So Tough to Tame
by: Victoria Dahl
3.5 HEARTS
From Goodreads
Tough to tame, but not too tough to love... Charlie Allington is supposed to be on the fast track to the top-a small-town girl who was making it big in her career. Instead, she's reeling from a scandal that's pretty much burned all her bridges. Now, out of options, she needs a place to lick her wounds and figure out her future. True, working at a ski resort in rugged Jackson Hole, Wyoming, isn't her dream job. But if there's one perk to coming back, it's a certain sexy hometown boy who knows how to make a girl feel welcome.
Cowboy Walker Pearce never expected a grown-up Charlie to be temptation in tight jeans. She's smart and successful-way out of league for a man like him. But he's not about to let that, or his secrets, get in the way of their blazing-hot attraction. Yet when passion turns to something more, will the truth-about both of them-send her out of his life for good...or into his arms forever?
Cowboy Walker Pearce never expected a grown-up Charlie to be temptation in tight jeans. She's smart and successful-way out of league for a man like him. But he's not about to let that, or his secrets, get in the way of their blazing-hot attraction. Yet when passion turns to something more, will the truth-about both of them-send her out of his life for good...or into his arms forever?
Yet another author first for me! I really enjoyed Walker and Charlie's story. Granted there were times I got frustrated with both of them and kinda wanted to slap them in the face with a giant fish, but for the most part I really felt for them and the different hells their lives have been. They were two very different people, yet fit so perfectly together. But some of those side characters--okay, most of them--needed to be sent to a deserted island so they could get their heads out of their asses. But that's neither here nor there.
I really liked Charlie's 'I'm-gonna-live-for-myself' type attitude throughout this book. She'd made a mistake, she knew that, and the consequences had really messed with her life--but she wasn't about to let that stop her from making he best of it. At times, however, that attitude got on my nerves, especially when it came to Walker. I can understand why she was doing it, but I still thought it was unfair. I did like that she was a very passionate woman. She wasn't afraid of who she was or her sexuality. She embraced her inner wild thing and rolled with the flow. I loved how she treated--for the most part--Walker. She never saw him as only half a man or as damaged goods. She knew what he was capable of and she showed him that. She did everything from the heart, and that made her a great heroine.
Walker was an amazing guy, especially after what he had to go through as a child. Even after all the pain and suffering and feelings of inadequacy, he still turned out to be not only loyal, but very true to his heart. Like Charlie, he had his share of mistakes that shaped his life, but he still fought on. He might have let some things get in his way, his fear of them holding him back, but eventually he realized it and made steps to overcoming it. He was also a very passionate person, but for different reasons. He always tried to hold himself back, always thinking he was damaged goods and nobody would want him that way, but he still gave his all to everything he did. He just wanted to find acceptance, even if it was settling for something he didn't fully want. But I really loved that he was so true to himself. He grew up to be a wonderful man, and I wouldn't have wanted him any other way.
Overall I really like the connection Charlie and Walker had. It made the development of their relationship believable and I committed fully to it. The horribly mean side characters added to the drama and hells of their own personal yet intertwined lives. Everybody played a part, and that made the story so much more.
***ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Hotness Rating:
3.5 out of 5
3.5 out of 5
