Strung Up is a standalone M/M novella in the Blacktop Cowboys series by Lorelei James. You do not need to have read the previous books in the series to enjoy this story, though fans of the series will recognize some familiar faces. Strung Up centers around Creston Grant and Breck Christianson. Creston hasn't been himself since losing his partner, and Breck has suffered a lot as well. So when the two meet up again and the attraction is stronger than ever, they find themselves wondering if they could possibly have a second chance to find love.
Cres and Breck had so much chemistry between them, and I felt the attraction right from the start. Being a novella, I worried about whether their connection would feel real within the short amount of time, but I didn't feel that way at all. Their relationship felt genuine, and it felt like more than just lust. I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that these two had already known one another, but they were both at different points in the life and things were finally coming together for them. Each one had been through a lot, and that shaped who they were. I enjoyed seeing them get to know the men they had become and of course there was a ton of steam, being a story written by Lorelei James. James is a master at giving readers sexy books that have a great story to go along with the steam, and Strung Up was no exception.
I will admit that I did feel like while the chemistry and connection were there, there were a few things that I would have liked to have been a bit different. I struggled a bit with knowing that Cres had lost what was called the love of his life, and there was something that I didn't totally agree with at the end of the story when it came to that and his relationship with Breck. I also felt like communication was an issue at times, even though that is often a problem in romance stories. But overall this was a great addition to the series and I enjoyed it quite a bit. No one does sexy cowboys better than Lorelei James, and I always know I am in for a good time when I pick up one of her books.
**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**
I think I remember that Breck had been abusive to Celia Lawson, prior to her relationship with Kyle in One Night Rodeo. Did you read that one?
ReplyDeleteI did read it, but I have to admit that it was years ago. I don't remember Breck being abusive to Celia, but I do remember that she deserved better than him and that I loved her with Kyle. I can't recall much about the relationship between Celia and Breck though...maybe it's time for a reread :)
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