Take Me Harder is the third book in the Texas Bounty series by Jackie Ashenden. I just randomly came across this series and was interested in these bounty hunter brothers as they have some interesting stories. This book focuses on Rush, the brother who went to jail for a crime he didn’t commit.

While I liked this book I don’t think this was my favorite of the series. Rush is an interesting character but he has some demons that will be difficult for him to shake. When he went to jail, just about everyone abandoned him and now that he is out, he isn’t pulling any punches with his brothers or anyone. He is also pretty open about his love of alcohol and strippers and considering the fact that most days when he isn’t at the office he is at a specific strip club, you can guess where he is in moving forward with his life.

Enter Ava St. George. She’s a cop…specifically the Sheriff’s daughter, and she and Rush go back. When her mother was killed Rush is the one who would sit with her and talk. So when she finds out something about her mother’s death that requires someone who knows the players in town, she goes right to Rush. She knows he has connections with some of the seedier people in town and she needs to get to them to find out what really happened to her mother and get revenge.

As these two come together, Rush does everything he can to get Ava to stay away from him. Unfortunately she is determined and she also cares about him. She regrets that she never went to go visit him in prison but now that he is home she isn’t going to just sit back. Eventually she breaks through the barrier that Rush has put up and just when Rush seems to be happy and seeing a future for them, Ava does something that she feels she needs to in order to protect her heart. This is the part that threw me…she was so sure of him and them together that when she flipped, it felt forced. Regardless, the separation forces them to figure out what they really want and what they are willing to face for the one they love.

Overall I enjoyed this one but there were pieces that felt rushed or just didn’t fit. With that said, consider the series. I have enjoyed it so far and look forward to the future books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.