Dinca’s Duckies Do Series review of The Taggart Brothers Series by Lisa Bingham
Contemporary Western Romance published by Berkley Jan 2015 – Nov 2016
I simply love this series. All three books have the right combination of mystery, romance, and love scenes – in that order. Lisa Bingham has created heroines with broken spirits, but just because they’ve lost their spark doesn’t mean they haven’t come back as the whole darned fire. Each book can be read as a standalone.
Desperado, Book 1
2 Jun 15
I read Book 1 a long time ago, but I never got a review written on it. When I came across Book 3 and started reading, I suddenly thought, “Oh yes, I remember the Taggart brothers.” So I thought a Duckies Do Series review was in order. This trilogy defiantly deserves a review. For me to remember a book I read over a year ago is something special. The Taggart brothers had my heart and I cheered them all the way.
The oldest brother, Elam Taggart, is an ex-Navy EOD specialist who has come home to Bliss, Montana. He and his family have suffered a lot of loss over the years. Most recently his wife died while he was on assignment. He lives on the homestead in a cabin and keeps to himself, until his younger brother needs his help.
P.D. Raines is a restaurant owner in Bliss and is Bodey Taggart’s best friend. Bodey agrees to enter the Wild West Games taking place in town to help her win the $10,000 prize her restaurant could really use. Bodey is a competition junkie and he hurts his foot and can’t compete. In steps Elam.
The chemistry between Elam and P.D. is hot right from the start. The contest has Old West challenges they have to preform as if they were living in that time period – right down to the antique clothing. All this makes for an enjoyable read, and I don’t want to give any of the highlights away.
I enjoyed every minute of this book and will be looking forward to the next one in the series so I can get on to the third one that was just released.
Grade: A
Summary:
From bestselling author Lisa Bingham comes the first in a brand-new series starring a trio of handsome wranglers. The Taggart brothers have bodies of iron and hearts of gold—though both may be a shade tarnished. But that doesn’t stop them from trying to keep the women they love in their arms . . .
Elam Taggart knows about the nickname town gossips have given him: Desperado. He doesn’t care. He’s lost just about everything: his wife, his parents, his little sister, and his career as a Navy EOD specialist. After returning home, he hightails it to the rugged Wasatch Mountains outside town.
But when his brother comes asking for help, Elam can’t say no. That is, until Elam realizes that in order to help, he’ll be forced to spend time with town newcomer P.D. Raines. P.D. knows that asking Elam Taggart to be her partner in the town’s upcoming Wild West Games is a mistake. But she needs the prize money, and Elam is lean, hard, and tortured—a dangerous combination she can’t seem to resist.
As the competition heats up—to the point of peril—Elam and P.D. have to turn away from the past and embrace the passion that sparks between them in order to escape the threat to their lives.
No excerpt available.
Renegade , Book 2
5 Jan 16
Another heartwarming tale in this series. Jace Taggert’s story is close to my heart. He deserves his chance at love and no one has earned a good man more than Bronte Cupacek.
Jace is struggling to keep the ranch and his family together after his parents and little sister die in a car accident. His youngest brother and twin to their only sister, Barry, was also in the crash. Barry was injured in the crash and suffered some brain damage.
Bronte Cupacek and her daughters move to Utah looking for a safe haven in her grandmother’s home. What you are looking for is not always what you get. Sometimes life deals another blow. She learns from the guy next door that her grandmother is in critical condition at the hospital. Her challenges are heavy and the way she comes to accept Jace’s help is a refreshing story line. The girls are troubled and have their own set of sorrows. I love the interaction between the girls and Barry. He has the soul of an angel and sees things more clearly than most troubled souls.
Jace and Bronte are both working on their issues, and not once did their budding relationship dump more problems into the mix. They worked through everything. Here you have two independent, smart individuals who know their own minds and create a wonderful bond together. I was proud of them. Lisa Bingham has created a wonderful couple who defiantly earned each other.
This book can be read as a standalone, but I encourage you to read them all in order. Ms. Bingham presents the previous happenings in Book 2 and 3 as part of the interactions with characters in a way that doesn’t read redundantly. Very well done, Lisa Bingham!
Grade: A
Summary:
The bestselling author of Desperado returns with another sexy cowboy from the Taggart family…
The rugged and wild Taggart brothers know how to tame a restless beast, but a restless heart is a different matter…
When tragedy struck, Jace Taggart stepped in to run the family business and care for his brothers, sacrificing his own happiness to ensure their well-being. But after the beautiful Bronte Cupacek moves to town, Jace realizes he can’t ignore the hunger inside him much longer.
However, the last thing Bronte needs is another man in her life. After the end of a painful marriage, she just wants to focus on her daughters. They need her now more than ever. Yet no matter how hard Bronte tries to stand on her own two feet, it’s hard to resist the handsome cowboy who keeps coming to her aid.
Soon secrets from the past threaten everything dear to them. Only through embracing their undeniable connection can Jace and Bronte build a future together that no one can tear apart…
No excerpt available.
Maverick, Book 3
1 Nov 16
I laughed and cried through the love of a little lost family and rooted for them all the way. I watched through the pages as Bodey becomes the hero he was always meant to be. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
Boy meets girl in make believe land of the Wild West. Bodey Taggart is trying to heal his body by staying out of the challenging life he leads. Beth Tivoli is just trying to create some form of a normal life for her younger brother and sister, of whom she has sole custody. She is on the run, and no matter how hard I tried and what I dreamed up, I did not guess what she was running from. So hats off to the author!
The so ugly he’s cute little dog, Noodles, is precious and even has a staring moment in the story.
For the first time in her life, Beth finds out there are people willing to stand in her corner and she is not alone with her demons.
Bodey is used to winning at everything he tries. But this time he’s not so sure he will be able to win what he really wants in life. For the first time whether he wins or loses is not up to him.
Grade: A
Summary:
The Taggart brothers’ wild romance ride continues with the new novel from the bestselling author of Renegade.
Rough riding Bodey Taggart may be rock hard and tough as nails, but even he has a soft side when the right woman comes along…
Bodey has always followed his own rules: live hard, play hard, and win big. But when his wild ways give him two concussions within a month of each other, his brothers lay down some new rules: no bronco busting, sky diving, or ATVs for the rest of summer. It seems the only pastimes not restricted are shooting competitions…and women.
Beth Tivoli is new to Bodey’s circle of friends, and unlike any woman Bodey has ever met—she isn’t about to follow him into bed. She’s not looking to hook up with anyone, especially when she’s trying to escape her past. Bodey quickly realizes that courting Beth is no game, and despite her resolve, they both begin to discover that maybe romance can be different this time around…
No excerpt available.
This series has real hero magic for all the determined heroines of our day and age. All the main characters challenge themselves to come into their own. Bodey and Beth’s story I read on into the night until I finished it. I wanted so much to be the one who put the bad guys away in all three books.
