Brash
4.5 Stars

Brash is the third installment in the ongoing saga of the Cavanaugh brothers' investigation into the murder of their younger sister, Cass. This book focuses on her twin brother, Cole, an MMA fighter who uses his guilt to fuel his rage in the ring, and Grace Hunter, the daughter of the former sheriff, who botched the case. Cole and Grace work together to uncover new leads into the identity of the mysterious "Sweet" and his connection to Cass's death.

Cole and Grace's slow-burn, opposites-attract romance has all of the chemistry and true intimacy lacking from the previous books. Their teasing banter is particularly delightful, and it is fun following along as they finally submit to the tension that has been building from book #1. Wright also manages to avoid much of the angst and drama that detract from Deacon and Mac's as well as Sheridan and James's stories.

In terms of the mystery surrounding Cass's death, there has been a great deal of exposition and foreshadowing, which makes it relatively easy to guess some of the twists and turns that emerge. Nevertheless, these revelations add another layer of intrigue to the story.

The book does end on a rather jarring cliffhanger, but the final installment is thankfully published already so I am off to read it ASAP.



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Grace Hunter is the town veterinarian, and her father is the former sheriff. Cass Cavanaugh died on her father's watch, and he seems to know something about her death, but Grace is losing him to dementia and fears that she may never know all of his secrets. The Cavanaugh brothers have been pushing Grace to find out what her father knows, especially Cole, the MMA fighter and Cass's twin. The more she pushes her father, the more he seems to pull away from her, and when her father's best friend dies in jail, she and the Cavanaughs fear that they may never know what happened to Cass.

Brash doesn't really get going until about midway through the book when Cole's experiences as an MMA fighter become part of the story as well as more about Cass Cavanaugh's murder, making the second half of the book much more interesting than the first half. However, the relationship between Cole and Grace is a little underdeveloped. Overall, though, this book is a good entry in The Cavanaugh Brother's series, and the ending leads right into the last book in the series, Bonded. ( )

Cole, the youngest of the brothers and twin of the murdered Cass, tortured by guilt he takes his vengeance out on his opponents. Grace, country veterinarian, who just wants to help animals and clear her dementia fallen father of any wrong doings. A couple of people at odds with one another...emotionally, mentally, and the way the go about looking for answers.
Now we know as a twin Cole feels Cass' death a little more deeply than Deac and James but to use that anger and guilt to build his career at a top notch MMA fighter, well that's just down right crazy. But it works for him while he runs from emotion and family. The constant reminders of all that was lost. He purposely has put no roots down and now barely had any contact with his brothers. Until daddy dies and his world is rocked even harder. Another brother...WTH.
Dr. Grace Hunter. Only child of the county's ex-sheriff. Came back to her hometown with dreams of her own practice, home, and family. Daddy now is suffering with dementia and is talking silly, or is he? What do you mean by...if the boy had never come back she wouldn't be broken. And why are you worried that Caleb Palmer might take the blame for something daddy? Uh oh, could the Cavanaugh brothers be right, could the good sheriff know more than he let on. Was Sweet a real person? How do you get a grip on the fact that your father may be involved in covering up a murder.....
Especially when you lust after her twin. Yes, there are a lot of verbal barbs between the two but let's just call it what it is...verbal foreplay. No, these two don't hit the sheets until almost the very end but loved watching them grow to trust, respect, and care for one another. We didn't say there was no fooling around (fighters in training can only go so far and take so many cold showers) but their relationship builds and relies on something more. The emotional bonding.
And in true Cavanaugh form, when he falls Cole goes head first and no holds barred. Love the shock and surprise when the rest of the family figures out what's going on and the guff they give Cole and Grace. Not that they don't stand up and hold their own. Something tells me these two are going to do just fine.
Now as to the side story. We get more insight into Cass' death and ....GASP....a MAJOR revelation at Caleb Palmer's funeral. Oh no, I'm not spilling the beans on that one! This is too good to be a spoiler. It rocks all the Cavanaugh's, and I do mean all 4 brothers, to their core. What has Blue now discovered? What will he do with that information? Where does this leave him now? (Can't wait to find out what happens) ( )

~ 5 Brash Stars ~

ARC Brash

Brash is book three in The Cavanaugh Brothers series by Laura Wright. Yep, I fell in love with the Cavanuagh’s from the first book [b:Branded|18812351|Branded (The Cavanaugh Brothers, #1)|Laura Wright|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1385436307s/18812351.jpg|19242906]. Each of these sexy brother's have captured a piece of my heart. Brash is a heartfelt and romantic tail.

From the moment I opened Brash I was pulled right back into this spectacular world. I enjoy Ms. Wright’s writing style. She has a away of describing people, places, and more with such ease that I can picture every detail. My favorite parts have and will always be the diary entries. They are so well done and perfectly placed in the story.

Cole our tattooed badass cowboy fighter wants no part in falling for a women let alone Grace the ex-sheriffs daughter. Grace is all about stable now and no more bad boys. She has been hurt to much in her past by the love'n and leaven types. The couples always have a way of complementing each other, they see what others do not and they know how to sneak into each others defensives. I loved getting into their heads, understand what they feel, what happens, what made them who they are, how they feel about their past and the hear and now.

We also get deeper into finding out what really happened to Cass and who the mysterious Sweet’s is. Fantastic job setting up for Blue's story. Ah! I want [b:Bonded|23355313|Bonded (The Cavanaugh Brothers, #4)|Laura Wright|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1423979207s/23355313.jpg|42912082] now, especially after that ending. Holy Shit!

These stories have wormed their way into my heart. If you enjoy reading about sexy cowboys, a little mystery, and women who know how to sneak their way into a guys heart and break down their defenses, then these books are for you.


Disclaimer: ARC provided by PENGUIN GROUP Berkley, NAL / Signet Romance, DAW via NetGalley with the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.

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Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Cole Cavanaugh is convinced Grace’s father knows something about his sister’s death, and she is finally willing to work with him to find out the truth in this riveting and passionate romance.

Opening Sentence: I think Sweet’s right.

The Review:

Cole Cavanaugh has been haunted every day by the memory of his twin sister and still feels her loss keenly. He has channeled his guilt and rage into becoming a successful MMA fighter, and he has the biggest fight of his career coming up. Despite that, he still finds himself returning to his father’s ranch in order to help his brothers continue to try and find their sister’s killer. He knows Grace’s father knows something, but she still refuses to allow him to question her father.

Grace has been doing everything in her power to keep the Cavanaugh’s away from her ailing father. But when he says something about Cass’ murder in one of his more lucid moments, Grace can’t avoid the issue any longer. She needs to know if her father covered something up, and the only way to find that out is to work with Cole. As they begin spending more time together, they find it harder and harder to deny the attraction growing between them. But can a relationship ever work between them when there’s the possibility that Grace’s father knows something about Cass’ death?

I enjoyed the first two books in this series, so I was looking forward to reading this one, but boy, did it ever exceed even my heightened expectations. I read this book in one day. One day. When you consider the fact that I have two children under the age of two, the fact that I was so engrossed speaks volumes.

Cole is an amazing leading man. He’s tough – the extreme bad boy – and yet at the same time, he is incredibly vulnerable when it comes to Cass. Watching him let Grace crack through his tough façade is incredibly moving, and the time it takes for this to happen feels very realistic. The romance isn’t rushed at all, which is extremely refreshing. The reader is given time to get to know both Grace and Cole, so when their feelings are finally admitted, it doesn’t come as a shock at all.

As far as the mystery plot goes, it’s still keeping me on my toes. A little bit more is revealed here, but I feel a lot more is still to come in book four. I have absolutely no idea who is behind Cass’ murder, which is a definite positive for me, as I hate figuring things out before they’re revealed.

This series has been such a surprise for me. I have enjoyed each book so far, and this one is by far my favorite. I can’t wait to read Blue’s book next!

Notable Scene:

“In the meantime, why don’t you come home with us? Take the burden off Dr. Hunter here.”

“It ain’t no burden,” Cole said, sitting up now.

“Burdens don’t know they’re being burdens, little brother. That’s why they’re called burdens.”

“Fuck you, Deac.”

James’s head came around fast and his voice was sharp as a blade. “Don’t speak that way in front of a lady.”

Tossing his hands in the air, Cole turned to Grace. “Do you see what I put up with, Doc? I’m five years old to them no matter how low my voice is, how tall I grow, or how much hair I have on my ball-“

“Cole, Christ Almighty!” James exploded. He eyed Grace, who was trying not to smile. “Say the word and we’ll take him.”

As Cole cursed and tossed his brothers a slew of threatening looks, Grace lost the battle. She couldn’t help herself. Laughter bubbled in her throat. She didn’t have siblings, and though she imagined at times it was a real pain in the neck, it also seemed like a gift. No matter how angry you got at each other, how you fought, they were still your blood. They were there for you. Had your back. Helped you when you were tired and scared and unsure if you were doing the right thing with an aging parent.

“Her silence speaks volumes,” Deacon said with a hint of humor.

James nodded. “Should we toss him over our shoulder, then into the back of our truck, Dr. Hunter?”

“First, I’d say good luck with that – even with the hurt foot, he wrestles people for a living,” she returned. But truly, he’s welcome here.” It was surprising how easily the words rolled off her tongue. Probably because they were true. “It’s really up to him.”

Cole looked irritatingly chuffed. “That’s right,” he agreed with an arrogant twist to his mouth. “I’m welcome.”

FTC Advisory: Penguin/Signet provided me with a copy of Brash. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )