Tied Up, Tied Down

I think "Tied Up, Tied Down" might just be my favorite in Lorelei James' Rough Riders series. Yes, there's bondage, but it's so lovingly done and Kade is so careful with Skylar's fears and sexuality that it almost makes me want to grab a lasso myself!!

Skylar is ALWAYS in control. After losing both parents to cancer, she had to deal with an unstable sister who lived a self-destructive life via booze and drugs. At least here sister's clean now, and she and Skylar have both opened businesses in a small town in Wyoming and are doing well. She even had a boyfriend...well, she thought she did. Turned out the man she THOUGHT she was dating...was actually his twin. When she found out, she blew up and he blew outta town and she hasn't seen him show more since. But he did leave her a surprise...a baby!

Kade McKay is glad to be back home after a year of living on a new, but isolated cattle camp. He's only been back a couple of days when he finds out about his daughter...and sets out to take care of HIS women. Skylar is resistant and afraid, but Kade IS a McKay after all, and he won't let anything stand in his way. He'll use every ounce of caring and love he has, including any sexual tricks he can think of, to tie Skylar and his child to him.

This is one of the only Rough Riders' books that is solely M/F. It's also one of the softer and more touching because Kade doesn't fight his feelings and most of the book is about his thorough seduction of Skylar, both mentally and physically. The sex is still smokin', but the echoes of the love he feels for Skylar are always there. How can you not love that?

There is, of course, ALOT of sex in this book and in 'comes' (heh heh) in a lot of varieties--oral, anal, vaginal, light BDSM, etc. So if graphic descriptions of the above sex acts aren't your thing, don't read the darn book! As for me? I loved it and it already sits on my keeper shelf. This is book four of the Rough Riders series and the next print release "Rough, Raw, and Ready" will be out in September 2009. Those who can't wait for the print versions, can zoom ahead of the 'print' groupies by buying the ebooks already available--at least two more than are available in print :( show less

Tied Up, Tied Down is the story of small town businesswoman Skylar Ellison and sexy rancher Kade McKay. When things get off on the wrong foot for Kade and Skylar, Kade takes off for a while to clear his head. But when he returns, he finds that Skylar has had his baby. Skylar is not trying to keep Kade from baby Eliza, so when he steps up and wants to be a part of everything, Skylar is up for the help. However, when Kade decides that part of the duty is marrying her, she declines. This story is the journey that they take in falling in love with each other and trying to raise a baby.
I really liked this book. The plot is something that people can probably relate to. There are many situations where women have babies without the father show more present, but then they attempt a relationship. I liked that the author did have some conflict in the story and that it wasn't all roses for Skylar and Kade. It gave the story a little more depth without making the reader mad at either of the characters. The trouble there at the end, although a little stereotypical, is probably more common than not. Overall, a great read, and James is becoming a favorite author of mine! show less

From back of book:

Warning: this book contains no holes barred kinky sex scenes, wicked rope play, blunt language, and yowza! lots of hot cowboy nekkidness.

This is the second book I've read in the Rough Riders series and, luckily for me, they don't seem to need to be read in order so far. I really enjoyed the book, both the erotic aspect and the touching story behind it but I still think it's my least favourite of the two I've read (the other being [b:Rode Hard, Put Up Wet|2345511|Rode Hard, Put Up Wet (Rough Riders, #2)|Lorelei James|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1282752483s/2345511.jpg|2352221]). I thought it was hot and I was really interested in the subplots but the characters didn't interest me quite as much as they did in the show more other novel.

The story is about Skylar - an independent businesswoman - and Kade who is another of [a:Lorelei James|541293|Lorelei James|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1235687924p2/541293.jpg]' smoking hot Mckay cowboys. At the start we learn that Kade pretended to be his twin brother Kane (damn confusing, by the way) and proceeded to seduce Skylar into his bed (well, his car actually). What this leads to is a very pissed off and - unbeknownst to Kade - pregnant Skylar. Kade runs away to lick his wounds completely unaware that he is soon to be a father... and it isn't until a year later that he returns to discover his three month old daughter and her still sexy mama.

Just so you know, ^these are not spoilers^, you can read all this information on the back of the book, I'm just giving a brief overview and, in fact, all of this happens in the first two chapters. The rest of the novel is about the development of Skylar and Kade's relationship from reluctant (but not really) parenting partners to lovers. I like how [a:Lorelei James|541293|Lorelei James|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1235687924p2/541293.jpg] doesn't feel the need to create weak, whiny female characters to go with her alpha males. All her characters have extremely dominating personalities and it makes for a lot of heat and drama.

My problem with this novel was some of Kade's actions. I seem to be in disagreement with every other opinion I've read in reviews about Kade. The general consensus is that "he's so sweet", "he's just the right amount of alpha and beta". Well, actually, I hated it when he found out he had a daughter and stormed into the home of the woman he hadn't seen in a year saying "I'm moving in, we're sleeping in the same bed, do not argue". Um, yeah, I think every father has the right to see their kids but that's way out of line. It's also unrealistic. Even someone who likes to be dominated in the bedroom wouldn't get off on a man storming into their house all guns blazing and announcing that a) She now shares her home, and b) She now shares her bed. You'd tell him where he could shove his fatherly rights.

As it happens, these few niggling factors weren't enough to turn me off and Kade fully redeemed himself by the end. I thought it was cute how he made sure he always told Skylar she looked perfect because she was feeling insecure about the excess baby weight. Plus, the way he completely lavished their baby with love and attention was adorable.

So I had some issues, I can't recall the last time I didn't have some kind of issues with a book. But I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to read the rest of the series. show less

I really liked this one. Eliza was the cutest baby ever and Kade was great too. Sky's wariness was understandable, but towards the end of the story, it got to be a little too annoying. Great book all around though. Oh, and all that sweet, sweet hotness.

2011, March 14

I am really loving this author and all the characters that she has in her books. Having lived with an honest to god cowboy, my father, I understand so much of what is going on. We lived on a ranch off and on through a good portion of my childhood. The haying, calving, branding, feeding, gardening, canning, and everything else that goes into living in the middle of no where. Ms. James has pulled all of that into her books and held true to the life the hard working ranchers cherish. I think everyone needs to read these books so they have some idea of the life these people, that supply the meat, leather, and horses so many of us are fond of, lead on a daily basis.

2014, October 19

This is Kade McKay’s story. When we last saw show more Kade he and Skylar had a nasty argument. He went off to the north forty to spend a year on a stock experiment. He had no idea what he would find when he came home. Skylar is shocked when she finds out that she is having Kade’s baby. When Kade finally comes home his baby is three months old and he sets his mind to becoming a good father to his little girl.

So much has happened in the year that started with Dag West’s death. His father dies a month later and then his daughter Chassie and Trevor get married. Keely is still in school working on getting a degree in sports medicine. Colt has been through rehabilitation and has been sober for a year. Sky has opened her store in Sundance and her sister India is managing it and doing tattoos as well.

Things do go well for Skylar and Kade. Skylar is so controlling she can’t let go and see that Kade is one of those exceptional men that really do care for their families. Kade falls in love with his little girl the minute he sees her. In fact he passes out when he meets the second light of his life. Kade won’t let Skylar back away from him learning to take care of Eliza Belle. He wades in with both feet and never looks back. He takes it all in stride; changing diapers, midnight feeding, bathing, rocking and dealing with her in the grocery store. Kade also makes it his mission to win over Skylar. He wants to be a family and he has an uphill battle on his hands with Skylar. Kade is a true gentleman rancher with a serious kinky side to his character. He never finds how proud he is of his daughter or her mother. He is patience and caring. He is intelligent and honest. He is a cowboy philosopher. He is all dominant male.

Skylar has some serious trust and control issues. She thinks that Kade just wants to marry her because of Eliza even when he tells her differently. She has made a wonderful life for herself and their daughter. Her business is successful but she won’t let go of control and learn to enjoy some down time with her future husband and daughter. I was surprised that she trusted Kade so much with Eliza. Skylar is a real bitch through most of the story. It is amazing that Kade can take so much from her. Skylar also thinks that she can handle anything even a drunk, pissed off abusive male that is looking for his wife. She doesn't take advice well and she over thinks everything. To make all this worse Sky is shy and unsure around people. She has never been around a large family is overwhelmed with the McKay/West family.

Things do get worked out but it takes almost the whole story for Skylar to get her act together and sees that Kade really does love her. We get a sneak peek at Cam. He comes home on leave. We also get a full dose of India. She is a character and I will be looking forward to her story. Gemma and Macie are both pregnant again and Channing is trying to get pregnant. AJ is getting use to keeping up with Cord and Ky on a fulltime basis. Because for all the romance this series is about a family and all the things that it takes to make a family work. It also gives everyone a very good idea of what it takes to run a ranch and keep it successful.

Ms. James writes a wonderful story full of characters that pull at your heart strings. I have to think that she is a rancher herself and that she has a big, close family. She also writes for steaming hot love scenes that will have to panting along with the lovers. I look forward to the future books in this series. show less

"He loved women who looked like women and not a skeleton with skin." (Ch. 2) -- Dude. A hero who loves the BBW heroine's bangin' body? Fabulous. A hero who makes his point by disparaging the bodies of other women? Mean-spirited and unheroic.

I tried this because of the positive reviews and the preview chapter looked interesting. I stopped reading before the end of chapter 3 because the interactions between the H/H made no sense. Kade is mad at Skyler for keeping the fact of her pregnancy from him. Skyler is mad at Kade because he basically tricked her into having sex with him, then bailed without giving her his contact information. After a year of not seeing each other, Kade hunts down Skyler, demands that she wake her just-asleep show more infant, then decides that he's moving in with her. Skyler pretty much says, "sure to all that, let's go have sex." I was expecting the characters to have sex a lot, but... what?

At that point, I decided I was done with this book and with this author. show less

Tied Up, Tied Down was just OK for me. I thought Kade and Skylar were a good couple, but all of her issues started to grate on my nerves. The man had to practically bend over backwards for her to realize that he truly cared for her. Apparently, I am not a big fan of romances that involve children. For some reason, I find it distracting. I couldn't keep all of the family names straight and, at times, it was confusing; I couldn't remember who was who and which couples were together. Though Ms. James is a great writer, this was not as good as the others, IMO.