She wants it…he’s got it…and the chase is on…

Bull rider Chase McKay has finally landed in a pile too big to charm his way out of. Caught with his pants down, he finds himself bucked right off the PBR tour until he can get his act together.

Hollywood actress Ava Cooper became the tabloids’ favorite target when her longtime boyfriend was outed as gay. She needs a place to lay low and a chance to prove to herself that she can satisfy a red-blooded man between the sheets. The sexy, rugged cowboy she finds holed up in her Wyoming hideaway seems like the answer to her every fantasy.

But Chase has sworn off women. Forever. Or at least a month. Whichever comes first.

When they take to the road to get Chase more hands-on bull riding experience, they have every intention of keeping their hands off each other. But the two headstrong stars quickly end up riding a hot and heady rodeo circuit all their own—until the press gets wind of their affair. When the dust clears and the lights of the paparazzi fade, are they ready to give up chasing the dream for a chance of finding forever?

Warning: Strap in, another hot McKay is about to bust out of the gate and this bull rider knows a thing or two about riding hard…

Title: CHASIN’ EIGHT
Author: Lorelei James
Series: Rough Riders, book 11
Genre: Contemporary Western Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2011, June 28
Format: eBook
Source: Bought via Samhain eBookstore

First line:
There was nothing like live porn.

Memorable Scenes:
- Chase and Ava's very first encounter > funny as hell
- the fried Twinkie scene > talk about sexual tension and teasing


CHASIN’ EIGHT is the 11th book in this series. 11th!! I still remember discovering the first in this series a few years ago and falling in love with the McKays, Lorelei James’ writing and contemporary western romance. And now I have read 11 books in this amazing series and I’m still hooked, still enjoying every installment I read and looking forward to every new addition to the series.

The main characters of this book are Ava Drummond aka famous actress Ava Cooper and famous bull rider Chase McKay. Ava is vivacious, funny and adapting. She’s looking for her place in life, a purpose. She’s also a little insecure despite her famous actress status. Chase is stubborn, gruff resilient and sweet. Despite his reputation as a womanizer he’s also a loner. Though he gives off this bold, rough bad boy vibe he’s also a easy-going and a little complacent.

I loved Ava and Chase together. Their banter added to the chemistry between them and they were both characters I loved because of their sharp wit. They are characters that at first sight you would never pair together but their pairing worked splendidly.

I had a bit of trouble getting into this book. First off I didn’t really like the opening page, it was too porn-y for my taste. Also, the first half, before Chase gave into the physical pull Ava had on him, kinda felt a bit uneventful and slow-going. However, despite the slow start I absolutely enjoyed this book. I still miss the magic of the earlier Rough Riders books but CHASIN' EIGHT definitely kept me entertained.

One of the things I loved about this book was seeing some characters from the earlier books come back to the forefront: Colby, Gemma, and Cash for instance. But also loved seeing Kane and Ginger. Though their book isn’t one of my favorites in this series, I really liked them and their role in CHASIN’ EIGHT. Another thing I liked was an in-depth look into the bull riding and rodeo-circuit. As a total ignorant about rodeos I took it all in and was fascinated by it all. This was also what brought the characters I mentioned above in play.

I always mention this in my reviews of books in this series but I really adore the family feel of this series and how Lorelei James shows us the expansion with every next book and gives the readers who follow this series an in-depth look into all the branches of this very large family with their problems, their happy moments, their loves and their losses. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the Rough Riders series is a family saga, not merely a string of connected books.

Lorelei James' writing is satisfying as always. It’s the perfect combination of scorching heat, intense emotions, in-depth back-stories and a great collection of supporting characters. Lorelei James always manages to pull on my heartstrings with the emotions she infuses into her stories and to get me all hot and bothered with the heat that radiates from the love scenes. No matter if I adore, love or just like the book, her writing is an addiction I can’t quit!

And with the enticing blurb I’ve read of the next book, Ben McKay’s (Chase’s middle brother) story, I can’t wait until COWBOY CASANOVA comes out next week!

Favorite Quotes:
“Fine. I get it. Hands off. No hugs, no kisses, no holding hands, no hot looks, no copping a feel. No chance for a hard, fast, sweaty, screaming, raunchy f#ckfest against the wall, or on the floor, or in the shower, and definitely not on the bed.” (Ava to Chase)

Ava released a long, deep moan. A moan that sounded like a woman about to come undone by pure pleasure.
Chase shot her a sideways glance. Her beautiful face had a dreamy look best described as post-orgasmic. From sucking on a hot dog?
“That’s the best chili dog I’ve ever eaten.” Ava kept making throaty groans.
His brain overloaded. He imagined dragging her across the console and giving her another reason to moan.

Ava expected he’d keep the kiss slow and easy. So when Chase kissed the living shit out of her, she understood she didn’t know this Chase at all. The Chase who trapped her face in his big hands. The Chase who ably slipped his tongue past her teeth and fried her circuits with a kiss that stirred something inside her she’d never felt with any man.
Lust with an edge of danger. Lust that had no boundaries.

[Taz]“I seen how he’s been lookin’ at you.”
“And how’s that?”
“Like you’re a hot, sweet fried Twinkie and he’d like to lick you up one side and down the other before devouring you completely.”
“Except the man seems to be on a sugar-free diet,” she said wryly.
Taz chuckled. “Maybe. But I reckon he’s just trying to keep from gorging himself.”

Ava immersed herself in him. The scent of his skin. The tangy taste of his sweat. The way his muscles strained beneath her tongue. She kissed, licked and nibbled her way down the center of his throat, from his square jaw to his breastbone. And could she get a halleluiah that he had chest hair? Talk about manly, masculine goodness. She rubbed her face over the dark patch of hair, breathing him in, listening to the pounding of his heart, warmed by the heat from his skin, and knowing his body’s response to her was echoed in her body.

Ava had no control. Chase held her head, keeping her in place. “Ava. Look at me. See what you do to me.”
Her gaze connected with his. Such lust. Such hunger in his eyes. Such need. She felt it all flowing between them, felt her body responding to the call of his.

With pure male heat and hunger, he undressed her, then himself. This wasn’t a sensual exploration resulting in an achingly sweet union of bodies. No. This was raw mating. He demanded. Took. Teased. And ultimately gave all of himself with such unending passion, he left her knowing no other man would ever reach inside her like he did.

Good girls can play rough too…

Jessie McKay has accepted her marriage to Luke McKay wasn’t perfect. After two years of widowhood, she’s ready to kick up her bootheels—until Luke’s younger brother shows up to spoil her fun. But if Brandt thinks she’ll ever take orders from another McKay male, he’s got manure for brains.

Brandt McKay has avoided his sweet, sexy sister-in-law ever since the night he confessed his feelings for her weren’t the brotherly type. Unexpectedly faced with proof of Luke’s infidelity, Brandt is forced to ask for Jessie’s help in taking care of Luke’s young son. Jessie agrees on one condition—she wants Brandt’s boots exclusively under her bed for the duration.

The sexual heat that’s always simmered between them ignites. Brandt is determined to make the temporary situation permanent, proving to Jessie he’s a one-woman man. And Jessie is shaken by feelings she’s sworn never to have again for any man…especially not a McKay.

Warning: Contains branding-iron-hot sex , the one McKay on earth who wants to be tamed, and a woman who’s decided tame is for nice girls who finish last.

Title: COWGIRLS DON’T CRY
Author: Lorelei James
Series: Rough Riders, book 10
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2010, November 9
Format: eBook
Source: Bought via Samhain eBookstore

First line:
“Who’s up for a threesome?”

Memorable Scenes:
- The football game with Dalton and Tell > great scene in light of the bond between the McKay brothers and accepting Jessie in their midst
- the massage > trademark Lorelei James hotness
- the scenes with Landon > sweet, funny and frustrating (for Jessie and Brandt) moments
- the phone sex scene > scorching!
- chapter 23 > made me bawl like a baby


Jessie McKay runs the daycare at Sky Blue and the widow of Luke McKay. Jessie is quiet, shy-ish, sweet, big-hearted and wholesome. Her life hasn’t been easy. From her youth to her shot-gun, unhappy marriage that ends with the loss of her husband, to say she’s had it tough would be an understatement and this life had led to her having abandonment issues. She’s now desperate to prove to the world she's not the mousy widow everyone takes her for. Every one, except Brandt McKay, her late husband’s brother who has always been in her corner, offering support and help.

Brandt McKay is noble, steadfast and considerate. But make no mistake, beneath that all-around good guy veneer there’s a short-fused Brandt that comes out when he’s pushed too far. He has loved Jessie forever, even before she became his brother's wife and widow. But being the gentleman that he is, he never interfered in their marriage. A year after his brother’s death however, in a weak moment, he confesses he’d like to be more than friends but Jessie turns him down flat so he backs off and leaves her alone. Until a consequence of his brother’s meandering ways brings him back to Jessie.

I must honestly admit that as much as the sex scenes enthralled me, and they were with out-of-this-world-HOT, at first I wasn't entirely comfortable with Brandt being Jessie's dead husband's brother. It’s not a trope that will appeal to all contemporary erotic romance readers. I was also wondering what would make Jessie come around to accept and even reciprocate Brandt's feelings for her.

My worries were so not necessary because Lorelei James made it work and made me forget about my initial hesitation where the romance was concerned. I liked the premise of this book and loved the execution even more. It's an emotionally heavy subject and Lorelei James let her characters handle it in a realistic, believable manner. COWGIRLS DON’T CRY fits right in with the rest of the series and as I’ve said before in reviews of this series: an amazingly written family saga is the only way to describe the Rough Riders series.

Lorelei James writes books that are smokin' hot and highly emotional like few others can. The way this book was set up just blew me away. There were so many elements (the prologue, Brandt's almost obsession with Jessie, the situation with Landon) that should've made me go: What? Hell no! But Ms. James made them all work splendidly. The flaws and imperfection in the characters made this a great book and a lovely addition to the series!

Secret love child, hot sex, complicated family dynamics on several levels, all my emotions raging and on high alert...COWGIRLS DON'T CRY had it all and was just like the rest of Lorelei James' Rough Riders series: never failing to satisfy my romance reader's needs.

Favorite Quotes:
“Why am I an idiot?”
“For not snapping that man up. I swear I’ve never seen any man look so ready to lick a woman up one side and down the other as he was when he was eating you up with his eyes.” (Jessie & Simone about Brandt)

Okay. Brandt had to keep his groin from touching her backside because then she’d know he had a hard-on, which had popped up the instant it’d gotten wind he’d be putting his hands all over her.

“I think your best option is just to walk up to him, stark naked and say, Ride me, cowboy hottie .” (Simone)

His tongue darted out and slid along the plump inside curve of her bottom lip. A leisurely, sensuous glide across the sensitive flesh that caused her mouth to tremble even as her lips parted in invitation. But he didn’t dive in for a greedy, openmouthed kiss. He lightly swept his damp lips over hers. Repeatedly. Male hunger and hot breath, tempered with softness that was unlike anything she’d ever experienced.

Holy mother of God did the man lay a kiss on her. His hands framed her face with utmost gentleness as his mouth conquered hers. Dominated. Destroyed. Ignited.

He nuzzled her hair, breathing her in. Filling his lungs, his heart, his soul with everything this woman freely gave him, no matter how much he asked of her.

Oh, it was breathtaking, watching his ferocious man master her. Teach her. Pleasure her. Mesmerized by the fire in his eyes, Jessie had just held on, as her body became his playground.

But Landon didn’t race away. He heaved a contented sigh against her neck. Then he moved back and placed a sticky hand on each of her cheeks. He locked his serious gaze to hers and gave her a kiss, square on the mouth. He emitted a noise deep in his throat, then he raced back to his mother.
It took about ten seconds to sink in.
Landon had acted exactly like Brandt. Holding her face. Kissing her. Making that possessive growl.
Her heart absolutely turned over. Landon had just told her, in his little boy way, that he loved her.

“Us being together won’t be an easy road. There will be people like Lydia, like your father, who will want us to fail. So you should know I fell in love with you not because you’re Luke’s brother, but in spite of it.
“You’ve become everything to me in ways Luke never was. I never imagined I’d find a man like you, who’s sweet, sexy, funny, thoughtful, kind. A man who makes me feel like I’m enough for him. A man I can trust without question. A man I will fight anyone for.” Her eyes filled with tears and she whispered, “God. I feel like such an idiot because you’ve been here the whole time.”

Jessie realized Joan was exactly right. No more of this giving him time, waiting around for him to come his senses bullshit. The old Jessie would stand around and wring her hands and wait for him to come to her. The new Jessie, the Jessie who’d found the man of her heart and soul, needed to go to him first.

A Rough Riders free read.

Keely McKay Donohue is enduring the longest wedding reception of her life: her own. The only saving grace is that Jack Donohue is finally hers. Usually her hunky man gives her everything she wants, so why is her groom denying her the one thing she wants right now?

Jack thought his secretive wait-for-the-honeymoon plan was romantic, until he realizes he’s only put Keely in a fighting mood. If he wants to get back on his temperamental bride’s good side, he’d better find a way to sweep his cowgirl off her boots…fast.

Author's Note:
This short story takes place between the epilogue of Rough Riders book 8, All Jacked Up , and the second chapter of Rough Riders book 10, Cowgirls Don't Cry.

Title: SLOW RIDE
Author: Lorelei James
Series: Rough Riders, book 9.5
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2010, November 9
Format: eBook
Source: Free read via Samhain eBookstore

First line:
This was the longest wedding reception in the history of the world. She wished it were over—which truly was saying something, since it was her wedding reception.

Memorable Scenes:
- Carson's speech > so sweet
- Jack refusing to let Keely's brothers and cousins dance the slow dances with her > Jack's a brave man :)
- Jack and Keely in the dressing room > So damn hot and they didn't even really do anything thanks to Jack's iron self-control





QuickScore-Verdict:
In the typical Lorelei James raw and sexy writing style she delivered an awesome epilogue-like short story that continued & wrapped up Jack and Keely's story in a sizzling way. I loved the challenge thrown in and the battle of wills between the two of them. With all the sizzling hot foreplay throughout the story I missed the steamy consummation at the end and I felt cheated out of the culminating smexing scene.

Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this short story because even without that scene it really hot and there was even some emotional turmoil thrown in. I do highly recommend having something nearby to cool you off while reading and enjoy this sneak peek of Jack and Keely firmly on the road to their happily ever after…

Favorite Quotes:
Knowing what the crowd of family and friends wanted, Keely twined her arms around Jack’s neck and gave him a long, wet, tongue-tangling kiss that probably caused some guests to squirm in their seats. She didn’t give a damn. It was her wedding day. If she wanted to make out with her husband, she damn well would.

Would she sound like a horny ho-bag if she admitted all she could think about was jumping her husband? Wait. Could she even be a ho-bag if she was obsessed about having nonstop, shake-the-barn-rafters sex with the man she’d just pledged the rest of her life to?

Keely shrieked and clapped her hand over her eyes before she faced the door again. “Omigod. I did not just see you two boinking like bunnies during my wedding reception!” (She caught Cord and AJ having a quickie in the dressingroom LOL)

“What? Were you expecting we’d go at it right here, right now?”
“Throwing me a bone?” she repeated. “Are you tryin’ to piss me off, Jack?”
His eyebrows rose. “On our wedding day? Not likely.”
“Then why won’t you—”
“Pin you down on the table or on the tile floor or against the wall and screw you blind?”
“That’d work for me.”
“Too bad, because it doesn’t work for me.”
She frowned. “You’re goin’ all puritan on me now that we’re married?”
“Hell no, but I don’t want fast and dirty the first time we make love as husband and wife, okay? I want to take my time with you. I want it slow.”

“Did you really think I’d love you more if you gave me silk sheets, flowers and candlelight?”
He honestly didn’t know what to say.
“Jack. You already gave me your heart. That’s all I ever wanted. That’s all I need.”

She surrendered the reins. Now he’s raising the stakes.

When a patch of ice sends attorney Ginger Paulson head-over-high-heels down a flight of stairs, she has no one to care for her young son and her invalid father—until lethally sexy Kane McKay shows up at the hospital, determined to prove his cowboy chivalry. Past experience has inoculated her against take-charge men, but even Ginger isn’t immune to Kane’s invasive charm and Built Ford Tough body.

For two years rancher Kane McKay has followed the Little Buddies mentoring program’s cardinal rule—hands off his Little Buddy Hayden’s mama. But one look at Ginger’s bruised body and Kane is through watching the stubborn woman take care of everyone but herself. The feisty, curvy redhead needs his help, and he’ll give her the hands-on type whether she likes it or not.

After Kane throws out doctor’s orders and issues his own demands—her full sexual submission—Ginger realizes Kane’s caring nature extends beyond just fulfilling her physical needs.

Can the former hell-raiser convince the gun-shy single mom to look beyond his past…toward a shared future?

Warning: Contains one sweet and hot hunk of cowboy manflesh who uses every sexual trick in the book to render a sassy, fast-talking attorney speechless and put a new twist on the term “binding arbitration”.

Title: RAISING KANE
Author: Lorelei James
Series: Rough Riders, book 9
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2010, June 29
Format: eBook
Source: Bought via the Samhain eBookstore

First line:
When Ginger Paulson’s horoscope hinted she’d take an unexpected trip, she hadn’t anticipated tripping down a flight of stairs.

Memorable Scenes:
When I read this book I didn’t make notes of memorable scenes yet the way I do now. And I can’t remember any by heart since I read this book over a year ago (July 2010)! And my memory is iffy to say the least…why do you think I need review notes taken during the reading of the books to write my reviews, huh?

The Big Buddies/Little Buddies program matches young boys without a male influence in their lives with local male mentors. Ginger Paulson’s son Hayden is paired with Kane McKay, making her off-limits to him despite his instant attraction to her.

The wild Kane I met in TIED UP, TIED DOWN is gone. He has left those womanizing, man-whoring, drinking and partying days behind for several different reasons. Beneath the gentlemanly, sweet and thoughtful man lurks a true dominant and sexual confident alpha male in Kane. Like all the McKay men have done before, without exception, Kane won my heart soul and body with his seductive determination, teasing courtship of Ginger and his need to be in control in the bedroom.

Ginger is a single mom and attorney. She’s stubborn as hell and loathes asking others for help, which led to her having a hard time accepting Kane’s help. She also has a tendency to efface herself in favor of others, mainly her son and father. Ginger has a hard time asking others for help and Kane doesn’t take compliments well. He also has a bit of an inferiority complex. He thinks he’s not good or smart enough for Ginger. This gave a nice dynamic to their interaction and their chemistry.

Despite Ginger’s son and father being interfering transmitters for the attraction and blossoming relationship between Ginger and Kane, it also brought a wonderful sexual tension to the book that built up to explosive and sizzling proportions.

Though the expanding McKay family may put off some readers with the many kids and babies (and let me tell you there are many and many more are coming in the future as I have read the next book in the series) that are popping up, I utterly enjoy the presence of the kids and babies in these stories. In this book I especially loved Eliza (Kade’s oldest, TIED UP, TIED DOWN) and Hayden’s part in the story was another great addition to the ever-growing McKay dynasty.

The first half of the book was a little less intense (both sexually in terms of eroticism and emotionally) than I’m used to in this series. But the second half definitely made up for that in the erotic department. However emotionally RAISING KANE didn’t pack the punch at the end all other Rough Riders books have had for me and I really missed that. It’s what makes these books stand out for me in the vast realm of erotic romances and I hope it will be back in the next books of the series.

RAISING KANE is not as mind-blowing as SHOULDA BEEN A COWBOY, BRANDED AS TROUBLE or ALL JACKED UP were for me, but it’s a nice and fitting addition to the Rough Riders series and Lorelei James didn’t fail to please me with it as it adds another part of the McKay family saga to my collection. I love the extensive looks into the family and previous couples. It’s what makes this series so much more than mere erotic romance with kinky sex scenes and makes the series strong and fabulous for me.

And with the subtle set-up for Jessie and Brandt I’m so ready for the next book in the series (COWGIRLS DON’T CRY). I can’t wait to read what Lorelei James has in store for the next McKay in line for a HEA.

Favorite Quotes:
When Kane did look at her, the lust raging in his blue eyes caught her completely off guard. She blurted, “You’ve never—”
“Acted as if I’ve thought about takin’ you to my bed and keepin’ you there for a solid month?

Man, had he ever kissed her. A tongue-plundering, lip-gliding, hot, wet and conquering kiss. She figured she’d have a real screaming orgasm if she kept kissing Kane McKay, so she kept her lips locked on his. Lord, his kisses alone made her dizzy with desire. Drunk on his wicked sensuality.

Last night she’d only stayed conscious long enough to use the bathroom, eat more toast and swallow more painkillers.
And dream. Good Lord had the dreams been spectacular. All starring one hunky, built cowboy, who’d shed his gentlemanly persona right along with every stitch of his western clothes. He’d bound her. Gagged her. Tied her up. Tied her down. Spread her out. Bent her over. Displayed her body solely for his pleasure. He’d demanded sexual obedience. He showed his bedroom prowess, demonstrating kinky things she’d only read about. So it was disorienting to wake up alone and realize she’d been hallucinating about the sexy gentleman rancher.

Ginger looked sideways at the bulge in the crotch of his jeans and then met his dark gaze. “You’re attracted to me after the very unsexy way I mooned you?”
“Are you serious? Lord woman. With you bent over like that?” He rubbed his fingers across his goatee, staring at her hungrily from beneath lowered lashes. “’Bout the sexiest damn thing I’ve ever seen. Took every ounce of restraint for me not to drop my jeans and just drive into you. No sweet-talkin’, no foreplay. Just down-and-dirty, hard-and-fast sex.”
A wave of lust swamped her.

“Shockin’, ain’t it?” he teased. “How I prefer down and dirty sex to sweet, sweet love making?”
“Not shocking at all, Kane. Just hot as hell. I can’t wait to prove to you that I like it as down and dirty as you do.”

This man could get her all kinds of fired up just with molten looks and sexy words.

...Pulling off the ultimate con... if they can keep from pulling off their clothes.

Keely McKay knows Jack—and Jack Donohue is a certified pain in her Wranglers. The lone girl in the prolific McKay family, Keely needs another man giving her orders like she needs a hole in her boot. What she does need is a restoration specialist so she can open her physical therapy clinic—and prove she’s left her wild-child days behind. That means dealing with buttoned-down, uptight Jack.

Jack is this close to securing a career make-or-break project, until he learns his lack of marital status puts him out of contention. When the notoriously hot-tempered and hot-bodied Keely begs him for help, he proposes a crazy idea. He’ll oversee her project—if she acts the part of his loving fiancée.
Their sizzling lust makes it all too easy to go from butting heads to knocking boots—but outside the bedroom they’re as mismatched as ever. The McKays remind Jack of the humble upbringing he left behind, and cowgirl Keely feels she doesn’t measure up to Jack’s big-city lifestyle.

When the dust settles, Jack and Keely must face the fact they’re not fooling anyone but themselves—or they’ll risk losing the real deal.

Warning: this book contains one hot-blooded cowgirl and one cool-headed businessman in a stripped-down, revved-up game of sexual truth or dare.

Since Jack Donohue is Keely McKay's brother Carter's best friend and Keely dated Jack's little brother Justin for a while, they have known each other for a very long time. They had a short tryst at Colt and India's wedding reception but the way that ended just made things worse. The farther they stay away from each other, the better. Unfortunately no can do because it turns out Keely needs on Jack to make her dream of opening a health care center in Sundance come true. A certified architectural restoration specialist is required and Jack is the only one available. In turn, Jack needs Keely in order to be considered for a prestigious project. The committee overseeing this project is very conventional and traditional and Jack's lack of marital status is an impediment. Jack suggests a trade-off. She pretends to be his fiancé so he can get the project and he oversees and approves her restoration. Easy peasy...if not for their clashing personalities and the undeniable chemistry between them.

Let me start by setting the scene for you: Keely McKay detests Jack Donohue with a vengeance. Jack thinks Keely is a pain in the ass! I loved their "nicknames" for each other: Keely has GQ and Jack-off for Jack and Keely goes by cowgirl and buttercup for Jack. But the chemistry between them is off the scales and somewhere along this book things start to change emotionally too.

Quotes:
The jerk who’d left her high and dry at her brother’s wedding reception three years ago. Jack Donohue. That bitch fate had a nasty sense of humor.

Jack Donohue believed he’d adequately prepared himself for meeting Keely McKay. Boning up on his sarcasm. Practicing his disdain. Confident those reactions would prevent his instantaneous red-hot jolt of desire.

“Maybe you’re afraid I can make you fall in love with me for real.” “Make me fall in love with you? Dude. The only thing you make me want to do is punch you in the face.”

When I started SHOULA BEEN A COWBOY I already had ALL JACKED UP on my digital shelves because I only got around to reading Cam's story after ALL JACKED UP was released. I was planning to read it somewhere in the beginning of 2010 but of course my plans got all screwed up because the moment I finished SHOULDA BEEN A COWBOY I knew I had to read on and I started Keely's story immediately! Ever since I read RODE HARD, PUT UP WET and Jack made his entrance on the Rough Rider stage, I was smitten and I was hoping with all hopes that Lorelei James would pair him up with the only female McKay sibling and wild child: Keely. When I found out in the end of 2008 that my wish was being granted, I was in heaven and it was so lovely reading SHOULDA BEEN A COWBOY and knowing that the next book was going to be Keely and Jack's.

Keely is hotheaded, sexy, sharp-tongued and quick-witted, but she's also very perceptive. In the previous books, where her brothers all found happiness, it was Keely who always set them straight when they were behaving all stubborn and alpha and it was Keely who pointed them in the right direction when the women turned their lives upside down. Reading SHOULDA BEEN A COWBOY I found a deep respect for Keely in how she supported Cam through the tough rehabilitation period and how she kept him on track. Keely is very confident and sure of herself and her needs, but she's also a true people-person, she is caring, dedicated and driven. Very few things get to her but when they do, it throws her for a loop and she makes some questionable decisions. It speaks in Keely’s favor though that her intent is never to hurt, only to strike back when being hurt.

Quote:
She was meeting a man. A man she didn’t know. A man she’d never spoken to. A man who held her entire future in his hands. No man ever had that much power over Keely McKay. She’d made sure of it. Even with five older brothers, and a dozen older male cousins, she’d always been the queen bee. Using her stubbornness to get her way, not her feminine wiles.

Jack is ambitious and driven. He caught my eye the minute he briefly appeared in RODE HARD, PUT UP WET and for a good reason, which has been proven in this book. He may seem the sophisticated city slicker, but deep down he's as raw and as wicked as the McKay brothers are and he's the perfect match for Keely. No need to explain further why this is another Jack that's been added to my list of favorite heroes! There were moments in the book where I did think Jack took his ambition and drive a bit too far but that was effectively taken care of in the end of the book.

Keely is good at reading people but Jack totally throws her off balance and keeps her on her toes with his unpredictability. They are very much alike. Both have drive and ambition, albeit for different reasons and with different prospects. Both want to be successful without having to depend on others. Both are trying to prove that they are more than their outward appearance may show and both of them are want to prove themselves worthy of their own lives without being judged or babied by their family. Jack and Keely do sarcastic verbal sparring like no other hero/heroine I've ever read! They take verbal fighting to a whole other level and verbal blows are an understatement where those two are concerned. In the beginning I was afraid that the edgy bantering would die a slow death once they fell in love and acknowledged those feelings but luckily it didn't. Sure, it wasn't as nasty and harsh as it was at first but they kept the banter and word fights going, even when the feelings started to emerge.

Quotes:
Jack through Keely's eyes:
Jack Donohue was a total contradiction. Polished, yet rugged. Confident, yet not overtly cocky. Professional, yet an air of wildness surrounded him. Down to earth, as well as aloof. Smokin’ hot, yet ice cold.

Keely through Jack's eyes:
Despite her sexual appeal, the sweetness she masked beneath insults, her thoughtfulness, her ambition, her sly sense of humor and her tendency to give all of herself to those she cared about, Keely was not the type of woman he expected he’d spend his life with.

As with all the Rough Rider books, the McKay family plays an important role in ALL JACKED UP, which of course isn't a strange thing with Keely being the youngest and a girl on top of that. The protective urges of the alpha male, and the McKays are all alphas, every single one of them, were all over the place. I loved Carson's initial reaction to Jack and the engagement, it was priceless!

Quote:
Her father wasn’t so tactful. He demanded to know if she was pregnant.

And then there was the scene at the engagement party where all the McKay brothers tell Jack, one by one, that they'd gut him if he ever hurt Keely. But the most memorable example of the McKay brothers in full force was the scene where they all come for Jack (after the conflict between him and Keely reaches its climax) like 5 gunslingers from the Old West, coming for blood, coming to avenge their baby sister and after that they go and console their baby sister and offer her support. I have only one baby brother who'd defend my honor to the death (I'm sure of that) but man, I wouldn't object to some gunslingers for brothers.

As with all the previous books Lorelei James consistently offers the loyal readers of this series a look into the lives of the previous heroes and heroines, treating us to glimpses of how they and their families are doing and growing. And growing they are. Let me tell you, the McKays are one fertile and expanding bunch. I’ve lost count of the number of kids these couples have happily produced and/or adopted.

I don't know why I am even surprised but Lorelei James once again treated me to a totally different type of book compared to the previous ones in the series! As emotionally hard and tough as SHOULDA BEEN A COWBOY was, ALL JACKED UP was more light and fun with lots of banter, arguing, lusting but as with all the other books also a lot of chemistry, family dynamics and genuine characters who touch your emotions in every way. Will there ever be a Lorelei James book that doesn't make me cry in the end? I highly doubt it. I don't know how she does it and I really thought to dodge the bullet with ALL JACKED UP since it was a little lighter in tone than the other books in this series, but no way...tissues were definitely needed.

Even though ALL JACKED UP started slow, both on the heavy emotions and on the hot stuff, it worked up to the pack-a-punch and scorching hot Rough Rider book I am used to getting from Lorelei James. I’m reiterating for the umpteenth time that she just doesn't disappoint with this series. Every single one is a hit and every time I think she can't come up with something better she outdoes herself and gives me another gem of a book to add to the collection of favorite books AND another hero to add to the favorite heroes list.

*Quotes:
Jack clamped his hands on her butt. Keely shrieked but he held tight, jerking her lower body to his. “An ego isn’t the only thing that’s big about me, baby. Want to ride on the Jack-hammer? Guaranteed to rev you up all night long.”

The sexual cynic inside him laughed that only a hard-up moron became excited by stroking Keely’s cute kneecap.

That sneaky bastard.
Damn. Her entire body—blood, muscles, tissues, bones—felt as if he’d zapped her with a cattle prod. Wobbly knees, dry throat, rapid heartbeat, damp panties, haywire responses from a simple touch? Damn embarrassing. Jack had stroked, whispered and teased until she was mere seconds from mounting him.

“Oh joy, my life is complete.” She spoke against his throat. “If you would’ve pulled a no-show, I would’ve tracked you down and castrated you, Jack-off.”
(...) “I guarantee if you ever put your hands on my junk again, chopping it off will be the last thing on your mind, buttercup.”

Keely caught him looking again, and not so subtly scratched her cheek with her middle finger. His dick stirred and he grinned at her. Yeah, he had it bad that it turned him on when she flipped him off.

Then she and Jack were face to face. His wild eyes didn’t fit his matter-of-fact tone. “Say you’ll let me do every dirty thing to you I’ve ever fantasized about.”

She focused on him, slouched in a straight back kitchen chair. The glow of the backlighting gave Jack an attractively dangerous look. Barefoot, with his pristine shirt unbuttoned; his sleeves were rolled up, exposing his thick forearms lightly dusted with dark hair. Clutching a glass of amber liquid in his hand, he reminded her of James Bond—a gorgeous professional male, but ruggedly raw and masculine beneath the polished exterior. His face was shadowed, masking his emotions. But the aura surrounding him wasn’t the cool and collected demeanor of a patient man. No, the air crackled with the energy of an animal ready to pounce.

“Here’s the God honest truth. I’ve avoided getting tangled up with you because I’ll give in to you, Jack. I’ll give you everything you demand from me in bed, every part of myself I’ve never shared with another man. I’m a strong-willed woman. I’m used to calling the shots with men. But when I look at you, I have the overwhelming need to…surrender. I’ve felt the sexual heat shimmering between us since I was sixteen and I had no clue what it was.”

The self-admission was not the shock to his system he’d imagined. He suspected he loved her all along and he’d fought it, creating elaborate excuses and lying to himself that sex and circumstance made him feel this way. But as Jack looked at her, he really saw her. Her. The woman who owned him. He’d found the once in a lifetime, bone deep, straight to the soul kind of love he’d never believed in.
(...)
He kept kissing her until she responded with the sweetness, goodness and heat that filled the empty part of his soul. He hadn’t understood the depth of the missing piece until she came into his life.

*) Using the same Quotes-disclaimer here as in the SHOULDA BEEN A COWBOY review: There are much more quotes in this review than I am used to include in my reviews but I really couldn't leave 'em out! I had even more but unfortunately I don't have the time to do a Quote Post at the moment. I have saved them because you never know if there might be some more time in the future to do some Quote Posts of the Rough Rider series. For now enjoy these and let them entice you to read the whole story of Keely and Jack!

Rating: 9.0 out of 10

My other reviews in the Rough Rider series:
1. Long Hard Ride
2. Rode Hard, Put Up Wet
3. Cowgirl Up and Ride
4. Tied Up, Tied Down
5. Rough, Raw and Ready
6. Branded as Trouble
6.5 Strong, Silent Type
7. Shoulda Been a Cowboy

Click HERE to visit Lorelei’s website

...The bigger they are, the harder they fall—in love...

Soldier Cameron McKay has found his niche, and it ain’t ropin’ steers and wearin’ spurs. His deputy sheriff job, plus battle injuries that ended his military career, keep him right where he wants to be: Off the ranch and away from his family’s pity. His darkest war memories are on lockdown, leaving him skeptical he’ll ever find a woman who wants a man who’s less than whole.

Domini Katzinski has had to control every aspect of her life since age eleven, when she was orphaned in the Ukraine. Watching others’ relationships crumble has convinced her to focus on the short-term and find a take-charge man to whom she can relinquish total sexual control. Cam fits the bill: gorgeous, with a brooding vulnerability no one else seems to see. Plus, he has his own handcuffs.

Once Cam gets over his surprise that sweet, shy Domini wants to be dominated, he is back to issuing orders. Their passion is as hot as a rocket-propelled grenade—and if Domini has her way, it’s a one-shot deal. Cam wants more, and launches a full-out sensual assault…until tragedy strikes, forcing him to change tactics as he tries to keep past demons from blowing their future together all to hell...

Warning: this book contains down and dirty games of good cop/bad cop, salty language, sweet 'n hot lovin', menage a trois, and hooah! a hero packin' serious heat.

Cam(eron) McKay has returned home from Iraq with a war injury that leaves him eternally crippled and this affects his self-image greatly. He has a hard time accepting it both physically and emotionally and shields himself from family and women by living solitary and dedicating all his time to his job as a deputy sheriff. Domini Katzinski has had a thing for Cam since like forever. When they share a steamy kiss, she thinks she's making progress but Cam doesn't follow through on it, worse, after the kiss he flees so fast from her he's about to leave skid marks. Domini still longs for him but doesn't dare make another move for fear of rejection. Then Keely McKay, Cam's sister gives Domini some advice she puts to good use and things get rolling. However before they can ride into the sunset together, there are a lot of issues to deal with, issues that eventually bring them closer together than ever!

Domini is hardworking, sweet and kinda shy. She is reserved and quiet but doesn’t let people boss her around. Sometimes she's a bit insecure and with Cam sexually submissive but she's no pushover or a doormat. This was very refreshing! Cam doesn't beat around the bush. He is bossy and a take-charge kind of man. He's straight up linear and expects the same from others, no embellishing or skirting around the real issues. Except for his true feelings for Domini. He's in love with her from the start but because her only stipulation going into their thing was that it wouldn't get serious (just sex) and because he's afraid of losing her if she uncovers his feelings, he keeps quiet about them.

Both Cam and Domini are a perfect mix of strength and vulnerability. I was impressed by the way Lorelei James incorporated the issue of Cam's disability into the story and into his (sexual) relationship with Domini. It doesn't have a prominent place in it but is an important factor that cannot be overlooked. And Domini doesn't baby or spare Cam because of it. A piece of great characterization! This and the gradual reveal of Domini's personality and background/history kept me once more engaged and invested in the story and gave it yet again it's unique place in the series.

Domini and Cam are realistic characters with real problems. This is something I love in Lorelei James' books. They're not the fairytale-ish, all-problems-work-themselves-out-magically kind. No, in these moving and emotional books the characters have to work on their issues, work hard to compromise and get to the point they can look out to a happy future.

Lorelei James' secondary characters are truly added bonuses in every single book. In SHOULDA BEEN A COWBOY there were two who grabbed my attention. One familiar and one new. I learned a lot more about Keely, the only girl among the McKay siblings and as I was reading this book, knowing that her book was waiting for me on my TBR pile, I couldn’t wait to start reading her book! She knows exactly what her brothers need and want but she's so oblivious to her own HEA waiting in the wings.

Quote:
“See? That’s why you two fit so perfectly.” Keely leaned into Domini. “You’re quiet and sweet, but that’s deceiving because you have an inner core of pure steel. I always thought Cam would need a woman who is as hardheaded and tenacious as he is. But Cam needs someone like you, a woman who gives him a soft place to land as well as quiet strength. You understand him in ways none of us ever have.” Keely’s eyes filled with tears and Cam felt himself tearing up. “I will always be grateful to you for that. And I am so happy you found each other.”

And then there was Brock Tennyson, Cam's best friend, who saved him when he was injured in Iraq. I am so very sad Brock ain't a McKay, and therefore it’s definitely no a sure thing of him getting his own book, because he really made my heart go pitter-patter and I am hoping with all hopes there's at least a novella story for him in the future but would settle for any secondary appearance in future books too.

Quote:
Brock’s six-foot two-inch frame unfolded from the sports car. He wore his usual aviator shades, jungle print camo pants, and combat boots. The difference between this uniform and his official army uniform was the dark green tank top with “That’s MISTER Asshole to you” emblazoned on the front.

I adore Lorelei James' characters, both main and secondary, both men and women. In SHOULDA BEEN A COWBOY they all entranced me once again. I was pulled deep into the family dynamics Lorelei James is a master at writing and into the emotional story between Cam and Domini. There were several scenes that brought a lump to my throat. Lorelei James does not pull punches, be it sexual, be it emotional, she puts her readers through the wringer and SHOULDA BEEN A COWBOY is certainly no exception!

And the sex scenes? Hot as hell! There were numerous scenes where Cam's take-charge attitude made me go tingly all over. Contrary to the last two books in this series (BRANDED AS TROUBLE and STRONG SILENT TYPE) which were pretty vanilla, SHOULDA BEEN A COWBOY touches the D/s element of BDSM in a way that is not elaborate but yet very clarifying of how it works. I loved how shy Domini explained clearly to Cam what she wanted from him sexually and how she wanted to be submissive to his sexual dominance but she would not be a pushover or tolerate bossiness.

This series just never bores. It's one of the few series I dare to recommend reading back to back as it is never repetitive but rather each book is an enhancement to both the previous and the following ones and without annoying cliffhangers. Lorelei James never fails to please me with her Rough Riders, every book is a hit, and every book makes me crave the next like addicts crave their fix. Every time I read a Rough Rider book it's like being welcomed in a loving embrace of familiarity and comfort. It's like coming home.

*Quotes:
He licked the shell of her ear and his hands tracked her bound arms from her shoulders to her wrists. “Sweet Domini, who has a hankering to be dominated, I am so gonna f*ck you until you scream. But first—” he tugged her arms down and sank his teeth into the nape of her neck, “—I’m gonna play hard and dirty with you.”

Domini’s heart raced at the wild look in Cam’s eyes. This was the predator. The alpha. She, shy Domini Katzinski, brought out that beastly side in Cameron McKay.

“Darlin’, when they manufacture one that can do all the things my hot, wet tongue and my soft lips and sucking mouth can do, well, then I might be worried.” He grinned with pure male confidence. “Then again, maybe not.”

“You said double yum and I’m wondering if that’s some kind of Ukrainian slang for ‘dumb ass you’re late’.” “No. That’s American slang for you look and smell yummy.” Cam actually blushed. The man could fu*k her like an animal and demand all sorts of kinky things from her, but a compliment caused him to blush? She bit back a grin.

Today Cam strode directly to her. The gleam in his eye was unmistakable. No hello. No smile. Cam just planted his lips on hers and kissed her with passion, hunger and total possession. In public. The only place they touched were lips and tongues until Cam reached for her hand, sweeping his ragged thumb across her knuckles. Domini’s knees threatened to buckle. This man could undo her with a simple touch.

Holy shit did Domini kiss him. Seductively. Wantonly. Relentlessly. She licked and bit his lips as her tongue tasted and teased. Her kisses destroyed him, turning him into a raging beast; her caresses tamed him into a junkie who craved her touch.

“Let me finish. I fell in love with you so goddamned hard and fast my ass is still sore. The thing is, I fought it from the first time I set eyes on you, which is partially why I tried to just stay friends with you.” (...) “You fill a part of me that’s been empty since before I lost my damn leg. For the first time in my life I feel like a whole man. Not because you accept my handicap, but because you accept me. All of me.” Cam’s hand shook as his knuckle drifted down the side of her face. “You own my soul, Domini. You are my heart.”

*) There are much more quotes in this review than I am used to include in my reviews but I really couldn't leave 'em out! I had even more but unfortunately I don't have the time to do a Quote Post at the moment. I have saved them because you never know if there might be some more time in the future to do some Quote Posts of the Rough Rider series. For now enjoy these and let them entice you to read the whole story of Domini and Cam!


Rating: 9.2 out of 10

My other reviews in the Rough Rider series:
1. Long Hard Ride
2. Rode Hard, Put Up Wet
3. Cowgirl Up and Ride
4. Tied Up, Tied Down
5. Rough, Raw and Ready
6. Branded as Trouble
6.5 Strong, Silent Type

Click HERE to visit Lorelei’s website

Tough. Taciturn. And a fool for letting her go...

Wyoming rancher Quinn McKay thought he'd only have to bide time until his levelheaded wife came to her senses and called a halt to this "trial separation". He never believed the marital rough patch would drag on for a coon's age.

Libby McKay knew when she married the gruff, laid-back cowboy that he wasn't prone to blathering about his feelings. But three months have passed and her stubborn-as-a-mule husband is still living by himself in the horse trailer. It seems he'd rather hold onto his pride than hold onto her.

Quinn realizes Libby is determined to move on if he doesn't loosen his tongue and he'll lose the only woman he's ever loved. In a last-ditch effort to keep her in his life, he offers her one weekend of uninterrupted sexual decadence.

Reigniting the passion is easy. The hard part comes after the sheets have cooled and they find out if what remains is strong enough to survive past mistakes.

Warning: Old-fashioned groveling leads to smokin' hot sexual encounters---steamin' up the truck windows, rockin' the horse trailer---proving even an old married dog can learn naughty new tricks.

Quinn and Libby McKay's marriage is stuck in a bad place and they have been separated for 3 months. Libby kicked Quinn out. The trouble starts with their fruitless attempts to have a baby. After that it goes downhill until Quinn decides to fight for his wife and their love. Quinn wants her back and his brother advises him to woo her. It's funny how the things Libby wants from Quinn: to stake his claim on her, fight for her, reconciliation, are exactly what Quinn wants too, but they fell into a comfortable rut in their marriage. The main reason of Quinn and Libby's marital problems kinda hit home for me for personal reasons and gave this short story an extra dimension for which I will hold it as one of my faves in this series.

I've had this novella on my computer since it came out in May 2009 because, as you should know by now, Lorelei James is one of my auto-buy on release day authors. However, I didn't read it until late in 2009 and it was the kick-start for a Lorelei James reading binge. Because after reading it I just had to read SHOULDA BEEN A COWBOY and ALL JACKED UP.

What can I tell you about STRONG, SILENT TYPE? It's a novella and that is actually my only real complaint...it’s just is too damn short. On the other hand the size of it does serve well to tell Quinn and Libby's story because they are not a couple whom just met and have to get to know each other. They have know each other like forever and have been married for years and are going through a rough spot. Frankly I think Lorelei James did an excellent job of telling the story of how they got back on track, in the span of the roughly 90 pages this novella adds up to.

STRONG, SILENT TYPE proves that within a relationship communication is the key! Once Quinn and Libby started talking, really talking, about their issues, is when both realized their own role in their troubled marriage and made a true start at fixing their problems. Libby realizes she's been a bit selfish and focused on her own needs only. And Quinn realizes he must open up and talk about his feelings and make his needs clear to Libby. The fact that their sex life gets an extra hot boost in the progress is just another added bonus! Quinn transforms from gruff and quiet to talkative, commanding and seductive. If I ever want a sensual massage I'm getting Quinn McKay!!! I really melted at that scene. It was so incredibly hot.

As with the full-length books, the story of Quinn and Libby is both emotional and steamy. No forget steamy...it's scorching hot. Emotionally it worked for me too and as always Lorelei made me bring out the tissues in the end. This novella was no different. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Lorelei James knows how to write tantalizing, extremely sensual, spine-tingling love scenes, no matter the couple, no matter the size of the book, no matter if it's just a kiss or a full-blown sex session, they are always on the mark and never fail to get me all hot and bothered.

STRONG SILENT TYPE was a nice in-between for the full-lengths in the Rough Rider series and I enjoyed reading it. Yes, it was short. No, there wasn't much room for a plot or to thoroughly deepen out the characters but to be honest Lorelei James' writing doesn't need elaborate plots because even in this short story she managed add to the feeling of completeness of this series and again she touched and aroused me like few other authors can. If you like 'em hot and sweet, get yourself a taste of Lorelei James' Rough Riders. She has yet to write something that disappoints me.

Quotes:
Quinn:
“I’m gonna f*ckin’ kill him. See how goddamn happy his hands are after I break ’em off at the wrists.”

Libby and Quinn:
“Is that why you behaved like that last night at Ziggy’s?”
“Like what?”
“You know how you behaved.” Quinn chewed slowly and swallowed. “You lookin’ for an apology?”
“Maybe.”
“Okay. I’m sorry that sonuvabitch who had his paws all over you didn’t spend all goddamn night pickin’ his teeth up off the floor after I knocked ’em clean outta his mouth.”
“So you’re not apologizing?” Quinn flashed his teeth. “For actin’ like a man and for protecting what’s mine? Hell no.” He leaned closer. “Does that shock you?”
“A little. Lord, Quinn, that was completely out of character for you, cussing, threatening a guy and causing a public scene.”
He shrugged. “That’s because I keep that side of myself to myself.”
“Why?”
Should he answer? Could he? Yes. No more hiding. Balls to the wall. “Quinn?” “Because it’d scare you worse than it does me.”
“I’m not exactly a delicate flower,” she retorted. “And I’ve known you all my life.”
“Yeah? Then did ya think I’d go with my original impulse of draggin’ you back home by the hair and provin’ to you just who has the right to put his hands all over you?”

Quinn and Libby:
“I want you right now.”
“Where?”"
"“Table.” He untied the belt on her robe, pushed it to the floor and groaned satisfaction she was still naked.
“But the dishes—”
“F*ck the dishes.” Quinn turned, jerked the corners of the tablecloth until all the plates and silverware crashed together and rolled to the opposite end of the table. “Problem solved.”

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

My other reviews in the Rough Rider series:
1. Long Hard Ride
2. Rode Hard, Put Up Wet
3. Cowgirl Up and Ride
4. Tied Up, Tied Down
5. Rough, Raw and Ready
6. Branded as Trouble

Click HERE to visit Lorelei’s website

Summary from the back cover:

...It’s hard to trust the future when you’ve been branded by the past

As a walking advertisement for the tattoo shop she’s set up in a small Wyoming town, India Ellison is well acquainted with preconceived notions. Despite the odd looks and off-color comments about her off-color hair, life is good. She’s clean and sober, dotes on her sister’s kids and, best of all, spends most of her free time with her best buddy, cowboy Colt McKay.

Reformed bad boy Colt never expected three years of sobriety to lead to three years of abstinence. Curbing his craving for booze and random sexual encounters is nothing compared to the ever-increasing craving for his hot-tempered, hot-bodied best friend, India. Too bad she’s his A.A. sponsor. Too bad she hasn’t a clue that Colt’s been head-over-bootheels in love with her from day one.

After an unexpected, steamy interlude, all India can think about is riding the sexy cowboy instead of her motorcycle, even when Colt is determined to show her a slower ride is worth the wait.

Or are they risking their friendship for a fling that could burn them both?

Warning: this romp features nekkidness the cowboy way—sex with boots on and with boots off, dirty sex against a dirty pickup truck, bare-assed sex on a bear skin rug, graphic language, unfortunate aim with a nail gun, and improvisational use of whips and whipped cream.

Colt(on) McKay is considered the black sheep of the McKay family. He is the one who fell of the wagon, doing drugs, alcohol and women in all types of combinations. But a tragic event in the family opens his eyes and now he's gone through rehab and has been clean and sober for over three years. His lifeline turned out to be India "Indy" Ellison, his AA sponsor and best friend. Somewhere along the way he's fallen in love with her and he isn't quite sure what to do with those feelings. He knows what he wants but he's afraid to jeopardize the friendship with the complication of love and his sordid past. Indy is no goodie two-shoes herself. She too has known the dark side of life and substance addiction. But like Colt, she has overcome it and is living taking it day by day, making the best of it. When she starts seeing Colt as more than her buddy and feelings come to the surface she tries to fight it, afraid of the intense emotions that are taking her by surprise.
After an embarrassing sexual moment between them for Colt, he tries to avoid contact with her. He lasts a few days but then realizes he needs her in his life, not only as his buddy and sponsor but also as his lover. They decide to embark on a relationship that entails more than friendship and start to date but take it slow. No sex. For two weeks which is a compromise between Colt's two months and India's two days. After these two weeks and considering the long periods of abstinence for both of them their first encounter is explosive. Colt's dominating side surfaces and India relishes in it despite the fact that she is normally the one in control in her sexual relationships.

Colt is very masculine. Even though he has left his bad-boy days behind him there is still plenty of wicked in him to entice. But he is also sweet, smart and insightful. Underneath his outward persona is a vulnerable man who is longing to fit in and be accepted.
India is feisty and an in-your-face kind of woman. She is not used to compromising. She's rebellious, bold, hot tempered, smart-mouthed. But she's also honest, thoughtful and caring. And deep down she isn't the carefree rebel she wants everyone to believe she is. She may seem very confident and sure of herself but she has her insecurities about her place in society and in relationships. She craves order and logic and wants to know what to expect from people, Colt included. Planning ahead, knowing what to expect are things that are very important to her and when she looses her grip on them she panics and lashes out.

Both Colt and India aren't your average clean-cut people. With their pasts as addicts they carry quite some baggage with them. They've both come a long way in turning their life around. This made them both characters that were far from uncomplicated and very three-dimensional. The fact that they would become good friends is something that is obvious from the start but it's also clear that something very passionate is brewing beneath the surface of their friendship. A tumultuous, heated and complicated relationship develops between them that left me with an utter feeling of satisfaction. India and Colt are experts in verbal sparring and this led to some heated arguments, which in turn led to some incredibly hot scenes.

In the supporting cast of characters it is in the line of expectation that Colt's brothers and their wives and India's sister play a big part. This expectation was met with Cam, Colt's younger brother, playing a crucial secondary part. But I've said it before. In the Rough Rider series Lorelei James writes more than just the love story between hero and heroine. To me her Rough Rider books are parts of a family saga. In this installment next to Colt and India's story I got a lot of background on the McKay family, especially on Carson and Carolyn, the parents. This provided another great addition to the saga Lorelei James is creating. I also loved the peeks into the previous couples lives and much to my pleasure, the McKay family is expanding rapidly with all the kids, babies and pregnancies.

As much as I loved the emotional and passionate story of India and Colt, I was most impressed by the intense family dynamics in this book. Things were brewing in the McKay family, with Colt and Cam on one side and Cord, Colby and their father, Carson on the other side. I won't go into specifics because readers of these books should experience those dynamics on their own without spoilers but for me it was a welcome and realistic turn of events since in all families there are the occasional fights and tension but I must admit I was hoping everything would be cleared up because Colt wasn't being treated fairly. It was mostly the family stuff that pulled on my heartstrings this time. I literally choked up and cried at the scene where Cam stands up for Colt and berates his father and brothers for not appreciating Colt and their skepticism of Colt and when I thought I was through with the emotional break downs, I totally lost it at the "apologize-and-talk-it-out" scenes between Colt and his father and brothers.

I can't begin to tell how much I loved this book! I have love for every Rough Rider book and all the McKay men but Colt is my favorite so far. I was intrigued by him from the moment I met him in TIED UP, TIED DOWN, as messed up as he was in that book, I knew he had the potential to blow me away in his own story and he did. His story is one of trust, friendship, overcoming insecurities, redemption, strength and resilience.

It’s a beautiful story that fitted into the series perfectly and drew me deeper into the enticing world of the Rough Riders. It's no secret I love Lorelei James' writing and for me this series enthralled me from the first book but it also seems to get better with each consecutive book. The eroticism is good beyond question, but she also expands the world of the Rough Riders with each book, incorporating more and heavier emotional issues and she does this without compromising the steaminess of the books. This combination is what draws me into her books and makes me crave the next book like an addict.

For each book and each couple Lorelei James finds the right tone, both emotionally and sexually. And don't get me started on the sex scenes. Like with the other aspects of her books in this series, she keeps them fresh and original. There is no repetitiveness whatsoever. In every book she surprises me with things I haven't encountered before in her or any other books. Let's face it no one but Lorelei James can make watching a porn movie turn into a hot and beautiful love scene and only a McKay (to be honest I'd like to think only Colt...) would be able to turn washing hands into something erotic!

Lorelei James does this to me every time; she gets to me with the mix of true to life writing combined with hot sensuality and powerful characters and heartbreaking emotions. BRANDED AS TROUBLE was no exception.

Quotes:
“I’m fine. Just a little tired. You kept me up way too late last night.”
“Was that an objection?”
She flashed back to how thoroughly he’d claimed her, tamed her, proven to her his mastery over her body, proven he trusted her by showing her his dark, commanding, rough side without apology.

“So show me. I’m a big girl. Maybe I like it rough.”
“You don’t know what you’re askin’.”
“Maybe you don’t know what you’re denying me. Or yourself.”
He snarled. “Don’t push me.”
India raised her chin. “Even if I do, I know you won’t hurt me.”
“I’ll use you. Hard.”
“It’s not using me if I’m a willing participant.”
“A willing participant? In rough sex? You’re sure?” Colt stalked her. “I’ll have you any way I want, as many times as I want, until I’ve had my fill of your hot little body. You understand, once I start, I won’t stop. Not even if you beg me.”
“But I am begging you to let me be what you need. I don’t know what that is unless you show me.”
Just like that…Colt lost it. He didn’t kiss her; he inhaled her.

Rating: 9.2 out of 10

Back Cover Copy:
...Torn between the love he has…and the love he’s always wanted.

Chassie West Glanzer hasn’t been a stranger to drama and tragedy. A year of wedded bliss to sexy-as-sin cowboy Trevor Glanzer has brought her the happiness and contentment she never thought she’d find, and mellowed Trevor’s rodeo wanderlust. Then Trevor’s old roping partner ambles up the driveway—and Chassie’s life changes drastically.

Trevor never expected to see Edgard Mancuso again, after it became clear he couldn’t be the man Edgard needed. Now Edgard is back from Brazil to sort out their tangled past, and Trevor is plagued with feelings he thought he’d buried over three years ago. Although Trevor is hat-over-bootheels in love with his sweet, feisty wife, the sense his life is missing a piece has always gnawed at him.

Chassie’s shock that Edgard and Trevor were once lovers turns to fear of losing her husband. Or worse, fear that Trevor will stay with her only out of a sense of duty. Yet as the three of them spend time together, the sins of the past blur and fade, leaving raw emotion—and unbridled passion.
Passion that could heal…or cause irreparable damage to their future.

Warning: this book contains unbelievably explicit sex, including multiple cowboy/cowgirl/cowboy ménage scenes, juicy, hot, male on male action, a bucketful of politically incorrect situations and true Western ideology.

What do you do when you find out your husband had a male lover he's never told you about?
That is the question Chassie West must answer when she finds out Edgard Mancuso is more than just her husband's former roping partner. Trevor Glanzer has made a new life for himself with Chassie whom he loves deeply even if he never totally forgot Edgard, but since Edgard left him more than 3 years ago, he has put it all behind him and focused on making Chassie happy. That is, until Edgard shows up for a visit. Edgard's leaving prevented closure on the men's relationship and this has to be sorted out now.
Trevor however, has never told Chassie about his complicated relationship with Edgard and soon they all discover that there is something between them that is unconventional but as strong as in any other relationship, even with and despite of the all the problems they have to fix along the way.

This is book 5 in Lorelei James' Rough Rider series and it dives further into the lives of two secondary characters from LONG HARD RIDE (book 1), Trevor and Edgard. From the way they ended things in LONG HARD RIDE we go ahead in time a few years and Trevor has married Chassie after a whirlwind romance. It's a happy marriage despite their individual hang-ups and familial troubles. Trevor has told Chassie about his sexual uninhibited past but he never mentioned what he had with Edgard. Now with Ed's return Trevor discovers his feelings for him rival those for Chassie and he realizes it's time to confess and face the consequences. Before he has the chance Chassie finds out and she is devastated. It adds to the lingering insecurities she already had. I truly felt for Chassie when she found out about Trevor and Ed. But she bounces back and after the first shock she decides to make the best of her marriage and the situation between Trevor and Ed.

Trevor and Ed are two characters who are alike and at the same time so very different. Both are stubborn, dominating and intense. But where Trevor has a short fuse and is hotheaded and blunt, Ed is quiet, gentlemanly and compassionate. The attraction between them is sizzling and profound. It’s the tough and non-too gentle attraction as should be expected between men.

Chassie is outspoken, feisty and perceptive. But her parentage, an unloving father and many difficult circumstances in her family also have made her self-conscious and a bit insecure. Once she accepts Ed into her marriage and she makes the best of the situation she handles both Trevor and Ed magnificently. She doesn't accept any crap from either of them and doesn't allow their past behavior to come back to haunt them.

The witty banter between Trevor, Ed and Chassie was a great counterpart for the intense emotional moments between them. This book took me through the entire scope of emotions. From laughter to sorrow, from arousal to sympathy and from endearment to anger.

There are many secondary characters. Most of them known from former books, some of them new, but all of them provide background and depth for the three main characters of this book. The way Lorelei James integrates the main characters with the relationship angle and the secondary characters with their own little side stories is nothing short of amazing. It gives the books in this series something unique and makes them more stand out from average erotic romances.

Prominent roles in the secondary cast were given to Colby and Channing, which was understandable because of the events and storyline with Trevor and Ed in their book. As with all the books in the series it's about more than just the romantic relationship between hero and heroine or in this case the three-way relationship. The story of Trevor, Chassie and Ed is the focal point of the book but there is so much more going on, for example a traumatic situation within the McKay family, the struggles of managing a ranch and how to deal with a family consisting of narcissistic, demanding and judgmental people.

Lorelei James writes strong, leap-of-the-pages characters that are fleshed out extensively. This way you really get to know the persons behind the sexually charged scenes through their actions and their past. In the first part of the book the focus is on the emotions rather than the hot sex. That comes later, after Chassie deals with accepting Trevor and Ed and their feelings. But anticipation is half the fun because when those love scenes eventually come to happen they are some of the hottest I've read and believe me, I've read my share of erotic love scenes. The three of them set the pages on fire in all combinations possible. From the moment all three of them accept each other and Chassie and Ed realize there is more between them than just their individual connection to Trevor, the book takes on a great vibe, showing so much more between them than first imagined. They are there for each other in every emotional way, they complement each other in characters and sexuality and Lorelei James works towards a HEA that is believable and perfect.

Like with the books preceding it, the book is a combination of interpersonal relationships, eroticism, ranching and family dynamics but once again Lorelei James has brought something new to the table in this series. For me this was the most complex installment to date because though threesomes aren't uncommon in this series, this permanent three-way relationship is in a totally different category. While she could have taken the easy way out and keep it light and erotic, she chose to make it a complex, emotional journey of three people to an ending that is happy but not without complexity.

I love the way Lorelei James puts different elements as characterization, eroticism and background together to create a layered and rich story. Her books are filled with both emotional intensity and rapturous love scenes that undoubtedly are able to warm up even the most frigid readers. And this book showed her writing skills at best with a complicated, tear-inducing and emotionally gripping story. It had me reaching for tissues after just a few chapters and searching for a fan when I got to the last few chapters.

With ROUGH, RAW AND READY, she has given me a story I could embrace and accept to the fullest and on top of that one superhot erotic romance featuring man love extravaganza with a side of sassy female. This is storytelling in a class by itself. Lorelei James has rivaled with my favorite erotic romance authors and won her top position fair and square. It will be hard to top this story with a next installment but I'm challenging her to do it.


Quotes:
It was heady stuff to be the focus of total sexual energy from a man such as Trevor; wickedly gorgeous, wickedly experienced and wickedly virile. Trevor pushed her boundaries and she trusted he’d never hurt her in his quest to bring her complete sexual satisfaction. Sometimes Chassie wondered what Trevor considered kinky.

“Chassie, baby, you weren’t my last choice; you were my first choice. My only choice. I wanted to give you everything that I’d never given another human being: my loyalty, my faithfulness, my love, and my name. I cannot imagine my life without you.”

Back Cover:
...The strongest bonds are the ones unseen.
Businesswoman Skylar Ellison is firmly in control of her life. So getting tangled up with a sexy Wyoming cowboy—and conceiving a baby in the parking lot of a honky-tonk—wasn’t in her plan. Since it appears the daddy has taken off for greener pastures, the only thing to do is pull up her bootstraps and carry on alone.
Cattle rancher Kade McKay returns home after a year on the range, and is knocked for a loop when he learns he’s the father of a three-month-old baby girl. When Skylar refuses to marry him, Kade grits his teeth, moves in and plays house by her rules to prove he’s a man in for the long haul.

Despite Skylar’s insistence they are to remain strictly parenting partners, their old passions flare hot as a brush fire, spurring Kade to demand absolute sexual surrender from the headstrong woman. Skylar willingly submits her body to the hot-blooded cowboy but she’s leery of handing Kade the reins to her heart. Can Kade convince Skylar the wicked sex games aren’t a temporary distraction? Or will he have to bust out the ropes to show her he wants to be tied to her…forever?

Warning: this book contains: no holes barred kinky sex scenes, wicked rope play, blunt language, and yowza! lots of hot cowboy nekkidness.

Skylar Ellison ends up pregnant after one encounter with Kade McKay whom she had believed was his twin brother Kane the whole time they were dating. Misunderstandings and tragedies in Kade's family are the cause that Kade only finds out he has a daughter when she's 3 months old already. He doesn't hesitate for a moment and asks Skylar to marry him, but she refuses. When he decides to move in with her to get to know his daughter and be there for her, Skylar can't refuse, but Kade does not only win his daughter's heart, in the process he also makes Skylar realize that despite the misunderstandings in the past he is the right and only man for her.

I loved Skylar and Kade. Even if the book isn't the most intense one up till now, they are my favorite characters so far. Kade is so cute with his daughter Eliza. From the moment he finds out he's a father he is a true hands-on daddy.
Skylar's insecurities and her need to be in control of everything do have a straining effect on the relationship at first. It is understandable though because she has her reasons for wanting control and tempering her past impulsive behavior. Lorelei James' strong character development shows best in Skylar in this book.

A case of mistaken identity, forgetting protection in the throws of passion, a stubborn businesswoman and a tenacious cowboy are the elements of another great book by Lorelei James. It's filled with control-issues, difficult pasts and sibling relationships

Again I truly enjoyed this book in the series. Even though it is very different from the previous books and seems a bit more sedated and less intense, especially in the first half of the book. The strong emotions are still there. The standard sexual themes that were in all previous books weren't all represented in this one.

The sexual play only included bondage and one-on-one in all positions imaginable, but no multiple partners or male action in this installment. This didn't influence my wonderful reading experience with the book because these subjects wouldn't have fitted with the rest of the book and the story of Skylar and Kade.

Lorelei James is not afraid to touch subjects in her book that aren't cut-and-dry simple, and I'm not just talking about sexual subjects. She delves into emotional issues and dilemmas as well. Next to the emotional stuff, she is also able to capture the funny moments in life so I went from laughing-out-loud to teary-eyed numerous times while reading.

As with the other books in this series, the book isn't just about the leading couple. It's about two whole families, the McKays and the Wests, with all their complications, troubles, happy moments and tragedies. And next to the great family dynamics and the main characters' relationship the story is sprinkled with knowledge of rodeo and ranching. Contrary to the book before this one the rodeo theme did appear again, even if it wasn't a big part.

I'm still addicted to Lorelei James' writing and with this book she proves again that she can vary with themes, storylines and emotional issues, providing a variation so it never becomes boring or repetitive to read the books back-to-back.

Quotes:
Mercy. She was all curves: hips, ass, thighs, and breasts. He loved women who looked like women and not a skeleton with skin.

Kade kissed her in a brutal show of male possession, of frustration, of absolute pure animal attraction, of a man choosing his mate and marking her his.

“Why are you doing this?”
“Because I can.” He zigzagged his tongue up the column of her throat and blew softly on the wetness just to have her trembling in his arms. “Because you are as temptin’ as sin. Because you’re beautiful. Because this is how I see you. In my head. In the dark. In the flesh. So when I f**k you every way my sex-addled brain can dream up, you’ll know I wasn’t kiddin’ about how hot you can make me burn.”