The Hometown Cop's Forever Family JustRead Tour {book review and giveaway}
Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Hometown Cop's Forever Family by Tara Randel, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: The Hometown Cop's Forever Family
Series: A Golden, Georgia Romance #3
Author: Tara Randel
Publisher: Harlequin Heartwarming
Release Date: April 28, 2026
Genre: Wholesome Contemporary Romance
Solving crimes
And falling in love!
Charming, small-town Golden, Georgia, has everything Briana Connelly needs—her four-year-old daughter, her family, and her job as a police officer. When her former best friend, Jackson Walker, returns suddenly and is made her partner at work, she’s forced to face the events that drove them apart. With a mysterious theft to investigate, spending time with Jax is unavoidable…and easier than she’d like. Especially when his effortless warmth wins over her precious daughter. As a deeper connection grows between them, he starts to feel like a part of Briana’s little family. But if overcoming the past means admitting their true feelings—that might be the biggest risk of all.
USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
From Harlequin Heartwarming: Wholesome stories of love, compassion and belonging.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Harlequin.com | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub
More in This Series
Excerpt #1
“Right on time,” her boss, Police Chief Brady Davis, said as he exited his office with a file folder in hand. “Follow me to the conference room.”
His request could only mean one thing. The identity of the newest addition to the PD was about to be revealed.
After Briana’s partner had left to work with fire and rescue as a paramedic, it had been a hush-hush process to find a replacement, which was over the top for Brady.
“I still don’t understand why you haven’t told me who it is,” Briana griped.
“I didn’t want to get ahead of myself. It took a lot of back-and-forth negotiations to get him to uproot his life and move here.”
So, it was a guy.
Brady pointed in the direction of the conference room. “Besides, you were off for a few days when I confirmed the hire.”
True. She’d taken a long weekend to spend quality time with her daughter. Most days she juggled a hectic schedule and from time to time took a long weekend to focus on Cami.
Since her daughter was only four, Briana didn’t want to miss any milestones, a worry that came with working long hours and being a single mom. Brady did his best to accommodate her schedule, instilling his philosophy that a happy home life made for more productive officers.
Briana dropped her bag by her desk and hurried to catch up with Brady who was striding across the room. “He’s finally here?”
“Yes,” Brady said over his shoulder. “That’s why I want you to join me.”
More curious than ever, a trait that made her good at her job but often got her into trouble, Briana caught up and followed Brady into the room. She stopped short when a tall, dark-haired man rose from the chair. His piercing blue eyes, so very familiar to Briana, shone with an intensity she’d never admit she missed.
“Briana.”
Her mouth dropped open, but she quickly regrouped to save face.
“Jackson?” she asked, trying to moderate her tone so the higher pitch didn’t reach into the frequency only dogs heard.
“This isn’t going to be awkward, is it?” Brady asked in a serious tone, a tone he rarely used unless he meant business. His gaze moved between the two.
She’d answer if she could find her voice.
Excerpt #2
She asked in a small voice, “Are you saying we can get back to where we were?”
Her face, so dear and precious to him, was not only that of his best friend, but now, a woman he was attracted to. His feelings had morphed into more than just a friendship rekindled. Just when they’d gotten some solid footing concerning the past, would he blow up the future if he admitted how he felt?
Instead of going there, he said, “I think that after the case is solved, we sit down and evaluate what’s going on between us.”
She tilted her head, curiosity gleaming in her eyes. “What is going on?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “You do realize that I almost kissed you last night.”
Her eyes grew wide. “I’m aware.”
“And?”
“I think it’s safe to assume that’s not an aspect of our relationship that either of us had considered before now.” She hesitated for a fraction of a moment. “Is it going to be a problem?”
Jax weighed the word carefully. “Kissing?”
“Is there going to be a kiss?”
His heart hammered in his chest. “How about we test that theory?”
Her lips parted. He leaned close, his eyes locked on hers. When he saw the smallest of nods, he slowly brushed his lips over hers. He stopped after a moment, gauged her reaction, and when he saw her small smile, kissed her again. This time he lingered, so caught up in the sensation he could have continued for hours.
“I’m…um…” Brie sputtered when they parted.
“Yeah. Me, too.”
Brie pulled back and slid from the boulder. “I should probably get back to the station.”
He moved out of the way. “Right. And I need to go over some notes before I head to the resort.”
Both were caught up in their thoughts as they walked through the woods to the main hiking path. The stroll was both too fast and strangely exhilarating. A place Jax had never found himself with a woman.
Kissing Brie had changed everything.
Excerpt #3
“Okay. Let’s scoop the guts out,” Jax said, hands on his hips as he scrutinized the bright orange pumpkin on the kitchen table.
“Guts,” Cami said with a giggle. She was dressed in a sparkly yellow princess dress. When Jax had asked her if it was going to be her Halloween costume, she informed him that her trick-or-treating dress was a secret. The one she had on was for play.
Boy, did he have a lot to learn about little girls.
Brie glowered at him. “I prefer to call it pulp.”
“That’s not what we called it when we were kids,” he reminded her. He’d forgotten how much fun it was to tease her.
“Yeah, well, maybe I’m going in a different direction with my daughter.”
With that declaration she handed him a knife. Cami climbed atop a chair to see better. He sliced into the meaty skin to remove the lid. Then Brie used a large spoon to remove the insides.
Cami placed her palms on the table and leaned in to watch. “I can’t wait to tell Jacob that we took out the guts.”
Brie scowled at Jax. “Thanks.”
After each scoop, Brie dropped the stringy pulp into a large bowl. “Cami, why don’t you pick out the seeds and place them in the empty bowl.”
The little girl wrinkled her nose. “It smells funny.”
My Thoughts
The Hometown Cop's Forever Family is book 3 of the "A Golden, Georgia Romance" series. I enjoyed it as much as I did the first two! It can be read as a stand alone, even though it is part of a series.
Any story about a single parent and their child, and love growing again, is one of my favorite kind of stories. This friends to more and co-workers to more story definitely "hits the spot," as far as I'm concerned!
Briana and Jax were best friends all through elementary school and high school, until they parted ways after high school. Jax has come back to Golden, after his military career. Now he and Briana are partnered in the local law enforcement team.
I enjoyed watching their relationship heal and bloom, and Briana's daughter, Cami, is a delight.
If you enjoy sweet, contemporary romance, with a touch of mystery and a dose of faith, then you will want to add this one to your (ever growing) TBR list!
I received a complimentary copy. These opinions are my own.
About the Author
Tara Randel is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author. Family values, a bit of mystery and of course, love and romance are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Tara lives on the West Coast of Florida, where gorgeous sunsets and beautiful weather inspire the creation of heartwarming stories. Tara has received the Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Award and the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award.
Connect with Tara by visiting tararandel.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a prize bundle which includes a $25 Amazon Gift Card, bookish tote bag, booklover's keychain, bookmark and 2 autographed books by the author!
(1) winner will receive a $15 Amazon gift card!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight May 4, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 11, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
Sounds like a great story.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great book! Ty for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSuch a fabulous book.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a book I would love.
ReplyDelete