Katie Lane

Fun book and good start to the series. Olivia is the stepdaughter of the man who started French Kiss, a lingerie company. She grew up working for the company, being groomed by her stepfather to take it over. But when he died, he left the company to his three nephews instead. Olivia is determined to buy their shares and go back to what she was meant to do.

Deacon and his three brothers have grown up in Louisiana. There is bad blood between them and their uncle, so they are stunned to learn of show more their inheritance. Each has their own projects underway and could use the money that Olivia is offering. But Deacon has two things on his mind: First, a chance to get revenge on Olivia and his uncle for something that happened in the past, and second, a feeling that there is more going on than meets the eye. So he shows up in San Francisco, ready for battle.

The book started out fun and maintained the fun along with passion and a bit of mystery. The sparks flew between Olivia and Deacon from the moment she showed up in Louisiana, though neither is happy about it. Once Deacon arrives in San Francisco, he discovers that the company is actually in trouble, and his instinct to protect and rescue is awakened. He decides that he's not quite ready to sell out, and instead takes over the business side. Though initially ticked off by his actions, Olivia quickly discovers that Deacon knows what he's doing.

I liked both Deacon and Olivia. Olivia is stubborn, beautiful and creative. Though business isn't really her strong point, she wants to bring the company back from the brink of bankruptcy because of the wonderful memories of her time with her stepfather. Her first love is design, but she believes that she isn't good at it, so she has put those dreams aside. Deacon's arrival upends her plans, as she fights her attraction to him at the same time she has to try to work with him. Deacon is a smart, sexy and focused. He's got his own development company in Louisiana, but the challenge of saving French Kiss is too much to resist. He quickly loses his thirst for revenge, and instead finds his protective instincts roused by Olivia.

I enjoyed the development of their relationship. They butt heads a lot at the beginning, their antagonism fueled by an underlying attraction that both try to resist. Once they decided they were on the same side, their connection grew quickly. I especially loved seeing Deacon discover the woman underneath the business façade. From his support of her creative side to wanting to show her the world outside the company, he found himself wanting more than just the passion that flared between them. I also enjoyed seeing Olivia realize that there was much more to Deacon than the backwoods Louisiana hillbilly that she had believed him to be. But both also have a fair share of pride, and admitting to their feelings and accepting the vulnerability that means, is something that is hard to do. Some misunderstandings push them apart until each realizes the truth of what they want for their futures. I loved their big moments at the end, which were both funny (airport) and romantic (fashion show).

There was also some mystery behind the problems at French Kiss. Deacon stumbled upon one employee who appeared to be working with someone else to bring down the company. This would force Olivia to sell it for pennies on the dollar. With the help of Jason, company lawyer, and Kelli, Olivia's PA, Deacon also discovers that someone is skimming money from the company, adding to its problems. The resolutions of both these issues turned out to be different than I expected, adding an extra layer of enjoyment to the book.

The secondary characters all added extra fun to the story. Babette, the French designer that Olivia found to design a line of men's underwear, was hilarious with her over-the-top dramatics and her horrible designs. I loved Deacon's reactions to those. Olivia's PA, Kelli, was a hoot with her not quite office appropriate clothing and outspoken personal revelations. Her developing relationship with Jason was fun to see. I loved Olivia's aging hippie neighbors and their unique dress code. They were a little flaky, but also fond of Olivia and watched out for her. The juicer man and the seagull, Jonathan, turned out to be more important than I expected. But my favorites were Deacon's brothers, Nash and Grayson. Both are just as sexy as Deacon, and have more in the way of blatant charm. Though they don't always agree with Deacon, they support him anyway. I loved their part in discovering Olivia's talent. I can't wait to read their stories. show less

A Match Made in Texas is another humorous installment in Katie Lane's zany and romantic Deep in the Heart of Texas series. In this latest outing, Brianne Cates' brothers exile her to Bramble to keep a brewing scandal at bay. But little do they realize their sweet, demure sister is, in actuality, a thrill-seeking adrenaline junkie who thrives on adventure. So when an irritating driver gets on Brianne's last nerve, she winds up in an exciting high speed(ish) chase with local sheriff Dusty show more Hicks. One impetuous and ill thought out decision later and Brianne is unceremoniously hauled off to jail by the irate sheriff. But things really heat up between this ill-matched but passionate couple when Brianne's community service puts them in very close proximity.

Family expectations clash with Brianne's adventurous nature and she has been living a secret life in order to keep the peace. When her slimy ex posts pictures of her on the web, Brianne's brothers are in damage control mode and she goes along with their plan in an effort to keep the rest of her activities under wraps. Brianne is also hoping getting out from under her family's watchful eyes will give her the space she needs to figure out what she wants to do with her life. What she wants is not necessarily what is expected of her and her time in Bramble provides her with the opportunity to stretch her wings. Will Brianne follow her heart or will she continue to be let her family's opinions guide her decisions?

Dusty's marriage to a wealthy socialite ended in a nasty divorce and bitter custody battle, so he has zero patience for Brianne's antics. But Brianne is full of unexpected surprises and he soon realizes that he has misjudged her. Dusty is taken off guard by his attraction to her and after they impulsively give in to their passion, they are inseparable. But once Dusty realizes that Brianne has been keeping something from him, will he give up on their budding romance?

Dusty and Brianne are passionate, vibrant characters with strong personalities and they both bring some emotional baggage into their relationship. Brianne has a little growing up to do and she also becomes conscious of the fact that some of Dusty's preconceived ideas about her have some truth to them. Dusty might be divorced but he still has to contend with his ex as he fights for more time with his young daughter. Dusty and Brianne's relationship is tenuous and it is surprisingly easy for them both to walk away at the first sign of trouble.

As with the other books in the Deep in the Heart of Texas series, Miss Hattie's Henhouse and its eclectic residents play small, but crucial roles in the unfolding story. While most of Dusty and Brianne's relationship takes place in Bramble, Minnie's matchmaking helps bring them together initially. There are also a few brief guest appearances by brothers Brant, Beau and Billy, but the glimpses of youngest brother Beckett are the most intriguing.

A Match Made in Texas is a wildly sexy romance with a beautiful love story but it is also a tremendous journey of self-discovery for both Dusty and Brianne. The love scenes between Dusty and Brianne are deliciously naughty, their dialogue is delightfully witty and there are also a few poignant moments between them as well. The cast of characters is a bit quirky but lovable. The storyline is fast-paced and appealing with a secondary story arc that stirs up a bit of trouble for the residents of Bramble. A fun-filled and heartwarming stop in Katie Lane's Deep in the Heart of Texas series that old and new fans definitely do not want to miss. show less

Fun book about two people who are very different and what happens when they find each other. Jac is desperate to get married. Her late aunt had stipulated in her will that Jac had to be married to inherit and she is running out of time. She has tried twice, but each time chickened out at the last minute. Her latest attempt sends her off in a Halloween blizzard, where she promptly wrecks her car. Fortunately for her, she is rescued by a kilt-wearing vampire - at least that's what she show more thinks.

Patrick has just come home from a Halloween party and is still wearing his kilt and the realistic fangs when Jac bursts into his life. She has him so flummoxed that he forgets about the fangs when the urge strikes to kiss her and is dismayed when she faints. After realizing that she's injured, he takes care of her, until the sparks between them flare up again. The heat generated between them makes an impression on both of them. But when Jac wakes up in the morning, Patrick isn't there, but a local deputy has found her wrecked car and gave Jac a lift into town. Patrick is stunned to find her gone when he gets back from a grocery run.

A month later, neither has been able to forget the other, but Jac has an unexpected reminder. While she plans to keep the baby, she's determined to return to Denver to see Patrick again and exorcise him from her mind. However, things don't go quite the way she planned.

I really liked Patrick. He's a straightforward kind of guy who doesn't play games. He isn't interested in getting married, but he does like the ladies. His aunt is determined to see him hitched and has been throwing women at him left and right. They make such an impression on him that he can't even remember their names - though he has no trouble remembering Jac's. He's also serious, hard-working, and an animal lover.

I had a little more trouble warming up to Jac. She first gives the impression of being a materialistic ditz. She goes on and on about doing whatever she has to in order to get her aunt's money, even possibly marrying older men that she doesn't care about. Then there's her wild imagination. Patrick is a vampire, there's a man trying to kill her for her inheritance, and it was Bigfoot that made her run off the road. Her attempt at a disguise to see Patrick was laughable as was the story she concocted. But as the book went on, things about her past make her actions a little more understandable.

I enjoyed the development of their relationship. The sparks between them haven't died down any, and they aren't all the attraction variety. There is also a good bit of antagonism as Jac insists that she'll raise the baby on her own and Patrick isn't having it. He wants to be a father to their child. He proposes they get married, and since that suits her needs, Jac agrees. But things don't immediately become unicorns and roses. Patrick immediately returns to his workaholic ways, and a bored Jac is sure to get into trouble. Her methods are a bit manipulative, which comes back to bite her when Patrick finds out. But a good Irish vs. Scottish shouting match brings about compromise and meeting of minds. I loved seeing Jac and Patrick get to know each other and enjoy spending time together, not just in bed. What neither expected was actually to fall in love, and neither quite knew what to do about it. Unfortunately for Jac, she had never told Patrick her initial reason for agreeing to the marriage, and when he finds out, the hurt and anger are intense. I ached for both of them during that confrontation. I loved the advice that Patrick got and what he did with it. The ending was awesome.

The secondary characters were the icing on the cake of the story. Patrick's Aunt Wheezie was a hoot with her machinations. She was an interfering old lady, but her heart was in the right place. Jac's sister Bailey was as pragmatic as Patrick, but she was also very protective of Jac. I loved the way she rode to the rescue when Jac first returned to Denver. Her meeting with Patrick and his brothers was great. I also loved their friend Gerald. He was a great foil for Patrick's over-the-top alpha maleness. One of my favorite characters was the street bum with the long white beard who kept turning up. It was pretty obvious who he was, and I loved each of his appearances. The rest of Patrick's family were fun and crazy and obviously loved each other. Their Christmas craziness was fantastic. show less

Plenty of humor, a big dose of down home charm and an eccentric cast of characters are a winning combination in Flirting with Texas. Katie Lane’s newest release in her fabulous Deep in the Heart of Texas series takes readers back to Bramble, TX where Jenna Jay Scroggs and Beauregard “Beau” Cates fight their way to happily ever after.

Jenna left Bramble and her family behind when she moved to New York City with her rocker boyfriend Davy. At odds with her family over her relationship show more with Davy, their disagreement has led to a yearlong estrangement. Miss Minnie (from the infamous Miss Hattie’s Henhouse) has devised a plan to bring her home and as a favor to her, Beau agrees to track down Jenna while he’s in NYC for a bull riding event. The sparks are soon flying between Beau and Jenna and they have their hands full fighting their attraction (and matchmakers) when they are kidnapped and taken back to Bramble.

Beau and Jenna are wonderful characters and I really enjoyed them together as a couple. Jenna is passionate about her causes and a staunch defender of the underdog. She loves her family, but she does not quite fit in with them. While she is satisfied with her life in New York, meeting Beau makes Jenna a little nostalgic for the family and small town she walked away from.

Beau is charming and good natured but behind that big old grin he flashes lies a pretty complicated past. A cancer survivor, Beau is living life to the fullest as he travels from place to place. Jenna is NOT his type, but he does not let this deter him from pursuing the leggy blond.

Neither Beau nor Jenna plan on staying long in Bramble, but leaving is more difficult than they imagined. An overheard conversation takes Jenna by surprise and she begins digging into her past. An accidental discovery by Beau about someone close to him leads to a surprising realization about a past decision of his.

The romance between Beau and Jenna is sweet and sexy. There is plenty of chemistry between them and the sexual tension between them is positively combustible. Their relationship is on again/off again for much of the story as they deal with their personal issues but they do share some sizzling hot encounters.

In Flirting with Texas Katie Lane once again brings the town of Bramble and its inhabitants vibrantly to life. Fun, flirty and thought-provoking, this engaging romance will delight old and new fans of the Deep in the Heart of Texas series and leave them eagerly anticipating the next installment. show less