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Cattlemen Crime Club #6
Texas Showdown
To protect the love he lost, this rugged Texas rancher will risk everything
When FBI agent Maria Belasco is mysteriously attacked, her soon-to-be ex-husband, Austin O’Brien, is instantly on the scene. Problem is, she can’t remember what happened or the case she was working on. Or how, months before, tragedy had driven her and the reserved rancher irrevocably apart…
Now Austin must pretend that nothing has changed between them to help Maria get her memory back—and discover who wants her dead. But protecting her 24/7 is reigniting desires even more explosive than before. Austin will do whatever it takes to expose the enemy on their trail. But putting his heart on the line a second time could prove the most lethal risk of all…
When FBI agent Maria Belasco is mysteriously attacked, her soon-to-be ex-husband, Austin O’Brien, is instantly on the scene. Problem is, she can’t remember what happened or the case she was working on. Or how, months before, tragedy had driven her and the reserved rancher irrevocably apart…
Now Austin must pretend that nothing has changed between them to help Maria get her memory back—and discover who wants her dead. But protecting her 24/7 is reigniting desires even more explosive than before. Austin will do whatever it takes to expose the enemy on their trail. But putting his heart on the line a second time could prove the most lethal risk of all…
- GenresRomance
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 18, 2017
40 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Barb Han
365 books211 followersBARB HAN is a USA TODAY, Publisher's Weekly, and Amazon Bestselling Author. Reviewers have called her books "heartfelt" and "exciting."
She lives in Texas—her true north—with her adventurous family, and a spunky rescue who is often referred to as a hot mess. She is the proud owner of too many books (if there is such a thing). When not writing, she can be found exploring Manhattan, on a mountain either hiking or skiing depending on the season, or swimming in her own backyard.
Sign up to receive Barb's news and release announcements at www.BarbHan.com.
She lives in Texas—her true north—with her adventurous family, and a spunky rescue who is often referred to as a hot mess. She is the proud owner of too many books (if there is such a thing). When not writing, she can be found exploring Manhattan, on a mountain either hiking or skiing depending on the season, or swimming in her own backyard.
Sign up to receive Barb's news and release announcements at www.BarbHan.com.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 21, 2018
FBI Agent Maria Belasco gets conked on the head and loses her memory of the past year or so. Her husband Austin O'Brien is on hand to assist. However, she has forgotten that they are actually separated, their marriage falling to pieces after she suffered a miscarriage. She had even served him with divorce papers. He's also under the belief that she is about to get married to another man. Austin takes it upon himself to protect as she tries to regain her memory and find out who wants her dead.
I must say, Barb Han writes some of the more yawn-worthy books in the Intrigue series. She's not nearly as bad as the likes of Jenna Kernan and Danica Winters, but this book could certainly have done with a bit more of suspense and excitement! The suspense portion of the plot doesn't involve much more than Austin and Maria going over her past cases to see which one might have put her in danger. This one also wraps up the mystery of who murdered the O'Brien matriarch and patriarch, which has been the overriding arch for the six (!) books in the series.
The two plot lines (Maria's attack, the murder of the O'Brien parents) have nothing to do with each other, so you've basically got two underdeveloped story-lines running together, with neither generating much "intrigue", as it were.
As for the romance aspect, I really wanted to like it more, because Barb Han gives us a heartbreakingly realistic basis for the separation of her characters. Maria suffered a miscarriage, and because neither knew how to deal with it, or talk to each other about it, they became distant and eventually separated. However, Maria's character shows herself to be quite the martyr, with constant statements of, "It's all my fault! All of it!" It led to me thinking that she walked out on the marriage because she needs that sort of pain and blame in order to function. Whenever Austin tries to talk to her - as he's the one who has now realised that's what they desperately need to do, she just keeps on avoiding the confrontation, either by just walking off, or hitting on him. I really came to dislike her.
I really appreciated Han's effort to give a strong, believable reason for the h and H's estrangement. But she simply didn't quite pull it off. At the end of the day, the conversation they needed to have seemed too easy to achieve to justify months of not speaking, and Maria's behaviour (along with believing she's "cursed") got a little exasperating. When the only moment of genuine emotion I felt was , as opposed to anything to do with the h and H, you know there's a problem!
I'm not sure why Intrigue contracts mini-series with six books. It's too many! The authors are forced to really churn 'em out, and you wind up with books that are thinly plotted and repetitive as the author struggles (I assume) to reach their deadline. Even three books can be too many! So the lack of a compelling plot in this one, and Han's unfortunate stumble in making Austin and Maria's estrangement fully credible, this was a disappointing missed opportunity. One star for the dogs Dinali and Bailey, and another star for Barb Han at least attempting a romance conflict with more gravitas than usual for the genre!
I must say, Barb Han writes some of the more yawn-worthy books in the Intrigue series. She's not nearly as bad as the likes of Jenna Kernan and Danica Winters, but this book could certainly have done with a bit more of suspense and excitement! The suspense portion of the plot doesn't involve much more than Austin and Maria going over her past cases to see which one might have put her in danger. This one also wraps up the mystery of who murdered the O'Brien matriarch and patriarch, which has been the overriding arch for the six (!) books in the series.
The two plot lines (Maria's attack, the murder of the O'Brien parents) have nothing to do with each other, so you've basically got two underdeveloped story-lines running together, with neither generating much "intrigue", as it were.
As for the romance aspect, I really wanted to like it more, because Barb Han gives us a heartbreakingly realistic basis for the separation of her characters. Maria suffered a miscarriage, and because neither knew how to deal with it, or talk to each other about it, they became distant and eventually separated. However, Maria's character shows herself to be quite the martyr, with constant statements of, "It's all my fault! All of it!" It led to me thinking that she walked out on the marriage because she needs that sort of pain and blame in order to function. Whenever Austin tries to talk to her - as he's the one who has now realised that's what they desperately need to do, she just keeps on avoiding the confrontation, either by just walking off, or hitting on him. I really came to dislike her.
I really appreciated Han's effort to give a strong, believable reason for the h and H's estrangement. But she simply didn't quite pull it off. At the end of the day, the conversation they needed to have seemed too easy to achieve to justify months of not speaking, and Maria's behaviour (along with believing she's "cursed") got a little exasperating. When the only moment of genuine emotion I felt was , as opposed to anything to do with the h and H, you know there's a problem!
I'm not sure why Intrigue contracts mini-series with six books. It's too many! The authors are forced to really churn 'em out, and you wind up with books that are thinly plotted and repetitive as the author struggles (I assume) to reach their deadline. Even three books can be too many! So the lack of a compelling plot in this one, and Han's unfortunate stumble in making Austin and Maria's estrangement fully credible, this was a disappointing missed opportunity. One star for the dogs Dinali and Bailey, and another star for Barb Han at least attempting a romance conflict with more gravitas than usual for the genre!
September 18, 2017
With the conclusion of the Cattlemen Crime Club, we finally get some answers about the crime against the O'Brien parents that we've been following for this entire series. We also get Austin and Maria's story. It's full of it's own set of puzzles, and a sweet love story of being there for your mate, even when it's not your place anymore ... and better yet, the healing of a heartache that can finally let love shine through again.
FBI agent Maria Belasco is suspiciously attacked and left without any memory of many months of her life. She can't remember the cases she's working on to know if one of those perps might be involved in her attack, and even worse, she thinks things are still totally normal with her and her soon-to-be ex-husband!
Austin O'Brien loves Maria and he'd do anything to help her. He's there immediately when he hears she's been hurt, and he's willing to put his life on hold to be there to support her through her recovery and even goes so far as to try to pretend they are still together. The doctors don't want her memory coming back forcefully, so he has to make sure when she remembers the tragedy that tore them apart, that it's at her own mind's speed.
FBI agent Maria Belasco is suspiciously attacked and left without any memory of many months of her life. She can't remember the cases she's working on to know if one of those perps might be involved in her attack, and even worse, she thinks things are still totally normal with her and her soon-to-be ex-husband!
Austin O'Brien loves Maria and he'd do anything to help her. He's there immediately when he hears she's been hurt, and he's willing to put his life on hold to be there to support her through her recovery and even goes so far as to try to pretend they are still together. The doctors don't want her memory coming back forcefully, so he has to make sure when she remembers the tragedy that tore them apart, that it's at her own mind's speed.
September 30, 2017
H & h were supposedly madly in love, but a year ago h lost their baby girl when she was 7 months into her pregnancy. After that, their marriage fell apart when they stopped talking & communicating with each other. To make it worse, h just packs up and leaves one day and moves into an apartment where she can be close to work (she is an FBI agent) without discussing it with her husband (H never follows, fights for or demands explanation). Several months later, she files for divorce and starts dating a colleague whom she later calls it a "fling" and at other times that they were only a "handful of dates". It is unclear whether she had sex with OM, but she downplayed the relationship to her husband by saying that it was only dates. If it was that innocent, why did she call it a fling in her POV and why did OM think they were headed to wedded bliss if it was all innocent & casual? OM was not described as a a psychopath or a stalker, so it was very clear to me that she did have sex with the OM. By the way, H stayed faithful and when he asked her how she could leave their marriage and quickly date someone else, she got mad at him and that is when she downplayed it as "just a handful of dates". Nope - not buying it.
Aside from all that however, this story was not worth the money I spent. There is no chemistry between the protagonists, no romance and no mystery/action. The whole book fell flat and at times aggravating - especially when h kept calling her husband in POVs (and once to his face) as "that Rancher" or "Farm Boy". H lives & works on his family ranch and he was an educated Accountant - not a farmer or rancher so it didn't make sense why she kept internally calling him "That Rancher"! I do not recommend this book to anyone - especially as this has a very unlikable h and a bland H.
Aside from all that however, this story was not worth the money I spent. There is no chemistry between the protagonists, no romance and no mystery/action. The whole book fell flat and at times aggravating - especially when h kept calling her husband in POVs (and once to his face) as "that Rancher" or "Farm Boy". H lives & works on his family ranch and he was an educated Accountant - not a farmer or rancher so it didn't make sense why she kept internally calling him "That Rancher"! I do not recommend this book to anyone - especially as this has a very unlikable h and a bland H.
October 31, 2020
I want to tell you so much about what happened in this book, as there are multiple story lines (Denali, their parent's murder, The person after Maria and, of course, Austin and Maria's relationship), but I'm not gonna ruing the ending of this family's story for you. I will say this, I love how each and every story was finished. The author, Barb Han, did a phenomenal job, at least in my opinion, of writing a well scripted story, complete with romance, danger, betrayal, second chances, hope, love, and facing one's fears. I've loved the loyalty, commitment and love this family has for one another since book one, and it just got stronger and more complex with each book. The characters are not only lovable, they are relatable. They are the kind of people you would want on your side as a friend and ally. I'm so glad I was able to finish the series and I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.
The narrator did a much better job with this story than the previous. Her reactions and tone of voice matched the moments and nothing seemed over or under exaggerated. Well done to her.
The narrator did a much better job with this story than the previous. Her reactions and tone of voice matched the moments and nothing seemed over or under exaggerated. Well done to her.
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October 31, 2020I want to tell you so much about what happened in this book, as there are multiple story lines (Denali, their parent's murder, The person after Maria and, of course, Austin and Maria's relationship), but I'm not gonna ruing the ending of this family's story for you. I will say this, I love how each and every story was finished. The author, Barb Han, did a phenomenal job, at least in my opinion, of writing a well scripted story, complete with romance, danger, betrayal, second chances, hope, love, and facing one's fears. I've loved the loyalty, commitment and love this family has for one another since book one, and it just got stronger and more complex with each book. The characters are not only lovable, they are relatable. They are the kind of people you would want on your side as a friend and ally. I'm so glad I was able to finish the series and I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.
November 10, 2017
This is Austin's book..He is visiting Tommy in the hospital when he learns that his not yet ex is engaged..he decides he needs to sign the divorce papers..he learns though she is in the hospital and is asking for him..she has lost her memory and doesn't remember they are not together...it has been a year...but he takes her to her place and she keeps asking why not go to the ranch...as she is trying to regain her memory things keep happening to her...She tries to figure out if it is a case she has worked..while all this is going on they find out that some one tried to poison Denali...We finally figure out who killed The O'Brien parents...A shock too...And than Maria, Austin's wife finds out who is after her and they go after him..A really good ending to the series
September 27, 2017
Risks need to be taken in order to reveal truths. This is the case with Austin and Maria's story.
Maria an FBI agent is attacked and suffers from short term memory loss. In order to expose her attackers she needs to regain her memory at her own pace without any prodding. Maria's ex-husband Austin (unbeknownst to Maria) must risk his heart in pretending that they are a couple so that Maria can recover her memory in order to find who wants her dead.
Great intriguing story that wraps up the Cattlemen Crime series nicely and neatly. Loose ends are tied up as we learn of the truth behind the demise of the O'Brien parents.
Maria an FBI agent is attacked and suffers from short term memory loss. In order to expose her attackers she needs to regain her memory at her own pace without any prodding. Maria's ex-husband Austin (unbeknownst to Maria) must risk his heart in pretending that they are a couple so that Maria can recover her memory in order to find who wants her dead.
Great intriguing story that wraps up the Cattlemen Crime series nicely and neatly. Loose ends are tied up as we learn of the truth behind the demise of the O'Brien parents.
October 31, 2017
A beautiful conclusion to a nailbiting series. I just had to know what happened to their parents. The author had me second guessing everyone.
This is Austin's story and one of the best amnesia stories I have read. She created some great emotional scenes.
This is Austin's story and one of the best amnesia stories I have read. She created some great emotional scenes.
October 5, 2017
Great
Barb Han delivers the goods as always.Fast moving,exciting and full of action.I love the way the romance is integrated into the story.
Barb Han delivers the goods as always.Fast moving,exciting and full of action.I love the way the romance is integrated into the story.
April 23, 2020
My first book by this author. I could tell I was coming in at the end of a "series" - so I'll have to go back and read earlier books. I found it a quick and easy read.
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October 1, 2017Miniseries: Cattlemen Crime Club
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October 1, 2017Miniseries: Cattlemen Crime Club
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews