Read-Love-Blog’s Cowboy Summer continues with Selene’s review of Branded As Trouble by Lorelei James
Book links:
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Goodreads
Synopsis:
…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?
Selene’s Review:
A [personally] highly anticipated book… that did not let down.
From the outside perspective, India, a tattooed, hot-tempered, and impossibly stubborn beauty, and Colton, an only-in-dreams-is-someone-this-beautiful former-bad boy cowboy, could not be more of opposites if they tried. But their experiences, both internal and external, have made them…well, absolutely perfect for each other. Too bad it took them so long to see it for themselves!
What author Lorelei James does best is delayed gratification. Her building up of Colt and India’s tension and their breaking point is just as delectable as when the two experienced lovers come together. And I definitely couldn’t get enough of their sexual moments; it left a brand on the reader like nothing else.
Another thing I had been waiting for besides the long-awaited couple’s union was the acceptance of Colt’s hard work throughout the years by his McKay family, specifically his older brothers. It took younger brother and war hero Cameron McKay to initiate this and it was absolutely tear-jerking. And it was wonderful to see Colt reformed and be the strong man that he is…with an equally strong woman backing him up, of course. It took India awhile to own up to her faults, but when she did, damn it was romantic.
I highly recommend this book for those readers that believe that friendship first can turn into the greatest of loves.
Four-and-a-Half Loves
From author website:
A bit about me: When I’m not squirreled away behind my laptop writing fun, sexy, contemporary erotic romances set in the modern day Wild West, I can be found reading everything under the sun, practicing yoga until I’m a pretzel, shootin’ my .22, watching the Professional Bull Riders tour on Versus, and running a kid’s taxi service, all in the guise of avoiding housework and rustlin’ up vittles.
Why do I have a particular fondness for all things western? Well, I’m a fourth generation South Dakotan, living in the Black Hills, which is chock-full of interesting characters, including cowboys, Indians, ranchers, and bikers. The geographical diversity of the surrounding area showcases mountains, plains, and badlands. Living in and writing about rural settings gives me a unique perspective, especially since I’m not writing historical westerns. Through my fictional world, I can show the ideals and the cowboy way of life are still very much alive.
Gotta LOVE Lorelei James!