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Blacktop Cowboys #1
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9 hours, 48 minutes
Lainie Capshaw has been servicing injured cowboys long enough to know that a charming Western drawl combined with a fine physical form doesn't mean you should fall for a man. As a sports therapist, she travels the rodeo circuits patching up riders—and fending off their sweet-talking, swaggering advances.
So no one is more surprised than Lainie when she finds herself involved with not one, but two men on different circuits: Hank Lawson, a bullfighter, and Kyle Gilchrist, a bull rider trying to stage a comeback. Lainie feels guilty about her two-timing, but it doesn't keep her from doubling her fun—until Hank catches her with Kyle.
She's shocked that Hank isn't mad. She's more shocked to learn that Hank and Kyle are hometown buddies. But when the men offer to share her—in every way—she knows that both of them are going to try to win her, body and soul. Now it's up to Lainie to choose the one man who can give her the ride of her life.
Lainie Capshaw has been servicing injured cowboys long enough to know that a charming Western drawl combined with a fine physical form doesn't mean you should fall for a man. As a sports therapist, she travels the rodeo circuits patching up riders—and fending off their sweet-talking, swaggering advances.
So no one is more surprised than Lainie when she finds herself involved with not one, but two men on different circuits: Hank Lawson, a bullfighter, and Kyle Gilchrist, a bull rider trying to stage a comeback. Lainie feels guilty about her two-timing, but it doesn't keep her from doubling her fun—until Hank catches her with Kyle.
She's shocked that Hank isn't mad. She's more shocked to learn that Hank and Kyle are hometown buddies. But when the men offer to share her—in every way—she knows that both of them are going to try to win her, body and soul. Now it's up to Lainie to choose the one man who can give her the ride of her life.
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First published August 3, 2010
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About the author
Lorelei James
77 books8,331 followersLorelei James is New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary erotic westerns and erotic romances. She lives in western South Dakota.
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March 20, 2014
I mean...'scuse the shit outta me. I wuz hankerin' fer some sexy ruttin' 'tween two shitkickers and their little filly. And lookee there! I ain't got nuthin' but that. There's more breedin' in this here book than burnt hair durin' brandin' season, whooee, doggy!!
Pardon the eye roll.
Good grief.
This is my fourth book by Lorlei James, and it will be my last. I read the first three in the Rough Riders series. To be fair, those were some of my very first erotica books, three or four years ago. So I was thinking that maybe my lower opinion of those stories was due to my inexperience or different expectations.
However, I know better now. Just because a book is shelved as erotica doesn't mean that there isn't damned good story, well written and evocative. In fact, I've read some erotic romance books that utilize the intimacy of sex to make a story much more real, and completely and utterly beautiful. (Megan Hart, Joey W. Hill, etc...)
This, my friends, is pure smut.
I don't think anyone really professes it to be more, so I suppose if your expectations are hot cowboys, lots of sex...along with the requisite threesome and butt-sex that this author seems to be known for...and a shit ton of yee-haw cowgirl moments, then this is perfect for you.
But not for me. I think I said the same in another LJ review, but her books are more honky tonk than a honky tonk. Her language is so over the top hick, her cowboys so freaking stereotypical cheesy that it borders on lame. I live in Texas. I grew up in Kansas. I've been around rodeo, ranchers and farmers for my entire life. And still, I feel like I need to take a shower just to wash the hick off of me every time I finish one of her books. Her characters just try way too hard to be cowboy.
Harsh? Maybe. I'm not sure why I feel so disgusted. This really is a way of life for a lot of Midwestern people. I think the way this particular story played out just rubbed me wrong. It's the reason I don't like menage stories for the most part. I don't mind a menage scene or two in a book before a couple decided to be exclusive. It adds to the titillation, it's sexy as hell. But Hank and Kyle both want Lainie; in fact, they are vying for her for nearly then entire book. And the loser doesn't seem to walk away happy. During the course of the story, they are best friends and then rivals for her attention and time. That's not romance. That's a hooch coming between two men who are thinking with their dicks. It was uncomfortable. And as much as Lainie professes to want to stay impartial, she doesn't. She won't pick between them, so she gets them both. Imagine if the roles were switched and a guy was doing that with two girls...sleeping with them both and telling them that he wouldn't pick. Ha.
One last point of contention for me was Wow. Just...wow.
I rarely give one star...less than twenty in over 1500 books. I will be removing the rest of the series and the Rough Riders series from my tbr. I'm really not the type to continue reading something that I know I won't like just to rag about it in my review. I had hoped that my changing tastes would have allowed me to see this in a different light than I did years ago. I got this from my library's audio digital site, and I have to admit that while the narrator did a fantastic job, there's only so much white trash you can listen to without it sounding utterly hokey and forced.
Pardon the eye roll.
Good grief.
This is my fourth book by Lorlei James, and it will be my last. I read the first three in the Rough Riders series. To be fair, those were some of my very first erotica books, three or four years ago. So I was thinking that maybe my lower opinion of those stories was due to my inexperience or different expectations.
However, I know better now. Just because a book is shelved as erotica doesn't mean that there isn't damned good story, well written and evocative. In fact, I've read some erotic romance books that utilize the intimacy of sex to make a story much more real, and completely and utterly beautiful. (Megan Hart, Joey W. Hill, etc...)
This, my friends, is pure smut.
I don't think anyone really professes it to be more, so I suppose if your expectations are hot cowboys, lots of sex...along with the requisite threesome and butt-sex that this author seems to be known for...and a shit ton of yee-haw cowgirl moments, then this is perfect for you.
But not for me. I think I said the same in another LJ review, but her books are more honky tonk than a honky tonk. Her language is so over the top hick, her cowboys so freaking stereotypical cheesy that it borders on lame. I live in Texas. I grew up in Kansas. I've been around rodeo, ranchers and farmers for my entire life. And still, I feel like I need to take a shower just to wash the hick off of me every time I finish one of her books. Her characters just try way too hard to be cowboy.
Harsh? Maybe. I'm not sure why I feel so disgusted. This really is a way of life for a lot of Midwestern people. I think the way this particular story played out just rubbed me wrong. It's the reason I don't like menage stories for the most part. I don't mind a menage scene or two in a book before a couple decided to be exclusive. It adds to the titillation, it's sexy as hell. But Hank and Kyle both want Lainie; in fact, they are vying for her for nearly then entire book. And the loser doesn't seem to walk away happy. During the course of the story, they are best friends and then rivals for her attention and time. That's not romance. That's a hooch coming between two men who are thinking with their dicks. It was uncomfortable. And as much as Lainie professes to want to stay impartial, she doesn't. She won't pick between them, so she gets them both. Imagine if the roles were switched and a guy was doing that with two girls...sleeping with them both and telling them that he wouldn't pick. Ha.
One last point of contention for me was Wow. Just...wow.
I rarely give one star...less than twenty in over 1500 books. I will be removing the rest of the series and the Rough Riders series from my tbr. I'm really not the type to continue reading something that I know I won't like just to rag about it in my review. I had hoped that my changing tastes would have allowed me to see this in a different light than I did years ago. I got this from my library's audio digital site, and I have to admit that while the narrator did a fantastic job, there's only so much white trash you can listen to without it sounding utterly hokey and forced.
August 3, 2010
Not one of my favorite Lorelei James books, but a pretty good start to a new series about cowboys. I think my problem with this one was that I didn't really fall in love with any of the characters, and at times the background info (about rodeos) surrounding the plot got a bit...boring. I'm sure that anyone interested in all the behind the scenes info about rodeos would love this book, it just isn't a subject that I'm too interested in. I realize that LJ had to fill the reader in on what competing in rodeos is all about, so that we could appreciate what the characters have to go through, but I just think she went a bit too far with giving us too much info. But maybe that's just me.
Anyway, the plot: Lainie Capshaw, mid-twenties, petite, curvy, long curly-haired daughter of a legendary bull rider who died tragically in the ring, works the rodeo circuit as a sports med tech. That means that Lainie, who's an LPN and an EMT, takes care of bandaging/fixing up cowboys who are injured while competing. She meets tall, dark, and studly bull fighter Hank Lawson, and after rebuffing his advances a couple of times (doesn't want to mix business with pleasure) she finally succumbs to his persuasive charms. They've been dating for a few months, and although Hank's an excellent lover, he's not very inventive or spontaneous. When Lainie meets a flirty blond Viking-esque bull rider from a different rodeo organization named Kyle Gilchrist, who is everything Hank is not, she can't help but be smitten by him. What Kyle lacks in height and bulk, he makes up for in spontaneity--their first time is a passionate quickie in a restaurant bathroom. So now Lainie is 'seeing' two men--she wonders, does that make her a slut? But since her guys compete on different rodeo circuits, chances are that neither will find out about the other, right?
Wrong. Not only do they find out about the other, but coincidentally, they know each other, and they're friends, having gone to the same school growing up.. Uh-oh. Now what should Lainie do? Neither one wants to give up Lainie, and Lainie refuses to choose between them (she'd rather not see either if she must choose) so they come up with an idea. Would Lainie like to share them? Or should I say, would Laine let them share her? And secretly they hope, may the best man win. Since Lainie has some vacation time coming, she agrees to travel around the rodeo circuit with them for a couple of weeks from venue to venue while they compete in something called "Cowboy Christmas" as a way for Kyle to improve his ranking in the bull riding division. So can they do this? Can the men 'share' Lainie without becoming jealous, suspicious, and competitive? And can Lainie do this without getting her heart involved? At the end of "Cowboy Christmas" will she lose her heart to one of her men, or will they all just walk away after the good times are over?
Okaaay...I'll admit at the beginning I wasn't too fond of Lainie and her two-timing ways. Yeah, yeah, she made a point to say how neither of her men said the relationship was 'exclusive', but still...and when confronted by her guys, her first instinct was to run away. She must have been 'something' sexually, because neither guy seemed to want to give her up, even though they hardly knew a thing about her. It wasn't until they all went on the road together in their little travel trailer that they learned anything about Lainie (besides what she liked to do in bed) and then she learned stuff about Hank and Kyle. And after spending weeks on the road with her guys, she realizes that there's only one guy for her after she sees all the sides of him.
So how did this ménage relationship work? Not exactly how I expected. Kyle and Hank spent the majority of their time with Lainie in one-on-one situations, which helped fuel a lot of jealousy and competition between them. If Hank spent the night with Lainie, then Lainie (and Kyle) felt that she should give Kyle equal time. And then Kyle would do his best to out-do Hank, and Hank would be jealous, wondering if Lainie preferred Kyle to him. This got to be exhausting, watching these two compete over Lainie! Finally Lainie had to tell them that she wanted them both--together--and that's when the competing and the jealousies were put to rest, and then they concentrated on blowing Lainie's mind--together. And I must say, in typical LJ fashion, the sex scenes were raunchy and hot. These three did just about everything you could think of--even one time incorporating a saddle, a sawhorse, and some rope...yowza!
LJ introduces a lot of characters in this one, so have your pencil and paper handy, because I'm sure these people are going to pop up again, especially Hank's brother Abe and his younger sister Celia. She also did such a thorough job explaining just about every aspect of what goes on in a rodeo (god, I learned a lot!)and setting up the series that I'm thinking in the follow-up books she won't have to go into as much detail and she can spend a little more time on the characters.
If you're a fan of LJ's Rough Riders series, you'll probably want to check this out. It's very similar in tone, and while maybe she's won't feature characters all from the same family (like the McKays), they will be characters who pop up from time to time in each book. There's p-l-e-n-t-y of sexcapades in this book, a couple of sweet heroes who like to get 'nekkid' all the time, and who like to order Lainie to 'get nekkid', and a heroine who finally decides to grow up and take control of her life. Add a sweet HEA and you've got a pretty decent read and a promising beginning to a new series. 4 stars.
Warning: This book contains explicit sex (including oral and anal); raunchy language; some light bondage and use of an unusual item as a sex toy; and a m/f/m ménage. Not for the faint of heart!
Anyway, the plot: Lainie Capshaw, mid-twenties, petite, curvy, long curly-haired daughter of a legendary bull rider who died tragically in the ring, works the rodeo circuit as a sports med tech. That means that Lainie, who's an LPN and an EMT, takes care of bandaging/fixing up cowboys who are injured while competing. She meets tall, dark, and studly bull fighter Hank Lawson, and after rebuffing his advances a couple of times (doesn't want to mix business with pleasure) she finally succumbs to his persuasive charms. They've been dating for a few months, and although Hank's an excellent lover, he's not very inventive or spontaneous. When Lainie meets a flirty blond Viking-esque bull rider from a different rodeo organization named Kyle Gilchrist, who is everything Hank is not, she can't help but be smitten by him. What Kyle lacks in height and bulk, he makes up for in spontaneity--their first time is a passionate quickie in a restaurant bathroom. So now Lainie is 'seeing' two men--she wonders, does that make her a slut? But since her guys compete on different rodeo circuits, chances are that neither will find out about the other, right?
Wrong. Not only do they find out about the other, but coincidentally, they know each other, and they're friends, having gone to the same school growing up.. Uh-oh. Now what should Lainie do? Neither one wants to give up Lainie, and Lainie refuses to choose between them (she'd rather not see either if she must choose) so they come up with an idea. Would Lainie like to share them? Or should I say, would Laine let them share her? And secretly they hope, may the best man win. Since Lainie has some vacation time coming, she agrees to travel around the rodeo circuit with them for a couple of weeks from venue to venue while they compete in something called "Cowboy Christmas" as a way for Kyle to improve his ranking in the bull riding division. So can they do this? Can the men 'share' Lainie without becoming jealous, suspicious, and competitive? And can Lainie do this without getting her heart involved? At the end of "Cowboy Christmas" will she lose her heart to one of her men, or will they all just walk away after the good times are over?
Okaaay...I'll admit at the beginning I wasn't too fond of Lainie and her two-timing ways. Yeah, yeah, she made a point to say how neither of her men said the relationship was 'exclusive', but still...and when confronted by her guys, her first instinct was to run away. She must have been 'something' sexually, because neither guy seemed to want to give her up, even though they hardly knew a thing about her. It wasn't until they all went on the road together in their little travel trailer that they learned anything about Lainie (besides what she liked to do in bed) and then she learned stuff about Hank and Kyle. And after spending weeks on the road with her guys, she realizes that there's only one guy for her after she sees all the sides of him.
So how did this ménage relationship work? Not exactly how I expected. Kyle and Hank spent the majority of their time with Lainie in one-on-one situations, which helped fuel a lot of jealousy and competition between them. If Hank spent the night with Lainie, then Lainie (and Kyle) felt that she should give Kyle equal time. And then Kyle would do his best to out-do Hank, and Hank would be jealous, wondering if Lainie preferred Kyle to him. This got to be exhausting, watching these two compete over Lainie! Finally Lainie had to tell them that she wanted them both--together--and that's when the competing and the jealousies were put to rest, and then they concentrated on blowing Lainie's mind--together. And I must say, in typical LJ fashion, the sex scenes were raunchy and hot. These three did just about everything you could think of--even one time incorporating a saddle, a sawhorse, and some rope...yowza!
LJ introduces a lot of characters in this one, so have your pencil and paper handy, because I'm sure these people are going to pop up again, especially Hank's brother Abe and his younger sister Celia. She also did such a thorough job explaining just about every aspect of what goes on in a rodeo (god, I learned a lot!)and setting up the series that I'm thinking in the follow-up books she won't have to go into as much detail and she can spend a little more time on the characters.
If you're a fan of LJ's Rough Riders series, you'll probably want to check this out. It's very similar in tone, and while maybe she's won't feature characters all from the same family (like the McKays), they will be characters who pop up from time to time in each book. There's p-l-e-n-t-y of sexcapades in this book, a couple of sweet heroes who like to get 'nekkid' all the time, and who like to order Lainie to 'get nekkid', and a heroine who finally decides to grow up and take control of her life. Add a sweet HEA and you've got a pretty decent read and a promising beginning to a new series. 4 stars.
Warning: This book contains explicit sex (including oral and anal); raunchy language; some light bondage and use of an unusual item as a sex toy; and a m/f/m ménage. Not for the faint of heart!
November 5, 2011
Opening Line: "Screwing two guys doesn't make you a slut."
I was pretty excited to hear that Lorelei James’ was starting a new series because I’m seriously addicted to her Roughriders books and IMO you can‘t ever have enough sexy cowboys. I also have a small addiction to the PBR and CORRALLED is all about the bullriding and its fearless bullfighters. Throw in a ménage storyline (yes girls, two swaggering, ultra sexy cowboys) and in theory this book should have had all my guns a blazin’. Unfortunately, and I can’t put my finger on why, it just never grabbed me like her Roughriders series always does and I was surprised by how difficult it was for me to get into her new Blacktop Cowboys.
One of the problems for me was the rodeo jargon, I kept forgetting what EBS and CRA stood for and these acronyms were used a lot. I also felt like I’d read this before as the storyline is very reminiscent of her first Roughriders book Long Hard Ride leaving me with a feeling of déjà vu for the entire read.
“As much as Hank loved bullfighting in the CRA, for a bullfighter, the EBS was the big time.”
If you’ve read anything else by Lorelei James then you’ll know what to expect from this. Erotic love scenes (every couple of pages)including some rope play and just about everything else, emotion filled storylines, a couple of dustups at a local saloon and a whole slew of unique characters and situations to keep you interested. James’ writing is also really fun. I love the way her characters talk and usually come away with a southern drawl much to my Canadian families amusement.
Lainie Capshaw is a sports therapist, traveling the rodeo circuits and patching up injured cowboys. She’s made it a steadfast rule not to date anyone, keeping things strictly professional amongst her many admirers. So it’s with some surprise that she finds herself dating not one but two handsome cowboys; Hank Lawson a bullfighter and Kyle Gilchrist a bull rider. Despite never discussing exclusivity Lainie feels guilty but also doesn’t assume she’ll have to decide between them as they work on different circuits. Honestly she doesn’t know if she could choose anyways.
Lainie’s two timing catches up with her one night at the local honky-tonk when Hank catches her with Kyle. To her surprise the two are childhood friends and since neither wants to bow down to the other they instead offer her a deal no horny cowgirl could refuse. They will all travel the CRA circuit together with Kyle and Hank taking care of Lanie's sexual needs until she makes up her mind which one of them she likes better. It sounds good until both men try to win her heart leaving Lainie hanging on for the full 8 seconds. What’s a girl to do?
I was pretty excited to hear that Lorelei James’ was starting a new series because I’m seriously addicted to her Roughriders books and IMO you can‘t ever have enough sexy cowboys. I also have a small addiction to the PBR and CORRALLED is all about the bullriding and its fearless bullfighters. Throw in a ménage storyline (yes girls, two swaggering, ultra sexy cowboys) and in theory this book should have had all my guns a blazin’. Unfortunately, and I can’t put my finger on why, it just never grabbed me like her Roughriders series always does and I was surprised by how difficult it was for me to get into her new Blacktop Cowboys.
One of the problems for me was the rodeo jargon, I kept forgetting what EBS and CRA stood for and these acronyms were used a lot. I also felt like I’d read this before as the storyline is very reminiscent of her first Roughriders book Long Hard Ride leaving me with a feeling of déjà vu for the entire read.
“As much as Hank loved bullfighting in the CRA, for a bullfighter, the EBS was the big time.”
If you’ve read anything else by Lorelei James then you’ll know what to expect from this. Erotic love scenes (every couple of pages)including some rope play and just about everything else, emotion filled storylines, a couple of dustups at a local saloon and a whole slew of unique characters and situations to keep you interested. James’ writing is also really fun. I love the way her characters talk and usually come away with a southern drawl much to my Canadian families amusement.
Lainie Capshaw is a sports therapist, traveling the rodeo circuits and patching up injured cowboys. She’s made it a steadfast rule not to date anyone, keeping things strictly professional amongst her many admirers. So it’s with some surprise that she finds herself dating not one but two handsome cowboys; Hank Lawson a bullfighter and Kyle Gilchrist a bull rider. Despite never discussing exclusivity Lainie feels guilty but also doesn’t assume she’ll have to decide between them as they work on different circuits. Honestly she doesn’t know if she could choose anyways.
Lainie’s two timing catches up with her one night at the local honky-tonk when Hank catches her with Kyle. To her surprise the two are childhood friends and since neither wants to bow down to the other they instead offer her a deal no horny cowgirl could refuse. They will all travel the CRA circuit together with Kyle and Hank taking care of Lanie's sexual needs until she makes up her mind which one of them she likes better. It sounds good until both men try to win her heart leaving Lainie hanging on for the full 8 seconds. What’s a girl to do?
February 23, 2015
Ugggg...I read Wrangled and Tangled and then Strattled and Spurred and both I really enjoyed...this one....not so much. I would say I am a 3.5 on the stars. I just do not get how Kyle can ever be with Celia now??? In the other two books the sharing was mentioned, but I did not research the series before reading Bran and then Abe /Renners stories. I just thought, oh a one off with the best buddy to give his gals something different!
Yikes, this was anything but! The whole dating Kyle while having Hank on the line pissed me off. Seriously, how many hot rodeo cowboys does one girl need?
This book just made me even more empathetic to Celia...she deserves a cowboy that will worship the ground she walks on....not some used up, oversexed arse that banged her sister in law! Yikes, I was so looking forward to book four, but now not so much. Kyle had better bring his A game if he hopes to win Celia and I over!
As for Lainie....jury is still out. I don't like her much, but I don't hate her either. Her being defensive about her half way there credentials just ticked me off too...don't like being paid less, being lower ranked, go get your degree! But like all of the things she has done her life, she has not committed all the way. Hopefully now that she has a good man, an understanding with her mother and closure on her father's death...she can see something through! Finish something darlin'!
Yikes, this was anything but! The whole dating Kyle while having Hank on the line pissed me off. Seriously, how many hot rodeo cowboys does one girl need?
This book just made me even more empathetic to Celia...she deserves a cowboy that will worship the ground she walks on....not some used up, oversexed arse that banged her sister in law! Yikes, I was so looking forward to book four, but now not so much. Kyle had better bring his A game if he hopes to win Celia and I over!
As for Lainie....jury is still out. I don't like her much, but I don't hate her either. Her being defensive about her half way there credentials just ticked me off too...don't like being paid less, being lower ranked, go get your degree! But like all of the things she has done her life, she has not committed all the way. Hopefully now that she has a good man, an understanding with her mother and closure on her father's death...she can see something through! Finish something darlin'!
December 14, 2010
This was my first James’ book, and I wasn’t sure what to think. A lot of my GR friends are huge fans of her Rough Riders—which I haven’t gotten my hands on yet because the series is so large now. So I decided to start with this one--the first in her Blacktop Cowboys series. What did I think? Well I was kind of under-whelmed.
We begin the story with Lainie already sleeping with both guys, behind their backs. Ok, I can go with that…men do it and there is no stigma. However, she finds out they are very close friends…UH OH. But wait! The two cowboys have a short conversation and decide they want to share her. Share her in every possible way. They propose it to Lainie by chasing her down and each sucking on her boobs at the same time. She’s convinced! There just wasn’t any sexual tension building between the three and I think that would have really made a difference in this book.
The guys never really wanted a threesome relationship in the first place. Neither of the three characters were ever fully explored, so I didn't get any body's motivations. The auther never gave me any reason to understand why Lainie was so attractive to these guys. She must have been a freak with each of them individually...I didn't see later. I personally found any scenes with Kyle a turn off. I didn’t like his candle wax/water torture, or that whole ordeal with the saddle, rope, and sawhorse. I thought that was kind of demeaning….and creepy.
However, I did finally come around at the end when it was just she and Hank and the story turned into more of a romance vs. a dominant sex fest—with inanimate objects. Bottom line: I will red this author again. However, I have read much, much, hotter ménage books. This one didn’t do it for me in that department…not that you were asking.
We begin the story with Lainie already sleeping with both guys, behind their backs. Ok, I can go with that…men do it and there is no stigma. However, she finds out they are very close friends…UH OH. But wait! The two cowboys have a short conversation and decide they want to share her. Share her in every possible way. They propose it to Lainie by chasing her down and each sucking on her boobs at the same time. She’s convinced! There just wasn’t any sexual tension building between the three and I think that would have really made a difference in this book.
The guys never really wanted a threesome relationship in the first place. Neither of the three characters were ever fully explored, so I didn't get any body's motivations. The auther never gave me any reason to understand why Lainie was so attractive to these guys. She must have been a freak with each of them individually...I didn't see later. I personally found any scenes with Kyle a turn off. I didn’t like his candle wax/water torture, or that whole ordeal with the saddle, rope, and sawhorse. I thought that was kind of demeaning….and creepy.
However, I did finally come around at the end when it was just she and Hank and the story turned into more of a romance vs. a dominant sex fest—with inanimate objects. Bottom line: I will red this author again. However, I have read much, much, hotter ménage books. This one didn’t do it for me in that department…not that you were asking.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2010
I really liked this once I got into it. I think it took me a little longer with this Lorelei book because the characters had already been seeing eachother when we meet them. I love the build up of a new relationship, so I missed a little of that with them. I also didn't really like the way Hank and Kyle were in such competition for Lainie. I was glad when that died down.
I really started to love Hank about halfway in, he was such a sweetie. I like all of the people that were introduced and can't wait for their stories as the series gets going.
Overall, a great start to a new sizzling hot series by Lorelei. Can't wait for the next book.
I really started to love Hank about halfway in, he was such a sweetie. I like all of the people that were introduced and can't wait for their stories as the series gets going.
Overall, a great start to a new sizzling hot series by Lorelei. Can't wait for the next book.
July 7, 2013
3 1/2 Stars!An enjoyable enough read for the most part, but something was a little off for me.
Oh don’t get me wrong there was a good story here, and a wonderful look into the world of rodeo from a different perspective. In LJ’s RR series it’s all about the bull rider. Here we got a taste of what a huge conglomeration the rodeo is. For those of us not all that familiar with this world it was interesting and informative. I had no idea what bull fighters went through, and that the term was even associated with the rodeo, a Mexican matador yes, but not cowboys. I adored Hank and Kyle, but I found Lainie to be somewhat annoying and childish. I was okay with the three of them, because that’s how I thought the story was going to proceed, as a menage, but her bed hopping was a bit much. Then again, I really don’t think Kyle and Hank had a clue how to handle the threesome. Pretty funny since it was their idea. There was also a very disturbing incident that went somewhat unresolved. Then again, this is a series and the possibility that it’s “handled” in future books, is very likely.
Even with the some minor flaws, in my opinion, it was hot, fun, interesting and written only as Lorelei James can do. She is one of the few authors that consistently writes a good story.
February 5, 2017
What a poor girl to do when she has two super hot cowboy's who want her time ? Well spend time with both of them of course ! Time to explore that fantasy for one lucky lady.
If only we all had such troubles :D
It was sexy, a touch of kink but backed with a great story and likable characters
I want more from this series.
If only we all had such troubles :D
It was sexy, a touch of kink but backed with a great story and likable characters
I want more from this series.
July 2, 2015
Lanie Capshaw has seen her fair share of hot cowboys working as a medic on the rodeo circuits and she plans to stay as far away from those silver tongued devils as she can. Being the only female in "the trenches" has it's benefits...she has plenty of eye-candy and plenty of offers, that's for sure, but everyone know she doesn't mess with rodeo cowboys.
For 2 years, she has no problem sticking to her no cowboy policy, that is until she meets 2 sweet talkers--each one on a different circuit and they proceed to turn her world upside down. Who knew they would turn out to be best friends? When her two timing is discovered, they make her an offer she just can't refuse and so goes the adventure of a lifetime as Lanie joins the boys in a rodeo road trip called "Cowboy Christmas".
What can I say? It's smoldering hot, it's super sexy and I'm jealous as hell! The cherry on top is that the story is fantastic too!
For 2 years, she has no problem sticking to her no cowboy policy, that is until she meets 2 sweet talkers--each one on a different circuit and they proceed to turn her world upside down. Who knew they would turn out to be best friends? When her two timing is discovered, they make her an offer she just can't refuse and so goes the adventure of a lifetime as Lanie joins the boys in a rodeo road trip called "Cowboy Christmas".
What can I say? It's smoldering hot, it's super sexy and I'm jealous as hell! The cherry on top is that the story is fantastic too!
Read
February 13, 2021Warning: Lorelei James' books are so hot they should only be read in front of a fan with an ice cold beverage in the middle of winter!!!
Corralled, the first in James' Blacktop Cowboys series, is no exception. The story of Lainie, a sports therapist, who has to make a very difficult choice between two extremely hot cowboys, Hank and Kyle, and all the fun she has deciding.
Not for the faint of heart! Enjoy! -Lindsey D.
Corralled, the first in James' Blacktop Cowboys series, is no exception. The story of Lainie, a sports therapist, who has to make a very difficult choice between two extremely hot cowboys, Hank and Kyle, and all the fun she has deciding.
Not for the faint of heart! Enjoy! -Lindsey D.
February 24, 2015
4.75 stars!
The very first line of this book (see above) drew me in immediately. Okay, I admit that the ménage trope lover in me interpreted the sentence in a different way than it was meant to be but I’m willing to bet I am not alone in that. Truthfully in the beginning of the book Lainie isn’t screwing both guys at the very same time. She is kind of dating them at the same time. But as the blurb indicates it soon went the course of my initial thought.
Lainie Capshaw works as a med tech for the two largest rodeo organizations: CRA and EBS. She’s hooked up with 2 cowboys, each competing in 1 of the organizations, Hank Lawson is a bullfighter with the CRA and Kyle Gilchrist is a bull rider with the EBS. When they discover by chance that Lainie is dating them both, the suggestion of a threesome is quickly made and they embark on a road-trip together for Kyle’s rodeo tour with the CRA.
Both Kyle and Hank are as alpha as they come and they’re both hardheaded and very competitive but that’s where the similarities end because otherwise they are total opposites. Hank is dark and brooding, very down-to-earth and not much for antics, sexual or otherwise. However, Hank has a hidden kinky side he keeps in check because he thinks Lainie isn’t into that and I was happy to see that side emerge in the course of the book. Kyle is a golden boy, vibrant, impulsive and sexually inventive but also sweet and he has his moments where his competitiveness ignite some darker thoughts in him.
Lainie is the daughter of a legendary bull rider, Jason Capshaw, who died tragically during a bull ride. This has great impact on her character and her development in the book. Lainie is sweet and caring but she’s definitely no pushover. She definitely held her ground with the two alpha cowboys trying to outshine each other in order to become the one she would choose in the end.
Lorelei James is amazing at family dynamics and Lainie’s relationship with her mother and the impact of the loss of her father are great examples of this but Hank’s family and Kyle’s bond with his mom also contributed to the intense personal relations I love to read about in her books.
I very much liked the approach Lorelei James took on the threesome aspect of the romance. It’s a realistic one in my opinion because it’s more often that a choice is in play when three people enter a (sexual) relationship, rather than settling in for a permanent three-way relationship. It was very interesting see the dynamics of a threesome at play when it’s something new for all three participants and when they aren’t completely comfortable with it and trying to find their way and their roles in it. The fact that both Hank and Kyle were very take-charge yet a bit unsure of how to make it all work contributed to my enjoyment of this aspect of the romance. It was also fascinating to see how both Kyle and Hank see what is different in what the other ones brings into the threesome and they see what they fail to bring to the table themselves. Initially Hank is more gentle and attentive, more in tune with Lainie’s pleasure and comfort and Kyle brings the fun and kink but in their competitiveness for Lainie’s affections they both try to take over some of the things the other one offers.
The feelings of jealousy envy and possessiveness over Lainie both Kyle and Hank had, stayed on the right side of bothersome for me. Again proof of Lorelei James’ writing skills. It was natural for them to feel these things but on the other hand they knew what they were getting into when they decided to propose a threesome to Lainie. At one point I really empathized with her insecurity about their fight for her affections: Was it about her or about outdoing each other? I applaud how, right when an aspect in the threesome and the arrangement was threatening to become annoying, Lorelei James went and solved it by making Hank and Kyle realize they were handling the whole threesome thing in a not so pleasant way for Lainie and they changed up their tactics. Two thumbs up for Ms. James here. This is what makes her one of my all-time favorite erotic romance authors.
Early on in the book it’s clear, at least it was to me, who Lainie is going to end up with as Lorelei James gives enough small hints and clues towards the direction Lainie’s choice is going. She does this in a subtle manner without giving away too much and making the decisive scene a wonderfully emotional one, which I savored and was in total agreement with.
I liked Celia, Hank’s little sister, a lot! She’s a feisty, spunky little thing who is determined to follow her dream no matter how much her brothers try to stop her because they think it’s for her own good and because of their protective instincts. She reminded me of Keely McKay (from the Rough Riders) and I hope eventually she’ll get her own story in this series too. I even have an inkling of whom she should be paired up with but only time will tell if I’m right…as I was with Keely.
For me comparison with Lorelei James’ first book in the Rough Riders Series (LONG HARD RIDE) is inevitable as the premise of both books is very similar. However there are also plenty of differences, which was something I appreciated and was happy about. One of them was the fact that the page-count provided Lorelei James with even more room to deepen out the characters and to give the relationships room to grow and develop in a realistic time frame. The Rough Riders will always be my first Lorelei James love, but after reading CORRALLED I just know the Blacktop Cowboys are going to give them a run for their money.
I don’t have much material to compare her with, as most of the western-themed romance books I’ve read are by her hand, but I do believe Lorelei James is the queen of all and everything cowboy. She really knows her stuff and that makes her books treasures of knowledge about rodeos and ranching, next to all the heat she delivers in the smoking love scenes. Reading CORRALLED made me wish I could book a flight and hop on a plane to the US, rent an RV and go touring around Wyoming. I am dead serious here. And not only on the off chance that I’d meet a cowboy like Hank or Kyle or one of the others, but the scenery alone and the way Lorelei James described it, is enough to tempt me.
I was also very pleased with the way Lorelei James portrayed the characters. They are very three-dimensional with their issues, flaws and history next to the hot sexiness of the books this is what appeals most to me in her books and CORRALLED is no exception. I loved the dialogues, which were easy and fluent and kept the book moving forward in a fast-paced way and were witty and fun to read. The banter and innuendo between the characters was excellently executed and so were the more emotional dialogues when some heavier subjects were broached.
One thing: CORRALLED is labeled as a contemporary romance (at least that’s what my ARC copy says, I don’t know what they put on the finished copies) but there should definitely be an additional erotic romance label included because of its explicitness and the amount of sex scenes. Readers who expect a sweet western romance from this book? You won’t be getting that. It’s sexy and very explicit. Not that I am complaining here because I expected nothing less from Lorelei James but readers who aren’t into erotic romance might not like this book. Just giving them a head-up here.
No matter what series, no matter if it’s with a digital first publisher or a big NYC print publisher, Lorelei James knows how to write awesome and sizzling hot, need-a-fan, grab-your-man dirty sex scenes. And she skillfully combines them with great family dynamics, intense emotions you can easily relate to and a vast and excellent knowledge of rodeo and ranching. For me CORRALLED equals humor, emotions, depth and hot sex. All the things I love in the books I read were delivered here, making it another keeper on my shelves and convincing me without a doubt that no matter what Lorelei James writes, I’ll adore it.
9.5 out of 10
Quotes:
Kyle and Hank discussing the idea of a threesome:
“That don’t mean that I’m on board”
“For a threesome? Why the hell not? I’m totally on board.” Hank snickered. “You ain’t afraid Lainie will be comparing our dick sizes or something?”
“F#ck off, Lawson. That ain’t what concerns me. What if part of her deal is she wants us to be together, kissing and touching and shit like them women in porn threesomes are?”
That visual immediately caught Hank’s attention. His body went rigid before he shuddered. “No f#cking way am I sucking your dick, Gilly.”
Hank sure knows how to kiss:
His mouth descended and she was lost.
Velvety soft lips brushing hers. Crushing hers. His tongue stroked and teased. Coaxing. Devouring. He repositioned his head, taking the kiss down to the depths of her soul.
Hank feeling a bit insecure after Kyle’s been wooing Lainie:
Bastard had it all planned out how he’d edge Hank out. Flowers, cozy domestic scenes, and the all-important time alone, where he’d probably do some Kama Sutra type sex shit to Lainie that Hank had never even heard of. Or some multi-orgasmic tantric stuff. F#ck that.
Kyle and Hank discuss sleeping arrangements after Lainie has shut them out of the bedroom:
“I guess we’ll deal with it then. Looks like you ‘n’ me are bunk mates.”
“F#ckin awesome.”
“Sucks worse for me Hank. I thought I’d be snuggled up to soft and sweet-smelling curves and instead I’m stuck with you.”
“Ain’t no snuggling between us, hoss. You touch me and I’m decking you.”
The very first line of this book (see above) drew me in immediately. Okay, I admit that the ménage trope lover in me interpreted the sentence in a different way than it was meant to be but I’m willing to bet I am not alone in that. Truthfully in the beginning of the book Lainie isn’t screwing both guys at the very same time. She is kind of dating them at the same time. But as the blurb indicates it soon went the course of my initial thought.
Lainie Capshaw works as a med tech for the two largest rodeo organizations: CRA and EBS. She’s hooked up with 2 cowboys, each competing in 1 of the organizations, Hank Lawson is a bullfighter with the CRA and Kyle Gilchrist is a bull rider with the EBS. When they discover by chance that Lainie is dating them both, the suggestion of a threesome is quickly made and they embark on a road-trip together for Kyle’s rodeo tour with the CRA.
Both Kyle and Hank are as alpha as they come and they’re both hardheaded and very competitive but that’s where the similarities end because otherwise they are total opposites. Hank is dark and brooding, very down-to-earth and not much for antics, sexual or otherwise. However, Hank has a hidden kinky side he keeps in check because he thinks Lainie isn’t into that and I was happy to see that side emerge in the course of the book. Kyle is a golden boy, vibrant, impulsive and sexually inventive but also sweet and he has his moments where his competitiveness ignite some darker thoughts in him.
Lainie is the daughter of a legendary bull rider, Jason Capshaw, who died tragically during a bull ride. This has great impact on her character and her development in the book. Lainie is sweet and caring but she’s definitely no pushover. She definitely held her ground with the two alpha cowboys trying to outshine each other in order to become the one she would choose in the end.
Lorelei James is amazing at family dynamics and Lainie’s relationship with her mother and the impact of the loss of her father are great examples of this but Hank’s family and Kyle’s bond with his mom also contributed to the intense personal relations I love to read about in her books.
I very much liked the approach Lorelei James took on the threesome aspect of the romance. It’s a realistic one in my opinion because it’s more often that a choice is in play when three people enter a (sexual) relationship, rather than settling in for a permanent three-way relationship. It was very interesting see the dynamics of a threesome at play when it’s something new for all three participants and when they aren’t completely comfortable with it and trying to find their way and their roles in it. The fact that both Hank and Kyle were very take-charge yet a bit unsure of how to make it all work contributed to my enjoyment of this aspect of the romance. It was also fascinating to see how both Kyle and Hank see what is different in what the other ones brings into the threesome and they see what they fail to bring to the table themselves. Initially Hank is more gentle and attentive, more in tune with Lainie’s pleasure and comfort and Kyle brings the fun and kink but in their competitiveness for Lainie’s affections they both try to take over some of the things the other one offers.
The feelings of jealousy envy and possessiveness over Lainie both Kyle and Hank had, stayed on the right side of bothersome for me. Again proof of Lorelei James’ writing skills. It was natural for them to feel these things but on the other hand they knew what they were getting into when they decided to propose a threesome to Lainie. At one point I really empathized with her insecurity about their fight for her affections: Was it about her or about outdoing each other? I applaud how, right when an aspect in the threesome and the arrangement was threatening to become annoying, Lorelei James went and solved it by making Hank and Kyle realize they were handling the whole threesome thing in a not so pleasant way for Lainie and they changed up their tactics. Two thumbs up for Ms. James here. This is what makes her one of my all-time favorite erotic romance authors.
Early on in the book it’s clear, at least it was to me, who Lainie is going to end up with as Lorelei James gives enough small hints and clues towards the direction Lainie’s choice is going. She does this in a subtle manner without giving away too much and making the decisive scene a wonderfully emotional one, which I savored and was in total agreement with.
I liked Celia, Hank’s little sister, a lot! She’s a feisty, spunky little thing who is determined to follow her dream no matter how much her brothers try to stop her because they think it’s for her own good and because of their protective instincts. She reminded me of Keely McKay (from the Rough Riders) and I hope eventually she’ll get her own story in this series too. I even have an inkling of whom she should be paired up with but only time will tell if I’m right…as I was with Keely.
For me comparison with Lorelei James’ first book in the Rough Riders Series (LONG HARD RIDE) is inevitable as the premise of both books is very similar. However there are also plenty of differences, which was something I appreciated and was happy about. One of them was the fact that the page-count provided Lorelei James with even more room to deepen out the characters and to give the relationships room to grow and develop in a realistic time frame. The Rough Riders will always be my first Lorelei James love, but after reading CORRALLED I just know the Blacktop Cowboys are going to give them a run for their money.
I don’t have much material to compare her with, as most of the western-themed romance books I’ve read are by her hand, but I do believe Lorelei James is the queen of all and everything cowboy. She really knows her stuff and that makes her books treasures of knowledge about rodeos and ranching, next to all the heat she delivers in the smoking love scenes. Reading CORRALLED made me wish I could book a flight and hop on a plane to the US, rent an RV and go touring around Wyoming. I am dead serious here. And not only on the off chance that I’d meet a cowboy like Hank or Kyle or one of the others, but the scenery alone and the way Lorelei James described it, is enough to tempt me.
I was also very pleased with the way Lorelei James portrayed the characters. They are very three-dimensional with their issues, flaws and history next to the hot sexiness of the books this is what appeals most to me in her books and CORRALLED is no exception. I loved the dialogues, which were easy and fluent and kept the book moving forward in a fast-paced way and were witty and fun to read. The banter and innuendo between the characters was excellently executed and so were the more emotional dialogues when some heavier subjects were broached.
One thing: CORRALLED is labeled as a contemporary romance (at least that’s what my ARC copy says, I don’t know what they put on the finished copies) but there should definitely be an additional erotic romance label included because of its explicitness and the amount of sex scenes. Readers who expect a sweet western romance from this book? You won’t be getting that. It’s sexy and very explicit. Not that I am complaining here because I expected nothing less from Lorelei James but readers who aren’t into erotic romance might not like this book. Just giving them a head-up here.
No matter what series, no matter if it’s with a digital first publisher or a big NYC print publisher, Lorelei James knows how to write awesome and sizzling hot, need-a-fan, grab-your-man dirty sex scenes. And she skillfully combines them with great family dynamics, intense emotions you can easily relate to and a vast and excellent knowledge of rodeo and ranching. For me CORRALLED equals humor, emotions, depth and hot sex. All the things I love in the books I read were delivered here, making it another keeper on my shelves and convincing me without a doubt that no matter what Lorelei James writes, I’ll adore it.
9.5 out of 10
Quotes:
Kyle and Hank discussing the idea of a threesome:
“That don’t mean that I’m on board”
“For a threesome? Why the hell not? I’m totally on board.” Hank snickered. “You ain’t afraid Lainie will be comparing our dick sizes or something?”
“F#ck off, Lawson. That ain’t what concerns me. What if part of her deal is she wants us to be together, kissing and touching and shit like them women in porn threesomes are?”
That visual immediately caught Hank’s attention. His body went rigid before he shuddered. “No f#cking way am I sucking your dick, Gilly.”
Hank sure knows how to kiss:
His mouth descended and she was lost.
Velvety soft lips brushing hers. Crushing hers. His tongue stroked and teased. Coaxing. Devouring. He repositioned his head, taking the kiss down to the depths of her soul.
Hank feeling a bit insecure after Kyle’s been wooing Lainie:
Bastard had it all planned out how he’d edge Hank out. Flowers, cozy domestic scenes, and the all-important time alone, where he’d probably do some Kama Sutra type sex shit to Lainie that Hank had never even heard of. Or some multi-orgasmic tantric stuff. F#ck that.
Kyle and Hank discuss sleeping arrangements after Lainie has shut them out of the bedroom:
“I guess we’ll deal with it then. Looks like you ‘n’ me are bunk mates.”
“F#ckin awesome.”
“Sucks worse for me Hank. I thought I’d be snuggled up to soft and sweet-smelling curves and instead I’m stuck with you.”
“Ain’t no snuggling between us, hoss. You touch me and I’m decking you.”
August 1, 2010
Lorelei James weaves an evocative tale about a woman who is force to choose between two men who want her. Fans of the Rough Riders series gear up for another wild and erotic cowboy story in a new series.
Laine Capshaw is a med tech for Lariat Sports Medicine traveling the rodeo circuits helping the injured cowboys. She has a no-dating cowboy rule but when she met two men on two different circuits she finds herself drawn to them both. Hank Lawson and Kyle Gilchrist is every woman’s dream and the one woman they both want is Lainie. So when they both learn that Lainie has been sleeping with the both of them, neither is willing to part so they offer to share her.
I always like a good cowboy love story and this one meets my standards. I was pulled in from the first page. I’m not always a fan of ménages in my erotica because I tend to wonder how it is possible that the woman don’t find one man better than the next. The overall premise of the story is that Lainie knows deep down that she is going to have to choose. I knew that the decision was going to hard. Hank was the typical Alpha male in that he was strong, sexy and silent. Kyle was more of the wild type. Each one of them appealed to different sides of Lainie’s personality.
When reading erotica that features ménages, I’m always baffled that the author never seems to entwine the tension and jealously from the men at having to compete with one another for the girl. I was so glad that Lorelei James didn’t take this route with this story. While both men acted as though they were in complete agreement with sharing, there was some underlying jealousy and you knew that a war was taking place in the bedroom.
While reading this book, my mind kept wondering which man would win Lainie’s heart. How could a girl make such a tough decision? The dialogue, jealousy and the tension throughout the book was realistic enough for me. At times, I wanted to hate Lainie because she would not choose but the part of me that envies having two gorgeous men chase after me, understood that it was a lot harder for her. Throughout the book as Lainie struggled with her decision about these two cowboys, I was making my own decision about which one she should be with. At the end, there was no doubt in my mind that she had picked the right man for her. I was not disappointed and I was equally satisfied.
The love scenes were just explicitly hot! I had to stop reading after each love scene just to cool down. There was just enough kinkiness in the love scenes to satisfy me without being distasteful.
Corralled is the first book in the Blacktop Cowboys series and I highly anticipated what is up next for those sexy Wyoming cowboys.
Laine Capshaw is a med tech for Lariat Sports Medicine traveling the rodeo circuits helping the injured cowboys. She has a no-dating cowboy rule but when she met two men on two different circuits she finds herself drawn to them both. Hank Lawson and Kyle Gilchrist is every woman’s dream and the one woman they both want is Lainie. So when they both learn that Lainie has been sleeping with the both of them, neither is willing to part so they offer to share her.
I always like a good cowboy love story and this one meets my standards. I was pulled in from the first page. I’m not always a fan of ménages in my erotica because I tend to wonder how it is possible that the woman don’t find one man better than the next. The overall premise of the story is that Lainie knows deep down that she is going to have to choose. I knew that the decision was going to hard. Hank was the typical Alpha male in that he was strong, sexy and silent. Kyle was more of the wild type. Each one of them appealed to different sides of Lainie’s personality.
When reading erotica that features ménages, I’m always baffled that the author never seems to entwine the tension and jealously from the men at having to compete with one another for the girl. I was so glad that Lorelei James didn’t take this route with this story. While both men acted as though they were in complete agreement with sharing, there was some underlying jealousy and you knew that a war was taking place in the bedroom.
While reading this book, my mind kept wondering which man would win Lainie’s heart. How could a girl make such a tough decision? The dialogue, jealousy and the tension throughout the book was realistic enough for me. At times, I wanted to hate Lainie because she would not choose but the part of me that envies having two gorgeous men chase after me, understood that it was a lot harder for her. Throughout the book as Lainie struggled with her decision about these two cowboys, I was making my own decision about which one she should be with. At the end, there was no doubt in my mind that she had picked the right man for her. I was not disappointed and I was equally satisfied.
The love scenes were just explicitly hot! I had to stop reading after each love scene just to cool down. There was just enough kinkiness in the love scenes to satisfy me without being distasteful.
Corralled is the first book in the Blacktop Cowboys series and I highly anticipated what is up next for those sexy Wyoming cowboys.
July 29, 2016
A typical LJ novel with loads of sex between 1 woman & 2 sexy cowboys.
Don't get me wrong I did enjoy this and I did get the steam but I felt like I had read it all before, which in fact I had in her Rough Riders series. She could have easily changed the characters names and you would have thought it was a Rough Rider!
As I said I did get lots of steam which I knew was guaranteed from a LJ novel but the story line is starting to get a bit old for me. But thats not to say I won't carry on with them - especially when I am in that mood if you know what I mean ;))
Don't get me wrong I did enjoy this and I did get the steam but I felt like I had read it all before, which in fact I had in her Rough Riders series. She could have easily changed the characters names and you would have thought it was a Rough Rider!
As I said I did get lots of steam which I knew was guaranteed from a LJ novel but the story line is starting to get a bit old for me. But thats not to say I won't carry on with them - especially when I am in that mood if you know what I mean ;))
July 4, 2019
Not really sure what to think of this book and it’s a difficult one to review seeing I don’t really know how to put my feelings about this one into words. I’ll try.
It was fast-paced and enjoyable, but overall, I had some serious remarks on the story/writing as well, that had me in a twist over what rating to give this book for example. I decided to stick to 3 stars, even though some remarks made quite an impact on my reading experience. But still… these characters had me hooked to the story and I finished reading it within a day, so that says enough right?
I really loved reading the M/F/M scenes and the romance development in general, even though when I look into it all I wasn’t entirely satisfied either.
Story and writing wise, I just felt frustrated at times, because the two men, at one point, started getting jealous and frustrated with the situation and made it a challenge to win over the girl while they explicitly agreed up front that she wouldn’t have to choose between the two and that they wouldn’t expect her to either < which of course they wanted to at some point because well, feelings came into the game.
Gradually, as the story continued, it became obvious some characters started to fall in love and others were left behind a bit, which was to be expected. But what bothered me was, that all 3 of the characters knew what they’d be getting themselves into up front by agreeing to spent time together and it felt to me like none of the men were really into it from the start though, the way you would’ve expected them to be. To be frank, they never should’ve taken the road they took, seeing they weren’t really ‘into it’ and were only agreeing to do this all because they didn’t want to loose the girl and wanted to win her over for themselves. It didn’t feel like a ‘healthy’ sexual relationship between three people a lot of the time.
But despite feeling that, it was still an enjoyable read because I liked the characters and minor characters as well and the sexy times were REALLY sexy and left me hot & bothered. But again, there were times I wasn’t always impressed by it all either. Maybe there was a bit too much sexy in the book, which I’d normally would never say since I love sexy times, but at times it felt like the author constantly wanted to up her game with every new sex scene? - the two male characters truing to compete with each other were the fuel for this of course, but still… It was a bit too much for me at times I guess, because the story line development suffered for it in my opinion.
So my conclusion is: Even though I had some serious remarks on the book, this story also had a lot of potential and the writing itself was good and made for a fast-paced read. I really liked reading about these characters and I’m interested in reading more by this author because she left me curious. I wasn’t extremely impressed with this book because of how I experienced the development of some elements in this book but regardless, I’d still want to read another book to see how the writing of this author has progressed (or not). I like the cowboy elements and I like steamy scenes , which is plenty present in this book.
If you’re looking for a hot and steamy cowboy read and M/F/M romance, this is definitely a fun one to read in between. Even though it wasn’t All to my liking, I’d still recommend it because everyone experiences a book in a different way so I’d never say to not read a book because it’s such a personal experience.
It was fast-paced and enjoyable, but overall, I had some serious remarks on the story/writing as well, that had me in a twist over what rating to give this book for example. I decided to stick to 3 stars, even though some remarks made quite an impact on my reading experience. But still… these characters had me hooked to the story and I finished reading it within a day, so that says enough right?
I really loved reading the M/F/M scenes and the romance development in general, even though when I look into it all I wasn’t entirely satisfied either.
Story and writing wise, I just felt frustrated at times, because the two men, at one point, started getting jealous and frustrated with the situation and made it a challenge to win over the girl while they explicitly agreed up front that she wouldn’t have to choose between the two and that they wouldn’t expect her to either < which of course they wanted to at some point because well, feelings came into the game.
Gradually, as the story continued, it became obvious some characters started to fall in love and others were left behind a bit, which was to be expected. But what bothered me was, that all 3 of the characters knew what they’d be getting themselves into up front by agreeing to spent time together and it felt to me like none of the men were really into it from the start though, the way you would’ve expected them to be. To be frank, they never should’ve taken the road they took, seeing they weren’t really ‘into it’ and were only agreeing to do this all because they didn’t want to loose the girl and wanted to win her over for themselves. It didn’t feel like a ‘healthy’ sexual relationship between three people a lot of the time.
But despite feeling that, it was still an enjoyable read because I liked the characters and minor characters as well and the sexy times were REALLY sexy and left me hot & bothered. But again, there were times I wasn’t always impressed by it all either. Maybe there was a bit too much sexy in the book, which I’d normally would never say since I love sexy times, but at times it felt like the author constantly wanted to up her game with every new sex scene? - the two male characters truing to compete with each other were the fuel for this of course, but still… It was a bit too much for me at times I guess, because the story line development suffered for it in my opinion.
So my conclusion is: Even though I had some serious remarks on the book, this story also had a lot of potential and the writing itself was good and made for a fast-paced read. I really liked reading about these characters and I’m interested in reading more by this author because she left me curious. I wasn’t extremely impressed with this book because of how I experienced the development of some elements in this book but regardless, I’d still want to read another book to see how the writing of this author has progressed (or not). I like the cowboy elements and I like steamy scenes , which is plenty present in this book.
If you’re looking for a hot and steamy cowboy read and M/F/M romance, this is definitely a fun one to read in between. Even though it wasn’t All to my liking, I’d still recommend it because everyone experiences a book in a different way so I’d never say to not read a book because it’s such a personal experience.
November 9, 2010
GREAT Start to The Blacktop Cowboys series.
DO NOT READ Corralled expecting it to be like the Rough Rider series, comparing the two series is like comparing apples to oranges, you can't.
I have to admit, I put off reading Corralled because of a review that said Corralled didn't measure up to the Rough Riders series. I absolutely LOVE all of the Rough Rider books and I am now adding the Blacktop Cowboy series to my list of favorites, Corralled is the first book of the series. You can't compare the two series at all, Rough Riders is centered around the McKay family. Corralled is about a group of people that travel the same rodeo circuit.
I found that the emotions Kyle, Hank and Lanie went through felt real, they showed the darker emotions of being involved in a menage, how jealousy can affect the people involved, how one person can feel confused and pulled in different directions towards the menage partners and the chances of one of the three getting hurt because the other two connect more and decide to stay together. By the time I finished reading Corralled, I was rooting for all three characters to find what they were looking for and I was totally in love with Hank. I would love to go into more detail, but do not want to spoil it for anyone. The sex scenes in Corralled were HOT, one or two may have been a little more on the raunchy side, but not disgustingly so. And the ending was so sweet and endearing, it made me cry =)
As much as I love the Rough Riders series, I am glad the Blacktop Cowboys series is not a carbon copy of it. By carbon copy I mean a new series with the same scenarios just set in a different state, with different names for the characters. Lorelei's books are all different, that's why so many people are loyal fans, she doesn't bore us with a standard formula for all her books, we never know what to expect, other than an awesome story, hot men and even hotter sex.
Take the time to read Corralled, with a fan and a bottle of water near by. I have a feeling, that like me, you will be chomping at the bit for the release of Saddled and Spurred, book 2 of the Blacktop Cowboys series in March 2011 =)
DO NOT READ Corralled expecting it to be like the Rough Rider series, comparing the two series is like comparing apples to oranges, you can't.
I have to admit, I put off reading Corralled because of a review that said Corralled didn't measure up to the Rough Riders series. I absolutely LOVE all of the Rough Rider books and I am now adding the Blacktop Cowboy series to my list of favorites, Corralled is the first book of the series. You can't compare the two series at all, Rough Riders is centered around the McKay family. Corralled is about a group of people that travel the same rodeo circuit.
I found that the emotions Kyle, Hank and Lanie went through felt real, they showed the darker emotions of being involved in a menage, how jealousy can affect the people involved, how one person can feel confused and pulled in different directions towards the menage partners and the chances of one of the three getting hurt because the other two connect more and decide to stay together. By the time I finished reading Corralled, I was rooting for all three characters to find what they were looking for and I was totally in love with Hank. I would love to go into more detail, but do not want to spoil it for anyone. The sex scenes in Corralled were HOT, one or two may have been a little more on the raunchy side, but not disgustingly so. And the ending was so sweet and endearing, it made me cry =)
As much as I love the Rough Riders series, I am glad the Blacktop Cowboys series is not a carbon copy of it. By carbon copy I mean a new series with the same scenarios just set in a different state, with different names for the characters. Lorelei's books are all different, that's why so many people are loyal fans, she doesn't bore us with a standard formula for all her books, we never know what to expect, other than an awesome story, hot men and even hotter sex.
Take the time to read Corralled, with a fan and a bottle of water near by. I have a feeling, that like me, you will be chomping at the bit for the release of Saddled and Spurred, book 2 of the Blacktop Cowboys series in March 2011 =)
March 22, 2011
I wanted to like this book, really, I did!! I love menage stories, especially menage with hunky cowboys but I just had a hard time with this one. First of all, my biggest problem was that the story was not about the love of the 3 people involved, it was all about Kyle and Hank trying to sexually 'one up' each other so that Lainie would choose one or the other of them. To me that doesn't feel like menage, it just felt like Lainie was doing them both until she had to decide on one of them. It just didn't seem to have enough heart for me.
I absolutely LOVE LJ, and I know this book was just a flook for me, since I have loved every other of her books I have read, I especially love the Rough Riders series, hell, what's not to like about Hot, Nekkid Cowboys.....but, I digress,, as much as I wanted to like this book it was just meh, for me anyway! I think I felt that all three parties involved were very immature and definitely to immature for a complicated sexual relationship like menage.
This is just my opinion on this book and I believe that I am in the minority and would NEVER want to deter anyone from reading LJ, because even though this one didn't do it for me, her books ROCK!!!
I absolutely LOVE LJ, and I know this book was just a flook for me, since I have loved every other of her books I have read, I especially love the Rough Riders series, hell, what's not to like about Hot, Nekkid Cowboys.....but, I digress,, as much as I wanted to like this book it was just meh, for me anyway! I think I felt that all three parties involved were very immature and definitely to immature for a complicated sexual relationship like menage.
This is just my opinion on this book and I believe that I am in the minority and would NEVER want to deter anyone from reading LJ, because even though this one didn't do it for me, her books ROCK!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2010
4.5 stars!
This is a great first in Lorelei James' new Blacktop Cowboys series! I really loved both the story and the characters! The passion was intense and the sex was definitely hot! And oh my.. the ending was fantastic! I just wish that Lainie would have dealt Ace and the EBS their just desserts!
I'm looking forward to the next in the series!
This is a great first in Lorelei James' new Blacktop Cowboys series! I really loved both the story and the characters! The passion was intense and the sex was definitely hot! And oh my.. the ending was fantastic! I just wish that Lainie would have dealt Ace and the EBS their just desserts!
I'm looking forward to the next in the series!
August 17, 2010
For the first 3/4 of this book I thought yes I really like this and thought it to be a 4 star book for me. OH MY! The last 1/4 of this book was sooo darn good that I have to give it a 5 star rating. My only wish is the EBS and Ace Newharth would have gotten their Comeuppance. Hopefully in the next book in the series they will get what's coming to them.
July 21, 2014
Quality of writing, characterization, dialog, editing, and apparent research done on content: 4 Stars
Subject matter, themes, likability of characters, and overall believability of their actions: 1-2 Stars
Final rating is 3 Stars.
Subject matter, themes, likability of characters, and overall believability of their actions: 1-2 Stars
Final rating is 3 Stars.
September 14, 2010
Rating: 2.5 / 5
It's hard for me to say I didn't particularly like this book because I'm a big Lorelei James fan, but the truth is that I honestly didn't really care for this one. I expected a lot from it and ended up disappointed.
Series Note:
First book in James's new mainstream "Blacktop Cowboys" series about rodeo cowboys.
Summary:
Lainie Capshaw works as a sports therapist for two different rodeo circuits where she comes into contact with oodles of sexy cowboys. She's always managed to keep her distance until two different cowboys - one from each circuit she works - catch her attention. She never intended to start sleeping with each, but that's what happens. Lainie could have never imagined that the two men were actually childhood friends. And all is well until the two men figure out Lainie is sleeping with both of them.
Instead of losing her altogether, Hank and Kyle offer to share Lainie and invite her to travel with them during "Cowboy Christman" - a frantic rush of rodeo events. Lainie agrees, as she's just been coerced to take a vacation. But traveling with two men who want her is more challenging than she could have imagined. Especially when one of them takes the lead in winning her heart...
Review:
I love James's "Rough Riders" series and I had very high expectations of this first book in her first mainstream print series, "Blacktop Cowboys." Maybe some of my disappointment is just that I had such high expectations, but honestly, the book didn't work for me for the most part.
Right from the start I was turned off. Lainie, the heroine, is blatantly cheating by sleeping with two different men on the side. That's rather skanky and not what I want from a heroine in a romance novel. And her attitude about it made it worse. She had no remorse, no nothing. It was all fun and games. Yuck. Then she gets caught and runs with her tail between her legs. Chicken!
Aside from that rather inauspicious start, the romance level in the book was seriously lacking for me. After Lainie gets caught, Hank and Kyle - neither of whom wants to lose her (damn she must be something in bed!) - offer to share her and invite her to travel with them during "Cowboy Christmas." She agrees and they hit the road.
It should have been sexy and hot, two hunk cowboys pleasuring one woman. But James's lost me on all the jealousy and competition that existed between Hank and Kyle. The two are constantly annoyed when Lainie is with the other one, and they're constantly trying to figure out ways to out-do each other sexually when they get time alone with her. It got so freakin' old really quick. Less than half way through the book I wanted to start banging my head against a wall. I don't want to read about jealous competition among a threesome. It's not romantic.
Besides that, the whole vibe of the threesome lacked romance. It came off as fun and games. Lainie seemed very disconnected emotionally from the two and Hank and Kyle just wanted to make sure they pleased her more than the other one. There was very little emotional bonding going on, no romancing. Just a lot of sex, competition and jealousy. It made the book feel more like erotica than erotic romance. And I was very disappointed in that. Usually James's books are great romance wise so to not get that in this one was such a let down. Weirdly, the best chemistry I felt in the book was between Kyle and Hank's sister, Celia. Those two set off sparks and I hope James puts those two together.
Plus, the way Kyle faded away at the end was weird. All through the book you get the sense that he really wants her and cares about her then it's like a switch flips and he wanders off. It seemed really strange.
I also thought the book lacked some focus storyline-wise aside from the Who-wins-Lainie's-heart competition. It kinda wanders in ten different directions. From Lainie's job issues, her family issues, Hank's family issues, Hank's possible move to another rodeo circuit, Kyle's comeback from an injury, Lainie almost being assaulted and maybe some other stuff, it just felt like the story lacked a solid direction.
And yeah, all I've done is criticize. I feel bad about that since I love James's books...usually. On the good side, despite it's issues, the book was still very readable. James writes smoothly, with nice detail (sometimes too much in this one). The sex is hot and inventive. And hey, it's about cowboys, can't go wrong with that!
I just wish the book had been more romantic. But I'm not giving up on the series. I think it was just the storyline of this one book that didn't work for me, and not James' direction as an author. I'm still looking forward to reading more about the "Blacktop Cowboys."
WARNING, this book contains: explicit sex and language, oral sex (m/f, m/f/m hetero), anal sex (m/f, m/f/m hetero), toys, wax play, light bondage, light spanking, maybe some other stuff I'm forgetting, and also a scene involving an attempted sexual assault.
It's hard for me to say I didn't particularly like this book because I'm a big Lorelei James fan, but the truth is that I honestly didn't really care for this one. I expected a lot from it and ended up disappointed.
Series Note:
First book in James's new mainstream "Blacktop Cowboys" series about rodeo cowboys.
Summary:
Lainie Capshaw works as a sports therapist for two different rodeo circuits where she comes into contact with oodles of sexy cowboys. She's always managed to keep her distance until two different cowboys - one from each circuit she works - catch her attention. She never intended to start sleeping with each, but that's what happens. Lainie could have never imagined that the two men were actually childhood friends. And all is well until the two men figure out Lainie is sleeping with both of them.
Instead of losing her altogether, Hank and Kyle offer to share Lainie and invite her to travel with them during "Cowboy Christman" - a frantic rush of rodeo events. Lainie agrees, as she's just been coerced to take a vacation. But traveling with two men who want her is more challenging than she could have imagined. Especially when one of them takes the lead in winning her heart...
Review:
I love James's "Rough Riders" series and I had very high expectations of this first book in her first mainstream print series, "Blacktop Cowboys." Maybe some of my disappointment is just that I had such high expectations, but honestly, the book didn't work for me for the most part.
Right from the start I was turned off. Lainie, the heroine, is blatantly cheating by sleeping with two different men on the side. That's rather skanky and not what I want from a heroine in a romance novel. And her attitude about it made it worse. She had no remorse, no nothing. It was all fun and games. Yuck. Then she gets caught and runs with her tail between her legs. Chicken!
Aside from that rather inauspicious start, the romance level in the book was seriously lacking for me. After Lainie gets caught, Hank and Kyle - neither of whom wants to lose her (damn she must be something in bed!) - offer to share her and invite her to travel with them during "Cowboy Christmas." She agrees and they hit the road.
It should have been sexy and hot, two hunk cowboys pleasuring one woman. But James's lost me on all the jealousy and competition that existed between Hank and Kyle. The two are constantly annoyed when Lainie is with the other one, and they're constantly trying to figure out ways to out-do each other sexually when they get time alone with her. It got so freakin' old really quick. Less than half way through the book I wanted to start banging my head against a wall. I don't want to read about jealous competition among a threesome. It's not romantic.
Besides that, the whole vibe of the threesome lacked romance. It came off as fun and games. Lainie seemed very disconnected emotionally from the two and Hank and Kyle just wanted to make sure they pleased her more than the other one. There was very little emotional bonding going on, no romancing. Just a lot of sex, competition and jealousy. It made the book feel more like erotica than erotic romance. And I was very disappointed in that. Usually James's books are great romance wise so to not get that in this one was such a let down. Weirdly, the best chemistry I felt in the book was between Kyle and Hank's sister, Celia. Those two set off sparks and I hope James puts those two together.
Plus, the way Kyle faded away at the end was weird. All through the book you get the sense that he really wants her and cares about her then it's like a switch flips and he wanders off. It seemed really strange.
I also thought the book lacked some focus storyline-wise aside from the Who-wins-Lainie's-heart competition. It kinda wanders in ten different directions. From Lainie's job issues, her family issues, Hank's family issues, Hank's possible move to another rodeo circuit, Kyle's comeback from an injury, Lainie almost being assaulted and maybe some other stuff, it just felt like the story lacked a solid direction.
And yeah, all I've done is criticize. I feel bad about that since I love James's books...usually. On the good side, despite it's issues, the book was still very readable. James writes smoothly, with nice detail (sometimes too much in this one). The sex is hot and inventive. And hey, it's about cowboys, can't go wrong with that!
I just wish the book had been more romantic. But I'm not giving up on the series. I think it was just the storyline of this one book that didn't work for me, and not James' direction as an author. I'm still looking forward to reading more about the "Blacktop Cowboys."
WARNING, this book contains: explicit sex and language, oral sex (m/f, m/f/m hetero), anal sex (m/f, m/f/m hetero), toys, wax play, light bondage, light spanking, maybe some other stuff I'm forgetting, and also a scene involving an attempted sexual assault.
April 21, 2023
Going into this kinky, cowboy ride blind was such a treat. A true DELIGHT, this was so damn spicy my jaw was on the floor. Ending wasn’t my fav and got a little too chaotic but overall this was so much fun!!! ( and spicy did I mention SPICY?!??)
March 28, 2015
This really was terribly rude. I loved it.
Lainie has been casually (horizontally) dating two cowboys for a couple of months. Neither knows about the other and they compete in different rodeo circuits. Hank is dependable,protective, alpha but a little too missionary in bed. Kyle meanwhile fulfils her wilder, kinkier side, while also being an alpha cowboy.
It turns out though that Hank and Kyle are childhood buddies, so when they realise they've been sharing her time, they decide to carry on sharing her, especially when she refuses to choose between them.
I cannot lie, the menage smut in this is smoking hot as both cowboys compete with one another to win her affection through the power of their wieners. They both talk dirty and there are lots of scenes detailing their ripped bodies bucking away on bulls and tipping their stetsons and just being hot cowboys which would've been entertaining enough, but we also get their affection for one another and the banter is witty and lively. There are lots of mf and mmf smut scenes but no mm action.
I did wonder how this could end well as I liked all of the characters and part of me didn't want Lainie to choose between them either, but actually, the story ended well and it felt right. There was lots going on in this, it wasn't just about which cowboy to saddle up with;all three of them had decisions to make about their future career and life that had no easy solution. In spite of all of the erotic, kinky smut, this was actually quite a thought-provoking story that had some melancholy moments to balance the lighter moments.
This is the first in the series and a complete story in itself, with the others in the series featuring different characters. If you love reading about cowboys and menage you'll enjoy this. Recommended.
Lainie has been casually (horizontally) dating two cowboys for a couple of months. Neither knows about the other and they compete in different rodeo circuits. Hank is dependable,protective, alpha but a little too missionary in bed. Kyle meanwhile fulfils her wilder, kinkier side, while also being an alpha cowboy.
It turns out though that Hank and Kyle are childhood buddies, so when they realise they've been sharing her time, they decide to carry on sharing her, especially when she refuses to choose between them.
I cannot lie, the menage smut in this is smoking hot as both cowboys compete with one another to win her affection through the power of their wieners. They both talk dirty and there are lots of scenes detailing their ripped bodies bucking away on bulls and tipping their stetsons and just being hot cowboys which would've been entertaining enough, but we also get their affection for one another and the banter is witty and lively. There are lots of mf and mmf smut scenes but no mm action.
I did wonder how this could end well as I liked all of the characters and part of me didn't want Lainie to choose between them either, but actually, the story ended well and it felt right. There was lots going on in this, it wasn't just about which cowboy to saddle up with;all three of them had decisions to make about their future career and life that had no easy solution. In spite of all of the erotic, kinky smut, this was actually quite a thought-provoking story that had some melancholy moments to balance the lighter moments.
This is the first in the series and a complete story in itself, with the others in the series featuring different characters. If you love reading about cowboys and menage you'll enjoy this. Recommended.
October 6, 2012
wow. Just give me a minute...
OK, I just finished this book in the last 15 minutes. I really wasn't sure what to expect. I read and enjoyed the Rough Rider series, but I've read enough to know that a well-loved and prolific author can't always deliver fully, to the reader's satisfaction, and I was expecting to be let down with the Blacktop Cowboy series, so I delayed reading the series, until now. I know James is a talented writer, but I admit to being jaded.
I was WRONG. Blessedly, thankfully, wrong.
This was storytelling was spectacular- as good as, if not better, than the Rough Riders series. And there's lots of storytelling in this book, with details about this wild and remote countryside, the lifestyle of the competitive rodeo, and more. At times it is as if you are on the roadtrip with the main characters.
The characters were well developed and thought out. The scenarios were plausible. All in all, this was one pleasurable read.
The quality of the writing is professional. The transitions in the story are smooth, and I appreciate the effort made by the author not to fall back on cartoonish actions on the part of the main and secondary characters.
Oh yeah... there are a number of super sexy scenes sure to put a smile on your face. Lainie is one lucky girl- Hank and Kyle radiate sexuality, sin and sweetness. Some fine erotic romancing indeed! Does my Kindle warranty cover heat damage?
[image error]
OK, I just finished this book in the last 15 minutes. I really wasn't sure what to expect. I read and enjoyed the Rough Rider series, but I've read enough to know that a well-loved and prolific author can't always deliver fully, to the reader's satisfaction, and I was expecting to be let down with the Blacktop Cowboy series, so I delayed reading the series, until now. I know James is a talented writer, but I admit to being jaded.
I was WRONG. Blessedly, thankfully, wrong.
This was storytelling was spectacular- as good as, if not better, than the Rough Riders series. And there's lots of storytelling in this book, with details about this wild and remote countryside, the lifestyle of the competitive rodeo, and more. At times it is as if you are on the roadtrip with the main characters.
The characters were well developed and thought out. The scenarios were plausible. All in all, this was one pleasurable read.
The quality of the writing is professional. The transitions in the story are smooth, and I appreciate the effort made by the author not to fall back on cartoonish actions on the part of the main and secondary characters.
Oh yeah... there are a number of super sexy scenes sure to put a smile on your face. Lainie is one lucky girl- Hank and Kyle radiate sexuality, sin and sweetness. Some fine erotic romancing indeed! Does my Kindle warranty cover heat damage?
[image error]
March 18, 2015
This was a really good book. Lainie Capshaw has been tending to injured cowboys long enough to know that a charming Western drawl combined with a fine physical form doesn’t mean you should fall for a man. As a sports therapist, she travels the rodeo circuits patching up riders—and fending off their sweet-talking, swaggering advances. Since she's on the road so much, there's not a lot of time for relationships but it's nice to spend a little time with a sexy cowboy now and then. She's had a part time fling going with Hank Gilchrist pro bull rider for a while and it's worked out well. But when she meets Kyle Lawson pro bull fighter the chemistry between them is off the charts so why not enjoy his part time company as well. Kyle and Hank have been friends since childhood. They've gone their own way in life but now they have reunited on the rodeo circuit and plan to be traveling partners. That's the plan until they discover they've both been seeing the same woman. Hank and Kyle come up with a solution. They will share Lainie if she's up for it. Both men are alpha and competitive. This was a really book and the sex scenes were hot I love reading a good menage story and this was a good one. I have read a few of Ms. James books this one was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. This is a new series for me and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in it.
December 24, 2016
==>Re-read December 24, 2016
==>Read February 20, 2012
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menage
==>Read February 20, 2012
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menage
June 9, 2017
Hot damn what a steamy read.
August 4, 2010
Favorite Quote: “Maybe you and Kyle should’ve gotten up sooner.” She sipped her coffee. “The early cowboy gets to stick his worm in the cowgirl and all that.”
Lanie Capshaw, Med Tech extraordinaire is being very naughty seeing two men at the same time. Now, she has not promised monotony to either of them, nor them in return, so although she feels slightly guilty, she is not necessarily doing anything wrong. She is more perplexed at who she would choose if it ever came down to a choice. Because of her job, she works for both Cowboy Rodeo Association (CRA) and Extreme Bull Showcase (EBS) and she has found herself a hot cowboy from each league. It started first with Hank, Bull Fighter for the CRA. They started a bit slow, and Hank is more vanilla in the bedroom. When she met Kyle, more the opposite of Hank, he showed her how good he could give a ride on their first date. Things go from fun nakey time in the bedroom to very complicated when both men show up, at the same time, and Lanie realizes they are best friends.
To say Hank and Kyle are stunned they are dating the same woman in an understatement. Both are very competitive and don’t want the other to have her. Kyle recently decided to give the CRA a try, meaning they will be on the same circuit. So the come up with a plan – for the next three weeks they will be traveling together, so why not have Lanie with them as well. Lanie makes it very clear she can’t choose between them and that this is their plan. The three of them hitch up the trailer, grab the lube and giddy up.
This is the first time I have read Lorelei James and I have had many people tell me she write fabulous, very naughty cowboy books. And I thought – ok, a dirty book - been there done that. But no! I really think Lorelei James tried to kill me with her naughty, naughty sex in this book. I mean – dirty, let’s lube everyone up, and why not bring in rope, a saw horse and a saddle sex.
Although Hank starts a little hesitant in the bedroom don’t let that fool you. Both Hank and Kyle are very demanding of Lanie. They treat her wonderfully, but they are both very dominant. I thought the boys rushed into the threesome a little fast. They both knew they couldn’t give up Lanie and they both agreed they didn’t want any male on male action (darn!). But – there is a certain intimacy when it comes to m/f/m. They are going to see each other naked and doing many intimate things. This is the first threesome for both men. I don’t think the issue of them, together with Lanie, full out naked and having sex together was addressed as much as it should have been.
With that being said, Hank and Kyle do become very jealous of the other and make it a competition to see who can win Lanie’s heart. That aspect of it seemed real and a natural progression for these competitive men. Besides the sex (and yes there is also a story) we really dive into rodeo politics and what it takes to be on the circuit. I think Lorelei James does a great job with the surrounding story and really making you feel like you are part of the rodeo action. I also loved the ending. It made the story worthwhile to me and actually surprised me very much.
Corralled may just top the charts for it’s smuttiness. I will definitely be reading Lorelei James again.
Lanie Capshaw, Med Tech extraordinaire is being very naughty seeing two men at the same time. Now, she has not promised monotony to either of them, nor them in return, so although she feels slightly guilty, she is not necessarily doing anything wrong. She is more perplexed at who she would choose if it ever came down to a choice. Because of her job, she works for both Cowboy Rodeo Association (CRA) and Extreme Bull Showcase (EBS) and she has found herself a hot cowboy from each league. It started first with Hank, Bull Fighter for the CRA. They started a bit slow, and Hank is more vanilla in the bedroom. When she met Kyle, more the opposite of Hank, he showed her how good he could give a ride on their first date. Things go from fun nakey time in the bedroom to very complicated when both men show up, at the same time, and Lanie realizes they are best friends.
To say Hank and Kyle are stunned they are dating the same woman in an understatement. Both are very competitive and don’t want the other to have her. Kyle recently decided to give the CRA a try, meaning they will be on the same circuit. So the come up with a plan – for the next three weeks they will be traveling together, so why not have Lanie with them as well. Lanie makes it very clear she can’t choose between them and that this is their plan. The three of them hitch up the trailer, grab the lube and giddy up.
This is the first time I have read Lorelei James and I have had many people tell me she write fabulous, very naughty cowboy books. And I thought – ok, a dirty book - been there done that. But no! I really think Lorelei James tried to kill me with her naughty, naughty sex in this book. I mean – dirty, let’s lube everyone up, and why not bring in rope, a saw horse and a saddle sex.
Although Hank starts a little hesitant in the bedroom don’t let that fool you. Both Hank and Kyle are very demanding of Lanie. They treat her wonderfully, but they are both very dominant. I thought the boys rushed into the threesome a little fast. They both knew they couldn’t give up Lanie and they both agreed they didn’t want any male on male action (darn!). But – there is a certain intimacy when it comes to m/f/m. They are going to see each other naked and doing many intimate things. This is the first threesome for both men. I don’t think the issue of them, together with Lanie, full out naked and having sex together was addressed as much as it should have been.
With that being said, Hank and Kyle do become very jealous of the other and make it a competition to see who can win Lanie’s heart. That aspect of it seemed real and a natural progression for these competitive men. Besides the sex (and yes there is also a story) we really dive into rodeo politics and what it takes to be on the circuit. I think Lorelei James does a great job with the surrounding story and really making you feel like you are part of the rodeo action. I also loved the ending. It made the story worthwhile to me and actually surprised me very much.
Corralled may just top the charts for it’s smuttiness. I will definitely be reading Lorelei James again.
August 31, 2010
Cowboys are yummy. At least that is the consensus among my friends who have read Lorelei James’ books. When I saw that Lorelei wrote a new series and that the first book had just arrived in stores, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to find out for myself if cowboys are indeed yumminess incarnate. I actually received advice before starting this book. I was told to expect lots of hotness and lots of lube. Oh boy…
That advice was bang on the mark. I didn’t read the back of the book carefully enough to pick up what it was really about, so it was going to be sort of a surprise for me. Then I started reading it…lol “Corralled” is a book about one woman and the two men who want her. She is currently seeing both of them separately. The men think that having her chose is unacceptable – and besides, she refuses to do that. So the men have the ingenious idea of sharing her…at the same time. Yup. Only men would think this to be an ingenious idea. Because it’s not like this idea has a whole lot of trouble written all over it!
Lainie is torn. She sometimes wonders why Hank and Kyle both want her at all, but they are quick to help her answer her question (*wink wink* *nudge nudge*). Hank is a bullfighter. He is manly. He comes from a great family and is gentle yet masculine. He is vanilla…or is he? Kyle is a bullrider. He is studly. He is kind yet dominant. He is chocolate. I like Kyle. I love Hank.
There was a whole lot of lovin’ in this book, but none of it was just put there to make you sweat. Okay, scratch that. There was one scene that involved the great outdoors, a workhorse and a saddle, some rope, lube and an orange condom that was incredibly steamy, but I felt as though it didn’t really add to the story. But it did make me go ‘yea-haw’ for Lainie. ;)
Of course, eventually Lainie’s feeling grow stronger for one man over the other. It’s inevitable really. I really like how Lorelei handles that situation. It’s a little heartbreaking to read but the moment when man B realizes he won’t ever be man A is quite tender. There is no wild jealousy. No uncalled for viciousness. It’s very well contended with, which helped make the overall story was, strangely enough, quite believable.
Oh, and the guy on the cover looks like Ben Affleck but with better abs. I’m just saying…
“Corralled” was fun to read. A little more serious than I was expecting, but fun none the less. Will I read it again? I honestly don’t know — hence the .5 in my rating. Will I pick up the other books in this series? Heck yeah! Those rancher boys are a steamin’ like a pot of mama’s home cooked bull stew and I can’t wait to saddle ‘em up again! *slaps Hubby’s butt* *gets strange look from Hubby* *looks at the ceiling* *starts whistling while slowly walking away*.
3.5 stars
That advice was bang on the mark. I didn’t read the back of the book carefully enough to pick up what it was really about, so it was going to be sort of a surprise for me. Then I started reading it…lol “Corralled” is a book about one woman and the two men who want her. She is currently seeing both of them separately. The men think that having her chose is unacceptable – and besides, she refuses to do that. So the men have the ingenious idea of sharing her…at the same time. Yup. Only men would think this to be an ingenious idea. Because it’s not like this idea has a whole lot of trouble written all over it!
Lainie is torn. She sometimes wonders why Hank and Kyle both want her at all, but they are quick to help her answer her question (*wink wink* *nudge nudge*). Hank is a bullfighter. He is manly. He comes from a great family and is gentle yet masculine. He is vanilla…or is he? Kyle is a bullrider. He is studly. He is kind yet dominant. He is chocolate. I like Kyle. I love Hank.
There was a whole lot of lovin’ in this book, but none of it was just put there to make you sweat. Okay, scratch that. There was one scene that involved the great outdoors, a workhorse and a saddle, some rope, lube and an orange condom that was incredibly steamy, but I felt as though it didn’t really add to the story. But it did make me go ‘yea-haw’ for Lainie. ;)
Of course, eventually Lainie’s feeling grow stronger for one man over the other. It’s inevitable really. I really like how Lorelei handles that situation. It’s a little heartbreaking to read but the moment when man B realizes he won’t ever be man A is quite tender. There is no wild jealousy. No uncalled for viciousness. It’s very well contended with, which helped make the overall story was, strangely enough, quite believable.
Oh, and the guy on the cover looks like Ben Affleck but with better abs. I’m just saying…
“Corralled” was fun to read. A little more serious than I was expecting, but fun none the less. Will I read it again? I honestly don’t know — hence the .5 in my rating. Will I pick up the other books in this series? Heck yeah! Those rancher boys are a steamin’ like a pot of mama’s home cooked bull stew and I can’t wait to saddle ‘em up again! *slaps Hubby’s butt* *gets strange look from Hubby* *looks at the ceiling* *starts whistling while slowly walking away*.
3.5 stars
October 14, 2016
**A-huge-3.5-very-close-to-4-stars over here!**
So, let me raise my hand right now and put this out there: virgin to the menage genre no longer.
Oh my stars, I didn't quite realize what I was getting into when I saw the cowboy cover and quickly added it to my TBR list and entered the GR giveaway. And then I won a copy. When it arrived, I was excited to curl up with this cowboy very soon. But, then, I discovered there were actually, errr, two cowboys. As I said, OH MY STARS! I blame my co-workers and GR. I mean, you start with a few suggestions, and the next thing you know you're blindfolded with hot wax and ice cubes all over your body. Whoops, too much? Yeah, I got a little hot over here, too. Or cold. Or, shoot, I don't know!
So, onto the review. After I got over my initial shock of what I'd gotten myself into, I have to admit I enjoyed this book, even with all the sex. But, hey, that was kind of the whole point, right? Yet, I really liked the plot and characters, and it turned into a really good story. A really good story that could have been better if story line shifts hadn't been so sudden, or if characters hadn't stepped out of character. Let me explain. Hank (my favorite from the beginning, btw) and Kyle were so hell-bent on not losing Lainie that they agreed to this three-way relationship in the first place, and yes, I understand the whole trying-to-out-perform the other aspect, but I felt the "loser" walked away a little too easily. A little more fight, argument or something would have been nice, even though it says something about his character and being able to recognize a loss when you see one and move on and wish your friends the best...but awkward. (And reading through the synopsis of the upcoming titles in this series... umm, hello, Celia, AWKWARD.) The last third of the book became quite serious, and I think this could have worked really, really well if a bit more of this had been sprinkled throughout the entire story.
I admit, I'm a huge sucker (oh geez, no pun intended, honestly) for romance, and I really, really, REALLY enjoyed the sweet ending. I was, uhh...moved. And since this was my very first Lorelei James, I will possibly, probably *blushing* read more.
Thank you, Good Reads for the giveaway!
So, let me raise my hand right now and put this out there: virgin to the menage genre no longer.
Oh my stars, I didn't quite realize what I was getting into when I saw the cowboy cover and quickly added it to my TBR list and entered the GR giveaway. And then I won a copy. When it arrived, I was excited to curl up with this cowboy very soon. But, then, I discovered there were actually, errr, two cowboys. As I said, OH MY STARS! I blame my co-workers and GR. I mean, you start with a few suggestions, and the next thing you know you're blindfolded with hot wax and ice cubes all over your body. Whoops, too much? Yeah, I got a little hot over here, too. Or cold. Or, shoot, I don't know!
So, onto the review. After I got over my initial shock of what I'd gotten myself into, I have to admit I enjoyed this book, even with all the sex. But, hey, that was kind of the whole point, right? Yet, I really liked the plot and characters, and it turned into a really good story. A really good story that could have been better if story line shifts hadn't been so sudden, or if characters hadn't stepped out of character. Let me explain. Hank (my favorite from the beginning, btw) and Kyle were so hell-bent on not losing Lainie that they agreed to this three-way relationship in the first place, and yes, I understand the whole trying-to-out-perform the other aspect, but I felt the "loser" walked away a little too easily. A little more fight, argument or something would have been nice, even though it says something about his character and being able to recognize a loss when you see one and move on and wish your friends the best...but awkward. (And reading through the synopsis of the upcoming titles in this series... umm, hello, Celia, AWKWARD.) The last third of the book became quite serious, and I think this could have worked really, really well if a bit more of this had been sprinkled throughout the entire story.
I admit, I'm a huge sucker (oh geez, no pun intended, honestly) for romance, and I really, really, REALLY enjoyed the sweet ending. I was, uhh...moved. And since this was my very first Lorelei James, I will possibly, probably *blushing* read more.
Thank you, Good Reads for the giveaway!
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