*** This review is SPOILER-FREE! Read on with confidence! ***

Either I haven’t read enough romance books with chefs as the heroines or Amy is just the unusual exception, but her therapy of chopping celery to stem her frustration and sexual needs is both unique and a little frightening (I mean, what ELSE would she consider dicing up? *gulp*). If I were this woman’s man, I’d be sure to keep her completely satisfied or risk that fancy Mac knife practicing on my sensitive bits. Ms. Cutler sets the stage quickly and efficiently, giving us a glance into Amy Sorentino’s frustrating history with cowboys, family drama, and recent professional embarrassment. She then rides straight into a little lets-blow-off-some-steam nookie between Amy and our sexy rancher hero, Kellan.

Let’s talk about the sex. Oh, don’t be shy – you know you wanna! My initial thought, from their first encounter, was that the love scenes in this book would be too skimpy, short on details and lacking in chemistry. Girlfriend, was I wrong! The detail and intimacy of the sex scenes grows with the relationship between Amy and Kellan in a healthy, organic way. Their chemistry is superb, both tender and passionate, and the romantic moments along the way reflect the intimacy level of their relationship as it develops. I loved Kellan’s respectful cowboy ways and his sweet Southern accent, and I could easily picture his sexy Stetson, boots, and tight Wranglers. Kellan is not a glamour cowboy and, aside from a little wardrobe over-exaggeration to fire up his prospective lady’s cowboy fetish, he’s as honest and true as so many of the lovable Southern men I’ve known.

Ms. Cutler’s style is comfortable and natural, straightforward with a charming Southwestern flair. The dialogue is also authentic, a pitfall for many authors who don’t actually live in the unique culture that is “the south”. Seriously, I can practically hear the thick accent rolling off the characters’ tongues (and not in a cheesy, makes-me-want-to-/faceplam way either), and the landscape is a vista of beauty, with earthy depictions only someone who has lived and loved that environment could understand. There was a scene between the Sorentino sisters that had me laughing out loud, it was so spontaneously fun and refreshing. Each of the Sorentino women has a distinct and vibrant personality and their relationship with each other is genuine and believable, right down to the sibling spats and stalwart support.

Memorable Quotes

Taste-testing has never been so appealing…

She swiped her tongue across her lower lip. The residual salt essence made the underside of her tongue tingle.
Kellan lidded the jar, watching her lips with a heated gaze. “I can’t quite remember the flavor of that one.” His hand on her jaw coaxed her face up. “Refresh my memory.”

Nothing like falling in love with a cowboy…

What she’d felt for Brock McKenna, or even Kellan on their first date, paled in comparison to the potential for love she felt in her heart as she watched him fly over the terrain on his horse. Hell, yes, she felt loads of hot cowboy lust, watching him ride. Everything about him called to her – his hands on the reins, his thighs rubbing against the saddle, the curls of brown hair beneath his hat. And those lips…

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Rating: The Trouble With Cowboys

Review copy provided by author