Can a man who’s never trusted anyone and a woman who’s trusted all the wrong men defy the odds and open their hearts to each other? From New York Times and USAToday bestselling romance author Jean Brashear, another emotional story set in beloved Sweetgrass Springs, Texas… The most reviled man in Sweetgrass Springs, Tank Patton lives on the razor’s edge of control, locked down and solitary by choice, keeping himself apart the only way he knows to avoid the legacy of violence handed down from his father. When he meets a young mother in dire straits, he gives her and her winsome children the immediate help they need, intending to give her wide berth from then on. Chrissy Daniels desperately hopes she can make a new life for herself and her children in Sweetgrass Springs, and that means being strong and self-reliant, no more leaning on men who are losers or worse—yet she finds herself touched by the bone-deep loneliness she senses in the man everyone has warned her is a brute and not to be trusted. Despite his intentions, Tank finds himself drawn back to Chrissy’s warmth and the sweetness of her children, yet he knows that to truly care for them means keeping his distance. Chrissy battles her long history of choosing men unwisely, yet she finds herself unable to turn away from this man she’s beginning to suspect is more decent than anyone believes—including Tank himself. But can a man who’s never trusted anyone and a woman who’s trusted all the wrong men defy the odds and open their hearts to each other?

His career is in her hands—will he risk his future to save her? Clarice Sutton, daughter of privilege, was raised to lead society, but that life feels increasingly empty, so instead of taking her proper place in their social set, she's taken a job her parents abhor: police department psychologist. The company she keeps and the people she meets horrify her oh-so-proper parents and their friends. Santino "Saint" Valdez—hardnosed detective who is anything but saintly—is under investigation by Internal Affairs for killing a predator he's not at all sorry to have eliminated. Now he's supposed to spill his guts to Miss Prim and Prissy? No way—not ever. Yet she's not what he expects, and he surprises her, as well. A growing attraction complicates both their lives, and time spent together only strengthens the unwise bond between the mongrel from the streets and the society girl. Saint's future depends on Clarice's professional evaluation, yet her feelings toward him are increasingly anything but professional. An Internal Affairs detective who trusts her wants Saint's head in a noose, so the stakes couldn't be higher. New on the job, Clarice can't afford to falter, yet the urge to defend the man who won't defend himself is powerful. And when Clarice learns that the parents she's tried so hard to please have lied to her all her life, the only person she trusts to understand how lost and alone she feels is the very man she must avoid in order to save him. As the forces against Saint gather, he knows the worst thing he can do is spend time with her and risk tainting her evaluation…yet how can he turn away from her soft and valiant heart when she's suffering so? And when those out to get him endanger her safety, will Saint risk everything to save her?

Will the light that fills her draw him out of the darkness? Special Forces veteran Gabriel Coronado is haunted by nightmares that keep him in the shadows, exiling himself from human companionship as he wrestles with his demons. Walking the night to outrun his memories of those he wasn't able to save, he comes to the rescue of a small, valiant woman who puts herself in danger to save a young runaway. Jilly Sullivan's life is dedicated to making a difference for the poor, championing one hopeless cause after another, spending time in the worst parts of town. When a desperate criminal overpowers her and a nameless hero saves her from harm, both their courses are altered forever. Gabriel finds himself drawn to the vibrant light that is Jilly, and she lures him from the darkness in which he's most comfortable. The more time they spend together, the more powerful their bond becomes. He comes to the defense of a young boy victimized by a brutal drug dealer, and when that drug dealer assaults Jilly in retaliation, Gabriel rescues her but quickly retreats to the darkness where he believes he belongs. Can Jilly, rocked by her brush with evil, convince this man to believe that he deserves to live in the light?

A man who can’t walk away from trouble—and a woman who’s nothing but. “Jean Brashear's portrait of two wounded souls who find each other just when they most need someone is beautifully, gently drawn. Brashear's smooth style and attention to detail make [this] story quietly captivating.” ~RTBookclub 4 ½ of 5 stars Discover the first book in New York Times bestselling contemporary Texas romance author Jean Brashear’s Lone Star Lovers series about three brothers, the first an emotional movie star romance where two unlikely lovers come together to heal both their hearts. Hollywood’s hottest heartthrob Liam Sullivan has escaped the paparazzi and celebrity gossips after a sensational tragedy, reexamining his high-flying lifestyle and his priorities. In disguise, traveling through the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, he encounters a rail-thin, starving woman who has lost everything but the dilapidated cabin where she once lived with her grandmother in happier days. Raina Donovan is determined to make her stand there, but winter is coming, and Liam cannot desert her until he can make her safe, however much she tries to make him leave. Day by day, they draw closer, but Raina has secrets and so does Liam. Before they can trust enough to confide in each other, the world catches up with them. Can they overcome the stunning shock of their deceptions to find a way to be together, or will the price of their lies ruin any chance they might have for a future?

The fifth edition of this popular text is now expanded and updated to better fit the needs of a stand-alone Texas Politics course. Jillson continues to approach the politics of the Lone Star State from historical, developmental, and analytical perspectives, while giving students the most even-handed, readable, and engaging description of Texas politics available today. Throughout the book students are encouraged to connect the origins and development of government and politics in Texas--from the Texas Constitution, to party competition, to the role and powers of the Governor--to its current day practice and the alternatives possible through change and reform. This text helps instructors prepare their students to master the origin and development of the Texas Constitution, the structure and powers of state and local government in Texas, how Texas fits into the U.S. federal system, as well as political participation, the electoral process, and public policy in Texas. Texas Politics offers instructors and students an unmatched range of pedagogical aids and tools. Each chapter opens with an engaging vignette and a series of focus questions to orient readers to the learning objectives at hand and concludes with a chapter summary, a list of key terms, review questions, suggested readings, and web resources. Key terms are bolded in the text, listed at the end of the chapter, and included in a glossary at the end of the book. Each chapter includes "Let's Compare" boxes to help students see how Texas sits alongside other states, and "Pro & Con" boxes to bring conflicting political views into sharper focus. Tables, figures, and photos throughout highlight the major ideas, issues, individuals, and institutions discussed.

When she's lost all her dreams and is finally finding a place to call home, will she place her trust—and her heart—in the hands of a wanderer with secrets? Vanessa Porter's brilliant career as a hotelier goes up in flames after a scandal, and she pours herself into rehabbing an old mansion to become a boutique hotel, doing much of the work herself because her funds are running out. Hotshot adventure photographer Dane Sullivan's career is grounded after a near-death fall, and he's no longer sure he wants the life of death-defying risk that energized him for so long. While he's recovering and assessing his options, his kid sister Jilly volunteers him to help her friend Vanessa with handyman skills he and his brothers learned from their dad. The irascible, too-handsome photographer turned handyman won't be around long, which suits Vanessa just fine—until the sparks between them turn from aggravation to smoldering attraction. Though her life has been filled with loss, can she survive losing this man who's come to mean so much to her? As Dane begins to contemplate sinking roots, the once-in-a-lifetime trip to a forbidden land suddenly is his for the taking, and he will have to choose between a life he never imagined and the dream that would restore the career that was once all he ever wanted.

The fifth edition of this popular text is now expanded and updated to better fit the needs of a stand-alone Texas Politics course. Jillson continues to approach the politics of the Lone Star State from historical, developmental, and analytical perspectives, while giving students the most even-handed, readable, and engaging description of Texas politics available today. Throughout the book students are encouraged to connect the origins and development of government and politics in Texas--from the Texas Constitution, to party competition, to the role and powers of the Governor--to its current day.

SECRETS DIVIDE A FAMILY... For Michael Cavanaugh’s entire life, his mother has kept a shocking secret: that she was married once before she married his father, and she gave birth to that man’s child. Stunned that the mother who’d loved him so would abandon a child and furious with his mother’s deceit, he sets out to find the older brother he has always wanted. Ian McLaren, the favorite son of Sweetgrass Springs, has a full plate: a wife he adores, a baby on the way, a ranch to run and a town that depends on him. When a stranger arrives in town with the staggering news that he and Ian share a mother—the woman he’ll never forgive for abandoning him and his dad—his world tilts off its axis. Gordon McLaren has had years to regret the path he chose that parted him from the only woman he’s ever loved. Now he is torn between his longing to see her again and the anguish doing so would cause the son he’s worked so hard to protect all these years. Walking away from the child she cherished and the man she loved was far from easy for Sophia Bancroft McLaren Cavanaugh. Facing them again would be the single most terrifying step she’s undertaken since the day she left to save her sanity—and Gordon forbade her to return. CAN LOVE REUNITE THEM? Secrets divide the four of them, and the anguish of the past makes it impossible to hope they could ever overcome the years of heartache-- Until the threat of an even more unbearable loss gives them one last chance to unite. "Jean Brashear's distinctive storytelling voice instantly draws in the reader. She writes with warmth and emotional truth. The depth of her understanding of human nature marks her as a writer to watch, a writer to read and a writer to enjoy."~#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

Texas Christmas Bride: The Gallaghers of Sweetgrass Springs Book 6

This book is a true treasure trove of original research, incisive observations, and useful practical pointers. Written by an author who has read more than sixty thousand conflicts decisions in the last thirty years, the book skillfully guides American and foreign readers through the labyrinthine alleys of American choice-of-law litigation in the last twenty years and distills the resulting lessons for attorneys, academics, and lawmakers.