ONE NIGHT RODEO – Lorelei James
Blacktop Cowboys , Book 4
Signet Eclipse
ISBN: 978-0-451-236684-5
August 2012
Erotic Western Romance

Present Day Wyoming

Kyle Gilchrist was raised by a hardworking single mom who would never tell him who his father was. As it was ranch country, Kyle spent lots of time on the Lawson ranch where his best friends, Hank, Abe, and pesky little Celia, lived. Kyle's ambition was to have a ranch of his own, so he joined the rodeo circuit as a bull rider hoping to win enough prize money to buy one.

The Lawson children lost their parents when Celia was only eleven. She was raised by her older brothers and loved the ranch and the animals. But when Hank and Abe grew older and started their own families, Celia felt there was no room for her. She joined the rodeo as a barrel racer. She met Kyle from time to time. He still liked to tease her and she loved to pull his chain. Then, about the time rodeoing was getting old, Kyle and Celia were both in Las Vegas where a mutual friend was performing.

The morning after the concert found them together in bed with hazy memories…both wearing wedding rings. The talk turned to a quickie annulment, but about this time, Kyle's mother called with stunning news. The upshot is that Kyle learns his father's identity, and that he willed Kyle a thriving ranch and hefty bank account. How about Celia, who knows much more about running a ranch than Kyle, remain with him six months to help him get started? Sounds like a plan. For the sake of family and friends, they can pretend they planned to marry, then somehow separate when the time comes.

I really liked Kyle and Celia and their crazy antagonistic relationship. It wasn't long before the underlying sexual tension made itself known and let the fun begin…

ONE NIGHT RODEO is a fun tale with realistic (and salty) dialogue and an interesting plot involving running a ranch—especially during a winter calving season. The surprise for me as a newcomer to the series and author came when Kyle and Celia gave in to their passions. The many sex scenes, though long and explicit, far from taking away from the story, add greatly to the whole. Besides the erotic bits, they contain sweetness and tenderness, with the relationship growing with real feelings. I highly recommend getting raunchy at the ranch with ONE NIGHT RODEO.

Family and friends play a large part in this novel. Readers of the other books in the series will be familiar with most. Those who haven't read them will also want to read CORRALLED (Hank and Lainie), SADDLED AND SPURRED (Bran and Harper), and WRANGLED AND TANGLED (Abe and Janie).

Jane Bowers