Cowboys. I think the name alone makes most girls get all flushed and sweaty. Even me, who is lucky enough to live in an area where cowboys are the norm. And strippers? Do I need to say more? So you can imagine my instant squeal of glee when I was given Tyler by C.H. Admirand to review, about a cowboy who has to become a stripper to save his ranch. It breaks my heart to say this, but I couldn’t finish this book. Cowboy or not, it just didn’t work for me.
Desperate times call for desperate measures…
When Tyler Garahan said he’d do anything to save his family’s ranch, he never thought that would include taking a job as a stripper at a local ladies’ club. But the club’s fiery redheaded bookkeeper captures Tyler’s attention, and for her, he’ll swallow his pride…And one good turn deserves another…
Emily Langley feels for the gorgeous cowboy. It’s obvious that he’s the real deal and wouldn’t be caught dead in a ladies’ revue if he wasn’t in big trouble. And when he looks at her like that, she’ll do anything to help…
Working days on the ranch and nights at the ladies’ club, Tyler is plumb exhausted. But could it be that his beautiful boss needs him just as much as he needs her
While I like the idea of a cowboy turned stripper, I mean come on, HELLO hotness, I never connected with anyone or anything in Tyler. It just didn’t draw me in at all. There were far too many corny situations and dialogue (inner and outer), for my taste. I tried to give it a chance anyway but I didn’t make it to page 100 before I’d had enough. I wasn’t connected, I didn’t care and I was just wasting my time.
One thing that stands out the most is Tyler himself. He is a bit shy and uncomfortable, but he’s determined and willing to take care of his family. And yet, he has no qualms about putting the moves on Emily, whom he just met. I’m sorry, but I’ve never met someone who was shy/uncomfortable but was a good flirt and took the first move for a kiss. Shy and promiscuous -although that may be too strong of a word here- do not go together, in my opinion. For me, Tyler is a split personality,but oddly I actually liked both sides. I like the uncomfortable guy who was willing to do whatever he had to to save his family’s ranch and take care of his brothers. No matter how much work, blood or sweat he’d have to spill, or how uncomfortable stripping was for him; he wasn’t going to give up until he had done his ‘job’. That was honorable, that was sexy. That’s something a real cowboy would do. I also like the seemingly confident ladies man he becomes when he’s around Emily. He was smooth and so very sexy during those moments. But for me, the two don’t combine into one person.
Then he and Emily go from simple flirting to making out by day 2. Technically they’d only been in each other’s company for a few hours when they started lip locking. Not only that, but Emily thinks she’s fallen in love with him! I get that relationships usually don’t take weeks to build up to in a book, things get bogged down and boring, but a few hours or a day or two, is not enough time for me to believe in a relationship or even get the feel of it. They know absolutely nothing about each other at this point! They haven’t even asked if the other is seeing anybody! Yes I know that this happens in real life, but that’s far too rushed for my comfort level.
While I don’t hate the style of writing Ms. Admirand has, I just didn’t fall in love with the characters or the story itself. It was missing that spark that I’m drawn to. You know what I mean? I do give major kudos to Ms. Admirand though for taking two things that make us girls go crazy over and putting them together into the same book. I just wish I had liked it.
