Review and Giveaway ~ THE WILD ONES by M. Leighton

Passion as hot as midnight in the South and love as wild as the horses they tame.

Camille “Cami” Hines is the darling daughter of the South’s champion thoroughbred breeder, Jack Hines. She has a pedigree that rivals some of her father’s best horses. Other than feeling a little suffocated at times, Cami thought she was pretty happy with her boyfriend, her life and her future.

But that was before she met Patrick Henley.

“Trick” blurs the lines between what Cami wants and what is expected of her. He’s considered the “help,” which is forbidden fruit as far as her father is concerned, not to mention that Trick would be fired if he ever laid a hand on her. And Trick needs his job. Desperately. His family depends on him.

The heart wants what the heart wants, though, and Trick and Cami are drawn to each other despite the obstacles. At least the ones they know of.

When Trick stumbles upon a note from his father, it triggers a series of revelations that could ruin what he and Cami have worked so hard to overcome. It turns out there’s more to Trick’s presence at the ranch than either of them knew, secrets that could tear them apart.

"Some even say the wild ones are the best."

(eARC,46%)

I would like to say that I can be calm and rational about The Wild Ones. But I know better. You know better. That's just not going to happen with this review. Because...

I FREAKING LOVED THE WILD ONES SO MUCH THAT I CAN'T EVEN STAND IT!!!

Seems like I'm being a bit dramatical, yeah? I know, I know. But I'm not. That cap-smashed-filled, exclamation-riddled sentence is the honest truth. When I sat down to read The Wild Ones, I had reasonably high expectations. I had been reading the teasers, and yes, I love M. Leighton's writing. But what happened became one of my most favorite reading experiences ever.

I would love to tell you that I loved The Wild Ones for some deep, thoughtful reason. And believe me, the author did deal the characters some very heavy, hard-hitting emotional turmoil. Truly. But what put this book over the top for me was the characters.

Trick. Good lord, this man was one delicious character. And I don't mean just the looks, although, yeah, he is one beautiful man. Trick has swagger to back it up. But he's never cocky, just self-assured. Trick tries to always do the right thing, even if it causes him pain. He's given up a lot for his family, and is resigned to his duty. Until he meets Cami.Cami brings out something reckless in Trick. Something wild and untamed. Denying himself of her may be the toughest job he's faced.

"Pick 'treat'. Please, for the love of God, pick 'treat'."

Sexiest. Line. Ever.

Sweet, sweet Cami. I adored this girl. Cami is loving and fearless. She goes along to please her domineering father. But when Cami meets Trick, she's feels the drawn to him like a puppet on a string. She feels alive. Free. Reckless. But will the pull be enough to make her cut ties to her perfect life? It seems inevitable, but life isn't always simple. Cami and Trick's new found flame will be put to the test, in more ways than they can imagine.


Cami and Trick are backed up by two of the most awesome friends ever. Jenna and Rusty were absolute riots. Every time Cami or Trick would get down, these two were there to pull them back up, usually using humor and pulling no punches. I wish they had their own book! (I'm looking at you M.)


So with a cover like this, you know there's going to be some serious steam. I had read the Madly series by Leighton, so I knew she can write some smokin' love scenes. And she does bring the steam in this book. But, she also delivers some fantastic build-up. The quietly suggestive, flirtatious moments between Trick and Cami was through the roof. The sexual tension between them was so freaking hot, I was left fanning myself and telling my husband to crank up the AC. No lie.
I know that I've spent most of my review gushing about The Wild Ones. How much I loved Trick and Cami, their friends, their romance. But at the heart of it, is the sweetest love of all. The willingness to go out on a limb. To take a chance for the kind of love that might not seem safe, but is the kind of love we all dream about. With Trick and Cami, that kind of love is most certainly worth the risk.


Favorite Quotes:

"He turns his head and looks at me from the corner of his narrowed eyes, as if he's debating whether or not I blush on purpose. I shrug, assuring him it's beyond my control. He shakes his head and a slow grin spreads across his face. Without taking his eyes off mine, he raises his beer to his lips and takes a long drink. I can't help but watch his mouth, where his lips are pursed against the bottle. And then the action of his throat as he swallows.
I'm pretty sure my knees have turn to butter." (ebook, 41%)


"His lips take mine in a kiss I feel like I've been waiting for all my life. They're wild and passionate, everything I remembered, everything I'd imagined, and more." (ebook, 54%)


Releases August 1, 2012

I was born and raised in the United States, and I’ve lived in several of the fabulous fifty. Though I currently live in the deep South, I spent much of my childhood up North and hope to return there one day. A few other things about me: I believe that sometimes you have to look really, REALLY hard to find the good in people, but it's there. I believe that I'm shrinking (I swear five years ago I was two inches taller). I believe my husband is quite possibly one of the most amazing men in the entire world (I can't be sure because I haven't met all of them). I believe coffee and chocolate, when combined, could be the basis for world peace. I believe that Jesus rocks and communism doesn’t. I believe that white makes me look fat and black collects lint. I believe summer's too hot, winter's too cold and fall was made for football. I like dogs better than cats and the first movie in a trilogy is invariably the best. But most of all, I believe that love conquers all.

Connect with author M. Leighton at:
her website | Twitter | GoodReads page | Facebook

Source: Received from author in exchange for an honest review.

Giveaway

I am giving one lucky reader The Wild Ones (ebook).

Update: Author M. Leighton has donated one ecopy of The Wild Ones!

A couple rules:

• You must be 18+ years of age to enter.
• Must be a resident of a country that allows ebook gifts.
• Ebook will be gifted via Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
• Giveaway ends August 6, 2012 at 11:59 pm.

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