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Down in Texas
Down in Texas, there's a little town called Honkeytonk, where the women get exactly what they want. . .and the men know just how to give it to them.
Wearing His Brand
Lyssa McDonough just got tangled up in a coil of barbed wire
256 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2008
6 people are currently reading
726 people want to read
About the author
Delilah Devlin
349 books1,204 followersDelilah Devlin is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with a rapidly expanding reputation for writing deliciously edgy stories with complex characters. Whether creating dark, erotically-charged paranormal worlds or richly descriptive westerns that ring with authenticity, Delilah Devlin “pens in uncharted territory that will leave the readers breathless and hungering for more…” www.DelilahDevlin.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
April 15, 2009
I'm not the biggest anthology fan--usually I can take 'em or leave 'em--but I really enjoyed this one. Maybe because it didn't feel like an anthology to me, but more like one continuous novel focusing on three separate couples. It definitely helped that all three stories were written by the same author (no jarring differences in style to break up the mood) and there was a family connection to each of the three couples in the book, and hey--they were cowboys!
In Wearing His Brand Lyssa McDonough is out to win the heart of neighboring rancher (and long-standing crush) Brandon 'Brand' Tynan. Lyssa hopes to convince Brand to finally see her as a woman and not just as his best friend's 'little sister'. While Lyssa's brother Mac is in Iraq serving in the military, he asks Brand to promise to look after Lyssa and keep her safe. Brand knows that doesn't include sleeping with her, no matter how tempting he finds her or how much she seems to want that. So Brand vows to keep his hands to himself, even if it kills him. And after seeing how his mother devastated his father when she ran off with a younger man, Brand doubts that he would ever allow a woman into his heart where she could have the power to destroy him. It gets mighty lonely on the ranch sometimes, with only his younger brother to look after. But now that his brother is ready to strike out on his own, could Brand finally take a chance on something for himself?
Loved it--loved how Lyssa drove Brand crazy--she wanted him and she set out to get him, by using the oldest trick in the book--jealousy. Brand was bossy and dominant, and loved to give Lyssa orders, but she stood up to him. Their lovemaking was steamy and erotic, but it took Brand a while to admit his love for Lyssa. Of course a threat to her life put his feelings all nicely into focus for Brand, and led to a suspenseful but satisfying conclusion.
In Slow Ride, Brand's younger brother Daniel returns to the older woman who first captured his heart seven years ago, while he was still a teen. Daniel's had the hots for Maggie Dermott ever since he worked for her husband Douglas at Wasp Creek Ranch, wrangling horses. Maggie's a widow now, and needs some help with the horses and is about to lose the ranch. Maybe Maggie could use a man's attention too?
I was a little confused at first at just how old Maggie was in this story. She keeps telling Daniel that she's old, her body's not what it once was, etc. The author lets us assume that she's at least 12 years older than Daniel, making her close to forty. Turns out she's really only seven years older (closer to 33), which would make Daniel around 26. Hardly a big age difference--at least not one where she should act like she's robbing the cradle. Anyway, this was a plenty hot one, with lots of steamy lovemaking. Most of the story is about Maggie trying to get over her feelings of guilt for wanting to have a life with a man who can give her everything her husband never could, and being seen with a 'younger' man. Once she got over her fears of 'what will people think of me' she was able to commit herself to a relationship with this sweet, sexy guy. Loved them as a couple.
And finally my favorite one, Straight Up Soldier. This is Mac's (Lyssa's brother) story. After suffering a serious leg wound after being nearly blown up by an IED in Iraq, Mac is back home, drowning his sorrows and pain in the bottle. Bar ownner (and former lover) Tara Toomey knows Mac needs something to get him out of his depression, and she has just the person. Her friend Suki Reese is being stalked by a dangerous ex-boyfiend who's wanted by the cops, and she's currently hiding out at her small lakeside cabin. It's only a matter of time before the ex finds out where she is. Can Mac do a favor for Tara and keep an eye on Suki?
Whew, this was a hot one. It didn't take long for these two to connect, even though Suki started out being afraid of Mac due to his sheer size. And even though he was a rough, gruff alpha, he was gentle and patient with her, until she didn't want him to be. They had some very hot encounters, including one steamy time in the lake (easier on Mac's leg that way). Both Mac and Suki helped each other heal emotionally, as Mac slowly regained the use of his injured leg. And of course the ex-boyfriend had to show up, and Suki showed that she would not be messed with again. Very satisfying, ultra-sexy read.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes hot anthologies that read like a single novel. All three couples meet up again in the third story, and you can see where their stories have taken them--three big HEAs. I do hope the author plans a story for the recurring character of Tara Toomey, especially since she has a hand in all three relationships. The author hints about a relationship of Tara's that's gone wrong, so hopefully she'll get to have one that leads to a HEA. 4 1/2 stars.
Warning: This book contains explicit sex (including oral) and language.
In Wearing His Brand Lyssa McDonough is out to win the heart of neighboring rancher (and long-standing crush) Brandon 'Brand' Tynan. Lyssa hopes to convince Brand to finally see her as a woman and not just as his best friend's 'little sister'. While Lyssa's brother Mac is in Iraq serving in the military, he asks Brand to promise to look after Lyssa and keep her safe. Brand knows that doesn't include sleeping with her, no matter how tempting he finds her or how much she seems to want that. So Brand vows to keep his hands to himself, even if it kills him. And after seeing how his mother devastated his father when she ran off with a younger man, Brand doubts that he would ever allow a woman into his heart where she could have the power to destroy him. It gets mighty lonely on the ranch sometimes, with only his younger brother to look after. But now that his brother is ready to strike out on his own, could Brand finally take a chance on something for himself?
Loved it--loved how Lyssa drove Brand crazy--she wanted him and she set out to get him, by using the oldest trick in the book--jealousy. Brand was bossy and dominant, and loved to give Lyssa orders, but she stood up to him. Their lovemaking was steamy and erotic, but it took Brand a while to admit his love for Lyssa. Of course a threat to her life put his feelings all nicely into focus for Brand, and led to a suspenseful but satisfying conclusion.
In Slow Ride, Brand's younger brother Daniel returns to the older woman who first captured his heart seven years ago, while he was still a teen. Daniel's had the hots for Maggie Dermott ever since he worked for her husband Douglas at Wasp Creek Ranch, wrangling horses. Maggie's a widow now, and needs some help with the horses and is about to lose the ranch. Maybe Maggie could use a man's attention too?
I was a little confused at first at just how old Maggie was in this story. She keeps telling Daniel that she's old, her body's not what it once was, etc. The author lets us assume that she's at least 12 years older than Daniel, making her close to forty. Turns out she's really only seven years older (closer to 33), which would make Daniel around 26. Hardly a big age difference--at least not one where she should act like she's robbing the cradle. Anyway, this was a plenty hot one, with lots of steamy lovemaking. Most of the story is about Maggie trying to get over her feelings of guilt for wanting to have a life with a man who can give her everything her husband never could, and being seen with a 'younger' man. Once she got over her fears of 'what will people think of me' she was able to commit herself to a relationship with this sweet, sexy guy. Loved them as a couple.
And finally my favorite one, Straight Up Soldier. This is Mac's (Lyssa's brother) story. After suffering a serious leg wound after being nearly blown up by an IED in Iraq, Mac is back home, drowning his sorrows and pain in the bottle. Bar ownner (and former lover) Tara Toomey knows Mac needs something to get him out of his depression, and she has just the person. Her friend Suki Reese is being stalked by a dangerous ex-boyfiend who's wanted by the cops, and she's currently hiding out at her small lakeside cabin. It's only a matter of time before the ex finds out where she is. Can Mac do a favor for Tara and keep an eye on Suki?
Whew, this was a hot one. It didn't take long for these two to connect, even though Suki started out being afraid of Mac due to his sheer size. And even though he was a rough, gruff alpha, he was gentle and patient with her, until she didn't want him to be. They had some very hot encounters, including one steamy time in the lake (easier on Mac's leg that way). Both Mac and Suki helped each other heal emotionally, as Mac slowly regained the use of his injured leg. And of course the ex-boyfriend had to show up, and Suki showed that she would not be messed with again. Very satisfying, ultra-sexy read.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes hot anthologies that read like a single novel. All three couples meet up again in the third story, and you can see where their stories have taken them--three big HEAs. I do hope the author plans a story for the recurring character of Tara Toomey, especially since she has a hand in all three relationships. The author hints about a relationship of Tara's that's gone wrong, so hopefully she'll get to have one that leads to a HEA. 4 1/2 stars.
Warning: This book contains explicit sex (including oral) and language.
April 23, 2009
This book had three short stories featuring two cowboy heroes and one wounded soldier who is also a cowboy. I enjoyed all three stories but they were too short, I wished for a little more fleshing out of the characters and plots. The love scenes weren't really hot enough for me to consider this "romantica" but they were still good and sexy. The three stories were inter-connected so we do get to see the first two couples in the last story but I really would have wished for about 100 more pages to finish out each story.
Read this if you want a quick enjoyable story about some hot cowboys who fall in love quickly. Be aware that the stories are very short and that the love scenes are about at the level of a hot regular romance.
Read this if you want a quick enjoyable story about some hot cowboys who fall in love quickly. Be aware that the stories are very short and that the love scenes are about at the level of a hot regular romance.
July 31, 2016
Oh yeah! :0)
February 15, 2009
"Down in Texas" is a three story western erotica anthology from Delilah Devlin. The stories center on two ranching families in Texas finding love and a whole lotta steamy sex.
"Wearing His Brand" - What happens when the one man you want is the one who promised your brother he'd keep you safe? Well, you could just push him past his edge...as long as you can handle it. ***Sizzling
"Slow Ride" - Daniel had the hots for his boss's wife seven years ago. Now she's a widow and he'll have to find a way to convince her that both he and his feelings are all grown up. ***Sweeter, but still hot.
"Straight Up Soldier" - What do a woman on the run and a wounded soldier have in common? Surly tempers and hot emotions apparently.
I actually liked all three stories and their interconnecting characters. None of them include anything other than Alpha male sex with one female. Nice, shorter stories for when you only have a few minutes.
"Wearing His Brand" - What happens when the one man you want is the one who promised your brother he'd keep you safe? Well, you could just push him past his edge...as long as you can handle it. ***Sizzling
"Slow Ride" - Daniel had the hots for his boss's wife seven years ago. Now she's a widow and he'll have to find a way to convince her that both he and his feelings are all grown up. ***Sweeter, but still hot.
"Straight Up Soldier" - What do a woman on the run and a wounded soldier have in common? Surly tempers and hot emotions apparently.
I actually liked all three stories and their interconnecting characters. None of them include anything other than Alpha male sex with one female. Nice, shorter stories for when you only have a few minutes.
November 16, 2008
Ther is a warning on the back of this book. and it rights very hot read. Purvettes belly up to the bar and get this one. You won;t regret it
July 24, 2013
WOW....that was quite a steamy read!! I could have used Karla's misting fan a couple of times!!!!
November 8, 2020
Three separate stories with Ms. Devlin's trademark heroes. The first story, “Wearing His Brand”, is the best by far. Lyssa has been in love with her brother's best friend for years. Brand has lusted after Lyssa, but being his best friend's sister makes her off limits, especially since Mac entrusted Brand to look after his sister when he was deployed. The story opens on a scene that seemed a bit ludicrous to me – Lyssa was repairing a barbed wire fence and a strand broke and snapped around her, leaving her helpless to move or do anything other than wait for someone to come along and find her. Maybe it's not ludicrous, I've never worked a ranch or dealt with barbed wire, so what do I know. Anyway, Lyssa decides it's time to push Brand until he loses control, and when he finally does, boy howdy. Hawt!
The second story, Slow Ride, is about Brand's brother, Danny. In high school he worked on a ranch and lusted after the owner's wife. Now she's a widow, and her foreman has put up a notice at the local bar, looking for someone to work with her horses. Danny gets the job and realizes he's still crazy about Maggie and sets out to convince her that age is just a number. I'm not a fan of older woman/younger man stories in general, but I liked Danny and Maggie and enjoyed their story. Just not as much as the first story.
The third story, Straight Up Soldier, is about Lyssa's brother, Mac. After being injured, he's back in the states and trying to adjust to the non-soldier life. His friend, Tara, asks him to provide protection to her friend, Suki, whose Mexican mafia connected ex is stalking her. When he leaves a note on the door of the safe house where officers have hidden Suki, she flees police protection to stay in her remote cabin. She's not happy when Mac shows up, and doesn't want his company or protection, but of course once he's met her Mac is determined to stay regardless.
This was my least favorite of the stories. The first two stories feature couples who already have some kind of history with each other. It gives them a foundation to build a relationship on. Mac is described as being desperately in need of a woman – he tried to get Tara to sleep with him but she declined. Of course Mac is still a gentleman and isn't going to push Suki into sex, so Suki pushes him instead. I guess this story of insta lust leading to love in a short period of time was a little jarring for me on the heels of the first two stories. I prefer some buildup, some getting to know each other first. And I just didn't connect with Mac or Suki as well as I did with the first two couples. Especially Lyssa and Brand. The book is worth reading for their story alone, and for that reason I'm giving the book four stars.
The second story, Slow Ride, is about Brand's brother, Danny. In high school he worked on a ranch and lusted after the owner's wife. Now she's a widow, and her foreman has put up a notice at the local bar, looking for someone to work with her horses. Danny gets the job and realizes he's still crazy about Maggie and sets out to convince her that age is just a number. I'm not a fan of older woman/younger man stories in general, but I liked Danny and Maggie and enjoyed their story. Just not as much as the first story.
The third story, Straight Up Soldier, is about Lyssa's brother, Mac. After being injured, he's back in the states and trying to adjust to the non-soldier life. His friend, Tara, asks him to provide protection to her friend, Suki, whose Mexican mafia connected ex is stalking her. When he leaves a note on the door of the safe house where officers have hidden Suki, she flees police protection to stay in her remote cabin. She's not happy when Mac shows up, and doesn't want his company or protection, but of course once he's met her Mac is determined to stay regardless.
This was my least favorite of the stories. The first two stories feature couples who already have some kind of history with each other. It gives them a foundation to build a relationship on. Mac is described as being desperately in need of a woman – he tried to get Tara to sleep with him but she declined. Of course Mac is still a gentleman and isn't going to push Suki into sex, so Suki pushes him instead. I guess this story of insta lust leading to love in a short period of time was a little jarring for me on the heels of the first two stories. I prefer some buildup, some getting to know each other first. And I just didn't connect with Mac or Suki as well as I did with the first two couples. Especially Lyssa and Brand. The book is worth reading for their story alone, and for that reason I'm giving the book four stars.
June 14, 2015
There were three short stories packed in this Trade Paperback. All written by the same author and all connected.
1. Wearing His Brand
I didn't care much for this story because I felt the heroine was too aggressive, manipulative and a tease. The hero was too dominant for me and I didn't find their intimate scenes sexy based on that.
2 Stars
2. Slow Ride
This was my favorite of the three. It involved a 7 year age difference where the heroine was older, widowed and had been attracted to the hero since he was 17/18 year old working on her ranch some 7 years ago.
It was strange because the author changed the age difference from 12 years to 7 as this story progressed. Go figure.
Sweet story.
4 Stars
3. Straight Up Soldier
This would have been my favorite except the heroine was too aggressive and forward, imo. Sheesh. She was supposed to be scared and flips that switch off in a few hours to become eager for a more intimate knowledge of the hero. Just would have liked for the hero to have showed "some" pursuit before the heroine was taking off her clothes.
3 Stars
Overall: 3 1/2 Stars from This Reader.
1. Wearing His Brand
I didn't care much for this story because I felt the heroine was too aggressive, manipulative and a tease. The hero was too dominant for me and I didn't find their intimate scenes sexy based on that.
2 Stars
2. Slow Ride
This was my favorite of the three. It involved a 7 year age difference where the heroine was older, widowed and had been attracted to the hero since he was 17/18 year old working on her ranch some 7 years ago.
It was strange because the author changed the age difference from 12 years to 7 as this story progressed. Go figure.
Sweet story.
4 Stars
3. Straight Up Soldier
This would have been my favorite except the heroine was too aggressive and forward, imo. Sheesh. She was supposed to be scared and flips that switch off in a few hours to become eager for a more intimate knowledge of the hero. Just would have liked for the hero to have showed "some" pursuit before the heroine was taking off her clothes.
3 Stars
Overall: 3 1/2 Stars from This Reader.
March 28, 2010
I love short stories and I love stories that take place in Texas, so this was a no brainer for me.
Three stories, all taking place in the same town. An oddity was that every so often I would be surprised of the presence of electricity or a car in the story. They take place in modern times but you'd hardly know it by how the men act, how everyone talks and the overall feeling of the book. That was a little weird.
The stories in this book were not as good as the ones in Texas Men (same author) which I read first, although it is suppose to be read second.
Three stories, all taking place in the same town. An oddity was that every so often I would be surprised of the presence of electricity or a car in the story. They take place in modern times but you'd hardly know it by how the men act, how everyone talks and the overall feeling of the book. That was a little weird.
The stories in this book were not as good as the ones in Texas Men (same author) which I read first, although it is suppose to be read second.
June 29, 2010
Just okay. Not as good as the second book Texas Men. Lots o' sex!
Mac and Sukis story was the best of the three, but jesus I hated her name.
Maybe a little too much, "Ugggg I cant be with you, can't, can't, just can't........Oh god I love you marry me now!" Of course that is what you get with a short story.
Mac and Sukis story was the best of the three, but jesus I hated her name.
Maybe a little too much, "Ugggg I cant be with you, can't, can't, just can't........Oh god I love you marry me now!" Of course that is what you get with a short story.
July 19, 2021
Imagine this:
It's late at night. You and I are standing on the porch of a ranch, leaning against the rail and looking up at the stars. The only sound are the cicadas - it's a warm, quiet midsummer night.
You turn your face to look at me. The cowboy hat I wear tipped down hides most of my face, and for a while you just look at the cigarette between my lips. I take a long drag, then exhale. You look back at the stars. You're tense. You don't know what's coming.
"I read this book because of BTS," I whisper, so quietly I'm scared you won't hear me. I clean my throat and start again, watching the cigarette burn between my fingers. "They came back with a song called Permission to Dance, and they were all dressed like cowboys in the music video, you know?"
You nod, still not looking at me. It's a good song, and a great music video.
"I thought..." I sigh, and you look at me. I tip my hat back, and you can see how distressed I look. "I thought it would be cute and quirky to read a cowboy steamy romance to honor them. But on the first few pages, I realized... I fucking hate cowboy romances."
You turn your face away as if slapped, a gasp you can't quite contain leaving your throat in a rush. You can see me looking at you, worriedly, from the corner of your eye, but you refuse to look at me.
"I'm so sorry," I say, earnestly. "It's... not that bad. It was surprisingly well written, I must say."
You nod curtly, holding back tears as best as you can. This feels like betrayal.
"I know what you're thinking," I sigh, dropping my cigarette to the ground and stepping on it. "I know you're thinking that if I don't like cowboy romances, I shouldn't have spent my precious time reading one. I just... I fucking love BTS."
My voice breaks, and you turn to look at me. It surprises you that my eyes are filled with moisture, just like yours. I look at you, and for a few moments we just look into each other tear-filled eyes.
"It sucked," I whisper, pulling you close by the back of the neck until we're a few inches apart. My fingers feel cool on your skin, but you don't mind. You reach up to take my cowboy hat off, and I step even closer. "But at least... now I know I'll never fucking read another cowboy book."
[Applause]
It's late at night. You and I are standing on the porch of a ranch, leaning against the rail and looking up at the stars. The only sound are the cicadas - it's a warm, quiet midsummer night.
You turn your face to look at me. The cowboy hat I wear tipped down hides most of my face, and for a while you just look at the cigarette between my lips. I take a long drag, then exhale. You look back at the stars. You're tense. You don't know what's coming.
"I read this book because of BTS," I whisper, so quietly I'm scared you won't hear me. I clean my throat and start again, watching the cigarette burn between my fingers. "They came back with a song called Permission to Dance, and they were all dressed like cowboys in the music video, you know?"
You nod, still not looking at me. It's a good song, and a great music video.
"I thought..." I sigh, and you look at me. I tip my hat back, and you can see how distressed I look. "I thought it would be cute and quirky to read a cowboy steamy romance to honor them. But on the first few pages, I realized... I fucking hate cowboy romances."
You turn your face away as if slapped, a gasp you can't quite contain leaving your throat in a rush. You can see me looking at you, worriedly, from the corner of your eye, but you refuse to look at me.
"I'm so sorry," I say, earnestly. "It's... not that bad. It was surprisingly well written, I must say."
You nod curtly, holding back tears as best as you can. This feels like betrayal.
"I know what you're thinking," I sigh, dropping my cigarette to the ground and stepping on it. "I know you're thinking that if I don't like cowboy romances, I shouldn't have spent my precious time reading one. I just... I fucking love BTS."
My voice breaks, and you turn to look at me. It surprises you that my eyes are filled with moisture, just like yours. I look at you, and for a few moments we just look into each other tear-filled eyes.
"It sucked," I whisper, pulling you close by the back of the neck until we're a few inches apart. My fingers feel cool on your skin, but you don't mind. You reach up to take my cowboy hat off, and I step even closer. "But at least... now I know I'll never fucking read another cowboy book."
[Applause]
July 20, 2021
I read this because BTS decided to be cowboys for their Permission to Dance MV and I thought it'd be a good idea to read cowboy romance in their honor because of that. But I don't know if the boys would be very proud of me for that decision...
February 17, 2017
Once again, the cowboys of Honkeytonk DO NOT DISAPPOINT. What a FUN read.
The only thing that I wish I would have done was read this book before Texas Men. The books are not exactly connected except for geography, with the exception of Tara Toomey who plays a role in all three of these stories but gets her HEA in the first story of Texas Men....I'm just weird like that. It felt weird reading about her and knowing what her future already held.
So note to Ms Devlin ... mark these books as a series! LOL
The only thing that I wish I would have done was read this book before Texas Men. The books are not exactly connected except for geography, with the exception of Tara Toomey who plays a role in all three of these stories but gets her HEA in the first story of Texas Men....I'm just weird like that. It felt weird reading about her and knowing what her future already held.
So note to Ms Devlin ... mark these books as a series! LOL
January 23, 2014
It was okay. Three stories in one. The first story of Brand and Lyssa, second story about Brand's brother Danny, and the third story about Lyssa's brother Mac. I lost interest part of the way through the third story. I became bored of reading about Texas ranches and rustling up cattle.
August 21, 2019
1: Wearing his brand
2: Slow ride
3: Straight up Soldier
All three tales are connected. All have the limitations of short stories eg no time for a lot of character development etc. Not really that 'erotic' if that is what your seeking.
2: Slow ride
3: Straight up Soldier
All three tales are connected. All have the limitations of short stories eg no time for a lot of character development etc. Not really that 'erotic' if that is what your seeking.
March 7, 2010
There are 4 forgettable, boring stories. Not much is going on outside the bed, couldn’t make myself care
November 4, 2017
Slow Ride -- Short in Down in Texas
and Straight Up Soldier Short in Down in Texas
and Straight Up Soldier Short in Down in Texas
January 1, 2021
Registered on Bookcrossing: https://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/...
November 8, 2010
Down in Texas is an anthology of three stort stories written by Delilah Devin. All three of the stories are centered around two ranching families the McDonoughs and the Dermotts.
Wearing His Brand
In this first story Lyssa and Brand Tynan have grown up together. Lyssa has lusted after Brand for years but he has always treated her like a little sister, since she is his best friend's sister after all. Brand has been tasked with looking after Lyssa while her big brother Mac is off on a military mission. Brand comes across Lyssa trapped in barbed wire fencing after an accident and things begin to heat up between these two on the shared horse ride back home.
I really enjoyed this first story. Lyssa and Brand already have an established relationship and the pace moves fairly quickly. I love that readers get to just jump right into the story. Lyssa is a spunky character and isn't afraid to maneuver the situation to suit her needs. I also liked that this story easily set up the next story in the book and that the smuggler plot was carried on through till the end of the book.
Slow Ride
Daniel Tynan ten years ago worked as a farm hand for the Dermott's. As a young man he found Maggie Dermott to be the woman of his dreams and to his shame he found himself lusting after an older, married woman. He answers an employment ad to once again find himself back at Dermott's ranch when Maggie is now a widow and in desperate need of help to keep the ranch afloat.
Slow Ride was probably my least favorite of the book. Maggie has quite a bit of baggage that she needs to overcome before she can be truly comfortable with a relationship with Daniel. I felt that in such a short period of time her acceptance of their relationship was too quick. However, it was probably the more compelling and emotional read of the book.
Straight up Soldier
Suki Reece is running from an abusive ex-boyfriend. She is hiding out in a cabin her good friend Tara helped her secure. Tara, worried about Suki, asks Mac McDonough to check in on her and make sure she is safe. Mac is recovering from a bad leg wound on his latest military mission. When he gets to the cabin he finds that Suki can hold her own.
Straight up Soldier is a slight change up, now the hero is a military man instead of a cowboy but he is still just as alpha as the other two heroes. Suki can go toe to toe against this big man and brings him to his knees a time or two.
The nice thing about these stories is they are short and sweet. The men are alpha heroes who like to take control in the bedroom and make sure their woman stay safe. The stories are fun and entertaining, although, there are similarities between the men's personalities and the fun that is had in the bedroom. If you like the first story, than I can't see why you wouldn't enjoy the rest.
Wearing His Brand
In this first story Lyssa and Brand Tynan have grown up together. Lyssa has lusted after Brand for years but he has always treated her like a little sister, since she is his best friend's sister after all. Brand has been tasked with looking after Lyssa while her big brother Mac is off on a military mission. Brand comes across Lyssa trapped in barbed wire fencing after an accident and things begin to heat up between these two on the shared horse ride back home.
I really enjoyed this first story. Lyssa and Brand already have an established relationship and the pace moves fairly quickly. I love that readers get to just jump right into the story. Lyssa is a spunky character and isn't afraid to maneuver the situation to suit her needs. I also liked that this story easily set up the next story in the book and that the smuggler plot was carried on through till the end of the book.
Slow Ride
Daniel Tynan ten years ago worked as a farm hand for the Dermott's. As a young man he found Maggie Dermott to be the woman of his dreams and to his shame he found himself lusting after an older, married woman. He answers an employment ad to once again find himself back at Dermott's ranch when Maggie is now a widow and in desperate need of help to keep the ranch afloat.
Slow Ride was probably my least favorite of the book. Maggie has quite a bit of baggage that she needs to overcome before she can be truly comfortable with a relationship with Daniel. I felt that in such a short period of time her acceptance of their relationship was too quick. However, it was probably the more compelling and emotional read of the book.
Straight up Soldier
Suki Reece is running from an abusive ex-boyfriend. She is hiding out in a cabin her good friend Tara helped her secure. Tara, worried about Suki, asks Mac McDonough to check in on her and make sure she is safe. Mac is recovering from a bad leg wound on his latest military mission. When he gets to the cabin he finds that Suki can hold her own.
Straight up Soldier is a slight change up, now the hero is a military man instead of a cowboy but he is still just as alpha as the other two heroes. Suki can go toe to toe against this big man and brings him to his knees a time or two.
The nice thing about these stories is they are short and sweet. The men are alpha heroes who like to take control in the bedroom and make sure their woman stay safe. The stories are fun and entertaining, although, there are similarities between the men's personalities and the fun that is had in the bedroom. If you like the first story, than I can't see why you wouldn't enjoy the rest.
October 19, 2011
Wearing his brand:
Lyssa McDonough always loved Brandon Tynan, but he always keeps his distance. Now she is caught in a barbed wire fence and Brandon is her rescuer. Brandon takes her home to take care of her wounds and send her back to her ranch. He promised her brother and his best friend Mac, that he will keep an eye on her when he’s away. But it is getting harder and harder to ignore his feelings for Lyssa.
Slow Ride
Daniel Tynan is back at the Dermott farm as a horse trainer. Maggie Dermott is in need of some help in order to keep her ranch. Since Daniel was a teen-ager he had the hots for his boss’s wife Maggie, now she is a widow and he is determined to seduce her. But Maggie isn’t sure about this romance because it seems Daniel is much younger that she is.
Straight up soldier
Mac McDonough is an ex-soldier who returned home injured. Although his sister Lyssa and his friends want what best for him, he isolates himself from them. When a friend contacts him and convince him to take a job as a bodyguard for a woman, he cannot refuse. It appears Suki is in hiding from her violent ex-boyfriend and knows she needs help, but when Mac shows up on her doorstep she isn’t convince he is the one for the job. But even though Mac is injured, he knows his way to Suki’s heart.
Delilah Devlin is a fabulous author and she did an amazing job with this book. All three stories were just fabulous; I loved the fact that all the stories were connected by family members. Just reading about those gorgeous cowboys, make me dream about a cowboy of my own. Damn they were hot.
For those who love contemporary western romance, you definitely need to check out this novel. You will get three terrific stories with fabulous characters. I’ll promise you by the end of the book you’ll want a cowboy of your won.
Lyssa McDonough always loved Brandon Tynan, but he always keeps his distance. Now she is caught in a barbed wire fence and Brandon is her rescuer. Brandon takes her home to take care of her wounds and send her back to her ranch. He promised her brother and his best friend Mac, that he will keep an eye on her when he’s away. But it is getting harder and harder to ignore his feelings for Lyssa.
Slow Ride
Daniel Tynan is back at the Dermott farm as a horse trainer. Maggie Dermott is in need of some help in order to keep her ranch. Since Daniel was a teen-ager he had the hots for his boss’s wife Maggie, now she is a widow and he is determined to seduce her. But Maggie isn’t sure about this romance because it seems Daniel is much younger that she is.
Straight up soldier
Mac McDonough is an ex-soldier who returned home injured. Although his sister Lyssa and his friends want what best for him, he isolates himself from them. When a friend contacts him and convince him to take a job as a bodyguard for a woman, he cannot refuse. It appears Suki is in hiding from her violent ex-boyfriend and knows she needs help, but when Mac shows up on her doorstep she isn’t convince he is the one for the job. But even though Mac is injured, he knows his way to Suki’s heart.
Delilah Devlin is a fabulous author and she did an amazing job with this book. All three stories were just fabulous; I loved the fact that all the stories were connected by family members. Just reading about those gorgeous cowboys, make me dream about a cowboy of my own. Damn they were hot.
For those who love contemporary western romance, you definitely need to check out this novel. You will get three terrific stories with fabulous characters. I’ll promise you by the end of the book you’ll want a cowboy of your won.
January 23, 2013
Three novellas all closely related to each other. Wearing His Brand was Brandon and Lyssa's story. It wasn't too bad. If I'm going to read a novella or short story and be expected to believe a HEA then I prefer the couple to know each other well beforehand. And that was the case with Lyssa and Brandon. So yay for that. I don't really like to read stories though where the hero treats the heroine like a child (even if she gets off on that kinda thing.) That's where this story failed me. Slow Ride was Maggie and Danny's (Brandon's brother) story. This one was my least favorite simply because I don't see the appeal of dating a much younger man. Also he made her go out in public without a bra, even though she was extremely uncomfortable with that, just because he was mad at her. Asshat. The last story, Straight Up Soldier, was my favorite. Mac (Lyssa's brother) and Suki had the more realistic relationship to me or at least the one that appealed to me the most.
The sex scenes were plentiful and fairly graphic. Pretty much what you'd expect in erotica. Besides some spanking and nearly public sex it was fairly white bread. LOL. Which is fine by me, I don't need to read anything more than that right now. I will say the author used the word furled in relation to female parts. Either I don't have the correct image of something furled in my head or things look really weird on these heroine's undercarriages.
The sex scenes were plentiful and fairly graphic. Pretty much what you'd expect in erotica. Besides some spanking and nearly public sex it was fairly white bread. LOL. Which is fine by me, I don't need to read anything more than that right now. I will say the author used the word furled in relation to female parts. Either I don't have the correct image of something furled in my head or things look really weird on these heroine's undercarriages.
December 10, 2025
it's actually an anthology, been a while indeed. short, steamy, happy ending. what's not to like?
August 9, 2011
Wearing His Brand
Lyssa McDounough knows the only way to get Brandon Tynan to notice her is to get him spitting mad. Fortunately she does it quite regularly and relishes the idea that one day he may act on all that passion. Brand has been fighting himself over wanting Lyssa, but he knows just one taste is all it would take to make him want to claim her as his own.
Slow Ride
Daniel Tynan never has found the right women for him, the only one he ever cared about heart and soul was already taken. Years later Maggie Dermott is widowed, shy, and lacking confidence in herself. When Daniel gets hired to work on her ranch, he is not letting her go this time once he realizes that she has long harbored feelings for him as well.
Straight Up Soldier
Mac McDonuough just wanted to chase away his demons remotely after he was injured in the line of duty. When he is asked as a favor to protect a woman hiding from an abusive ex, Mac reluctantly agres not realizing that Suki Reece will be such a fiesty, seductively beautiful, woman.
All three stories tie together, but I liked Straight Up Soldier the best. All had elements that were entertaining but like many short stories they were just a little short.
Lyssa McDounough knows the only way to get Brandon Tynan to notice her is to get him spitting mad. Fortunately she does it quite regularly and relishes the idea that one day he may act on all that passion. Brand has been fighting himself over wanting Lyssa, but he knows just one taste is all it would take to make him want to claim her as his own.
Slow Ride
Daniel Tynan never has found the right women for him, the only one he ever cared about heart and soul was already taken. Years later Maggie Dermott is widowed, shy, and lacking confidence in herself. When Daniel gets hired to work on her ranch, he is not letting her go this time once he realizes that she has long harbored feelings for him as well.
Straight Up Soldier
Mac McDonuough just wanted to chase away his demons remotely after he was injured in the line of duty. When he is asked as a favor to protect a woman hiding from an abusive ex, Mac reluctantly agres not realizing that Suki Reece will be such a fiesty, seductively beautiful, woman.
All three stories tie together, but I liked Straight Up Soldier the best. All had elements that were entertaining but like many short stories they were just a little short.
August 5, 2013
So good, these stories are on my keeper shelf!
This set of three stories are the best short stories if you want romance, hot smexing and a well crafted story. What is missing is length and fullness. I loved Brand and Lyssa, Daniel and Maggie and Suki and Mac. I liked them all as people, they were lovely and it was amazing how well written these stories about them are. I liked the story of Daniel best, I want more of him, something about his head-over-heels love even when there was no chance of it being returned back to him, appealed to the romantic in me. These stories have some of the best written love scenes ever and I would recommend them as short stories to enjoy again and again.
This set of three stories are the best short stories if you want romance, hot smexing and a well crafted story. What is missing is length and fullness. I loved Brand and Lyssa, Daniel and Maggie and Suki and Mac. I liked them all as people, they were lovely and it was amazing how well written these stories about them are. I liked the story of Daniel best, I want more of him, something about his head-over-heels love even when there was no chance of it being returned back to him, appealed to the romantic in me. These stories have some of the best written love scenes ever and I would recommend them as short stories to enjoy again and again.
November 21, 2013
This was a pretty good anthology. As with all anthologies, some are good stories and some not so much. I think each story from 1, 2 3rd all went in the order for which were best as well. The last being the most unbelievable because the two people didn't know one thing about each other. The other two stories, the couples knew each other and it was just a matter of one convincing another. Good, but not great. I have like other books by the author though - short stories and the like. So I'll continue to keep her books on my to read list.
September 6, 2009
This one was an anthology.. and I was really surprised that I liked it. I usually have trouble with anthologies because more or less one of the stories sucks. But this one was just kind of written like a continuous book just with different perspectives. All of the characters in each story are connected so it flows better.
I think my favorite story was Mac and Suki. They were just funny as hell.
I will definitely be looking into more books by this author.
I think my favorite story was Mac and Suki. They were just funny as hell.
I will definitely be looking into more books by this author.
October 11, 2013
Delilah Devlin surely knows how to put 3 strong novellas together. These were GREAT! I'm getting kind of burnt out on anthologies. If more are done like this one then I could really get into reading many, many more & have loads of fun doing it. All 3 were slightly tied into each other which I like GREATLY.
September 24, 2012
**3-1/2 Stars**
Decent group of 3 stories. All m/f with cowboys and all smokin hot. Enjoyed the last one with the tortured alpha the most. Will be looking for more stories like these from D. Devlin!
Decent group of 3 stories. All m/f with cowboys and all smokin hot. Enjoyed the last one with the tortured alpha the most. Will be looking for more stories like these from D. Devlin!
March 7, 2009
3 short stories by Delilah.
Wearing his Brand, Slow Ride and Straight Up Soldeier.
Pretty good.
Wearing his Brand, Slow Ride and Straight Up Soldeier.
Pretty good.
February 22, 2010
Very good anthology!
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