Reviews for Branded: The Crenshaws of Texas

The average rating for Branded: The Crenshaws of Texas based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-11-24 00:00:00 Valerie Livingston This is a beautiful story about Ashley Sullivan who fell in love with Jake Crenshaw from the moment her teenage body had undergone hormonal changes and never stopped loving him even though he'd married someone else and now is a father of a three year-old. The Crenshaws are wealthy ranchers who've been living in the town of New Eden even before Texas had become a state. Ashley's father, Ken, was the foreman and second in command to Joe Crenshaw, Jake's father. Ashley was born and raised on the ranch and the time she could walk she followed Jake everywhere he went and he was very patient with her. On her sixteenth birthday, his parents threw a big party for her and it was at the party that Jake noticed his little tomboy had turned into a beautiful young woman. By then Ashley was totally in love with him. She asked him to give her a birthday kiss, but when he went to kiss her on the cheek she turned her face and kissed him on the lips. Caught off guard by the kiss and his arousal for her, Jake yells at her for playing her teenage games with him. He felt he was too old for her -- there was a eight years difference between them. Seeing that Jake's brothers were a witness to her humiliation, a tearful Ashley runs away from there. When his brothers make Jake see that he'd been too harsh to her, he goes in search of her to apologize but she was nowhere to be found. A couple of years later, Jake married Tiffany, a rich Dallas socialite he'd been besotted with, but their marriage only lasted four years. He had such a bad experience in the marriage that he decided he would never to marry again. What he didn't know that his ex-wife had discovered she was pregnant with his child after the divorce was final and when she would have aborted the child her grandmother had talked her into having the child, promising to help raise her. Even though, Tiffany was a mere visitor to her child, she'd decided not to tell Jake about him being a father as she felt he was mean to her during the divorce proceedings. Now, almost four years later, while Jake was at a late-night poker game, his cousin, Jordan, tells him that his ex-wife was waiting for him at the ranch. He was shocked when Tiffany tells him about his daughter whom she'd already left sleeping in one of the guest rooms. Her grandmother apparently had a sudden stroke and wasn't in a position to look after the child anymore and Tiffany was about to marry another rich guy, who wasn't keen about raising another man's child. On Jake's ultimatum that if the child stays it would be on a permanent basis, Tiffany leaves the child with him. Jake then begins to panic about the sleeping child waking up in few hours and facing a strange man since she'd never seen him before. He had no clue what to do. He then recollected Ashley was the only girl growing up on their ranch. They hadn't seen much of each other ever since that kiss nine years ago. She's a veterinarian now and lives in an apartment in town. He calls her up and asks for help on the basis of the friendship they once shared. Ashley was at first reluctant to go because she hadn't stopped loving Jake and knew she was too vulnerable where he was concerned. After his rejection of her when she was sixteen, she went through another heartbreak when she saw him at the altar with besotted eyes only for his new bride. But, after hearing the desperate plea in Jake's voice and the fact that she loved children and this was Jake's child she goes to his ranch. Like Jake had foreseen, Heather, his daughter, who was used to only women in her life, only interacted with Ashley. She was afraid of him --since he was a man, that too, very tall-- and it broke his heart (broke mine too), which was why Ashley had to extend her stay at the ranch until the time Jake was able to find a good nanny to look after her. It was at times sad, at times amusing to see Jake, supposedly one of the roughest, toughest guys in Texas, panicking over the little girl's cries and her wariness about him. Heather was such an adorable doll. Once she got comfortable with someone she'd turned into a chatterbox. She started by referring to Jake as 'him,' and saying things like 'what he's going to do?' or 'does he read?' even though Jake was in the room, but once she opened up to him she clung on to him and never let him go. The scene in the barn between her, Jake and Jordan was sweet and also had me laughing especially when she calls Jordan's thoroughbreds ponies and decides to call Jake - Jake Papa. She edged closer to Jordan. �He�s going to take me riding on a pony.� �He? Don�t you call him Daddy?� She dropped her head and shook it slowly. �We haven�t gotten around to that, quite yet,� Jake said easily. �It�ll come.� �Well, you can call me Uncle Jordan, if you like. How about it?� �Unca Jordan. Okay.� She looked at Jake and he saw the flash of mischief in her face before she added, �And I�ll call him Papa Jake!� Jordan laughed and Jake joined in, shaking his head ruefully. �She�s a character,� Jake said, �I�ve already discovered that.� �Mommie calls me a pest sometimes,� she nonchalantly shared with them. �Is that like a char�a chara�� She stopped, obviously frustrated. �I can�t say it,� she said, disgustedly. Jordan picked her up, hugged her and set her back on her feet. �You�re a darling, is what you are. How come your daddy got so lucky, getting a little girl like you?� Jake swallowed a couple of times in an effort to get the lump out of his throat Living under one roof only escalated the sexual tension between Jake and Ashley. She was relieved when Jake cleared the air about the kiss nine years ago explaining how he was taken off guard and was aroused by her. Knowing that he would never marry again, she was open to them giving in to their attraction for one another so as to ease the tension between them. Jake, however was not okay with them getting involved when there was no future for them. But, he found it very difficult to keep away from her. When he found her one evening asleep in her bathtub, he finally succumbed to his desire, but unfortunately their love-making was interrupted by Jordan, who'd came over to the house to drop Heather back as she was with him. It was amusing how he kept yelling out their names, wondering where they were and the two of them were scrambling to hide the fact they were together in Ashley's bathroom. Eventually, they did end up making love where Jake finds out that Ashley was a virgin. The very next day he proposes marriage, which Ashley thinks it's because he'd taken her virginity and that if he marries her he wouldn't have to guilty about making love to her. Although, Jake did say he loved her, it sounded casual "Of course I love you and you love me." She thought he loved her like he used to love the girl who followed him everywhere and that he was still in love with Tiffany. When she rejects his proposal, Jake is upset, which brings back the angst between the two. It was Ashley's father who clears the misunderstanding between the two. Loved the father and daughter relationship. It was a sweet, funny story. Just needed a little bit more zest to it. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable. The epilogue was very sweet too - Heather's fourth birthday party and she wouldn't leave Jake's arms

Review # 2 was written on 2016-02-29 00:00:00 Stephen Proffitt Wow what a find! This one is the first I wonder how good the others will be in this series?The story is about a girl Ashley falling for her hero Jake from childhood and he coming to the realization that he wants her as a woman. The question of love was not there as they were always together as kids teens and adults. They lost touch because he stupidly marries some blonde slut who has his kid without telling him and then dumps it on him to go off with a new guy! Mom of the year that one! Not!!! Anyways Hero calls heroine to help him with his daughter who is the blonde picture of the hero Jake. Ashley is thorn as she has always loved him and wanted more then anything to marry. It goes from there. Spicy! Very Diana Palmerish and hot sex scenes made it worth it for me to keep on my keeper list.