Reckless in Texas

This is my first read by Kari Lynn Dell and it totally rocked! It was entertaining, informative, exciting and heartfelt. First off, I want to congratulate this the author. She is a cancer survivor and continued to write this book all throughout her treatments. I greatly admire your courage and strength and pray you remain cancer-free! RECKLESS IN TEXAS was not anything like I was expecting. I thought this book would be about another cocky rodeo circuit rider with women in every town and not a care in the world for anyone or anything. And I’m glad I was wrong. Joe is a bullfighter; he helps distract the bulls when a bull rider gets into trouble. He’s not just some buckle-bunny chasin’ cowboy. He has a strong sense of loyalty and pride in his profession. He has respect for the rodeo sport and for animals. But Joe also has a lot of baggage from growing up in a broken home, which causes his inability to create meaningful relationships, whether it be familial, romantic or even platonic. Violet is a tough-as-nails pickup man(lady); which is a horseback rider that rides in to help bareback, bronc and bull riders get away from danger faster. She is part owner in her family’s rodeo business and has an adorable son that’s five going on 35. When one of the bullfighters in her rodeo gets hurt, Violet scrambles to find a replacement to finish out the season’s events. What Violet doesn’t expect is that the guy she just hired has switched places with Joe Cassidy, a well-known and seasoned bullfighter with a smirk on his face and a hop in his step. This man could charm the jewels off a crown…and Violet is finding him very, very hard to resist. I really enjoyed the story. I loved learning about the behind-the-scenes action of a rodeo and how important the animals are and the importance of bullfighters and pickup men. I felt this aspect gave the story so much more depth. I also loved Violet. She’s strong, self-sufficient, hardworking and I admired her so much. I want to be her. Well, maybe without all her intimacy mishaps! Which ranged from the slightly mild to the MMA cage action style. I though Joe was a strong character and I did like him, but I found myself drawn to Violet’s quiet cousin, Cole. I hope he gets a book! And if so, *note to the author: Elizabeth would be a great name for his heroine! Just saying :) The secondary characters were awesome. I love Joe’s best friend Wyatt. He is charismatic, way too smart to be a bullfighter and he seemed to have supernatural powers with all the things he was able to accomplish. I’m definitely curious about the lady that will capture his eye. He surely deserves a happily ever after. Violet also has a friendly relationship with her son’s father Delon. They parent Beni (their son) well and it was nice to see. Some serious things happened at the end of this book that greatly affect Delon in the next one and I’m very interested to learn more about him, his brother Gil and the rest of the Sanchez family. Overall, this is a solid story with strong characters, great chemistry and a lot of heart. ***I want to thank the publisher for generously offering me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All conclusions reached are my own***

Reckless In Texas is the definition of home. A place where there is a close knit community, where family ties are abundant and where friendships are built to last. Kari Lynn Dell created a world where hard work is not frowned on and the good times are just as prevalent as the hard ones. Violet is a woman on a mission. Joe is on the lookout for an escape route from his overpowering life. I liked her strength of character and her fiery spirit. Her personality was a great outlet for Joe's arrogance. His cocky, standoff personality added to the friction of these two. The combustible energy hovered like a thunder cloud waiting to let loose.

Loved it! Amazing detail and knowledge of the rodeo circuit and rodeo life; the personalities, quirks, and feel of western people and life as they live it. I love that your stories cover so much ground without being repetitive and saying the same scenario in 132 different ways. Your creative saying make me laugh.