Tempting Texas

The satisfying third Rebel Moonshine contemporary western romance (after Red-Hot Texas Nights) returns to Rebel, Tex., to match up two flawed, likable protagonists. Hunter DeMassi, a member of the Sawyer family, is the Rebel sheriff; he’s given up his rodeo-riding ways after the death of his brother. While dodging dangerous miscreants, he ends up in the rundown home of Jenna Tucker, a vet at the local clinic. Hunter is dismayed by his instant attraction to Jenna, since she doesn’t fit the model of perfect upstanding womanhood that he believes he should look for in a mate—not to mention the long-standing feud between the Sawyers and the Tuckers. Jenna knows that underneath Hunter’s starched sheriff’s uniform, he’s just the sort of tough guy she’s sworn off of. But they can’t deny the sizzling heat whenever they are together. As Jenna continues to clean out the family home to ready it for demolition, she uncovers some secrets of Hunter’s great-grandmother’s past that help her realize how to embrace her future. Quirky small-town life adds flavor to this charming, sexy story. Agent: Natasha Kern, Natasha Kern Literary. (Nov.)