After leaving her well-paying corporate job, Stirling Gradsky took a chance and went into business with her brother. Now they own and operate High Society, a medicinal and recreational marijuana facility. 

Liam Argent has dedicated his life to understanding the chemical properties of marijuana and loves all the perks of working for High Society. But the constant head-butting and pranking with Stirling needs to end so they can grow the company.

While I have enjoyed the other 1,001 Dark Night / Blacktop Cowboy stories, I felt Tripped Out was not on par with its predecessors. First, I felt like I was dropped into the story with no idea what’s going on. It’s written as if I know these characters, but I don’t remember them at all, even though Stirling is sister to London, the heroine in the first novella, and we meet Stirling and Liam in the third book. I felt like I started off kilter and I never found a good balance.

It is evident that the author did her homework with respect to the subject matter, and I found the information on the emerging medicinal and recreational marijuana markets interesting. However, I felt that there was way too much information about marijuana use and production, making it feel like a technical report, rather than developing the characters and focusing on the romance. 

This leads to another issue I had with the story. The characters are big proponents of the use of marijuana, but at times, I felt that they were lecturing me, the reader, taking a holier-than-thou attitude. The two main characters have huge chips on their shoulders and their attitudes are almost condescending. Yet, then the author uses ridiculous stoner stereotypes and actions. And the way they use marijuana to “take the edge off”… needing it at the end (or even during) a stressful day, is reminiscent of an alcoholic needing a drink.  

As I stated, I don’t feel the author put enough into the development of the characters. While there are some funny moments and sexy situations, overall I found myself annoyed with Liam and Stirling. Their bantering, even when for fun, grated on me most times. Unfortunately, I never felt a strong romantic connection between the pair, making the story okay, but not one I’d read again.

My Rating: C- Finished It - Liked a little, didn't like a lot

Review copy provided by blog tour

Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About

A pheromone level this high should be illegal. Tripped Out is borderline neurotic, holy smokes chaotic, with temperature that tip the scales at exotic. Lorelei James knows how to make things happen.  With a name like Stirling for her heroine, she turns geeky stereotypes on their ear and sets readers hearts racing when a bad boy scientist hits the pages. Together Liam and Stirling set tongues wagging and sparks flying with the electricity they make.  Tripped Out is a smart look at the science of sexual attraction and the utter chaos of falling in love.

When Tobin Hale stepped in to stop Garnet Evans’s son from railroading her out of her own home, he knew moving in with his favorite Mud Lily could be seen as strange. But nothing prepared him for the arrival of Garnet’s fiery, beautiful granddaughter, Jade—or her assumption that he’s up to no good...
 
While Tobin might be the hottest man Jade Evans has ever seen, his physical attributes won’t distract her from protecting her grandma from his sweet-talking ways. But the stubborn cowboy digs in his boot heels and refuses to leave. Stuck in close quarters together, Jade learns Tobin is the real deal—a hardworking, fiercely loyal man and she’s the one in danger of losing her heart.
 
And just when he was prepared to leave Muddy Gap behind, Tobin may have found the kind of woman worth sticking around for.

I always like to mention how rare five star ratings are in connection with my reviews because it really kind of says how much I either enjoyed the book or how much it affected me on a personal level.

For those who are familiar with my blog I typically equate four star ratings with five stars but five stars set apart those that in my opinion are so much more. Granted everyone will have their own opinion about Hang Tough, some of you will love it some of you won't love it as much but for me I really did.

I loved Lorelei's descriptive imagery in this book, as a writer she has done a great job setting a scene and creating personalities in her cast that appealed to me.

What I mean by cast is obviously the characters in an authors book but I like to think of it as a cast because once in awhile there are just those books that feel alive to me in my mind that play just like a film. I see the people, I feel them and that's what Hang Tough did for me.

I appreciated that between the h/h that there was plenty of sexual dynamic going on without the entire book just being filler between all the sex. We get more personal journey and action this time around along with our more steamier scenes.

Thank you Lorelei for breathing both life and passion together and balancing them out.

I also got a good kick out of the whole magnum hung like a horse three pump chump action. He can be well endowed but that don't mean he's impressive when it boils down to *bang bang bang - ding - done.*

I don't think I laughed so hard as I did when I read that but atleast Tobin and Jade seemed impressed.

Still all the chuckles aside I liked the personal and emotional journey both Tobin and Jade were on, I liked that they got through the hard places and were strong as a couple as they were as individuals. Thank you for sharing them with the rest of us.

Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews received a print copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.

Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews received a print copy in exchange for an honest review from Penguin/Berkley

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Creston “Cres”, the youngest Grant brother, and until recently, a closeted gay rancher, is still coping with the sudden death of the love of his life over two years ago. In an effort to get him out of his funk, Cres’s brothers and sisters-in-law take him out to a big party where he runs into Breck Christianson, a sexy hookup from Cres’s past.

Breck has spent the last two years of his life riding a crushing wave that ended his successful career and left him with few friends. Seeing Cres Grant serves to remind him of the “one that got away,” yet gives him hope for the future.

I have to admit, the opening prologue of Strung Up both surprised and crushed me. I am not one to read book blurbs before I dive into a story, so it came as quite a shock that Cres’s hero is Breck, and not someone else. For those who’ve read the previous two 1,001 Dark Nights/Blacktop Cowboys tales, I think the prologue will hit you equally as hard. However difficult and shocking the opener was, it effectively drew me into this wonderful story and created a deeply emotional connection to Cres. I immediately grew to care about him and his future.

Cres and Breck made for a wonderful pair. Right from their initial encounter, the couple shared an intense sexual attraction, something stemming from their brief history and made even stronger over time. I liked how the pair opened up to each other about the pain in his past, and how it impacted his life in the now. Yet no matter how honest they were with one another, each continued to hide his true feelings towards the other. This duality of honesty created delicious tension and drew out the romance just until the point where it could have become tedious. Ms. James created a perfect match with these two pained souls.

Overall, Strung Up is a sexy love story about second chances. I liked the emotional intensity of the tale. It never felt rushed because the characters have been around and have an established backstory. The couple had electric chemistry both in and out of the bedroom, adding to the heightened emotional content. 

My Rating:  A-/B+ Enjoyed A Lot

Review copy provided by blog tour company

Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About