy cowboys. From time to time throughout the book, I was singing “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy.” YUMMO!
Trace Carter, ex Special Ops, was back at home in Hell, Texas, running a successful, financially profitable business, The Hell’s Outlaws Training Center. He and his two best friends from school and military brothers trained, horse riders and bull fighters. This brings us to the problem that Trace is now facing…a beautiful woman by the name of Ava Buchanan. She was like a stick of dynamite to his peaceful existence. The mayor of the town wants him and his brothers to train her Hell’s Belles to bull fight and Trace just couldn’t do it. In the process the mayor was also playing matchmaker! Little did he realize how easily one beauty could capture his heart and play a part in the most thrilling ride of his life.
Ava Buchanan was a nonsense kind of girl. She was the kind of girl to take the “bull by the horns” so to speak. Ava came to Hell to start a new life for herself and the prospect of becoming one of the first female bullfighters on the rodeo circuit had everything to do with it. She wanted so badly to make it work, but there was one man standing in her way, in her thoughts, and in her dreams…Trace Carter. He was a Hell’s Outlaw and sex on a stick.
I really enjoyed reading this story. All along, I wanted my own Trace. His strong, yet foreboding character was easy to love and had me drooling. All of the characters in the book were depicted in such a way that I found myself thinking of how Ava reminded me of …and Mayor Judy reminded me of…such well developed and likeable characters to which I found an instant kinship. The love was real, the sex was hot, and the story rocked! Definitely an amazing read. READ this BOOK! Great job, Tina. Can’t wait to read about Declan and Saint’s stories! Grēta
Hero – Trace Carter 4.5 stars
Heroine – Ava Buchanan 4.0 stars
Steam Level: 4.0 stars
Plot: 4.0 stars
Cliffhanger: Yes
Would I recommend this book: Yes!
Would I read other books by this author: Yes!
***Received an ARC of this book from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review***
Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys
Tina Leonard
Last of the Red Hot Cowboy’s is the first book in Tina Leonard’s series, Hell’s Outlaws. The story is about a group of ex-military cowboys from Hell, Texas, that are thrust into an arrangement by the mayor with Hell’s newest team of ladies, Hell’s Belles. This story was skillfully written and full of hot, steamy cowboys. From time to time throughout the book, I was singing “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy.” YUMMO!
Trace Carter, ex Special Ops, was back at home in Hell, Texas, running a successful, financially profitable business, The Hell’s Outlaws Training Center. He and his two best friends from school and military brothers trained, horse riders and bull fighters. This brings us to the problem that Trace is now facing…a beautiful woman by the name of Ava Buchanan. She was like a stick of dynamite to his peaceful existence. The mayor of the town wants him and his brothers to train her Hell’s Belles to bull fight and Trace just couldn’t do it. In the process the mayor was also playing matchmaker! Little did he realize how easily one beauty could capture his heart and play a part in the most thrilling ride of his life.
Ava Buchanan was a nonsense kind of girl. She was the kind of girl to take the “bull by the horns” so to speak. Ava came to Hell to start a new life for herself and the prospect of becoming one of the first female bullfighters on the rodeo circuit had everything to do with it. She wanted so badly to make it work, but there was one man standing in her way, in her thoughts, and in her dreams…Trace Carter. He was a Hell’s Outlaw and sex on a stick.
I really enjoyed reading this story. All along, I wanted my own Trace. His strong, yet foreboding character was easy to love and had me drooling. All of the characters in the book were depicted in such a way that I found myself thinking of how Ava reminded me of …and Mayor Judy reminded me of…such well developed and likeable characters to which I found an instant kinship. The love was real, the sex was hot, and the story rocked! Definitely an amazing read. READ this BOOK! Great job, Tina. Can’t wait to read about Declan and Saint’s stories! Grēta
Hero – Trace Carter 4.5 stars
Heroine – Ava Buchanan 4.0 stars
Steam Level: 4.0 stars
Plot: 4.0 stars
Cliffhanger: Yes
Would I recommend this book: Yes!
Would I read other books by this author: Yes!
***Received an ARC of this book from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review***
Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys
Tina Leonard
May 27, 2014
I so do a happy dance when I get to read the first novel in a series that promises to be oh so scrumptious. First is the edible cover that is oh so pleasing to the eye with a title that says come on in if you love those cowboys especially ones featured in here. The town also is one of those last places not many have settled where men outnumber the women (my kind of town). Two kind of cowboys here though the ones with characters and the ones with shady characters. In fact though this novel is filled with all sorts of colorful characters that you so enjoy meeting and getting to know. Also contained within those characters that you meet characteristics that you can relate to which enables you to see the inside of what really makes them tick so the storyline flow is easy reading and understanding of what is really happening. Humor galore to that chuckles with ensue for sure. The mayor Judy has brought to town her "Hell Belles" for reasons of her own but told to Trace they are there to learn to bullfight and she wants him to train them. When the Hell's Outlaws Training Center opened they had decided not to train females. Faced with four females that did not have happy faces he knows instead that trouble has come to town. As you are taken along by this author with these wonderful characters you find out that the plot thickens and the fun begins. Not withstanding either the attraction that is felt by Trace that his has for one of the female trouble- Ava. Each have their own reason on taking Judy up on being on her team but will this really go down is what the fun will be in the reading. Is training of a team also the only thing she has in the cards? The banter that will happen between Trace and Ava is also quite titillating. Romance and cowboys could not hardly get any better than this. The fun is also reading on who will actually be the one to cave or fall as it has been said. Not withstanding either are they the only ones who want to take a shot at training these girls but reputation proceeding makes for not a wise choice. Shenanigans included that added bonus in the reading of this novel. This author sure knows how to write a romance that is funny, and a joy to read with the plus factor of lots of hot cowboys. Enjoyed the ride myself so much that looking forward to some more cowboys also gleefully wanting to see who will fall next to the take down master of love. Received a arc for a honest review.
May 13, 2014
Welcome to Hell, a small town filled with alpha cowboys, ex-military men,the Outlaw Training Center and not much else.
There is a new influx of 4 beautiful women in the town...a scheme of the town's mayor. Her plan is to bring these women in and form a team called the Hell's Belles, the first woman's bullfighting team. She is looking for town publicity and hopes that Trace and the Outlaws will train them.
Trace is adamantly against training women in bullfighting but soon his partners start to waiver in their conviction and he gives in, well sort of...He never plans to train them but the fiery Ava will do everything she can to convince him otherwise. This is Ava's shot out of the life she left behind and she isn't letting one bull headed cowboy ruin it.
There is a quote in the story about leading a horse to water but you can't make him drink. I felt like most of the story was like that with stubbornness and bullheadedness just getting in the way. There is also a lot of character vacillations between one decision and the next.
Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys has a wonderful premiss, a town of hot, handsome, alpha cowboys, sounds like the perfect story...unfortunately, the character connection wasn't there for me.
I have to say, if I judged this book by its cover this would be a 5 star read...Sizzling hot!
I received this ARC copy of Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys from Random House - Loveswept in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication June 24, 2014.
Written by: Tina Leonard
ISBN-13: 9780345549303
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Publication date: 6/24/2014
Series: Hell's Outlaws
Sequence in Series: 1
Sold by: Random House
Pages: 264
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Find this book on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
There is a new influx of 4 beautiful women in the town...a scheme of the town's mayor. Her plan is to bring these women in and form a team called the Hell's Belles, the first woman's bullfighting team. She is looking for town publicity and hopes that Trace and the Outlaws will train them.
Trace is adamantly against training women in bullfighting but soon his partners start to waiver in their conviction and he gives in, well sort of...He never plans to train them but the fiery Ava will do everything she can to convince him otherwise. This is Ava's shot out of the life she left behind and she isn't letting one bull headed cowboy ruin it.
There is a quote in the story about leading a horse to water but you can't make him drink. I felt like most of the story was like that with stubbornness and bullheadedness just getting in the way. There is also a lot of character vacillations between one decision and the next.
Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys has a wonderful premiss, a town of hot, handsome, alpha cowboys, sounds like the perfect story...unfortunately, the character connection wasn't there for me.
I have to say, if I judged this book by its cover this would be a 5 star read...Sizzling hot!
I received this ARC copy of Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys from Random House - Loveswept in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication June 24, 2014.
Written by: Tina Leonard
ISBN-13: 9780345549303
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Publication date: 6/24/2014
Series: Hell's Outlaws
Sequence in Series: 1
Sold by: Random House
Pages: 264
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Find this book on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
June 3, 2014
The book Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys was refreshing. I love that the Mayor of the town, Hell, is a spunky cowgirl named Judy Jasper. She loves her town and she plains on making it a better place. She’s got her eyes on Trace Carter, but not for her, for her new group of Hell’s Belles. She wants Trace to train her ladies Ava Buchanan, Harper Castleberry, and Cameron Dix to be the very first traveling female bullfighters.
Trace, being the man that he is, will have no part in a female bullfighter, aka rodeo clown. Trace and his partners/brothers in arms, Declan and Saint, decided when they got back from Afghanistan and started up Hell’s Outlaws Training Center, that they would not be training women. They believe “it’s too damn dangerous” and that it’s a job for a man to risk his life for the other men who ride the bulls. But Trace can’t seem to get the beautiful Ava out of his mind.
Mayor Judy has other plains. She wants to shake the town up and bring in some new females. The town is full of a whole lot of males. So when the Mayor tells the Outlaws she’s taking her ladies to train with their archrivals, the Horsemen, that heats them up as much as the town’s name. Judy is a woman who knows how to trick a man and him not know it, or in Traces case knew it and still fell.
The ups and downs in this story makes you laugh out loud. I’ll be honest and say I had to go back a few times and re-read because I felt like I missed part of the story. I do look forward to reading the next book to see if the Mayor can play her game that involves her women and the defenseless bachelors of Hell.
May 29, 2014
What a great start to what I think is going to be an amazing series. I mean with a town called hell and in it the last THREE hot cowboys what can go wrong?
Trace is living the life he dreamed of when he was stuck in hell as a SEAL. He’s back in his hometown of Hell, TX and he’s spending him time with his two buddies and starting Hell’s Outlaws Training Center and things are going great!
In comes Ava, one of the new Hell’s Belles that Mayor Judy thinks is going to transform the little 200 member town into something great. She wants more women in town and to create something really big for the area….a rodeo.
The problem here is that not only is Trace one of the last truly cowboy cowboys….he’s also insanely stubborn!!! Like unbelievably guarded and controlled. Maybe it comes from his leadership in Special Ops but it’s not doing him any favors with Ava. Will she be able break through the walls he has put up? Will Trace be there for her and guide her as she wants him to?
I really enjoyed this book!! There was a lot of character development, which made it not the easiest read, but it was so worth it. I love a deep emotional character and watching them fight with themselves to do the right thing. Trace is just that character and Ava with her sex appeal and her innocent demeanor is perfect for him.
I can’t wait for the next book in this series which, I think, is Saint’s story. I HOPE! LOL
Trace is living the life he dreamed of when he was stuck in hell as a SEAL. He’s back in his hometown of Hell, TX and he’s spending him time with his two buddies and starting Hell’s Outlaws Training Center and things are going great!
In comes Ava, one of the new Hell’s Belles that Mayor Judy thinks is going to transform the little 200 member town into something great. She wants more women in town and to create something really big for the area….a rodeo.
The problem here is that not only is Trace one of the last truly cowboy cowboys….he’s also insanely stubborn!!! Like unbelievably guarded and controlled. Maybe it comes from his leadership in Special Ops but it’s not doing him any favors with Ava. Will she be able break through the walls he has put up? Will Trace be there for her and guide her as she wants him to?
I really enjoyed this book!! There was a lot of character development, which made it not the easiest read, but it was so worth it. I love a deep emotional character and watching them fight with themselves to do the right thing. Trace is just that character and Ava with her sex appeal and her innocent demeanor is perfect for him.
I can’t wait for the next book in this series which, I think, is Saint’s story. I HOPE! LOL
June 24, 2014
Tina Leonard
Book Summary
Published by - Loveswept a Random House imprint
Released - 24th June 2014
Pages - 264
My Rating - 2 Stars
Review
Okay, so sure, I'm the first to tell you I'm pretty fussy when it comes to Western romances, either of the romantic or erotic genres. They hold a VERY special place in my heart since I grew up all over rural Australia, and love to read about hot and sexy cowboys, so when I pick one up to read, it needs to be GOOD. I'm talking REALLY GOOD.
Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys didn't hit the mark for me. Though Tina Leonard gave it a good try, it was all a bit cliché, a bit too predictable and the dialogue was what I'd consider soap-opera worthy. All in all, it was all just too...I hate to use the words, but - try hard.
If you're going to write a western romance and throw in over the top characters then you need to have the rest of them be organic - real. I couldn't even read it in the sense that it might be passed off as a romantic comedy since the characters were that unbelievable. With all my misgivings about this book, I honestly don't know if I'll be continuing on with reading this series.
March 24, 2014
This book took place in Hell, Texas, its a small town with 98% males. Judy the town mayo gets this crazy idea that she is going to get a group of women together from out of town and make a hell's belle's bull fighting team.
Trace is one of the best at what he does and he will NOT get caught up in Judy's plan no matter what she throws at him. Even if her name is Ava and she is smoking hot and makes him crazy!
I loves trace even though he is a hard head cowboy that is kinda stuck in his ways. I loved all the extra characters too! Trace's "brothers" and Ava's other team mates. It seemed like it was going to be a perfect start to a series!
I LOVED some of the stuff Trace came up with when talking to Ava "I think I'm in love with your mouth." I just about died when Trace seemed to keep putting his foot in his mouth around her.
I enjoyed Ava too she is a no nonscene kind of girl and needed this job she was not going to let some MAN get in her way even if he was sex on a stick! I didnt quite like how the Outlaws went behind Trace's back after they talked him into not training Ava but I see where it helped in the story! This is a western romance that just might be hotter then Texas in summer.
Trace is one of the best at what he does and he will NOT get caught up in Judy's plan no matter what she throws at him. Even if her name is Ava and she is smoking hot and makes him crazy!
I loves trace even though he is a hard head cowboy that is kinda stuck in his ways. I loved all the extra characters too! Trace's "brothers" and Ava's other team mates. It seemed like it was going to be a perfect start to a series!
I LOVED some of the stuff Trace came up with when talking to Ava "I think I'm in love with your mouth." I just about died when Trace seemed to keep putting his foot in his mouth around her.
I enjoyed Ava too she is a no nonscene kind of girl and needed this job she was not going to let some MAN get in her way even if he was sex on a stick! I didnt quite like how the Outlaws went behind Trace's back after they talked him into not training Ava but I see where it helped in the story! This is a western romance that just might be hotter then Texas in summer.
June 16, 2014
This book is FANTASTIC!!!
First of all, I'm guessing two more books will be written in is series, and I would ABSOLUTELY read both of them. This book did not end in a cliffhanger, but it left the door wide open for subsequent books.
The actual STORY was gripping. It was a book I couldn't stop reading because I had to see what happened. I even abandoned my vacuuming to find out what happened to Ava and Trace!
Both Ava and Trace were wonderful characters. Ava is very rational and level-headed, and it's easy to imagine her as a real person.
Trace sure was a red-hot cowboy. His history as a war vet is endearing, and a good part of the story is written from his point of view, which is my favorite to read.
The tension between Trace and Ava is nothing short of delicious. Again, since chunks of the story are told from Trace's point of view, it's adorable to read how he handles it.
The love scenes were VERY hot and sprinkled perfectly throughout the story.
This was an all-around well-written book. I really liked the tone and the dialogue, and I would absolutely read more by Tina!
***A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review***
First of all, I'm guessing two more books will be written in is series, and I would ABSOLUTELY read both of them. This book did not end in a cliffhanger, but it left the door wide open for subsequent books.
The actual STORY was gripping. It was a book I couldn't stop reading because I had to see what happened. I even abandoned my vacuuming to find out what happened to Ava and Trace!
Both Ava and Trace were wonderful characters. Ava is very rational and level-headed, and it's easy to imagine her as a real person.
Trace sure was a red-hot cowboy. His history as a war vet is endearing, and a good part of the story is written from his point of view, which is my favorite to read.
The tension between Trace and Ava is nothing short of delicious. Again, since chunks of the story are told from Trace's point of view, it's adorable to read how he handles it.
The love scenes were VERY hot and sprinkled perfectly throughout the story.
This was an all-around well-written book. I really liked the tone and the dialogue, and I would absolutely read more by Tina!
***A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review***
July 21, 2016
I was excited to read this story. I love Cowboys and the name had me intrigued. The problem is, the story line fell flat.
In places it was contradicting. Trace tells Dr. Ann that Buck sliced him with a broken bottle and that Buck will limp for a week. Then the next chapter, he tells Buck if he finds out who did it, he's going after them.
Trace can't make up his mind. One minute he's going to train the women to be bullfighters, and he thinks he's in love with Ava. The next, he's not and he doesn't. It's so back and forth, I felt like I got whiplash. Judy was trying to be sneaky about her plans, but it annoyed me more than anything.
I'm all for tortured heroes and what not. But this was done wrong. Instead of a strong handsome cowboy, I felt as if Trace was whiny and melodramatic. This story has potential. But so many of the guys in it are groveling to women and it's sad. I like a strong woman character. But this was just not that.
The only reason it's getting 3 stars is the cover was hot. That's all it has going for it.
I don't recommend this book.
In places it was contradicting. Trace tells Dr. Ann that Buck sliced him with a broken bottle and that Buck will limp for a week. Then the next chapter, he tells Buck if he finds out who did it, he's going after them.
Trace can't make up his mind. One minute he's going to train the women to be bullfighters, and he thinks he's in love with Ava. The next, he's not and he doesn't. It's so back and forth, I felt like I got whiplash. Judy was trying to be sneaky about her plans, but it annoyed me more than anything.
I'm all for tortured heroes and what not. But this was done wrong. Instead of a strong handsome cowboy, I felt as if Trace was whiny and melodramatic. This story has potential. But so many of the guys in it are groveling to women and it's sad. I like a strong woman character. But this was just not that.
The only reason it's getting 3 stars is the cover was hot. That's all it has going for it.
I don't recommend this book.
June 21, 2014
The story of Last of the Red Hot Cowboys was very different. It involved 3 young women who wanted to train to be bull riders, a 6ft, female, mayor, who recruited them, and 3 handsome, ex soldiers who work with the bulls and help the local sheriff when they have too, to help keep order in a town called Hell which is mainly full off men.
The fun starts when the young women are refused to be trained by the Outlaws, (for their own safety) as they like to call them selves so the mayor takes them to their rivals, The Horsemen, just to stir things up a bit.
Of cause there's some heavy attraction going on between an Outlaw and an Hell's Belle, and the mayor is involved with the sheriff, I had to laugh that couple.
I loved this story, I look forward to following other characters from this book in their own story's. Very enjoyable.
The fun starts when the young women are refused to be trained by the Outlaws, (for their own safety) as they like to call them selves so the mayor takes them to their rivals, The Horsemen, just to stir things up a bit.
Of cause there's some heavy attraction going on between an Outlaw and an Hell's Belle, and the mayor is involved with the sheriff, I had to laugh that couple.
I loved this story, I look forward to following other characters from this book in their own story's. Very enjoyable.
August 13, 2016
If the cowboys in Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys are in fact the LAST, thank goodness. The misogyny knows no bounds in this tedious pseudo romance. While the alpha hero in romance is becoming a bit banal there is usually a redeemable moment somewhere, unfortunately the unexplained chauvinism of the male hero (and all the male characters) in this tale make It difficult to identify/like/root for him. Silly sub plots and ridiculous characters (Mayor Judy) abound and the corny word play on the town of Hell gets old real quick.
When I think cowboy romance I'm thinking more cool, calm, exterior that hides a true romantic, but I didn't find it here.
When I think cowboy romance I'm thinking more cool, calm, exterior that hides a true romantic, but I didn't find it here.
June 20, 2014
We are going to Hell! Hell Texas that is, the quaint small town is the setting for this story. Fun sexy characters mixed with small town charm make this a very entertaining read. Nothing too heavy, just lots of sexy fun. Recommended read.
May 24, 2014
Sexy cowboys funny females awesome good time all round!
May 12, 2014
"Nothing, absolutely not one thing, is the same without your smile. I'm head over heels in love with you. As I told you, I'm no hero. But I'm a lot closer with you in my life." - Trace Carter
What happens when you love a book's plot, adore the main heroes, and want to pretty much strangle the main heroines and their dictator of a mentor? Well, you just put up with it and hope the rest of the series the book is part of will turn out better than it. In the case of The Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys especially, you don't just hope - you pray to God and all that is holy, too!
Trace Carter knows a bullfighting ring is no place for women. Even for tough spitfires like Ava Buchanan - or, rather, especially women like Ava Buchanan. But there's little he can do when Judy Jasper, Mayor of Hell, Texas, pretty much throws Ava and her team at his feet, demanding he trains them for the very thing he refuses to accept. Will he stay true to his opinion and protect the little brunette that seems to grow deeper roots in his heart every time he looks at her? Or will he sacrifice his own heart and freedom to make sure she finally gets her dream - even if it means her leaving him behind in the end?
I'll give it a try to not show my inner bitch yet. So I'll start with the positive parts. Let's see...
Oh, I got it!
Main positive point of the story: Trace. Ok, ok, I usually like the hero more than the heroine, but as I said multiple times, it's because I feel for the poor bastards that have to put up with such shrews. And in Trace's case, he didn't have to deal with just Ava, but also with her teammates and Judy - who will get immensely bashed later, I have so much to blame on her, I can barely hold it in!
Now, Trace is an ex-SEAL turned cowboy. Allow me to break it into parts. Ex-SEAL. Turned. Cowboy.
Uh... fetish combination, anyone?
You bet it is, Sammy boy!
The man was wonderful. A bit of a chauvinist at first glance, but really, it was more of the "women need to be respected and protected and loved" kind of fragility he was talking about, than the "women are effing weaklings who should stay in the kitchen" variety. He was honest and never held his punches, saying things the way they were - well, except for his feelings, but he's a guy, it's not like hugs and emotional talks are a dude thing. He never tried to insult Ava or any other woman, but he was upfront and correct in knowing that bullfighting is dangerous. While he was proven wrong in Ava's case, that doesn't mean he wasn't statistically right - an exception to the rule doesn't make the rule nonexistent.
In truth, Ava was the same in some parts. She, too, would say what she thought was right. In her case, she felt she could pull it off, and she was a hard worker, so yeah, that gave her some points. But she was too opinionated, and never gave Trace a chance to show her the reasons behind his words, or try to see it from his point of view.
On another positive point, the sex scenes were marvellous. The dialogues witty and never boring, and so full of sarcasm they always brought a heavy dose of laughter every other page. And the many puns using the town's name were truly a work of a genius.
But that was about it for the positive side. Let's take a wild walk on the negative parts of Hell. Starting with... the Belles! (ha! you thought I would say Judy, didn't you? no, not yet)
If you except Ava, who at least half of the time showed signs of possessing some kind of brain in her head, Cameron and Harper were like two toddlers pretending to be teenagers. And that, ladies and gentlemen, was unpardonable and unrealistic. Because we're talking about two adult women who have moved to a small town in order to get a proper job and provide themselves a future. Harper even had a kid! Yet the way they acted showed that these two seriously lacked maturity, intelligence, and knowledge of the world (what on Earth, were they living in pink bubbles up till now or something?!). How stupid can they be to ignore trouble when it's staring them in the face? Forget the fact they couldn't sense the Horsemen were dangerous - again, Harper is a mother, shouldn't her 6th sense be much better than this? And their excuse? That Trace's friends didn't ask them out first!
Were they that desperate to find a man, that they'd go out with the first guy who asked them to? Even when a whole town was warning them against such actions, when they knew the guys had tried to slip them rape drugs, they still couldn't get it! And of course, when Trace pointed out that they needed to decide which thing they had come to Hell for - men or riding - they had the nerve to glare at him! Oh, yeah, try to kill the guy with your eyes just because he spoke the truth, slut! I don't care that you haven't lived on the wild side before, when you go somewhere to work, you'd damn well do just that and forget partying! Otherwise, as a character, you're an antiphasis in yourself!
And Judy? Ooooh, Judy, you spiteful middle-aged Barbie, it's your turn now!
Judy was the main reason this story was very close to a failure. A single character nearly destroyed the whole thing - and she wasn't even one of the main heroines!!!
Want to have some kind of image in your head for Mayor Judy? Picture Daniel MacGregor from Nora Roberts's The MacGregors series. The cunning old man who spent the best part of his days thinking of ways to trap his descendants into marriages? Yeah, that one. Now give him blonde hair, frilly dresses, hot pink boots, and... voila! You have Judy!
The woman has to be on the top of my black list right now - not that she'll stay there long, there are many others who will replace her soon. I don't like her ethics, her manipulations, how she thought Hell was her playground... No, no, this wasn't just something I came up with from her actions. She pretty much says so herself, without a single trace of shame!
"It's a free country, Judy. You can't make people do what they don't want to."
"The hell I can't! I've been doing it since you were playing cowboy on a saddle your daddy put on the ground for you."
Oh, but there's more! See, the woman couldn't just say out loud what a conniving bitch she is. So she keeps yapping her trap hole about a female bullfighting team that will make Hell famous, and demanding Trace and his mates taking over the team's training - in other words, to get their hands and consciousness dirtied with blood if (when) something goes south. But the thing is, she doesn't have a plan. She never did! She doesn't care if she gets a riding team or not! Right from the beginning, all she cared about was getting the eligible bachelors of Hell tied down to women SHE had picked out. All this talk about feminism and women strong enough to do anything, only to pretty much hire female riders with the ultimate plan of turning them into brides and housewives!
Anyone else see the fault in all this? Or is it just me?
Furthermore, she's not doing it because she cares about those men. At least the MacGregor patriarch in NR's books did it because of - admittedly misplaced - fatherly love. Judy did it to get back at her nemesis, Ivy, the woman who owns a strip joint just out of town. Why? Because Judy is afraid Ivy will take Steel, Hell's Sheriff and Judy's bang toy, away from her, and wants to minimize her business. No more single men, no more stip joint trips. And she gets her own girly support as a bonus. God, please, strike her down with lightning or something! Woman, if you want to keep your man, then marry the poor chap and stop stringing him along the way it pleases you. She claims to know Steel like no one else, yet the man has been trying to get steady with her for so long, and she doesn't believe his intentions! So she conjures all this madness - the brides, the riding team, bringing down Ivy's business - instead of admitting she loves Steel, marrying him, and making him unavailable for her rival by staking her claim in front of law and God.
Pathetic, childish, stupid - and no one tells her a thing, or tries to stop her! If they do, they immediately get bashed by everyone around them!
I really hope the next books get better. With such a disappointing female cast, Ms. Leonard will have to work hard to keep up with Saint's story, let alone Declan's. It would be a real let-down to see those two grovelling like poor Trace did just because it suits Judy's matchmaking plans...
***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***
Read this and other reviews at: http://cupcakesandpopcorn.wordpress.com/
What happens when you love a book's plot, adore the main heroes, and want to pretty much strangle the main heroines and their dictator of a mentor? Well, you just put up with it and hope the rest of the series the book is part of will turn out better than it. In the case of The Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys especially, you don't just hope - you pray to God and all that is holy, too!
Trace Carter knows a bullfighting ring is no place for women. Even for tough spitfires like Ava Buchanan - or, rather, especially women like Ava Buchanan. But there's little he can do when Judy Jasper, Mayor of Hell, Texas, pretty much throws Ava and her team at his feet, demanding he trains them for the very thing he refuses to accept. Will he stay true to his opinion and protect the little brunette that seems to grow deeper roots in his heart every time he looks at her? Or will he sacrifice his own heart and freedom to make sure she finally gets her dream - even if it means her leaving him behind in the end?
I'll give it a try to not show my inner bitch yet. So I'll start with the positive parts. Let's see...
Oh, I got it!
Main positive point of the story: Trace. Ok, ok, I usually like the hero more than the heroine, but as I said multiple times, it's because I feel for the poor bastards that have to put up with such shrews. And in Trace's case, he didn't have to deal with just Ava, but also with her teammates and Judy - who will get immensely bashed later, I have so much to blame on her, I can barely hold it in!
Now, Trace is an ex-SEAL turned cowboy. Allow me to break it into parts. Ex-SEAL. Turned. Cowboy.
Uh... fetish combination, anyone?
You bet it is, Sammy boy!
The man was wonderful. A bit of a chauvinist at first glance, but really, it was more of the "women need to be respected and protected and loved" kind of fragility he was talking about, than the "women are effing weaklings who should stay in the kitchen" variety. He was honest and never held his punches, saying things the way they were - well, except for his feelings, but he's a guy, it's not like hugs and emotional talks are a dude thing. He never tried to insult Ava or any other woman, but he was upfront and correct in knowing that bullfighting is dangerous. While he was proven wrong in Ava's case, that doesn't mean he wasn't statistically right - an exception to the rule doesn't make the rule nonexistent.
In truth, Ava was the same in some parts. She, too, would say what she thought was right. In her case, she felt she could pull it off, and she was a hard worker, so yeah, that gave her some points. But she was too opinionated, and never gave Trace a chance to show her the reasons behind his words, or try to see it from his point of view.
On another positive point, the sex scenes were marvellous. The dialogues witty and never boring, and so full of sarcasm they always brought a heavy dose of laughter every other page. And the many puns using the town's name were truly a work of a genius.
But that was about it for the positive side. Let's take a wild walk on the negative parts of Hell. Starting with... the Belles! (ha! you thought I would say Judy, didn't you? no, not yet)
If you except Ava, who at least half of the time showed signs of possessing some kind of brain in her head, Cameron and Harper were like two toddlers pretending to be teenagers. And that, ladies and gentlemen, was unpardonable and unrealistic. Because we're talking about two adult women who have moved to a small town in order to get a proper job and provide themselves a future. Harper even had a kid! Yet the way they acted showed that these two seriously lacked maturity, intelligence, and knowledge of the world (what on Earth, were they living in pink bubbles up till now or something?!). How stupid can they be to ignore trouble when it's staring them in the face? Forget the fact they couldn't sense the Horsemen were dangerous - again, Harper is a mother, shouldn't her 6th sense be much better than this? And their excuse? That Trace's friends didn't ask them out first!
Were they that desperate to find a man, that they'd go out with the first guy who asked them to? Even when a whole town was warning them against such actions, when they knew the guys had tried to slip them rape drugs, they still couldn't get it! And of course, when Trace pointed out that they needed to decide which thing they had come to Hell for - men or riding - they had the nerve to glare at him! Oh, yeah, try to kill the guy with your eyes just because he spoke the truth, slut! I don't care that you haven't lived on the wild side before, when you go somewhere to work, you'd damn well do just that and forget partying! Otherwise, as a character, you're an antiphasis in yourself!
And Judy? Ooooh, Judy, you spiteful middle-aged Barbie, it's your turn now!
Judy was the main reason this story was very close to a failure. A single character nearly destroyed the whole thing - and she wasn't even one of the main heroines!!!
Want to have some kind of image in your head for Mayor Judy? Picture Daniel MacGregor from Nora Roberts's The MacGregors series. The cunning old man who spent the best part of his days thinking of ways to trap his descendants into marriages? Yeah, that one. Now give him blonde hair, frilly dresses, hot pink boots, and... voila! You have Judy!
The woman has to be on the top of my black list right now - not that she'll stay there long, there are many others who will replace her soon. I don't like her ethics, her manipulations, how she thought Hell was her playground... No, no, this wasn't just something I came up with from her actions. She pretty much says so herself, without a single trace of shame!
"It's a free country, Judy. You can't make people do what they don't want to."
"The hell I can't! I've been doing it since you were playing cowboy on a saddle your daddy put on the ground for you."
Oh, but there's more! See, the woman couldn't just say out loud what a conniving bitch she is. So she keeps yapping her trap hole about a female bullfighting team that will make Hell famous, and demanding Trace and his mates taking over the team's training - in other words, to get their hands and consciousness dirtied with blood if (when) something goes south. But the thing is, she doesn't have a plan. She never did! She doesn't care if she gets a riding team or not! Right from the beginning, all she cared about was getting the eligible bachelors of Hell tied down to women SHE had picked out. All this talk about feminism and women strong enough to do anything, only to pretty much hire female riders with the ultimate plan of turning them into brides and housewives!
Anyone else see the fault in all this? Or is it just me?
Furthermore, she's not doing it because she cares about those men. At least the MacGregor patriarch in NR's books did it because of - admittedly misplaced - fatherly love. Judy did it to get back at her nemesis, Ivy, the woman who owns a strip joint just out of town. Why? Because Judy is afraid Ivy will take Steel, Hell's Sheriff and Judy's bang toy, away from her, and wants to minimize her business. No more single men, no more stip joint trips. And she gets her own girly support as a bonus. God, please, strike her down with lightning or something! Woman, if you want to keep your man, then marry the poor chap and stop stringing him along the way it pleases you. She claims to know Steel like no one else, yet the man has been trying to get steady with her for so long, and she doesn't believe his intentions! So she conjures all this madness - the brides, the riding team, bringing down Ivy's business - instead of admitting she loves Steel, marrying him, and making him unavailable for her rival by staking her claim in front of law and God.
Pathetic, childish, stupid - and no one tells her a thing, or tries to stop her! If they do, they immediately get bashed by everyone around them!
I really hope the next books get better. With such a disappointing female cast, Ms. Leonard will have to work hard to keep up with Saint's story, let alone Declan's. It would be a real let-down to see those two grovelling like poor Trace did just because it suits Judy's matchmaking plans...
***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***
Read this and other reviews at: http://cupcakesandpopcorn.wordpress.com/
January 15, 2018
Last of the Red Hot Cowboys is the first book in the Hell’s Outlaw series. It is also the first book I have read by Tia Louise and I am glad I finally read it after grabbing it in 2014. Each book is about one of the brothers in arms that own a Riding Training Center in Hell, TX. A small town of only two-hundred with a mayor who wants to put them on the map.
Ava needed this. To be part of a team of women riders that were going to be bullfighting. Something that hasn’t been done before and it would give her a chance to spread her wings and help her family back in Virginia. This was her chance to do something big. She was on this team called Hell Belles with two other women who needed a chance to prove that bullfighting wasn’t just for men. With the help of the team leader, Mayor Judy this could be epic. But first, they needed to convince Hell’s Outlaws to train them. Soon. She figured out that was going to be the hard part.
There was no way Trace, Declan, and Saint were going to train women. The sport was too dangerous and they didn’t have the first clue on how to train them. Even if they were tough as nails. They still saw them as riders. Event hostesses. Show stoppers but not bullfighters. Especially when Trace was in lust with the petite brunette who looked at him as if she wanted to strangle him on the spot. He couldn’t stand to watch her get hurt. She was too soft. The other two Cameron and Harper were different. They were a bit crazy. Still...he didn’t like this ridiculous idea that his mayor cooked up. And he had a feeling it wasn’t all about putting Hell on the map. Bringing a rodeo to this tiny town. There was something else going on in her blonde little head.
Saint and Ava’s relationship is full of ups and downs. Sideways and backwards. It’s frustrating at times. Crazy at others. Hot at many. These two have to get on the same page. They are both stubborn. They don’t see things the same way. What they do know is that they can’t keep their hands off each other but they need more than that. Can they ever get on the same page or even read the same book?
Overall...I enjoyed it. It was a wonderful start to a new series. I do love my cowboys and there are three hot ones to choose from.
Quotes:
“Hey,” she said, pulling away. “Mind your manners, cowboy.”
“How do you know they’re citronella?”
“Because,” Steel said patiently, “she said she was shopping for citronella candles, and they’re all sitting around in bikinis—”
“I’ll be right there,” Trace said, hanging up his phone. “I’m out of here, fellows,” he called to Declan and Saint.
“What do you mean?”
“We see how you look at Ava,” Declan said. “You look like a starving man at a high-class buffet.”
Ava needed this. To be part of a team of women riders that were going to be bullfighting. Something that hasn’t been done before and it would give her a chance to spread her wings and help her family back in Virginia. This was her chance to do something big. She was on this team called Hell Belles with two other women who needed a chance to prove that bullfighting wasn’t just for men. With the help of the team leader, Mayor Judy this could be epic. But first, they needed to convince Hell’s Outlaws to train them. Soon. She figured out that was going to be the hard part.
There was no way Trace, Declan, and Saint were going to train women. The sport was too dangerous and they didn’t have the first clue on how to train them. Even if they were tough as nails. They still saw them as riders. Event hostesses. Show stoppers but not bullfighters. Especially when Trace was in lust with the petite brunette who looked at him as if she wanted to strangle him on the spot. He couldn’t stand to watch her get hurt. She was too soft. The other two Cameron and Harper were different. They were a bit crazy. Still...he didn’t like this ridiculous idea that his mayor cooked up. And he had a feeling it wasn’t all about putting Hell on the map. Bringing a rodeo to this tiny town. There was something else going on in her blonde little head.
Saint and Ava’s relationship is full of ups and downs. Sideways and backwards. It’s frustrating at times. Crazy at others. Hot at many. These two have to get on the same page. They are both stubborn. They don’t see things the same way. What they do know is that they can’t keep their hands off each other but they need more than that. Can they ever get on the same page or even read the same book?
Overall...I enjoyed it. It was a wonderful start to a new series. I do love my cowboys and there are three hot ones to choose from.
Quotes:
“Hey,” she said, pulling away. “Mind your manners, cowboy.”
“How do you know they’re citronella?”
“Because,” Steel said patiently, “she said she was shopping for citronella candles, and they’re all sitting around in bikinis—”
“I’ll be right there,” Trace said, hanging up his phone. “I’m out of here, fellows,” he called to Declan and Saint.
“What do you mean?”
“We see how you look at Ava,” Declan said. “You look like a starving man at a high-class buffet.”
February 26, 2025
Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys offers a mix of engaging elements, yet it leaves room for improvement. The humor and romance have their moments, but the narrative can feel disjointed. Mayor Judy's character is particularly perplexing; her motivations and schemes are hard to grasp, which adds an air of confusion.
While the story has potential, I struggled to connect with the protagonists. Ava and Trace exhibit great chemistry, though their relationship consists of too much back and forth, creating inconsistency.
Overall, it's an average read, but I’m curious to see how the series unfolds.
While the story has potential, I struggled to connect with the protagonists. Ava and Trace exhibit great chemistry, though their relationship consists of too much back and forth, creating inconsistency.
Overall, it's an average read, but I’m curious to see how the series unfolds.
August 2, 2025
Tina Leonard kicks off the Hell’s Outlaws series with a bang in Last of the Red Hot Cowboys. Packed with fiery banter, unexpected twists, and a heroine who’s as bold as the man trying to win her heart, this book brings the heat—Texas style. The chemistry sizzles, the small-town politics stir up just the right trouble, and the emotional stakes hit home.
For fans of feisty heroines, stubborn heroes, and romances with heart, humor, and high stakes.
For fans of feisty heroines, stubborn heroes, and romances with heart, humor, and high stakes.
June 17, 2014
Book Info
ebook, 264 pages
Expected publication: June 24th 2014 by Loveswept
ISBN 0345549309 (ISBN13: 9780345549303)
edition language English
series Hell's Outlaws #1
other editions None found
Source:Netgalley EARC
Book Buy Links
Amazon
B&N
A sexy cowgirl gives a rugged Texas loner the ride of his life in USA Today bestselling author Tina Leonard’s seductive new series.
Ava Buchanan dreams of a career on the rodeo circuit. Winning a spot on a one-of-a-kind team would be her ticket to the life she’s always wanted. Ava won’t let anyone stand in her way—not even a stubborn cowboy whose slow-molasses smile and red-hot swagger set her senses aflame . . . and whose talents as a trainer could make her a star. Rodeo might be a man’s game, but Ava knows the right woman’s touch can tame the wildest heart.
Trace Carter believes his mayor’s plan to raise the town’s profile has disaster written all over it, and he won’t allow the Hell’s Outlaws Training Center to be dragged into the fiasco. Yet watching Ava’s delectable body on horseback proves too much of a temptation, and his fantasies stray to her riding skills outside the arena. Soon Trace is fighting like hell to rein in his unbridled desire for the petite brunette before it becomes a passion hotter than the Texas sun.
Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from other Loveswept titles.
Hell Texas, small town with a mayor who has big dreams for the future and she will not take no for an answer. Ava Buchanan and Trace Carter are caught in the crossfire when things heat up in Hell!
Having grown up in a family where her brothers were all as stubborn as mules it comes as no surprise when Ava finds Trace to be a challenge, his characters stubborn nature could try the patience of a saint much less a young woman whose dreams are being thwarted by his refusal to help her make them come true!
Trace is one of a group of ex-Seals who have come home to the small town of Hell Texas and set up a training center for teaching the trade of rodeo, something they feel is basically a rough sport best pursued for the most part by men so when approached to take on the female team who wishes to become bull fighters their unequivocal answer is a resounding no.
Not taking no for an answer the female mayor of Hell, who expects her team of the Hell’s Belles to be a drawing card to increase growth for the town, Judy decides to take her three cowgirls to the rival trainers in town which gives Trace and his partners all the incentive they need to change their minds and agree to take on the Belles as clients.
Filled with example after example of just how conniving Mayor Judy can get as well as fireworks between she and Trace as they butt heads while Ava and her two team mates watch from the sidelines you quickly learn that there is more at stake than just creating a team of female rodeo bullfighters, the main idea seems to be to make Hell a more appealing place to raise a family by including more females to the overwhelming population of men that make up the majority of the town’s inhabitants.
There is quite a bit of interesting tidbits that come out as to what motivates Ava so much to want to join such a rough profession, the reasons for her two team members doing so are not quite so clear cut however.
This was a book about a fictional small rough and tumble town in Texas but it could have been about any small town that was trying to develop and grow while attracting attention to itself by providing unique entertainment not found elsewhere. The lure for me was the fact that even though Hell really had nothing to recommend it there was still something about it’s unspoiled countryside that appealed to my love of the outdoors. Plus the incurable romantic in me hoped that Ava’s dreams came true and that she and Trace found a way to make things work between them.
ebook, 264 pages
Expected publication: June 24th 2014 by Loveswept
ISBN 0345549309 (ISBN13: 9780345549303)
edition language English
series Hell's Outlaws #1
other editions None found
Source:Netgalley EARC
Book Buy Links
Amazon
B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS
A sexy cowgirl gives a rugged Texas loner the ride of his life in USA Today bestselling author Tina Leonard’s seductive new series.
Ava Buchanan dreams of a career on the rodeo circuit. Winning a spot on a one-of-a-kind team would be her ticket to the life she’s always wanted. Ava won’t let anyone stand in her way—not even a stubborn cowboy whose slow-molasses smile and red-hot swagger set her senses aflame . . . and whose talents as a trainer could make her a star. Rodeo might be a man’s game, but Ava knows the right woman’s touch can tame the wildest heart.
Trace Carter believes his mayor’s plan to raise the town’s profile has disaster written all over it, and he won’t allow the Hell’s Outlaws Training Center to be dragged into the fiasco. Yet watching Ava’s delectable body on horseback proves too much of a temptation, and his fantasies stray to her riding skills outside the arena. Soon Trace is fighting like hell to rein in his unbridled desire for the petite brunette before it becomes a passion hotter than the Texas sun.
Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from other Loveswept titles.
My Thoughts
Hell Texas, small town with a mayor who has big dreams for the future and she will not take no for an answer. Ava Buchanan and Trace Carter are caught in the crossfire when things heat up in Hell!
Having grown up in a family where her brothers were all as stubborn as mules it comes as no surprise when Ava finds Trace to be a challenge, his characters stubborn nature could try the patience of a saint much less a young woman whose dreams are being thwarted by his refusal to help her make them come true!
Trace is one of a group of ex-Seals who have come home to the small town of Hell Texas and set up a training center for teaching the trade of rodeo, something they feel is basically a rough sport best pursued for the most part by men so when approached to take on the female team who wishes to become bull fighters their unequivocal answer is a resounding no.
Not taking no for an answer the female mayor of Hell, who expects her team of the Hell’s Belles to be a drawing card to increase growth for the town, Judy decides to take her three cowgirls to the rival trainers in town which gives Trace and his partners all the incentive they need to change their minds and agree to take on the Belles as clients.
Filled with example after example of just how conniving Mayor Judy can get as well as fireworks between she and Trace as they butt heads while Ava and her two team mates watch from the sidelines you quickly learn that there is more at stake than just creating a team of female rodeo bullfighters, the main idea seems to be to make Hell a more appealing place to raise a family by including more females to the overwhelming population of men that make up the majority of the town’s inhabitants.
There is quite a bit of interesting tidbits that come out as to what motivates Ava so much to want to join such a rough profession, the reasons for her two team members doing so are not quite so clear cut however.
This was a book about a fictional small rough and tumble town in Texas but it could have been about any small town that was trying to develop and grow while attracting attention to itself by providing unique entertainment not found elsewhere. The lure for me was the fact that even though Hell really had nothing to recommend it there was still something about it’s unspoiled countryside that appealed to my love of the outdoors. Plus the incurable romantic in me hoped that Ava’s dreams came true and that she and Trace found a way to make things work between them.
[EArc from Netgalley in exchange for honest review]
June 23, 2014
Ms. Leonard is an author that I can count on when I want to see a realistic slice of small town living. In this newest release idiosyncrasies and a subtle battle of the sexes is on display and makes for an entertaining read that is only just beginning for a group of battle-weary men and women looking to prove themselves.
Trace has a past he wants to forget. He's tired from all the fighting and comes to this small town to live in peace and quiet with his brothers-in-arms. The introduction of three bold and sassy women doesn't bode well for his peace though as thoughts of the spunky Ava keep him on edge and fighting his long-held beliefs on what a woman can do. Trace has old world charm that's appealing yet frustrating. His arrogance and discounting of a woman's abilities is annoying as well but his aw-shucks attitude made me weak in the knees. He's a true gentleman outside the bedroom but when it comes to sex he's definitely no gentleman as his interludes with Ava are steamy. His interactions with Ava from the very start were full of sexual tension and crackling banter. He may not want to help Ava in the way she expects but he still wants her and their battle was entertaining to witness.
Ava came to Hell believing it was to see her dream of becoming a bull rider come true. Her dream though hinges on a man who thinks women have no business in the ring which leads to a battle of wills, teeming with sexual tension and witty banter. Ava has something to prove, especially after her brother's injury in the ring, and refuses to let Trace stand in her way. His suggestion of an alternate plan fuels the fire between them even more and leads to fireworks in and out of the bedroom. Ava never backed down from him and was more than a match for Trace which made for an entertaining verbal battle. She was immensely likable and easy to admire for the talent she displayed. She brought anything but peace to Trace's life and had me rooting for her from the very first time they met.
The reasons behind these three women coming to town aren't what they appear as Mayor Judy has a hidden agenda, one that left me a bit peeved with her. She wants her small town to flourish but her way of seeing that happen felt deceptive. Her interactions with the Sheriff felt a bit leading as well and further frustrated me. This story started out slow with an overall storyline that felt a bit unbelivable. The hot and cold nature of Trace's feelings for Ava were also frustrating and dragged out the story unnecessarily. The depiction of this small town was vivid courtesy of the colloquialisms used that enhanced the Southern small town feel and added to its charm. The secondary characters weren't as fully fleshed-out as I'd hoped but as this is the first book in the Hell's Outlaws series there's plenty of time for character development in the future. With its fiery banter and engaging main couple this was a good start to a promising new series and I look forward to what Ms. Leonard plans next.
3.75 STARS!
Trace has a past he wants to forget. He's tired from all the fighting and comes to this small town to live in peace and quiet with his brothers-in-arms. The introduction of three bold and sassy women doesn't bode well for his peace though as thoughts of the spunky Ava keep him on edge and fighting his long-held beliefs on what a woman can do. Trace has old world charm that's appealing yet frustrating. His arrogance and discounting of a woman's abilities is annoying as well but his aw-shucks attitude made me weak in the knees. He's a true gentleman outside the bedroom but when it comes to sex he's definitely no gentleman as his interludes with Ava are steamy. His interactions with Ava from the very start were full of sexual tension and crackling banter. He may not want to help Ava in the way she expects but he still wants her and their battle was entertaining to witness.
Ava came to Hell believing it was to see her dream of becoming a bull rider come true. Her dream though hinges on a man who thinks women have no business in the ring which leads to a battle of wills, teeming with sexual tension and witty banter. Ava has something to prove, especially after her brother's injury in the ring, and refuses to let Trace stand in her way. His suggestion of an alternate plan fuels the fire between them even more and leads to fireworks in and out of the bedroom. Ava never backed down from him and was more than a match for Trace which made for an entertaining verbal battle. She was immensely likable and easy to admire for the talent she displayed. She brought anything but peace to Trace's life and had me rooting for her from the very first time they met.
The reasons behind these three women coming to town aren't what they appear as Mayor Judy has a hidden agenda, one that left me a bit peeved with her. She wants her small town to flourish but her way of seeing that happen felt deceptive. Her interactions with the Sheriff felt a bit leading as well and further frustrated me. This story started out slow with an overall storyline that felt a bit unbelivable. The hot and cold nature of Trace's feelings for Ava were also frustrating and dragged out the story unnecessarily. The depiction of this small town was vivid courtesy of the colloquialisms used that enhanced the Southern small town feel and added to its charm. The secondary characters weren't as fully fleshed-out as I'd hoped but as this is the first book in the Hell's Outlaws series there's plenty of time for character development in the future. With its fiery banter and engaging main couple this was a good start to a promising new series and I look forward to what Ms. Leonard plans next.
3.75 STARS!
June 19, 2014
Tina Leonard's Last od the Red-hot Cowboys is book one of her Hell's Outlaws series. This cowboy romance says it all in the title it is one red-hot book. It was a very enjoyable read, full of Texas snark, cowboys and a town full of hard headed stubborn people.
Hell is a speck of a town in Texas, the population is predominantly male. The firecracker of a Mayor has it in her head that she is going to turn things around for town. Mayor Judy Jasper has a long term plan is to turn Hell, Texas into the place to go for rodeo. The first step is to draw attention to the best training facility around, Hell's Outlaws Training Center, and the best way to do that in Judy's mind is to have the best team of female bull fighters or rodeo clowns to the rest of us. The only problem is convincing the three owners of Hell's Outlaws to train them.
Trace Carter knows his mind, and he doesn't change it lightly. Mayor Judy knows he's going to say no to her when she brings in her Hell's Belles and asks him to train her three girls. But Judy always has something up her sleeve and her name is Ava Buchanan. Ava Buchanan is the hottest thing Trace has seen in a long time but he knows Judy has plans and he is determined not to fall into her trap. No matter how hard he tries he can't keep his hands off of her.
Ava Buchanan is just there for a job but Judy's plan isn't going as it should, she's going to hold out until the last possible moment before she give up on her dream. A certain red-hot cowboy who is as stubborn as a mule isn't making things easier. Ava has her own reasons for wanting to be a bull fighter and she's not one to give up easy, and when Trace finally gives in and decides to train her she thinks she finally going to make it. Trace is letting his feelings get in the way and is confused by his strong feelings for Ava.
All the while Ava and Trace are trying to understand their feelings and what they mean to each other Mayor Judy's true intentions come to light. Her plan is like a Peanut M&M it's got this candy coating that's what she tells everyone which is covering the chocolate which is what she really wants but there is this crazy nut reason at the center of all of it. Everyone else's problems get in the way and as typical with small town stories everyone butts in to everyone's business and friends act to what they think is for the best but really just screw things up.
Finally in the end Trace realizes Ava won't give up no matter what and he finally admits his love for Ava, and in true fashion he lets her go. When she doesn't come back is he going to suck it up and accept that or is he going to get his ass up and go after her? The Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys is funny, aggravating, and pretty steamy hot. It is a great introduction to the residents of Hell, Texas and I can't wait until the other boys of Hell's Outlaws get theirs.
Hell is a speck of a town in Texas, the population is predominantly male. The firecracker of a Mayor has it in her head that she is going to turn things around for town. Mayor Judy Jasper has a long term plan is to turn Hell, Texas into the place to go for rodeo. The first step is to draw attention to the best training facility around, Hell's Outlaws Training Center, and the best way to do that in Judy's mind is to have the best team of female bull fighters or rodeo clowns to the rest of us. The only problem is convincing the three owners of Hell's Outlaws to train them.
Trace Carter knows his mind, and he doesn't change it lightly. Mayor Judy knows he's going to say no to her when she brings in her Hell's Belles and asks him to train her three girls. But Judy always has something up her sleeve and her name is Ava Buchanan. Ava Buchanan is the hottest thing Trace has seen in a long time but he knows Judy has plans and he is determined not to fall into her trap. No matter how hard he tries he can't keep his hands off of her.
Ava Buchanan is just there for a job but Judy's plan isn't going as it should, she's going to hold out until the last possible moment before she give up on her dream. A certain red-hot cowboy who is as stubborn as a mule isn't making things easier. Ava has her own reasons for wanting to be a bull fighter and she's not one to give up easy, and when Trace finally gives in and decides to train her she thinks she finally going to make it. Trace is letting his feelings get in the way and is confused by his strong feelings for Ava.
All the while Ava and Trace are trying to understand their feelings and what they mean to each other Mayor Judy's true intentions come to light. Her plan is like a Peanut M&M it's got this candy coating that's what she tells everyone which is covering the chocolate which is what she really wants but there is this crazy nut reason at the center of all of it. Everyone else's problems get in the way and as typical with small town stories everyone butts in to everyone's business and friends act to what they think is for the best but really just screw things up.
Finally in the end Trace realizes Ava won't give up no matter what and he finally admits his love for Ava, and in true fashion he lets her go. When she doesn't come back is he going to suck it up and accept that or is he going to get his ass up and go after her? The Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys is funny, aggravating, and pretty steamy hot. It is a great introduction to the residents of Hell, Texas and I can't wait until the other boys of Hell's Outlaws get theirs.
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