Welcome to Bent, Wyoming Where the Wild West Never Died Resident bad boy and saloon owner Grady Carson knows his brother is not a murderer, and he’ll do anything to prove it. But partnering with Laurel Delaney? Worst idea ever. The beautiful by-the-book cop challenges him like no other. Bad family blood–and a killer at large–makes their attraction unthinkable. Dangerous. Reckless. How can … Reckless. How can they solve a crime to prevent a family war and then let forbidden love ignite it anew?
Carsons & Delaneys
more
I loved this book! I wanted it to go on forever! Trademark Helm characters with complications and a great thrill ride to the end…in the middle of a longstanding family feud in rural Wyoming. SUCH a great book!
I couldn’t put this book down!!
Good book. The ongoing feud between the Carsons and Delaneys ran smack up against a murder investigation when Grady Carson’s half-brother was wanted for questioning in the murder of Deputy Laurel Delaney’s cousin Jason. Grady was determined to protect his brother, while Laurel just wanted to find the murderer.
I liked both Grady and Laurel. Grady owns the local bar, The Rightful Claim. He’s big, tattooed, and has quite the bad boy reputation. Grady is also the de facto head of his family, the one who keeps an eye on everyone else. His brother Clint is a reckless teenager who was always in trouble. His family is important to him, and he’ll do whatever is necessary to protect them, even if that means working with a Delaney. Laurel is a law-and-order woman who loves her job as a deputy. The welfare of the town comes first in everything she does, and if that means working with a Carson, that’s what she will do.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Grady and Laurel. Bent is a small town, so they have known each other all their lives. As far back as high school they were drawn to each other, but because of the Carson-Delaney feud, nothing ever came of it. There have been encounters between them in the years since, especially with Laurel being a deputy and Grady being a saloon owner. Grady takes a great deal of pleasure in doing what he can to rile up Laurel and challenge her calm exterior. When Laurel showed up at the saloon, looking for his help in finding Clint, the sparks between them flew fast and hot. Their conversation was intense, with Laurel determined to find Clint, and Grady just as determined, but with protection on his mind. Grady also loaded his with innuendo, delighting in ruffling her feathers, but also realizing that he was more drawn to her than was wise.
Meanwhile, Laurel fought hard to keep her mind on her goal and ignore her body’s messages. As they worked together to get to the truth of the murder, the feelings between them grew. Grady was quick with the innuendo, but he also grew to respect her abilities as a deputy and her determination to be impartial. He was protective, but he also knew when to step back and let her do her job. Laurel fought hard against her growing feelings for Grady. I loved the scene where she got roped into taking him home after his concussion and tried to fight the inevitable. Neither could deny their feelings any longer when Laurel ended up in grave danger. I loved Grady’s big moment at the end. There’s something especially moving about seeing a big, tough guy like Grady expose his vulnerable side as he lays his heart at her feet.
The suspense of the story was good. Laurel had good investigative instincts, and I liked seeing her work through the leads. The initial question of how Clint was connected to Jason’s murder was resolved pretty quickly but opened up more questions. The bar scene and its results had me glued to the pages as Laurel followed up on what she had discovered, with Grady stuck to her side, determined to protect her. The process of connecting the dots between Jason, Clint, and the various other players was fascinating to see. The final confrontation was intense, with some heart-stopping moments of danger.
The feud between the Carsons and Delaneys was spoken of often. There are obvious tensions between the two families. However, there are also hints that some of the younger generation aren’t as invested as the earlier generations. Grady and Laurel seemed to find it pretty easy to push the feud to the rear as they worked together and found their feelings for each other growing. Interference from other family members seemed to be fairly mild and limited to snarky comments. The closest to physical confrontation was between Grady and Laurel’s brother, Dylan, and that was easily attributed to their fears for Laurel. I’m looking forward to the other books and seeing more barriers broken down.
“Wyoming Cowboy Justice” is book one of Nicole Helm’s Carsons and Delaneys miniseries and features Grady Carson and Laurel Delaney.
Grady and Laurel grew up hearing about the feud between their families. They’re not supposed to like each other, yet Grady and Laurel have always “noticed” each other.
The two begrudgingly team up to solve the murder of Laurel’s cousin and clear Grady’s brother.
In “Wyoming Cowboy Justice”, the sexual tension is high, the banter fun. It is also a well-written mystery with great characters.
Ms. Helm is a rising star in the romantic suspense genre.
Wyoming Cowboy Justice takes a Wild West style family feud and brings it into the modern era with the Carsons and Delaneys. The two families, who line in a town called Bent, Wyoming, just don’t mix. But when upright cop Laurel Delaney has to team up with bad boy saloon owner Grady Carson to solve a murder, the two become entangled in a mystery — and in each other. For anyone who likes forbidden love, cowboys and some suspense!
Holy shades of the Hatfield and McCoy feud! Only this feud is between the Carsons and the Delaneys in Bent, Wyoming. So how does it work when Deputy Sheriff Laurel Delaney is pretty sure that she needs to work with a Carson – Grady Carson, owner of the local bar, Rightful Claim? Why? A distant cousin of Laurel’s, Jason Delaney is found shot dead in a field of a local ranch. Upon questioning the owner of the ranch Laurel discovers that Clint Danvers, half brother of Grady Carson, had his car break down by the ranch the previous night when the murder occurred. Clint asked the ranch owner to use his phone which placed him near the scene of the murder. According to the ranch owner no one else was seen in the vicinity that night. So Clint Danvers becomes a suspect in the murder of Jason Delaney. But Clint is just a teenager and Laurel doesn’t think he committed the murder. So she goes to see Grady to get his help to clear Clint. But this investigation just might get rather complicated – sparks are flying between Laurel and Grady, a mutual attraction. Too bad Carsons and Delaneys don’t get together. Will Laurel and Grady be the exception?
Wyoming Cowboy Justice is the first book in author Nicole Helm’s Carsons & Delaneys series. This series takes the reader to Bent, Wyoming where two families have been involved in a feud for many years. I found this feud to be a very interesting background for a romance story. A feud means that the hero and heroine, in this case Grady Carson and Laurel Delaney have to overcome family interference as well as the ups and downs of a budding relationship.
Nicole Helm has done a great job of writing three-dimesional characters who have the reader liking the good guys and not liking the bad guys. This is a super beginning to this series. I look forward to the next book in the series, Wyoming Cowboy Protection.