Early Book Review: Cowboy's Texas Rescue by Beth Cornelison

Cowboy's Texas Rescue by Beth Cornelison is the third contemporary romance in the Black Ops Rescues series. It is scheduled for release on February 19 2013. I did not read the two previous books, and did not feel like I lost anything from this book because of that lack. Jake Connelly lives to protect the innocent and take out the bad guys. He devotes his life to it. But, as he is hurrying home to visit with his critically ill father he is waylaid by a lady in distress and a murderous escaped convict. Chelsea Harris is recovering from her mother's serious health scare and a bad break up. As she hurries to get gas and to her parent's home before some nasty weather hits she is car jacked and put into serious danger. Can the two save each other in more ways than one?

I read Cowboy's Texas Rescue in one night. It was a quick read, but not due to any faults, rather because I just wanted to keep turning those pages to see how we might reach the end. Jake is a wounded alpha male, out to save the world because of a past tragedy. You know that hero, but he also has a quick wit and fun personality that makes him more than the stereotype. Chelsea is the self deprecating heroine, who has lost confidence in her appearance due to a crummy ex. Yup, again a character that should be boring, but her sardonic wit and ability to think beyond the moment of crisis to find logical solutions makes her more that expected. The danger they find themselves in, their skills, and their banter made this a fun read that made me hold my breath during a couple moments of serious danger for the pair, and those around them. There were only two things that bothered me with the book, both of which are extremely common in romance. One was Chelsea's thoughts about how great looking Jake was, and how he would have no interest in her because of her looks. The other issue was when the pair decided that it would be a good idea to get intimate when in serious danger. I know fear makes people do questionable things, but for two people that had been so practical and pragmatic it just did not work for me.

I recommend Cowboy's Texas Rescue to readers that have already read the two other books in the series, fans of Cornelison's writing, and those that like romance laced with danger and action. It was a read I did not want to put down, even with the couple things that bothered me. Not something I would add to my permanent collection, but a great weekend, vacation, or simply entertaining read.