Sandy M’s review of Branded as Trouble (Rough Riders, Book 6) by Lorelei James
Contemporary Western Erotic Romance eBook released by Samhain 3 Mar 09

I know the big draw to the Rough Riders series for Lorelei James fans is the erotic.  Her heroes and heroines steam up the pages something fierce. Ms. James never runs out of ideas for her love scenes. That’s a big draw for me too, but what I like just as much is the sense of family that has run throughout this series. It’s secondary to the romance and the sizzle, of course, but it’s there in every book and sometimes just as powerful as all that lovin’ that’s goin’ on.

Colt McKay has been sober for three and a half years, a huge milestone for him considering his wild and crazy days of booze and sex that went on for a good eighteen months before he realized he needed help. But no one even acknowledges his sobriety or the effort it takes to maintain it. His brothers are just waiting for him to fall off the wagon. Then he finds out his parents feel the same. Colt keeps right on plugging along, however, enduring Sunday supper with his family, doing his work on the ranch and other community activities his family knows nothing about.

The only one who can even come close to understanding him and really knowing him is India Ellison, sister to his cousin’s wife and a fellow AA member. Indy always feels the outsider with her body tattoos and piercings, though she does a steady business in her tattoo shop. She’s been Colt’s sponsor for the time he’s been attending meetings, but lately she’s been wanting something more with him. They have so much in common thanks to their pasts. She’s not sure if they have a future, but she’d definitely like to find out.

Little does India know that Colt’s been in love with her for the past three years. When they decide to take their relationship to the next level, it’s Colt who wants to take it slow. Though he can’t remember much during his year-and-a-half bender, he knows none of it was good. So he wants to date India, show her his gentlemanly side. So they take it easy and nearly drive each other nuts with wanting before their two-week deadline is up. And though things sizzled between them with all the sexual teasing, the world shakes, rattles, and rolls when they finally let loose. Their love scenes are intense, demanding, and oh-so-hot.

In between all this, Colt is still struggling with his family. It’s his youngest brother Cam who gives the family what-for, how they’re not helping Colt by doubting his every move and expecting him to return to his former ways. That was a terrific scene and I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next. Ms. James took her sweet time getting there!  She made me wait a while, but it was worth it. Colt’s brothers come to him, hat in hand, to apologize for their behavior and to let Colt know they’re behind him.  And while that was a nice scene, it’s the scene with his father later that tore at my heart. The McKay men don’t cry, but they do tear up as Colt does when talking to his father. I was hoping for a tad more emotion between them, a quick hug at the least, but what’s there works wonderfully.

India and Colt have their misunderstandings along the way, but I really enjoyed how they went to each other and talked things out. They may have yelled and thrown things, but in the end they did the right thing to make sure their relationship worked. They are both so tortured by the past, and the present and future give them fits too, push them to take another drink, waiting to see how they’ll survive. They may be branded as trouble because of their past, the future is bright for them, even if they have to work extra hard for it. That just makes it all the sweeter.

Grade: A

Summary:
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It’s hard to trust the future when you’ve been branded by the past
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As a walking advertisement for the tattoo shop she’s set up in a small Wyoming town, India Ellison is well acquainted with preconceived notions. Despite the odd looks and off-color comments about her off-color hair, life is good. She’s clean and sober, dotes on her sister’s kids and, best of all, spends most of her free time with her best buddy, cowboy Colt McKay.
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Reformed bad boy Colt never expected three years of sobriety to lead to three years of abstinence. Curbing his craving for booze and random sexual encounters is nothing compared to the ever-increasing craving for his hot-tempered, hot-bodied best friend, India. Too bad she’s his A.A. sponsor. Too bad she hasn’t a clue that Colt’s been head-over-bootheels in love with her from day one.
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After an unexpected, steamy interlude, all India can think about is riding the sexy cowboy instead of her motorcycle, even when Colt is determined to show her a slower ride is worth the wait.
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Or are they risking their friendship for a fling that could burn them both?
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Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series (print releases linked below, go here for eBook releases):