Taming Clay

by Raeann Blake, P. O. Milligan (Illustrator), Sharon Gunn Jones (Editor)

Surly didn't begin to describe Clay Cardell. A lifetime of experience taught him not to love and never to trust, but he desperately needed a business manager. What he got was a spunky, high-tempered woman who tilted his world more than a little off-center. But if he had learned anything in his life, it was to not expect her to stick around. You don't trust a woman, any woman, to not just disappear.

Hailey Lambert just needed a shot. Montana was a long way from New Mexico and she just needed one chance to prove she could do the job. She was warned that Clay Cardell would not be the easiest man to work for. After their initial meeting she thought they might have understated that just a tad. The fact that her heart did some kind of somersault when she first saw him didn't really concern her. If she could deal with the man's attitude, she could certainly deal with some little physical reaction. Right?

Well... maybe not.

Genres: Romance, Westerns, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Amazon, Fiction

375 pages, Hardcover

First published April 26, 2012

About the author

Prepare to be swept away by the enchanting storytelling of Raeann Blake, an award-winning author known for her intoxicating adult romances. With passion and desire woven into every page, Blake effortlessly transports readers on thrilling journeys of romance, heartache, and danger. From the depths of love to the heights of attraction, she enthralls readers with her sultry tales, igniting hearts and awakening desires.

Hailing from the Lone Star State, Blake is a proud Texan with a Montana soul. Her captivating narratives will transport you to picturesque small-town settings, where ordinary lives are transformed by extraordinary encounters. Through the unpredictable twists and turns of her stories, she unveils raw authenticity, inviting you to fall head over heels for her dynamic characters.

Join her on this wild literary adventure as she shares her deepest secrets, unleashing tales that whisper to her soul, demanding to be told. With a kindle that blushes and a heart that races, allow Raeann Blake to prove that everything truly is hotter in Texas. Don't miss out on the captivating magic of this romance author, hailed as an Amazon bestseller.

#BlushingReads #DangerouslyAddictive

Reviews

[Debra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't bother. This book is WAY WAY too long, and filled to brimmng with grammatical errors and typos. The story is tiresome, the characters whiny and complaining, and the plot very contrived. The relationship between the male characters is a little odd, to say the least. Lots of tears. Lots of angst. Lots of ridiculousness. Come on. Clay doesn't know how to have a relationship and needs to ask his buddies for advice at every turn? I think not. Also, he's mean and suspicious as anything, and Hailey just keeps taking it from him. Grow up and grow some cojones, Hailey. Ditch the dude! Please!

I'm wondering why authors bother to publish their work when it's filled with problems any decent beta reader or editor can find and correct in a matter of seconds. And please, you don't have to describe every single head or eye movement a character makes... up, down, right back, up, down. There was so much head dropping I thought I was reading about Henry VIII and his wives for a minute. The story was about 200 pages longer than it needed to be just because of this. Hey, I would even volunteer to beta this story, or any story before it gets published, just to save an author the embarrassment. PLEASE don't skip that step. Your wallets will fatten and your readers will thank you.

Sheesh.

[Germaine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Once again I was sucked in by all those five-star reviews. I guess a lot of people value quantity over quality. I can only second the opinions of those who thought this book was waaaaay, waaaaay too long.

The hero is one of these guys who just can't trust women, no matter what. He owns a big ranch in Montana where his best bud, Laine, is his right-hand man and the grizzled old timer that helped raise him is also in residence. These two spend page after page after page convincing the hero that if he lets the heroine get away he'll regret it for the rest of his life. There's also a jealous cowgirl named Lynne who tries to make things hard for the heroine. Between Laine (a guy) and Lynne (a girl) I kept having to stop and figure out if it was the best bud or the evil girl talking. In the last twenty pages, Hero confesses his love for Heroine, they buy rings, Evil Lynne is fired and marched off the ranch, pals are happy, and they all live happily ever after. If I had been reading a paperback, I would have thrown it across the room.

The author could easily have slashed a hundred pages (mostly dialogue about the hero's feelings), and we would have a decent start on a good cowboy romance.

[katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taming Clay was a wonderfully written Western Cowboy story. With a storyline that will certainly keep you intrigued until the end.

I enjoyed all the characters put forth, we have female kick arse lead who knows what she wants, and takes no crap from Anyone. She is straight forward, and mouthy but saying that - she sticks to her guns and says what she thinks.

I must say if she wasn't as hard headed and tough I dont think she would've put up with Clay that long. He was one cranky - moody bitch lol.. But ,, For some reason I liked him.. Afterall it's just a story right ** snickers ** Clay was a complex character - and may not be liked by many, but I enjoyed the growth of his personality up until the very end.

Raeann blended romance, heart ache, passion and suspense throughout this read,even giving us a twist here and there to keep the reader engaged within the pages.

Taming Clay is quiet a long novel, but saying that I savoured the book and still read within a few days. If your after a cowboy romance, with wonderfully scripted characters,and a heart warming storyline with a little suspense then this book is for you.

I loved all the farm hands, the dedication and loyalty was heart warming and the love within the close nit group was something that will leave you content .

An ending that will leave you gooy and content and maby even grinning ;)

[Char (1RadReader59) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally enjoyed this book. It had so many twist & turns that it made it so very interesting. Clay is a person you really want to hate right off the bat. Yet, you get his background & see why he is the way he is with trust being his biggest issue. Then here comes Hailey with a similar background just not as hurtful to the heart. But with the help of Clay's friends & employees who love him Hailey sees beyond what he shows on the top layer & with just enough neediness to want his ranch & him to call home. Loved all the cast of characters & storyline had you tearful at times with lack of knowledge of true love & relationships & angry at Hailey for taking it so often but do understanding when you see the total picture.

[Elise Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

First let me start by saying that I was sucked into this story from the start. Its been awhile since I've read a good Western Romance, and this one was perfect with its rich Montana setting. I believed this story. I believed what the author was trying to convey. Never been on a ranch but I could totally see myself visiting the Double C Bar, especially if sexy, studly Clay is there!



As a character, he was very complex, which is something that I love in a romance hero. I like reading about a man that gets my insides just as twisted as the heroines. This was something I appreciated about Clay. Just like Hailey I wanted to kiss him and strangle him at the same time. While he was 'surly' it was plain to see that there was more to him than that and I thoroughly enjoyed digging deeper and deeper into his past. It made him a more sympathetic character. Without those background details, he would have come across as an abrasive jerk. I also loved that he was completely clueless when it came to women. Most romance novels portray the ultimate Romeo, who snaps an has the girls' panties dropping. While Clay was definitely swoon-worthy, his mouth often met his foot in his bungling attempts at conversation and romance. The loveable cast of secondary characters were there to guide him along the way. Speaking of which, I really appreciated the secondary characters .When the hero and heroine were getting on my nerves, they were there for me to fall back on as likeable and fun. I especially like Laine and wonder if the author plans a spinoff story about him and sexy cook Isobell...it could be interesting Raeann! *hint, hint*

Hailey as a heroine was not so complex, but then there wasn't much room for her to be with Clay and all his drama. She was feisty and strong, as most romance heroines are, but I found many contradictions in her character. At first she is presented as an 'i don't take sh** from anybody' kind of girl and I was loving it. Then came the waterworks. For someone who is supposed to be so strong-willed, Hailey sure did a lot of crying. Not to say that strong women don't cry...but after a while it got a bit ridiculous. Every time someone gave her an account of Clay's abusive father or lonely past, she would tear up and cry. After about the fourth or fifth time I was like 'enough already'. It seemed the only person whose balls she had trouble busting were Clay's, and honestly there were times when he deserved it. Hailey failed to deliver for me, always falling to pieces at a kiss or touch from Clay and losing her spine. HOWEVER, she was still very likeable and I enjoyed reading about her tearing the other men about town new a-holes when they gave her crap. In that regard, she totally came through!

I will say that there were two major things about this book that influenced
my rating of 4 stars rather than 5. For one, this book is a bit too long. I felt like an editor should have gone through and slashed out whole pages worth of head dialogue. A lot of really good interaction was broken up by the author diving into the character's heads and thoughts and it really stifled the flow. I'll be honest...by the end I was skipping whole paragraphs and pages to get to the meat of the story. Especially when it got climactic and characters were still rehashing the same feelings over and over again. The story could have been much tighter. Plus, there was some very sudden head hopping from one character to another without warning. It was very random and made it confusing to follow the story. For instance. Hailey could be having a conversation with Isobell in the kitchen, and in the next paragraph we're in Clay's thoughts and he's in the barn with Laine having another conversation. No paragraph breaks or anything. It made the read jumpy in places, where one point of view per scene would have worked much better. Head hopping can work sometimes but in this case it did not.

One other thing that bothered me was that Clay never really changed or had what I like to call a 'come to Jesus' moment. I understood completely that he had trust issues. What guy wouldn't after all he'd been through. My problem comes with his continual distrust. It never really got resolved. Hailey proved herself to him over and over again, only to have it thrown back in her face. Even though she's never given him reason to think she's out to sabotage his business, he accuses her of being in league with the saboteurs. Even though she's never behaved like a whore, Clay pretty much accuses her of throwing herself at every guy in town. After a while I was wishing Hailey would say 'screw you' and ride off into the sunset, at least long enough for Clay to get his act together. When Clay finally admits he loves her, this is enough for Hailey and seems to totally erase the fact that he still does not trust her. Even after they both say 'I love you' and decide to be together, she has to reassure him during a trip into town that she isn't flirting with a cop on the street. I mean, really? I was hoping for some sort of change...not "I love you, but I'll be keeping an eye on you". It was really a letdown since Hailey was such a strong woman. I wanted her to demand more from Clay.

However, these two things did not mess the story up for me at all. while they hindered enjoyment in a few (very few) parts, I was still engrossed and intrigued. The mystery and sabotage surrounding the ranch were a nice backdrop, as were the surprising twists surrounding Clay's background and parentage. I loved the ending, the surprise revelation that changes Clay's life forever, and a very sweet last scene that I won't ruin with too many details. Raeann Blake is definitely one of those authors I could see myself reading again. The emotion was powerful, the characters were like my friends, and the passion between main characters was hot! Overall, a job well done!



I was given this book by the author in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any way.

[Marcie Oropeza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raeann Blake is rapidly becoming a very favorite author. The quality of her character and plot development is incredible; the depths of her characters, the scope of her plots, her attention to detail....She is, for me, one of those authors (like KA) on whom you can depend for a consistently entertaining read. I can never put her books down, I have to read them straight through.

This book is set in Montana on a ranch. The two protagonists are mirror images of one another. Raeann was able to present the male (Clay) as vulnerable, inexperienced, shy, unsure of himself...not at all your typical cowboy image! And she made him believable. His counterpart (Hailey) is a woman, like him ~ at a disadvantage due to up-bringing ~ living/working in a man's world, doing a man's job...We see the "taming" of Clay begin almost immediately. But it's not just Clay who is tamed; Hailey learns a great deal about what she needs to do to be where she wants to be.

There are feminism issues, guy-gal issues, a mystery or two, loving sex....oh, and horses and cattle. LOTS of cattle.

BTW: Love that, as w/ KA's books, Raeann's very seldom have editing issues....like, ever. I seldom give out 5 stars; I read so much junk since I read so much it's just hard for me to find something I consider worthy. Raeann Blake, KA, JR Ward....there are some out there.

Very well done!

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!!!! I highly recommend this book. Raeann us an awesome writer, so far all her books I have read have been hard for me to put down. When I finish, I wish it could have continued, makes me feel as if I was there with the characters and experiencing everything.....there is not words to explain how I felt reading this book.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. There aren't enough deep, long, transformative romances like this one available, so I cherished my time reading this book. I loved everyone of the characters, even the mean ones!!! I couldn't put this book down!

[Ginny Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a must read!! The characters were well described the setting very detailed. My heart ached for Clay and Hailey. This book made me want to move to a ranch so I can sleep under the stars and see Montana skies for myself.

[Donna Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the twists in this story and I think Hailey and Clay really fit as a couple. They both had to learn and grow to form their relationship and to help each other learn to trust.

[Diana Hockley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book should have been a good read. The premise was right, all the usual suspects were in place - the good girl, the bad girl, the angst-ridden hero, the crook, the old-timer psuedo dad and the best friend supported by a cast of extras.

The plot should have worked, but unfortunately it didn't for me.

Despite a strong start, the story soon rambled. Definitely too long and the author allows the plot to get bogged down in trivia - e.g. when the team herd the cattle, there is so much detail that it slows down the action.

The relationship between the hero and his best friend, Laine, is weird. Men usually don't admit they love each other. The hero insists that his best friend and the old-timer "grandad" character move into the house with himself and heroine who throw their clothes off as they romp through the house preliminary to wild sex. Why on earth would he do that? And why would they do it?

Clay is such a flake, one moment paranoid about being conned by women and the next, behaving like a child even though he is supposed to be this tough rancher. He can't even understand that photos can be cropped and made to show people in a bad light and the friends spend a lot of the plot begging him to be reasonable.

The heroine spends a lot of the time crying, the rest being tough and uncompromising.How this woman could love the hero after the way he treats her, is not credible.

The hero always believes the trouble-maker over the heroine in traditional romance. I know this is to create sympathy for the heroine, but I just wanted to slap them all silly.

Needed a good edit and was a disappointment - except for the cover which was lovely.

[Selena Lang · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a lot of things I liked about this book, but some I did not. The Main character (Clay) was a bit of a jerk to the heroine in the story. I understand his back story made him that way, but I saw no real change in him over the course of the book. She just accepted his ways without a lot of question which drove me nuts. The main hero also was a bit of a wimp in my book. the story line of the friendship between him and Laine seemed almost boyfriend/boyfriend in nature, not just like brothers. Too mushy between the men to really feel true unless they were falling for each other..kind of creeped me out a bit actually.

[Wanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say about this book? It was fantastic! Clay Cordell had a very hard life growing up with a father that hated him. Hailey Lambert grew up with a father that made her fight for her rights to work on his ranch. Both had a childhood that was planted on rocky soil but when Hailey takes a job on Clay's ranch she has a feeling of coming home and Clay's life is turned upside down. The road is rocky for them both. Can Clay learn to trust? Can Hailey give her heart freely? Find out in this beautiful story of two hearts coming together as one.

[Dawn Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about wanting to slap someone there were parts of this book where I wanted to throw my phone across the room. Frustration takes a toll on me apparently but that is what makes this a great book to read. I enjoyed the book very much & I highly recommend this book. Highs & Lows Happy & Sad Good & Bad it has it all. I could not put the book down.

[Monica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh! Weak plot line. Weak main characters.

[Desiree Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really fell in love with every character and couldn't stop reading! Free kindle book!

[Unique'ka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it

[DEBORAH LINCOLN · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Real Attention Holder

Just the sweetest book .. the characters were full of complex personalities that tied together so well .. the ups and downs were perfect .. no lagging .. just full of great reading .. I hated to see it end .. Hopefully she will consider a sequel ..

[Rhea Morrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taming Clay - another read of this one. Probably the 7th or 8th time I've read it. If you haven't come across my previous review(s), this is actually a 6-star read! Raeann really nails the characters in this, as with all of her books.

[Carrie Edell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book many times. It just shows that love conquers all. So entertaining.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the adventure of the book.... the mystery of it was awesome.... really suspenseful... great book for cowboy lovers... hot and sexy

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The two main characters, Clay and Hailey had a common background of growing up on a cattle ranch with a father who made life tough for them. Her father had expected her to learn the bookkeeping end of ranching and stay off a horse and not learn the daily work of a ranch hand. His father had treated Clay in ways that were abusive. Both of them became stronger instead of defeated by their over bearing fathers. Hailey learned how to keep the books for the ranch and still find time to get out on the range and work with the men. Clay became a sober, hard taskmaster and an honest man who owned the ranch his father left to his sister, when she gave it to him after his father died.

Clay hires Hailey as his business manager for the ranch and the sparks start to fly as she helps him straighten out the previous manger's mess. She starts making changes and figures out he has been cheated. She confronts the store owner, Mr. Yates and puts him in his place, stops doing business with him while making him purple with rage just to get the story started.

The book is full of humor, human relationships, in a beautiful setting on a working cattle ranch and has a happy ending to make it a great read! It you enjoy western romances Taming Clay is a good one.

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved getting to know Clay and Hailey and the rest of the secondary characters. I loved that it gave you so much background info on the characters and in depth because it makes them feel like real people. I loved how they are people you want to know and that it shows a great change and how easy it is to change and not realize it.
I think some things became redundant. characters say the same things that were already said. I didn't think it needed to go into so much convo about them smoking or drinking each time they did. It took me out of the story.

[Bette Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually my second time reading this one and I loved it as much his time as I did the first. Clay Cardell is an intense, gruff, hard man. Anyone who grew up like he did would be. When he hires Hailey Lambert as the ranch' s business manager his well structured world is turned upside down. Hailey is a breath of fresh air and her spunk and sass get under Clay' s skin like no other woman ever has. Taking a chance on love and learning to trust might be more than he's capable of.

Absolutely a book I recommend.

[Meiwilli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book and the characters of Clay, Hailey, Shack and Laine and even the villians, Yates, Pepper and Lynn...BUT I ABSOLUTELY HATED how poorly this book was edited. There were skeletons in the closet and bones dropping out in every chapter. Had this book not been so poorly edited, I could have happily gave it 4.5 stars or even 5. Blake has talent for telling a western tale. I hope she finds better editing in the future!

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the story, laughing out loud in many spots and sympathizing with the characters in others. I do have two complaints though: needs editing due to incorrect use of apostrophes throughout the book, and there was too much embellishment in several scenes - could have gotten the point across with far fewer words. Overall though it was a good read and I'd like to get more of the author's work.

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is long. I did manage to read it despite the grammatical errors. Overall it is a good story, but there is a bit too much repetition on certain points that just make you want to skip over parts. You learn early on that neither of the main characters had an easy time growing up. Then you keep reading various stories about the guy. They don't add anything to the story other than to make it longer. There was an attempt to give some surprise twists, but you could see them coming.

[Desiree Holt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this story because the characters are so great,. And the premise opened the door wide for a wonderful romance. I loved Hailey and Clay but after a while I just wanted to smack the stuffing out of Clay. I understand the man had issues but enough already. Redeeming feature: a very satisfying ending.

[ValerieC · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars

Too long because it was sooooooo repetitive

Needs a proof-reader in the WORST way.

Ditto for an editor.

Even when things are 'tied up' at the end, some still didn't make sense at all.

What's with all the crying men?

And honestly, all of that coffee would give everyone diarrhea and nausea!

[Kellie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Longest book ever! There were so many details, I pretty much scanned the last half of the book. I enjoyed the story between Clay and Hailey, but felt there were so many characters it was hard to keep track of the storylines (Laine, Shack, Pepper, Charlie, Houston, Davey, Kathy, Gage, Taylor, Timothy, etc.)