Sinner's Secret

Twisted Cross Ranch, Book 1

I might be a cowboy, but I’m no gentleman.

Ten years ago I crossed the line with my younger brother’s best friend. I knew she was in love with me, and I couldn’t resist her. River Adams gave me her innocence on her 18th birthday. I broke her in return and made her hate me. I thought walking away from her would be easy, but I never expected to come face-to-face with everything I gave up. Thanks to a stipulation in my dad’s will, she’s back and we have to live together.

Me.

Her.

My brother Walker, who has carried a torch for her since they were kids.

And, how could I forget, Bishop, the ranch hand who can’t keep his eyes off her?

The years between us may not matter anymore, but the secrets and lies always will. My family has blood on its hands; no one more so than me. If she finds out the truth about Twisted Cross Ranch, she’ll never forgive me. I was born to be the villain, but when she looks at me, I wish I could be her hero.

For fans of Yellowstone, USA Today best-selling authors K. Loraine and Meg Anne bring you a new dark cowboy-mafia why-choose series. Red-hot, gritty, suspenseful, and loaded with angst, Twisted Cross Ranch is the escape you didn’t know you needed. Hang on tight, darlin’, these ain’t your mama’s cowboys.

Please check the authors’ website for a full list of content and trigger warnings.

©2023 Ravenscroft Press (P)2023 Ravenscroft Press

Me entering my cowboy era because of this book

5/5⭐️ 3/5🌶️ 5/5🎧
I devoured this book. I could not put it down. I ate up every single delicious bit of it. Walker has me freaking swooning but I already know my heart is gonna be with the brooding alphahole.

The cliffy…let’s just say thank god I have the arc for the next book because I would die without it.

The mouths on these men 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨 What I’d give to be the meat in the middle of that cowboy sammich.

I love all the southern quirks of the book, the expressions and overall tone. As a southern person, myself, it’s hard to connect sometimes if it’s not done right. I loved the way Meg and Kim wrote this. The twang was perfect.

Edit: The audiobook was literally everything. The accents were perfect. It brought out the whole vibe of the book. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to hear the rest of the series! Stella Hunter, Jason Clarke, J.F. Harding, and Aaron Shedlock killed the audio performance!

Favorite Quotes:

He tasted like midnight promises and forevers.

Just because they were pretty to look at didn’t make them good men. Or even tolerable ones, for that matter. After all, predators were always the most beautiful creatures. That was what made them so dangerous.

Exemplary cast of narrators!

Stella Hunter (River), Jason Clarke (Cross), Aaron Shedlock (Walker), and JF Harding (Bishop) are an exemplary cast. I mean had no doubt it was going to be good with these names but it was beyond good. These three mix together so well. Jason's gruff tone matches Cross's surly demeanor, Aaron has that happier tone for the sunshine that is Walker, and JF fits Bishop to a T. They do an amazing job of sucking the listener in pretty much as soon as the story starts.

“The Cross boys had me tied up in knots. I couldn’t stop thinking about that fury-filled kiss in the hallway. Meanwhile, Walker, with all his tattoos and bad-boy charm, had starred in a highly inappropriate dream just last night. And then there was Sterling. Wounded. Strong. Supportive. We’d shared a moment outside, one I couldn’t deny. He saw me in a way no one else had. They called to me. All three of them.”

And so begins this trilogy that consumed me. In book one we meet River...Cross's Sparrow, Walker's ladybug or darlin', and Sterling's Siren!!! The last thing she wanted to do was return to the Twisted Cross Ranch and yet she finds herself there and via the will of Daniel Cross Sr. she must remain there for 365 days.

Still drawn to Cross she soon finds herself drawn to Walker too, her childhood best friend. New to the scene, Sterling, also intrigues her and it isn't long before all of them want a piece of her time. I loved how she and Walker fall back into their regular routine with each other and how quickly she opens up and trusts Sterling. Then there is the burning tension between her and Cross because they are the epitome of pretending to be enemies but really want to be lovers but love the fight that comes out around each other!!!

All three of these men are determined to protect River at all costs, especially with the Russian mafia looking her way. The many aspects of River's life from 10 years ago leading up to now start to unravel in this story but carry over into books two and three (all are available). The authors give just enough information at times to have you thinking ahead trying to figure everything out. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride they took readers on in this first book of three and found myself jumping into book two ASAP!

Son of a B****!!

This book was more enticing than it had a right to be….those voices…those words..damn! AND THAT PLOT TWIST!

Cliff hanger

Get the three book combo. I hate cliff hangers so much. It is a decent story but dark mafia are not my favorite but at least there is a story line you can follow.

So Good!!!

This writing duo have very quickly become a favorite of mine. I listened to the audiobook while reading along, and OMG yum!!!

The narration just brings this quick read to life. Then the storyline just keeps you hooked. River (FMC) is one lucky lady, with not one but three hot cowboys that all seem to want her. Daniel, Walker and Bishop are each HAF and in different ways. But one thing they do have in common is they are not what they seem, and danger is on their side. Can not wait for the next book, because that ending was a WTH moment.