ARC Review: ‘Leather & Lies’ by Delilah Grant
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Leather & Lies
by Delilah GrantSeries: Ruthless Cowboys of Salvation #1
Published by Self-Published on May 30, 2025
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance
Format: eArc
Pages: 253
Source: The Author Agency
Audience: 18+/Adult
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Some chains don't bind—they set you free.
When my father died, he left me a pile of debts and no way to pay them. Now, notorious rancher Jackson Hawkins owns my ranch, but what he really wants is me. He gives me an impossible submit to one year under the complete control of a monster, or lose everything my family spent generations building. I thought I could handle his terms—after all, I've spent my life taming dangerous stallions. But nothing prepared me for the predator beneath Jackson's polished exterior.
As spring storms trap us on his vast empire, I discover a terrifying truth—the more I fight his possession, the more I crave his control. But when my father's past threatens our future, I'll have to decide if surrendering to this monster of a man means losing myself—or finally finding the freedom to become who I was always meant to be.
Leather & Lies is a scorching contemporary western romance featuring an unhinged cowboy who demands complete surrender from his curvy obsession, with forced proximity, lots of spice, and a battle of wills that will leave them both questioning who's really being tamed.
Leather & Lies is the first book in Delilah Grant’s Ruthless Cowboys of Salvation series. This was my first book by this author and my first foray into reading dark cowboy romance. After reading it, I’m definitely eager to read more books of this type.
Poor Shiloh is struggling to save her family’s ranch after her father left her with a mountain of debt. Unfortunately, she is forced to make a deal with Jackson, a man she knows is dangerous. Jackson has been obsessed with Shiloh for years and is determined to make her submit to him, desiring to own her completely. However, Shiloh is not going to make it easy for him. The more time Jackson spends with her, the more he realizes that she may not be so easy to break.
One thing I greatly appreciated while reading this book is that it is told from a Dual POV. While I don’t mind reading from a single perspective, I definitely prefer a Dual POV because it allows me to understand both characters’ feelings for one another. In the case of Shiloh, she really didn’t care for Jackson, and I loved her fiery spirit as she defied him at every turn, especially when she knew the best way to train a horse. She put Jackson in his place regarding training horses that required extra care, which made him furious, but he eventually listened to her. I felt sympathy for her character because her father left her with numerous challenges to face, but thankfully, she has someone watching her back, even though that person can be more controlling than ever. She is also capable of taking care of herself, as she has demonstrated multiple times throughout this book, which is why I love her character so much.
When it came to Jackson, I had a love-hate relationship with him while reading his point of view. He often came across as a jerk to Shiloh. He is definitely a morally ambiguous cowboy who is both possessive and protective of everyone, especially Shiloh, and may be over-the-top at times. He likes to show her off frequently, but if anyone dares to look at her, he quickly loses his temper.
As I mentioned earlier in my review, this was the first Dark Cowboy Romance book I’ve ever read. I expected it to be quite dark, but I found it to be less intense compared to other Dark Romance novels I’ve read. However, that didn’t prevent me from enjoying it; it was just softer than what I anticipated. This is just my opinion, so others might find it dark. I recommend checking the triggers that the authors list before reading the book.
I experienced some minor issues while reading this book, primarily due to abrupt shifts in the storyline. These shifts made me feel lost at times and prompted me to reread certain sections. One moment, the characters would be in one place, and in the next, they would suddenly be somewhere else. However, despite this, I remained engaged and motivated to continue reading, especially once the truth was revealed about how Jackson had known everything about Shiloh, and I was there for the moment she was going to confront him.
Overall, I give this book 3.5 stars and look forward to reading more in this series by Deliah Grant.
Single/Dual POV: Dual POV.
Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you enjoy reading morally grey, overly possessive/protective cowboys, then check out Leather & Lies.
What to Expect:
✔️Dark Cowboy Romance
✔️Age Gap
✔️Forced Proximity
✔️He Falls First and He Falls Hard
✔️Blackmail
✔️Unhinged, Morally Grey, Obsessed Cowboy
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