Ready for Wild by Liora Blake – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway
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Description:
Braden Montgomery is certain about three things: one, luck is for suckers; two, time spent outdoors is what keeps him sane; and, three, when it comes to sharing his bed, there’s only one female he’s willing to put up with—his Chesapeake Bay retriever, Charley. Braden’s constructed his life on these beliefs, and he’s quite content with the status quo.
But when a moment of bad luck lands Braden toe-to-toe with a blonde bombshell with her own television show, his stubbornly structured reality begins to unravel.
As for Amber Regan, her brand has been built on camo, cut-offs, and cleavage. With her own hunting show on the foremost sports channel and enough social media followers to garner her plenty of endorsement deals, Amber’s come a long way from the tomboy in a small Texas town she once was. Unfortunately, ratings are down and her contract for next season is in limbo, so she’s in desperate need of a reboot to save her show—and filming a rough and tough archery elk hunt in Colorado might be the way to do just that. Too bad the local game warden grunts more than he speaks, seems determined to despise her—and makes her heart race in all the most inconvenient ways.
Review:
Ready for Wild by Liora Blake is the 3rd and final book in her Grand Valley series, and it reads very well as a standalone. We met Braden Montgomery, our hero, previously, as he is a game warden, who hates hunters, especially those on TV. Meet Amber Regan, our heroine, who is a tv star on a sports channel hunting show. We know to be ready for the explosions. 🙂
Amber and her team come to Colorado to film an Elk hunt, as she is desperately trying to reboot her career. When Braden is assigned to help Amber and her team, he is unhappy, and shows his feelings openly to them all. However, Amber knows all about hunting, and is determined not to let a grumpy negative Braden ruin this project. In a short time, Braden will feel a strong attraction to Amber, and does all he can to fight it off. Amber is not only gorgeous, but she is overly friendly and outgoing, and uses her charms to try and get the loner Braden to be more sociable; not to mention she is enjoying watching the hunky game warden.
What follows is a slow built romance that becomes sizzling, as their chemistry together is off the wall. In time, Braden begins to accept Amber’s profession and finds he is falling in love with her. Amber is also falling hard for Braden, but she is desperate to get her career on track, and when things do not go her way, she looks at other alternatives, which Braden feels would be beneath her. Besides their hot romance, their constant bickering and banter was also fun. They each had their own issues, which made a permanent relationship unlikely. Braden knows he will lose Amber, and just when we are about to give up, things will change that will bring some surprises, and a wonderful happy ever after.
Ready for Wild was a fun entertaining romance, with an unlikely couple that won us over very quickly. It was nice to watch a grumpy Braden, and the vivacious Amber rise above their differences, using their love of hunting and their combustible lust for each other. No question that this was a hot sexy story. Liora Blake once again gives us another fun romance, that had a bit of everything, humorous, sensual, fun bantering and a sexy delightful couple. We will all miss our visits to Grand Valley.
Reviewed by Barb
Copy provided by Publisher
I caught a glimpse of the Braden I want earlier tonight, when the too-slick, too-skinny cowboy at the foundation dinner invaded a little too much of my space. Braden’s protective yet patient gaze was on me, and I wanted to wrap myself in that sensation, sink into the experience of being watched over without being hovered over. Braden didn’t storm over like a bull bent on drawing blood, or alpha his way in and deck the cowboy’s lights out, even when I was ready for him to do exactly that. He acted like a man, not a hotheaded kid, and I wanted that man—the one in possession of all that control and composure—to want me.
Braden moves to stand behind me. He draws my hair away from the side of my neck, placing a kiss to the sensitive skin behind my ear, then traces his fingertips to that same spot, and my entire body comes alive. Another sweep of my hair to the side, exposing the zipper on my dress, the one he could so easily yank down. Instead his hands land on my shoulders, fingers splayed wide so he can gently knead the muscles there. My eyes drift closed.
“I haven’t done this in a while,” he says.
Eyes still closed, my brow knits. This impromptu neck massage is diverting, but not so much that I don’t find what he just said a little surprising. Sure, Braden isn’t exactly a poster child or sociability, but he is hot. His looks alone could open a few bedroom doors, and anyone who bothers to peek under his surly Superman cape would find a man who never neglects to answer a text and sometimes checks his best friend’s forehead for sign of a fever. Add in that big, masculine body of his and the guy could easily get some if he wanted to, so there must be a reason why he’s been on hiatus.
Braden’s thumbs begin to work over deep knots near my shoulder blades that I didn’t know were there.
“Why has it been a while?”
He continues to knead until he feels my shoulders wilt in relief.
“I got burnt by an ex a few years back. I hadn’t met anyone worth the trouble since then. Until now.”
My curiosity doubles down on those last two words. “Why me?”
I’m not sure what it is I want him to say, so long as they aren’t trite words about how I look. From another man, that sort of desire might be enough, but with Braden I need something else.What, I’m not exactly sure. I just know I need more than the superficial.
Braden’s hands drop to my hips and he grips them firmly, pressing his groin to my backside.
“Because you make me feel like a goddam live wire. You’re in the room and I feel you. I don’t have to see you, even. Because you’re fucking everywhere. It puts my teeth on edge and sets my skin on fire. And I can’t get enough.”
He’d heard my thoughts. He had to—that’s the only explanation for his being able to say exactly what I needed to hear, yet couldn’t name for myself. I calm the urge to all but shout, Take me, sailor!—like some swoony matinee star from back in the day. Slowly, I turn in his grip and meet his heavy-lidded gaze, intent on kissing him or dropping to my knees, whatever feels right.
But Braden slinks one arm tight around my waist, trapping me in his grip so he can run his fingers across my mouth, his eyes fixed there so intensely my face heats under the lovely scrutiny. My lips
part a fraction, ready to speak or kiss or moan, I’m not sure which.
Braden continues to stare at my mouth. “Because it’s been a while for me, I need you to let me set the pace this time. Can you
do that?”
My chest begins to rise and fall raggedly. “Can we take turns after that?”
Braden’s face immediately cracks into a broad grin. One that’s wry and exasperated, but above all, charmed . . . charmed by me.
A slow shake of his head. “You couldn’t just say yes, could you?”
“You know you would have been disappointed if I had. I just want to be sure I get my turn. I want to drive you crazy, but in a good way.”
His grin fades, his eyes darken, and I find myself tossed over his shoulder before I can even act like I might object.
“Fucking live wire,” he mutters, striding down the hallway and ducking when we make it to the doorway, flipping on a light switch at the same time. Braden sets me back on my feet near a single nightstand next to an enormous bed.
The room itself isn’t huge, so the bed takes up most of it. The frame is gray-stained pine trimmed with black wrought iron, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think it was one of Trey’s designs because it’s industrial-looking and impossible to ignore. The nightstand holds a tower of books and an alarm clock, and there’s a grocery-store bag tossed there, partially open to reveal its contents.
Condoms. Good man, Braden.
I waste no time after that, reaching for him with a tug while trying to work his belt open and yank his shirt off all at the same time. Braden’s hands swoop in and latch on to mine, letting out a low rumble as he spins me to face the other direction, still somehow able to keep my wrists in his loose but commanding grip.
His lips meet the crown of my head, whispering, “My pace. We agreed.”
Liora Blake’s publisher is offering a paper copy of READY FOR WILD to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe
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great review, barb. i have been reading this series, and enjoying it. sad to see it end.
Great review please enter me in the giveaway
Thanks for the review, looks great.
Thanks for the review. Please enter me into the giveaway.
Very nice review thanks. Please enter me into the giveaway.
Please enter me for this .That was an awesome review and Id really love to read this.
Thank you!
Love the cover! Did all of the above except for Twitter. Please enter me into the giveaway. auntria8@yahoo.com
Terrific review, Barb. I have read this series. Very enjoyable reads. Please enter me to the giveaway.
Please enter me
Another great review Barb. Sounds like an interesting read. Please enter me in the giveaway.
Thank you for the chance.
Thanks for the review and excerpt. PLease enter me into the giveaway.
Very nice review. Please enter me into the giveaway, thanks.