A Texas Ranger works alone and Brody is no exception. On his own for years has left him a hard man that doesn’t have time to play house with any woman. Working a murder and kidnapping case leads him back to the Circle Eight Ranch and gets him an unlikely ally in Olivia. Wanting to use her for her ability to lure in the human traffickers he suspects have the youngest member of her family, he agrees to have her tag along, briefly. What he doesn’t expect is the depth of long lost emotions she releases in him.


Emma Lang has created a monster in me! If you need me I will be voraciously consuming her back list of books because Brody was just really really good! Often times I don’t want to read historical romance. I just can’t get into them, save for a few select books. I often end up labeling them DNF because the time period just doesn’t speak to me. Not once while reading this did I feel bored or annoyed at the stuffiness I often feel in historical books. It may be because it is western and not regency and that I connect more to that time period. Whatever it is, I’m okay with it because Brody was an awesome book.

Brody is the local Texas Ranger, faced with the responsibility to find the man responsible for the murders at the Circle Eight Ranch and the kidnapping of the youngest member of the family, a little boy named Benjy. After witnessing the death of his brothers at the hands of war, Brody is a hard man. He knows nothing else then fighting for what is right and bringing criminals to justice. He relies on no one but himself and doesn’t work with a partner…ever.

When Brody gets some new information regarding the case he goes to the Circle Eight to tell Matthew (now in charge after his parents murder) but finds Olivia instead. Though he has no time to waste on a woman he finds himself drawn to her. Which he masks with indifference and attitude. Not that she makes it hard. Olivia is a smart mouthed and independent woman who isn’t afraid to say exactly what was on her mind. She doubts his ability to find the men who killed her parents and took her brother so she thinks her best bet is to tag along and help. Completely out of place for a historical…but right on spare for a western. I loved her spunk and attitude and complete fearlessness in harrowing situations. She has deadly aim and when against the wall will rise to meet any enemy head on.

Olivia just wants to find her little brother Benjy…at any cost. If that means crossing into the dangerous land of Mexico and looking for human traffickers with the quiet and enigmatic Texas Ranger, well then she will. She doesn’t second guess herself and rarely falls apart. She can play a part to a tee and that makes her invaluable to Brody though he is constantly wanting to ditch her as her mouth keeps getting them into trouble.

Brody and Olivia together are a force to be reckoned with. With every hair raising step closer to those who took her brother, they also become closer to giving into the feeling each stirs in the other. Though not a virgin, Olivia has never experienced the wanton feeling Brody manages to elicit out of her at the slightest touch or briefest glance. The combustible emotions make Brody uneasy because having a wife and family is just something he doesn’t have time for or feels he deserves.

Filled with more action then I anticipated, Brody was a welcome escape from reality. I rooted for these two the entire journey and found myself wanting to go back and read book one since I had not. The story line seems to be continuing on to the next book because not much was resolved in this one. I was a bit sad about that but I hope that means we will get to see these two again and find out how they are doing.

Emma Lang is a talented author and I will definitely be picking up more from her in the future! This family is one you can get behind and I for one can’t wait for book three!

I give Brody by Emma Lang 4.75 stars!

I just love it when mysterious characters from one book finally get their own stories. Brody, the title character here, was just such a character in Lang’s previous book, Matthew, which strained credulity. Fortunately, Brody is written more closely to the standards of the gritty Wild West and is much more enjoyable.

Brody is a man in black, a Texas Ranger who helped Matthew track and defeat the bad guy in the previous book. He’s short on words and large of heart, and has a scar on his chin. As the saying goes, what’s not to like?

At the end of the last book, Brody had found a lead to where Matthew’s youngest brother might have been taken after he was kidnapped. Brody intends to follow the lead and stops by Matthew’s ranch to tell him where he’s going. Matthew isn’t home, however, having gone on a trip with his new wife.

Olivia, Matthew’s forceful and outspoken sister, has long admired Brody, especially since he’s an excellent tracker. When she learns he’s going to hunt for her brother, she decides to go with him, much to Brody’s chagrin. As he tells her, he works alone, always.

But Olivia doesn’t take no for an answer, and catches up with Brody and browbeats him into taking her with him. Her brother Benjy would much rather see her face when he’s rescued than the forbidding, but handsome Brody’s. After she saves him from a bad guy’s attack, grudgingly, Brody takes her with him across the Rio Grande into Mexico and danger. There they meet a minor war lord who is itching to become a bigger player. Keeping the persistent Olivia safe becomes harder and harder as the war lord takes a fancy to her, especially since Brody reluctantly realizes he’s attracted to her himself.

Read the rest of my review at AAR: http://www.likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/bookReview.pl?BookReviewId=9120

Good book, as much adventure story as romance. The Graham family is still mourning the deaths of their parents and the kidnapping of their youngest sibling, five year old Benjy. Olivia has taken charge of caring for the family, becoming extremely bossy and hardheaded. When Texas Ranger Brody Armstrong, who has been investigating the kidnapping, arrives with news for her brother Matt, he's dismayed that Matt is away from home. He doesn't have time to wait for his return, and gives in to Olivia's insistence that he tell her what is happening, expecting her to inform Matt when he returns. Instead, he finds Olivia insisting on accompanying him.

Brody is a loner who doesn't take on anyone as a partner, least of all a feisty, argumentative female. The events of his past have left him with his emotions buried deep behind walls, content to live his life constantly on the move. He's been attracted to Olivia since he met her, but doing anything about it would be a very bad idea. Olivia had a crush on him when they first met, but as months have passed with no progress in finding her brother, she buried that crush under anger at his apparent indifference to her pain.

I loved their immediate clash when she insisted on going along, and he was equally insistent that she wasn't. He thought he hadn't gotten through to her when he left alone, only to find that she had followed him. It turned out to be a good thing she had when she saved him from two attackers, without losing her head or going into hysterics. He is unwillingly impressed by her, and agrees to let her come along for part of the journey, planning to leave her behind at some point. But Olivia is wise to his plans, and offers him several supremely logical and practical benefits to her presence.

I also found it pretty amusing that each of them had the same effect on the other - neither could think straight when in close proximity. Brody especially found himself agreeing to all kinds of things when his mind was distracted by the way his body reacted to her. The chemistry between them was amazing. Olivia was no inexperienced virgin, and had no trouble making it clear to Brody that she wanted him. He tried to do the right thing at first, especially because of his friendship with her oldest brother, but he was no match for her determination. After their first time together, they had a really hard time keeping their hands off each other. I admit that I found it a little disturbing that they would give in to their desires in the middle of times when their safety was most at risk.

It was interesting to see how their relationship developed. Not only did they have their smoking hot attraction, they also had a pretty good respect for each other's abilities. They were also far more alike than either suspected at the beginning, and as they spent time together those similarities drew them closer together. Because Olivia had been hurt by another man, it takes her awhile to trust Brody and what she is beginning to feel for him. For his part, Brody had never experienced love of any kind, and didn't recognize what he felt for her. He was constantly trying to fight it, certain that there was no way to keep her in his life as a Ranger. Once he finally recognized what he felt, it scared him spitless and sent him running, until he realized what he was doing. At that point it was almost too late, as she was in extreme danger. Olivia had recognized her feelings earlier and had the courage to admit them, but was devastated by his lack of response. I loved the vulnerability that Brody showed when he finally opened up to her. The ending was really sweet as Brody finally found what he hadn't even known he was searching for.

The adventure part of the book was great. From the moment that Brody and Olivia set off together, it was one dangerous situation after another. When they were able to stop arguing long enough to work together, things went well. Unfortunately for them, their own individual issues kept putting them in danger. Unused to working with anyone, Brody isn't accustomed to sharing his plans with anyone. Leaving Olivia in the dark causes her to take things into her own hands, usually putting them into more danger. Olivia isn't known for her patience, and she has a tendency to rush in without considering possible consequences. Tracking down Roderigo gets them a little closer to finding Benjy, but puts them in far more danger than they expected. He is bad news, but his mother and sister end up being even worse. The final confrontation was intense, one that kept me riveted until I knew how it was going to work out.

I liked the theme of the importance of family. It is Brody's lack of family that has made him the man that he is, and also pinpoints his vulnerable side. Though he doesn't realize it at first, he is envious of Olivia's closeness with hers. Olivia may have her moments of frustration with hers, but she knows that they are there when she needs them. I loved her brothers' determination to help Brody with her rescue, even as they hold him responsible for her trouble in the first place. Once the shooting was done, I liked their acceptance of him as part of the family. The youngest Graham girl was really sweet, especially at the end. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series.

Read my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/552869348

Really 4.5 Stars

Full Review on http://scorchingbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/release-fay-review-nix-western-romance.html

I discovered Emma Lang through her alter ego Beth Williamson. I was recommended her Historical Cowboys and I loved the lyrical style of her writing. This is a Romantic Western and I loved every second of it. The book is set in the 1800’s so the men are men and the women are housewives. This family have had their lives turned upside down in the most horrific of fashion and now one of their kin is in the hands of some very horrible people. I respected the decision of Olivia to force herself into the investigation; family is the thing you should cherish and protect at all costs. The premise of this whole book worked for me and I found myself lost in the wild-west.

Olivia was a woman who no longer gave a crap about what was right and proper. She wanted to find her brother and was more than willing to risk her reputation to do so. She doesn’t balk at any of his suggestions, really appreciated the fact that he knew best and doesn’t take the risk lightly. Yes, she takes her life into her own hands but she does it with her eyes wide open. I loved her spunky attitude and strength of conviction; she is the type of heroine that grabs me. She wasn’t stupid or naive; she was just a big sister. She makes some decisions that, when she dissects them later, make her shake, cry and vomit but at the time they are necessary. When the sparks become too much, she walks into a sexual relationship fully aware of all the consequences but realising that she needs to grab her happiness where she can. I enjoy intelligence and Olivia is certainly that.

Brody is just hot. He’s a bad ass Ranger who wants to do his job, sleep with prostitutes who expect him to leave and just stay alive. He has a traumatic past, making his career path perfect for him, but Ms Olivia threatens to destabilise his normal completely. He doesn’t want to feel for her, and is actually quite terrified for her safety, but he can’t deny the saucy thoughts that keep clouding his mind. I loved the fact he was willing to go all the way to Mexico to try to rescue the little boy but I loved the way he was with Olivia even more. He didn’t truly start to appreciate her until she proved her worth on the mission, when he realised that she wouldn’t be a burden. I loved that he respected her strength and her presence; that these were the qualities were what made him fall in love with her! I adore a man who isn’t an Alpha-hole.

This was not your average sweet Western. The action was high octane, the bad guys were creepy and the sex was off the charts steamy....these were not a couple that were shy in seeking their pleasure. The Hero was strong enough to respect his woman and the Heroine was strong enough to hold her own; it’s a fantastic trip back to the Wild Wild West....