Cowboy Not Included by Em PetrovaMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Not surprisingly, I loved Cowboy Not Included
. I have yet to read one of Petrova’s books and not love it. What did surprise me was the fact that I really didn’t care for Skye. I have a problem with people – male or female – whose knee-jerk response/accusation is that their partner is cheating on them, especially when there is nothing to support it. There is a big difference between a flirt who has a smile and compliment for others and a lech who makes passes by touching, caressing, and engaging in suggestive language. Booker is a flirt and nothing that goes down in the present or their conversations and memories about the past indicate that he was a lech. So while I felt badly for the situation that Skye found herself in – and by no means do I absolve Booker on his failure to do what he should have – she created it with her mistrust and insecurities. I do give her props for her decision to track him down and even more when she decided to avail herself of his employers’ services. What red-blooded heterosexual female doesn’t want a hedonistic week with her very own cowboy…or two?How do I give a book five stars when I don’t care for the heroine? Because I adored Booker. Did he do the right thing when he walked away from Skye and Findlee? No. But he did what his wife demanded and he stayed away because he didn’t think he was good enough to be a part of his daughter’s life. Although he “abandoned” them physically, he provided for them financially – even more than Skye knew about. I must admit that I found his caveman response at the meet and greet swoon worthy, especially knowing that he was going to get an earful from Skye once he got her squared away. And boy did he ever! But the thing about them being exes was that they knew how to push one another’s buttons – the bad ones and the GOOD ONES!!! Despite their best efforts to shield their hearts because they each realized that at the end of the week they would again part ways, their chemistry was so intense it was impossible for them to keep their walls intact. And the addition of a third partner – one of the other Boot Knockers – made the already hot-as-heck sex scenes scorching.
While I enjoyed the reigniting of the romance between Booker and Skye, it was watching Booker get to interact with Findlee and learn more about his daughter that was sweet as heck. I liked that it gave him the resolve he needed to reinsert himself back into his daughter’s life – realizing how much he’d already missed. I have to hand it to Booker though, because I’m not sure I would have been as forgiving of Skye for again jumping to conclusions that he was cheating on her – it’s certainly not the kind of relationship I would want. The epilogue was awesome as it not only gave Booker a new purpose and a new lease on life, but it also gave him the opportunity to do the same for people close to him. Cowboy Not Included was another great addition to the Boot Knockers Ranch series and I look forward to catching up with all the cowboys again soon.
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!
Check out the Cowboy Not Included (Boot Knockers Ranch #6) by Em Petrova blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.
View all my reviews
is an interesting combination of two super-hot vampires, sexy fun times, an erotic love triangle, and a sweet romance, all set during the Christmas season. When presented that way, I wouldn’t expect it to work. Yet Smith combined all those elements with a sad but sassy heroine and created a novella that I not only enjoyed immensely, but left me hoping that the next book in the series (and thank you for making this a series) will bring us more of the trio’s story.
is, as the warning states, a rather vanilla ménage. That said, it was a fun and light-hearted read. There are no deep childhood issues or severely damaged characters within. What we have is a pair of very free-spirited identical twins and the sexually conservative wife of the oldest, and the story of how they gradually expand her sexual horizons. While I enjoy MFM ménages, I liked that there was an additional non-sexual reason why David wanted his brother to sleep with his wife. The sexual conversations and interactions were steamy and the book was enjoyable. This was not a deep, thought provoking read but it was what I needed after the last book I read; plus I picked it up for 99¢ and certainly got my money's worth.
I was in and out of the mood for dark books. For the last month (possibly longer) I haven’t had any interest in reading books featuring dark subject matter and as this book neared the top of my schedule, I worried that I wouldn’t be able to do it justice. Heck, I even read another book out of order on my schedule to delay reading Theirs to Take because I wasn’t ready to face it. No one wants to read a book in a genre that they’re not feeling at the moment, especially when a review is expected, and I really don’t like to do it because it’s not fair to the author. So it was with great trepidation that I queued it up on my Kindle last night. 
may just be the most action-packed installment in the series to-date, or at least on level with Alien Salvation and the aftermath of Earth’s self-inflicted Armageddon. Which is rather appropriate as it also brings Dramok Diltan back on the scene as a potential suitor for another of the Empress Jessica’s relatives – Cissy Salter. As I haven’t read Alien Salvation in quite a while, Diltan’s name didn’t ring any bells until the incident between him and Lindsey is brought up and boy did I remember him then. So between Diltan’s past encounter with Lindsey, his unwanted attraction to the brash and in-your-face Cissy, the uncovering of the secrets regarding the original abduction of Earther Mataras (pay close attention to the Prelude to a Scandal pre-chapter), and the Kalquor people on the brink of civil war, Alien Indiscretions was a page-turner of epic proportions and not because of its length.
is one of the few Clans of Kalquor books I’ve only read once…until now. That actually has nothing to do with the book itself, but more that prior to reviewing for the blog my reading tended to go in cycles by genre and I didn’t hit another sci-fi erotica read-a-thon before being recruited to review. So it was with immense glee that I jumped at the chance to reread Alien Caged this month. Sci-fi erotica is my favorite genre and St. John’s Kalquorians are one of my favorite of the alien races. How can you go wrong with a race that forms a clan of three men who hold their woman so dear that she is practically worshipped by them? Add to that the Kalquorian men’s anatomical advantage over earth men and said woman is in for the pleasure of her life.
we are treated to Roni’s story. Because this is the third book and Roni is a bartender at Shadows and has been in the previous books, I knew what she was and what it meant for her to be a changer as we have met her preferred male and female forms before. But knowing that Roni is a changer doesn’t mean that Roni wasn’t a mystery because she has been a woman of few words despite her constant presence and we find out rather quickly, that there’s a lot about her that she hasn’t told her Shadows family about.
was a quick and sexy read as Carolyn finds out that her two best friends may want more than just friendship. When Carolyn gets dumped by her current boyfriend via text [insert nasty derogatory thought about boyfriend], she calls in Grady and Ben to accompany her to an important social outing so that she doesn’t have to face her ex alone. Because of the conversations between Grady and Ben that the reader is privy to, it was not a surprise that they did so nor that they were more than happy to play mind games with her ex when he acts like a jerk during the party. And while the public make-out session was hot, Carolyn fled the party to go home alone because she couldn’t bear finding out whether or not the guys meant it – and she wasn’t sure which answer she really wanted.
and this time he’s brought backup. After the hot mess of a client he was with in Filthy for the Night, it was really nice to see him spend time with someone who is actually deserving of his attention and appreciates the extra touches that Logan provides. In this installment Logan’s long-time client Ava has requested a ménage with Logan and another male, but without double penetration. To help fulfill her fantasy, he contracts with a younger gigolo he knows and trusts – Trey – and they proceed to spend the night making Ava’s fantasy come true; spectacularly so as Ava gets so caught up in the evening’s festivities that she takes the ménage farther than she ever expected. And I loved every page of it.
picks up exactly where Part One ended, with Shock telling Liv that he was terminating their contract and sending her home. Now our girl Liv may be slightly broken (I’ll get to why in a minute), but she has no problem standing up to Shock and refusing to leave. While it wasn’t surprising for Liv to jump to the conclusion that Shock didn’t want her because he found out that she had only had sex once in her life, what was surprising to me was how he worded his why. It wasn’t because of her inexperience. And while it was due to her being raped (that was Part One’s big shocker), it wasn’t because he considered her broken. Shock didn’t want to be the second man in her life to force her to have sex. While it is true that he took advantage of her need for a loan, Liv had come to realize that their contract gave her an excuse and the courage to do what she hadn’t done since her rape – enter into a sexual relationship with a man, but specifically with a man she trusted. 
. The idea of a ménage with the super-hot Rafferty triplets was almost too good to be true. While enjoyable, it wasn’t quite what I had hoped for. Despite the fact that the Doms of Passion Lake are known to be quite decisive and are not foot-draggers when it comes to claiming their subs, the speed with which Caleb, Ash, and Simon jumped into a relationship with Kylie was bordering on supersonic. That declarations of love were being made within 48 hours was a bit unrealistic, even if all involved kept commenting on how quick things were moving. 
is definitely my favorite of the Grand Oak Springs series. Mind you it had a serious advantage over books one and two – Adrian and Oliver are not related and they are bisexual!!! So while Finding Holland had more errors than Claiming Her Temporary Men, but fewer than Second Chance at Love, I didn’t care because I got so caught up in Holland, Adrian, and Oliver’s story that their emotional drama and scorching hot sex scenes consumed my attention. 
was really freaking good. I already knew that Ms. Petrova could write unbelievably hot ménage romances as I have read several of them. What I did not know was how good she was at writing romantic suspense. And she is GOOOOOOD! 
. This time around, brothers Ryder and Chase get a second chance at happiness when they enter into a one-month fling with a visitor to their small town, Emma Daniels. Recently divorced, Emma has no intention of entering into a relationship with another man, let alone two men. But that doesn’t mean she’s not open to a month of no-strings-attached ménage sex, especially when the brothers offer to teach her about domination and submission – a secret desire sparked by her reading of erotic novels. 
was an easy read introducing us to the town and residents of Grand Oak Springs, Arizona. Kylie finds herself in the small town after her sudden escape from her abusive boyfriend while they were at a rest stop during their cross country move. Because she is in fear for her life should her ex find her, Kylie is looking for a short-term job and cheap place to stay so she can save up some money and keep moving to stay a step ahead of him. Needless to say, a relationship with a man is the last thing she is looking for and a relationship with two men is not even on her radar. Yep, that’s right – Grand Oak Springs is a community where many of the residents engage in polyamorous relationships. 
because I did. I liked that Ace stayed to true to his character and lashed at out Adam when he sent Alicia away after the discovery at the end of Part Four, which is where this installment picks up. I was surprised by the consequences of his rash decision and reckless behavior that Ms. Orman wrote into the story, but they were realistic and I applaud her willingness to do that to one of her main characters. I loved that Adam’s arrival was once again perfectly timed when Alicia’s past came skulking back into her life and that he had the chance to administer a little justice before the police arrived. That the guys accompanied her to the police station and were there to support her emotionally helped to show that maybe, just maybe, Ace was finally getting his act together and that they had a chance for the long-term ménage relationship they had been working toward. Of course, the sex scenes were as hot as ever – even with the position maneuvering that was required to accommodate physical conditions at different times in the story. But I suppose I had hoped for just a bit more closure to their story. Did I enjoy In the Moment: Part Five? Absolutely. Was it a complete story? Yes it was. Were all the questions answered? No, but no book can do that and the questions that were left hanging were left hanging because of when in time the story ended. Ultimately, I just wanted a bit more of their story. But in the end, In the Moment: Part Five is still a 5-star read for me because I will reread it and I look forward to being able to read all five installments back-to-back. 
continues on from Part Three and we find Ace reeling from Alicia kicking the two of them out. What do two testosterone-fueled men do when the woman in their lives shows them the road? They engage in some seriously hot M/M sex. Adam has come to realize that Ace sees their sexual encounters as a way to reaffirm their connection and he is more than willing to give that to Ace… or should I say, take it from Ace. I’ve gotta hand it to Ms. Orman, even after four installments, she is still keeping the sexual encounters HAWT! 
, I couldn’t quite remember what had transpired at the end of the previous installment. However, within a page or two, it all came flying back – the sex, the video, the hot sex, the argument, and did I mention the HOT SEX! Considering Ace’s response to the long list of the video’s recipients, it’s not surprising that I was the only one in this situation thinking about the sex. Needless to say, Adam was not happy with Ace’s reaction to the video, surmising that Ace’s anger over it getting out meant that Ace would never be comfortable taking their relationship public. As Adam lives his life openly as a bisexual man, he refuses to hide who he is for anyone, especially the man he is in love with. 
means what I think it means, then that was freaking awesome. If I’ve misinterpreted the ending, then it’s still freaking awesome because the alternative is mind blowing. Sound confusing? I kind of think that’s the point. While this is not the first book I have read by Ms. Parkerson, it is the first paranormal romance I have read by her and I believe it was her intent to leave some things unexplained so that the reader could draw their own conclusion as to Arbor’s fate. The problem, however, is that it makes it very difficult to discuss the specifics of Sated while writing a spoiler-free review. So proceed with caution because even though I’m going to try my best NOT to spoil the book, the potential for slippage is extremely high.