The
Billionaire
When
New York billionaire John Carruth is summoned to No Chance, Texas to save the
local rodeo he has no idea he is going home. Now the long-lost twin to the
town’s favorite son is determined to win over the people he left behind—and
capture the heart of Chloe Winters, a Texan who has her own ideas of what it
means to be part of a small town.
The
Bull Rider
Jake
Fitzgerald, champion bull rider, didn’t know he had another half. John may be
kin, but he’s still a stranger in these parts. With his billionaire brother
hell-bent on changing Jake’s world, Jake knows he has to take a stand. Will he
choose family—or will he take a chance on Erin O’Donovan, a woman who has
always meant family to him?
Title:
Heart of a Bull Rider*| Author: Tina Leonard | Publisher: Harlequin | Release Date: May 2015| Genre: Contemporary Romance | Source: MLM Media Relations| Rating: 4
*Previously
Released as The Texas Twins
I
love it when a book is two novellas-in-one, and Heart Of A Bull Rider (previously released as The Texas Twins in 2009) is exactly that.
The Billionaire— John Carruth,
a billionaire from New York, has been brought to No Chance, Texas to save the
rodeo although the residents of No Chance, unbeknownst to John, is actually
bringing the New Yorker home to meet the twin brother he never knew he had.
Along the way, he falls for Chloe, the town’s lawyer.
The Bull Rider—Jake
Fitzgerald, champion bull rider and the town’s favorite son, had no idea that
John was his twin brother until the local rodeo clown ran his mouth. Now the
brother he never knew existed is threatening to change his town. When Jake packs
up and moves to the next town, he thinks that he’ll be there with Erin, the local
doctor he’s been crazy about for as long as he can remember, although she’s
packed up and moved back to No Chance. What he finds in Farmbluff is a lot more
than he was expecting.
I’m
a bit on the fence about this one.
John’s
story was interesting. City-boy-turned-cowboy is always a fun trope to read but
I don’t feel as though we got to see much of John. The Billionaire felt rushed in parts and the conflict between John
and Chloe was almost nonexistent. The chemistry between John and Chloe felt a
little forced.
It
almost felt as though the author was trying to squeeze too much information
into a 109-page novella and the characters and romance suffered.
Like
John, Jake’s trying to figure out how to deal with a newly found brother.
Although he’s also trying to figure out his place in No Chance as well as where
he stands with Erin. Add in the fact that he’s just met his newly discovered
father, so Jake’s dealing with a lot of emotional turmoil. The residents are
also playing matchmaker, making Jake feel a bit manipulated.
I
really enjoyed Jake’s story. The flow was better. And now that the
plot/town/characters were set, I felt that the author had more time to develop the
romance between Erin and Jake.
I really
would have liked to have seen both plotlines developed into a full length novel.
I think if they would have been combined into a FLN, the start wouldn’t have
been as choppy.
Overall,
I liked both stories. I thought the first could have been smoothed out a bit
better, but both were fun, quick reads.
ABOUT THE COVER:
The
cover features real-life professional bull rider Reese Cates, whose father and
grandfather both rode professionally before him. Reese says he was riding
horses before he could walk (his mother, aunts and grandmother were all barrel
racers). He competes as a part of the Professional Bull Riders, which includes
more than 600 bull riders from the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Mexico and Australia.
To learn more about Reese, follow him on Twitter: @reesecates. For more information
about the Professional Bull Riders, visit www.pbr.com.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR:
USA Today Bestselling
and award-winning author Tina Leonard
has sold over 3 million copies of her titles. She has made the USA Today Bestseller, Waldenbooks,
Bookscan, and Ingrambook lists, and has written and contracted 71 books and
special projects. She is best known for her sparkling sense of humor, endearing
communities, snappy dialogue, and memorable characters that include sexy hunks
with attitude and heroines with plenty of sass. For more information, visit www.tinaleonard.com or follow her on
Twitter: @Tina_Leonard
TINA
LEONARD’S
Pico de
Gallo
This isn’t my recipe per se, I learned
it from my housekeeper and have sort of adapted it. But we love it because it’s
fresh! You’ll want:
• 3-5 tomatoes (we use the Roma or pear
tomatoes. They’re usually cheaper and have a nice, firm skin. Dice them up by
hand.
• Diced onion, either yellow or white.
Lots of it. It’s good! Again, dice, dice!
• Fresh cilantro. Cut the stems off and
use the leaves, dicing them to your preference. Be sure it’s fresh. If it’s
brown, toss it!
• A Serrano pepper. Some folks use
different kinds of peppers, but I like this spicy little devil! We had to start
off using only a half a Serrano, because we’re timid that way. The Serrano is
what gives your recipe the kick-ass! Be sure to slice it so that you get the
seeds out, and dice the pepper itself up fine! We’ve graduated to about ¾ of a
Serrano—the heat is up to you!
• Sea salt to taste!
• Fresh lime juice, squeezed right into
the bowl and mixed in with the vegetables.
Hello Lovelies! This recipe was so
simple and easy to make. It’s fresh, tasty, and goes brilliant with my favorite
blue corn chips. While I do love hot
peppers, Serrano peppers give me the hives and I couldn’t get my hands on a jalapeno
so I used a green bell pepper instead. For the cilantro, I used a palm full of leaves
finely chopped.
All you need are these 6 things, and
you’ve got yum! I use blue corn organic chips for dipping because we like those
best, but pick your own favorite and enjoy!
And then, because I had to know—what
does a Bull Rider taste like? Well, according to several drink-mixing websites,
here are two standard kinds of Bull Riders!
Bull
Rider Drink #1
1
shot Amaretto (optional),
1
shot Crown Royal,
1
shot Jack Daniels
In
a large shot glass, first put the Jack Daniels, followed by the shot of Crown,
then use the Amaretto last. For a stronger version, don't use the Amaretto, as
it masks the flavor of the other two.
Bull
Rider Drink #2
1
oz Malibu® coconut rum
1
oz coffee liqueur
1/2
oz creme de bananes
2
splashes Jagermeister® herbal liqueur
fill
with half-and-half
Mix
all ingredients well and enjoy!
So if you ever wondered what a Bull
Rider tastes like, you can mix one up in your own home or order one in a bar
and a Bull Rider will be yours!
So, my lovelies, have you dashed to Walmart to
pick up your collector's edition copy of Heart Of A Bull Rider with the wickedly handsome PBR Reese
Cates gracing the cover? Have you ever tasted a Bull Rider? Or do you plan to try
your hand at making this lush recipe?
