Review Tour: 5 Stars for Justified (Loveless, Texas #1) by Jay Crownover

We are so excited to
celebrate the release of

JUSTIFIED by Jay Crownover
by being part of the blog tour today!

JUSTIFIED is part of the new
Loveless, Texas series
and it is available now!

Links to purchase your copy can be found below.

 

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JUSTIFIED by Jay Crownover

Loveless, Texas #1 | Available Now

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Purchase your copy of JUSTIFIED today!

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About JUSTIFIED:

The New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men series delivers a romance about a rugged Texas sheriff who must protect the woman who was once his sworn enemy... 

Case Lawton comes from a family of criminals. So as the sheriff of Loveless, Texas, he's determined to do everything by the book--until he's called to Aspen Barlow's office after a so-called break-in. The last thing he wants to do is help the woman who cost him custody of his son. But Aspen isn't the heartless lawyer Case remembers, and he starts to question his long-held grudge... 

Aspen is scared for her life, and Case is her last hope for protection. But to get him on her side, she'll have to reveal the painful truth from all those years ago. Now, as they work together to track down a dangerous criminal, Case and Aspen learn to trust each other. And as the threats escalate, it becomes clear there's a thin line between love and hate... because there's nothing Case wouldn't do to keep her safe.

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Excerpt

This is a terrible idea. I can’t stay here.” I wished there was more force behind my voice, more sound, but all I could get out was a squeak of protest.

Between arguing with David, answering a million questions about the shooting, and even more from the hospital staff to determine whether my head had been damaged further, what little voice I had was shot. It had been a long, arduous morning. The shock from being shot at was still buzzing underneath my skin, but it was now secondary to the utter disbelief that the place Case believed I would be safest was under his roof.

When he told me he was placing me in protective police custody and taking me to a safe house, never in a million years would I have guessed he meant his house. I was wondering if maybe he was the one who hurt his head when he took me to the ground.

“What about Hayes? Someone shot at me today. You took a bullet for me this morning. You can’t put your son in the line of fire. I won’t allow it.” All of the things I wanted to do to emphasize my point, I couldn’t. There was no crossing my arms over my chest thanks to my jacked-up elbow. There was no stomping my foot in aggravation thanks to the soft splint holding my ankle in one position. There would be no yelling, since my voice could barely be heard, so all I was left with was a glare. Unfortunately, Case ignored my dirty look and continued to usher me inside the house.

His morning had been even longer than mine, and he looked as haggard as I felt. After making sure I was secured inside the hospital with an armed guard, he’d had to deal with the crime scene and the slew of reporters who showed up on the scene. Since a shooting in a high traffic and very public place like the hospital was bound to make national news, Case mentioned it was more than likely the Texas Rangers were going to get called in to help investigate. He didn’t sound thrilled at the prospect, he also didn’t seem too concerned by the fact he was shot. He still had a red stain and a hole in his tan uniform shirt from where the bullet, which was meant for me, skimmed his shoulder. The wound required ten stitches and now was dressed in a stark white bandage much like the one wrapped around my injured hand.

We were quite a pair.

 

What I thought about Justified

When Case Lawton is torn when he has to investigate a break in at attorney Aspen Barlow's office. Aspen was the lawyer that he thinks screwed him out of child custody in his divorce, and Case is holding a grudge the size of Texas against her. 

Aspen Barlow remembers Case from their high school days when he was the one to protect her against the name-callers.  But when she returns to Loveless, Case is involved in a bitter divorce and he doesn't really remember her.  Then she gets to represent his ex-wife in the divorce, making for some real tension between these two.

But Case is an honorable man and a professional so he tries not to let the past cloud his judgement when it comes to Aspen, especially when the perpetrator ups the ante by becoming an arsonist. It all becomes fairly tense as it's clear someone is out to kill Aspen.

There's a good bit of tension going on with the attempted murder investigation, and there's a lot of sexual tension between Case and Aspen as they find out they aren't quite the person they thought.  I loved that about this book.  The suspense goes from start to finish in this story and kept me on the edge of my seat.  Jay Crownover's romantic suspense gets better with each new tale of treachery against a backdrop of steamy emotions. 

Justified is a tale of suspense and forgiveness that grabbed me on the first pages and kept me turning them to the very end. It also left me needing Kody's (Case's sister) story.  Really enjoyed this one.

An ARC was provided for review.

Purchase your copy of JUSTIFIED today!

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About JAY CROWNOVER

Jay Crownover is the international and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men Series, The Saints of Denver Series, The Point Series, Breaking Point Series, and the Getaway Series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road.  




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