Sandy M’s review of Strong, Silent Type (Rough Riders, Book 6.5) by Lorelei James
Contemporary Western Romance short story ebook released by Samhain 5 May 09

It’s going to be a sad day when Ms. James decides to end this series. She has a huge host of die-hard fans for her McKay/West series. Her characters are always so engaging, the stories always show the characters’ growth and always have this family show love and support for one another no matter what, and love scenes are some of the hottest and most sizzling to be had. Oh, and the cowboys are a huge plus too. Ms. James is one of the best at making those men walk the walk, talk the talk, and jump right off the page.

In this short story we get to see a couple of the family who have been together for a number of years. They were high school sweethearts and have been inseparable ever since. Until recently, that is. Quinn McKay and his wife Libby are separated as the story opens, both at a loss at how to fix their problems. Quinn thought he could leave Libby alone for a bit and she’d come to her senses. But it’s brought home to him that he’s going to have to make the first move, he wasn’t exactly blameless in the weeks and months before their separation. He loves his wife and wants her back.

Libby is ready to move on with her own life, even though it will kill her to do it without Quinn. She thought making changes to both herself and their home would help matters, but her husband seemed more distant when all was said and done. So not wanting to be married to a man who no longer loves her, Libby does the one thing she never dreamed would happen, and breaking her heart in the process – she signs divorce papers.

Once Quinn decides to man up and grab the bull by the horns, things start to go better for this couple. They begin to talk, something Quinn has never been good at and something Libby let slide over the years. They put everything on the table, admit their part in the hiccup in their marriage, learn things about one another they never knew, and finally share their sexual fantasies with each other, which gives another jump start to their reconciliation, but still not knowing if it’s all going to work out for them.

I enjoyed this little rocky slice of the McKay family, different from the stories before when the hero and heroine meet for the first time and learn their way through the relationship. Quinn and Libby end up having to learn a whole different side of their relationship, and by laying everything on the line, their life together is better than ever.

Grade: B+

Summary:
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Wyoming rancher Quinn McKay thought he’d only have to bide time until his levelheaded wife came to her senses and called a halt to this “trial separation”. He never believed the marital rough patch would drag on for a coon’s age.
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Libby McKay knew when she married the gruff, laid-back cowboy that he wasn’t prone to blathering about his feelings. But three months have passed and her stubborn-as-a-mule husband is still living by himself in the horse trailer. It seems he’d rather hold onto his pride than hold onto her.
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Quinn realizes Libby is determined to move on if he doesn’t loosen his tongue and he’ll lose the only woman he’s ever loved. In a last-ditch effort to keep her in his life, he offers her one weekend of uninterrupted sexual decadence.
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Reigniting the passion is easy. The hard part comes after the sheets have cooled and they find out if what remains is strong enough to survive past mistakes.
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Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series: