Book Review: Riding Wild by Jaci Burton

Title: Riding Wild
Series: Wild Riders, Book 1
Author: Jaci Burton
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: library
Published: February 5, 2008 by Berkley HEAT

Mac Canfield was the last man Lily West expected to see again, never mind aim her gun at. But there he was, the bad boy who'd broken her heart years ago - still a thief, hijacking a priceless artifact - and it was all she could do to push aside the memories of how it felt to have his perfectly chiseled body next to hers.

Mac was no less shocked to see the beautiful girl next-door again, threatening to shoot him. Little did she know she was blowing his cover. He had to get her out of harm's way without succumbing to his desire to take her on a hot trip down memory lane.

But Lily has no intention of going anywhere with Mac, which means he'll have to resort to kidnapping. Unless she agrees to let him take her for the kind of ride destined to drive them both unbelievably wild.

Reviewed By: Laura

Why I Read This Book: I am a sucker for a hot person and a motorcycle! I don’t care who it is, if they ride a motorcycle and know what they’re doing, I am in! Okay, so besides the fangirling, I have to say that the simple way that the book is described ramped up my curiosity. Harley-riding ex-thief and a gun-toting ex-socialite? How did that ever happen? Blowing his cover? What does that even mean? The summary is just vague enough to hint at the awesomeness to come.

What I Liked: It was refreshing to read about an independent woman, named Lily like a delicate flower, who didn’t save herself for the man she lost. She moved on from their relationship and made something more of her life. The same goes for Mac, while he still yearned for her (because who hasn’t yearned for a former lover from time to time), he plowed ahead with his new endeavor and put his heart into it.

The adventure that they embarked on, although rocky because neither wanted to be with the other or have them get hurt, was so full of mystery and kind of far-fetched that it was amusing. Not in the “yeah right” kind of way, but more in the “really? well alrighty then” way. More like chucking about it all.

I truly adored the way these two handled their attraction for one another while on a mission. Each might have had their own agenda and used some sideways tactics trying to achieve their goals, but they always did it with what they thought were the best intentions at the time. It’s the kind of lifestyle where every decision matters, even if their of a personal nature.

What I Didn’t Like: I didn’t like the secret-keeping. It was frustrating that each of them was keeping so much from the other because they “had to,” until the damn finally breaks and then nothing gets held back. It had a tendency to feel like they wasted so much time by not being honest with one another from the start. At the same time, I think that added to the tension that I enjoyed.

Overall Impression: This was a great read! I enjoyed myself from beginning to end and the steamy scenes were just right. A bit exhibitionistic for my personal tastes, but that’s the beauty of reading, I can let others have all the fun. If you like witty banter, hot bikes, great chemistry, and just a little bit of amusing, far-fetched stories, this is definitely one you’ll want to check out!

Laura’s Rating:

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