The New York Times bestselling author of Crazy for the Cowboy ropes another sexy Texan in a novel of untamed, passion-filled romance in the Panhandle.…
Expert rider Mac Foster’s got it bad for Anastasia Bickford, but he’s fighting it. Not only is she a friend—she’s his boss’s sister, making her the last person he should be lusting after. To make matters worse, she’s creating a name for herself as an artist, and it’s only a matter of time before the world comes knocking at her door.
Though Anastasia has a growing reputation for her vivid drawings of a legendary wild stallion they call the Ghost, she’s never seen him. A secret fear of horses has forced her to rely only on photos. Since no one knows the Ghost better than Mac, he can help her overcome her fear by teaching her to ride. But in order to get closer to the stallion, she’ll have to get closer to the man.
New York Times and USA Today bestseller Vicki Lewis Thompson believes love makes the world go around and laughter makes the trip worth taking. The recipient of RWA’s Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award and the author of more than ninety books, Vicki pioneered a new kind of romance hero with Nerd in Shining Armor. Following the success of her nerd stories, Vicki launched a boisterous paranormal series featuring a matchmaking witch and wizard, an ADD dragon named George, and a black cat inspired by her own precocious feline, Eve.
Took my time reading this. Not my favourite cowboy story from this author, but enjoyable nonetheless. I must admit that VLT is my favourite writer of cowboys. 4☆
Wild About the Wrangler is the second story in the Sexy Texans series and it is a very comfortable friends to lovers story. Anastasia and Mac have developed a friendship over the last 6 months since he’s come to town and they enjoy their time together. He was her inspiration in getting her artistic juices going again and he helps her by taking pictures of the wild stallions.
But when someone points out to Mac that she has a crush on him, he starts to see things in a different light. Should he put on the brakes or let this play out? Helping her with riding lessons became a true test of their friendship and she didn’t make it easy on him.
Mac has his reasons for not letting things go to the next level with Anastasia, even if they are pretty weak. Anastasia deals with him by calling him out, and lets him know that she’s a big girl and knows her own mind. Once he goes all in things definitely heat up and those scenes are steamy. It’s just a little disappointing that they didn’t heat up the sheets sooner than later in the story, but it took time for them to get to that point. It was nice seeing both point of views and how they both didn’t want to wreck what they had established.
Both Mac and Anastasia were endearing in their care for their friend’s feelings and you could feel it from page to page. The more time they spent together with her riding lessons, the more right it felt. They just couldn’t deny their physical attraction and how softly their friendship turned into love. The story is told with humor and flowed easily from beginning to end. I like Ms. Thompson’s stories because they are light and fun reads and can be read fairly quickly. I enjoy the small town she’s created in Bickford, Texas and the many inhabitants who make it their home. I also love the canyon and how she describes such a beautiful place. It is always a delight when we catch up with Georgie, Vince and Travis and see how they are doing as well. The ending came too soon, a bit predictable, but a very happy one.
I must say this wasn’t what I was expecting, but none the less, it was enjoyable. The story was intriguing and held your attention. The characters were easy to relate to and connect with. Vicki Lewis Thompson fans, and fans of the romance genre will find Wild About the Wrangler very enjoyable!
I love this Sexy Texans series that VLT has come up with. This is the second book and I really got into the story and was done in no time. I wrote a review for romancjunkies.com and it should be out soon. Can't wait for the next book.
"A Sexy Texas Novel #2" Anastasia Bickford has been afraid of horses since her failed attempt to ride at night, bareback when she was six. Her step-sister Georgia heard her and followed, no one else knows what happened. Georgia is getting married and whats Anastasia in her wedding. The problem being she wants her wedding in a valley they have to ride horses to get to. Anastasia loves her sister and asks Mac Foster to help her overcome her fear of horses so the wedding can be in the valley. Mac and Anastasia have noticed each other but have not acted on that attraction. Working together to get her confident around horses also brings them together. Interesting give and take with the various side characters weaving around Anastasia and Mac. This is the second book and it probably would have been better had I read and knew the back story from the first book in the series.
I really enjoyed the story line, learning about the community and the people of the small town. The middle slowed down for me and I found it harder to keep reading, but then towards the end, it got better as Anastasia started to achieve her goals, till she got the job proposal, but the ending and the last chapter just couldn't put the book down till I finished it was like I thought it would be, but with a twist.
An entertaining story about a woman, Anastasia, an artist who is afraid of horses, but wants to learn to ride, so she can see the wild horse, Ghost, in person. She's hot for Mac, a wrangler, who guides trail rides to see Ghost. Mac's hot for her, too. The wonderful visual images Anastasia gets are very well written. I can see how the painting will turn out. The instructions on horse handling and riding puts me there, watching and enjoying. I really liked this book.
Really enjoyed this book—#2 in Vicki Lewis Thomason’s Sexy Texans series. My favorite narrator, Abby Craden, did her usual excellent job. Loved Mac and Anastasia.
Wild About the Wrangler (Sexy Texans #2)by Vicki Lewis Thompson
Expert rider Mac Foster’s got it bad for Anastasia Bickford, but he’s fighting it. Not only is she a friend—she’s his boss’s sister, making her the last person he should be lusting after. To make matters worse, she’s creating a name for herself as an artist, and it’s only a matter of time before the world comes knocking at her door. Though Anastasia has a growing reputation for her vivid drawings of a legendary wild stallion they call the Ghost, she’s never seen him. A secret fear of horses has forced her to rely only on photos. Since no one knows the Ghost better than Mac, he can help her overcome her fear by teaching her to ride. But in order to get closer to the stallion, she’ll have to get closer to the man.
My Review: Wild About the Wrangler was difficult for me to take seriously with all the "can I touch" stuff going on. It was like watching a blind person or a victim kept away from society trying to validate life for the first time on top of coping with trauma. It was more silly than romantic because you get all the off and on pilot light interest between Mac and Anastasia but I never felt any simmer from either of them that established passion. It just felt like they were going through the motions that were brought down to observations than actual feeling. I felt an initial start off with the story but then it just seems to hitch and catch on that and never really get anywhere. Wild About the Wrangler was a slow paced romance but I wish we had actually gotten more romance out of it.
Mac Foster was a cowboy from the top of his fine head to the bottom of his… flip flops. Footwear aside, Mac is cowboy loveliness in all its glory. Hard working, reliable, easy-going and with a way with animals, he is everything I envision a true cowboy to be. Oh, and sexy, did I mention sexy?
Anastasia Bickford is his friend and, while definitely not a cowgirl, she is a talented artist who certainly knows how to sketch and paint horses. Together to help her overcome her fear of horses, the two friends realize there are more feelings between them then they thought. And perhaps more than what Mac wanted…
Anastasia Bickford was just a friend, and that’s the way it would always stay.
“It’s not a crush, damn it. Well, maybe it was at first, but now he’s just a friend. A friend with a really nice body and a face I enjoy drawing. And good hair. I like his hair. But that doesn’t mean I have to go to bed with him.”
This is a sweet romance with a small, cowboy town as the beautiful backdrop. Things between Mac and Anastasia are complicated. While their friendship is never in doubt, finding each other in such close proximity has brought out feelings that they both aren’t sure what to do with—other than ignore for as long as possible. While Anastasia is more open to the prospect than Mac, they are both happy to continue seeing each other as friends.
Mac’s caring way of working with Anastasia through her fear of horses and riding reminded me of love in its purest and simplest form… trust. The couple actually like each other though seeing each other naked wouldn’t be a hardship at all… This story is fun, light and perfect for a rainy afternoon in the city. A perfect time to dream of cowboys and true love! ~ Diane, 3.5 stars
When I picked up Wild About the Wrangler I was desperately craving a good contemporary romance. Something different than the paranormals I’d been hooked on recently. The cover screams sexy cowboy and I eagerly cracked this one open. Sadly this one did not live up to my expectations and I quickly found myself bored.
The biggest problem I found with this book was the lack of heat between the two main characters of Mac and Anastasia. The premise of the book is one that is equally droll. Anastasia is an artist who relies on pictures in order to sketch because she’s unable to get out into the woods due to her fear of horses. Wanting to experience for herself the wild stallions that roam the land, and their leader Ghost, she convinces Mac to teach her to face her fears and learn to horseback ride.
I found this book to be so slow paced I’m pretty sure at one point it was comatose. The plot drags along like a lame duck with not much happening for 75% of the book. There was virtually no connection between Mac and Anastasia and they barely shared more than a stolen glance for much of the book. The secondary cast of characters didn’t give much life to the plot either. I didn’t find any of them standing out enough to warrant their own book even though I know there is at least one more coming in this series based on three wranglers. Honestly, the thing I liked most of all was the horses.
I suppose if I was a lover of sweet romances, this may have worked for me….however I definitely am not. I need more substance, more heat and action than what Wild About the Wrangler ultimately gave me.
I give Wild About the Wrangler by Vickie Lewis Thompson 2 stars
Wild About the Wrangler is the second installment in Vicki Lewis Thompson’s Sexy Texans series. This installment brings back Mac and Travis as permanent residents of Bickford, Texas. The trail ride adventures started in the first book are becoming successful and Mac and Travis an integral part of keeping the business running. Anastasia Bickford has also come out of her shell and has taken to painting the tourists from a spot in Sadie’s Saloon. Mac and Anastasia have developed a strong friendship. Mac brings back photos from the trail rides for Anastasia to paint. However, when Anastasia asks Mac to help her learn to ride, their simmering chemistry comes to a boil. I am a sucker for friends to lovers stories and this one did not disappoint. I loved the interactions as Mac and Anastasia realized they both wanted more from their friendship. Though this is not as spicy as some of Thompson’s earlier works, I didn’t miss the heat level. I really like the town and characters she created and can’t wait to see where she goes from here.
Excellent book! I love cowboys! And I wish I knew how to ride a horse. Although, I have been on them a time or two, I've never really been on a horse like I want to. This is a great book to read if you love horses. Anastasia has a fear of horses (from when she was a little girl) and she asks Mac to help her ride a horse and get rid of that fear. So you learn a lot about horses if you know nothing.
I loved the chemistry between Mac and Anastasia. And Mac sure makes a woman swoon. He was thoughtful, considerate, and always had Anastasia's interest at heart. I wish they would have given in to their feelings a lot sooner in the book than when they did, but it was still a great story. I do recommend this book.
Mac Foster has it bad for his friend and boss’s sister and he has every intention of fighting it but then she asks for his help getting over her fear of horses which places her in very close proximity in this charming cowboy romance. I have to tell you that I got quite a kick out of the fancy footwork and mental second guessing that occurred between Anastasia and Mac throughout their courtship which makes this a great light feel good read for anyone to enjoy and of course the sexy Texan cowboys spice it up just fine.
Wild about the Wrangler is the second in this series and unfortunately I wasn't able to be wild about it. The characters Anastasia and Mac didn't meld well for me. I couldn't feel their chemistry or hear their voices. For me to get into a story I have to feel them through their voice, abs I'm sorry to say fell flat. I couldn't get past that to enjoy the story.
I didn't want to put this book down! This is the first book I've read in the Sexy Texans series; now I've got to find the first book while I'm waiting for the third. Mac and Anastasia are really down-to-earth characters, and I was rooting for them from the beginning. I also loved the tie-in with wild horses.
This one was cute. I liked how both Anastasia and Mac had crushes and then finally acted on them, but didn't just jump in to bed. They took the time to get to know each other building a foundation that they needed later on as a great opportunity came to Anastasia. I was glad how they were finally able to work things out.
Vicki took me right into the story and I didn't want to leave when it was over... Mac and Anastasia were perfect together....Vicki never disappoints... I highly recommend this book...
I love reading Vicki's books. Her cowboys always get the women. Mac & Anastasia were friends, but; could they be more. Vicki, keeps the action flowing & you find yourself turning the pages to find out how it all happens.
A fun romance. Anastasia is a flighty artist, Mac a down to earth cowboy. Commitment issues from Mac, an amazing job opportunity away from town for Anastasia. A fear of horses, a baby on the way, a wedding to plan... lots happens. An unexpected turn near the end keeps the story real.