"Enter handsome, flirtatious Jared Fields, who offers to help her manage her assets. Natalia has no intention of giving up control of the ranch her father traded away - along with her hand - for gold. But she intends to enjoy this stranger’s advances until all her desires are sated."
Pages: 188 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing on August 14th 2012
Form: E-book (from tour for an honest review)
Genre: Historical Western Romance
Series: Loving The Lawman #2
Amazon: Buy / $7.67 (Kindle)
( EU price, click to see yours )Barnes & Noble: Buy / $4.67 (Nook)
Samhain: Buy / $3.85 (E-book)
Excerpt: First meeting
"Over her not-so-dearly-departed husband’s grave, newly widowed Natalia Montrose vows to shake off the memories of her abusive marriage by bedding the first suitable man she meets. Enter handsome, flirtatious Jared Fields, who offers to help her manage her assets.
Natalia has no intention of giving up control of the ranch her father traded away—along with her hand—for gold. But she intends to enjoy this stranger’s advances until all her desires are sated.
Jared is a rarity among Pinkerton agents. Well educated, the disowned black sheep of a wealthy New York City family, he enjoys the freedom afforded by his various assignments. But discovering whether the fiery Widow Montrose had her husband killed is a challenge with an unexpected twist. All he can think about is what he’ll do when he gets her in bed.
Natalia and Jared circle each other warily, feeling the pull of sensual heat. But when the Blizzard of 1889 hits, the sexual sparks may not be enough to keep them warm...or alive."
~From Goodreads
Warning: Contains a sex-starved widow and a saddled-hardened Pinkerton agent who set the sheets afire.
Okay just look at that cover! How can anyone say no to that? I sure didn't. ;) I have a soft spot for western romance and historical romance and the marriage of two. So Taming Talia seemed like a great fit for me. The story was simple but it had a lot going on through out the book, the seduction, the intrigue, the storm, the danger... nothing was missing! Where this novel was great in having everything, there was something missing for me, I can't quite but my finger on it.
This story was pretty much just about Natalie and Jared stuck together in a storm of all storms and that created all kinds of nice friction and tension between the two. Natalie's firecracker personality and Jared's cool calculative surface were a great match - and more than once I found myself telling Jared to stop being so collected and see he was falling for her.
The romance was hot, no doubt about it, these two thoroughly enjoyed their spouts in bed and their bickering between bed times - this was entertaining for me as well as I like a bit of battle of wits in my romances. There was plenty of sexual tension and stolen glances and 1889 proper behavior covers cracking which made this romance a very passionate one even outside the bedroom.
Rating :
Niina : Welcome to For The Love of Reading, Ms. Ryan, I’m glad you could make it!
Marie-Nicole Ryan : Thanks so much for having me, Niina.
Niina : Let’s get started! Can you tell my readers here 4 fun unknown facts about you so we can break the ice?
Marie-Nicole : That's assuming I can think of any fun facts. Hmm.
1. I used to be addicted to a USA cable TV show called La Femme Nikita
2. I used to write LFN fan fiction, and it's still out there for all the world to see...if one knew where to look.
3. I'm addicted to Netflix and British TV shows, especially the mysteries and period dramas.
4. My first hero was a cowboy, Roy Rogers!
Marie-Nicole : It's about a sex-starved widow, Talia, and Jared, a saddle-hardened Pinkerton agent who was hired by her late husband's family to prove she had him murdered. It's set in 1889 in the NE New Mexico Territory, and they're marooned together by the blizzard of 1889 (real event).
Niina : How do you write, chapter here and there or follow from beginning to an end?
Marie-Nicole : Most of the time I write from beginning to end, but if a future scene idea hits me, I'll write it and hold on to it until it works into the story. I used to do that kind of thing more often, but less now.
Niina : Yep, can't let ideas escape. ;) What chapter did you most enjoye writing and why?
Marie-Nicole : I always love writing the first chapter and the last of each book. The first because it's exciting to start a new book, and the last because my characters get their HEA. For Taming Talia, one of my favorite chapters was their first love scene. Why? Because Talia, the heroine, had escaped an icy cold death and woke up naked in the arms of the hero Jared. Who wouldn't want to wake up like that?
Niina : Who wouldn't indeed! How did the cover come about and what is your opinion of it?
Marie-Nicole : First of all, I love it. Samhain Publishing has a wonderful staff of cover artists, and I asked for the same artist who did the cover for Seducing the Sheriff, the first book in the Loving the Lawman series, so that the series would have a look of continuity. And I love the dead sexy cowboy on the cover. Yum!
Niina : Me too! ;) So, why did you pick sexy historical western genre?
Marie-Nicole : I would have to say that HBO's Deadwood series had a lot to do with that choice. I loved the grittiness and earthiness of the series. I couldn't hope to duplicate the superb writing, but I certainly had fun with those characters. I also write spicy contemporary romantic suspense, but my editor wanted something that would fit more into the "red hots" category.
Niina : Can you tell us five fun/quirky things about the hero that we didn't learn from the book?
Marie-Nicole : Difficult question, Niina. *scratching my head* Most of what I learned about Jared I learned while writing his story. I don't always do a very detailed backstory. I like bits and pieces of it to come to me as I write.
I will tell you that he was a secondary character in Seducing the Sheriff, and I found him so compelling that he almost took over the story. Some of his fun scenes parts never saw print because my critique partner said I either had to make him the hero, take him, out or make it a menage a trois. Being stubborn, I downplayed Jared's interaction with the heroine of that story and allowed Cordero, the real hero, to remain the hero, because he deserved it, but I just couldn't take Jared out entirely because I was already in love with him. LOL Needless to say, Jared deserved his own story, thus, Taming Talia, and a HEA as well.
Niina : Now to more personal questions! What’s the sexiest article of clothing on a guy?
Marie-Nicole : Low riding jeans or a tux. I like a man who can get his hands dirty, but cleans up well.
Niina : What’s the biggest turn on in a guy, fictional or real life?
Marie-Nicole : First of all, he has to be breathing. After that, nice eyes, a wide smile, and a sense of humor. He must love dogs.
Niina : Who is your current book boyfriend?
Marie-Nicole : US Marshal Sam Dunaway. His wife ran off with his life savings, then died in a hotel fire. Or did she?
Niina : LOL! Would you rather meet real vampires or werewolves?
Marie-Nicole : Neither! However, if I have to choose, I would rather meet a werewolf of the Alcide Herveaux variety. If I had to pick one vampire it would be Mick St. John from Moonlight. CBS was so stupid to cancel that show.
Niina : Agreed! What is your favorite guilty pleasure?
Marie-Nicole : General Hospital. I'm a longtime ABC soaps fan, but since they discontinued All My Children and One Live to Live, I refuse to get hooked on any remaining shows. Once GH is gone, that's it for me.
Niina : Before we finish, here are some Quick Fire Questions:
Pick-up or Mini-van? None
Boots or Heels? None
Cocktails or Shots? Cocktail--margarita
M&Ms: With or Without Peanuts? With
Date: Going to Park or Going to Movies? Movies
Jewels or Chocolates? Chocolate (but it was a difficult decision)
Men: Alpha-male or Submissive? Alpha-ish
Men: Clean Shaven or Stubble? Clean shaven
Men: Bad boys or Good guys? Good guys who used to be Bad Boys.
Tattoos or Piercings on a guy? Tatts
Brunettes or Blonds? Brunettes
Romance: Vampires or werewolves? None, exceptions noted above
Romance: Fallen Angels or Sexy Demons? None
Romance: Cops or Cowboys? Both
Time-Travel or Sci-fi? Time-travel
Romance or Erotica/Erotic Romance? Romance
Male POV or Female POV (Point Of View)? Both
Niina : Thanks for visiting the For The Love of Reading, Marie-Nicole! Any news would you like to share with your readers, or websites they can check out?
Marie-Nicole : Thanks again for having me. I'm hard at work on book three for this series, Mastering the Marshal. Oh--and Taming Talia releases today! It's available at all the usual online places.
Niina : All the buy links are up at the review, check'em out - and now to the e-book giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
