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Stone Cold Texas Ranger
A Texas Ranger puts it all on the line for a woman who has everything to lose in this romantic thriller.
Texas Ranger Vaughn Cooper doesn’t need or appreciate the “help” of some frivolous civilian on his case. Yet even this seasoned lawman can’t argue that Natalie Torres is on her game. She might even unlock the answers he needs to crack this kidnapping . . . if the bad guys don’t erase Natalie first.
With her home burned to the ground, Natalie has no choice but to hide out with Vaughn in a remote cabin. Spending time with the stone-cold officer should keep her mind strictly on the case. But there’s an unseen fire burning deep within Vaughn, and it’s making Natalie wonder just where the true danger might lie.
Texas Ranger Vaughn Cooper doesn’t need or appreciate the “help” of some frivolous civilian on his case. Yet even this seasoned lawman can’t argue that Natalie Torres is on her game. She might even unlock the answers he needs to crack this kidnapping . . . if the bad guys don’t erase Natalie first.
With her home burned to the ground, Natalie has no choice but to hide out with Vaughn in a remote cabin. Spending time with the stone-cold officer should keep her mind strictly on the case. But there’s an unseen fire burning deep within Vaughn, and it’s making Natalie wonder just where the true danger might lie.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 12, 2016
63 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Helm
315 books498 followersNicole Helm is the national bestselling author of fast-paced romantic suspense for Harlequin Intrigue and down-to-earth contemporary romance. Her Intrigues routinely land on the Publishers Weekly Bestseller list, and she’s received starred PW reviews for her contemporary romances. She’s written over 75 books, known for their emotional depth and happily ever afters.
Nicole also writes with Megan Crane/Caitlin Crews as Hazel Beck writing the Witchlore series, which began with SMALL TOWN, BIG MAGIC in 2022.
In her spare time, Nicole loves losing herself in genealogy research, watching Cardinals baseball, and hiking with her family. She lives in Missouri with her husband and two sons.
You can contact her via email: Nicole@nicolehelm.com
You can sign up for Nicole’s monthly newsletter at http://eepurl.com/V973n
Nicole also writes with Megan Crane/Caitlin Crews as Hazel Beck writing the Witchlore series, which began with SMALL TOWN, BIG MAGIC in 2022.
In her spare time, Nicole loves losing herself in genealogy research, watching Cardinals baseball, and hiking with her family. She lives in Missouri with her husband and two sons.
You can contact her via email: Nicole@nicolehelm.com
You can sign up for Nicole’s monthly newsletter at http://eepurl.com/V973n
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 12, 2018
Natalie Torres is a hypnotist who breaks the rules when she butts in on the interrogation of a suspect connected to "The Stallion", as she has the belief he's connected to the disappearance of her sister eight years ago. This quickly makes her a target, and her house is burnt down! Ranger Vaughn Cooper doesn't trust Natalie, but he's tasked with keeping her safe, and whisks her off to a cabin to keep her away from danger.
What I liked most about this Intrigue title was the fact it was a rare book not part of a mini-series (as far as I can tell), and uses secondary characters sparingly and only when necessary. So refreshing! Too many Intrigue books of late have included about 20 ancillary secondary characters that take too much time away from the hero and heroine. The dialogue exchanges between Natalie and Vaughn are believable, and sometimes even amusing. I got a good feel for their characters, because I wasn't being info dumped about the romantic histories of all the other secondary characters.
However, the plot was a bit too thin to fully engage me. The romance was all good, but in an Intrigue book, I want a bit of, well, intrigue! A bit too much time is spent at the cabin, with not much of a feel for the threat that the hero and heroine are under. I'm also not sure how Natalie even came to be in the crosshairs of The Stallion. How did he know that she was a hypnotist on the case? Similarly, how did nobody on the police force know that Natalie had a missing sister, if she was as carefully vetted as they claimed? Inconsistencies like that stack up, and it affected my overall enjoyment!
Otherwise, I was pleased to get an entertaining, diverting romantic thriller that didn't flood me with the backstories of a dozen secondary characters.
What I liked most about this Intrigue title was the fact it was a rare book not part of a mini-series (as far as I can tell), and uses secondary characters sparingly and only when necessary. So refreshing! Too many Intrigue books of late have included about 20 ancillary secondary characters that take too much time away from the hero and heroine. The dialogue exchanges between Natalie and Vaughn are believable, and sometimes even amusing. I got a good feel for their characters, because I wasn't being info dumped about the romantic histories of all the other secondary characters.
However, the plot was a bit too thin to fully engage me. The romance was all good, but in an Intrigue book, I want a bit of, well, intrigue! A bit too much time is spent at the cabin, with not much of a feel for the threat that the hero and heroine are under. I'm also not sure how Natalie even came to be in the crosshairs of The Stallion. How did he know that she was a hypnotist on the case? Similarly, how did nobody on the police force know that Natalie had a missing sister, if she was as carefully vetted as they claimed? Inconsistencies like that stack up, and it affected my overall enjoyment!
Otherwise, I was pleased to get an entertaining, diverting romantic thriller that didn't flood me with the backstories of a dozen secondary characters.
December 24, 2016
Good book. Natalie is a hypnotist who has been working with the Rangers for several years. Vaughn is a Ranger who doesn't believe in hypnotism and thinks that it is a con of some sort. When Natalie is tasked with hypnotizing a suspect in the Rangers' latest case of drugs and trafficking, she breaks the rules by asking some questions herself. Vaughn is furious because she may have wrecked his case, Natalie is angry because he stopped her before she got the answers she was looking for,
Natalie's sister Gabby has been missing for eight years and she's certain that she's still alive somewhere. To hear that someone named "The Stallion" "keeps the girls" gives her hope that had been beginning to fade. When her house is torched that same night, and the suspect she hypnotized is found dead on the property, Vaughn knows she has to be kept safe, and he's the only one who can do it.
Vaughn has devoted his adult life to the work he does. His depth of commitment caused his marriage to collapse, and since then he has been in work-only mode. He keeps his emotions under control at all times. He's not at all happy about the way that Natalie gets under his skin and threatens that control.
It was interesting to see their relationship develop and go from extreme antagonism to love. There had always been a physical awareness between them that both tried to ignore. Vaughn's attitude toward her caused her to think of him as "Ranger Jerk", and Vaughn just plain doesn't trust her. Thrown together to keep her safe, both Natalie and Vaughn have to find a way to get along. I loved seeing how surprised Vaughn was that she didn't fall apart under the stress of the danger they were in. Natalie was equally surprised to see that Vaughn wasn't as emotionless as he appeared. It was fun to see her poke at him and see how he reacted. Both of them have issues holding them back from believing a relationship is possible. Natalie's last one ended because her ex couldn't handle her obsession with finding her sister. She fears getting involved with someone else who wouldn't understand. Vaughn's ex-wife accused him of putting his job before their marriage, accusing him of being unable to find any balance. He doesn't believe that there is anyone out there who could live with his dedication to his work. This causes him to push her away even as he wants to pull her closer. It was fun to see his awkwardness at the end as he tried to be romantic.
The mystery of who was after Natalie and why was pretty good. The level of danger she was in steadily increased, keeping up the tension throughout the book. The clashes between Natalie and Vaughn were pretty rough until they figured out that they were working toward the same solution. The final confrontation was a little anti-climactic after all the buildup, but still satisfying. I definitely got the feeling that there was something going on between Nat's sister and the undercover agent, so I hope there is going to be a story for them.
Natalie's sister Gabby has been missing for eight years and she's certain that she's still alive somewhere. To hear that someone named "The Stallion" "keeps the girls" gives her hope that had been beginning to fade. When her house is torched that same night, and the suspect she hypnotized is found dead on the property, Vaughn knows she has to be kept safe, and he's the only one who can do it.
Vaughn has devoted his adult life to the work he does. His depth of commitment caused his marriage to collapse, and since then he has been in work-only mode. He keeps his emotions under control at all times. He's not at all happy about the way that Natalie gets under his skin and threatens that control.
It was interesting to see their relationship develop and go from extreme antagonism to love. There had always been a physical awareness between them that both tried to ignore. Vaughn's attitude toward her caused her to think of him as "Ranger Jerk", and Vaughn just plain doesn't trust her. Thrown together to keep her safe, both Natalie and Vaughn have to find a way to get along. I loved seeing how surprised Vaughn was that she didn't fall apart under the stress of the danger they were in. Natalie was equally surprised to see that Vaughn wasn't as emotionless as he appeared. It was fun to see her poke at him and see how he reacted. Both of them have issues holding them back from believing a relationship is possible. Natalie's last one ended because her ex couldn't handle her obsession with finding her sister. She fears getting involved with someone else who wouldn't understand. Vaughn's ex-wife accused him of putting his job before their marriage, accusing him of being unable to find any balance. He doesn't believe that there is anyone out there who could live with his dedication to his work. This causes him to push her away even as he wants to pull her closer. It was fun to see his awkwardness at the end as he tried to be romantic.
The mystery of who was after Natalie and why was pretty good. The level of danger she was in steadily increased, keeping up the tension throughout the book. The clashes between Natalie and Vaughn were pretty rough until they figured out that they were working toward the same solution. The final confrontation was a little anti-climactic after all the buildup, but still satisfying. I definitely got the feeling that there was something going on between Nat's sister and the undercover agent, so I hope there is going to be a story for them.
February 18, 2017
AWFUL
## AWFUL. Please don't waste your money or your time on this book. It was simply terrible. There was not one thing romantic about it.
The "hero" (and I use that term very lightly) was a complete ass*ole. I don't mind when a hero starts out rough. But at some point, before it's too late, he needs to come around so the reader can actually see him as a good guy. Well, that certainly didn't happen here. He was extremely unlikeable all the way through. He treated the heroine like crap throughout the whole book. He was rude, disrespectful, condescending, and downright mean. And she's in love in a few days? Puh-leez, how do you fall for someone who treats you so badly? Lust maybe, but love? Hell to the NO.
The heroine was a disappointment as well. Crying, shaking, and asking stupid questions. I detest weak heroines. And throwing herself at the hero after he kept saying NO? Pathetic. I was embarrassed for her character. I can't even believe a woman wrote this. Even the one sex scene was awkward at best.
At least I thought we'd get some groveling after his assh*oleness, but again FAIL. The ending was just as bad. There wasn't one thing good about this book.
## AWFUL. Please don't waste your money or your time on this book. It was simply terrible. There was not one thing romantic about it.
The "hero" (and I use that term very lightly) was a complete ass*ole. I don't mind when a hero starts out rough. But at some point, before it's too late, he needs to come around so the reader can actually see him as a good guy. Well, that certainly didn't happen here. He was extremely unlikeable all the way through. He treated the heroine like crap throughout the whole book. He was rude, disrespectful, condescending, and downright mean. And she's in love in a few days? Puh-leez, how do you fall for someone who treats you so badly? Lust maybe, but love? Hell to the NO.
The heroine was a disappointment as well. Crying, shaking, and asking stupid questions. I detest weak heroines. And throwing herself at the hero after he kept saying NO? Pathetic. I was embarrassed for her character. I can't even believe a woman wrote this. Even the one sex scene was awkward at best.
At least I thought we'd get some groveling after his assh*oleness, but again FAIL. The ending was just as bad. There wasn't one thing good about this book.
February 6, 2017
I'm not the typical romantic suspense demographic (meaning I never read it), but I really liked this a lot! Truth be told, I'll read anything Nicole Helm writes because she is a fantastic writer and one of my favorites. I'm more of a Harlequin Superromance type of girl, but I figured I'd be in good hands taking the plunge to romantic suspense-land. This was great! It was fast-paced with enough and held enough of an emotional pull to make me really happy!
March 6, 2020
3.5*
Natalie's sister has been missing for 8 yrs. She spent all that time looking for clues and working her way into the Texas Rangers as a hypnotist. She assists with suspect interviews. After a suspect is murdered and her house burned she goes into hiding with one of the Rangers who doesn't like her.
The forced proximity and enemies to lovers was decently done. This one had some nice action/suspense scenes.
I read this for Romance-opoly Soldier Street moon track
Natalie's sister has been missing for 8 yrs. She spent all that time looking for clues and working her way into the Texas Rangers as a hypnotist. She assists with suspect interviews. After a suspect is murdered and her house burned she goes into hiding with one of the Rangers who doesn't like her.
The forced proximity and enemies to lovers was decently done. This one had some nice action/suspense scenes.
I read this for Romance-opoly Soldier Street moon track
November 22, 2017
Great start to a new series!
July 20, 2021
Couldn't do it.....
April 19, 2019
Good srory
But a bit predictable. Besides that, the suspense was great, but the "romance" was lacking. There was physical attraction, yes, but no romance. They were barely nice to each other. Dude was an a$$hole for 85% of the bookend somehow she falls in love with him?? Am I the only girl out There who has a problem with this? Guess so. ANyways, Not sure if use recommend this book or if I'll continue on with the series...
But a bit predictable. Besides that, the suspense was great, but the "romance" was lacking. There was physical attraction, yes, but no romance. They were barely nice to each other. Dude was an a$$hole for 85% of the bookend somehow she falls in love with him?? Am I the only girl out There who has a problem with this? Guess so. ANyways, Not sure if use recommend this book or if I'll continue on with the series...
February 2, 2023
Natalie Torres has spent the last 8 years looking for clues that would help her find her sister that went missing. She has never for moment thought her sister was dead. She is a hypnotist, and works with the police department. Her job is to make the patient comfortable so they can answer questions. The police are who ask the questions. The last appointment, she broke the rules, and started asking the questions. Ranger Vaughn Cooper stopped the appointment and reported her to his boss. She quickly got fired. That same night Ranger Cooper woke to his phone ringing. It was his boss, asking him to come to Natalie’s house. Her house had been burned. He takes her away to protect her from who ever did it. This book had great suspense, and romance. Good book.
February 3, 2024
What a ride we take. Stone Cold Texas Ranger is a four star in my book. The ending was a little bit rushed. But the pacing and action was well written. The love things but well placed. The conclusion with a little fast. The ending a little hurried. But Nicole Helm knows how to write a well-intreating mystery romance novel. I will be continuing with book two. If you are a Nicole Helm fan and haven't read any of the Stone Cold series I said yes you start from book one.
June 14, 2025
Vaughn and Natalie
Vaughn is a stoic, competent Texas Ranger who meets a hypnotist at an interview he is conducting to get information on a cold case. Natalie is the hypnotist who has a sister who has been missing for 8 years. The man being interviewed has information that she knows will help her find her sister and she ruins Vaughn’s interview.
Soon her life is in danger and he is assigned to protect her.
A great story!
Vaughn is a stoic, competent Texas Ranger who meets a hypnotist at an interview he is conducting to get information on a cold case. Natalie is the hypnotist who has a sister who has been missing for 8 years. The man being interviewed has information that she knows will help her find her sister and she ruins Vaughn’s interview.
Soon her life is in danger and he is assigned to protect her.
A great story!
July 20, 2017
The bodyguard trope is one of my favorites and the writer did a great job at putting these two people together in a tight situation and bringing out the best in each. Adventure, intrigue, and a romance between strangers with a slow burn until it blazed.
October 13, 2017
Really enjoyed the dynamic between Natalie and Texas Ranger, Vaughn, in this well-written romantic suspense that takes the time to weave the action around the emotional reaction to the danger going on. Loved the flashes of wry humour and chemistry between the leads.
September 1, 2023
My first book by Nicole Helm and I enjoyed it. I will watch for other books by her. Just enough suspense and I enjoyed her description of the mountain cabin. I could actually see it with my mind's eye!
March 7, 2017
I liked the chemistry between the two characters in this book.
July 11, 2017
2.5 stars. Couldn't connect with Vaughn.
October 29, 2019
Good book
I thought the author did a great job with the suspense plot and good characters that were easy to relate to. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
I thought the author did a great job with the suspense plot and good characters that were easy to relate to. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
May 6, 2021
So good! First time reading her. Will look for more books by her!
June 5, 2023
Not bad despite the lack of suspense and the inconsistencies
January 28, 2017
Kudos to Nicole.... once again she delivers with an action packed romance that's filled with mystery & intrigue ! From farmers to Texas Rangers ... it just doesn't matter what the profession of her Heros because it's clear that Nicole clearly knows how to write her alpha male heros & I really enjoy that in a romance! Don't get me wrong because I love a well written female character in my romances BUT it's the men in the books that I have a fondness for ... watching them transition into the romance storyline as it progresses ! Great ending In this one , which because of the Rangers personality... it really couldn't end any other way.... PERFECT WORDS chosen how he attempts to reconcile with Natalie once in the interrogation room considering her profession! Well done ! Excellent read !
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews