Tequila High

M. Leighton

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Release Date November 18, 2018
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Haley Brandt isn’t the one-night-stand type, but too much tequila and a man with two sinfully black eyes left her breathless and willing to break her own rules. Her only solace was the fact that she’d never see him again.

Until the next morning when she finds out he’s her ride out of town and back to the ranch where she grew up. 

Nixon Holt works with Haley’s father, so Haley makes her position clear—she doesn’t get involved with ranch employees. Ever. At nineteen, she’d learned her lesson the hard way, and it became her one unbreakable rule.

But Nixon makes his position clear, too: He’s going to wear down Haley’s defenses and he won’t stop until she breaks all her rules for him. He’s well on his way when Haley finds out the one thing that could make her hate him. Nixon is left with two choices: walk away or break all his rules for her.

Haley Brandt's recipe for bad choices.
A night out with her instigating best friend, Lia. 

Add Tequila + More Tequila.  A dare. A sexy stranger. A hotel room.
And one hot as hell encounter.
Her night of stepping out of her comfort zone was just supposed to be a one and done. 

But then the next day, it comes back to haunt her.

Nixon Holt apparently is not really a stranger to her family, and her dad asks him to drive her back to the family ranch she has not stepped foot on in ten years. She has a hard and fast rule about not dating ranch workers or anyone associated with the ranch. She's been burned by men and is not looking for love or attachments.

Nixon has his own past issues and is not looking for love either, but he is not opposed to having some real good times and exploring their intense chemistry further. And he is as persistent as he is charming and sexy. It's a game of attraction and resistance. I enjoyed their witty banter, flirting, and games of Never Have I Ever.

But sometimes lines get blurred and rules get overlooked. Feelings can get messy and the game can suddenly change. They both have some secrets that affect how they feel about relationships and could ruin any chance at something real. Is the potential worth breaking their own rules and fighting for? Or will they end up another scar on the other's heart?

This was a fun, sweet, romantic story between two people who were totally against falling in love. I liked getting their dual points of view and how their secrets and pasts were slowly revealed. I enjoyed the ranch setting with her father and three sisters Hannah, Harper, and Hope. Each of the women were interesting and had their own personalities. And his brother Tyson was intriguing as well. I am looking forward to more of their stories.

Haley isn’t a one night stand kind of girl, but on a dare fueled by too much tequila she kisses a stranger in a bar. A kiss moves to more, Haley decides to let go of her rules for a night and have some fun. Besides, it isn’t like she will see him again. It figures the one time she steps out of her comfort zone, it can’t be that simple.

Nixon Holt may work with Haley’s father, but he also knows he is interested in Haley, despite her rule against dating ranch employees.

Neither of these two is looking for love, but a little fun isn’t out of the question. But when the fun starts to mix with newly developing feelings, there is more to deal with than just a little no-strings sexy time. It doesn’t help that there are secrets that will throw a wrench in anything that might develop if left in the dark.

The Brandt family is a close-knit one, despite the big secret their dad is keeping for part of Tequila High. I enjoyed watching the sisters reacquaint themselves after Haley’s 1- year absence from the ranch. She may have been physically absent, but she made an effort to stay in touch with everyone, and returning was a smooth arrival (at least with her family).

This was a fun read all around. There were a few pieces I wished were developed a little further, but I loved the setting, the side characters, and the little dramatic moments that drove these two together and apart. I was grinning from their meet-cute, and didn’t really stop the entire time.
 
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, M. Leighton lives in the deep South with her super-hero husband and super-smart maltipoo.  She has a fondness for coffee and chocolate, loves the color red, laughs at almost anything, and often stares out her window, daydreaming of far-away places.  You can find out more about her by visiting her website at www.mleightonbooks.