Moonshine Kiss (Bootleg Springs, 3)

Oh my lordy, I LOVED Moonshine Kiss. My eyes are blurry and my back is breaking after reading for four hours straight. I haven't had an intense reading frenzy like that in yonky donks but I just couldn't stop. There's something about knowing, or thinking you know, the characters before you even start. Within a few pages, I knew what had scared Bowie off from the love of his life. It was just lucky theirs was "true love" and nobody else would do in the eight years it took for them to come together.

Seriously, this series is magic and Lucy Score and Claire Kingsley definitely have a distinctive voice and I will be purchasing more of their previously published books. For starters, they're bloody funny, but while funny, they also manage to suck the emotions out of the characters too. There were a few times I was sniffling and taking deep breaths to control the tears. I feel like I know these characters and I, like the town of Bootleg Springs, need to see Bowie and Cassidy find their happy ever after together.

The intrigue in this instalment takes a tricky turn when Cassidy's job is on the line because of her connection to the Bodine's. As a small town deputy, she has to remember her badge while also remembering that she's one of them. How do you draw the line? Does the job come first? When family and friends are involved in an enquiry, should you share new info? Hmmm...even I was a little bamboozled as to where the line should be drawn. I would hope our officers of the law have an inbuilt detector that beeps when you're getting too close to the line.

I seriously had mushy, gushy feelings in this one. When Bowie and Cassidy finally connect, my heart was pumping and there was a big goofy grin on my face. Bowie and his words were MAGIC!! I found myself wanting to highlight some of his words and hint at hubby that he could use a bit of magic to get on my good side. Don't tell hubby, but I guess this would be the negative of marrying young...with maturity comes magic words. Hubby is great now, but I was lucky to get more than I love you, I want you...lets hit the sack, back in the olden days. 😉 (If you do see this hubby...LOVE YOU!!!)

Anyways, absolutely LOVED Moonshine Kiss. The only smidge of a negative, I have to wait for more. 😭 But, I am excited as June is definitely someone I have grown to love and her love interest...SO COOL!!!

I still love Jameson most, I think, but Bowie's sureness (is that a word?) was so refreshing. He never wavered, and I love that so, so much. I'm glad there was more movement on the investigation in this book, because the last one had very little. And Cassidy was awesome. I related to her more than I had with Leah Mae in the last book. Definitely 5 stars.

I felt so sad for past Bowie & Cassidy - I understood perfectly what Sheriff Tucker was trying to accomplish when he warned a 23 year old Bowie to give Cassidy space and time, but it still made me angsty. Once Cassidy learns about the warning, she gets mad at both her Dad and Bowie, even if Harlan did have the right idea, he's not so much on expressing what he really means.

So now, while Bowie is ready to march right to the Justice of the Peace, he has to convince Cassidy to give him an actual chance. And it's all complicated because she is trying to do her job while being hamstrung by annoying Detective Connelly, who wouldn't recognize (or admit) that Cassidy had discovered worthwhile clues if they bit him in the butt.

Cassidy has to figure out how to protect her community while serving them as well as her father always has. She also has to figure out how to keep digging into what happened when Callie Kendall disappeared (while not alienating Bowie) - and she has to decide if she can trust Bowie with her heart.

This is book 3 in the Bootleg Springs series and I have to say I think this is my favorite - although it could easily be a tie for first place with Gibson's story.

So very well done, Lucy Score & Claire Kingsley. I'll never get tired of re-reading these.

Bootleg Springs is the most fun I've had reading in a long time. I absolutely love to read, but scouring these books for clues on the disappearance of Callie Kendall, spinning theories, and discussing those theories with fellow Lucy and Claire fans takes these books to a new level! Top that off with a new and engaging romance in each book and recurring characters you can't help but love and you've got Bootleg Springs!

Moonshine Kiss is book three in this series, and it is amazing! I couldn't love Bowie and Cassidy more! Bowie is book boyfriend perfection. Even when he doesn’t think he can have Cassidy, he is there as a friend and protector. He is the perfect combination of oh so sweet and protective. He is a good guy through and through. I love that he would do anything for Cassidy, and while his reasons for staying away may be misguided, he always tries to put her first.

Cassidy is amazing. She is strong and independent, but given her past experiences with Bowie, she tries hard to protect her heart. She is the ice to her best friend Scarlett’s fire, and as an officer of the law she always tries to do what is right. However, when her loyalties are questioned, she is forced to reevaluate those gray areas in life.

Bowie and Cassidy both have a lot going on in their lives, but I loved watching them figure out how to support one another. They fit together like two perfect puzzle pieces, and while they have always loved each other, it was fun to watch them figure out how to embrace that love. Their chemistry was off the charts, and I loved that Bowie knew what he wanted and refused to back down. He never pushed Cassidy beyond what she was comfortable giving, but he consistently nudged her to embrace what she wanted while working hard to prove he wouldn’t let her down.

I love that each of these books lets us check in with the characters and relationships from previous books as their lives are so connected. I also love guessing who will be next and who they will end up with. I went through all the emotions with this group yet again in Moonshine Kiss. I laughed so many times, I was on the edge of my seat in anticipation when new evidence was revealed, I was disappointed when things went wrong, and I celebrated when things worked out. I love this group, and I can’t wait for the rest of the series to be released!

If you haven’t read books one and two, I highly recommend you start there. While the romance in each book is new, the mystery is a lot of fun when you read in order. You also don’t want to miss any of the stories, because they are all fantastic!

2.25☆ 1st person dual POV spoilers Book focuses a lot on the investigation and Cassidy's job. Then the sub seems like relationship drama but i don't mean romantic drama between the H and h. It's more friendship/family drama. the H and h's friendship,  the h and her dad, the H and his sister, the h and how she sees herself, the H and how his family legacy makes him seem. Then last its has a courtship between the H and h. And I say courtship rather then romance because I didnt get and swoony,  ment to be, heart tugging, they are ment to be feeling. It's all right, wrong, were suppose to be rather then seeing a relationship play out. I get that they already loved eachother but it's still a different love that grows deeper being in a relationship but I never saw or felt that. I was good with the book till to much focus turned toward Connelly and him being able to cost her her job. So of course that ment she needed to stay away from bow so that didnt happen. But I found it as made up drama that I didnt find plausible. How could he cost her her job. I get the it gets a little slippery cause hes a state officer but Her higher up is her dad and he doesnt think shes doing anything wrong. So what's next reporting the whole police station to the state? Ok so let him, she isnt doing anything wrong, he took her off the investigation and was making her turn old reports digital (although I dont get how he could make her do that either he can take her off the investigation but how can he stop her from her normal police duties, and what did he care about old case files that had nothing to do with him or his investigation?) and since she listened  a state investigation would just make him look dumb. And I dont get why dev didnt look into it like he mentioned.  He had weeks to do what little old ladies did in a night which is another thing that throws me.