Wednesday, September 4, 2013

[ARC Review]: "So Tough to Tame"

So Tough to Tame by Victoria Dahl
Publisher: Harlequin HQN (September 24, 2013) 
Series: Jackson, 3
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Tough to tame, but not too tough to love... Charlie Allington is supposed to be on the fast track to the top-a small-town girl who was making it big in her career. Instead, she's reeling from a scandal that's pretty much burned all her bridges. Now, out of options, she needs a place to lick her wounds and figure out her future. True, working at a ski resort in rugged Jackson Hole, Wyoming, isn't her dream job. But if there's one perk to coming back, it's a certain sexy hometown boy who knows how to make a girl feel welcome. 


Cowboy Walker Pearce never expected a grown-up Charlie to be temptation in tight jeans. She's smart and successful-way out of league for a man like him. But he's not about to let that, or his secrets, get in the way of their blazing-hot attraction. Yet when passion turns to something more, will the truth-about both of them-send her out of his life for good...or into his arms forever?


Where to Buy*:
Amazon | KindleBN | NOOK | ARe
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My Review:





So Tough to Tame marks my third time reading Dahl's work. I've learned one very important lesson—damn, she sure knows how to write sexy scenes! Smoking hot, very steamy, and with a bit of dirty talk liberally sprinkled throughout! Add to that the fact that Dahl also knows how to write great banter, chemistry, and wit; it goes without saying that I am a huge fan, and I am only sorry that I waited so long to read her books. The fact that she's a fellow Utahn? Yeah, that's only the cherry on top of it all!


Walker is a hardworking cowboy; it's the only thing he has ever been good at. He was friendly and popular in high school, but what no one knows is he never officially graduated. His dyslexia made classes difficult, despite the tutoring from Charlie. Now, years later, he's still living in his hometown, picking up odd jobs at the local ranches. Charlie moves back to town, and the two begin a seductive two-step. She's always fantasized about him, and she's finally going to show him what she wants. He liked her in highschool, thought of her as a friend. But now he's seeing the woman she;s become...and he can't resist. They're both quick to say it is just temporary, some no-strings-attached fun. But soon they're wondering about something more...Will Charlie's past and Walker's stubborn pride keep them apart?


I'm in love with Dahl's Jackson series. The characters are all fun, from Charlie and Walker, to Rayleen, who pretends to be tough and bitchy but anyone who gets to know her realizes she's a softie under all that quick wit!


Walker is every bit the sexy cowboy. But he's so much more than that. He's confident and flirty, but not to the point of being self-centered. In fact, he has more than his share of cute moments when he's blushing and unsure about himself and what he can do. In short, I loved him!


Charlie is a take-charge kind of woman, and I liked her. Was she perfect? No. But she was a fun heroine, knew what she wanted, and despite what the rumors said about her, she was honest, especially in her work.


Perhaps the one thing I liked the most about So Tough to Tame was the ending. Walker and Charlie do not jump straight into the “I love you, let's get married” that so often comes with a romance HEA. They both agree they want more from their relationship, but they also admit that it may not be love and marriage in their future. They care for each other, deeply, but they want to just enjoy this part of their relationship for now, to see if it could lead down the aisle eventually. I found this refreshing, and fitting for these two characters.



A sexy cowboy, a confident woman, tons of (quality!) steamy fun, all set in a small town in cowboy country, So Tough to Tame is sure to enchant any reader! I will be back to visit Jackson again, as well as Dahl's other books.


4 STARS!




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I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest opinion. 

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Have you read any of Victoria Dahl's books? Do you have a favorite? 







Enjoy!




Until Next Time,


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