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Keely Branscom had always been a little notorious. A confirmed wild child, she'd shocked the town by posing for a centerfold at the age of nineteen. But what she'd really wanted was to get a reaction from seriously sexy Noah Garfield. Only, back then, he hadn't quite known what to do with her....

Now, years later, Noah's still in over his head with Keely. But when he catches her walking into a Vegas strip joint, he knows that he has to save her from herself.

Only, Keely doesn't want to be saved. Instead, Noah's supersexy childhood nemesis seems determined to show him exactlywhat he's been missing....


251 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 2001

18 people are currently reading
308 people want to read

About the author

Vicki Lewis Thompson

498 books1,539 followers
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.

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5 stars
113 (26%)
4 stars
130 (30%)
3 stars
121 (28%)
2 stars
47 (11%)
1 star
13 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for Maria Rose.
2,635 reviews266 followers
July 13, 2017
Notorious by Vicki Lewis Thompson has a special place at Harlequin having been the first sexy romance in the Blaze imprint! It’s been re-released in digital format so new fans and faithful readers can see where it all began.

Keely Branscom has always been a wild child, and after she posed nude as a centerfold in a men’s magazine, she left her small town and used the money she made to make a career for herself as a journalist. She has good memories of where she grew up, but sad ones as well since her choices were not well received by her family and she’d been estranged from her father and sister for the last ten years. When she runs into her old childhood friend Noah Garfield who is attending a bachelor party weekend in Las Vegas, he mistakenly believes she’s still living a provocative lifestyle as a stripper or a call girl, and takes it upon himself to help her get a decent job.

Keely is rightly both annoyed and amused at Noah’s high handed decision making and quick call to judgment of her ‘career’ and decides to get even with him by seducing him. Though Noah tries to keep his hands to himself, it’s a lost cause with Keely around and he soon finds himself engaging in a lusty affair with her. But what starts out as fun and sexy games doesn’t stay that way when Keely starts to realize she’s falling for Noah and vice versa. If she wants to be with him in a real relationship, she’ll have to return to her home town and reconcile with her family. Can these two opposites find a way to make their sexy weekend into a real life long love affair?

For more of this review please visit Harlequin Junkie: http://harlequinjunkie.com/review-not...

A copy of this story was provided by the publisher for review.
Profile Image for Kathy Davie.
4,876 reviews737 followers
December 6, 2015
Second in the Branscom Sisters romance series and revolving around two estranged sisters. The couple focus is on Keely Branscom and Noah Garfield. This story takes place mainly in Las Vegas.

The first 186 pages in Harlequin Blaze's Cowboys Like Us includes Cowboys Like Us , Sons of Chance 6.

My Take
Oh, man, does Keely ever have a prejudice against marriage! I can understand not wanting to be forced into a role, but I don't understand why she feels she'd have to step into it. That girl has got some blinders on! Noah does too, only his blinders are affected by Keely and their past.
"She'd never considered that marriage and fun belonged in the same sentence."
I totally understand Keely letting Noah believe what he wants. I'd be wanting some revenge as well, but I also would hope that I'd be able to bring ten-years-later of perspective to the incident! How old was Noah anyway at the time? Still, I did enjoy all the teasing (and the many ways in which Keely teased) Noah, lol.

Dang, why can't I be as lucky as Noah and get robbed? That suite he gets at the Tahitian is amazing. Totally over the top.

The part I have a hard time believing was Noah's not wanting to fall in with Keely's plans. I suspect Thompson needed to do more show on his protective feelings from their childhood for me to buy this. His trying to hide Keely from his friends was doomed from the start.

Still, Keely is growing up, doing some retrospective thinking as events throughout Notorious get her examining her life goals even as Noah is expanding his own horizons. I loved that Noah didn't care about the Macho spread, and his idea about the "jar of finger paint" was quite enticing, *more (heated) laughter*. That singing telegram cracked me up as well. Then Jenny, Barb, Tina, and Sharon expand Keely's thinking some more with their antics at the beauty salon. Woo-hoo!

That "password" at the end was most unexpected, and just goes to reinforce the need to communicate.

My justification for the "4" rating is the characters' thoughtful thinking and Thompson's sweet twist on "what stays in Vegas".

The Story
Keely Branscom had always been a little notorious. A confirmed wild child, she'd shocked the town by posing for a centerfold at the age of nineteen. But what she'd really wanted was to get a reaction from seriously sexy Noah Garfield. Only, back then, he hadn't quite known what to do with her…

Now, years later, Noah's still in over his head with Keely. But when he catches her walking into a Vegas strip joint, he knows that he has to save her from herself.

Only, Keely doesn't want to be saved. Instead, Noah's supersexy childhood nemesis seems determined to show him exactly what he's been missing…

The Characters
Keely Branscom was always the wild one, needing to be free; she was Miss November in Macho. Now she's a reporter for Attitude! in Los Angeles. Arch is her damning father who works at the Twin Boulders ranch. B.J. is her tomboy sister.

Twin Boulders Ranch, Saguaro Junction, Arizona
Noah Garfield is a rancher and works it with his younger brother, Jonas. Jonas is marrying Keely's younger sister, B.J. Before he took over the ranch, it seems that Noah had some hot times on the rodeo circuit.

Las Vegas
…is where Brandon and Jenny's wedding will take place. Clint and Greg are also part of the wedding party. Sharon is married to Clint while Tina is married to Greg. (Brandon and Clint are two of the finest bareback riders in the country; Greg could rope and tie a steer faster than anyone.) Their ladies and Barb are along for the fun — their "stories" during their mani-pedi were great fun and could inspire some new traditions for brides *nudge, nudge, wink, wink*.

Suzanne and Joy are some of the dancers at the Pussycat Lounge. Ames is the hotel manager at the Tahitian. Josette works at the salon.

The magazine Attitude! in Los Angeles is…
…where Keely works, writing articles on love, sex, and more. Carolyn is Keely's boss. Andrea is another reporter and Denise is the outer-office receptionist.

Jim Stevens is Keely's new editor at Prime Destinations, and woohoo, Noah is having fun with this new job of Keely's.

The Cover and Title
The cover is quite patriotic, so how it fits Notorious, I don't know. It's a red draped background with a white oval against which a bare-chested Noah is kissing Keely.

The title is all about Keely, for she's Notorious in her hometown and across the nation of men and boys.
Profile Image for Tofu Fairy.
174 reviews8 followers
October 18, 2012
I really enjoyed this book and found the premise of trickery very fun! I also loved the ending more than I should have. LOL The sexual scenes were very very hot and very varied. Most did not involve sex at all but other aspects of foreplay. Most of the actual sex scenes were in the last 50-100 pages of the book! That was a tad frustrating for me and is the only reason I gave this book 4 instead of 5 stars. The build up was fun but too long for this reader. I would still recommend it though because its just a fun read and as usual this author speaks to me in a real way. I was crying and laughing and groaning right alongside the characters.
1,361 reviews17 followers
September 25, 2019
I do like erotica when it's well-written and I will say the seduction scenes (there isn't really that much actual sex) are very well-done. However, I really want erotica with well-developed characters and a relationship. I didn't see why Keely and Noah are in love with each other besides the fact that they are both gorgeous. What about character? Where was the actual relationship outside sex? There were hints of it, but not enough for me.

This is one of my TBR pile books and unexpectedly fills Wendy's TBR challenge of reading a book published more than 10 years ago. Got it!

Profile Image for Cristiana Ramos.
73 reviews7 followers
January 29, 2014
A história é basicamente sobre dois velhos amigos que sempre esconderam o seus desejo um pelo outro, mas depois de 10 ano sem se verem, reencontram-se em Las Vegas, um dos sítios mais calientes do mundo. E que melhor lugar do que Vegas para realizar todas as suas fantasias?!

Keely é a menina má da sua cidade natal desde que ela posou para um revista. Quando Noah a encontra a sair de um clube de strip, ele assume logo que a rapariga não anda a praticar a profissão mais santa do mundo e ele pretende acabar com aquilo (mal ele sabe onde se está a meter!). Noah vai ter uma grande surpresa quando souber a verdade sobre Keely depois de um fim de semana em Las Vegas cheia de sexo quente e pesado.

Admito, nunca esperei que a história fosse tão boa! Adorei a personagem feminina escondida numa figura de miúda má e que quero lá saber o que pensam! Fiquei surpreendida porque normalmente as histórias da Harlequin não são assim!
Profile Image for Todd Sullivan.
Author 3 books4 followers
June 18, 2015
It was better than '50 Shades' which, okay, isn't really saying much.

I read this (and have more of the same type of thing to read) because there was a time that I was considering trying to slam out some romance novels in an attempt to make a fast buck. It still feels like a smart business plan, but I'm not sure how successful I'd be at slamming these out. There's a clear method to this madness -- an obvious structure to build the ideal romance novel -- but I fear I'd get bored of the structure before I got to the end. Much as I was bored of this story before the end.

It was set in Vegas, though, so points for that. I like Vegas. Vegas is awesome. Could have had more Vegas, in fact. Also, I'm glad this was one of the pornier Harlequin titles, because otherwise it would have been unbearable.
Profile Image for Delacey.
1,195 reviews8 followers
June 5, 2018
I really liked this funny book. Well delivered puns (though sometimes they were explained and that through me off a little). This book built up the sexual tension very well (so many books don't anymore- they just get right into it).
1,575 reviews30 followers
August 21, 2017
Hot and spicy - and fun, too. All I can say is "poor Noah" - he didn't stand a chance against Keely. What a combination the two of them are together. It was a very fast and enjoyable read!!!
Profile Image for Angel Ackerman.
Author 12 books8 followers
April 16, 2022
This book does a fantastic job at following the romance novel formula yet both using and poking fun of character stereotypes. Very fun.
Profile Image for Elaine.
4,446 reviews91 followers
March 21, 2023
Keely made me laugh, such a naughty girl. Couldn't help but laugh at her antics. Really enjoyed reading this book. 4☆
Profile Image for Korey.
42 reviews
July 3, 2012
A dear friend of mine recommended the Harlequin Blaze series to me after a conversation we had had about 50 Shades of Grey, which she didn't find nearly as raunchy as touted or at least not raunchy enough to have warranted the cultural explosion and overwhelming financial success the book has had. When I questioned where her expertise in the field lie, she pointed me here, citing that she had finished many of these books and they were cheap, quick reads with a great trash element to them that could match or surpass 50 Shades of Grey.

I couldn't argue her either way because despite how I tend to jump on popular-media's-bandwagon-love-affair of all thing, I had not taken part in the rise of pornographic novels, popularized so heavily as of late. So I did what any sensible woman would do - I downloaded the e-versions of both 50 Shades of Grey and the first book of the Blaze series, Notorious. Even though I was reading this on public transportation to and from Manhattan, the anonymity granted by the e-reader actually added to the relative "excitement." I got wrapped up very quickly in the silly story of Noah and Keely (a name that honestly made most of the book more difficult to get through) as they re-connect in Las Vegas after he mistakenly assumes her former bad-girl image from small town USA has followed her into adulthood and that she is some form of adult entertainment -- a stripper, call-girl, hooker -- that he must save from herself by proving not every man wants her for sex alone.

And guess what? HE JUST CAN'T KEEP HIS HANDS TO HIMSELF!

I finished it in less than 3 days/6 trips on the train. Considering this was the premiere story in the series, I have to say it was overall good. My biggest gripes centered around some of the downright AWFUL choices in descriptive words Thompson chose to make in some of her racier moments and most specifically, the pre-epilogue ending had me cringing openly in public.

Going in with no expectation other than to be mildly entertained by the romance novel world did me wonders and allowed me to accept this book (and God help me, others to come) for what it was: purely worthless literature that had me a little riled up and giggling with embarrassed to be reading it.
Profile Image for Andrea Guy.
1,483 reviews67 followers
February 13, 2010
Vicki's Notorious is a fitting start to the Blaze line. This books are hot sexy reads and believe me, after reading Notorious, you'll need to cool off. Woah! Is all I can say. The plot is basically the story of two old friends that harbored desires for each other but didn't act on them, getting it together 10 years later in Vegas quite by accident.

What better place to have sex that basically puts all fantasies to shame then Vegas?

Keely was the hometown bad girl, posing for a centerfold, when she was barely old enough to do it. Noah was the guy that turned her down. When he runs into her outside a strip club he assumes she's not made her way in the world through good means. He thinks he's going to reform her. Ha Ha Ha!

They both get some reforming and they have some hot and heavy petting and sex throughout the weekend in Vegas.

Keely was not quite the bad girl Noah believed her to be, but he didn't discover that until much later. I don't want to give too much away, but the two of these characters definitely meant to be.

I don't think I've read a Blaze novel that was this hot before. This book requires a cold shower after reading it.

Vicki Lewis Thompson was one of my favorite writers for the Temptation line and she was really able to create a hot steamy read with the boundaries that disappeared with Blaze. If you haven't tried a book from this imprint, and you like your books steamy, sexy and as my mom would say, smutty, grab a Blaze and break out your fan, cos things will get hot!
Profile Image for Barb.
1,203 reviews
June 26, 2014
Keely Branscom had always been a little notorious. A confirmed wild child, she'd shocked the town by posing for a centerfold at the age of nineteen. But what she'd really wanted was to get a reaction from seriously sexy Noah Garfield. Only, back then, he hadn't quite known what to do with her....
Now, years later, Noah's still in over his head with Keely. But when he catches her walking into a Vegas strip joint, he knows that he has to save her from herself.
Only, Keely doesn't want to be saved. Instead, Noah's supersexy childhood nemesis seems determined to show him exactlywhat he's been missing....
Loved the story. A book for every romantic lover out there. Its hard to put down.
Love the characters, and thats exactly what they are. Characters as different as
night and day... but the more you read, and the longer they are together, there
lives take a turn all of its own. 5 stars.
Profile Image for Cathy Beckett.
489 reviews1 follower
September 21, 2014
I loved this book. It was a hot, quick, fun read.

Keely Branscome, former girl next door, runs into her longtime crush Noah Garfield. Noah has secretly loved her forever but was afraid to say anything.

They run into each other outside a topless bar in Vegas. Noah fears that Keely is down on her luck looking for work. He wants to save her from herself so offers her a place to stay and help to find a job that doesn't require her to use her body.

Keely is out for revenge for the way Noah refused her when they were teenagers. She wants to corrupt him and then turn him away. Little does she know that Noah isn't the only one that will hurt. You see she still loves him and wants him in her life for always.
Profile Image for Sharon Forbes.
260 reviews37 followers
August 9, 2017
This was a fairly good read, for the type of book it is (romance with plenty of sexy times throughout). I thought that the storyline was kind of weak though, could have been developed a bit more, even for a Harlequin romance. It's about Keely, who's a writer for a magazine, and Noah, who's a rancher firmly entrenched in his job. They meet up, after many years(they knew each other when Keely was a young teen) in Vegas, and have some great sexy times there. There are snags to their blossoming relationship, which are eventually overcome. A basically good, quick romantic read.
Profile Image for Netanella.
4,742 reviews40 followers
June 18, 2009
I enjoyed this tale of an earnest cowboy and a wild child journalist on a Las Vegas romp. Keely and Jonas are childhood friends, and Jonas assumes, due to Keely's wild child reputation, that she's a nude dancer when they run into each other after 7 years. Keely goes along with the mistaken occupation, wanting to pay him back for turning her down so many years ago and breaking her heart. The book was good, lighthearted fun.
Profile Image for Elisa.
318 reviews2 followers
April 26, 2015
I randomly grabbed Notorious off the shelf and bought it because the back cover made the story sound hilarious. The beginning was a bit of an eyeroller for me, but by the end I was completely invested. Thompson can spin a good, fun tale and I'll be keeping a lookout for more of her titles. I love getting attached to good characters.
Profile Image for Allison.
Author 1 book217 followers
June 4, 2009
Very slow. The point was to build up the tension between the characters, but I found it to be a yawn fest instead. I wound up skimming the pages looking for something interesting and before I knew it, the book was over. I thought I would love a book set in Vegas. I was wrong.
Profile Image for Kevin Connery.
674 reviews4 followers
March 11, 2010
Great dialog. The restrictions of the genre limited it a little, but it’s an excellent example, and a very fun book overall.
Profile Image for Elizabeth Ayala.
205 reviews24 followers
January 3, 2012
I really enjoyed reading this book. I really enjoyed the charecters. I loved that this book was a little longer than most of the harlequin romance novels.
55 reviews
August 17, 2012
I loved it! I cried through the last like five chapters. I was expecting it to end disappointingly but it didn't.
Profile Image for Lila Hunter.
Author 12 books87 followers
January 22, 2013
Good and steamy story. Sometimes the characters inner words were too long. Not and easy read (slow), but worth the time.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews

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