Book Review: One Tough Cowboy by Lora Leigh, Veronica Chadwick

One Tough Cowboy by Lora Leigh and Veronica Chadwick is the first in a new series. For as long as Samantha can remember, Hunter—a man as strong as steel, with a heart of gold—has been her hero. It came as no surprise to Samantha when she found out that the ranch-hardened cowboy who always protected her from bullies went on to become the town’s sheriff. What does surprise her is how incredibly hot he still is. And how much she still wants him. Hunter still has feelings for Samantha. The long-smoldering heat of their innocent flirtation has grown into a full-raging fire. But when tragedy strikes, and their small-town community is shattered, Hunter vows to do everything he can to keep his childhood sweetheart safe. But can Samantha trust that Hunter has her best interests at heart…and that, after all these years, his love is true?

One Tough Cowboy is a series starter that does a good job of introducing a town and secondary characters. I liked the small town and the cast of characters, including those that only made their appearances as the dangerous aspects of the story really ramped up. I liked the connection between Sam and Hunter, but felt that so much was left out of the relationship and character building between these two because of their history. I felt like even though the past was explained and some fun moments were told through out the story, that there could have been more of something there- almost like that history was a short cit to get them into bed quicker. I am not saying that it was bad, but that for some reason I just never connected  with the story on that level. I liked the characters individual, and their interactions, but wanted a little more relationship building. I would have loved to see more of Sam's life as well, maybe a moment of her time in Detroit or dealing with the ex, to give what comes next more meaning and impact. I still enjoyed the read, but felt like there was so much room for it to be even better.

One Tough Cowboy is a book that will please fans of the authors, and has a good balance of heat and danger.