Reviewing Cowboy Crazy by Joanne Kennedy at Parajunkee's View

Ready for another Cowboy Romance?  
Check out my review of Cowboy Crazy by Joanne Kennedy --> here. 

I'm reviewing All Jacked Up by Lorelei James at Parajunkee's View

I'm reviewing All Jacked Up by Lorelei James over at Parajunkee's View.  
Looking for a cowboy romance?  You might want to give this one a try...

Pam's Review: Darn Good Cowboy Christmas by Carolyn Brown

Darn Good Cowboy Christmas
~Carolyn Brown

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages 
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca 
Publish Date: October 1, 2011 
ISBN-10: 1402261578 
ISBN-13: 978-1402261572
ASIN: B005EU50QK

From Goodreads:
Born and raised in a traveling carnival, all Liz Hanson ever wanted for Christmas was a home that didn't have wheels. After she was old enough to date she added one more item: a sexy cowboy.

She's about given up on Santa ever bringing either one when her father dies and leaves her an ugly house and twenty acres in Texas. Then rancher Raylen O'Donnell walks onto her property...

Lizelle Hanson is a carnie, as she calls herself. She traveled and worked as a fortune teller and belly dancer for most of her life. But what she always wanted was roots; somewhere to call home, a house that has a foundation and not wheels. In fact, that is a Christmas wish that she has; she wants a house and a cowboy. The first part of her wish comes true when her uncle moves out of his house to take care of his father and is going to leave it to her if she still wants to live there after she tries it out for a few months. Liz is ecstatic. She arrives at the house in Texas to find her uncle’s neighbor, Raylen O’Donnell, there. He is the very cowboy that she had a crush on when she used to visit her uncle, and she has been fantasizing about him for years. Could this be the second half of her wish coming true?

My Thoughts:
This is the first book that I haven’t finished since I started reviewing. I definitely gave it a chance though; I read to page 225. Besides just not being interesting, there were a lot of things that bothered me about this book.

First, the shifting of the characters points of view. There was constant shifting with no clear breaks. It gets very confusing, especially if the shift happens within a single paragraph, which it did!

Second, the repeating of thoughts. Liz would think a thought, and then say the thought out loud to someone else. Then she would repeat it later to another character. I get how perhaps the author is trying to show how the third character found out about what she was thinking, but this isn’t the way to do it.

Third, Liz’s character herself. She would ramble a lot, and it just wasn’t attractive to me. Also, everything was handed to her on a silver platter. Where’s the challenge? She wants a house, gets it from her uncle. Wants a job, gets one handed to her right when she moves to town. Wants to decorate her house like the Griswold’s, the neighbors pitch right in to help. It was annoying. I feel like she acted very juvenile too. Here’s Liz talking to Raylen about what kind of Christmas tree she wants.

“I want a real one but Momma reminded me that I’m allergic to cedar and pine trees. Do you think they’ll have one that doesn’t look perfect? I want it to look real even if it’s not.” (p. 181)

I guess I just feel like a grown woman should know what she was allergic to. It wasn’t just that though, it was all things like I listed above.

I can’t imagine the work it takes a write a book, I really can’t. But Darn Good Cowboy Christmas was not worth the read.

My Rating:

 Pam
Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Red's Hot Cowboy by Carolyn Brown

Red's Hot Cowboy 

~Carolyn Brown 



Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages 

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Publish Date: August 1, 2011 

ISBN-10: 1402253613 

ISBN-13: 978-1402253614 

ASIN: B0057H76V2 



 
From Goodreads:

When Pearl Richland inherits her aunt's 1950s motel she returns to her roots. Tired of the big city, she's ready for small town life, especially when sexy cowboy Wil Marshall comes in to escape an ice storm. Pearl never thought she'd turn in her high heels and start dating a cowboy, but Wil's got an awful lot to offer if a girl's available for a whole lot of fun, sizzle, and unexpected trouble...

Pearl Richland has given up her job as a loan officer in a large bank, and has decided to run the motel her great aunt Perlita left her in her will.  She's tired of watching other people pursue their dreams and has decided  it's her turn.  She's enjoying running the hotel, even if it does leave her tired and with no time to go out and have fun.  A winter storm knocks the power out in the next city over, and suddenly her little motel is full.  The last guest to check in, Wil Marshall, is one handsome cowboy, even if he did call her Red.  But Pearl has no time for handsome cowboys, she's got a motel to run.



The next morning, however, the motel is overrun by police, looking for Wil, claiming he murdered someone during the night.  Pearl knows he didn't do it, and heads down to the police station to say so.  After a few hours, Wil is released and the police admit they made a mistake.



Wil appreciates her assistance, but has no plans to pursue any sort of relationship with Pearl other than a thank-you dinner.  Pearl doesn't even want that, she's too busy.   Neither can get the other out of their mind, though, and they start talking by phone, then go out a few tiimes, and by the time they realize they're head over heels for each other it's too late to slow down.



My thoughts:

This was a cute read, neither Pearl nor Wil were looking for romance, it just happened.  I have to say, one of the parts I loved about Red's Hot Cowboy was how they'd talk and flirt on the phone just like an old fashioned romance, and had a few kisses before anything else happened.  Their comraderie and friendship was refreshing to read.



I enjoyed seeing Pearl's cousin Austin again, from the first book in this series, Love Drunk Cowboy, and getting to check in on how she and Rye are doing.  We also get to see Rye's family again (I'm looking forward to his brothers' stories)



That being said, I had a little trouble with the dialogue...I think it was because there were so many times contractions were not used ("you are" instead of "you're") it just felt awkward and pulled me out of the story.  I also didn't see the conflict very well:  Wil was worried Pearl wouldn't want to settle down with one cowboy, but I didn't really see what was holding Pearl back.



All in all though, a light, cute read.  Fans of Ms. Brown's books will enjoy Red's Hot Cowboy and be anxious for the next installment in the series, Darn Good Cowboy Christmas, featuring Rye's brother Raylen (*whew!* that should be good!)

 My Rating:

Book received from the pubisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pam's Review: Make Mine A Bad Boy by Katie Lane

Make Mine a Bad Boy
~Katie Lane


Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Forever
Publish Date: June 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 0446582794
ISBN-13: 978-0446582797
ASIN: B00495ZE08


From Goodreads:
THERE'S A NEW BRIDE IN TOWN!
Hope Scroggs is finally ready to get hitched. After years of sowing her wild oats, the former head cheerleader and homecoming queen has returned to Bramble, Texas, to marry her high school flame. But her perfect wedding plans are stomped to smithereens when her adoring cowboy two-steps down the aisle with someone else. Now Hope is stuck with the one man from her past she can't shake: Colt Lomax, an irresistible bad boy whose sultry kisses are hotter than the Panhandle in August . . .

Colt lives for freedom and the open road; he never gets attached, never looks back. Still, he can't forget the night of passion he once shared with Bramble's sweetheart—a night he wouldn't mind repeating. So, he piles on the Texas charm to tease the feisty beauty back into his bed, while she tries her darnedest to resist. But something unexpected is about to tie their fates together . . . and oh, baby, will it ever!

The story takes place in Bramble, Texas; a small town where everyone knows your name, and your business. Hope is the town’s sweetheart, just back in town after living in Hollywood trying to make it big for the past few years. Colt, the town’s troublemaker, is also recently back in town, supposedly just released from prison.

Before Hollywood and prison, Colt grew up constantly teasing and harassing Hope, playing all sorts of mean pranks on her, like hanging her bra from a flagpole. Because of that, Hope thinks Colt hates her, as does the town, but yet neither of them can stay away from each other.

What a great book! It was my first contemporary romance, and I was not disappointed. The citizens of Bramble made me laugh out loud with the way they spread gossip and that they were always there to help, even when you didn’t want them to be. I also like how I had no clue where the story was going, and how there were surprises along the way.

The only thing that took me away from the story was that the author used the word ‘ornery,’ a lot. I had never heard the word before, so something good to come out of that is that I now know it means ‘ill-tempered’. But it was a used a little much.

There is a lot more to say about the plot and the characters, I just don’t want to give anything away. I’ll need to add some more books by Katie Lane to my ‘to be read’ list, and so should you, because this was a great read.


My Rating:   Pam

 

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Some Recent DNF reads

Going Cowboy Crazy
~Katie Lane

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Forever
Publish Date: April 26, 2011
ISBN-10: 0446582786
ISBN-13: 978-0446582780

From Goodreads:
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Faith Aldridge wants answers. Bramble, Texas is the only place she can find them . . . as well as Hope, the identical twin sister she never knew she had. But the townsfolk reckon that shy city-girl Faith is really her long-lost sister Hope, back in Bramble at last. And they're fixin' to do whatever it takes to heat things up between her and Hope's long-time flame, Slate Calhoun. If that means rustling her car, spreading rumors like wildfire, and reining in some explosive secrets, well, there's no way like the Lone Star way . . .
But Slate's no fool. The woman in his truck may look like Hope, yet the way she feels in his arms is altogether new. He's determined to keep this twin in his bed and out of his heart. Trouble is, the real Hope is headed home, and she's got her own designs on Slate. If Faith wants to avoid heartbreak, she'll have to show a certain ruggedly handsome cowboy that this crazy-impossible love is worth fighting for.

I read to page 166 and I just couldn't go any further. Faith is looking for her separated-at-birth twin sister, Hope, and when she gets to town, Hope is gone. The town thinks she's Hope and she goes along with it. She's attracted to Slate, and the town is thrilled that Hope and Slate are "finally gettin' together again", but after she sleeps with Slate and then figures out Slate and Hope dated in the past, she's furious! Even though every word out of the townsfolk's mouth alluded to it and the local Sheriff hides her car so she can't leave - thereby giving Slate and "Hope" more time to work things out and get together. The townsfolk were all TSTL and, honestly, Faith and Slate both annoyed the heck out of me.

Bound by Honor
~SE Jakes

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 716 KB
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Publish Date: March 1, 2011
Language: English
ASIN: B004IK8GV8

From Goodreads:
One year ago on a mission gone wrong, Tanner James failed to save the life of Jesse, his Army Ranger teammate. Before dying in that South American jungle, Jesse extracted a promise that won’t let Tanner rest until it’s fulfilled—no matter what it costs him.

Damon Price loved Jesse, but problems in their relationship had come to a head right before Jesse left on his final mission. Now a reluctant Dom and a man still in mourning, he’s not happy when Tanner appears at his BDSM club. And even less happy with Jesse’s last request—that Tanner sub for him for one night.

After a rough start, Damon realizes that the tough soldier, despite his protests, aches for someone to take control. And Tanner senses a hesitance, an insecurity in Damon that makes him wonder if he’s simply a placeholder for Jesse, or if their tentative connection could grow into something more.

For Jesse’s sake, they agree to try one weekend together. Then duty calls, and a series of attacks that have been happening near the club hits too close to home, making both men wonder if giving their hearts is a maneuver fraught with too much risk…

Product Warnings:Contains rough language, rougher sex and warriors who fall hard for each other.

I got 38% in before I decided not to continue. Tanner is an Army Ranger, who is going to see a Dom to honor the final request of a dying friend, Jesse. He feels guilty he couldn't save his Jesse's life, so he feels honor-bound to go. Damon Price was Jesse's boyfriend and still isn't over his death a year later. He's angry that Tanner has come and agrees to top him, and ends up humiliating him in front of the patrons of his BDSM club. He regrets his actions and goes to Tanner, asking for a second chance. Tanner agrees, then stands him up, but gets himself into trouble and Damon rescues him. They get together again but then Tanner leaves. For me, although the sex was very hot, the back and forth of "I'm sorry, let's try again *leaves*, I'm sorry, let's try again *leaves*" was too frustrating. And I thought Damon was a jerk. I couldn't get into the mystery that the author was working into the story because I was too annoyed with Damon and Tanner.

This book got good reviews on Goodreads and Amazon, it just didn't work for me.

My Ratings:

These books were provided by the publisher/publicist in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Tyler by C.H. Admirand

Tyler
~C.H. Admirand

Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publish Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 1402243758
ISBN-13: 978-1402243752

From Goodreads:
Faced with a mountain of bills, rancher Tyler Garahan takes a night job with a lot of trepidation. But being a male performer at a strip club does come with at least one beautiful compensation-and feisty red-haired bookkeeper Emily Langley seems to understand Tyler even better than he understands himself...

Tyler is the first book in The Secret Life of Cowboys series. I've recently discovered cowboy romance and was looking forward to reading Tyler:

Tyler Garahan owns a ranch with his two brothers, Dylan and Jesse. Their mortgage is behind and they need to come up with money, quickly, or they'll lose the ranch. As the book opens, Tyler is answering a newspaper add for a hardworking man with a strong back. He thinks he's applying for a job stocking bar supplies, so he's surprised when the owner asks him to take off his shirt. Once he realizes he's applying to be a male stripper, he begins to back away...until they tell him how much money he'll be earning.

Emily Langley and her cousin, Jolene, run The Lucky Star ladies' club. These ladies are red-headed and tough (and we are constantly reminded of both these facts throughout the book). They are fighting to keep the club running - the local preservation society doesn't want a ladies' club, they want an old-time saloon.

It's instant attraction between Tyler and Emily, and when they get together the sexual sparks fly.

My thoughts: I had a difficult time getting into Tyler (<---that sounds dirtier than it is). The characters were so angry and snippy that it was hard for me to have any empathy for them, and I need that to enjoy a story. We really didn't get much background for either Tyler or Emily, and they jumped into the sexy stuff pretty quickly. Honestly, I skimmed a lot of the sexy bits - I would have preferred less sex and more character development. The plot complications of trust, Tyler's ex-girlfriend, and the Preservation Society made the story more interesting, but in the end couldn't hold my interest. Tyler was full of folksy cowboy phrases and sexy scenes between the hero/heroine, but in the end it wasn't enough to pull off the lackluster characters and slow story. My Rating:

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Montana Glory by R.C. Ryan

From Goodreads:
The last thing in the world Zane McCord wants is a wife. But after returning home to the family ranch in Montana to help his cousins search for the lost treasure that is their legacy, Zane can't help notice that love and marriage seem to be contagious. Both his cousins have succumbed, but he refuses. Determined to stay a bachelor till he dies, Zane wants to devote his time to filming documentaries and taking care of the ranch...and then Riley Mason walks into his life.

The last thing on Riley Mason's mind is romance. Sent to the McCord ranch to save the family's accounting problems, she only wants to impress her firm in Helena and be on her way. Life as a single mother isn't easy and she needs to impress her bosses for a raise. But when Zane McCord opens the door, her breath catches in her throat and a desire she's never experienced before takes over her. When the McCords insist that she and her daughter, Summer stay at the ranch, she's forced to give in and before long, she's pulled into their search for the long lost treasure. But she absolutely draws the line at getting involved with Zane McCord, playboy and heartbreaker extraordinaire.

But as they all get closer to finding Coot's lost treasure, a dangerous series of accidents target Riley and her daughter Summer. Can Zane keep her safe while trying to win her heart?

_______________________

This is the 3rd book in R.C. Ryan's Montana Trilogy (I think it's a trilogy); I did not read the first two books in this series.

Riley Mason is an accountant who has come to work on the hapazardly-kept finances of the McCord Ranch. As we read, we learn she's originally from Philadelphia, and has come to work at the ranch with her young daughter because she figured no one would ever find her on a ranch in Montana. (ooohhh, mysterious!)

Zane McCord is the youngest of three cousins running the McCord ranch after the death of his grandfather. He's just come back from two weeks of living with wild mustangs, filming a documentary, when he opens the door, expecting a nerdy male accountant, and instead finds a gorgeous female accountant. He's attracted to her but has been warned off as she is an employee and not just some chick.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked watching Zane and Riley fight their attraction to each other. I liked Riley's daughter Summer a bit even...she didn't drive me as nuts as some kids in books do. I loved that Zane spent time with Summer even before he decided he wanted to date Riley. The storyline for Montana Glory was good - my guess as to what Riley was running from was off the mark, which always makes for a pleasant surprise (for me, anyway). The side storylines were entertaining - there's a search for family gold (I'm under the impression has been a constant through all three books) and also a second love story between the cousin's aunt and the foreman.

Ms. Ryan did a great job of unfolding Riley's storyline at just the right pace. We got to experience her getting used to her new surroundings, learning to live with a loving family, learning to trust. Her background is revealed slowly, in bits in pieces until the big reveal (which is so tender and sweet), and of course this big, loving family rallies around her.

This book was definitely a balm for my "cowboy itch" (sounds like something you'd need cream for, LOL). The secondary characters were interesting and I wanted to know their stories; I actually went out and bought the first two books in the series because I wanted more of these delightful characters.


Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: October 26, 2010
ISBN-10: 0446548642
ISBN-13: 978-0446548649

My Rating:

This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Corralled by Lorelei James

From the author's website:
Sports therapist Lainie Capshaw has been rehabilitating injured cowboys long enough to know that a charming western drawl combined with a fine physical form doesn't mean you fall for the man.

So no one is more surprised than Lainie when she finds herself involved with not one, but two different men: Hank Lawson, a bullfighter, and Kyle Gilchrist, a bull rider. Lainie feels guilty about her two-timing, but it doesn't keep her from doubling her fun-that is until Hank catches her with Kyle.

She's shocked that Hank isn't mad. But she's more shocked to learn Hank and Kyle are hometown buddies. But when the men offer to share her-in every way-she knows that she's going to have to choose the one man who can give her the ride of her life.

_________________________

Confession: I've been on kind of a "cowboy kick". I'd heard good things about Corralled and thought I'd check it out.

Two words: Yea Haw!!

This was a super sexy read with a great storyline to boot (<---cowboy humor, tee hee) I liked Lainey, she was a smart heroine who was at a crossroads in her life, although she didn't know it at first. She's a rodeo med tech, working two different circuits, and she's dating someone on each circuit, Hank and Kyle. What she doesn't realize, and they don't know (because of some confusion with nicknames) is that they're best friends.

I gotta tell you, as soon as the three of them figured out what was going on, all I had to say was, "please, please let them decide to share"....and oh my lawd they sure did! When Lainie was put on "involuntary vacation" by her boss, she decided to go for it and decided to tag along with both men on the rodeo circuit. I loved the back-and-forth between Kyle and Hank as they bickered for Lainie's affections. The way the relationship played out worked for me - in addition to it being super hot, it was interesting to read about the cowboys and rodeo life.

The secondary characters? Two thumbs up - I liked them. Lainie's friend Tanna, a barrell racer, and Hank's sister Celia were both fun chicks I wouldn't mind hanging out with. Lainie's relationship with her mother added another layer to a great storyline. I wouldn't mind seeing a story for either Tanna or Celia, and I could see a story hinted at for Hank's brother Abe.

This is a series I will definitely be keeping up with!

My Rating:

Scars are Cowboy Tattoos with Better Stories

I've been craving some Cowboy Romance lately; I've found a few authors but their backlists are huge and I've been overwhelmed as to where to start. I hate starting in the middle of a series and not knowing who the secondary characters are.

Today I bit the bullet and stopped at the bookstore between errands. I looked at these books and decided I could give a trilogy a try. I picked up Linda Lael Miler's Montana Creeds trilogy:
(book descriptions from the author's website)

After years of wandering, Logan Creed, a cowboy with a dusty law degree, has returned home. To put down roots, to restore his family’s neglected ranch… to have kids of his own proudly bearing the Creed name.

Divorced mom Briana Grant has heard the stories about her gorgeous neighbor. So Logan’s kindness with her young boys is a welcome surprise, especially when her ex reappears. And when an unknown enemy vandalizes her home, Logan shows Briana—and the folks of Big Sky country—just what he’s made of.

Hailed as “rodeo’s bad boy” for his talent at taming bulls and women, Dylan Creed likes life in the fast lane. But when the daughter he rarely sees is abandoned by her mother, Dylan heads home to Stillwater Springs ranch. Somehow the champion bull rider has to turn into a champion father—and fast.

Town librarian Kristy Madison is uncharacteristically speechless when Dylan Creed turns up for story time with a toddler in tow. The man who’d left a trail of broken hearts—including her own—is back… and this time Kristy’s determined to tame his wild ways once and for all.



Whether winning championship belt buckles or dealing with Hollywood types for endorsement deals, former rodeo star Tyler Creed can handle anything. Except standing on the same square foot of land as his estranged brothers. Yet here they are in Stillwater Springs, barely talking but trying to restore the old Creed ranch—and family.

Lily Kenyon knows all about family estrangements and secrets. The single mom has come home to set things right, to put down roots for her daughter. What she doesn’t expect is Tyler Creed, whom she’s loved since childhood. Now the handsome, stubborn cowboy who left home to seek his fortune just might find it was always under the Montana sky…

So, I'm ready to read about some cowboy livin' and lovin'. Has anyone read this series? Does anyone have any cowboy favorites?