Home to Texas by Kaki Warner – a Review

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Description:
She’s his last case, he’s her fresh start—two troubled ex-soldiers find new purpose and a second chance at love in this new contemporary western romance from award-winning author Kaki Warner.

Lieutenant KD Whitcomb had mapped out her career from West Point to the Pentagon. But when an injury under questionable circumstances forces her to leave the army, her dreams fall dead at her feet. Feeling lost and needing to rediscover the tough woman beneath the uniform, she heads back to the family ranch in Rough Creek. Only two things get her through the nightmares and sleepless nights: the support of her family and the CID officer investigating the incident in Afghanistan. He infuriates her. Makes her laugh. Gives her hope.
 
Richard Murdock is struggling, too. There’s something fishy about this last case…and the threats coming from Afghanistan aimed at both him and KD. He’s ready to leave the army and make a new start. But how will he protect KD? And what should he do about the growing attraction between them? He’s been burned before. But there’s something about KD’s vulnerability and strength that calls to him, and he’ll do whatever it takes to protect her and give her a chance to build new dreams…including helping her start a PTSD equine therapy program at the Texas ranch.
 
If they can overcome the threats against them and heal old wounds, this second chance might be better than they ever dreamed.

Review:

Home to Texas by Kaki Warner is the second book in her Brides of Rough Creek Texas series. This started with bang, as we meet KD Whitcomb, our heroine, as she is a soldier stationed in Afghanistan. When KD’s superior officer goes to help free a young boy kidnapped and being brutalized by a powerful Afghanistan leader, she goes with her. All hell breaks loose, as her superior officer is killed, and KD was shot in the back, but she was able to return the fire against the leader in self-defense.  KD is sent to a hospital to recover from very serious life-threatening injuries, both physically and mentally. 

Richard Murdock, our hero and CID officer, is assigned to this case to interview KD, when she awakes from her unconscious state.  After getting all the facts, Richard believes KD was acting in self-defense, but the army worries about the consequences, especially from Afghanistan leaders. The leader, whose son was killed threatens Richard, as well as KD and promises revenge, even though the son was evil.  Richard is not happy, and makes a decision to leave the army and restart his life. 

KD returns home to the family ranch at Rough Creek, with her family watching over her recovery.  Richard decides to stay close to KD, and help her through the army investigations, which in a short period she is cleared, but at the same time, is forced to leave the army and keep everything classified. Richard and KD slowly find themselves attracted to each other, and he is determined to keep a close eye on her, as he fears her life is in danger, as he stays with her at Rough Creek. I really liked Richard and KD together, as they had great chemistry, but I knew they each had their own issues that could complicate their relationship. It was great to see all of KD’s family, her mother, sisters, brother-in-law, and ranch hands. It was also nice to see KD bond with some of those she met through PST meetings.  I loved how the family all accepted Richard, especially Dalton, who made sure Richard told him the truth and what they might face at the ranch. What follows is an exciting, tense, action packed last half of the book, when the enemy comes closer.

It was an edge of your seat thriller that held our breaths worrying who will survive the attack. Home to Texas was a wonderful addition to this series. I loved Dalton and Raney in the first book, as well as Richard and KD, and I look forward to learning more about the rest of sisters.  I will note that the beginning of the book I did find stressful for a romance, but it turned out to be a great story. Warner created wonderful characters, as I loved them all. If you want a pure romance, great couple, wonderful characters and a background storyline of horses, training and competition, then you should be reading this book.  Home to Texas was very well written by Kaki Warner.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher