Review: Sizzling, erotic romance with likeable characters
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 12, 2013
3.75 rounded up to 4Paolo is a twenty-three year old bull rider on the circuit, along with his older brother, Marco. Lately, more losses than wins are eating away at Paolo's confidence in his abilities. The numerous injuries and being supported by his brother financially are all taking a toll on him. When he meets Savannah who is joining the tour to do research for her thesis, Paolo will have to seriously reassess his future especially when he begins to fall for her.Savannah isn't looking for love, but her research leads her right into the arms of the sexy Italian bull rider who charms her with his good looks and humble demeanor, but he's also a "cunning linguist" (you'll understand what I mean if you pick up this book). When his life goes though huge changes, she wants to be there for him and support him, but she won't stand in the way of his happiness, even if that means having to give him up. When her time on tour is up, they will have either found a way to make it work, or they will part ways forever. Which one will it be?I really liked this story. I sighed and aww'd a lot, I'll tell you that. I thought the plot was sweet and hot all at the same time. I haven't read the previous books in this series, so I'm not sure if Marco and Paolo have made an appearance before, but I didn't feel like I was missing any pertinent background information to fully enjoy this story. I loved the characters in this story. They could have all been really cliched to add extra drama, but I'm glad the author stayed away from that. Instead she chose to make them a tight-knit group that seemed to care and look out for one another. Paolo is often referred to as the younger brother who has always been in Marco's shadow. Normally a situation like that could easily breed sibling rivalry and resentment, but there was none of that. I really liked all the uplifting and encouraging moments the two brothers shared. Paolo is young and at a crossroads in his life, and I felt his struggle with feeling inadequate around Savannah though his thoughts. Most of the time my heart just broke for him.Savannah was a great heroine and a great partner for him. Though she was a little older than him, I felt they were pretty well matched. As an independent woman she knew what she wanted. They didn't come across as childish characters who were too afraid to fall in love, nor did they intentionally push each other away.Overall, I really got into this story, but it did feel like it dragged in some parts due to Marco's repetitive musings about what he should do with his life. But since that is what this book centers around, it wasn't surprising to have it brought up so often. Then there were the vast amounts of sex/love scenes. I'm not even sure if I'm complaining about that or just stating it as a fact. On the one hand I kept telling myself that they were under a time constraint, and their chemistry really was off the charts - up in the stratosphere actually - so somehow I understood why they were doing it whenever they could. But be warned, anything that a couple in lust could do, they did - oral sex, anal sex, sex in the shower, sex in a public place, sex in the bedroom, sex in the kitchen, ... phew. Each and every encounter left me extremely hot and bothered, and it was no wonder really considering who the author is. I'll just say that Ms Carr knows how to write excellent scenes. As if that wasn't enough, when Paolo started uttering words to Savannah in Italian, I was a goner. An added bonus was the humor laced throughout. Savannah had a few great lines. And even though this is a series, I loved the ending. No ridiculous cliffhanger. Just a good old fashioned HEA. I will definitely read this book again and again.If you enjoy a story with a sweet romantic undercurrent, a lot of scorching hot (every-which-way) sex, and a tatted hero who tells you to come in Italian, you will want to read this. I definitely go back to the beginnings of the Buckin' Bull Riders and  do some catching up.Disclaimer: I received a review copy from the author via CBLS Promotions for a blog barrage.