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Texas Justice #2
Lone Star Nights
She’s no one’s second choice ...
Slater Highwater had his own reasons for coming home to Last Stand, Texas. And if anyone wants to know why a guy with a philosophy degree from an Ivy League school was now running the historic Last Stand Saloon, he has a stack of ready answers, none of which are completely true.
But Joey Douglas never asked that question. Perhaps because she and Slater are always carrying on conversations no one else can follow. Or perhaps because she suspects she knows why he came home – her glamorous and calculating older sister broke his heart.
Joey has longed for Slater since she first laid eyes on him, but her sister will always be an insurmountable barrier between them. Sure she and Slater click intellectually and sparks ignite whenever they’re in the same room, but Joey will never, ever settle for being Slater’s consolation prize no matter how much she loves him.
Can Joey step out of her sister's shadow? Can Slater convince Joey she's his true soul mate?
Slater Highwater had his own reasons for coming home to Last Stand, Texas. And if anyone wants to know why a guy with a philosophy degree from an Ivy League school was now running the historic Last Stand Saloon, he has a stack of ready answers, none of which are completely true.
But Joey Douglas never asked that question. Perhaps because she and Slater are always carrying on conversations no one else can follow. Or perhaps because she suspects she knows why he came home – her glamorous and calculating older sister broke his heart.
Joey has longed for Slater since she first laid eyes on him, but her sister will always be an insurmountable barrier between them. Sure she and Slater click intellectually and sparks ignite whenever they’re in the same room, but Joey will never, ever settle for being Slater’s consolation prize no matter how much she loves him.
Can Joey step out of her sister's shadow? Can Slater convince Joey she's his true soul mate?
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2019
410 people are currently reading
178 people want to read
About the author
Justine Davis
253 books216 followersAuthor 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
January 1, 2021
I was disinclined to like this book from the start because it has a trope I really don't like (older sister's ex fiancé). I wanted to read it and give it a fair chance but there were too many things that bothered me to give it more than 2 stars. To be fair, it was very well written with engaging characters, just not my cuppa.
Here are more specifics (and maybe some ranting):
Here are more specifics (and maybe some ranting):
September 2, 2019
- Received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for a fair review -
A slow-burn romance of friends turning into lovers, “Lone Star Nights”, by Justine Davis, features a peculiar hero – a literate man with a philosophy degree – and a “quiet, demure” librarian as the long-smitten heroine.
As much as I tend to gravitate to Justine Davis’s stories and the fact I usually like the compelling characters and plots her imagination and talent create, I wasn’t as moved by Slater Highwater as by his older, charismatic brother, Shane, the hero in the first story in this Texas Justice series. Slater’s “agile mind”, depicted mostly through “telling” or by the quotes exchange with Joey, and the fact he’s running a historic saloon, is interesting, but focusing on the difference in Slater’s character doesn’t increase his intensity as a male hero.
The romance between Slater and Joey is sweet, yet a bit bland; Slater’s gradual awakening to the allure of the nerd librarian who’s been pinning for him secretly is well written. The feuds between siblings are interesting to watch, too, and I loved meeting Shane and Lily again.
The Highwater’s siblings quest for the lost brother, Kane, reaches a high tension point and often I was far more interested in finding out about what had happened to him than in keeping up with the romantic couple.
A slow-burn romance of friends turning into lovers, “Lone Star Nights”, by Justine Davis, features a peculiar hero – a literate man with a philosophy degree – and a “quiet, demure” librarian as the long-smitten heroine.
As much as I tend to gravitate to Justine Davis’s stories and the fact I usually like the compelling characters and plots her imagination and talent create, I wasn’t as moved by Slater Highwater as by his older, charismatic brother, Shane, the hero in the first story in this Texas Justice series. Slater’s “agile mind”, depicted mostly through “telling” or by the quotes exchange with Joey, and the fact he’s running a historic saloon, is interesting, but focusing on the difference in Slater’s character doesn’t increase his intensity as a male hero.
The romance between Slater and Joey is sweet, yet a bit bland; Slater’s gradual awakening to the allure of the nerd librarian who’s been pinning for him secretly is well written. The feuds between siblings are interesting to watch, too, and I loved meeting Shane and Lily again.
The Highwater’s siblings quest for the lost brother, Kane, reaches a high tension point and often I was far more interested in finding out about what had happened to him than in keeping up with the romantic couple.
October 9, 2019
I'm a die-hard fan of Justine Davis, very much enjoyed Lone Star Lawman, the first novel in this series, and enjoyed this second novel just as much. It gets a 4-star rating from this reader.
Lone Star Lawman was Police Chief Shane Highwater's story, this novel features his younger brother, Slater, who, instead of returning home after their father's sudden death and their youngest brother Kane's disappearance, Slater remained at college getting his degree in philosophy before returning home. His relationship with his older brother, Shane, has been rocky ever since. Shane promised his father that as the oldest son, he'd take care of his siblings for the rest of his life should anything happen to his father. Shane was 18 when he died, and became more of a father figure than a brother to Slater, who is currently tending bar at the local, historically significant, Last Stand Saloon, and is a bit unusual for a western hero. Slater is not much into ranching, but instead has a literary bent and usually has his head in the clouds, pondering something historical and/or philosophical, but one of the town librarians, the shy, quiet, Joey (Joella) Douglas has no trouble following his philosophical musings and sparring quotes and literary references with him, and has slowly been turning him on to reading fiction.
Joey has an older sister, Diane, who wants to be called Diandra, and whose beauty meant she was never at a loss for male attention--she was, in fact, once engaged to marry Slater, but broke their engagement, and to Joey's knowledge, broke his heart years earlier. Diandra married her first husband 5 weeks after breaking her engagement to Slater, and is now on her third husband for all Joey knows, because they rarely see one another and have little in common.
Joey has been in love with Slater from the time she first saw him, but in the looks department, she views herself as no match for her stunning but shallow sister. She contents herself with being Slater's friend, but that's about to change. Joey and her friends have a First Wednesday get-together at the saloon, and one of those nights, someone is causing quite a stir at the pool table. When 6'6" Slater looks their way, he finds himself attracted to the woman who's causing the stir by clearing the table--she's got a great pair of legs and a nice butt, showcased by a flirty red skirt, and Slater is stunned when she wins and he realizes it's Joey, seeing her as an attractive and desirable woman for the very first time. When the guy who lost the match accosts her in the parking lot later that night, it's Slater to the rescue, and Joey doesn't know what to make of his sudden change in attitude toward her.
When a memory surfaces of a conversation with long-missing Kane Highwater, Joey's high school chemistry lab partner back then, it's a new clue that sets Slater and Joey off on his trail for the weekend, and things between these two characters begin to heat up. In this slow-building romance, Joey doesn't trust Slater and what appears to be his sudden attraction to her, believing she doesn't have what it takes to attract a man as smart, sexy and handsome as Slater, especially since he almost married her gorgeous sister. The manner is which Slater attempts to woo Joey charmed the heck out of this introverted, avid reader and lifetime book nerd. However, except for one short, sexy scene in the closed saloon, the payoff just didn't measure up to the heat level I've come to expect from Ms. Davis, and it was a bit of a let-down, as was the rather abrupt HEA ending, which I wish Ms. Davis had drawn out a bit more. It's the reason I gave this novel a 4-star rather than a 5-star rating.
What didn't let me down was the way Ms. Davis never fails to give us fully developed, believable characters in every one of her well-written, well-plotted novels, and I cannot wait to read the novels to come, getting to know the other Highwater siblings better, especially Kane. While it's not necessary to read this series in the order it was written, I strongly suggest you do so because it will give you a better understanding of the dynamics between all the Highwater siblings, especially the relationship between Shane and Slater. All in all, a very good read that I'm happy to recommend.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
Lone Star Lawman was Police Chief Shane Highwater's story, this novel features his younger brother, Slater, who, instead of returning home after their father's sudden death and their youngest brother Kane's disappearance, Slater remained at college getting his degree in philosophy before returning home. His relationship with his older brother, Shane, has been rocky ever since. Shane promised his father that as the oldest son, he'd take care of his siblings for the rest of his life should anything happen to his father. Shane was 18 when he died, and became more of a father figure than a brother to Slater, who is currently tending bar at the local, historically significant, Last Stand Saloon, and is a bit unusual for a western hero. Slater is not much into ranching, but instead has a literary bent and usually has his head in the clouds, pondering something historical and/or philosophical, but one of the town librarians, the shy, quiet, Joey (Joella) Douglas has no trouble following his philosophical musings and sparring quotes and literary references with him, and has slowly been turning him on to reading fiction.
Joey has an older sister, Diane, who wants to be called Diandra, and whose beauty meant she was never at a loss for male attention--she was, in fact, once engaged to marry Slater, but broke their engagement, and to Joey's knowledge, broke his heart years earlier. Diandra married her first husband 5 weeks after breaking her engagement to Slater, and is now on her third husband for all Joey knows, because they rarely see one another and have little in common.
Joey has been in love with Slater from the time she first saw him, but in the looks department, she views herself as no match for her stunning but shallow sister. She contents herself with being Slater's friend, but that's about to change. Joey and her friends have a First Wednesday get-together at the saloon, and one of those nights, someone is causing quite a stir at the pool table. When 6'6" Slater looks their way, he finds himself attracted to the woman who's causing the stir by clearing the table--she's got a great pair of legs and a nice butt, showcased by a flirty red skirt, and Slater is stunned when she wins and he realizes it's Joey, seeing her as an attractive and desirable woman for the very first time. When the guy who lost the match accosts her in the parking lot later that night, it's Slater to the rescue, and Joey doesn't know what to make of his sudden change in attitude toward her.
When a memory surfaces of a conversation with long-missing Kane Highwater, Joey's high school chemistry lab partner back then, it's a new clue that sets Slater and Joey off on his trail for the weekend, and things between these two characters begin to heat up. In this slow-building romance, Joey doesn't trust Slater and what appears to be his sudden attraction to her, believing she doesn't have what it takes to attract a man as smart, sexy and handsome as Slater, especially since he almost married her gorgeous sister. The manner is which Slater attempts to woo Joey charmed the heck out of this introverted, avid reader and lifetime book nerd. However, except for one short, sexy scene in the closed saloon, the payoff just didn't measure up to the heat level I've come to expect from Ms. Davis, and it was a bit of a let-down, as was the rather abrupt HEA ending, which I wish Ms. Davis had drawn out a bit more. It's the reason I gave this novel a 4-star rather than a 5-star rating.
What didn't let me down was the way Ms. Davis never fails to give us fully developed, believable characters in every one of her well-written, well-plotted novels, and I cannot wait to read the novels to come, getting to know the other Highwater siblings better, especially Kane. While it's not necessary to read this series in the order it was written, I strongly suggest you do so because it will give you a better understanding of the dynamics between all the Highwater siblings, especially the relationship between Shane and Slater. All in all, a very good read that I'm happy to recommend.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
January 5, 2021
There were some enjoyable moments but I had some real issues with this story. The whole puppy love thing where the heroine (it's always the heroine) pines away for years while the hero has no idea but lives his life and dates other women, is problematic. It leaves the heroine looking pathetic. It doesn't sound like Joey did anything of interest during this long ass period of unrequited love. The only relief is that at least she didn't (outwardly) crumble in the hero's presence and was still able to function. It was hard to accept that Slater didn't start noticing Joey as anything but a kid until she wore a short red skirt. Lame.
My biggest issue was the constant comparison between Joey and her sister. After doing a search on my ereader it appears Diandra's name was mentioned almost 100 times; which is absolutely ridiculous since she didn't even appear until the very end so she could be 'defeated'. I actually felt sorry for the character of Diandra. She was basically a caricature of an evil woman and everybody took turns denigrating her, even the parents.
But her worst crime according to Joey? For having the audacity not to want the perfect Slater (Diandra cheated on him). Sure, cheating on someone is shitty but it's not like she deliberately ran over his dog. The amount of insults heaped on her over the course of the story was unnecessary. Hey, if she wanted to live a relatively superficial life well that's for her to decide and it's not like all those men were saying no to what she offered. Slater obviously liked her well enough to propose. It was like she was a lesser person because she wasn't as intelligent as Joey or Slater. Joey even says to her at the end 'found him hard to keep up with, did you?' Slater also stuck the boot in by adding 'not much there once the veneer cracks, is there?' And yes, Diandra wasn't there to make friends but I don't think she needed to be vanquished or anything.
Here is a small example of the many sibling comparisons:
-Slater thinks, 'Her sister had flitted, lightly, a mannerism he suspected she had put on purposely. He much preferred Joey's intent stride; she knew what she was doing all the time'. Even their way of moving isn't safe from comparison!
-Joey's father had said in the past about Slater 'He'd do better to wait for Joella to grow up. She'd be a match for that brain of his'. I thought that was gross. Not only because I think Joey was 14 at the time but because why does it have to be either of the siblings?
-Slater tells Joey at some point, 'you're unique, Joey. And worth more than your sister will ever be'. He then writes a similar thing later on in a love note. Vom.
There was way more but I don't want to go back in and relive it.
We're also meant to believe that Slater and Joey are braniacs because they quote philosophers to each other, constantly. Surely they should be smart enough to know how pretentious that is...
It wasn't all bad. The writing itself is accessible and Slater's relationships with his siblings had some interest. Although in the theme of comparisons we were told many times there was a 2 year age gap just so we didn't forget.
My biggest issue was the constant comparison between Joey and her sister. After doing a search on my ereader it appears Diandra's name was mentioned almost 100 times; which is absolutely ridiculous since she didn't even appear until the very end so she could be 'defeated'. I actually felt sorry for the character of Diandra. She was basically a caricature of an evil woman and everybody took turns denigrating her, even the parents.
But her worst crime according to Joey? For having the audacity not to want the perfect Slater (Diandra cheated on him). Sure, cheating on someone is shitty but it's not like she deliberately ran over his dog. The amount of insults heaped on her over the course of the story was unnecessary. Hey, if she wanted to live a relatively superficial life well that's for her to decide and it's not like all those men were saying no to what she offered. Slater obviously liked her well enough to propose. It was like she was a lesser person because she wasn't as intelligent as Joey or Slater. Joey even says to her at the end 'found him hard to keep up with, did you?' Slater also stuck the boot in by adding 'not much there once the veneer cracks, is there?' And yes, Diandra wasn't there to make friends but I don't think she needed to be vanquished or anything.
Here is a small example of the many sibling comparisons:
-Slater thinks, 'Her sister had flitted, lightly, a mannerism he suspected she had put on purposely. He much preferred Joey's intent stride; she knew what she was doing all the time'. Even their way of moving isn't safe from comparison!
-Joey's father had said in the past about Slater 'He'd do better to wait for Joella to grow up. She'd be a match for that brain of his'. I thought that was gross. Not only because I think Joey was 14 at the time but because why does it have to be either of the siblings?
-Slater tells Joey at some point, 'you're unique, Joey. And worth more than your sister will ever be'. He then writes a similar thing later on in a love note. Vom.
There was way more but I don't want to go back in and relive it.
We're also meant to believe that Slater and Joey are braniacs because they quote philosophers to each other, constantly. Surely they should be smart enough to know how pretentious that is...
It wasn't all bad. The writing itself is accessible and Slater's relationships with his siblings had some interest. Although in the theme of comparisons we were told many times there was a 2 year age gap just so we didn't forget.
August 29, 2019
Joey was an assistant librarian. Slater Highwater owned the Last Stand Saloon. She had to squash this pinning for Slater, he had been in love and engaged to her sister Diane/Diandra. Any man who wanted all that beauty, and glamour would never want Joey that way. She was brilliant, quick, kind, and generous according to her friends. Joey’s sister Diandra had left Slater and married someone else five weeks later. How did two seperate people share the same home and parents and be completely opposite? Alone face to face with Slater Joey felt like a bumbling, nerdy kid she thought she had left behind. He utterly fascinated her. He always had. He was so smart, and in such a different way. She had that feeling since they first met when she was fourteen at the annual Bluebonnet Festival. She’d known who he was. Everyone knew the Highwater brothers. Slater was the brilliant one. Slater was a dream come true for Joey. Joey wondered how much of herself she had squashed when she became so determined to be nothing like Diandra. There were five Highwater brothers but one had been missing for twelve years-Kane. Joey had known him from school they had been lab partners and friends. Some of the malicious people said Kane had killed his father . He had been killed the same day Kane had come up missing. But Joey didn’t believe that. The Highwater had never give up on looking for Kane. Slater saw a woman playing pool, she a set of legs and an even finer butt. The red skirt she wore made it even easier to appreciate her legs and butt. She was beating a tourist who had come in the bar. The woman turned around and it was Joey ...was a pool shark? That was quite enough of a shock, but the realization that it had been her legs and butt he had been admiring was more of a shock. Than Joey went to get the ;last round of drinks for her book club and challenged Slater to a game of pool and he accepted, and said terms would be determined later. The tourist Joey beat at pool attacked Joey when she went behind the saloon to get her car. Slater heard a scream and went our back and saved Joey. even though Joey was doing her best to fight the man she would never have won he was twice her size.
I enjoyed reading this book. It caught my attention and kept it. But at times it did drag a little for me and I thought could have been a little shorter. I loved watching both Joey and Slater change and grow. I loved Slater and Joey together. I loved how close the brothers and their sister-Sage - were. I loved Sage wouldn't let her brothers push her around and she had taken over the ranch and was doing a good job with it. I loved how Joey stood up to Darinda. I loved the ending. This was just a really good read. I hope the author writes another book and kane is found and we learn what he had been doing and why he left. I hope to get a chance to read it if she does. I enjoyed the plot. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend it.
I enjoyed reading this book. It caught my attention and kept it. But at times it did drag a little for me and I thought could have been a little shorter. I loved watching both Joey and Slater change and grow. I loved Slater and Joey together. I loved how close the brothers and their sister-Sage - were. I loved Sage wouldn't let her brothers push her around and she had taken over the ranch and was doing a good job with it. I loved how Joey stood up to Darinda. I loved the ending. This was just a really good read. I hope the author writes another book and kane is found and we learn what he had been doing and why he left. I hope to get a chance to read it if she does. I enjoyed the plot. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend it.
January 2, 2021
Major plot spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk
As soon as I read the synopsis, I was immediately intrigued and wanted to read it right away. The trope of sister being madly in love with her gorgeous sister’s ex that she believed she never had a shot with is always an intriguing read with plenty of angst and conflict already built in before the story even begins. I love that so with this being the main trope with this one I just divided right in.
What I really liked in this one was that Joey and Slater had a really, really good friendship that had been set over the time both when he was with her sister and when he was not. The two of them connected in so many ways especially intellectually. They both matched each other in that regards. They understood intellectual jokes that no one would get. They could have these highly intelligent conversations and debates with one another that would stimulate both of them. They just liked being in each other’s company and enjoying those talks that they would have with one another. That was really well done and established before anything else happened between them.
But while having this friendship, Joey was dealing with her feelings for Slater. She kept trying to convince herself that he would never want her because he wanted the likes of her sister, who was beautiful on the outside but not on the inside. She had quite a few internal debates with herself over this while denying her attraction for him. She tried to push her feelings down for him for quite a bit. The struggle was real, but so was her love and attraction for him.
Slater was dealing with a lot of stuff in his life. One was that his father was murdered and his brother, Kane disappeared with rumors of Kane having possibly killed his father. Second was that he didn’t have the best relationship with his brother, who he always butted heads with. It was very contentious for a long time but real hid what was going on beneath Slater’s surface, which was related to his father’s death. Then he had issues with his breakup with Joey’s sister. Mainly it was humiliation, but that colored his view of things as well. So, he didn’t see what was right in front of him with Joey until the pool scene when he saw her in that red skirt.
Even though I do enjoy a slow burn romance with tons of build up and anticipation between a couple, in the case of Joey and Slater I just felt like it went on way too long. The times he mentioned Joey in that red skirt made me want to pull my hair out. It just made me so frustrated because I just wanted him to kiss her already. I wanted to happen a lot sooner than it did. It dragged out the story a little bit by doing that.
An interesting part of the story was the part with looking for Kane. Joey was friends with him and remember something he said so she mentioned it to Slater. So, they decided to go to the place for a weekend just the two of them. They were putting clues together and figuring things out of where Kane could possibly be. It got me very interested and wanted to find out where he was plus I wanted to see the reunion between Kane and the siblings. However, the storyline just dropped after a point, I was very disappointed. It was a little bit of a let down. I thought I would get answers in this book, but apparently not. I’m assuming that all won’t be revealed until Kane’s book, which happened to be the last in the series. So that made me a little annoyed.
Back to Slater and Joey as they were on this journey to find his brother together, things started to come to the surface and realizations were made. Though Joey didn’t quite believe those revelations after all that time plus she had the insecurity of him dating her sister. So, even though the first kiss happened, it didn’t make it smooth sailing. Slater had some work to do.
Work did he. The way he set about to prove to Joey that she was the one for him was utterly beautiful and sweet. It showed her really knew and understood her as person. He took things that he knew she appreciated and used them to win her over. He wrote these very sweet notes to her that quote intellectual minds that only Joey would understand, yet at the same time reflected what was in his heart. It was just so lovely. I loved that. He truly embodied that actions spoke louder than words with every note that he sent her. It was so good and so romantic. I was swooning.
Then there was that sexy pool scene. OMG. That was so freaking hot, and the way it was done was absolutely brilliant. It really took the cake to show Joey how much he wanted her. Slater knew that she was a pool shark while he sucked at the game yet set about to a winner’s take all game where the looser would have to strip naked for the winner. He did this knowing that he was going to loose and badly. In fact that was his intention all along, he wanted to show her that he was all in with her. He was willing to be vulnerable and raw in front of her because that was how much he trusted her and wanted to be with her. Then what happened after his loss was just scorching between them. It was so steamy. It was hot. It was utterly delicious. It finally brought everything to the ultimate culmination in every single way possible. It was so good. I loved that scene so much.
I loved the scene where Slater went to her father to make him understand that Slater wasn’t playing a game with both of the daughters. He wanted to let her father know that he was very serious about Joey. That she was in his heart and his love was strong and true for only Joey. He wanted to be the best man that he could be. It just showed how much integrity he truly had. I just love that. Really I just loved Slater in general.
Despite the fact that there were a couple of hiccups along the way, I really did enjoy this. I loved the setup. I loved that fact that Slater and Joey had a great relationship even before it became romantic. I loved how they understood each other and challenged each other in intellectual ways. I loved that they could have conversations with one another that they couldn’t have with anyone else because they were so intelligent. They match in wits and just really connected nicely that it was very easy to see them as a couple. I loved the length that he was willing to go to prove to Joey his feelings for her after learning about her insecurities over him dating her sister in the past. The notes were really romantic and showed he really got her as a person. I loved how he expressed himself in words that only she would be able to understand. The pool scene was really good especially since he purposefully put himself in that position to lose so that he would be the one that would be exposing all to her. He was all for it. Then the sexy times that happened after time was just beyond sexy. Finally their passions were released and embraced after waiting for what seemed forever. They were finally that couple that complimented each other so well, making them utterly perfect for each other. They just got each other and fit so well. It was very satisfying to see that by book’s end.
As soon as I read the synopsis, I was immediately intrigued and wanted to read it right away. The trope of sister being madly in love with her gorgeous sister’s ex that she believed she never had a shot with is always an intriguing read with plenty of angst and conflict already built in before the story even begins. I love that so with this being the main trope with this one I just divided right in.
What I really liked in this one was that Joey and Slater had a really, really good friendship that had been set over the time both when he was with her sister and when he was not. The two of them connected in so many ways especially intellectually. They both matched each other in that regards. They understood intellectual jokes that no one would get. They could have these highly intelligent conversations and debates with one another that would stimulate both of them. They just liked being in each other’s company and enjoying those talks that they would have with one another. That was really well done and established before anything else happened between them.
But while having this friendship, Joey was dealing with her feelings for Slater. She kept trying to convince herself that he would never want her because he wanted the likes of her sister, who was beautiful on the outside but not on the inside. She had quite a few internal debates with herself over this while denying her attraction for him. She tried to push her feelings down for him for quite a bit. The struggle was real, but so was her love and attraction for him.
Slater was dealing with a lot of stuff in his life. One was that his father was murdered and his brother, Kane disappeared with rumors of Kane having possibly killed his father. Second was that he didn’t have the best relationship with his brother, who he always butted heads with. It was very contentious for a long time but real hid what was going on beneath Slater’s surface, which was related to his father’s death. Then he had issues with his breakup with Joey’s sister. Mainly it was humiliation, but that colored his view of things as well. So, he didn’t see what was right in front of him with Joey until the pool scene when he saw her in that red skirt.
Even though I do enjoy a slow burn romance with tons of build up and anticipation between a couple, in the case of Joey and Slater I just felt like it went on way too long. The times he mentioned Joey in that red skirt made me want to pull my hair out. It just made me so frustrated because I just wanted him to kiss her already. I wanted to happen a lot sooner than it did. It dragged out the story a little bit by doing that.
An interesting part of the story was the part with looking for Kane. Joey was friends with him and remember something he said so she mentioned it to Slater. So, they decided to go to the place for a weekend just the two of them. They were putting clues together and figuring things out of where Kane could possibly be. It got me very interested and wanted to find out where he was plus I wanted to see the reunion between Kane and the siblings. However, the storyline just dropped after a point, I was very disappointed. It was a little bit of a let down. I thought I would get answers in this book, but apparently not. I’m assuming that all won’t be revealed until Kane’s book, which happened to be the last in the series. So that made me a little annoyed.
Back to Slater and Joey as they were on this journey to find his brother together, things started to come to the surface and realizations were made. Though Joey didn’t quite believe those revelations after all that time plus she had the insecurity of him dating her sister. So, even though the first kiss happened, it didn’t make it smooth sailing. Slater had some work to do.
Work did he. The way he set about to prove to Joey that she was the one for him was utterly beautiful and sweet. It showed her really knew and understood her as person. He took things that he knew she appreciated and used them to win her over. He wrote these very sweet notes to her that quote intellectual minds that only Joey would understand, yet at the same time reflected what was in his heart. It was just so lovely. I loved that. He truly embodied that actions spoke louder than words with every note that he sent her. It was so good and so romantic. I was swooning.
Then there was that sexy pool scene. OMG. That was so freaking hot, and the way it was done was absolutely brilliant. It really took the cake to show Joey how much he wanted her. Slater knew that she was a pool shark while he sucked at the game yet set about to a winner’s take all game where the looser would have to strip naked for the winner. He did this knowing that he was going to loose and badly. In fact that was his intention all along, he wanted to show her that he was all in with her. He was willing to be vulnerable and raw in front of her because that was how much he trusted her and wanted to be with her. Then what happened after his loss was just scorching between them. It was so steamy. It was hot. It was utterly delicious. It finally brought everything to the ultimate culmination in every single way possible. It was so good. I loved that scene so much.
I loved the scene where Slater went to her father to make him understand that Slater wasn’t playing a game with both of the daughters. He wanted to let her father know that he was very serious about Joey. That she was in his heart and his love was strong and true for only Joey. He wanted to be the best man that he could be. It just showed how much integrity he truly had. I just love that. Really I just loved Slater in general.
Despite the fact that there were a couple of hiccups along the way, I really did enjoy this. I loved the setup. I loved that fact that Slater and Joey had a great relationship even before it became romantic. I loved how they understood each other and challenged each other in intellectual ways. I loved that they could have conversations with one another that they couldn’t have with anyone else because they were so intelligent. They match in wits and just really connected nicely that it was very easy to see them as a couple. I loved the length that he was willing to go to prove to Joey his feelings for her after learning about her insecurities over him dating her sister in the past. The notes were really romantic and showed he really got her as a person. I loved how he expressed himself in words that only she would be able to understand. The pool scene was really good especially since he purposefully put himself in that position to lose so that he would be the one that would be exposing all to her. He was all for it. Then the sexy times that happened after time was just beyond sexy. Finally their passions were released and embraced after waiting for what seemed forever. They were finally that couple that complimented each other so well, making them utterly perfect for each other. They just got each other and fit so well. It was very satisfying to see that by book’s end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2025
This second installment on Texas Justice is as good as the first book. Lone Star Nights is all about Slater and Joey. They have a history, although it isn’t with one another. Slater dodged a bullet when his engagement to Joey’s sister ended. Shortly afterward, Slater returned to Last Stand to make his brother’s life miserable. OK, not really. He returned because he realized Last Stand is where he belonged, and a family tradition existed to continue. It took him a while to notice Joey had grown up, but things went quickly once he did!
Again, the Highwater gang is fun-loving, entertaining, and intriguing. You won’t regret hanging out with them for a while.
Again, the Highwater gang is fun-loving, entertaining, and intriguing. You won’t regret hanging out with them for a while.
January 19, 2021
“Lone Star Nights”(Texas Justice Book 2)
This book was soo good,I can’t wait to read the rest in this series!About a ranch family of brothers and one sister,it takes place in famous Last Stand,Texas,just like a lot of other good books.Finally falling for the one girl he should have been with all along,they go off looking for his missing brother.Do they find love and the missing brother? You’ll have to read it yourself,then write your own review on how good it was!
This book was soo good,I can’t wait to read the rest in this series!About a ranch family of brothers and one sister,it takes place in famous Last Stand,Texas,just like a lot of other good books.Finally falling for the one girl he should have been with all along,they go off looking for his missing brother.Do they find love and the missing brother? You’ll have to read it yourself,then write your own review on how good it was!
January 2, 2021
So Enjoyed
Slater always fought with Shane but no really figured out why. He has his master's degree but he runs the family saloon. Joey is the assistant librarian and the younger sister of his ex but the are great sparing partners. But now they find they care about each other so much more.
Slater always fought with Shane but no really figured out why. He has his master's degree but he runs the family saloon. Joey is the assistant librarian and the younger sister of his ex but the are great sparing partners. But now they find they care about each other so much more.
August 22, 2023
Justine Davis, An Automatic Buy
Another top read from a favorite author of mine! This series has been another winner, and I recommend all of her books to readers that love romance stories with more depth. Her "family" series are great; and I love being a part of those families for a time. 😊.
Another top read from a favorite author of mine! This series has been another winner, and I recommend all of her books to readers that love romance stories with more depth. Her "family" series are great; and I love being a part of those families for a time. 😊.
September 10, 2025
Meant to be together
Slater and Joey were meant for each other, except they did not know it. Then one night when Slater saw her play pool it all fell into place. Now he had to convince Joey about his feelings and find out what her's were. It took a while but finally they found their happily ever after.
Slater and Joey were meant for each other, except they did not know it. Then one night when Slater saw her play pool it all fell into place. Now he had to convince Joey about his feelings and find out what her's were. It took a while but finally they found their happily ever after.
October 5, 2020
Justine Davis is one of my go to authors! I devour her books for the writing, the characters and the swoon worthy romance. I throughly am enjoying this series and the Highwater men! I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series.
October 20, 2020
This was another good book by Justine Davis. I really liked Joey, though her indecision possibly dragged on a bit long. Slater was great as well.
Like the previous book, it felt a little slow in a few places and occasionally confused me, but overall it was worth reading.
Like the previous book, it felt a little slow in a few places and occasionally confused me, but overall it was worth reading.
January 1, 2021
Lovely
I just love stories that they start out as friends. It seems like the connection is so much more deep. They were perfect together. So romantic. I loved the last few chapters! Swooning!
I just love stories that they start out as friends. It seems like the connection is so much more deep. They were perfect together. So romantic. I loved the last few chapters! Swooning!
September 6, 2021
I've read several books in this series and loved every one. This is another that keeps you engaged throughout. Sexual situations but no foul language. A happily ever after ending. Definitely add to your reading list.
July 17, 2020
Two "brainy" ones belong together
This is the second book I have read in this series. Prepare to be hooked on this family. Quaint little town with lots going on.
This is the second book I have read in this series. Prepare to be hooked on this family. Quaint little town with lots going on.
November 24, 2020
Carino, ma con un mistero rimasto insoluto
January 4, 2021
Great read!!! Good story line. Enjoyed this very much.
January 9, 2021
Enjoyed!
Joey and Slater’s story has lots of interesting dialogue and well described locations. They mesh so well and it just took some time for them to acknowledge what they had.
Joey and Slater’s story has lots of interesting dialogue and well described locations. They mesh so well and it just took some time for them to acknowledge what they had.
January 14, 2021
Slater and Joey were a great couple. He fell for her sister and was engaged to her until she broke it off. Joey had always loved him because of his mind. It was interesting to watch them connect.
February 26, 2021
Sweet
Another lovely read in this series by this author. Both leads are so likeable that automatically you are on their side.
Another lovely read in this series by this author. Both leads are so likeable that automatically you are on their side.
November 1, 2021
Texas Romance
Another great read in the Texas Justice Series. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. Love the Highwaters family.
Another great read in the Texas Justice Series. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. Love the Highwaters family.
April 9, 2023
I absolutely loved the chemistry between the characters. Especially loved the quotes and the way they were integrated almost casually into the story!
October 17, 2023
Beautifully likeable story about recognising your soul mate when the timing is right, even though you may have met each other numerous times beforehand!
November 6, 2023
Likeable characters and a satisfying story. I enjoyed the stories with the neurodivergent brothers the best so far. I find them relatable.
November 20, 2023
Swoon, swoon, swoon. These two characters are everything, the writing is incredible, and I didn’t want the book to end. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
October 9, 2025
4.5/5 ⭐️ I really really liked this book!! Eventhough I’m not a fan of the sibling of een ex trope.
December 30, 2020
Sweet romance
A sweet and thoughtful romance with compelling characters and an engaging premise set in a picturesque community. Part of a much larger fictional world.
A sweet and thoughtful romance with compelling characters and an engaging premise set in a picturesque community. Part of a much larger fictional world.
September 5, 2019
I loved the first book in this series, Lone Star Lawman, and this one was just as good. In that first book, I was intrigued by Slater. Something told me that there was more to him than first appeared, and I was right. Slater is the second oldest brother. He runs the family bar instead of being in law enforcement like his brothers Shane and Sean. Slater returned to Last Stand after graduating from Harvard with a philosophy degree and ending his engagement with his fiancée Diandra. He never says why he came back, just lets people make whatever assumptions they want to make. The only person who hasn't asked why he came back was Joey.
Joey is the town's assistant librarian. She is sweet, king, big-hearted, and has a sassy side that not many people see. She has loved Slater since she was a teenager and he was dating, then engaged to her older sister. They had a good friendship going, as Joey was the only person in town who could keep up with Slater's conversational twists and turns.
I loved the development of the relationship between Slater and Joey. They were friends for a long time, even after the end of Slater's engagement to her sister. Slater didn't see her as anything but Diandra's little sister until one night that he saw her playing pool at the bar. Suddenly he saw her in a whole new way and it kind of freaked him out a bit at first. It was fun to see his mental gyrations as he found himself more and more distracted by her. The more time that he spent with her, the more he realized the depth of his mistake with her sister. It was sweet to see his growing interest in Joey and how well he understood her. I loved the hang-gliding scene and how he knew precisely how to encourage her.
Joey was surprised by Slater's growing attention. She was used to blending into the background, the plain, nerdy sister when compared to Diandra. As Slater continues to pay attention to her, she finds it harder and harder to keep her distance.
There was so much that Joey and Slater had going for them. Both of them are highly intelligent with an affinity for the written word. I loved seeing them trade quotations the way that other people trade quips. Both tend to lose themselves in thought, zoning out while the world goes on around them. They also have some significant issues that keep them apart. Slater is drowning in the guilt he feels over staying in college after their parents died, leaving Shane to carry the load of taking care of the family. That guilt shows up in the form of doing everything he can to antagonize Shane. He is so down on himself that he has trouble believing that anyone would want him, something that was reinforced by Diandra's treatment of him. Joey suffers from some serious lack of confidence in her appeal to men. She thinks that she would be a "consolation prize" to anyone who had been interested in her sister. Though neither could see their own appeal, each one could see what the other was suffering. I loved how Joey gave Slater the ability to see his issue from a different viewpoint. Slater won my heart when he realized what made Joey hold back and was so determined to show her that his feelings for her were real. His method was so romantic and showed how well he understood her. There was an especially satisfying scene at the end that showed that the past no longer had a hold on either of them.
I loved getting more insight into the Hightower family. The relationship between Slater and Shane is still a difficult one for most of the book. There are hints of the lessening of hostilities as we see Slater's reactions to Lily being part of Shane's life now. I loved finding out the cause of the tension between them and how Joey's influence brought an end to it. There was also more about Kane, the missing Hightower brother. Joey's understanding of the pain they were all in, especially Sage's pain, brought back a memory that gave her and Slater a lead in the search for what happened to him. My heart ached for them all as Joey and Slater pursued that lead. I can't wait for the next book to see where the search goes next.
Joey is the town's assistant librarian. She is sweet, king, big-hearted, and has a sassy side that not many people see. She has loved Slater since she was a teenager and he was dating, then engaged to her older sister. They had a good friendship going, as Joey was the only person in town who could keep up with Slater's conversational twists and turns.
I loved the development of the relationship between Slater and Joey. They were friends for a long time, even after the end of Slater's engagement to her sister. Slater didn't see her as anything but Diandra's little sister until one night that he saw her playing pool at the bar. Suddenly he saw her in a whole new way and it kind of freaked him out a bit at first. It was fun to see his mental gyrations as he found himself more and more distracted by her. The more time that he spent with her, the more he realized the depth of his mistake with her sister. It was sweet to see his growing interest in Joey and how well he understood her. I loved the hang-gliding scene and how he knew precisely how to encourage her.
Joey was surprised by Slater's growing attention. She was used to blending into the background, the plain, nerdy sister when compared to Diandra. As Slater continues to pay attention to her, she finds it harder and harder to keep her distance.
There was so much that Joey and Slater had going for them. Both of them are highly intelligent with an affinity for the written word. I loved seeing them trade quotations the way that other people trade quips. Both tend to lose themselves in thought, zoning out while the world goes on around them. They also have some significant issues that keep them apart. Slater is drowning in the guilt he feels over staying in college after their parents died, leaving Shane to carry the load of taking care of the family. That guilt shows up in the form of doing everything he can to antagonize Shane. He is so down on himself that he has trouble believing that anyone would want him, something that was reinforced by Diandra's treatment of him. Joey suffers from some serious lack of confidence in her appeal to men. She thinks that she would be a "consolation prize" to anyone who had been interested in her sister. Though neither could see their own appeal, each one could see what the other was suffering. I loved how Joey gave Slater the ability to see his issue from a different viewpoint. Slater won my heart when he realized what made Joey hold back and was so determined to show her that his feelings for her were real. His method was so romantic and showed how well he understood her. There was an especially satisfying scene at the end that showed that the past no longer had a hold on either of them.
I loved getting more insight into the Hightower family. The relationship between Slater and Shane is still a difficult one for most of the book. There are hints of the lessening of hostilities as we see Slater's reactions to Lily being part of Shane's life now. I loved finding out the cause of the tension between them and how Joey's influence brought an end to it. There was also more about Kane, the missing Hightower brother. Joey's understanding of the pain they were all in, especially Sage's pain, brought back a memory that gave her and Slater a lead in the search for what happened to him. My heart ached for them all as Joey and Slater pursued that lead. I can't wait for the next book to see where the search goes next.
February 27, 2020
Scott found himself is trouble at the age of 17. He had to deal with the consequences with the law or start over in the military. They did not give him a chance to say goodbye. Sage was best friends with him and she loved him. She was heartbroken when he left without a word. Now ten years later he is back for his brother's funeral. He intends to be in and out of that town as quickly as possible. He does not want to be judged by his actions as a youth acting out because of a horrible home life. He is shocked when the locals thank him for his service and call him a hero. Everyone sees him as he is now except for his parents. They still have no love for him. The spark between Sage and Scott is still there. Can Scott see himself as worthy of Sage's love? Can Sage convince Scott to take a chance on them? Good read.
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