Texas Lightning

Lone Star #1

by Gerry Bartlett

A million-dollar idea. A city girl in the country. And a man who brings out her wild side…

Anna Delaney is thrilled to leave Boston for Austin, Texas, when her small tech company is bought out by a conglomerate. Born into a family of over-protective brothers, this is her chance at true independence—and a name-making professional breakthrough.

Even when gorgeous billionaire rancher King Sanders forms a one-man welcoming committee, Anna insists that she doesn’t need a tour guide—or another bodyguard. But after she narrowly escapes a kidnapping attempt, she can’t say no to King spiriting her away to someplace safe…and very private.

Someone wants the valuable software Anna’s developing, and King is determined to keep her safe until the culprit is caught. The hunky cowboy lights her up brighter than the Lone Star sky at night, but neither one of them is prepared for just how wild Texas can get—and just how hard they’re willing to fight to stay together…

Genres: Romance

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 30, 2018

About the author

Gerry Bartlett figures that vampires are pretty much like everyone else except for the liquid diet.

Eternity or Mexican food? Tough call.

Gerry’s a native Texan and lives halfway between Houston and Galveston. Pictured with her is her late wonder dog, a Bedlington Terrier named Belle.

When she started writing, she was still teaching and used the pseudonym Lynn McKay. You can probably still find her historical and two romantic suspense books for a penny on-line. Now that she’s no longer in the classroom and discovered the fun of writing about vampires, she uses her real name. Too bad some people think Gerry is a boy's name or short for Geraldine. No, it's not. Really.

She's still writing her Real Vampires series but is back to romantic suspense and contemporaries. Her Texas Heat series starts in Houston, her home town. Then there's her Lone Star Suspense series set in Austin where she went to the University of Texas. She loves the hill country there and brought some of her favorite characters from the Texas Heat series to Austin for the fast-paced suspense in the three books in that series.

You can check out Gerry’s website at gerrybartlett.com to find her blog and articles for writers. Her Perils of Publishing gives the scoop on what happens once "the call" comes. Oh, did you think it would be all roses and champagne? Well, of course it is.

When Gerry's not writing, she's treasure hunting for her antiques business in Alvin. Her favorite finds? Vintage purses and jewelry. It's a struggle not to keep it all. Be sure to sign up for her newsletter for the latest info about her books at http://ymlp.com/xgeyeewwgmgw

Reviews

[Eva Millien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Born into a family of over-protective brothers, Anna Delaney finally has a chance at true independence when her a conglomerate buys out her small tech company and she moves to Austin Texas. Someone wants the valuable software Anna’s developing and King Sanders is determined to keep her safe even if she insists that she doesn’t need another bodyguard. Neither Anna nor King is prepared for just how wild Texas can get or just how hard they’re willing to fight to stay together…

An accidental meeting starts this thrilling story off in a romantic way that has readers sighing over ‘knights on white horses’ and then they can only sigh some more as these strong, vivid characters fight to stay together. The romance between King and Anna is delightfully sweet and full of magnetic chemistry that has sparks flying in every direction while the relationship has a few obstacles and some emotional turmoil for the most part this romance is in the right place and right time to turn into that everlasting kind of love.

The fast pace of this story keeps readers glued to the pages as it builds thrilling suspense up to heart pounding proportions and readers can’t help but become caught up in all the excitement as the bad guys try their best to steal Anna’s million dollar idea. With some surprising twists, a cave full of bats and an enemy with some serious delusions, there is never a dull moment to be found in this thrilling Lone Star romance that sets hearts aflame.

[Tracie R · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars The first book in the Lone Star series, Texas Lightning is a action filled, romantic suspense. I am really enjoying this author and this book is exactly the reason why, with well developed characters and a suspense driven storyline I was engaged throughout. I will definitely be reading more and recommend you do too.

[Leslie Marshman · Rating 5 out of 5]

King Sanders, the sexy billionaire rancher from Gerry Bartlett’s Texas Heat series, is back with his own book! Anna Delaney, a tech whiz who moved from Boston to Austin, is in danger because of a computer program she’s created. Although King thinks he’s just helping her recover from heat stroke, before long they’re on the run from bad guys who will stop at nothing to steal the software. Filled with action, chemistry and romance, Texas Lightning is a book you won’t want to put down until you’ve read the last page.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book from a goodreads giveaway. This was a good fast read from an author who is new to me. It was nice to read a book with suspense and just enough romance. I love the fact that there will be more books with the same characters that I can continue to follow their stories.

[Kay Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anna Delaney, heroine of Gerry Bartlett’s latest romantic suspense novel, Texas Lightning, is a recent Boston to Austin transplant. She’s getting settled in her job with the software development company that bought up her previous employer—her own as yet unfinished pharmaceutical application was the major asset in the sale.

But she’s not used to Texas weather. When the temperature shoots into the eighties on a winter day, Anna, wearing a heavy wool sweater, comes close to fainting in the Capitol rotunda, only to be rescued by a handsome and well dressed, if somewhat overbearing, cowboy.

King Sanders (fans of Bartlett’s books will remember him from Texas Fire) insists on driving his sharp-tongued damsel in distress home from her ill-fated tour of the capitol building, only to find her little dog running loose in her parking lot and her apartment ransacked, computers stolen.

Anna and King soon realize that her computer project is even more valuable than she thought, especially to the wrong people. And those wrong people know that the unfinished program is worthless without Anna. Theft escalates to kidnapping and violence, and even the ever-changeable Texas weather seems to conspire against them as they fight to protect themselves and their friends.

Texas Lightning rocks with both suspense and, of course, romance. It’s the first in a new three-book series from Bartlett.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

Lone Star Suspense #1, The fact that this takes place in Texas and is Romantic Suspense, I love those, completely outweighs the fact that the main guy is a billionaire, not impressed with billionaire romance it's not really my thing I rarely read it. An added bonus the main female lead is a computer geek; we're off to a good start. This is my first time reading Gerry Bartlett and I'm impressed I definitely want to catch the next books in the series. I enjoyed this very much likeable characters, a strong, intelligent woman a swoon worthy guy who is devoted to his newly found love he's that he's willing to do anything to keep her safe, some suitably heinous bad guys, and the plot doesn't skimp either.

Anna Delaney had an idea, one that could save countless lives and she is so close to achieving that dream. A Boston native she moves to Texas where the company who bought her idea was located. One day while she was exploring the capitol she meets King Sanders. King, billionaire rancher/farmer/jack of all trades, takes an instant liking to Anna takes her to lunch and then drives her home but when they get there they discover her apartment has been broken into, all her computer equipment stolen. Coincidentally King happens to be friends with Anna's boss and an investor in the company that owns Anna's program. Not that he cares about the money her program can make him he's too worried about her safety and rightly so. Anna's best friend, Scarlett, who came with her from Boston was kidnapped and used as leverage to get the code to get into her computer but Anna's the only one who can work her code so they keep coming after her. King even goes as far as hiring Anna's brother, former military and FBI, new security company. But that doesn't stop the bad guys from coming or from trying to kidnap Anna to finish the program.

Overall, great read. There's great sexual chemistry between Anna and King and the romance takes a side step to the suspense it is a good romance they work through stuff. Anna is headstrong and King has a time getting her to admit her own feelings. I look forward to the next book which is Scarlett's and I believe ties into another one of Bartlett's series.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action and adventure will keep you on the edge of your seat and turning pages.
Fans of Gerry’s Texas Heat Series will recognize our favorite billionaire cowboy King Sanders, who rushes to our heroine’s aid on page one and never leaves her side as we take off on a wild ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat. (Warning: Don’t start this book late at night if you plan on getting any sleep!)
Anna Delaney is a computer programmer with a life-saving new program that will revolutionize the pharmaceutical industry and save lives – but in The Wrong Hands, it could be deadly. Smothered by her large, loving family, the Boston native was thrilled to sell her program to a Texas Conglomerate and move to Austin. After months of round-the-clock coding, the promise of snow clouds on the horizon interrupts the coding-coma she’s fallen into and she takes a much needed break to explore her new home. But this is Austin. Not Boston. And those weren’t snow clouds.
Native Texan, King Sanders quickly recognizes the signs of heat stroke when he sees Anna at the state capital. He rushes to her aide and thus begins the ride of his life.
The Wrong Hands recognize that Anna’s program is worth billions on the black market and will do anything to force Anna to reveal the encryption code that protects her work. Anna, herself, is safe because they need her skills – but everyone she cares about is in danger. Because the encryption code isn’t enough. Anna has to tweak and finalize her program before it will work.
Who will be captured? Who will be maimed? Who will die?
Can King keep Anna safe? Just how far is he willing to go for a woman he’s only known for hours?
Gerry Bartlett delivers another 5 star mystery.
NOTE TO AUTHOR: Gerry, how long do we have to wait to get Scarlett’s story? If you are not at the keyboard working on it RIGHT NOW – why not? Please hurry!

[Jo Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I’ve wanted King to have his own story since I first read Gerry Bartlett’s Texas Heat. And this one is perfect for him.

Anna Delaney is new to Texas, relocating from Boston when her inventive software program is bought out by an Austin based techie company. When she finally takes a well-deserved day off to do some sight-seeing, her wool sweater becomes a near heat-stroke in the unaccustomed Texas heat. She’s rescued before she passes out, by a veritable tall, dark and – damn, really handsome – cowboy.

King Sanders has no problem playing knight-in-shining-armor to the pretty, little lady smothering in her winter clothing. Once he cools her down, he insists on lunch, then gives her a ride home, where their Texas adventure takes off in high gear.

Anna’s little dog, Yo-Yo is running loose in the parking lot, her apartment has been ransacked, and her high-end computer system stolen. It turns out her software program, worth millions to her investors, is worth even more on the international black market. And someone is after it – and her. King realizes he’s not going to let this special lady out of his sight until she’s out-of-harm’s way.

This Lone Star suspense will keep you on the edge of your reading seat. Lots going on, from threats of bodily harm, to kidnapping, and murder; this is corporate espionage at its best, action-packed until the exciting end.

The chemistry between Anna and King is organic, lovely, and hot. These two are so different, yet obviously made for each other. I was cheering for them throughout the story, hoping they realized how special they were to each other.

If you haven’t kept up with Gerry’s Texas suspense stories, now’s the time to start enjoying them.

[Cathy Geha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Texas Lightning by Gerry Bartlett
A Lone Star Suspense #1

Action-packed romantic suspense that caught my interest from the beginning and held it to the end.

Anna Delaney has taken a break to get outside away from her computer job for a bit only to find that January in Texas is MUCH warmer than it is in Boston. With heat stroke and fainting likely she is saved from face-planting by none other than King Sanders. Soon after they meet it becomes apparent that there is someone out to get their hands on the computer program Anna has been working on for years. With her safety in mind and her boss’s agreement she is taken to King’s home. As the book unfolds at least one of her brothers is called in, her friend is kidnapped, her life and others as well as the software she is working on are all imperiled. Who is behind the dastardly deeds is eventually found out and by the end I was satisfied but then eager to find out what will happen with more than one of the supporting characters.

This is the first book I have read by this author but do look forward to reading the next in this series as soon as it is written.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing-Lyrical Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

[Char (1RadReader59) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book grabs you from the beginning when Anna Delaney a computer geek is feeling like she is being followed. When she runs into billionaire King Sanders who was in another one of the author series. Taking time and calling her boss before allowing him to help her. She is shocked when arriving at her apartment and finding her dog running around in the parking area. Finding her place broken into King has her come out to his ranch mainly for her protection. Still not trusting of anyone she goes again after talking to her boss. It is really there that you begin to see how desperate the people are who want her new program, which she has developed. Still working a few problems she is wanting a place to be able to that in peace. She can’t though with people after her and her mind on King, when not being hounded by the people after her program and then later her. This is a fast paced story with many good characters. The story keeps you going to the end. A good book. Received this book from Netgalley.com Gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Gerry Bartlett's works so much. I haven't read her Texas books so this was a nice introduction to them. It had excellent suspense and kept me guessing as to who was behind things until it was revealed but there was so much more to the book than that. The characters were typically well-written and were developed whether they were main characters or not. Gerry Bartlett doesn't put someone on paper without giving them the same attention as she would the main characters. I found myself reading aloud at parts and staying up until I finished. The dialogue was realistic and I liked that the love interest wasn't necessarily into the same thing as the main character but wasn't upset that the best friend geeked out with the heroine.

Thank you to Gerry Bartlett, Kensington Books, Lyrical Liaison, and NetGalley for the chance to read this amazing story and share my honest thoughts and opinions with others.

[Whispers From · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna moves from Boston to Texas when her company is bought out. She is inventing a code that will be worth millions. When she meets King, she’s almost passes out from the heat and he catches her. King is a billionaire and is an investor in the company Anna works for. When her apartment is broken in to and trashed, King takes her to his home because it has security. They soon realize someone will stop at nothing to get to Anna and her code.
King is a sexy, wealthy cowboy and Anna is beautiful and a computer wiz. There is lots of action, mystery, and a little steamy. At first some of the dialogue between the characters didn’t sound real. The more I read, the harder it was to put down.
* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for Netgalley *

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was asked by the author for an honest review.

This is the first book I've read by Gerry Bartlett. I really liked the characters and the storyline. After reading it, I checked to see if it was part of a series. It sounds like it might be related to the author's Texas Heat series (which I plan to check out), in addition to being the first book in the Lone Star series.

I'd recommend this book to readers who like romantic suspense.

[Karen Roma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Texas Lightning is the first book in Gerry Bartlett’s brand new Lone Star series, and with so much action and suspense to keep a reader engaged, this is sure to be an exciting and popular edition to anyone’s collection. The plot was easy to follow and the characters had a great connection too. I’m looking forward to the next in this series and much more from Ms Bartlett in the future.

[Lizenbyl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna Delaney is working on a life saving computer program about drug interactions. As such explores she is faint and a true Texas cowboy comes to her rescue. As the book unfolds, it becomes obvious that someone is trying to kidnap Anna and steal her computer program for their own financial gain.

[Christi M · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME read! Could not put down! I can't wait to read more in this series, for sure. Super suspenseful, not guessable, highly entertaining. <3

[Dotti Enderle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn good book.

[Meaghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anna and King certainly had a quick romance with a lot of drama and danger keeping things interesting. Although the plot was a little far-fetched, it was a fun and quick read.

[Bec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review posted at HarlequinJunkie.com

Anna Delaney has almost finished developing the software that could net the company she works for a lot of money. However, someone is desperate to steal it. Luckily, Anna has a knight in shining armor in King Sanders; a man willing to do whatever it takes to keep Anna safe and make certain she finishes developing the software. Will King be able to protect Anna or will they lose their shot at happy ever after because of the danger? Read More