The Last Cowboy in Texas

A cowboy and a country singer find love in Lane’s sweet, funny seventh Deep in the Heart of Texas contemporary (after A Match Made in Texas). Vocalist Starlet (yes, that’s her real name) Brubaker is kidnapped from one of her performances. The tough former Marine who rescues her is none other than Beckett Cates; he may be big and strong now, but Starlet remembers him as the skinny teen she nicknamed Becky. Beckett’s time in Afghanistan has changed him, but not made him immune to Starlet’s charms. As Beckett tries to protect Starlet, the two become lovers, but their blossoming romance is complicated by Starlet’s longstanding crush on Beckett’s brother. When Starlet goes missing again, Beckett realizes that he’ll do anything for her, even if she doesn’t love him. Humor is never in short supply, especially when Starlet revisits her aunt’s old whorehouse and the aging women who resided there. Subplots involving other residents of tiny Bramble, Tex., add dimension to this tender romance enlivened with a touch of mystery.[em] (Dec.) [/em]