Book Tour for Too Sexy For His Stetson by Mal Olson (Review & GIVEAWAY)

Cowboys and cops make a great pair in this fast-paced and sexy read.  Keep reading to learn more about Too Sexy For His Stetson by Mal Olson from my review and by visiting the other blogs hosting this tour.  Before you leave make sure to fill out the form below for your chance to win a great book!

Anguished over his father's lack of morals, Deputy Blade Beringer struggles to conquer self-doubts. When he and his K9 partner Rambo arrive in the mountains of northern Idaho, Blade is faced with a band of white supremacists, a homicide investigation, and a murder cold case, not to mention the task of training a gorgeous blond rookie.

Trainee Brandy Wilcox is bent on clearing her mother's name of a wrongful murder conviction. While working the homicide investigation with her sexy new training officer, she discovers a connection between the victim and her mother's case. The two deputies struggle to resist their mutual attraction and abide by the no-fraternizing rules, but passion blazes and teeters on the brink of love. With a killer targeting them and danger lurking at every turn, Brandy doubts their love can blossom, especially when she puts Officer Skip Coogan—Blade's best friend and father figure—at the top of her suspect list.

EXCERPT:

We’ll take a break here.” In shallow water, Blade jumped out and pulled the raft ashore. They tossed aside their life vests and helmets and climbed onto sun-baked rocks, settling on a boulder that rose four feet above the water and cantilevered over the river.
Brandy retrieved water bottles and a bag of homemade trail mix from the dry pack, poured a handful for herself, and handed it to Blade.
“Where are the M&M’s?”
“I ate them while I was mixing, so I added dried fruit instead.”
“Yum.” He turned up his nose and tossed back a handful despite the sarcasm. Then he surprised her. “So, suppose Secada lied about being with Skip the night of the murder. Aren’t there millions of people who weren’t with Secada that night?”
“Sure,” she said, a handful of trail mix midway to her mouth, “but the fact that Coogan lied about it is significant.”

“With Secada out of the picture, who’s to prove he lied?”

“Exactly. His death is so convenient.” Brandy’s stomach muscles tightened. Her gut feeling about Skip’s guilt remained as strong as Blade’s unconditional belief in the man’s innocence. “Why do you refuse to consider Skip could have a dark side?”

“Because his personal history is impeccable.”

“But—”

“Skip comes from a highly respected family. His dad was a cop who lost his life in the line of duty. And his grandfather was a Chief Inspector.”

“Things happen to people.”

“Not people who are made of the right stuff.”

“You really believe that? Like father, like son? And a person’s either born to be good or destined to be bad?”

He shrugged, and Brandy recalled his comment from the other night. I’m the product of an angel and a demon. “You’re living proof that theory is pure BS.”

The muscles in his cheek tightened, along with the set of his jaw.

“Blade?” She reached for him, not knowing her intention, simply wanting to reassure him. Before her fingers made contact with his arm, he grabbed her wrist. Her heartbeat surged. An eternity passed while his gaze burrowed into hers. Then he brought her hand to his mouth and nipped a Rice Chex clenched in her grip.

“Tasty...”

“You’re a good man, Blade.”

The scowl line on his forehead deepened.

She thought he was going to drop her hand and retreat, but he seemed to shake off whatever was bothering him, and suddenly heat simmered in his eyes.

She cleared her throat and tried to edge back.

“We could be headed for dangerous water, Brandy.”

“Are we talking about what I think we’re talking about?”

“I meant what I said. I’m not into serious relationships. You need to know the score before—”

“What? Before things get out of control and progress to the next level?”

“Something like that.”

The hair on the back of her neck ruffled. “Always so presumptuous—who said I want to take things to the next level?”

“So you’re not interested?”

“No,” she huffed. Then chanced looking him in the eye.  

It happened so quickly, she felt like she’d been side-swiped by a Humvee. He jerked her tight against his chest, sealing his mouth over hers. For a second, every nerve in her body quivered.

She came to her senses, stiffened, and tried to pull away.

He held her tight. His tongue slipped between her lips, and his body heat burned against her skin. She couldn’t resist. She sucked him in, a moan escaping from her throat.

Before she had a chance to get her bearings and back off, he pulled away, a smile curving his lips. “Presumptuous, maybe. A bastard, definitely. But you just failed the lie detector test. Like hell you’re not interested.”

“Screw you, Beringer.” Catching him off guard, she gave him a forceful shove, and he flipped into the water. When he didn’t surface after a minute, she scurried off the boulder and waded into the water. “Blade?”

She started counting seconds.

“Blade, don’t mess around.”

Something clawed at her toes. Before she could brace herself, the something gripped her ankles. Her feet went out from under her, and she smacked the water butt first.

With a forceful kick, she freed one foot, twisted around and head-butted Blade in the gut. He snickered as he went sprawling.

Laughing, she sloshed toward shore, but before she made it to land, he caught her and spun her around to face him. And there she was again, in his arms, his chest snug against her drenched T-shirt. She could have freed herself with a well-aimed knee to the groin. But this wasn’t scenario training, and he wasn’t a perpetrator. And she didn’t really want to get away. Not with his blue eyes darkening, looking at her the way they were.

“For a drowned rat, you sure smell good. What are you wearing? French Potion Number Nine?”

This was her cue to knock it off and wriggle free. “Shampoo.” Eau de drugstore gener-eek. The extent of her collection of seductive fragrances. Then she realized she’d splashed on TendreAmour that morning, a sample packet of her favorite perfume, which she couldn’t afford to buy.

“Yeah, you’re right it’s French.” She shrugged and tried again, half-heartedly, to pull free. He refused to loosen his hold. “Tendre Amour,” she said, pouring on the French accent. And, wow, if it had this effect on Blade, maybe she should have splurged and bought a bottle. Every time she went to the mall in Fort Shoshone she picked up at least one free sample.

His fingers threaded through her wet hair, tugging her closer, twisting a curl around his index finger. He inhaled.  

Her pulse throbbed in her throat. She remembered his lie detector comment. “Is this another test?”

“For me it is.” He sighed and released her, stepping back, his gaze slowly sliding over her, top to bottom. It settled on the soaked image of Jon Bon Jovi’s smiling face.

BUY LINK:   Amazon

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Too Sexy For His Stetson starts off at a feverish pace and doesn't let up until the final page.  Author Mal Olson has perfectly balanced action, suspense, and sexual tension in a roller coaster ride of a story full of likable characters and numerous twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat.  This story proves that small town living doesn't equal peace and quiet.  

Brandy Wilcox is new to the job of police officer and wants to make a good impression.  When she sees a sexy man next to a broken window on her front porch she employs rather unexpected techniques to apprehend him....namely having him strip out of his clothes.  Unbeknownst to her this "criminal" is her new training officer, Blade Beringer.  Before he can enlighten her of her mistake, gunfire erupts and these two join forces to escape.  Once they reach safety the danger's just begun as they must now work together to bring down a terrorist group and help Brandy avenge the wrongs done to her dead mother by a man who Brandy and Blade see in very different lights.

Brandy's had a harsh life growing up as her mother was sent to jail where she subsequently died.  Brandy was left on her own which has made her a strong and independant woman, but also one very untrusting of others.  She knows her mother didn't committ the crime she was accused of and has made it her all-consuming life mission to clear her mother's name by apprehending the man she thinks is guilty....her step-father Skip who's an esteemed officer of the law and a mentor to Blade.  She wants to trust Blade but because of his his connection to Skip she's wary.  Ultimately she takes a chance on their burgeoning relationship and asks for his help.  This leads her further into danger and brings her even closer to Blade in a relationship that work deems inappropriate.  As they continue to dodge bullets and threats of death they must now too weigh the importance of their attraction in regards to keeping their jobs which isn't an issue easily solved.

Blade too had a rough time growing up.  His father was a truly awful man and Blade worries that he'll turn out the same, but Blade is portrayed as loyal, supportive, and the epitome of heroic.  He took Brandy under his wing and never belittled any of her thoughts or deeds, he truly listened to her even when she told him her thoughts about Skip.  He credits Skip with making him the man he is today and it's difficult to see him any other way, but it's a credit to their deepening connection that he does help her search for evidence.  I liked him from the very start and enjoyed the witty banter between him and Brandy which nicely progressed into some hot and heavy sexual chemistry.  Their bond was intense in and out of the bedroom and they made for a formidable team.

Ms. Olson nicely balanced the action and romance, presenting the issues of their romance in a believable way that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming.  These two characters have been damaged by their pasts and the longer they're together the more the healing can be seen.  These quiet moments are interspersed among scenes of bullets flying and keep the reader constantly off guard as you never know what will happen next.  From its likable characters and twisty and turny mystery to its action-packed scenes and satisfying romance, Ms. Olson keeps this roller coaster ride moving along at a brisk pace and has me excited for what she plans next.

My rating for this is an A.

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Award winning author, Mal Olson, writes adrenaline kicked romantic suspense. She enjoys skydiving, ski jumping, SCUBA, hang gliding, big wave surfing, car racing, mountain climbing—that is, vicariously through her characters, who are always kick-ass, and often boss her around rather than allowing her to spin her stories the way she intends. (She did, however, personally engage in zip lining this past summer.)
Her debut novel Shadow of Deceit, released by The Wild Rose Press in 2012, is an edge of the seat romantic suspense-thriller set in Milwaukee and parts of northern Wisconsin. Shadow of Deceit earned Mal a spot as finalist in WisRWA's 2013 Write Touch Reader's Award contest for published authors.
A couple of her favorite reviews came from Beverly at The Wormhole, who said, "Wow! This one has it all! Non-stop action, hot and sexy characters, betrayal, smokin' romance, and a thrilling plot--" and Gothic Mom's Book Review, which stated, "In the 150+ books that I read per year, there are very few that receive a five star rating. Shadow of Deceit did just that. Non-stop action, sexual tension, an adventure that had me on the edge of my seat...A fantastic book that had me from page one..."

Too Sexy For His Stetson is another romantic suspense-thriller. This time Olson's bossy characters lead her to the mountains of Northern Idaho, where a deputy sheriff and his female rookie deal with menacing white supremacists, a homicide, a murder cold case, and a threat to a nearby dam—all while trying to keep their hands off each other. Meanwhile, Rambo, the hero's retired K-9, quietly steals the show.
Olson also offers two short stories. Danger Zone, which has spent months in the Kindle top 100 free romantic suspense category, is a guaranteed fifteen minute pulse pounder where two strangers survive a rock 'n roll landing on an icy Milwaukee runway and chase a could-be terrorist into the danger zone. Me and Brad, a feel good romance, features an irresistible K-9 and was ranked in the Kindle free top 100 list for months in the Contemporary Romance category.

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