The Lone Star Lawman

Texas Justice #1

by Justine Davis

He never lets anything get to him. Except her.

Police Chief Shane Highwater has the respect of the entire town of Last Stand, Texas, and they all believe he was blameless when an accident several months ago ended one life and tore apart another. All except reporter Liliana Jones, who blames him for her fiancé’s death.

There's more to the story than she knows, secrets that might change her mind. Secrets Shane can't tell her. But oh, does he want to, because Lily Jones is the first woman he's been undeniably drawn to in a very long time.

When a tragedy in town throws them together, Lily is forced to admit Shane is everything everyone said he was and ignoring the growing attraction is near impossible, and she’s no longer sure she wants to. Has her change of heart come too late?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Westerns, Amazon, Small Town Romance

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 25, 2019

About the author

Author biographies are supposed to give you all those statistics, books written, awards won, etc. and I will, I promise...but first let me tell you about this ornery little tomboy (back then, the boys had all the fun...) who was always the one to make up the stories the neighborhood kids would "play". For those who came of age in the computer game era, this is something that was done usually in the backyard, by any number of summer-bored children, with props where appropriate. (Did you know a 55 gallon drum tied to a picnic bench makes a very cool horse?) It wasn't until much later that this tomboy realized two things: A) not everyone made up stories in their heads all the time, and B) in real life, the boys that had already had all the fun now seemed to always be winning.

But I digress. I was born on a farm down in Iowa....well, not quite, but close; Boone, Iowa is in the middle of farm country, but I arrived at a hospital. In a snow storm. Make that a blizzard. My sister tells me she knew my destiny when I was very young, because when I first saw the Disney classic Old Yeller, I was apparently so upset that I promptly went home and rewrote the story. In my version, the dog lived, of course. Should have been a clue.

Possibly in response to that blizzard I was born in, I've been a West Coaster since before I was a year old, and intend to stay that way. I have a history of staying. I started my first full time job right out of school (well, there was a very brief sojourn at a place where they made, among other things, burial vaults, but I prefer not to recall that one...) and stayed for twenty-one years. I've been married to the same wonderful guy for going on two decades now. We lived in our last house for seventeen years. (I won't even mention how many dumpsters we filled moving after that long....)

Readers seem as fascinated by my first career as they are with my writing. My time in law enforcement was many things, exciting, nerve wracking, and irritating, but most importantly never, ever boring. It was fascinating enough that I didn't think about writing seriously for several years. I kept a journal, and wrote long letters, collected quotes, mentally rewrote movies, and still made up those stories in my head, but never dreamed of actually writing for publication. I was having too much fun helping to catch bad guys, and being continually amazed at the situations people get themselves into. And eventually I walked away with a wealth of background and story ideas, and knowing some truly great people who work very hard to keep all of us safe. I'm proud to have been one of them, and I'm very aware that I have had the great good fortune of having had two jobs in my life that I love. Many people don't get even one.

But now that I'm in the delicious position of being able to make a living telling those stories in my head, I promise my readers two things: A) I'm staying--I'll keep writing as long as you keep reading, and B) in my stories, the girl--tomboy or not--always wins!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And now, the official stats:

Justine Dare Davis sold her first book in 1989, and followed that up with the sale of nineteen novels in less than two years. Her first four books were published in 1991, and she saw all reach the finals for either the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award or the Romance Writers of America prestigious RITA Award. She has since won the RITA award four times, along with several Reviewer's Choice awards and three Career Achievement awards from Romantic Times. At the 1998 national conference, Justine was inducted into the RWA Hall of Fame, making her one of a very select group of just eight writers. She also had four titles on the Romantic Times "Top 200 of All Time" list. Her sales now total more than 45, and her books have appeared regularly on best seller lists, including the USA Today list. She has been featured in several local newspapers and nationwide by Associated Press, has appeared on CN

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I voluntarily read and reviewed an copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thanks to the author for providing a copy of this book.

Texas. Lawman. Cowboy.
Honest, honourable man. Caring brother.
It was enemies to lovers romance. Weren't celibate from first time they seen each other.
I liked this book a lot: the writing, plot, characters.
Faithful
No OP scenes

[Donna Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very extremely slow build up with straightforward information, facts and practiced honesty leading to a classic enemies to lovers plot.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

FREE today (July 13, 2020) on Amazon.





"Received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for a fair review"
A fabulous way of starting a new series, with a romantic couple that goes from enemies to lovers and a group of vibrant, charismatic side characters claiming their own stories.
Justine Davis’ superb, crisp storytelling and her wonderful talent creating a setting which we love is an important element in “The Lone Star Lawman”, where two strong individuals butt heads in opposite sides.
Shane is a gorgeous hero, a person with courage, self-sacrifice, integrity and honesty; and the fact he’s an “unassuming hunk” makes him so much more alluring.
Lily’s obsession and agenda are a bit at odds with a reporter’s need for objectivity and impartiality and her blind persistence on it isn’t the thing we’d expect from a smart person.
I loved the way they slowly woke up to each other’s selves, although I wanted a more substantial romance development.

[Terri Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great start to the series. And the handsome police chief and the spunky reporter had me hooked from the get go. Loved Shane and Lily. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.

[Donna Repsher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Justine Davis has long been one of my favorite go-to authors because she always delivers a great story with a lot of heart, and in The Lone Star Lawman, an enemies-to-lovers novel, as well as the beginning of a new, multi-author series, Texas Justice, she does just that, and this novel gets 4 stars from this reader.

The lawman in question is Shane Highwater, the police chief in Last Stand, Texas, and he's everything you'd want a romance hero to be--handsome, strong, protective, honest, caring, courageous and committed to keeping his town and the people in it safe and secure. The small town of Last Stand is beyond proud of him with one notable exception, local reporter, Liliana (Lily) Jones.

Five months earlier, Shane was trying to arrest Chad Crittendon, arrest warrant in hand, but Chad saw him and ran--a fast car chase ensued, Chad crashed into a brick wall, his car burst into flames and Shane was unable to save him. Chad was Liliana (Lily) Jones' fiancé at the time, and ever since that day, a day that broke her heart, she's blamed Shane for Chad's death, and she's gone out of her way to find some dirt on him, antagonize him, harass him, embarrass him, all with a vengeance. She's convinced that he willingly let Chad die, and her anger has led to some sketchy and rude behavior on her part, since all she wants is vengeance. Shane, however, has too much integrity to get into a sparring match with her, verbal or otherwise, all complicated by the fact that he finds himself attracted to the feisty, determined woman. What Lily didn't know about her fiancé was a lot, and Shane has taken her verbal jabs for months, avoiding her yet unwilling to show her the proof of Chad's true nature and criminal record.

It's not until a horrible accident at the birthday celebration for the town's 102-year-old matriarch that Lily's eyes begin to open and to objectively see Shane in action, and what she sees him do as he springs into action is his heroism, and his willingness to put his own life in danger to rescue a stranger trapped in a burning vehicle, just as she soon learns he did when he tried to rescue her now dead fiancé. To say that she's embarrassed and ashamed of her behavior is putting it mildly, but how to make amends to this brave, hardworking and heroic lawman and apologize to him, is one of the hardest things she's ever had to do--even though she still hangs on to her belief that Chad was wrongly accused. Shane has proof of Chad's crimes but it's confidential, and he really doesn't want to hurt her and destroy Lily's misconceptions about who Chad really was, but when he finally does tell her, her reaction is not at all what he expected.

We are also given a peek at Shane's past, and his relationships with his younger siblings, his sister, Sage, a barrel racer, his brothers Sean and Slater, a detective and bartender, respectively, and their missing brother, Kane, who, at age 16, disappeared and hasn't been heard from since the day their father, the former police chief, died. I'm guessing that each of these siblings will be featured in upcoming books in this series, and it's a series I'll be following.

The Lone Star Lawman was a darn good read from the get-go, I'd expect nothing less from Ms. Davis. It has two strong and determined lead characters with real depth, deeply felt emotions, and the gradual build up of their enemies-to-lovers relationship, and I am happy to recommend it.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

[S.A. Krishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the story.
Lily and Shane's love story which progessed from enemies to lovers was very enjoyable. It starts with Shane being responsible for the death of Lily's fiance. Understanably, she is furious with Shane and the reporter that she is, she is trying to look for dirt on Shane trying to bring him down.
How she realizes what kind of a man Chad is and then how she begins to like Shane for his actions form the rest of the story.
The writing was enjoyable and the characters were particularly feisty and their interactions were enjoyable.
Interesting read.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/13/2020)! 🎁

[Ayekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the town of Last Stand and this story is another winner that takes place there. Justine Davis does this book right! I loved Shane and Lily and all the tension between those two along with the twists and turns in the plot. It's the kind of book you don't want to put down.

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

In all honesty I am disappointed in this book. Why would an author take a fairly well written story with a good storyline and characters and then attempt to spike it up with a graphic sex scene. It takes no real skill to write the sex scene but it does take skill to write a book and let it stand on the merits of the storyline and characters. Enough said on my part as I have given my two cents as to my thoughts about the story, hence it does good to get a 3 star rating.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent start to the new series. Shane is Chief of Police in Last Stand, Texas, continuing a long family tradition of service. He was well-suited to the job, as he always maintained a calm attitude, and was well-known for his courage, integrity, and self-sacrifice. The only one who didn't agree with the rest of the town was Lily Jones. She believed that Shane was responsible for her fiancé's death and was determined to prove it.

I loved the development of the relationship between Shane and Lily, though it certainly got off to a rocky start. The story opened as Shane tried his best to avoid encountering Lily. She has made his life miserable for the last several months, continually cornering him and haranguing him about the circumstances of her fiancé's death. There were things about her late fiancé that she didn't know, and he couldn't tell her because of the investigation. Shane understood her feelings, which was why he tried to keep his cool around her. But it was very wearing on him, especially since he'd been drawn to her since the first time he met her. Lily was a reporter for the town paper and was very good at her job. Unfortunately, she had a blind spot where it came to her late fiancé, and her anger at Shane affected her objectivity when it came to him. Though she kept her antipathy out of her stories, she was determined to find some kind of dirt on Shane that would show that he wasn't the paragon everyone thought he was.

The confrontations between Lily and Shane happened regularly and always went the same way. She sniped at him, making snarky comments about his perfection before launching into another diatribe about how wrong he was about Chad. Shane would stand there and take it, even though he knew the truth because he knew she was hurting. Even Lily's friends couldn't convince her to give up her quest. I ached for Shane, who was innocent of her accusations and was attracted to a woman who detested him. Or did she? Lily was certainly voluble with her opinions, but she also couldn't deny that he had an effect on her, one that she did her best to ignore.

Then a town tragedy opened Lily's eyes and showed her that he was precisely the man everyone said he was. I have to admit that I was impressed by Lily's ability to accept the truth, apologize sincerely, and apply her words to her actions. It was fun to see Shane's reaction, first of disbelief, then wariness as he waited for her to resume her old ways. But the change was real, and as they worked together the attraction between them continued to grow. However, the issue of Chad's innocence stayed between them and made it difficult for Lily to move on. Lily's life was turned upside down when Shane arranged for her to see the full report. I loved Shane's protectiveness as he dealt with the consequences of her shock, and had to laugh as he fought with himself. I ached for Lily as everything she learned made her question who she was, and sent her running.

Both Shane and Lily have issues caused by events in their childhoods that have affected who they are as adults. Shane's have made him the ultra-responsible man that he is, while Lily's affected the way she handled what she saw as her failures. She had an eye-opening conversation with her mom, who gave her new insight into the things that Lily saw but hadn't understood while growing up. I loved the way that Shane went looking for Lily. His encounter with her dad and stepmother explained a lot about her. But my favorite was when he showed up at the diner where Lily was having breakfast with her mom. I laughed out loud through most of that encounter and loved the promise that Shane extracted from Elizabeth. I ached for Lily and the way that she still beat herself up over what happened, and loved how Shane was patient enough to give her the time she needed. Lily's "aha" moment came at the hands of her mother, who also stunned Lily by taking Shane's advice (which was another giggle-producing moment). Lily's big moment at the end was excellent. I loved how her arrival surprised Shane and how they (eventually) talked through everything in some very emotional moments.

I look forward to reading more in this series. The Highwater family is fascinating. Shane's brother Sean is intense in his work as a detective on the force but seems to be pretty laid back otherwise. I like the good relationship he has with Shane, both as a boss and family. I liked the support he gives Shane in everything having to do with Lily, especially the advice he provided about the investigation. Their other brother, Slater, is very different. From the time they were kids, he and Shane butted heads, and it has continued into adulthood, though I feel like it mostly comes from Slater. I suspect that he has a very interesting backstory. He did come through with one positive action the night that Lily got drunk at his bar. I liked their sister, Sage, a lot. She is very protective of Shane and had a couple of interesting clashes with Lily because of it. There is another brother, Kane, who disappeared in suspicious circumstances when he was sixteen. Shane and Sean haven't given up looking for him. I fully expect that he will have his own story and I'm sure it will be an interesting one.

There are also other books that take place in Last Stand that were written by other authors that I want to investigate.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lone Star Lawman by Justine Davis
He never lets anything get to him. Except her.
Police Chief Shane Highwater has the respect of the entire town of Last Stand, Texas, and they all believe he was blameless when an accident several months ago ended one life and tore apart another. All except reporter Liliana Jones, who blames him for her fiancé’s death.
There's more to the story than she knows, secrets that might change her mind. Secrets Shane can't tell her. But oh, does he want to, because Lily Jones is the first woman he's been undeniably drawn to in a very long time.
When a tragedy in town throws them together, Lily is forced to admit Shane is everything everyone said he was and ignoring the growing attraction is near impossible, and she’s no longer sure she wants to. Has her change of heart come too late?
This is Liliana Jones and Shane Highwater's story.
She’d selected a book from the lower shelf—she was in the new fiction section, he noted—and straightened to look inside it.
Sitting on the bench in the park, Lily Jones pressed her fingertips to her forehead above the bridge of her nose where a headache was building. All she’d wanted was a quiet visit to the library to find something to read to distract her. As if anything could distract her from the huge, gaping hole in her life and her heart. But except for what she’d come to think of as her mission, reading came closer than anything else did.
And you could have had that if you’d just ignored him.
But for her, ignoring Police Chief Shane Highwater was about as easy as ignoring a broken leg.
No, he was quite happy with the way things were. Happy to be on his own, free and footloose. Happy to be able to focus completely on his job, which required his full attention. And that job was the only connection he had or would ever have to this particular woman. And he’d stay happy if he could manage not to have her up in his face again, hurling accusations.
Shane Highwater swore, but quietly. This was the library, after all. But even here he couldn’t escape that woman? If it wasn’t beneath the dignity of the police chief of Last Stand, he’d try and sneak out the back. He’d only have to make it across the parking lot and he’d be back to the department where he could hole up in his office and his very capable aide could bar the door.
He could just picture it, a guy six two, a hundred and ninety-five pounds of mostly muscle, and a cop to boot, scampering away from a woman who barely topped five three and was maybe one fifteen if she was carrying a dictionary. If Asa Fuhrmann, the iconic hero of the actual last stand the town was named for, and whose statue stood outside this very building, was still around he’d be laughing at him. And rightfully so.
I highly recommend reading.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book."
The Lone Star Lawman by Justine Davis is a wonderful well written 4 star book.
I am looking forward to reading more books by Justine Davis.
Justine's Books with Tule:
Whiskey River Rescue
Whiskey River Series
Whiskey River Runaway
Whiskey River Series
Whiskey River Rockstar
Whiskey River Series
The Lone Star Lawman

[Marsha Keeper Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf

THE LONE STAR LAWMAN is the first story in Justine Davis’ new series, Texas Justice which is set in the fictional town of Last Stand, Texas. So far there have been two other series set in Last Stand, Texas started; one by Eve Gaddy (Heart of Texas) and the other by Katherine Garbera (The Dangerous Delaneys) — and there will be more, at least seven other authors are beginning series set in this small Texas town according to the Tule Publishing home page. If you’ve ever read a story set in Marietta, Montana then you’ll feel right at home in this new town for it’s the same idea. One town, lots of families with connections, feuds and more.

When a high-speed police chase turns deadly, Lily Jones holds Police Chief Shane Highwater responsible for her fiancé’s death. It doesn’t matter to her that there were valid reasons for Shane to go after Chad when he ran or that her fiancé was not the man she thought he was. Nothing matters except that the man she loved and was to marry is dead and Shane is to blame. She’s hounded him, made disparaging remarks, is asking for proof of Chad’s guilt that Shane is legally unable to give her. Her goal is to find some dirt on the police chief, something to prove to the town that he is not the hero everyone makes him out to be — but it’s impossible to find something that isn’t there. Another tragedy in town will begin to open Lily’s eyes to just how wrong she’s been about Shane, even more so as information finally reaches her that shows a far different Shane than she’s been seeing through anger and grief filled eyes.

As much as Lily’s actions annoyed me, I also realized that they were based on grief. Shane realized this as well since he never lost his temper at some of the more outrageous things she said to him. Watching Lily begin to understand just how badly she had treated Shane, and how wrong she’d been about the man she almost married was heartbreaking in many ways. As was the spin she took towards self-doubt and self-recrimination. She is also one of those rare people who once they truly apologize for a mistake it’s then dropped. Once she stopped her agenda to ruin Shane I liked her and wanted her to find happiness. The sparks were always there between Shane and Lily. When they finally erupted into emotions this couple will finally see what the reader has always seen — that they belong together.

I enjoyed THE LONE STAR LAWMAN so much. It’s an excellent beginning to the series and gives us another perspective of Last Stand, Texas. I’m definitely looking forward to Shane’s siblings’ stories as they all played a part as secondary characters in this story. If you love a really good romance full of interesting characters and true emotions then you’d enjoy this story — and perhaps will want to check out the other Last Stand, Texas series as well.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

[Jo Reads Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not the book for me
3 stars

I enjoy an enemies to lovers story which is why I initially picked this book. But I should have listened to my gut because I’m so not into a book with heartbreak, tragedy, death, guilt etc - and from the blurb, this book clearly advertises that’s exactly what it contains.

Despite that, the story is strong as are the descriptions of the town and the ‘world’ that is built around our characters. And those characters are strong, too. I fell in love with Shane almost immediately. He’s sexy, unassuming, a protector, loyal and a good man - and everything else that you’d want a hero to be. Oh, and he’s HOT, too!

Lily was a little bit more of a pain to begin with, if I’m honest. I understand why she was acting the way she was, even though it’s obvious to us as readers that she’s clearly misinformed. That’s why I prefer to read romances unencumbered with previous/lost loves - it creates a blinkered approach to things - such as the romance at the heart of the book - and, well, it makes me feel uncomfortable. But this is a personal thing that I shouldn’t have ignored when reading the blurb - so if that doesn’t bother you any, just ignore my review and go buy this book!

They’re relationship builds nicely and I did believe in their love and their story.

We are also introduced to other characters which I’m assuming will get future books in this multi-author series of which this is the first book.

As I said, the three stars for this book almost feel mean as it’s all on me and my preferences, which I knew going in. Still a strong book for those that love an enemies to lovers romance set in a small town that’s almost as strong a character as our couple. I would happily read another Justine Davis novel as I liked her voice and her writing style.

[Sandi Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Last Stand, Texas and this is a new series that is based in the beautiful Hill Country in a fictional town that reads almost like it could be actually a real place. This is the third book I have read based in Last Stand ,written by three different authors based around the same main event. I adore this concept and hope to see it again with Tule. The first book was Eve Gaddy's Heart of Texas Doctor, then we have Her Texas Ex by Katherine Garbera. You do not have to read the first two books to appreciate this book but I will say you will honestly enjoy Last Stand so much more if you do. And now on to the good stuff Shane and Lily our main event. Shane Highwater is the Police Chief of Last Stand, Texas but honestly I am not sure why they do not call him the sheriff? I mean we are in Texas and it is a small town in the Hill Country and all. But okay Police Chief works for me...he is one tall drink of water in deed and one who rides a horse too. Then there is Lily Jones the local crime reporter who seems to have it out for our local hot cop. We find out that there is a good reason for that or at least in her mind and it all comes down to police work. This book had more to go thru as far as push and pull than other books in the Last Stand series but I understand why, being a Texas justice book but there is also a romance in this book as well. And yes you do get to explore the Texas Hill country thru the eyes of our author. Which is wonderful and breathtaking. I am looking forward to both the next book in the Last Stand series as well as the next book in the Texas Justice series as well. Win Win!

[Elise Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lone Star Lawman earns five bright stars from me! This gripping enemies to lovers romance was my first book by this author, and I can't wait to read the rest of the Texas Justice series. In Book 1, Liliana Jones meets a charming guy (Chad) online and believes every lie he tells her. When they meet in person, she quickly falls in love and agrees to marry him. But before they can wed, a warrant is issued for his arrest on a charge of felony embezzlement.

When Police Chief Shane Hightower tries to serve the warrant, Chad flees in a high-speed chase that ends when his car slams into a stone pillar and explodes into fire. Lily blames Shane for Chad's death, believing her fiance was an innocent victim of an overzealous cop. She has no idea that Shane's shoulder was badly burned during his efforts to pull Chad out of the burning car. Lost in grief, Lily verbally attacks Shane whenever she sees him in town, determined to deny her growing attraction to the handsome lawman.

Last Stand, Texas, is a small town, and Lily gradually learns the truth about Chad and his death. Can her anger and animosity toward Shane turn into respect, acceptance, and perhaps something stronger? Something that feels a lot like love? And what about Shane, who's spent years raising his orphaned siblings, protecting the citizens of Last Stand, and having no time for love. Can he open his heart to loving Lily?

This absorbing slow burn romance is filled with likable small town characters, immersive Texas settings, limited profanity (no f-bombs), one steamy love scene toward the end, and the most upstanding hero I've ever met. Highly recommended!

[Harmony · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well-written book with fully developed characters. It's not a clean romance since there is graphic sex towards the end. There is NO HEA. The lack of a real HEA is why this is not a 5-star rating for me. I felt cheated out of the happy ending and a little bitter for it. I expect my romance books to have HEA's that leave me with a smile on my face and a warm heart.

Evidently, this author's idea of a HEA is the couple to have sex many times without making any sort of commitment to one another. They didn't even agree to being a couple!

Lily spends most of the book acting like a spoiled b*tch. She hated Shane because he did his job and that resulted in her criminal fiancé getting himself killed during a high speed car chase. Not Shane's fault. Shane is an excellent cop and a man of integrity. He took all of the accusations from Lily and the hatred and never even raised his voice back. He's a bigger person than I would have been.

Then suddenly...POOF!....Lily flips a switch and she realizes that she actually had a thing for Shane this whole time. OOPSY. They kiss, have sex, and all is forgiven. There is some drama and angst before this with Shane chasing after her because of course Lily is a runner.

SIGH.

I really wanted to like this book and perhaps I would have if the ending had been different.

The ending ruined everything for me.

Because of the ending and how much I didn't like Lily, this is a 3-star rating for me. I doubt I'll read further in this series or other books by this author because of the lack of a real HEA.

[Ruth Benziger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Police Chief Shane Highwater lives by the job, has integrity, and goes out of his way to help others. So, when a resident without the real story of how her fiance died comes after him, he doesn't stand up for himself. He lets her dig at him and dig at him. Lily is hurting and she's not ready to let go. There's an attraction there, but it annoys him that the one woman who intrigues him, is her.

As a reporter, she has a job to do and any time she has to dig at the chief, the better she feels. And worse. Lori discovers through others that Shane is exactly who he says he is, even if she wants to find dirt on him. To her, it's his fault that her fiance died. Until she finds out the truth. Her feelings on her fiance and Shane get mixed and one night it comes to ahead.

Shane has the displeasure of revealing the truth of who her fiance was and it breaks his heart when he sees how shattered she is by the news. When she takes off, he goes after her. Because while she was drunk when a hot kiss was planted on him, he felt more than he'd felt with any other woman.
When he finds her, he tries to show her how he feels and how to overcome the hurt and pain she's facing.

I liked this book a lot. I can tell there are parts of the story left out because I started out of order in a series. However, the story as a standalone was sweet, wholesome, and I'm intrigued with the rest of the story.

[Lillian Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can you forgive yourself? Shane Hightower is the sheriff in Last Stand and his family have always been part of this town. So when a local reporter Lily Jones keeps on blaming him for her fiancée death he just lets things be. He did what he was meant to do it wasn't his fault that Chad ran. Shane was able to get him out of the vehicle before it burst into flames but the man still died. And there is nothing that he can say or do that will change Lily's mind about him. Lily knows that Chad was a good man and that he wasn't guilty like the sheriff believes so she will continue to dig into his family until she finds something on him. Shane knows that there is only way to get her to stop and that is to show her the police file but he knows that it is going to be really hard on her. Lily can't believe that Chad was a thief and that she never saw through his lies. She knows that things have become too complicated between her & Shane she can't stay in town anymore. Shane can't believe that she has left there is no way that he is letting her get away. He hopes that she will come back home they have something and he wants her in his life permanently. Lily knows that he is a good man and that they can be happy together but is she willing to take that chance? A good read really enjoyed it. I received a copy via the author & Tule publishing house in exchange for my honest review.

[Sharon Grow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with the character of Last Stand, Texas Police Chief Shane Highwater. A man and officer that we would all admire. Shane is always fair, even to reporter Liliana Jones who believes he is at fault for her fiancé’s death. Lily is determined to learn the facts that caused the accident that took his life. Although Shane is attracted to Lily, he has never acted on that attraction as he admires her loyalty to her fiancé and understands her pain. Shane has two brothers and a sister that live in Last Stand - Slater runs the town bar, Sean is a detective on the force and Sage runs their ranch. Shane is still searching for clues in to the untimely death of their father and the disappearance of their brother, Kane. When a violent accident happens in town, Lily’s eyes are finally opened and she sees that Shane is a truly honorable man. Will she realize in time that her distrust of Shane has been tied to other feelings that she would not admit? I so enjoyed this book and my visit to Last Stand, Texas, and I really look forward to the rest of this series. Ms. Davis has such a way of making her story fit her believable and genuine characters. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

[Shelagh · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so good to be back in Last Stand, Texas, and I fairly galloped through The Lone Star Lawman. I loved Shane Highwater from the moment I met him admiring Lilly Jones in the library while at the same time wondering to himself whether he could slip out of the library without her noticing. It was lovely to see this chink in the armour of such a gorgeous looking, competent, caring and genuinely nice man. Lilly was easy to like too, even if she was fixated on her former fiancé, who had died in a car crash while fleeing from Shane, who’d been trying to serve a warrant on him.
As with Shane and Lilly, the other residents of Last Stand were easy to like. Town matriarch Minna stood out as an absolute gem, but there were others like Shane’s sister Sage, who charged to his defence early in the book.
It wasn’t just the characters that made this a great read for me though. The story just flowed and I flowed along with it. It’s not a deep and meaningful book, but it is a thoroughly satisfying and entertaining one. I loved it.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shane Highwater
Lilliana Jones (Lily)

Lily has been on a mission to prove Chief Shane Highwater is not what he seems every since her fiancé was accidentally killed in a chase with Chief Highwater. Shane is the youngest Chief of Police in Last Stand’s history. He comes from a long line of Chief of Police for Last Stand. I liked Lily, despite her vendetta against Shane. She is a smart and hard working woman that has been grieving the loss of her fiance although she finds herself becoming attracted to Shane. Shane is a very good Chief of Police. He works hard to live up to his relatives who were past Chief’s of Last Stand. He takes Lily’s attempts at getting revenge very well and even fight’s becoming attracted to her. He takes responsibility seriously having helped raise his brothers and sister when their Mother passed away and then his father. He is a strong but fair man. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely read more books by this author. The book read fast and a good start to the series. Other characters were introduced but were needed to further the story.

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I often refer to the two main characters in a romance novel as the hero and heroine. In the case of Justine Davis' The Lone Star Lawman the main male character, Police Chief Shane Highwater is truly a bonafide hero. After his acts of heroism he responds by saying he is just doing his job. I felt deep admiration for this character especially because he is an all-around good guy. The main female character, reporter liliana Jones is very antagonistic towards Shane at the beginning of the story. Her fiance, Chad Crittendon is accused of embezzelment and an arrest warrent has been placed. She believes that the death of her fiance during a high-sped police chase with Shane Highwater at the wheel of the police car pursuing Crittendon made Shane responsible for Crittendon's death. Will her attitude chance when she finds out the truth? I leave the reader to discover the truth of the matter when they read this very entertaining story.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Justine Davis is one of those authors that I can count on to write an entertaining story that is a romantic story with substance too. The Lone Star Lawman is just such a story. Taking place in the fictional town of Last Stand, Texas, a terrible accident has caused Police Chief Shane Highwater and reporter Liliana Jones to be at odds. This wonderful “enemies to lovers” touched my heart.

Even good people, people who are honest and live with integrity can keep secrets. Liliana Jones is after the police chief for those secrets. However, I did not find her completely honest either, most of all not with herself. This story mirrored life so that I was invested in seeing love win. Isn’t that how all stories should end. Thank you for reinforcing my belief in that with The Lone Star Lawman.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Judi Easley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just finished reading this series of 5 books and I thoroughly enjoyed them all. In fact, I'm sorry that's all there is to the series. The characters held true all through the series, the plots were interesting in each book, and the overarching plot got tied up nicely in the final book. There was an enemies to lovers, a friend's little sister, the woman he'd worshipped from afar, you never even said goodbye, and a love at first sight. So there were no repetitions. There's the town police chief, a detective, the saloon owner, a horse trainer, and the runaway sibling. They meet a reporter, a restaurant owner, a librarian, a Marine, and a social worker. This all takes place in a fairly small Texan town where there family was a founding family and very well thought of. But they're not snobby, they're down-to-earth types with their own quirks and talents. I recommend the whole series. Recommended.

[Marcie Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Lone Star Lawman” by Justine Davis is book one in Texas Justice and is also the third book taking place in Last Stand, Texas (see publisher website for more titles!).

The “lawman” is Shane Highwater, the police chief of Last Stand. He is a near-perfect hero, even having overcome traumas in his life.
Liliana Jones is a local reporter and blames Shane for the death of her fiancé.
The two start as enemies and end as lovers, with mutual respect and understanding.

I will say, I was confused with the first couple chapters. I understand the need for an author to hint at secrets to keep the reader reading, but there were too many at once and they were too vague. The story did pick up around the thirty-five percent mark.

Overall, I did enjoy “The Lone Star Lawman” and I’m curious which Highwater sibling we’ll meet next.

[Martha B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Start From Where You Stand

Lily Jones is angry. Very angry. All she wants is the truth and justice. She may just discover that truth is a two-edged sword.

Ducking encounters with Lily has become a habit for Chief Shane Highwater. His patience is wearing thin, but he can take whatever Lily dishes out. He just can't tell her the truth.

As character driven novels go, The Lone Star Lawman by Justine Davis was really pretty good one. I liked the writing style, the world building, the characters and the story. Usually I dislike too much internal thoughts and dialogue, but in this case it was well defined and did help with each character's development.

Content 411: In addition to some very mild swearing, there is some passionate kissing and one moderately described sexually intimate scene.

[Jerry Walch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romance, contemporary or otherwise, isn’t a genre that I read. I’m a blood and guts type of guy all the way, so just saying that I found The Lone Star Lawman an enjoyable read is saying a great deal about the author and her story. It grabbed my attention and held it captive until the very end. Having lived many years in the Great Lone Star State of Texas, many of them in some small towns, I found the characters that Justine created very realistic and believable. Much of the dialogue and other interaction between the character and other character action brought back real life memories. I knew a family quite similar to the Highwaters when I lived in a small town in West Texas, near to the city of El Paso. I will never become a hard core reader of romance novels, but I know I will read more of Justine Davis’ work.

[Heli · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Last Stand Texas Liliana Jones blames chief Shane Highwater for the death of her fiance. She is so full of grief and hatred. Shane is patient but hurting.
This is the first part of Texas Justice Book series. It introduces Last Stand and the Highwater family who have lived there since forever. Shane is the eldest and has four siblings. There is a mystery surrounding the disappearance of his youngest brother and the death of their father twelve years ago.
This is not a very long book. I liked the way the love story was not rushed along. It was building up gradually. The author has worked in law enforcement and it shows. The details of Shane's profession seemed accurate to me.
I received a copy of this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers.

[Karen Roma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lone Star Lawman is an impressive start to Justine Davis`new series, Texas Justice. A well-written story with a good plot, some expected angst, misunderstandings, and eventual romance. I liked both main characters and the roles they played throughout the book, but Shane was definitely my favourite. A genuine nice guy, with high moral values and dedicated to the care and protection of others; and while Lily starts out antagonistic, she eventually starts to look harder at what she has easily accepted to be true, and realising that things aren’t necessarily as clear cut as they seem. This is a wonderful story and I’ll certainly be eager to read what comes next!

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lone Star Lawman is an incredible start of a new series. In this book we meet Police Chief Shane Highwater, who is highly respected by everyone in Last Stand, Texas, and reporter Lily Jones, who lost her husband in an accident and blames Shane for it. Lily still holds a grudge against Shane, but a turn of events soon has Lily seeing Shane is one of the good guys.

This is an enemy to lovers romance with a lot of angst at first. I liked the characters, plot and small town setting. It was an easy book to follow along with. Even though this book is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone.