The New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men series delivers an “emotional, unforgettable” (Lori Wilde) romance about a rugged Texas sheriff who must protect the woman who was once his sworn enemy… Case Lawton comes from a family of criminals. So as the sheriff of Loveless, Texas, he’’s determined to do everything by the book–until he’’s called to Aspen Barlow’’s office after a … book–until he’’s called to Aspen Barlow’’s office after a so-called break-in. The last thing he wants to do is help the woman who cost him custody of his son. But Aspen isn’‘t the heartless lawyer Case remembers, and he starts to question his long-held grudge…
Aspen is scared for her life, and Case is her last hope for protection. But to get him on her side, she’‘ll have to reveal the painful truth from all those years ago. Now, as they work together to track down a dangerous criminal, Case and Aspen learn to trust each other. And as the threats escalate, it becomes clear there’’s a thin line between love and hate… because there’’s nothing Case wouldn’‘t do to keep her safe.
“Off the charts attraction, dramatic suspense, heartbreaking betrayal, deep emotion, and unforgettable romance will keep you turning the pages to the climactic end.” -Jennifer Ryan, New York Times bestselling author
“Crownover writes cowboys that make you want to pack your bags in search of a small-town ranch!” -Melissa Foster, New York Times bestselling author
“Five big huge stars for Justified! Don’‘t miss this page turner!” -Harper Sloan, New York Times bestselling author
Includes It’’s All About That Cowboy, a bonus novella by Carly Bloom!
and hate… because there’’s nothing Case wouldn’‘t do to keep her safe.
“Off the charts attraction, dramatic suspense, heartbreaking betrayal, deep emotion, and unforgettable romance will keep you turning the pages to the climactic end.” -Jennifer Ryan, New York Times bestselling author
“Crownover writes cowboys that make you want to pack your bags in search of a small-town ranch!” -Melissa Foster, New York Times bestselling author
“Five big huge stars for Justified! Don’‘t miss this page turner!” -Harper Sloan, New York Times bestselling author
Includes It’’s All About That Cowboy, a bonus novella by Carly Bloom!
and hate… because there’’s nothing Case wouldn’‘t do to keep her safe.
“Off the charts attraction, dramatic suspense, heartbreaking betrayal, deep emotion, and unforgettable romance will keep you turning the pages to the climactic end.” -Jennifer Ryan, New York Times bestselling author
“Crownover writes cowboys that make you want to pack your bags in search of a small-town ranch!” -Melissa Foster, New York Times bestselling author
“Five big huge stars for Justified! Don’‘t miss this page turner!” -Harper Sloan, New York Times bestselling author
Includes It’’s All About That Cowboy, a bonus novella by Carly Bloom!
and hate… because there’’s nothing Case wouldn’‘t do to keep her safe.
“Off the charts attraction, dramatic suspense, heartbreaking betrayal, deep emotion, and unforgettable romance will keep you turning the pages to the climactic end.” -Jennifer Ryan, New York Times bestselling author
“Crownover writes cowboys that make you want to pack your bags in search of a small-town ranch!” -Melissa Foster, New York Times bestselling author
“Five big huge stars for Justified! Don’‘t miss this page turner!” -Harper Sloan, New York Times bestselling author
Includes It’’s All About That Cowboy, a bonus novella by Carly Bloom!
ep emotion, and unforgettable romance will keep you turning the pages to the climactic end.” -Jennifer Ryan, New York Times bestselling author
“Crownover writes cowboys that make you want to pack your bags in search of a small-town ranch!” -Melissa Foster, New York Times bestselling author
“Five big huge stars for Justified! Don’‘t miss this page turner!” -Harper Sloan, New York Times bestselling author
Includes It’’s All About That Cowboy, a bonus novella by Carly Bloom!
more
Justified was an alright read. The animosity between Aspen and Case mixed in with Case helping Aspen, throw in the suspense and romance brewing and it was intriguing for sure. Seeing how it would all play out was fascinating. Both the characters of Aspen and Case had their perfection and their flaws. The push-and-pull between the two did keep the story going for me. I also liked the family aspect when it came to Case and his siblings. Though I wasn’t completely in love with the story, it was still an okay read for me. I am intrigued by another possible couple and the mystery revealed at the end. Overall, a book mixed with romance and suspense that will keep you reading.
I really enjoyed this first book in the Loveless, Texas series. This friends to enemies to lovers story pretty much checked all of my favorites–small town (in my beloved Texas,) big broody hero (who is the sheriff, HELLO hotness,) damsel in distress, awful exes, and enough suspense to keep me guessing until the very end. Add to all of this a pretty good helping of heat and I was hooked from beginning to end and didn’t want to put it down. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one!
*I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley*
Loveless Texas and the Lawton’s. What a great combination. Case and Aspen have a long history and I just loved their story. The writing is fantastic and I just love these two characters.
Case Lawson has a huge chip on his shoulder. When he suddenly has to protect the woman that he feels stole his life from hom for many years, things get interesting. Jay Crownover can make you want to move to Texas and find yourself a sexy cowboy
Jay Crownover is one of the few authors I know I will get a solid story from. Every. Single. Time. It doesn’t matter if it’s tatted up bad boys or law abiding cowboys. Handyman or criminal. Rancher or devil. She proves again and again that she will leave you wanting more and more of her stories. This story in particular was fantastic! Case and Aspen go from quasi-friends to enemies to lovers and hook you from the get go. The plot had several twists and turns I did not see coming. It was suspenseful and action packed. I cannot wait for more Lawtons!
A thrilling ride that’ll leave you breathless! Justified is filled with heated action, and will keep you on the edge of your seat with the plot twists. A suspenseful romance that you’ll want to erase from your memory, just so you can read it again for the very first time!
I love how fiercely protective Case is of his family, but his obsession with righting the wrong-doings of his corrupt father, make him blind to some truths. When the one person he blames for the loss of custodial rights is a target in a series of threats, he must put his hateful feelings aside in order to close the case and push her back out of his life.
This is book 1 in the Loveless, Texas series. It introduces us to the Lawton family. This one is about Case Lawton and Aspen Barlow. Case and Aspen have known each other since they were in school together, but since Aspen helped his ex-wife get custody of his son, he hates her with a passion. However, when her office is broken into, he refuses to act like his father and actually steps up to try to figure out what is going on. And being forced to be around Aspen shows him that he might have been wrong about her and what truly happened. Aspen knows that Case is the only person who can protect her. But that just brings up what happened all those years ago and why she did what she did. And being forced to spend time together just reinforces her thoughts about the type of man Case is while showing him that she is the one woman who may always have his back, even when he doesn’t know it.
I really liked this book! Case comes across as this bitter but good man. But he also has a heart of gold that he works to hide and protect from outsiders. Aspen may be a lawyer but she isn’t one of those typical money hungry, out to get you types that you usually associate with lawyers. She has the biggest heart and she is trying to do what she thinks is right. I truly liked this story, but parts of it felt a little slow to me. That is the only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5! The story and writing are excellent. The characters? I absolutely loved them! I just felt a little slow but on a whole I thoroughly enjoyed it! And this was the first book I read by this author, but after reading this one I know it won’t be my last! I really need Case’s sister’s story though! I absolutely loved her in this!
. This is the first book that I have read by this author but, it definitely won’t be the last. It is a fast-paced, suspenseful thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It has wonderful, endearing characters and a suspenseful storyline. It had a realistic storyline that flowed seamlessly. From the first page until the last, I couldn’t put this book down until the end. I can’t wait to read what this author writes next.
Suspense, drama, and heat, that’s what Jay Crownovers brings her newest release Justified.
The story of Sheriff Chase Lawton and Counselor Aspen Barlow started way back in high school when Aspens family moved to the small town of Loveless, Texas. But the animosity between the two came years later when Aspen represents Chases then-wife in their divorce.
When ten years after the divorce Aspens life is threatened, long withheld secrets, along with wildly hot chemistry, have the once peaceful duo heating the pages.
Jay Crownover delivered with this enemy to lovers story. I loved that the characters were in their 30’s and established. Chase and Aspen were wonderfully written characters that had the hate and lust igniting the pages. There was just the right amount of suspense to make the story exciting and keep you engaged without feeling like she was trying too hard. The secondary characters were great, and I am eager to see what Jay has in store for us next.
Rated 3.5 Stars
I liked the premise of Justified and certain aspects of the story, that it was enemies to lovers, the characters both main and secondary were interesting, the sex scenes were steamy among other things. However there were parts that felt off to me almost forced that took away from my overall enjoyment of the story, like the suspense, some of the things Case did didn’t ring true as someone in law enforcement and there was a scene where Aspen acted totally out of character. That said I’m still looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Copy provided by publisher through Net Galley
Jay Crownover delivers another incredible story full of emotions and plenty of heart pounding moments. I couldn’t put it down. Case and Aspen have so much history. A history as messy as their lives have become. I wasn’t sure how Crownover was going to have these two maneuver their present around that past but I tore through the pages eager to find out. After reading Unbroken, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Justified. Somehow I knew these two stories would be vastly different from one another and they definitely were. We get a similar feel, but Case is very different from his brother. Both intriguing, unique, and complex. I’m loving these Lawton brothers, and their sister too!
When Case Lawton is torn when he has to investigate a break in at attorney Aspen Barlow’s office. Aspen was the lawyer that he thinks screwed him out of child custody in his divorce, and Case is holding a grudge the size of Texas against her.
Aspen Barlow remembers Case from their high school days when he was the one to protect her against the name-callers. But when she returns to Loveless, Case is involved in a bitter divorce and he doesn’t really remember her. Then she gets to represent his ex-wife in the divorce, making for some real tension between these two.
But Case is an honorable man and a professional so he tries not to let the past cloud his judgement when it comes to Aspen, especially when the perpetrator ups the ante by becoming an arsonist. It all becomes fairly tense as it’s clear someone is out to kill Aspen.
There’s a good bit of tension going on with the attempted murder investigation, and there’s a lot of sexual tension between Case and Aspen as they find out they aren’t quite the person they thought. I loved that about this book. The suspense goes from start to finish in this story and kept me on the edge of my seat. Jay Crownover’s romantic suspense gets better with each new tale of treachery against a backdrop of steamy emotions.
Justified is a tale of suspense and forgiveness that grabbed me on the first pages and kept me turning them to the very end. It also left me needing Kody’s (Case’s sister) story. Really enjoyed this one.
An ARC was provided for review.
I just absolutely loved this. I devoured it and keep thinking about Sheriff Lawton and Counselor Barlow. Striking all my favorite romance chords, I engulfed Jay Crownover’s newest series start in one sitting. Justified is an enemies-to-lovers, slow burn romance between a small town Texas Sheriff with a chip on his shoulder and a local attorney with a fiery attitude and big-time crush. When danger keeps finding the local Counselor after some major life changes it’s the Sheriff who can’t seem to stop wanting to personally protect her.
This one just felt really good. Like I said if you’re in the mood for just good old fashioned romance between a grouchy alpha male who derives great pleasure from pushing the buttons of a quirky female who holds nothing back this book is a perfect fit for you. I loved how they came to be enemies and the morals behind it. I loved the subtle secrets and unrequited attraction. I loved that the story revolved around the growth and understanding of these two magnetic characters.
Crownover’s writing flowed flawlessly, the plot was as fun as it was dangerous, the secondary characters provided many bright spots that I can’t wait to further explore in the series, and the chemistry between the two mains was off the charts.
As the story between these two characters evolves so does your interest in this town and the rest of the characters we meet. That might be my favorite part. I felt as though I was a small, intimate part of the Loveless, Texas landscape while reading. Like I could sit around with all these people, be relaxed, and have a really great time. Jay Crownover pieced together a wonderful, low-angst, romantic story with a wonderful slow burn that keeps you engaged from beginning to end. This kind of story is why I love the romance genre so much. I can’t wait for more from this author in this series!
Sweet Jesus, what a ride! Case hates Aspen with the fire of a thousand suns, and Aspen has a nasty habit of letting him because she knows she gutted him, but the reality is that she kept him as free and close to his son as she could during a serious rock-and-a-hard-place situation. Of course, now Aspen needs Case’s help. After all, he’s the sheriff and she’s now the victim of a crime. Then the danger starts piling up, Case has to either put his past firmly in the past or risk losing out on what could be the best thing life has to offer, and Aspen has to decide if she’s willing to fight for them.
We have it all here, folks. The setting for another epic journey of complex characters and problems a là Jay’s Denver and Point books, drama that builds and slaps you upside the head without feeling OTT and unrealistic, and the very real angst of letting go of the past to find a better future. I was unable to put this book down and am already feeling anxious, wondering when the next book comes out. As usual, this author does NOT disappoint, and she proves that she can easily move from NA to adult suspense with no hesitation or stumbling around. I see great things coming our way in the town of Loveless.
Enemies to lovers is one of my all-time favorite tropes and this one was fantastic. I devoured it! I loved the characters, their fiery barbs and underlying passion. There is a wonderful suspense element that was happening and I loved the build to it all.
I was thrilled when I received a review copy of Justified. Huge thank you to Jay Crownover and Forever for sending me a review copy!! Y’all are the best!
The cover caught my attention and after I read the synopsis I started reading the book. This is book 1 in the Loveless, Texas series and it was EVERYTHING. My favorite trope is enemies to lovers and Case and Aspen definitely pulled this off.
These characters knew each other in high school. Every time they passed by each other or talked it was cute and innocent. Aspen was the “weird girl”. She was new to town and didn’t really fit in. But that was what caught Case’s attention. He was known as Sheriff Lawton’s son. Everyone including his dad have a plan for him. He will follow in his footsteps and have a job in law enforcement.
And then a few years later, they meet again in the worst of circumstances. Case is going through a divorce and Aspen is representing his ex. When Case’s world turns upside down, he puts the blame on Aspen.
And after another few years have passed, Aspen is the one who is going through it. Everyone in town knows Aspen and Case DO NOT get along. Then, Aspen is threatened and needs the help of the new sheriff, CASE LAWTON.
Their relationship goes through all the ups and downs and they find a way to be cordial all in the hopes of finding out who wants to harm Aspen. The faster Case solves the case, the faster he stops having to play nice.
Well, what if they started to develop feelings for each other? Things definitely get interesting.
I highly recommend this story to lovers of romance and enemies to lovers.
Rating:
I give Justified 5 stars. It was intense, romantic, suspenseful. Jay Crownover won me Justified Jay Crownover over with this series. I am already addicted to this series and will be counting down the days until I get my hands on book 2.
3.5 stars. This was a “like it” not a “love it” for me. Justified is the second book in the Loveless, TX series (The first book was #0.5). This book is focused on the second Lawton sibling in the series, Case, who is the oldest and the town sheriff. Aspen is a family lawyer in the town. The two met in high school when Aspen’s family moved from Chicago. Case was friendly with her and one of the only people to be nice to her, when many students called her weird because she wore black and was different. Aspen had a crush on him, but he was several years older and had a girlfriend who soon got pregnant on purpose. Years pass and they don’t really speak, both marrying others. When Case’s relationship with his wife crumbles, Aspen is hired to represent her in their divorce/custody proceedings. Aspen does her job well, resulting in Case hating her and making her life miserable whenever possible. Several years later, Aspen’s marriage also ends and she is the victim of multiple crimes. It seems someone has it out for her, and no matter how much Case resents her, he feels it is his job to protect her as a town citizen. As he protects her, they both realize things between them in their past were not what they seemed and the two grow closer, falling for each other.
I really enjoyed this story. It was interesting and suspenseful. I liked this couple together, once they fixed their misunderstandings and were nicer to each other. I’m not a huge enemies to lovers fan. This relationship is slow burn and I felt the enemies part of the enemies to lovers was dragged out too long. Case was pretty mean to Aspen for a good chunk of the book. Aspen carried over her crush from high school even while he was mean to her, which I didn’t love. There was too much pushing away, not admitting feelings between them, and also a lack of chemistry. I didn’t feel a big connection between them until 80% of the book, when I finally liked them together and felt like they cared for each other equally. But I did feel the love between them by the end. Also, I found the book a little too slow and dry, with very little humor to balance out the drama. In addition, I found the epilogue to be a very odd ending to this book. I understand it was setting up the next book in the series, but it was depressing and a poor note to end on. Still, I found this book entertaining in general. It is not a bad book, just not my favorite by Ms. Crownover.
Overall, this was not a bad read. I really liked Case and Aspen together by the end of the book. I enjoyed the small town feel and the side characters, especially Kody, Case’s sister. I look forward to Kody’s book to come later on in the series. I mostly enjoyed this book and I look forward to more from Ms. Crownover in the future.
Aspen and Case have a past and it got worse when she came back to town. She’s always had a thing for him but he was never hers. These two are now barely civil to each other and then she needs him in his capacity of sheriff. He’ll do what he needs to do to find out what’s going on in his town and who is out for her but that’s it. Right? Well….
This story had me hooked before I even started reading it. I knew Case from previous books and couldn’t wait to dive into his story. It had past little snippets to see how they were before and I felt that it added to the story. It has mystery in it and I loved that it kept me guessing. It had feelings, heat, and the push and pull of these two that just made the story. Will he be able to see what’s right in front of him before it’s too late?
It was set up beautifully for the next book in the series and I can’t wait!!!!
4.5 stars
Case Lawton is the oldest brother of the Lawton crew and the town sheriff. Following in his father’s footsteps has not been easy, especially as he has worked to distance himself from his father’s corrupt ways. His entire world revolves around his son, his family, and his town.
Aspen Barlow was the lawyer who helped his ex-wife gain custody of their son, but now she needs his help. As hard as he tries to remember he hates Aspen, he can’t help but think maybe he pegged her wrongly all those years ago.
These two have chemistry. Aspen had a crush on him as they were growing up, but the bad blood that was spilled during Case’s divorce left them closer to enemies than friends, if they even acknowledged the other. Case focused all his anger at losing time with his son at the lawyer responsible, not realizing there was more to the story than he realized.
I had so much fun reading Case and Aspen’s story. The element of suspense throughout kept me guessing and waiting for Case to figure it out once I thought I had it. This element was also the perfect reason for Case and Aspent to have to spend more than passing time with each other in order for Case to learn what was really going on during the divorce proceedings. He thought he hated this woman, but as it turns out, there is only a small distance from hate to love.
I met the Lawton family in Unbroken and fell in love with these three siblings living in the shadow of their past. I can’t wait for Kodi’s story. As the only girl in the family, I’m guessing she had a slightly different view of things than her brothers did. But I also loved returning to this town. Granted, most of Unbroken takes place away from Loveless, but as this is the place the formed the Lawton kids into the adults they are now, it was great to return and see what Case has done with the place since taking over as sheriff.
I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
C’est un plaisir de retourner à Loveless pour cette fois ci se focaliser sur Case Lawton, le frère de Crew ( personnage que nous avions découvert dans Unbroken) . Jay Crownover va nous offrir une saga familiale comme elle sait si bien le faire et je me suis régalée en apprenant à découvrir Case et sa relation particulière avec Aspen.
Case Lawton est donc un père de famille mais surtout le shérif de cette petite ville du Texas où tout se voit et tout se sait. Il essaie de redorer la réputation du poste de shérif après les ravages de son père Conrad qui se faisait acheter son silence et qui ne portait pas secours à ceux qui en avaient besoin . J’ai adoré ce personnage car il est droit dans ses bottes de cow boy et il met tout en oeuvre pour assurer la sécurité de sa ville. Il n’a pas peur de se salir les mains pour arrêter les criminels et pour mettre en prison ceux qui le méritent. Son plus grand regret a été d’épouser Becca avec qui il a dû se battre pour obtenir la garde de son fils Hayes mais malheureusement ils ont été séparés pendant de nombreuses années. Il avait 14 ans quand Becca a eu sa garde mais à présent , il est aux côtés de son père et leur relation est intact . J’ai adoré ce gamin qui est génial et très mature pour son âge. Il a le charme des Lawson et il fera à coup sûr des ravages. Il est la gentillesse même et n’a pas cru un seul instant les délires de sa mère.
S’ils ont été séparés c’est à cause ( ou grâce) à l’avocate de Becca qui n’est autre que Aspen , une ancienne connaissance de Case. Quand ils étaient au lycée, il a su la défendre contre les méchancetés proférées à son égard et la préserver un certain temps. Il était la star de football du lycée mais ses rêves ont été brisés à bien des égard. Autant donc vous dire que la tension est importante et que la rancoeur est aussi très présente. Pourtant il saura se montrer professionnel quand il devra résoudra un acte criminel. Qui peut bien en vouloir à cette avocate et qui va tout mettre en oeuvre pour la réduire à néant? Peu à peu la carapace de cet homme va se fissurer et laisser apparaître ses failles mais aussi ses forces. C’est un homme sur qui on peut compter et qui pourrait s’ouvrir aux autres mais surtout à notre héroïne
Aspen Barrow est également une jeune femme que j’ai adoré. Elle va susciter en nous des émotions contradictoires. Quand nous découvrons ce qu’elle a vécu au lycée , on ne peut qu’avoir un pincement au coeur la concernant car elle a toujours été mise de côté et ce sentiment d’être invisible a laissé des traces. Elle a été blessée par Becca mais elle ne pourra refuser de ne pas être son avocate. Elle va découvrir que cette femme est toujours aussi mesquine et elle va prendre une décision qui changera à jamais sa relation avec Case. Elle pensait enfin être heureuse aux côtés de David mais on va se rendre compte qu’il ne saura pas la rendre heureuse. Je n’ai d’ailleurs pas apprécié cet homme qui ne m’a pas inspiré confiance. Il ne veut pas divorcer et on va donc chercher pourquoi. Il est comme un chewing gum attaché à la semelle d’Aspen et elle n’aspire qu’à le sortir de sa vie. Elle va souffrir pendant ce tome car le sort s’acharne sur elle et elle va devoir apprendre à penser à elle avant de penser à ses clients. On se demande qui lui en veut à ce point et on ne sera pas au bout de nos surprises.
Elle a eu un coup de foudre pour Case étant plus jeune mais elle n’a pas pu empêcher la haine de s’installer entre eux. Elle l’a fait pour de bonnes raisons et elle va donc devoir accepter le statu quo qui va s’opérer entre elle en attendant de découvrir qui en a après sa vie. Quand elle est en présence de Case, on sent qu’elle a toujours ce lien particulier avec lui mais ce dernier ne semble pas conscient des sacrifices qu’elle a fait pour le préserver. La tension va de nouveau s’embraser entre eux mais la nature de cette tension sera différente. On espère donc qu’ils pourrons communiquer en toute sincérité et laisser ce passé derrière eux.
Bref, j’ai adoré le 1er tome de cette saga et j’ai adoré retrouver les divers références à d’anciennes sagas de Jay Crownover. Les Lawtons n’ont pas fini de nous faire passer de bons moments et Justified nous offre une histoire forte en émotions , en révélations et en intensité. Si vous lisez en VO, c’est la nouvelle saga de Jay Crownover à ne pas manquer.