Texas Twist by Cynthia D'Alba (Promo, excerpt, review and GIVEAWAY)

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Texas Twist

Real bad boys can grow up to be real good men.

Hit hard by the death of her parents, Paige Ryan needs to figure out what to do with her life. She moves to Whispering Springs, Texas, to be near her step-brother. But just as she starts to get her life on track, the last man she ever wanted to see again sends it right back off the rails.

Cash Montgomery was on the cusp of having it all. Three bull riding titles, fame, fortune and respect from his family. Until a bad bull leaves him injured, angry and searching for comfort at the bottom of a bottle. With nowhere to go, he moves into his sister-in-law’s old ranch house in Whispering Springs—which he’s surprised to find already occupied.

As Cash rebuilds the dilapidated home and Paige starts out on her medical career, their old friendship begins to reemerge and sparks are ignited. Paige knows that Cash is nothing but a heartache waiting to happen. But maybe this bad boy has grown up to be a real good man?

Warning: Watch out for falling lumber, falling in holes, and falling for the wrong guy…again. You can leave your hard hat on.

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Excerpt


TEXAS TWIST
Copyright © 2014 Cynthia D'Alba

All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication

They headed out and Paige made her way over to Cash’s table. 

She’d been fourteen when she’d first watched him ride a bull and sixteen before she’d gotten the nerve to talk to him. At eighteen, she’d taken him to her bed. Seven years had passed since that night.
 
Looking at him tonight, those must have been seven long and hard years.
 
He looked tired and damaged. And hell, maybe more than a little dangerous to her heart. His face was grooved with wrinkles, far too many for a man of twenty-nine.
 
She rolled her fingers into her palm to keep from brushing his blond hair off his forehead. He needed a haircut, but then he probably needed a lot of things she couldn’t provide.
 
“Ready to get our guest in bed?” Donald said as he reentered the bar.
 
When she nodded, he locked the front door and headed to the booth.
 
“What do I need to do?” she asked.
 
“Get his hat. I’ve got him.” He grabbed Cash’s arm and threw him over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. “And get the door.”
 
Paige retrieved Cash’s Stetson and hurried to the back exit. She followed the huge man through the door and locked it behind them. Donald climbed the back steps to a small efficiency apartment. He dropped Cash on the twin bed.
 
“That it? If so, I’m heading home.”
 
“Thanks, Donald. Goodnight.”
 
He closed the door as he exited, leaving her and her emotions in turmoil.
 
She glanced down. Strands of wavy hair flopped over Cash’s brow. With no one to remind her she was supposed to hate him, she brushed them back, studying the man she’d known so long ago.
In his alcohol-induced sleep, the creases in his brow didn’t seem so deep now. The etched furrows on either side of his lips eased into soft lines. But the dark circles under his eyes remained. Black and foreboding.
 
She pulled his dirty boots off and set them on the floor. She unbuckled the massive silver belt buckle and left his belt hanging free.
 
“You’re a son of a bitch, Cash Montgomery,” she whispered. “You destroyed my dreams the way Bad Bob destroyed yours. But seeing you like this kills me. I hope you can find the way back so I can kick your ass without feeling guilty.”
 
Then she leaned over and kissed his lips.

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Award winning author Cynthia D’Alba was born and raised in Arkansas. After being gone for seventeen years, she’s thrilled to be back home living on the banks of an eight-thousand acre lake. When she’s not reading, writing or plotting, she’s doorman for her two dogs, cook, housekeeper and chief bottle washer for her husband and slave to a noisy, messy parrot. She loves to chat online with friends and fans

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My review:

Texas Twist by Cynthia d’Alba is Book 4 of the ‘Texas Montgomery Mavericks’ series, centering on bull-rider Cash Montgomery who is struggling to come to terms with the effects of the severe injuries he sustained.  An unexpected housing arrangement pairs him up with the woman who he treated quite poorly several years ago, Paige Ryan.  Paige is still reeling from the recent tragic loss of her parents and is delighted when she’s offered a place to live by Caroline, Cash’s sister-in-law, even though it’s in a run-down house.  Unfortunately, her new roommate won’t be as easy to handle as the dust and cobwebs she industriously eliminates, especially since he is determined to wallow in a pity-party, unless she can use her education and her heart to give him a new lease on life.

This delicious contemporary western romance has a wonderful combination of heart and heat blended into a great story that explores the challenges of life after tragedy.  Each of the main characters has to deal with significant wounds, whether physical or emotional, and the parallel between their lives and the condition of the house that they end up occupying is a nice visual.  I was a little curious how things ended up after the major climactic scene but it was definitely an exciting way to end the story.  I had no trouble reading this as a stand-alone and getting enthralled by the story which will delight current fans of the author and undoubtedly garner her many more.  I am behind in getting to know the rest of the Montgomery siblings but definitely want to rectify that, since the glimpses of them in this story makes me want to learn more about their individual stories as well!

A copy of this title was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.