I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one that this author writes. The storyline was simple, enjoyable, and entertaining.

The archive date was over a month before publication...I always check but this one slipped through. Sorry I missed it. I am sure it was delightful.

The Lone Star Lawman by Justine David is the first book in the "Texas Justice" series. There are 5 books in this series.
It´s set in the Town of Last Stand in Texas and we are following Police Chief Shane and Reporter Liliana as their story evolves throughout the book.
Let´s see if they will get a happily ever after or they will be torn by tragedy.

Another great read by a talented author I really enjoyed reading it and will definitely read more and recommend reading it

In Lone Star Lawman, Justine Davis has created the epitome of sexy lawman in Shane Highwater...every aspect of him rings true to the type of character who gains your respect through his integrity, while he’s stealing your heart...in Lily you have his counterpoint, a woman who’ll warm your soul. The plot was well written, moving and emotional with just the perfect blend of tension and intrigue to keep the story attention grabbing and flowing.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

ustine Davis has long been one of my favorite go-to authors because she always delivers a great story with a lot of heart, and in The Lone Star Lawman, an enemies-to-lovers novel, as well as the beginning of a new, multi-author series, Texas Justice, she does just that, and this novel gets 4 stars from this reader.

The lawman in question is Shane Highwater, the police chief in Last Stand, Texas, and he's everything you'd want a romance hero to be--handsome, strong, protective, honest, caring, courageous and committed to keeping his town and the people in it safe and secure. The small town of Last Stand is beyond proud of him with one notable exception, local reporter, Liliana (Lily) Jones.

Five months earlier, Shane was trying to arrest Chad Crittendon, arrest warrant in hand, but Chad saw him and ran--a fast car chase ensued, Chad crashed into a brick wall, his car burst into flames and Shane was unable to save him. Chad was Liliana (Lily) Jones' fiancé at the time, and ever since that day, a day that broke her heart, she's blamed Shane for Chad's death, and she's gone out of her way to find some dirt on him, antagonize him, harass him, embarrass him, all with a vengeance. She's convinced that he willingly let Chad die, and her anger has led to some sketchy and rude behavior on her part, since all she wants is vengeance. Shane, however, has too much integrity to get into a sparring match with her, verbal or otherwise, all complicated by the fact that he finds himself attracted to the feisty, determined woman. What Lily didn't know about her fiancé was a lot, and Shane has taken her verbal jabs for months, avoiding her yet unwilling to show her the proof of Chad's true nature and criminal record.

It's not until a horrible accident at the birthday celebration for the town's 102-year-old matriarch that Lily's eyes begin to open and to objectively see Shane in action, and what she sees him do as he springs into action is his heroism, and his willingness to put his own life in danger to rescue a stranger trapped in a burning vehicle, just as she soon learns he did when he tried to rescue her now dead fiancé. To say that she's embarrassed and ashamed of her behavior is putting it mildly, but how to make amends to this brave, hardworking and heroic lawman and apologize to him, is one of the hardest things she's ever had to do--even though she still hangs on to her belief that Chad was wrongly accused. Shane has proof of Chad's crimes but it's confidential, and he really doesn't want to hurt her and destroy Lily's misconceptions about who Chad really was, but when he finally does tell her, her reaction is not at all what he expected.

We are also given a peek at Shane's past, and his relationships with his younger siblings, his sister, Sage, a barrel racer, his brothers Sean and Slater, a detective and bartender, respectively, and their missing brother, Kane, who, at age 16, disappeared and hasn't been heard from since the day their father, the former police chief, died. I'm guessing that each of these siblings will be featured in upcoming books in this series, and it's a series I'll be following.

The Lone Star Lawman was a darn good read from the get-go, I'd expect nothing less from Ms. Davis. It has two strong and determined lead characters with real depth, deeply felt emotions, and the gradual build up of their enemies-to-lovers relationship, and I am happy to recommend it.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

Shane and Lily’s love story in The Lone Star Lawman by Justine Davis, book three in Heart of Texas series, reminds us that there is a fine line between love and hate. This is what happens to Lily Jones, after the death of her fiancée. Shane Highwater was named sheriff of Last Stand based on his experience and his tenacity to follow the rules, not because of his name nor that his father was the previous sheriff. Lily once thought Sheriff Shane Highwater a handsome and interesting man until her fiancée died in a fiery crash trying to flee the sheriff. Spending time with the sheriff to help research him for a story she’s to write for the newspaper, shows Lily a different side, not just of Shane but also that her fiancée was not all that he seemed. Lily tried so hard to maintain her hatred toward Shane, but I was so glad he not only made that difficult, but broke through the barriers she had built around her heart to protect herself from him.

Ms. Davis wrote a wonderful and sexy story that is definitely not to be missed. She provided a tale rich with sexual chemistry, amusing banter, and endearing characters giving Shane and Lily a chance to discover they were meant for to be together and share the future. I highly recommend The Lone Star Lawman to other readers and look forward to the next book in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Wall meets wall in this delectable novel of sparring personalities fighting an undercurrent of possible love. Lily Jones, reporter, is out to prove the innocence of her deceased fiancé. She is persistent in hounding Chief Shane Hightower for the undisclosed police material that would prove his innocence. Lily is also the only one to burst Shane’s patience and calm, much to his chagrin. This creates a crack in his resolve-resolve not to fall for Lily and to remain steadfastly single.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a very enjoyable read.
If you love slow-burn romance (which I do) this is definitely the book for you.
The plot was interesting and the main characters very likable, although Shane did seem a bit too perfect at times.

It was so good to be back in Last Stand, Texas, and I fairly galloped through The Lone Star Lawman. I loved Shane Highwater from the moment I met him admiring Lilly Jones in the library while at the same time wondering to himself whether he could slip out of the library without her noticing. It was lovely to see this chink in the armour of such a gorgeous looking, competent, caring and genuinely nice man. Lilly was easy to like too, even if she was fixated on her former fiancé, who had died in a car crash while fleeing from Shane, who’d been trying to serve a warrant on him.
As with Shane and Lilly, the other residents of Last Stand were easy to like. Town matriarch Minna stood out as an absolute gem, but there were others like Shane’s sister Sage, who charged to his defence early in the book.
It wasn’t just the characters that made this a great read for me though. The story just flowed and I flowed along with it. It’s not a deep and meaningful book, but it is a thoroughly satisfying and entertaining one. I loved it.

Lily Jones is the local crime reporter who has it out for the Police Chief Shane Highwater. She blames him for the death of her fiance. Unable to believe that her finance was not the man she thought he was, she wants to ruin Shane. The only problem is that Shane is clean, I mean squeaky clean. Not to mention that he remains clam when she verbally attacks him and his character. No matter how hard she pushes she can't get a reaction out of him. If he could set her mind at ease by showing her the proof that her fiance was not a good man he would. But being an open case and all his hands are tied. Too bad for him that she if the first woman to really spark interest in him in a long time. Then though another tragic event Lily sees Shane is action. It hits her like a ton of bricks that he is a honest and good man. He risks his life in his daily job without hesitation. When she apologizes to him and really sees him she can feel the attraction between them. Can she leave the past behind and acknowledge the sparks and see where they might lead? Good and very emotional read.

Excellent start to the new series. Shane is Chief of Police in Last Stand, Texas, continuing a long family tradition of service. He was well-suited to the job, as he always maintained a calm attitude, and was well-known for his courage, integrity, and self-sacrifice. The only one who didn't agree with the rest of the town was Lily Jones. She believed that Shane was responsible for her fiancé's death and was determined to prove it.

I loved the development of the relationship between Shane and Lily, though it certainly got off to a rocky start. The story opened as Shane tried his best to avoid encountering Lily. She has made his life miserable for the last several months, continually cornering him and haranguing him about the circumstances of her fiancé's death. There were things about her late fiancé that she didn't know, and he couldn't tell her because of the investigation. Shane understood her feelings, which was why he tried to keep his cool around her. But it was very wearing on him, especially since he'd been drawn to her since the first time he met her. Lily was a reporter for the town paper and was very good at her job. Unfortunately, she had a blind spot where it came to her late fiancé, and her anger at Shane affected her objectivity when it came to him. Though she kept her antipathy out of her stories, she was determined to find some kind of dirt on Shane that would show that he wasn't the paragon everyone thought he was.

The confrontations between Lily and Shane happened regularly and always went the same way. She sniped at him, making snarky comments about his perfection before launching into another diatribe about how wrong he was about Chad. Shane would stand there and take it, even though he knew the truth because he knew she was hurting. Even Lily's friends couldn't convince her to give up her quest. I ached for Shane, who was innocent of her accusations and was attracted to a woman who detested him. Or did she? Lily was certainly voluble with her opinions, but she also couldn't deny that he had an effect on her, one that she did her best to ignore.

Then a town tragedy opened Lily's eyes and showed her that he was precisely the man everyone said he was. I have to admit that I was impressed by Lily's ability to accept the truth, apologize sincerely, and apply her words to her actions. It was fun to see Shane's reaction, first of disbelief, then wariness as he waited for her to resume her old ways. But the change was real, and as they worked together the attraction between them continued to grow. However, the issue of Chad's innocence stayed between them and made it difficult for Lily to move on. Lily's life was turned upside down when Shane arranged for her to see the full report. I loved Shane's protectiveness as he dealt with the consequences of her shock, and had to laugh as he fought with himself. I ached for Lily as everything she learned made her question who she was, and sent her running.

Both Shane and Lily have issues caused by events in their childhoods that have affected who they are as adults. Shane's have made him the ultra-responsible man that he is, while Lily's affected the way she handled what she saw as her failures. She had an eye-opening conversation with her mom, who gave her new insight into the things that Lily saw but hadn't understood while growing up. I loved the way that Shane went looking for Lily. His encounter with her dad and stepmother explained a lot about her. But my favorite was when he showed up at the diner where Lily was having breakfast with her mom. I laughed out loud through most of that encounter and loved the promise that Shane extracted from Elizabeth. I ached for Lily and the way that she still beat herself up over what happened, and loved how Shane was patient enough to give her the time she needed. Lily's "aha" moment came at the hands of her mother, who also stunned Lily by taking Shane's advice (which was another giggle-producing moment). Lily's big moment at the end was excellent. I loved how her arrival surprised Shane and how they (eventually) talked through everything in some very emotional moments.

I look forward to reading more in this series. The Highwater family is fascinating. Shane's brother Sean is intense in his work as a detective on the force but seems to be pretty laid back otherwise. I like the good relationship he has with Shane, both as a boss and family. I liked the support he gives Shane in everything having to do with Lily, especially the advice he provided about the investigation. Their other brother, Slater, is very different. From the time they were kids, he and Shane butted heads, and it has continued into adulthood, though I feel like it mostly comes from Slater. I suspect that he has a very interesting backstory. He did come through with one positive action the night that Lily got drunk at his bar. I liked their sister, Sage, a lot. She is very protective of Shane and had a couple of interesting clashes with Lily because of it. There is another brother, Kane, who disappeared in suspicious circumstances when he was sixteen. Shane and Sean haven't given up looking for him. I fully expect that he will have his own story and I'm sure it will be an interesting one.

There are also other books that take place in Last Stand that were written by other authors that I want to investigate.

THE LONE STAR LAWMAN is the first story in Justine Davis’ new series, Texas Justice which is set in the fictional town of Last Stand, Texas. So far there have been two other series set in Last Stand, Texas started; one by Eve Gaddy (Heart of Texas) and the other by Katherine Garbera (The Dangerous Delaneys) — and there will be more, at least seven other authors are beginning series set in this small Texas town according to the Tule Publishing home page. If you’ve ever read a story set in Marietta, Montana then you’ll feel right at home in this new town for it’s the same idea. One town, lots of families with connections, feuds and more.

When a high-speed police chase turns deadly, Lily Jones holds Police Chief Shane Highwater responsible for her fiancé’s death. It doesn’t matter to her that there were valid reasons for Shane to go after Chad when he ran or that her fiancé was not the man she thought he was. Nothing matters except that the man she loved and was to marry is dead and Shane is to blame. She’s hounded him, made disparaging remarks, is asking for proof of Chad’s guilt that Shane is legally unable to give her. Her goal is to find some dirt on the police chief, something to prove to the town that he is not the hero everyone makes him out to be — but it’s impossible to find something that isn’t there. Another tragedy in town will begin to open Lily’s eyes to just how wrong she’s been about Shane, even more so as information finally reaches her that shows a far different Shane than she’s been seeing through anger and grief filled eyes.

As much as Lily’s actions annoyed me, I also realized that they were based on grief. Shane realized this as well since he never lost his temper at some of the more outrageous things she said to him. Watching Lily begin to understand just how badly she had treated Shane, and how wrong she’d been about the man she almost married was heartbreaking in many ways. As was the spin she took towards self-doubt and self-recrimination. She is also one of those rare people who once they truly apologize for a mistake it’s then dropped. Once she stopped her agenda to ruin Shane I liked her and wanted her to find happiness. The sparks were always there between Shane and Lily. When they finally erupted into emotions this couple will finally see what the reader has always seen — that they belong together.

I enjoyed THE LONE STAR LAWMAN so much. It’s an excellent beginning to the series and gives us another perspective of Last Stand, Texas. I’m definitely looking forward to Shane’s siblings’ stories as they all played a part as secondary characters in this story. If you love a really good romance full of interesting characters and true emotions then you’d enjoy this story — and perhaps will want to check out the other Last Stand, Texas series as well.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Justine Davis is one of those authors that I can count on to write an entertaining story that is a romantic story with substance too. The Lone Star Lawman is just such a story. Taking place in the fictional town of Last Stand, Texas, a terrible accident has caused Police Chief Shane Highwater and reporter Liliana Jones to be at odds. This wonderful “enemies to lovers” touched my heart.

Even good people, people who are honest and live with integrity can keep secrets. Liliana Jones is after the police chief for those secrets. However, I did not find her completely honest either, most of all not with herself. This story mirrored life so that I was invested in seeing love win. Isn’t that how all stories should end. Thank you for reinforcing my belief in that with The Lone Star Lawman.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A great start to this new series, The Lone Star Lawman is a well written, well developed story. I enjoyed the character interaction, the plot and the overall feel of the flow. I will be looking to read and recommend this and more by this author

The Lone Star Lawman is an incredible start of a new series. In this book we meet Police Chief Shane Highwater, who is highly respected by everyone in Last Stand, Texas, and reporter Lily Jones, who lost her husband in an accident and blames Shane for it. Lily still holds a grudge against Shane, but a turn of events soon has Lily seeing Shane is one of the good guys.

This is an enemy to lovers romance with a lot of angst at first. I liked the characters, plot and small town setting. It was an easy book to follow along with. Even though this book is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone.

I fell in love with the character of Last Stand, Texas Police Chief Shane Highwater. A man and officer that we would all admire. Shane is always fair, even to reporter Liliana Jones who believes he is at fault for her fiancé’s death. Lily is determined to learn the facts that caused the accident that took his life. Although Shane is attracted to Lily, he has never acted on that attraction as he admires her loyalty to her fiancé and understands her pain. Shane has two brothers and a sister that live in Last Stand - Slater runs the town bar, Sean is a detective on the force and Sage runs their ranch. Shane is still searching for clues in to the untimely death of their father and the disappearance of their brother, Kane. When a violent accident happens in town, Lily’s eyes are finally opened and she sees that Shane is a truly honorable man. Will she realize in time that her distrust of Shane has been tied to other feelings that she would not admit? I so enjoyed this book and my visit to Last Stand, Texas, and I really look forward to the rest of this series. Ms. Davis has such a way of making her story fit her believable and genuine characters. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

The Lone Star Lawman is an impressive start to Justine Davis`new series, Texas Justice. A well-written story with a good plot, some expected angst, misunderstandings, and eventual romance. I liked both main characters and the roles they played throughout the book, but Shane was definitely my favourite. A genuine nice guy, with high moral values and dedicated to the care and protection of others; and while Lily starts out antagonistic, she eventually starts to look harder at what she has easily accepted to be true, and realising that things aren’t necessarily as clear cut as they seem. This is a wonderful story and I’ll certainly be eager to read what comes next!

I often refer to the two main characters in a romance novel as the hero and heroine. In the case of Justine Davis' The Lone Star Lawman the main male character, Police Chief Shane Highwater is truly a bonafide hero. After his acts of heroism he responds by saying he is just doing his job. I felt deep admiration for this character especially because he is an all-around good guy. The main female character, reporter liliana Jones is very antagonistic towards Shane at the beginning of the story. Her fiance, Chad Crittendon is accused of embezzelment and an arrest warrent has been placed. She believes that the death of her fiance during a high-sped police chase with Shane Highwater at the wheel of the police car pursuing Crittendon made Shane responsible for Crittendon's death. Will her attitude chance when she finds out the truth? I leave the reader to discover the truth of the matter when they read this very entertaining story.

Sweet romantic story of love and heartbreak. It’s engaging, heartfelt and swoon worthy. This HEA is a must read. They made me cry, laugh, swoon and stay up all night reading their story. Their is plenty of heat but tenderness was always the front and centre of the story. Looking forward to more books by this author.