Jodi Thomas

Short and sweet holiday story. Maggie is cleaning up her store, preparing to close for the night, unaware that she is being watched. Outside are three outlaws, intent on robbing her and more. All of them are unaware of Sam's presence. He'd heard the men talking in the saloon and was ready to step in if necessary. While waiting, he remembers back to his childhood. He and Maggie were friends in first grade before her parents sent her away to school. He's never forgotten her and will do what he show more must to protect her. I loved seeing him take two of the three outlaws out, and felt his frustration when the third got away. That particular outlaw is bad news, and both Sam and the sheriff think that Maggie is in danger until he is caught. Sam insists on taking Maggie to his home for safekeeping.

I loved both Maggie and Sam. Both of them are outsiders in their town. Maggie is a combination of bossy and shy and has no friends. She works in her store, and that is her whole life. For years she has kept a journal, chronicling her hopes and dreams, though they have dwindled over the years. Now she has just one wish - to spend a day with a good and loving man. Sam is the strong, silent type. He is a private man who doesn't share much of himself with anyone, even the relations who live in the same canyon. Neither he nor Maggie has ever had a genuine relationship with anyone and have no idea how to go about it.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Sam and Maggie. Their childhood friendship made it easier for them to give in to their yearning for a connection. I laughed at the idea that they would pretend to be married for the time they were together, as that was surely tempting fate. It was sweet to see Sam's gentleness as he gave in to the urge to kiss Maggie. I loved Maggie's surprise at the feelings he aroused in her, and her willingness to explore them further. Each day they were together, the feelings between them grew stronger.

When danger comes knocking at the door, Sam must find a way to hold it off long enough for Maggie to get away. The confrontation is vicious and dangerous. Sam's life is spared only by the arrival of an unexpected ally. I ached for Maggie, who is left wondering first about his safety, then about whether there is a future for her with Sam. I loved that she knew him well enough to understand that anything more would have to come from him. The ending was sweet and romantic.

The secondary characters were not as well developed, but each had an essential place in the story. I liked the old lady, Nina, and her care for Sam and his son. She was quite the character, and I loved how she also took to Maggie, providing her with excellent advice. The sheriff rubbed me the wrong way from the beginning and proved my instincts right by the end. My favorite was Sam's little boy, Wes. He was an adorable child, and I could see that he was Sam's entire world. I loved how Wes and Maggie took to each other so quickly.

This was my first book by Jodi Thomas, but it won't be my last. She has a fantastic way with descriptions. From the blizzard to the description of Sam's home, it was incredibly easy to picture them as I read. I could feel Maggie's fear as she fled with Wes, and I felt each blow as Sam was beaten by the bad guys. show less

Lone Heart Pass
4 Stars

The third installment in Jodi Thomas's Ransom Canyon saga introduces several new characters, but also provides updates on familiar faces. The primary thread focuses on a newcomer to town, Jubilee Hamilton, who is determined to make a go of the ranch she inherited. She hires Charley Collins, an abrasive cowboy whose problematic past with women has left him wary of the opposite sex. This unlikely pair is joined Thatcher Jones, an old soul in a 14-year-old body, who finds show more himself knee-deep in a murder investigation. Finally, changes are afoot for Lauren Brigman and Tim O'Grady now that they have graduated from college and must make plans for the future.

The strength of this series lies in Thomas's characterization. Each and every character, whether major or minor, comes alive on the page, but my favorite in this installment is definitely Thatcher Jones - this kid is a scream!

Jubliee and Charley's opposites attract romance is delightful. Jubilee initially comes across as selfish and conceited, but as readers learn more about her relationships, it becomes clear that her prickliness is a defense mechanism. Underneath her façade lies a strong and caring woman looking for a place to belong and a family to share her life with. Likewise, Charley's abrasiveness conceals a loving yet lonely heart just waiting for its perfect match. It is wonderful to watch these two realize that they are better off together than apart.

While the mystery surrounding the death of the Burlap Map appears to be on the periphery for much of the book, it ultimately draws all of the characters together, and the climax and resolution are intense and exciting if somewhat of an afterthought.

The weakest aspect of the book is, unfortunately, the change in direction for Lauren Brigman and Lucas Reyes. It is difficult to see how these two can get past their differences, especially considering the fact that Lucas has become exceedingly unlikeable over the past two books. To be honest, Lauren deserves better, and I am not sure if any amount of groveling on Lucas's part could ever make up for his selfishness and appalling attitude toward Lauren.

In sum, Ransom Canyon is rapidly becoming my favorite series of the year and I look forward to visiting it again in the next installment. show less

A three-for-one book, with mature love, new love, and second chance love. Oldest brother Griffin and his wife are away from the ranch, visiting her sick father. He's left his two brothers, Elliott and Cooper in charge.

The book opens as Cooper is preparing to leave in a hurry, killing two birds with one stone. He needs to head into the hills and check on the wild mustangs before winter sets in. The local vet is supposed to meet him up there. He is also desperate to get away before his show more sister-in-law's cousins arrive. He's encountered them before and doesn't want to deal with the giggly, party animals again. Cooper gets quite a surprise when he arrives at the cabin and finds a nine-year-old runaway boy named Tatum. Cooper is too soft-hearted to immediately turn the boy into social services, which turns out to be a good thing when Cooper is badly injured in a fall. It's Tatum who finds help in the form of Hayley, veterinarian, and granddaughter of the vet Cooper was expecting.

We also meet Elliott, the middle brother, and ranch business manager. For the most part, Elliott would prefer to work with the books than the cows, but he can do both. Elliott had left college early when his father died, returning to the ranch to help run it. He left behind his fiancée, Jessica, who refused to come with him, telling him he was a fool to give up his education. He's never forgotten her and hasn't gotten involved with anyone since then. He has a lot on his plate with both Cooper and Griffin away, the cousins visiting, and the end-of-year paperwork for the ranch. Griffin hired an accountant to come to the ranch and help with the books. To say that Elliott was surprised to find Jessica sitting at the desk in the study would be putting it mildly.

Then there's the new ranch hand, Tye. He's older, a former rodeo rider and a magician with horses. At his previous job, he was contacted by a Texas Ranger who delivered Tye's "inheritance" from his grandfather, who died in prison. Tye was puzzled by his grandfather's old journal and sketchbook, which talked about a "gift" for Tye, but never comes right out and says where or what it is. He eventually figures out that it's somewhere around Crossroads, Texas, and takes a job at the ranch while he tries to decipher the journal. There he meets the ranch cook, Danielle, a plain-speaking, big-hearted woman that he's immediately drawn to.

I loved the way that the three stories were intertwined throughout the book. Each chapter alternated among the various couples, giving a chance to see the relationship develop as the days progressed. I think Cooper changed the most, from the charming, commitment-free cowboy to a man who was looking for something more. I loved his relationship with Tatum, taking the boy home with him and giving him the kind of attention he needed. I also enjoyed watching his relationship with Hayley grow. Both of them are independent, neither one taking well to being bossed. It was fun to see a little bit of protectiveness come out, though Cooper was smart enough not to push it. There's a great scene at the end between Cooper and the ex-boyfriend who doesn't realize he's an ex. I enjoyed their interactions, as Hayley has just as fun a sense of humor as Cooper does.

Elliott had spent years remembering the way that he and Jess split, still hurt and angry over the way she refused to give even a little when he had to leave school. He remembers her as the one with all the plans, each step of the future all mapped out. When she shows up at the ranch, it's clear that she stuck to those plans and is precisely where she wanted to be. I have to say that Jessica irritated me a bit at first with the way she went on and on about her place in her father's firm and her coworker fiancé. She was cold to Elliott and barely polite to anyone else. But the longer she stayed, the more she loosened up, especially once she and Elliott cleared the air over their breakup. It also became evident that the sparks between Jessica and Elliott were still there. The question was, would Jessica see that sticking to her plan wasn't making her happy? I liked her "aha" moment and seeing her go after the future she wanted.

Tye and Danielle's story was the sweetest. Tye's life has been a transient one with no desire to settle down. He won't even commit to staying long at the ranch, never sure when the urge to leave will hit. But the moment he met Dani, something changed. Dani is the single mother of two adult sons. Her marriage hadn't been a good one and she has no desire ever to marry again. Her boys are not the brightest bulbs in the box, and she took the job as a cook at the ranch to get away from enabling their dependency on her. Dani is surprised to discover that when Tye looks at her, he actually sees her and who she is. She has been used to blending into the background most of her life. I loved watching her bloom under his attention and see herself as a desirable woman. I also liked the way that Dani's attention gave Tye the feeling he could put down roots. Some interesting moments between Tye and Dani's sons created some problems, but peace was restored thanks to a little unexpected interference. I liked the way that Dani helped Tye with his search and loved the surprise that was waiting for him at the end of it.

I loved the wrap-up of the story at Christmas. The family meeting among the three brothers produced a surprise for Tatum and an especially heartwarming moment for Cooper. I loved seeing each couple face the future in their unique styles. None of the women are slackers in making their desires known, and their men are smart enough to follow through. show less

When a Texan Gambles is the second book in Jodi Thomas's Wife Lottery series about three women who were thrown off their wagon train. They banded together, and while searching for the nearest town before running out of supplies, they were accosted by a man who tried to steal what little they had left. In the process of defending themselves, they believed they’d killed the man, so they turned themselves in to the sheriff as soon as they finally found a town. With no body, the sheriff had show more nothing he could charge them with, and with so few women in the area, he knew the men in town wouldn’t stand for keeping the women in jail. However, the women were insistent they needed to be punished, so he concocted a scheme, where he assessed a fine against them instead, then held a lottery. Any man who could pay their fine could put their name in the hat and the winners would then get a bride.

This second book is about Sarah, the weakest of the group of women, who is still recovering from a fever that took her husband and newborn baby just before she was tossed out of the wagon train for being sick herself. Her groom is Sam Gatlin, a legendary bounty hunter who has half the outlaws in Texas gunning for him. The morning after the two are married, Sam gets knifed in the back, leaving Sarah with the duty of pulling out the knife, getting her new husband safely out of town, and doctoring him until he recovers enough to tell her where to go. Afterward, they share several more adventures, including Sam getting shot after being found by another group of outlaws and them rescuing a trio of homeless waifs who claim he’s their father. Along the way, Sam tries to court his new wife, while staying one step ahead of the outlaw who knifed him, a mean, dangerous SOB named Reeves who has a history of torturing and murdering innocent young women. Even if he can take out Reeves, Sam knows that the life he leads will always present a danger to both himself and Sarah if anyone recognizes him and figures out where he lives. Not to mention, Sarah has a fear of him abandoning her, so the long days he would have to spend on the road hunting criminals wouldn’t be ideal. Sam will have his work cut out for him, keeping his new bride safe and creating a happy life for her.

After losing all his family except for a younger sister when he was still just a boy, Sam spent years doing a variety of jobs that eventually led to him becoming a bounty hunter. He’s made a good living at this solitary pursuit, but it’s left him lonely and longing for companionship. When he heard about the wife lottery, Sam impulsively threw his name in the hat and couldn’t believe his luck when he won his favorite of the bunch, a beauty who reminds him of an angel. However, she’s none too eager to share his bed on their wedding night. Then the next morning, he gets himself knifed by an outlaw he’s been hunting. With Sarah’s help, he barely makes it out of the saloon before falling unconscious. He awakens several days later in a place he’s had supplies delivered to in the past and finds that Sarah has done a respectable job of nursing him back to health. But when she starts raving about three kids who are his and nowhere to be found, he thinks he might have married a crazy woman. Eventually they find the children and share in other adventures, but along the way, Sam knows he needs to get Sarah someplace safe before his life as a bounty hunter catches up to them and brings harm to her. Despite his status as a hardened bounty hunter, Sam has a sweet, gentle side. When Sarah makes him promise not to bed her until she’s ready in exchange for saving his life, he patiently waits, while slowly warming her up with kisses and tender caresses. Overall, I loved Sam except for one brief scene where he gets tired of waiting and basically tells Sarah that she’s ready and orders her to bed. Admittedly he’d gotten pretty sexually frustrated by that time, and Sarah did stand up to him, pulling his own gun on him, but I couldn’t help wondering what might have happened if their friend Jacob hadn’t unwittingly interrupted them. It also seemed to come from out of nowhere and was out of character for the man we’d seen up to that point. But at least I can say that after things calmed down, he went right back to being the same sweet Sam.

Sarah has spent her entire life feeling abandoned by everyone who meant anything to her. When she was still quite small, her mother left her on the doorstep of a woman who had no use for kids, so when Sarah was six, she, in turn, handed her over to an elderly lady named Granny Vee, who finished raising her. Then Granny Vee died, leaving Sarah alone, so a neighboring farmer took her as his wife. Their marriage was never based in genuine love and her husband treated her more as someone to simply care for his home and warm his bed, giving little in return. After losing everything during a poor year for crops, her husband made the choice to head west in search of greener pastures, but along the way, he succumbed to a fever and the baby she’d just given birth to died as well. If not for her two friends, Bailee and Lacy, Sarah probably would have died, too. When the sheriff made his decision about the wife lottery, Sarah willingly accepted his verdict, hoping for a better husband than the one she had before. But when her new groom turns up in a saloon with a knife in his back the morning after their wedding and later she finds three children who claim to be his, she believes she’s married a drunken, womanizing lout who’s a magnet for danger. Despite that, Sarah believes it’s her duty to “love” her husband, flaws and all, but the more she gets to know him, the more she realizes that he truly is a good man and begins to genuinely fall in love with him. As they face down one danger after another, she also gradually come to view herself as a much stronger woman than she ever thought she was. Sarah is a sweet heroine with insecurities, but with Sam’s encouragement, she grows into a better version of herself, while slowly coming to trust that Sam won’t abandon her like everyone else has. She also finds the courage to stand by her man and help him win the day against the outlaw Reeves.

Overall, When a Texan Gambles is a great story. Sam is a bit rough around the edges, never having had a woman to bring any softness into his life. When the loneliness gets the best of him, he knows he wants someone to share his life with, even though he’s aware that he’s not good enough for the likes of an angel like Sarah. Sarah has been through a lot in her life and just wants someone to truly love her and treat her like she belongs to him. Together, they make a well-matched couple whose story is engaging and adventurous. I came very close to giving the book the full five stars, but that one slip-up from Sam was rather bothersome in the moment and so out of character for him that I couldn’t quite reconcile it with the man he was both before and after. One other reason I dropped the half-star is that for a book that was released by a major publishing house, it contained a surprising number typos and other errors that could be rather distracting. I was also slightly disappointed that Bailee and Lacy didn’t make any appearances. The only common character is Jacob, a Texas Ranger who appeared in the first book and who becomes the hero of the fourth and final book of the series, The Texan’s Reward. Other than my couple of minor complaints, though, I very much enjoyed the story and look forward to continuing the series. show less