I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Tied Up, Tied Down
by
Lorelei James
erotica, romance in eBook edition that was published by Samhain Publishing on July 8, 2008 and has 265 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Corralled, Saddled and Spurred, Rode Hard, Put Up Wet, Wrangled and Tangled, Long Hard Ride, Cowgirl Up and Ride, Rough, Raw and Ready, Wild Ride, Branded as Trouble, Shoulda Been a Cowboy, All Jacked Up, Raising Kane, Cowgirls Don't Cry, Chasin' Eight, One Night Rodeo, Casanova Cowboy, Kissin' Tell, Gone Country, Mistress Christmas, Miss Firecracker, Bound, Redneck Romeo, Unwound, Turn and Burn, Hillbilly Rockstar, "Schooled", Wrapped and Strapped, Unraveled, What You Need, Just What I Needed, Racked and Stacked, Hang Tough, Spun Out, All You Need, I Want You Back, Want You to Want Me
Fourth in the Rough Riders western romance series revolving around the McKay men and their Wyoming ranches. The couple focus here is on Skylar Ellison and Kade McKay with baby Eliza.
My Take
It’s too funny how Skylar discovers the “dreadful” news. And too typical as to how she handles it. She’s certainly a prideful little thing.
It’s cute. A combination of small business success —
with a very practical childcare operation —
and a sort of reverse wooing as Kade does his best to prove to Skylar that they belong together. It’s also a lovely peek in at how a baby can change everything —
your life and your perspective on it. Then there’s the McKay family. Man, when you’re part of the family…you are PART of the family! They don’t hold nothin’ back!
It’s not so much about sex as it is about control —
it took a long while before there was any sex. In some ways, it simulated life with a baby. Never enough time to actually do for yourself.
Kade certainly took Skylar by surprise with his initial decision and the fact that he followed up on it…even through all the negatives. Kane certainly provides surprise with his comments! Dr. Phil much?? And from Colt!??! Especially after all the hassle and drama in Cowgirl Up and Ride?? Then there’s the relationship advice he gets at the bar one night…
I’ve been hearing about Skylar’s line of beauty products forever in all the James stories I’ve read so far and it’s rather nice to finally get the backstory on ’em.
The Story
It’s mixed signals as Skylar learns she’s pregnant and very briefly tries to contact Kade. Poor baby, he doesn’t get to find out until a year has gone by…and then it’s his mom who “informs” him!
It’s both a plus and a minus for Kade. He was hoping to get a second chance with Skylar and now he has a ready-made reason to be around, really around. Now if he can just convince her to give him a chance. Except. He’s got a lot of bad history in Skylar’s background to get through.
It’s fear and the local rodeo coming up combined with Kade’s sudden disappearance that finally heats things up.
The Characters
Skylar Ellison is too proud and too in control as she bears the baby (Eliza Belle Ellison McKay) she and Kade created that one night. Even as she juggles the demands of her burgeoning beauty products business. India is her tattoo artist sister with her own, very shared, perspective on Skylar.
Kade West McKay is so ready to settle down with a family…even a ready-made one. He’s nothing like his twin Kane but not averse to taking advantage of their resemblance to each other. Cal and Kimi McKay are their parents.
Skylar’s Employees include:
Dee Bancroft; Bonita; Annie is supposed to be Sky’s assistant…if Sky would let up long enough to let her; and, Nadia has trouble with her wife-beatin’ husband Rex.
Macie, Carter McKay‘s wife (they have a son named Thane now), is manager for the Dewey Delish Dish, a family restaurant she’s part of with Velma. AJ McKay (Cord McKay’s wife; he has a son Kyler) operates Healing Touch Massage. Together Macie and AJ sandwich Skylar and India’s operations — Sky Blue and India Ink respectively.
Colt McKay seems to be doing much better (Cowgirl Up and Ride). Kane, Kade’s twin, is changing his name — he wants his own identity and his own name. Buck.
Fellow rodeo participants include:
Cash Big Crow (Gemma’s husband), Trevor Glanzer (married to Chassie West, a McKay cousin), Jess Barton (Dag’s old partner), and Chase.
Family members at the reunion (who haven’t been mentioned yet) include:
Keely McKay (one of the extremely few female McKays) is working on her sports medicine degree specializing in physical therapy for rodeo cowboys. She’s currently seeing Justin Donohue. Libby McKay is married to Quinn; they seem to be having problems. Remy and Chet West may be family, but they broke out of the ranching biz with their own construction company, Blake West raises sheep, and Nick West is a detective down in Denver. Their father Darren is Kimi and Carolyn’s brother. Cameron McKay got leave and is here briefly. Aunt Genevieve. Colby McKay gets a mention.
The Cover and Title
The cover is that blend of leather crafted bottom border with the rose and scroll work separating the title from black-and-white, sepia-toned photograph showcasing a bound Skylar using some pretty heavy sisal and Kade in the background, bare to the waist of his bluejeans.
The title reflects both Skylar’s desire to surrender responsibility as well as the responsibility she has to her baby.
