Saddled and Spurred (Blacktop Cowboys Novel)

This book was better than I expected. This is my first book by this author and I thought it would be nothing but crazy sex with no story. But surprise, surprise there was an actual story. This was not an indepth emotional rollercoaster but in its own way it was a really cute story. By the was, I should mention the intimacy, okay I will, just say it sex was hot and the stuff that was a little to wild for my imagination didn't leave me feeling dirty like a cheap flick. I am sure this author writes better stories so I will definitely read more of her books.

LORELEI JAMES ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE BLACKTOP COWBOYS SERIES IS SO AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHE REALLY KNOWS HOW TO WRITE A SERIES OF BOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THE WAY EACH OF THE BOOKS CONTINUE ON FROM THE ONE BEFORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HOPE SHE CONTINUES WITH MORE BOOKS FROM THIS SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yet another fantastic book by Lorelei James! I really loved this book. Not 'liked' but loved!

Small summery:

Bran Turner needs a hired hand to help him through calving season as his regular guy has been in an accident and broken his hip. However, no one has responded to his advertisements and he on his own. Harper Masterson has been fired from her part-time job in a tanning salon and desperately needs money so that her little sister can go to college. There are no other job opportunities for her since most people are determined to make her pay for her mother's mistakes. Through a mutual friend Harper gets hired to help Bran through calving season, the end of which coincides with her sister graduating high school after which they can leave the small town for good. Bran has many preconceived notions about what he thinks Harper is like and will act, however, as time passes he finds out that there is much more to her than being a former Miss Sweet Grass. As they develop a time-limited relationship they explore sides of each other and themselves that they have never exposed to others.

I am normally drawn more to fictional characters that are not perfect so I was admittedly a tiny bit apprehensive about a female lead that was a former beauty queen. However, LJ is my favorite author so naturally that did not deter me and, boy, am I glad it didn't. Harper might have been a former beauty queen but she is far from perfect. She is, however, funny, sweet, caring, unselfish and in many ways insecure but most importantly she is likable. She is not the stereotypical female lead character who is so sweet and perfect it makes you grind your teeth. As always Lorelei James has managed to make the characters in her story unique and real; you get the sense that if you go to Wyoming you could run into these people you've read about. Bran Turner is likewise far from being the stereotypical romance hero. Like Harper he is "real". I especially liked that while he is naturally a handsome sexy cowboy he is not used to women falling all over him, which means that he is not completely confident when it comes to women who look like Harper. The small insecurities that both characters have makes their story so much more believable than other romance/erotic books.

The other characters in the book that make up the family and friends of Harper and Bran "get to you" like the main characters do and I found myself wishing that the book was longer so I could also read more about them - lucky for me it is a series so I hopefully they will all get their own stories. The book is the second in the Blacktop Cowboys series so if you have read 'Corralled', which was the first book, you will be reunited with some of the same characters again. There is no problem reading Saddled and Spurred before Corralled, though! So don't let that deter you.

This book has everything that I have come to expect from a Lorelei James book: great characters, great storyline, hot hot hot sex, difference from all the other books she has written while still retaining all the magic and of course sexy cowboys :o)

I can't recommend this book enough, so read it. You owe it to yourself!

Spoiler Ahead This was book two in the "Blacktop Cowboys" Series. Bran Turner needs a hired hand to help him through calving season as his regular guy has been in an accident and broken his hip. However, no one has responded to his advertisements and he is on his own. Harper Masterson has been fired from her part-time job in a tanning salon and desperately needs money so that her little sister can go to college. There are no other job opportunities for her since most people are determined to make her pay for her mother's mistakes. Through a mutual friend Harper gets hired to help Bran through calving season, the end of which coincides with her sister graduating high school after which they can leave the small town for good. Bran has many preconceived notions about what he thinks about Harper is like and how she will act, however, as time passes he finds out that there is much more to her than being a former Miss Sweet Grass. As they develop a time-limited relationship they explore sides of each other and themselves that they have never exposed to others. This was a good book and drew me in right away the sex scenes between these two was very hot. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. I am looking forward to reading or listening to the next book in this series.

Former beauty queen Harper Masterson wants to leave town with her sister Bailey, who will be starting college soon. They both need a fresh start after Harper’s fired from her current job. But Harper needs employment for the next few months before they can go. The only thing that seems to be available is working as a hired hand for cattleman Bran Turner. It will be a problem going in because she has issues with the man. On top of that, she has no experience but is determined to make the job work. Bran is amazed when he hires her and she shows great promise. Harper is good with the animals and she entices him as well. Despite some false starts, the couple begins a physical relationship but there are some hiccups along the way. When Bran’s real hired hand heals from his injuries and returns to work, he causes trouble right away.

The second entry in the Blacktop Cowboys series has Ms. James’s trademark hot alpha hero and feisty heroine who complement each other as they travel a bumpy road to their happy ever after. Everyone has secrets that lend an air of mystery to the novel. It’s a titillating tale sure to please anyone looking forward to a sexy read. I highly recommend this book to those who haven’t read books in the series as it stands on its own. For those who’ve started the series, it’s worth continuing with this keeper.

Harper Masterson is thought to be the blond bimbo offspring of the local "slut". But in reality those who take the time to get to know her know that she is raising her younger sister, working more than one job and doesn't even date. But so many people in the rural Wyoming town won't take the time to get to really know her. When she loses one of her jobs she knows she is desperate, she needs to be able to stay put until her sister finishes High School. So when a friend sets her up to work with a local cattleman she puts on her best suit and heads out. She knows that it will be hard work but she is desperate. What she doesn't count on is that not only is she enjoying the hard work but she is drawn to the sexy cattleman (Bran Turner). She finally convinces Bran that she just might be into more than the hard work; she might just enjoy a little "horseplay".

Bran can't believe his friends set him up with the local beauty queen for a ranch hand. Who in their right mind shows up on a farm in spike heels and a tight skirt for an interview? But, he agrees to give her a trial period, as she only wants the job temporarily anyways, and his regular ranch hand should be back by the time she leaves. What he doesn't count on is the sparks they make when they are together or how much he wants her to stay.

Will the two figure out what they really want before it is too late?

Saddled and Spurred is a smoking hot edition to the Blacktop Cowboys series. I found myself pulled in different directions while reading Saddled and Spurred. Part of me wanted to love the smoking hot Bran but at the same time I felt that he was a bit too hard headed and hurtful to Harper. But at the same time I don't think Harper was always up front with her real feelings. All of this considered Saddled and Spurred is definitely a cowboy romance I would recommend to anyone who wants a fantastic read (or listen).

I listened to the unabridged version of Saddled and Spurred. I was impressed with the way the narrator was able to keep the story moving.

Tanya for Joyfully Reviewed

4.5 Stars
Saddled and Spurred
Reviewed by Francesca & posted at Under The Covers Book Blog

Words that can best describe this book for me:
Rough, Hot, Dirty, Fast, Dominant, Wild

Don't let the inspirational cover look-a-like fool you! =) This book is hawt! After finishing Corralled, and even though I liked it, there was something missing. I think that something was the family and community bond that is now present in Saddled and Spurred.

Hank and Kyle, the men of book one, are actually all part of a group of friends that we learn more about in this book. Of course there's Hank's brother Abe, and one of the buddies is Bran. Reserved, calm, cool Bran. Excellent rancher and excellent fisherman. Not the guy that is the best looking to always get the girl. Definitely the guy that thinks a beauty queen like Harper would never look his way.

But I have a secret to tell you, I am falling a little bit in love with Bran! Not that I've personally had a cowboy myself, but maybe Ms. James could introduce me to a Bran?!?! Because he rocked my world! Bran is a dirty talker to boost, and I just love that Harper is willing to give herself over to him.

And Harper was no slouch either. I adored her. Beautiful as she is and yes a beauty queen, she is no primadonna. She's struggled to make ends meet doing whatever she has to do to support herself and her sister, and put her through school, giving up on her own dreams. And now she ends up working for Bran as his temporary ranch hand!

Then there's the secondary characters. Hank's sibligns, Abe and Celia, I can't wait to read about them! The new resort in town is bringing with it some new characters to stir things up. I can't wait for Abe's book next!!!

I'm conflicted about this book. Objectively, I'm pretty sure it's a good example of erotic romance and a couple exploring beyond "vanilla" sex. My ratings are subjective, though, and I can't say it was more than just "okay" for me. I found myself skim-reading the sexytimes to get back to the plot. Unfortunately, I thought the plot itself was rather bare-bones and couldn't hold my interest enough.

I initially liked the characters a lot. Harper, the surprisingly down to earth and friendly beauty queen, began as a super sympathetic character, but then I found myself squirming that she was TOO easy-going and doormat-ish, letting her family ride roughshod over her and taking such a submissive role in her relationship with Bran.

Bran was a cute and laid-back cowhunk, so it surprised me when he was all dominant and alpha in the bedroom (and the living room, and the dressing room, etc...) This aspect of the book was okay... Again, I don't know why, but I found myself skimming over the numerous variations of their having sex. I guess I just didn't feel any emotional connection between the two, which was reinforced by their entering into the relationship as a purely sexual one, thinking there was a predetermined "expiration date" that would occur when Harper moved away.

I also felt that Bran was using this sexual relationship to explore his kinky side, and it wasn't like Harper herself was special and brought that out in him. Rather, I got the impression he was just waiting for a "willing victim," if you will (sounds terrible, but that's what it seemed like to me). Generally, Bran would have been a decent character until Les (his curmudgeon of an up-til-then-injured ranch hand) entered the picture. At that point, I couldn't forgive Bran for not sticking up for Harper when Les bad-mouthed her.

That said, I'm not writing off either erotic romance or this author entirely. I think I had some issues with believing that Bran and Harper fell in love with each other, given that the extent of the relationship that we're shown seems to be mainly physical. I'm interested in reading Abe and Janie's book, though, because I feel the romance aspect might be more believable when the characters have a long history behind them already.

Harper Masterson has put her own hopes and dreams on hold while she supports her younger sister until she graduates from high school. The trouble is her mom's reputation has made finding employment in Muddy Gap, Wyoming extremely difficult. She works two jobs just to make ends meet - none of her fancy beauty titles are going to provide the basic necessities. Since one of her employers has decided to close up shop Harper's forced to seek temporary employment elsewhere because she's only sticking around for another couple of months - just until Bailey completes high school - then they'll be moving so that Bailey can attend college.

It's calving season and Bran Turner is desperate for help since his hired hand is laid up with an injury. When his friend Celia calls him and tells him that she's found him a hired hand he's astonished and thrilled. The amount of work needing to be done is simply more than one man can handle by himself. What Celia neglects to tell him is that his new hired hand is none other than beauty queen Harper.

Surely this is someone's idea of a warped joke. There's no way Harper would be willing to perform the sort of duties this job requires. After all, she could break a nail and let's not forget that pulling calves, cleaning barns, fixing fences and the other odd assortment of chores needed to be done on a daily basis can be hot, dirty, and downright exhausting. Against his better judgment Bran agrees to give Harper a chance fully expecting her to fail miserably. Harper surprises him with her tenacity and determination to tackle any chore that needs to be done without a care about her own appearance.

There's always been a spark between Harper and Bran but with them working side by side for long periods of time every day the sexual attraction between them becomes impossible to ignore. The trouble for this couple might just be keeping their hands off each other during business hours. Harper isn't interested in earning brownie points by sleeping with the boss, and Bran doesn't sleep with employees - but after hours? Well, after hours they're simply two people passionately drawn to each other. There's nothing wrong with acting on that attraction now is there?

These BLACKTOP COWBOYS definitely have a leg up on the four-wheel riding, baseball cap wearing `cowboys' I'm used to seeing in my little corner of the rural life. With her March release of SADDLED AND SPURRED, Lorelei James brings to life all the passion, hard work, joy and disappointment that goes into ranching and puts a unique spin to it by introducing a character who seems so out of place yet fits perfectly. Harper's such an inspiring character. She has strong work and family ethics and doesn't seem to let the hardships or disappointments in life get her down - or at least not for long. Bran is the epitome of cowboy lovin' women's fantasies. He works and plays hard and has the rock hard body to prove it. SADDLED AND SPURRED is a powerful and emotionally charged addition to the BLACKTOP COWBOYS series and if Ms. James didn't already have a place on my `must read author' list then she would have definitely earned the spot with this title.

The other titles (so far) in the BLACKTOP COWBOY series are:
CORRALLED
WRANGLED AND TANGLED - releases November 1, 2011

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)

Cattleman Bran Turner (Bran, really!?) is left shorthanded during calving season and since rural Wyoming and in particular the sleepy town of Muddy Gap doesn't have an overabundance of qualified help he reluctantly hires Harper Masterson for the job. Now while this down on her luck, former beauty queen may not look the part of your typical ranch hand (the gem encrusted sunglasses and leopard print gloves are a dead giveaway) Harper proves to be a quick study and more then capable of gettin' er done.

What starts out as a strictly a professional relationship of course builds into something more; Bran just can't keep his eyes off Harpers curves and she in turn doesn't mind getting down and dirty. He can't believe that this gorgeous beauty queen would have anything to do with the likes of him and Harper well, she can't believe what she's been missing, who knew sex could be so good.

Besides there's no harm done right? They've both agreed that this is only going to be a temporary affair, just until Bran's injured help returns and Harpers younger sister Bailey graduates high school. A few weeks tops, then she's outta this dusty little town, and never looking back, right?

If you've read any of Lorelei James's other books (I highly recommend the Roughriders series) then you'll know what to expect from this one. Erotic love scenes, emotion filled storylines, a couple of dustups at the local saloon and a whole town of unique characters and situations to keep you interested.

I have to be honest though, this book didn't quite grab me like her Roughriders series always does and I was honestly surprised at how difficult a time I had getting into it. Neither of the main characters made much of an impression on me until later on in the book (which ended up being awesome) and I just never felt their supposed "spark". And while the sex scenes where certainly steamy enough they lacked genuine emotion or even excitement of the usual level I've come to expect from James. It just seemed like our couple was going through the motions (sexy as they may be) and I had a hard time caring.

However like I said at around chapter 16 it all seemed to come together. With the ranch job ending, Harper is leaving, Bran's not stopping her and nobody is talking about how they really feel. I also enjoyed the storyline involving her sister Bailey's bombshell decision and *sigh, Bran's last minute attempts at romance. For such a strong silent style he sure came out of his shell. Interesting events also open up for book #3 in the Blacktop Cowboys series; WRANGLED AND TANGLED.

Actually loved the story. Harper and Bran were a great couple. I gave 4.5 stars because I thought at times their sex was too graphic and unnecessary to the story. It's actually a great love story. Harper's family was very selfish. I'm glad she finally got a chance at her own dreams. Bran was such a cowboy. A very sexy cowboy who loved her. I did not like the author bringing up the issue with the Lawson siblings in the bar, but not mentioning if it was resolved. It just seemed like a waste. I think I'll read Janie and Abe's story next. I think it will be funny. Enjoy!

Saddled and Spurred: A Blacktop Cowboys Novel
This story between Harper and Bran, just goes to show you that you can't always judge someone by their looks or their past life. Harper sets out to prove to Bran that she can do anything that he can and boy does she do it... Bran doesn't know what to think........your just going to have to purchase this book and find out for yourself how it ends.......

I just loved Saddled and Spurred!!! I couldn't put the book down and I read in less than a day.

I have to say that I didn't enjoy the first book in the series "Corralled" as much as I enjoyed other books by Lorelei James (I just love her ROUGH RIDERS series), not that it was a bad book but it was different from what I was expecting, but I'm really happy I didn't give up on the new series and read Saddled and Spurred.

I loved Harper and Barn and the fact their relationship started out slow and I could really feel an emotional connection between then.

I can't wait for the third book in the series Wrangled and Tangled to come out in November.

This is one of my favorite books in Lorelei James' Blacktop Cowboys series. I wasn't sure I was going to like Harper. The fish out of water, or in this case, former beauty queen as ranch hand, is a bit overused. I should know better than to doubt Lorelei's ability to take a common trope, turn it and twist and bend it in to something entirely new and refreshing. She does time and time again and never disappoints. SADDLED AND SPURRED is no exception. Harper is very down to earth, hard working, fun and I couldn't help but love her and Bran together. I love this book. It is funny, sexy and filled with wonderful characters you're sure to love!

*SBB Reviews*

Lorelei James has Once Again Delivered an Amazing Story which you cannot get Enough.

I Always look forward to reading Lorelei James Author's books. They are brilliantly written, sexy, fun and great reads & Saddled & Spurred was Just that. I Loved this Cowboy Romance. It was amazing.

I Would Highly Recommend Readers to pick up this book now and Enjoy it.

In Muddy Gap, Wyoming Tan Your Hide beauty emporium owner Alice Samuels fires Harper Masterson as she no longer needs the help since she is shutting down the storefront to sell her products from her home. Harper needs temporary employment for a few months to cover bills for her and her sister Bailey before her sibling begins college. She plans to leave town once Bailey starts school as both will have new beginnings.

The only position available is working for Bran Turner pulling calves at his ranch; a man she has had a few arguments with. However, she is stunned when he hires her as besides their dispute, she lacks experience. He is surprised that she is diligent, intelligent and hard working as he assumed he hired a cotton candy former beauty queen. He especially appreciates her manner with animals. As they fall in love, Renner Jackson enters Harper's life and Bran's injured permanent employee Les returns to work; but it is his trust issues that causes the wedge bigger than the Grand Tetons.

The second Blacktop Cowboys (see Corralled) is an enjoyable ranch romance as each of the lead couple hides secrets from the other that lead to suspicion between them. The support cast is strong and the setting of rural Wyoming enhancing the problems that both face, especially the heroine. Readers will enjoy this wonderful contemporary.

Harriet Klausner

This book was gifted to me. This is romantic, steamy hot and engrossing. The characters and storyline are interesting and entertaining. Who doesn't love a hot cowboy? Lorelei does and amazing job of getting you into the story, then making it even more dramatic. This is a a great addition to the series.

This is absolutely one of my favorite couples!!...I love Bran and Harper!!..Throw Bunnies, fainting goats, four wheelers in the mix you can't help but laugh out loud!!..I can not get enough of their story!!..This is a laugh out loud sexy romantic must read!!..

Here we go, just finished writing review for the other book in this series "Coralled" and its like reading books written by two completely different people. What gives, Lorelei??? This book was warm (although the weather described was cold)and absolutely "feel good", something I believe, necessary to romance, otherwise whats the point? You just wanted to keep reading and reading and find out more about these two people. The h and h were so connected by their desire for each other, it was a pleasure to buy and keep this book.

PLEASE OPEN THIS BOOK UP TO YOUR CANADIAN FANS. I HAVE READ ALL OF LORELEI JAMES BOOKS AND WAS VERY EXCITED THAT THIS BOOK WAS GOING TO BE RELEASED AT THE END OF JUNE. TO MY DISAPPOINTMENT I HAVE YET TO BE ABLE TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK. DON'T LEAVE YOUR NORTHERN FANS OUT IN THE COLD!

Independent, hard working, ex-beauty queen, Harper Masterson is desperate to find a job. As a rookie ranch hand, she learns how to handle everything from bunnies to bulls, including the bull-headed and way too sexy Bran Turner, her new boss. Can't wait to read the next Blacktop Cowboys installment.