~REVIEW of Lorelei James' CORRALLED~

Corralled (Blacktop Cowboys, #1)

Opening Line: "Screwing two guys doesn't make you a slut."

I was pretty excited to hear that Lorelei James’ was starting a new series because I’m seriously addicted to her Roughriders books and IMO you can‘t ever have enough sexy cowboys. I also have a small addiction to the PBR and CORRALLED is all about the bullriding and its fearless bullfighters. Throw in a ménage storyline (yes girls, two swaggering, ultra sexy cowboys) and in theory this book should have had all my guns a blazin’. Unfortunately, and I can’t put my finger on why, it just never grabbed me like her Roughriders series always does and I was surprised by how difficult it was for me to get into her new Blacktop Cowboys.

One of the problems for me was the rodeo jargon, I kept forgetting what EBS and CRA stood for and these acronyms were used a lot. I also felt like I’d read this before as the storyline is very reminiscent of her first Roughriders book Long Hard Ride leaving me with a feeling of déjà vu for the entire read.

“As much as Hank loved bullfighting in the CRA, for a bullfighter, the EBS was the big time.”


If you’ve read anything else by Lorelei James then you’ll know what to expect from this. Erotic love scenes (every couple of pages) including some rope play and just about everything else, emotion filled storylines, a couple of dustups at a local saloon and a whole slew of unique characters and situations to keep you interested. James’ writing is also really fun. I love the way her characters talk and usually come away with a southern drawl much to my Canadian families amusement.

Lainie Capshaw is a sports therapist, traveling the rodeo circuits and patching up injured cowboys. She’s made it a steadfast rule not to date anyone, keeping things strictly professional amongst her many admirers. So it’s with some surprise that she finds herself dating not one but two handsome cowboys; Hank Lawson a bullfighter and Kyle Gilchrist a bull rider. Despite never discussing exclusivity Lainie feels guilty but also doesn’t assume she’ll have to decide between them as they work on different circuits. Honestly she doesn’t know if she could choose anyways.

Lainie’s two timing catches up with her one night at the local honky-tonk when Hank catches her with Kyle. To her surprise the two are childhood friends and since neither wants to bow down to the other they instead offer her a deal no horny cowgirl could refuse. They will all travel the CRA circuit together with Kyle and Hank taking care of Lanie's sexual needs until she makes up her mind which one of them she likes better. It sounds good until both men try to win her heart leaving Lainie hanging on for the full 8 seconds. What’s a girl to do?

~REVIEW of Kimberly Raye's DROP DEAP GORGOUS~



~I'M MOVING TO SKULL CREEK TEXAS~

Drop Dead Gorgeous (Love At First Bite #2)

“It was the best sex she'd had in months. The only sex. Which wouldn't be such a bad thing except that the elusive O came courtesy of a red vibrator called the Big Tamale rather than some hot, buff cowboy with a slow hand and an intoxicating smile.”

So with an opening paragraph like this you know you’re in for a fun ride and for the most part DROP DEAD GORGEOUS doesn’t disappoint. This is book 2 from Kimberly Raye’s sexy and hilarious Love At First Bite trilogy. Set in Skull Creek Texas these quickie romances follow the small town antics and love connections of some rather eccentric but completely likable women as they get their groove on and find true love with gorgeous Texan cowboys who also just happen to be Vampires.

Dillon Cash used to be the biggest geek in Skull Creek until he inadvertently got between two warring vampires, losing his human life in the process. Now he’s back and better than ever, in fact except for whole burning to a crisp in the sun thingy and a small aversion to garlic, his new life rocks. This former nerdy computer tech’s been transformed into a hunka, hunka burning vampire love and every woman in town wants a piece of him.

Meg Sweeny or “Manhandler Meg” as she’s been known since high school, can’t believe the changes in her old friend Dillon. Now not only does she want his body but she wants his secret as well. You see Meg is a closeted geek and if Dillon can suddenly morph into a stud then theres a chance that with a little of his instruction she can become the much desired sex kitten she’s always wanted to be too.

All Dillon wants to do is erase his geeky reputation and blaze a trail as the towns studliest guy, possibly even emerging #1 on the coveted "Randiest Rooster" list. But theres something about his old pal Meg he can’t refuse, she see’s past his new muscles and heartthrob status and damn if he hadn’t always thought she was irresistible anyways. Our couple engage in a cat and mouse game of who’s seducing who and of course lose their hearts in the process.

Although I didn’t enjoy this as much as Dead Sexy this was still a good read. My only real problem being that geek heroes just don’t do it for me and regardless of his hot vampire makeover I never felt much of anything for Dillon. Even the love scenes (which are plenty spicy) didn’t work for me. But that’s just me. However the truly great thing about this series (besides the fact that it’s frigging hilarious) is the awesome cast of unconventional townsfolk and the crazy adventures they manage to get themselves into. Raye has written this in such an endearing, fun way that I find myself wanting to move to Skull Creek just so that I can spend Friday nights at Joe Bob’s Bar and Grill and buy my groceries at the local Piggly Wiggly. Not to mention the fact that I might bag myself a cowboy Vamp and make it onto the Gazette’s hot chicks list. Cheers

~REVIEW of Lorelei James' ROUGH RAW AND READY~

Rough, Raw and Ready (Rough Riders, #5)

..."Torn between the love he has...and the love he’s always wanted"

Wow, with each instalment in the Roughriders series I keep saying this one is my absolute favourite; it just can’t get any better. Well I was sorely mistakin because James has outdone herself with #5 and this one really is the best yet (no really) Now I’m left lamely trying to put into words how friggin fantastic this story is.

Ever since book #1 Long Hard Ride I’ve been wondering what happened to Trevor and Edgard and hoping for their story. I was curious as to how these delicious cowboys could get their HEA especially in a homophobic and generally not alternative lifestyle appreciating town like Sundance Wyoming. I never counted on a wife being involved but lucky, lucky Chassie Glanzer. She gets the lovin of two damn fine men here. And talking about fine men; if you’re a fan of M/M lovin then hang onto your cowboy hats because this is all kinds-of-ways hot and sexy man lovin. Of course Chassie does participate on occasion and even though I’m not a fan of the ménage, this works for me because all the partners are involved equally. There’s also an amazing 3-way love story unfolding here, full of undeniable passion, emotion and heaps of consequences which are all explored beautifully. And Yes theres a whole lotta spicy sex going on too, in just about every conceivable position/combination and location possible. Yeehaw!

Trevor and Chassie have been happily married for one year. Trevor loves his wife and life on the ranch is good but he’s never quite been able to forget about his old roping partner and he knows that sometimes Chassie can sense his longing. Trevor never expected to see Edgard again though especially after it became clear that he couldn’t be the kind of man that Edgard needed but now his secret Brazilian lover is walking right up the dusty driveway, looking as fine and sexy as ever and hoping to sort out their tangled past.

With the kind of sparks that are flying between this pair of cowboys it doesn’t take long for Chassie to catch them together (and damn those first mergers are aggressive and scorching hot) Chassie thought she knew everything about her husbands chequered past but this is really pushing things. However before she can come to terms with the fact that Trevor and Edgard were lovers she has to face the fact that she might just be losing her man because its not just lust she see’s in their eyes its unbridled love too.

Trevor promises he won’t leave but she doesn’t want him to stay out of any sense of duty, she knows he’d be forever missing his Latin cowboy and she’d be living half a marriage. So Chassie does the only thing a girl could do in this kind of situation she asks if she can watch them together and then she joins them. Of course for this arrangement to succeed theres all kinds of issues to work out and they are slightly worried about what the townsfolk are gunna think down at the local feed store but the more time they all spend together the more passion and raw emotion comes to the surface. Trevor and Edgard finally feel complete and damn if Chassie doesn’t too.

~REVIEW of Kimberly Raye's DEAD SEXY~

~Ticked all my boxes~

Dead Sexy (Love At First Bite #1)

 

Opening Line: "He needed a woman."

Oh, I liked this one. But then again when you’ve got an uber-sexy, yet tortured motorcycle riding, cowboy vampire on the hunt what’s not to like? All my boxes have just been ticked. Throw in a well written story, relatable and funny heroine, scorching hot love scenes, some tender dialogue and an awesome cast of eccentric secondary characters and you’ve got yourself a winner.

Nikki Braxton has given up hope on ever finding a man without issues in her hometown of Skull Creek (the last one stole her underwear and stilettos before he left) However she doesn’t want to get a reputation like her wild and wanton Mamma either and in a town this size everybody knows your business. This leaves Nikki in a state of permanent sexual frustration, getting her highs from cotton candy, baked goods and perm solution. That is until the night Jake McCann rolls into town. This delicious cowboy is just passing through and could be the perfect solution to her little problem; a one night, no strings attached, orgasmic roll in the hay without any of the towns wagging tongues the wiser.

For Jake the down and dirty he’s just had with Nikki is about more than just sex. He’s a vampire on a mission, a mission that after decades has led him to Skull Creek and the enemy that turned him. To be able to destroy his nemesis though Jake’s going to need his batteries fully charged and this is where Nikki comes in. You see Jake doesn’t just feed on blood he feeds on sexual energy and Nikki’s got a ton to spare, so much so that one night with her simply isn’t going to be enough.

I was very curious about the idea of a cowboy vampire and thought this is either going to be really silly or super sexy. Luckily Jake (and all the characters) have been written in such multi-faceted ways that the idea works, big time. Giving you everything you could possibly want in a quickie Harlequin romance and then some. Jake is a fantastic character; self assured, intensely sexual and driven yet also vulnerable and lonely without even knowing it. Yup I fell hard for this Cowboy. Nikki is also great, completely down to earth and fun to be around. Their romance takes some surprising turns and for as steamy as it gets it was also very sweet. I will definitely be searching out more from Kimberly Raye and can’t wait to read the rest of her Scull Creek series, she made this small town and its cast of characters come alive. Cheers!

~REVIEW of Lorelei James' Tied Up Tied Down~

Tied Up, Tied Down (Rough Riders, #4) 

 

Opening Line: "Skylar Ellison hated being naked in public"

Giddy-Up, another smoking hot read from Lorelei James’s Roughrider series. This is book 4 and as usual theres all kinds of hot and sexy lovemakin goin on. Its also been tied together again with an awesome story; encompassing ranch life, love, heartache, the occasional dust up and of course family. You know real life kinda stuff. I’m finding this series seriously addictive and almost impossible to put down. It seems I’ve fallen hard for those wild, sexy, and charming MacKay boys, even if most of the time I can’t keep their names straight. Now all I need is a blue-eyed/black haired cowboy of my very own to play with. I’ve also got to stop talking like I’m from Wyoming Y’all because I live in Canada and my family thinks I’ve lost it.

We first met Kade and Skylar in Cowgirl Up and Ride where they had several dates and an unprotected romp in the back of a pick-up before goin their separate ways. 12 months later cattle rancher Kade McKay returns to town only to learn that he’s a daddy. Thing is though he wants to be a dad. Never mind stepping up to the plate Kade runs, embracing his new daddy status with pure delight. Given half a chance he’d also like to be a husband but independent business woman Skylar Ellison has some trust issues and won’t give an inch despite his constant marriage proposals. She’s also pretty sure he’s just asking because of the baby.

Within days Kade and Skylar move in together, under the pretence that they’ll live platonically, just sharing in the parenting duties. (Yeah right) Anyways, Kade agrees to play by her rules long enough for Skylar to see that he’s in this for the long haul. (He might love her a bit too) Since this is a Roughriders book the arrangement lasts like one chapter before desire takes over. At first their sex life is perfunctory however once Kade convinces Skylar that sex really is better with the lights on and not in the missionary position (or even indoors for that matter) things evolve to a whole new level of passion. Kade ultimately takes complete control in the bedroom; instilling the “Nekkid rule” and making quick use of some ropes, leaving Skylar in an unfamiliar ‘sub’ position but very satisfied. However nothing worth having ever comes easy. And just because Skylar’s given her body to Kade doesn’t mean she’s going to hand him the reins to her heart too. Just how much one sided lovin will this cowboy take before he finally hit’s the dusty trail?

Kade is just lovely as our cowboy daddy, he’s sweet, honest and hardworking (plus he likes a girl with curves) and in all honesty Skylar doesn’t deserve him. Of course theres a whole lot of other stuff going on here too and fans of the series won’t be disappointed. Cheers

~Review of Lorelei James' COWGIRL UP AND RIDE~

~SAVE A HORSE RIDE A COWBOY~

Cowgirl Up and Ride (Rough Riders, #3)

Opening Line:"Amy Jo Foster had loved Cord McKay her entire life."

Yeehaw, another smoking hot instalment from the Roughriders. This is book 3 in the series and my favourite so far. As usual our couple has all kinds-of-ways hot and sexy lovin going on but between the erotic interludes theres also a really romantic love story unfolding too. Yup I fell hard for tough, gruff, single dad cowboy Cord McKay and enjoyed his struggle with the sweet and much younger, little Miss AJ.

There’s also a whole family of disfunctional, confusingly named McKay cousins and brothers just itchin to get there tales told. With several of them jumping the gun here and telling wild and naughty side stories about their drinkin, dating, bar fightin, multiple partner swappin, M/M encounterin, getting kicked off the range, where’s my life headin, unruly lives. It’s a wonder really that any woman would go near those McKay boys, must have something to do with their blue eyes, cheeky grins and the way they fill out a pair of Wranglers. Oh Yeah, I loved every angle of this story.

Divorced rancher Cord has sworn off women besides what with running his ranch, looking after his young son and dealing with his deviant brothers and drunken cousins he’s got his hands full. However when his former babysitter AJ Foster asks him to teach her the ways of lovemaking, taking her virginity in the process its an offer he can’t refuse.

AJ is a strong, completely likable character who’s been in love with Cord since she was 5 years old and he white knighted her after she fell from her horse. She’s been saving herself ever since, waiting for Cord to see her as more than just the neighbour girl in pigtails. Now she’s all grown up and ready to claim the man she wants. All she has to do is convince Cord to open his battered heart long enough to realize that they’re perfect for each other, in and out of the bedroom.

So saddle up girls and enjoy the ride, theres plenty of sexy, nekkid fun here, a hilarious drunken bachelorette party and some surprising tragedy too. And then theres the love. Cord and AJ will ramp up your pulse in the bedroom while at the same time managing to tug at your heartstrings. Even though Cord’s bossy and downright stubborn you can see early on that he also genuinely cares for AJ and despite his domineering ways crumbles when he thinks he’s lost her. Then watching while she stands her ground and he tries to win her back…*sigh* be still my heart.

"Marry me for me. Marry me because I'm a selfish bastard and I want you to be mine forever. Marry me because I don't know if I'll survive the rest of my life without havin' you by my side every damn day."

~REVIEW of Trace Adkins' A PERSONAL STAND~

Opening line: "It's a damn good thing I wasn't the president after 9/11 because I would have...lets not go there yet."

This is not really an autobiography but as it states on the cover, "a collection of observations and opinions from a freethinking roughneck." That's too bad because the best parts of this book are the stories about his life. Trace doesn't hold back here, insulting just about every nationality except Americans.

This would have been a 5 star read too if Trace could have just stopped going off the rails with redneck 'observations' and concentrated on writing his autobiography a little more. However, he writes like he talks and I did get some laughs in during a couple of his life stories. But mainly I just laughed at his views of the world.

Having been a fan of his music and after seeing him on Celebrity Apprentice Mr. Adkins seemed like an intelligent, interesting and gentle family man. This book has however changed my view of him and I no longer consider myself a fan. I found Trace's 'views' naive. He admittedly has only been out of America once, playing on an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf and it is my opinion that he needs to get out from behind the windows of his tour bus and see some of the world. This would possibly open up his 'observations' a bit. However even if you don't agree with him he at least tries to explain why he feels that way.

In between his many rants you do get to learn about Trace's life; growing up in Louisiana (pop 924) he spent time working on the oil rigs and playing in honky-tonk bars before he became a country star. You'll learn of his problems with drugs and alcohol, his many brushes with death and his family. An oddly amusing story is how he got shot by his second wife. He describes the history behind some of his hit songs, what fame is like and how he still likes to get his hands dirty on his farm. There is a lot of time spent on politics and oil as well as his dislike of unions, illegal immigration, the tobacco industry and his love of Wal-Mart and NASCAR.

As a well travelled, informed Canadian, I took particular offence to the following quote.(Regrettably it was written in the last 6 pages of the book or I would have stopped reading sooner)

"Supposedly Canada has the cleanest water and the best beer and a whole lot of oil. They've been sucking on our tit for so long now, and that's another thing I would do if I was President. I would make a call to the Canadians and say "look fellas, the only reason the Russkies didn't come over here in the 1970's and kick your ass is because we're your neighbor!" The time is now to start paying for the protection that we provide you. No more free ride eh."

In summery I suppose this was an eye-opening read, about a country singer from small town USA whose views are completly different than my own. It sure explained a lot about what I see on Fox News anyway.

~REVIEW of Lorelei James' RODE HARD PUT UP WET~

Rode Hard Put Up Wet (Roughrides #2)

Opening line: That horse nearly throwed you clean into the funeral parlour, boy."

Giddy-up Cowgirls, Welcome to another deliciously hot read from Lorelei James’s addictive Roughriders. This is book 2 in the series although for some reason I missed it the first time through. So now even though I’m up to book 9, I had a super fun time going back to the beginning and revisiting the delicious McKay boys before they all grew up, got married and started acting responsible and repopulating most of Wyoming. With Rode Hard Put Up Wet we of course get all-kinds-of-ways hot and steamy cowboy lovin but here we also get the added bonus of a two-four. As in 2 couples finding love and passion in 1 sexy story and how great is that!

We met our first couple; Gemma and Big Cash Crow in LONG HARD RIDE and although they’re older in the traditional sense (30’s & 40’s) both still very much have the “it” factor when it comes to spice in the bedroom. I loved their story and definitely preferred it out of the two. Cash even gave me a couple of *sigh* moments when he finally turned the lights on and opened his eyes… Their romance is about second chances, no matter what stage of life you’re in.

Explosive, impulsive, selfish, jealous, unsure, intense and at times downright annoying; Cash’s daughter Macie and self-centered artist Carter McKay as our second couple personified young love. This pair was all over the place with their emotions and a ton of fun to watch as I never knew what they were going to do next. I had a seriously tough time liking Carter though --as Macie often says “He’s a dumbass” Finding him immature and for the most part just an idiot. Cash on the other hand is all MAN...

Widow Gemma Jansen is looking for someone to help manage her ranch, luckily she knows just the sweet cowboy for the job. Cash Big Crow has just retired from the rodeo circuit and is looking to reconnect with his grown daughter Macie. Going to work for Gemma might be just the answer everyone’s looking for. Giving Cash and Macie the opportunity to settle in one place and get to know each other and Gemma the hired hand she needs. Of course before Cash agrees he has a few non-negotiable conditions; theres won’t be a strictly working relationship, Gemma might be the boss lady during the day but once in the bedroom Cash is going to be in charge, no questions asked.            

To complete our foursome we’re also introduced to ranch hand and I’m too sexy for my boots/tortured artist Carter McKay. He takes one look at Macie and realizes he’s found his perfect muse. The artist in him begging to paint her, sculpt her and just plain have her. This doesn’t sit well with Cash, he knows all to well the reputations of those hard living, womanizing McKay boys and there ain’t no way one of them is getting near his daughter. Oh theres sure to be fun and games and even a few dust ups at the Bar-9 this summer.

As much as I enjoyed this it certainly wasn’t my favourite in the series and it took me a while to figure out why I was having a harder time connecting with this story. But with 2 couples and 4 POV’s it just wasn’t as tight. And with all the switching back and forth neither couple ever felt complete. Anyways, a very small gripe for another great instalment.

~REVIEW of Cindy Gerard's TAKE NO PRISONERS~

Take No Prisoners (Black Op's #2)

Opening Line: "A gecko, low slung, forked feet flying, skittered across the sill of an open window, hauling ass as if it actually had somewhere to go."

I'm loving this series! TAKE NO PRISONERS is another WOW read from Cindy Gerard’s fantastic Black-Ops BOI’s. This cleverly written story starts off with a bang and just keeps on going. Filled with action and suspense a-plenty Gerard whisks the reader to exotic locations filled with car chases, shootouts and several wicked bad guys all trying to out smart each other over a damn big diamond. Somehow our couple still manages to get in some passionate yet tender love scenes and with a whole team of interesting secondary characters this is everything you want in romantic suspense.

Ever since her divorce and a few subsequent bad dates Abbie Hughes no longer trusts men, besides between going to school, worrying about her wayward younger brother and working nights as a Vegas blackjack dealer who has the time? Her one vice would have to be her wild girlfriend Crystal but even she can’t persuade Abbie to let loose. All that changes the night Sam Lang sits down at one of her tables, On the outside he appears to be a shy rancher who just happens to look mighty fine in a pair of Wranglers but Sam Lang is much more.

Sam, a recently retired member of Black-Ops Inc is on a vengeful quest to find the international crime lord who murdered his sister. His leads have brought him to Abbie and her brother Cory who he suspects are involved in a lucrative gem smuggling business and working with Nader, the man responsible. To find Nader Sam is going to have to use Abbie however the more he gets to know her the less convinced he is that she’s involved and the harder its getting to fight the growing attraction between them. When Cory goes missing in Honduras Sam and Abbie are forced to work together to locate him and on Sam’s end obtain his ultimate goal, revenge. Together with the entire Black-Ops team they head into the Honduran backcountry using Abbie as the bait and with Sam now willing to lay down his life to protect her revenge may just have to wait.

I will admit that I didn’t fall for our hero Sam nearly as hard as I did for Gabe from book #1 SHOW NO MERCY however as a whole this story is much tighter and could easily be read as a stand alone. I should also mention how much I’m loving the ending chapters in this series, Gerard doesn’t just tie the story together into a neat little happily-ever-after, she leaves you hanging until the very last minute then follows through providing us with a glimpse of our couples future and I love that. Here we also get an update on my boyfriend Gabe from the last book (he’s doing fine now thanks)

~REVIEW of Lorelei James' LONG HARD RIDE~

AND I’M OFF TO THE RODEO…

Long Hard Ride (Rough Riders, #1)

Opening Line: "On a drunken dare after too many kamikazes, Channing Kinkaid found herself standing on a shellacked bartop while a bartender named Moose sprayed her chest with ice-cold beer."

Yeehaw, what a great read, now I know what all the fuss is about. Based on good reviews and my love of cowboys in general I just had to give this series a try and wow am I ever glad I did. LONG HARD RIDE is all kinds-of-ways hot and sexy lovin but it’s also so much more. Between the erotic interludes theres an actual story and a whole cast of characters that I became invested with and in the end really cared about. All with relatable issues, deep emotions and yeah theres even a touching love story (or 3) to boot. Theres also several subplots going on here that got me so hooked I’ve since ordered the entire Roughriders series because I just have to know how things turn out for everybody.

So if you like hot alpha male cowboys and have a (secret) dream about hitting the rodeo circuit with a trio of your very own then I highly recommend joining the Roughriders family for a little ridin, ropin, chaps and spurs wearin western adventure. Giddy-up cowgirls.

Channing Kinkaid wants an adventure that she’ll remember for a lifetime she also wants to shed her sexual inhibitions and embrace a steamier, multi-partnered lifestyle. What better way to fulfill her fantasies than hooking up with Colby, Trevor, and Edgard. Three rowdy, bull riding, calf roping and bronco busting cowboys who are more than willing to take Channing on as their personal “buckle bunny” while they travel the rodeo circuit. However she has to play by their rules and Colby’s demands for complete submission are beginning to test her heart as much as her will. Of course everything is not always as it seems with this sexy threesome and when cowboys get injured and friends become lovers you better turn on that sad country music and hang on for the full 8 seconds because this is going to be quite the ride.

Just about anything goes here sexually speaking including light bondage, ménage a cowboy, partner sharing, partner swapping, oral, anal and some fine M/M lovin. Cheers

~REVIEW of Lorelei James' SADDLED AND SPURRED~

Saddled and Spurred (Blacktop Cowboys, #2)

 

Opening line: "You're firing me?"

Cattleman Bran Turner (Bran, really!?) is left shorthanded during calving season and since rural Wyoming and in particular the sleepy town of Muddy Gap doesn’t have an overabundance of qualified help he reluctantly hires Harper Masterson for the job. Now while this down on her luck, former beauty queen may not look the part of your typical ranch hand (the gem encrusted sunglasses and leopard print gloves are a dead giveaway) Harper proves to be a quick study and more then capable of gettin’ er done.

What starts out as a strictly a professional relationship of course builds into something more; Bran just can’t keep his eyes off Harpers curves and she in turn doesn’t mind getting down and dirty. He can’t believe that this gorgeous beauty queen would have anything to do with the likes of him and Harper well, she can’t believe what she’s been missing, who knew sex could be so good.

Besides there’s no harm done right? They’ve both agreed that this is only going to be a temporary affair, just until Bran’s injured help returns and Harpers younger sister Bailey graduates high school. A few weeks tops, then she’s outta this dusty little town, and never looking back, right?

If you’ve read any of Lorelei James’s other books (I highly recommend the Roughriders series) then you’ll know what to expect from this one. Erotic love scenes, emotion filled storylines, a couple of dustups at the local saloon and a whole town of unique characters and situations to keep you interested.

I have to be honest though, this book didn’t quite grab me like her Roughriders series always does and I was honestly surprised at how difficult a time I had getting into it. Neither of the main characters made much of an impression on me until later on in the book (which ended up being awesome) and I just never felt their supposed “spark”. And while the sex scenes where certainly steamy enough they seemed to lack any genuine emotion or even excitement of the usual level I’ve come to expect from James. It just seemed like our couple was going through the motions (sexy as they may be) and I had a hard time caring.

However like I said at around chapter 16 it all seemed to come together. With the ranch job ending, Harper is leaving, Bran’s not stopping her and nobody is talking about how they really feel. I also enjoyed the storyline involving her sister Bailey’s bombshell decision and *sigh, Bran’s last minute attempts at romance. For such a strong silent type he sure came out of his shell. Interesting events also open up for book #3 in the Blacktop Cowboys series; WRANGLED AND TANGLED.