Devon’s review of Ride ‘Em by Tilly Greene
Erotic romance ebook novella published 11 Jan 08 by Ellora’s Cave
If you look at separate elements of Ride ‘Em, they seem to add up to typical erotic romance absurdity. Icky cover model? Check. BDSM Western Novella? Check. Suggestive title? Check. Overtly sexual and somewhat ridiculous first meeting? Check. Small town peopled by kinky folk? Check. H/H have instantaneous sexual connection? Check. However, on the whole Ride ‘Em was a well-written, enjoyable read, both hot and romantic. Despite having its share of silliness.
Sunflower Forever Free (I know, right?) was raised on a commune until she left when things got a little too touchy feely. She has carved out a new life for herself in Montana, running a diner and attending local BDSM parties, held in a barn. One wild night, Sunny is riding a leather saddle enhanced with a little somethin’ extra when she is spotted by Court Dickerson, a former movie star returned to town after a few brushes with the law. Two things: first off, the “riding” the leather saddle thing kinda grossed me out, especially when the onlookers were commenting on the wetness. Yikes! Unsanitary. Secondly, though the hero and heroine came from unusual backgrounds, it didn’t really play into the story at all, which I thought a bit weird. But I guess it showed how they were two adults who had both been through a lot, and now both knew what they wanted from life, which was something I liked about the book.
Anyhow, moving on…so they meet and are instantly drawn to each other. Court gets their mutual friend to introduce him to Sunny, and next thing you know, they’re…going on a date. And getting to know each other. How different. It was nice and sweet and romantic. I found myself wondering where the sex was. Where the BDSM was. But not missing it either, just enjoying the story. And then, BAM, we fast-forward two months. What? While I understand length constraints, and I appreciated the time spent on the romance, I didn’t like the way it skipped to them being an established couple. But this made way for the big old ménage scene, as they decide to incorporate BDSM into the relationship. I’m not a big ménage fan, but it was hot!!
Ride ‘Em was distinguished by the hot sex scenes, the nice relationship development and the mature, likeable characters. I liked Sunny, silly name and all. She was a grown up and refreshingly self-aware regarding her sexual needs. She has submissive tendencies, she likes sex and that’s that. Court was a bit more bland, but he was sweet and in lurve. The BDSM elements were there, Court and Sunny are into D/S play and bondage, but it wasn’t too heavy. Although I did have some issues with the book, Ride ‘Em definitely satisfied as a quick, hot read. I would read Tilly Greene’s work again.
Grade: B-
At a young age, Sunflower Forever Free is put in a position where she must take control of her life. A gentle soul who has never chosen how or where she lived, she decides to stay in a small town she stumbles upon and start over. Here she has hopes of finding her white-picket-fence dream.
Rehabilitated bad boy Courtland Dickerson returns to the town of his childhood, the last place he was happy. He starts his horse-breeding business and settles on the normal path he’s always wanted, one far away from the destructive influences of his past.
Kinky games are being played behind barn doors. After one particularly wild ride, Sunflower and Courtland discover how well matched they are and together they embark on a new path.
Read an excerpt.
Read more from Devon at Is That a Stake in Your Pocket?
LOL— hellaciously enjoyable review, Dev. I’m glad the lure of the blurb worked out for you this time. (hee) This story sounds kinda fun and sexy.
I would have had the same reaction to her name, but then again, my DH has a niece named Sunshine, my DD went to school with Gentle Summer Love (not joking- that is her name and she has a sister with an equally absurd name), I have a grandniece named Autumn Raine and another one that was originally going to be named Wynter Storme. So Sunflower Forever Free? I probably would have wondered if Tilly Greene has kids and what she named them.
This book contains all my hot buttons, I wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole *g*. The NAME alone gives me nightmares. BDSM parties? BEURK (screams of meaningless sex which is SO boring, no matter if there are whips and chains). The whole story screams of lots of sex and little plot and probably even less charisma between h/h. At least I am in 99 of 100 situations bored when h/h jump into bed immediately. There are few authors who can sell me that.
Oh QB Bev, the blurbs, the blurbs are calling…
[Sing to the tune of Danny Boy]
Katie–I think you are correct in assuming you wouldn’t like this book. The sex party thing squicks me out a bit, and its use as a device in erotic romance always starts me a-wondering about the neighbors. Is everybody getting kinky behind closed doors?
For what it is (Elora’s Cave novella) Ride ‘Em was quite good.
Ya know, Devon, I probably would have liked this book in 2003/4 when I started reviewing erotic romance, but today I see myself as a jaded reader *g*, and sex parties and ridiculous plots are on the top of my “do not touch” list.
I have nothing against kink in a book, I have come upon a number of BDSM stories which I highly enjoyed. But in general, BDSM or not, what absolutely repulses me is indiscriminate sex where the hero and heroine jump and flit around, a blow job here, a little swinging there, a sex club (which of course is very different and classy *yawn*) and because it is so en vogue,to a double penetration ménage to top it off.
Sometimes there are PG 13 rated novels which convey more eroticism to me than any X rated story will ever be able to. I recently finished Joanna Bourne’s first release, The Spymaster’s Woman, and even though the love scenes couldn’t be titled “detailed or daring”, I was highly impressed by the author’s talent to write such beautifully erotic scenes.
I hear ya, Katie. It all seems so tired and overdone. I’ve even found myself buying some “tender romance” (closed doors) in hopes of getting back to the focus on the relationship. Gotta try that Joanna Bourne. It’s been getting great buzz.
But sometimes, the blurb just calls to you.
Speaking of which, my reworking of “Danny Boy” continues…
Oh QB Bev, the blurbs, the blurbs are calling…
From Phaze to Blaze,
And even some Desires,
The blurbs are here,
And though it may be sucky,
Somehow it calls to me,
And I must go and buy.
ROFL! I know what you mean, sometimes I KNOW the book is going to be shit, but the cover (I admit, I am a nice cover addict) and blurb tempt me anyway. ARGGG. I like your take on Danny Boy … sucky?, from Phaze to Blaze?, you need to add something about the genres like from whips to clamps, from chaste to fangy vamps …
Can’t help myself, I always associate tender romance with Harlequin Romance which I only know by name. I have read my share of “closed door” books, however, some are done very well, with others I want to shout at the author and ask her why she “forgot” the BEST part, especially when she was very talented at creating an erotic atmosphere and tension.
Ooh, I like. I was referring to the epub and the Harlequin lines, but that’s better.
Off to edit some more.
OH Good Grief! BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA
Devon, you may have to go on a blurb-free diet… STAT! Evidently, the slimy by-products are building up and interfering with normal brain function.
What are you talking about, Bev? My brain is functioning just fine. In fact, I’ve got two more verses good to go.
Devon – thank you for picking up Ride ’em, despite it fulfilling your checklist, reading and writing a review. I look forward to putting a snippet up on my website and adding a link back to The Good, The Bad and the Unread for the entire piece. Have to say, what to put up will be a difficult choice, it’s all such fun 🙂
Bev – no kids or pets, but I can assure you, unless the cutie could talk some sense in to me, I’m sure they’d be utter nonsense and leave them ripe for ridicule!
Katie – sorry about pushing all your “bad buttons”…maybe another time. When I’m in the mood to read a romance, I usually head back and reread my old favorites like Johanna Lindsey and Kathleen Woodiwiss.
Again, thank you for the smile!
Tilly
Tilly, I admit I am a picky reader. As I mentioned further above, four or five years ago I probably would have gobbled up your book and enjoyed it. Today, there is too much sex out there without anything else, and I personally am bored with it.
But it must still sell, because there are more (for me) hot button books out there than ever LOL.
Ahhh Johanna Lindsey. I really outgrew here, but I still have one of her books on my guilty pleasure list. Now Woodiwiss, however, was never my case. I still remember this book, was it something with Dove? where I wondered if the hero was a brother of the Marquis de Sade LOL.
Thanks for stopping by, Tilly!
I used to devour my mother’s Johanna Lindseys. I lurved them. But you know, today I can’t remember a single one in detail. I remember so much about some of Mom’s old Harlequins, but the Lindseys, no.
I do understand where you’re at Katie. For me it’s Vampires, when they went into the chick lit realm, well, they lost me. The Woodiwiss one you mention would be The Wolf and the Dove…not one of my favorites because Wulfgar was at times too over the top.
My mom never read romances, I found them all on my own :-). The first one was read by a friend at the back of the school bus and I’d blush if I picked it up today! What was it called, I usually remember it, that’s it…Sweet Savage Love by Rosemary Rogers. Phrew, now that book has the one thing I don’t like…an uncaring hero…this guy was so alpha he close to being a neanderthal! That’s be one of my buttons! Alphas are fabulous, but not when they are oding on testosterone.
You know what Devon, I’m one of those people who watches a movie, reads a book, sees a painting, loves it! and I mean loves it, and within the week I’ve forgotten the details. It’s a curse but then again it makes rereading easy 🙂 With Lindsey I do remember many of the general plots but not the details. She has a family, I think it’s Malory, that offered many a good story. While I still buy her latest offering, they will often linger in the TBR pile for some time before I pick them up.
I love The Good, The Bad and the Unread!
Vampires? *shudder*. Even Ward lost her appeal since Butch’s story (now stone me LOL). I kill for good plain old contemporaries, I also love historicals, and maybe some paranormals like Karen Marie Moning writes, or those featuring a witch plot. No vampires and fur for me, well, with the exception of Shelly Laurenston. This woman is fantastic.
I think I read one Rogers, it was a book club offer and I bought it because I had to. Loosely translated the German title was “Kisses like Champagne”. If I remember correctly it was originally published in the 70s, and the heroine in this book was considered to be very modern because she slept around like crazy. The hero was an actor and the rest I repressed, I think. Back when I read this book I just discovered erotic romance and suffered through a number off horribly translated Black Lace titles, and some equally silly plotted originals *shudder*. To my everlasting gratitude I soon afterwards discovered Emma Holly, oh JOY!!!
When a book gets so much hype, I tend to pass. I’d rather try and find something fresh. Kelley Armstrong’s “Bitten” is still one of my favorites, the later ones not so much. I’m pickie about my shifter picks, but yeah, contemporary and historicals are where I normally lean towards.
Like I said, Rogers would make me blush today, but Black Lace makes me laugh. In England I used to see men and women reading them on the trains. A big selection was always available at the papershop in the stations. Then again, I saw a rather older man at the local DMV reading a Harlequin “baby” book. Gotta love the reach a romance has these days 🙂