Justified by Jay Crownover

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Title: Justified
Author: Jay Crownover
Series: Loveless Texas #1
Published by: Forever
Release Date: June 25, 2019
Format: eARC
Pages: 433
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense
Source: NetGalley
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2019 Netgalley and Edelweiss Challenge, Lenoreo's 2019 New Release Challenge, Lenoreo's COYER Summer Hunt
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ iBooks ✩ IndieBound ✩ Book Depository
My rating:

Blurb:

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.

Includes It's All About That Cowboy, a bonus novella by Carly Bloom!

My Review:

I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

4 stars — I was really sucked in to the beginning of this story and didn’t want to put it down, which of course made for a very late night of “one more chapter” before I finally couldn’t keep my eyes open.  Still haven’t learned the “don’t start a book at bedtime” lesson.

Holy cow did this book ever fit the enemies to lovers trope.  There was so much tension between Case and Aspen because of their past, it was PALPABLE.  And while I cerebrally understood Case’s feelings, it was hard not to want to shake my head at his stubborn hold on his grudge.  It did make it a bit hard to fall in love with him at times.  Like, he could be super mean sometimes, and I felt like he got let off the hook a bit too easily.  But I did truly believe in his remorse when he finally figured shiznit out.  It was interesting to watch his feelings change for Aspen before he was actually willing to accept his feelings changing.  It really threw him for a loop, and that was hella fun to watch.

Aspen was kind of a complex heroine.  She had moments where she could have been a doormat, or where she displayed doormat tendancies, but in general I thought she was pretty strong and feisty, just in a quieter way I guess.  I think that part where I was annoyed that Case got let off the hook too easily is kind of a strike against Aspen for me.  Not that I didn’t understand, but I guess I wanted a tiny bit more for her.  But I did feel for what she was going through, and I really *felt* her fear and anxiety over her situation.  Basically she was a heroine that I might not have liked, but for some reason I did anyways.

Case and Aspen had great chemistry with one another, there was lots of push and pull.  But honestly?  For some reason I got bored during the steamy scenes.  I don’t know if that was my mood, but EVERY SINGLE scene I found myself looking at Facebook on my phone.  I can’t quantify it more than that, but I thought it was a bit too coincidental that it was always the steamy scenes.  Take from that what you will.

I thought the mystery/suspense/action parts were bar none my favourite part.  I really felt that sense of urgency, and while I never quite figured it all out, the bad guys were definitely on my suspicions list from the start, so it wasn’t out of left field.

I really enjoyed the secondary characters in this one too, the glimpses of Crew, the ever feisty Kody, the steady Hill, and the adorably wise Hayes.  I found it interesting in the author’s note that a few characters show up in her other series, and it makes me more interested in seeking them out (since this is my first series of hers).

All in all, a solid romantic suspense.  I really did enjoy watching Case and Aspen find their way to one another, and the mystery kept me on my toes.

COYER Summer Hunt: Read a book with a car on the cover — 3 points.