Elizabeth Murphy is happy to be Bramble’s spinster librarian. She’s content with her good girl life … then she inherits one of the most infamous whorehouses in Texas. It gets even worse when she discovers a handsome, and very naked, man handcuffed to the bed in the house’s master suite. Brant Cates is trying to solve his great-grandfather’s murder but being held captive in Miss Hattie’s Henhouse wasn’t part of his plan. Elizabeth may be the key to helping Brant solve the mystery but can they trust the attraction between them?

Trouble in Texas is Katie Lane’s newest Deep in the Heart of Texas book (following Going Cowboy Crazy, Make Mine a Bad Boy and Catch Me a Cowboy). When I started this book I didn’t realize it was a part of a series but there were no issues following along. Brant’s brother Billy is the romantic lead in Catch Me a Cowboy and the plotline of revenge against the town of Bramble for the Cates ancestor’s mysterious death flows thru all of the books but it doesn’t take long to get you caught up. I have actually read Going Cowboy Crazy and the other two are on my To Be Read list but after reading Trouble in Texas they’ve moved to the top. I really enjoyed the first book, which is why the other two are on my TBR list, and this one is just as good.

The characters are fun and interesting. The old Hens still living at Miss Hattie’s are a hoot and they add that touch of whimsy to this romance. Brant has had a difficult life and he’s starting to believe that he’s living under the family curse. He had a brother that died young, another brother fought cancer at a very young age, and he lost his wife and son in a tornado. He’s extremely dedicated to his family but he does not do relationships beyond that. His recovery at the hands of Elizabeth and the Hens is very sweet. Elizabeth’s mother grew up at Miss Hattie’s and it left scars of its own, which she passed along to Elizabeth. Her discovery of her sensual side at Brant’s hands and change from the prudish librarian to a more comfortable woman is a delight. Brant’s brother Beau also makes an appearance and sets up the next story in the series and I’m pretty anxious to get my hands on his book. He’s in remission for cancer, which has given him a different outlook on life than the rest of his family.

If you are looking for a fun romance full of small-town charm, Trouble in Texas is the book for you. But, if you haven’t visited Bramble before, be prepared to add the three preceding books to your own To Be Read list.