Review: Blame it on Texas – Christie Craig

Zoe Adams has always been content with her quiet nights at home, watching TV alone-until her life turns into a real-life episode of Unsolved Mystery Hunters. The story of a kidnapped girl triggers unexplained memories, and Zoe is dead-set on figuring out why. Her search leads her to one of the Lone Star State’s richest families-and to sexy PI Tyler Lopez.

Tyler has sworn off women, especially redheads with killer curves who poke their noses into his clients’ private lives. Still, he can’t deny the attraction any more than he can deny that some of Zoe’s crazy story makes sense. But when she becomes a hit man’s target, this cold case starts heating up. Suddenly, Tyler will do anything to protect Zoe-even risk his heart.

Series:  Hotter in Texas #2
Release Date:  August 28, 2012
Publisher:  Forever
Source:  Provided by Publisher
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Reviewer’s Thoughts:

The boys of the Only in Texas PI agency keep getting hotter.

Kindergarten teacher Zoe Adams makes her way to Texas to spend one month investigating whether the strange memories and nightmares she’s had since a child are a link to an unsolved mystery from a TV show.  While she doesn’t want to think that her parents would have lied to her her entire life, she also can’t let go of the feeling that she has a part in the unsolved mystery.  She didn’t plan on hot PI Tyler Lopez’s attempts to thwart her investigation or to find herself suddenly the target of some unknown assailant.

Tyler Lopez has sworn off smart women after getting his heart broken one too many times.  But after having his breakfast dumped on him by Zoe he admits there is something about her that has him hooked.  When she clues him in on why she’s trying to contact his rich client, he finds himself believing Zoe’s story and determined to protect her from whoever is coming after her.

I love the characters Christie Craig has developed for this series.  She has created complex characters that are intelligent, witty, charismatic and who’s personalities draw you into the story from the opening paragraph.  With Zoe and Tyler we had two people, who’s intelligence always seems to be a negative in prior relationships, prove that when you’re with the right person it worked.

Zoe understood Tyler on a level no one else seemed to.  She knew when to let him stew over an issue and when to push him into a conversation about it.  Tyler believed in Zoe when she didn’t believe in who she was or where she came from.  Even when he doubted bits and pieces of Zoe’s story, he still believed in her as a person.

I really enjoyed the secondary romance between Rich and Ellen.  They both has such trust issues that you had to wonder if they were ever going to get it together.  But when they did, it was great to see two people regain their belief in love.

An excellent second story to the Hotter in Texas series.  I’m not anxiously awaiting Austin’s story.