Review: Tyler

Tyler
C. H. Admirand
Contemporary Western Romance
Secret Life of Cowboys/Book 1
Sourcebooks/March 1, 2011

From the author's website ~

When Tyler Garahan said he'd do anything to save his family's ranch, he never thought that would include taking a job as a stripper at a local ladies' club. But the club's fiery redheaded bookkeeper captures Tyler's attention, and for her he'll swallow his pride...

Emily Langley feels for the gorgeous cowboy. It's obvious that he's the real deal and wouldn't be caught dead at a ladies' revue if he wasn't in big trouble. And when he looks at her like that, she'll do anything to help.

Working days on the ranch and nights at the ladies' club, Tyler would be plumb exhausted if he didn't suddenly discover that the club is in the same boat as his ranch, and his beautiful boss needs him as much as he needs her...

A new series about cowboys - real cowboys, not guys who wear flashy cowboy boots but wouldn't know a steer from a milking cow. Unfortunately for cowboy Tyler Garahan, he has to find work off the ranch so he and his brothers don't loose their ranch. Much of the action takes place at The Lucky Star, where Tyler must shed his clothes along with some of his pride.

Tyler is the eldest of three brothers who inherited the family ranch and run it together. As the eldest, Tyler felt it was up to him to find work to get the ranch out of the red. As it is they are barely hanging on but the money Tyler makes from stripper will go a long way in paying off the bills. He's embarrassed and doesn't tell his brothers what he really does at his night job. It's cute because he knows they will tease him to no end. Tyler is not a complicated man. He's a rancher and that's all he's ever wanted to do. I liked how he stayed steady throughout the book. He didn't suddenly become this smooth talking ladies man because of all the attention from the women he stripped for. He was still uncomfortable with his new job and happy to get off that stage when the show was over.

Emily Langley and her cousin Jolene are as close as sisters. They've come to Pleasure, Texas to run a strip club for women. Things haven't been easy for the cousins and some of the townsfolk are trying to make the women to get rid of the strippers. Em and Jolene are not about to give up. Jolene is the manager and Em is the bookkeeper plus doing anything else that needs doing. Em is a strong, independent woman who isn't afraid to go after what she wants. I was a little surprised that she was so possessive so quickly with Tyler. It was a bit over the top with how she reacted to the women wanting the hot cowboy stripping for them. I don't know what else she could have expected - Tyler was hot, all the women thought so.

Lust at first sight. That's what happens when Tyler and Em first meet. They couldn't keep their eyes off each other. It doesn't take long for them to act on that lust and for that lust to turn to something more. They fell so fast that at first it came across as unbelievable because neither seemed the one-night-stand/casual sex type. When they were out of bed the author does show Em and Tyler getting to know each other, developing more than just a physical relationship. It just felt like it was backwards with them knowing very little about each other before jumping into bed. In bed, things get hot very quickly with both Em and Tyler showing a great deal of enthusiasms for making the time they have together count!

There are outside forces at work against Em and Tyler and the club. Tyler's ex makes an appearance and stirs up trouble. It was surprising the number of barroom brawls that occurred, both with the men and women! Those Texas women do not like sharing their men! The problems with the Preservation Society also continue with attempts at shutting down any business they don't approve of, including The Lucky Star. Em and Jolene didn't take the threats very seriously, I didn't understand how they could be almost casual about threats to their business. They had sunk all of their money into the club and were barely getting by. They do band together with other business women in the town, agreeing not to back down from the threats to their livelihoods.

Tyler turned out to be a playful, sexy story about modern day cowboys and the women who are strong enough and stubborn enough to tame them. Tyler's brothers Dylan and Jesse both look like they will be heroes in upcoming releases. I didn't get much of a feel for either brother enough to know what to expect from them. It should be entertaining to see what kind of trouble they get into.

Rating: B

Books in this series ~

Tyler
Dylan (Fall 2011)