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kathydavie's review
4.0
Sixth in the Rough Riders erotic romance series revolving around the extended McKay family of Wyoming ranchers. The couple focus is on Colt McKay and India Ellison.
My Take
It started out fun and kept going. Well, except for a few little hiccups along the way. If James is going to make an issue of India's esteem issues, then do it. Instead, she treats it in a very low-key manner and ya barely notice it.
Hah! Seems Colt had the last laugh on his family...good on him. Especially when you keep reading and see just how the McKays treated their brother/son. Hmmph.
We do get a ringside seat for the backstory on both Colt and India. What likely led to Colt's downhill spiral and India's addiction history. Not pretty. But ya gotta be impressed by the grit each has demonstrated with their recovery. A lifetime of recovery.
Oh man...an erotic romance in which the focus couple is celibate. That's one for the books!
James has inserted a bit on how the finances for the McKay spread works...I got a headache trying to figure it out…
Ohhh, the ending is so incredibly sweet and so incredibly true...it's the best way to develop a relationship.
The Story
Oops…seems India shot Colt in the ass with a nailgun and now he's recuperating at her place. With time on his hands and Cam's encouragement to think about taking his friendship with India to the next level.
Except for that date she accepts with Blake West! WTF?!?
The Characters
India Ellison is Colt's AA sponsor and has her own tattoo business in town. Colt McKay has been clean for three years now and best friends with India all that time. Trying to figure out how to get in her bed.
Cameron McKay was invalided out of the military and is now a Crook County Deputy. And very supportive of his brother, Colt. Doctor Monroe is a friend of Cam's and will make housecalls for him. The former Kane, now-Buck McKay is helping with Little Buddies, one of whom is Hayden. Carson and Carolyn West McKay are their parents. The rest of the family includes Colby, Cord, Carter, and sister Keely.
The girl Cam is sweet on, Domini Katzinski, works at Velma and Macie (she's pregnant again) McKay's diner, the Dewey Delish Dish. Cat is Domini's boss at the diner. For the moment. Dr. Jay and Susie Brewer. The doc is a veterinarian and an old schoolfriend of Colt's. A very competitive friend.
Blake West is doing the remodeling on India's shop and he's been asking India to go out with him. Chassie West Glanzer is pregnant and, along with Trevor and Edgard, giving India some useful advice (and Edgard changed his last name legally to Glanzer).
Skylar and Kade don't participate much socially these days. Not since the twins, Shannie and Peyton, came along. Eliza Belle is their oldest daughter.
The Cover and Title
It's the Rough Riders trademark cover with its carved leather floral scroll separating the base beige border from the sepia-toned black-and-white photograph. I'm guessing it's bad boy Colt McKay holding the woman up against his chest, one huge hand twisted in her T-shirt while the other hand is against her stomach with her hand on top of his. Too bad it's not India Ellison.
I suspect the title refers to India, Branded as Trouble with all her tattoos. Ahem...unlike the model on the cover.
My Take
It started out fun and kept going. Well, except for a few little hiccups along the way. If James is going to make an issue of India's esteem issues, then do it. Instead, she treats it in a very low-key manner and ya barely notice it.
Hah! Seems Colt had the last laugh on his family...good on him. Especially when you keep reading and see just how the McKays treated their brother/son. Hmmph.
We do get a ringside seat for the backstory on both Colt and India. What likely led to Colt's downhill spiral and India's addiction history. Not pretty. But ya gotta be impressed by the grit each has demonstrated with their recovery. A lifetime of recovery.
Oh man...an erotic romance in which the focus couple is celibate. That's one for the books!
James has inserted a bit on how the finances for the McKay spread works...I got a headache trying to figure it out…
Ohhh, the ending is so incredibly sweet and so incredibly true...it's the best way to develop a relationship.
The Story
Oops…seems India shot Colt in the ass with a nailgun and now he's recuperating at her place. With time on his hands and Cam's encouragement to think about taking his friendship with India to the next level.
Except for that date she accepts with Blake West! WTF?!?
The Characters
India Ellison is Colt's AA sponsor and has her own tattoo business in town. Colt McKay has been clean for three years now and best friends with India all that time. Trying to figure out how to get in her bed.
Cameron McKay was invalided out of the military and is now a Crook County Deputy. And very supportive of his brother, Colt. Doctor Monroe is a friend of Cam's and will make housecalls for him. The former Kane, now-Buck McKay is helping with Little Buddies, one of whom is Hayden. Carson and Carolyn West McKay are their parents. The rest of the family includes Colby, Cord, Carter, and sister Keely.
The girl Cam is sweet on, Domini Katzinski, works at Velma and Macie (she's pregnant again) McKay's diner, the Dewey Delish Dish. Cat is Domini's boss at the diner. For the moment. Dr. Jay and Susie Brewer. The doc is a veterinarian and an old schoolfriend of Colt's. A very competitive friend.
Blake West is doing the remodeling on India's shop and he's been asking India to go out with him. Chassie West Glanzer is pregnant and, along with Trevor and Edgard, giving India some useful advice (and Edgard changed his last name legally to Glanzer).
Skylar and Kade don't participate much socially these days. Not since the twins, Shannie and Peyton, came along. Eliza Belle is their oldest daughter.
The Cover and Title
It's the Rough Riders trademark cover with its carved leather floral scroll separating the base beige border from the sepia-toned black-and-white photograph. I'm guessing it's bad boy Colt McKay holding the woman up against his chest, one huge hand twisted in her T-shirt while the other hand is against her stomach with her hand on top of his. Too bad it's not India Ellison.
I suspect the title refers to India, Branded as Trouble with all her tattoos. Ahem...unlike the model on the cover.
alyciajstewart's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, the physical chemistry between the two main characters is off the charts. On the other side, Colt and India don't strike me as a realistic couple. We are supposed to believe that they have been super close friends for years, but they don't really seem to have that much in common nor do they seem to enjoy hanging out with each other without being intimate once they've crossed that threshold. Also, for two people who have spent so much time dedicated to open an honest communication, the use of the miscommunication trope was disappointing. The extra drama thrown into the last 15% of the book felt unnecessary. I think the storyline with Colt's family could have been enough to sustain the book. Overall, I appreciated the happy ending but this installment of the series floundered a little bit.
drez80's review
4.0
4.5 stars Couldn't give it 5 cuz India annoyed me at the end during their fight.
birdloveranne's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. (However, even though I have read all the previous books, I was getting a little confused about all the family members, who? so many of them!) I loved Colt and Indy and how they interacted. Also there were some huge opportunities for each character to go off down the TSTL path, and they didn't! That was refreshing. As one reviewer said, there was maybe too much sex in the middle of the book. But then it really picked up and I loved the ending. Looking forward to the next stories!
cat_aclysmal's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hkschorr's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sjb86's review
5.0
I've got to say this I think is my favourite RR book so far. Colt is the black sheep/middle child of the huge McKay family. He's the only sibling to stay on the family farm and work it day in day out. It isn't till some of the brothers come home like Cord after divorce and Colby after career ending injury that Carson thinking he's helping give more responsibilities to them without discussing it with Colt. Colt takes this as a sign that his father doesn't trust him or value him so he hits the bottle, drugs and whoring. Which comes to a huge head when Dag die in a senseless way because of booze, drugs and depression.
Colt meets India in AA and becomes his sponsors which they then spend 3yrs dancing around each other the it all come out in open after india shots colt in ass with a nail gun (which in the UK u can't do because of a safety pressure trigger but I digress).
Most of the McKay family still have this impression of Colt as a useless time wasting drunk but no one really knows the sober quite cowboy that now struggling to find his place, that is till India enlightened them.
I love the fight make up sex up relationship that Colt and India have it perfectly suit them and loved their HEA.
Can't wait to read Cam fall.
Colt meets India in AA and becomes his sponsors which they then spend 3yrs dancing around each other the it all come out in open after india shots colt in ass with a nail gun (which in the UK u can't do because of a safety pressure trigger but I digress).
Most of the McKay family still have this impression of Colt as a useless time wasting drunk but no one really knows the sober quite cowboy that now struggling to find his place, that is till India enlightened them.
I love the fight make up sex up relationship that Colt and India have it perfectly suit them and loved their HEA.
Can't wait to read Cam fall.
jetenold's review
5.0
Colt and india are probably my favorite characters in all the mckay books! They are both unique characters in their families with lots of hidden depth. They have dealt with lots of struggles and have grown as people and are the perfect couple. I also loved they way that Cam stood up for Colt about the way that his family was treating him. That scene and the one with his dad at the pond are probably my favorite scenes in the whole book. Dont get me wrong, the sex was amazingly hot, but the emotional parts really got to me. I think this one is my favorite book of the whole series!
carobcbg's review
4.0
I haven't read one of these in a while, but loved this. I'd forgotten how much I'd liked this series! Completely loved Colt and India, and their vulnerabilities.
kristadeanne's review
5.0
Again I wasnt let down! I think I really loved this one because India is my kinda women tats piercings and A firecracker attitude! Her and Colt are perfect for eachother!!!