Review: The Wild Ones by M. Leighton

My Thoughts

HOT! HOT! Smokin’ hot! Captivating. Sexy. Seductive. Romantic.
I absolutely LOVED this book! The chemistry between Trick and Cami set the pages ablaze in a book I just couldn’t put down!

• Main Characters and Casting: Camille “Cami” Hines, My review of Wild Child (#1.5, The Wild Ones) and Patrick “Trick” Henley
• Related Posts: My review of Down To You (#1, Bad Boys), My review of Wild Child (#1.5, The Wild Ones)

Synopsis

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.

My Review

Get ready to fan yourself, because this book is HOT! I loved it for so many reasons! The angst, the two good-looking and lively characters, Trick, the horses, the passion, the twists, Trick… did I mention Trick?!

I needed an angsty, passion-filled, swoon-inducing book like The Wild Ones and this book more than delivered!

The story begins with Camille “Cami” Hines, daughter of thoroughbred breeder, Jack Hines, back for the summer and at a honky tonk bar, decked out in cowboy boots and a black cowboy hat, waiting for her boyfriend, wealthy social climber, Brent. Right away, someone accidentally hits the back of where she sits and beer pours down her shirt. Strong hands grip her to keep her from falling and then…

“The most amazing eyes I’ve ever seen are staring back at me. They are pale greenish-gray, rimmed in sooty lashes and filled with concern… God, his eyes! I’ve never seen eyes that make me want to gasp and giggle and do a striptease all at once. But these do.”

And just like that, Cami meets Trick. And Trick… holy hotness!!! Hot, strong, beautiful manly, hard-working Trick. And as he looks at her, he is just as entranced with the red-haired beauty.

“Wow! The hair of a devil, the face of an angel, and the voice of a phone sex operator. You really are the perfect woman.”

This early scene is HOT… the staring, the blushing, the smirking…I freakin’ love it. I really love to read that first moment when the characters meet and have it brimming with want… and the moment in this book is perfectly written to have you fidgeting, staring, blushing and swooning alongside Cami.

Trick walks away and Brent arrives as the book begins to unwind. Soon, they fortuitously meet again and this time, Trick kisses her.

“I wind my arm around her tiny waist and pull her body in close to mine. I feel her melt against me. It’s all I can do not to throw her over my shoulder and carry her over my shoulder and carry off into the dark. But a throat being cleared behind me ruins my fantasy. She tenses in my arms and I know without opening my eyes that it’s her boyfriend.”

Brent is everything her father wants for her, someone to marry that will align two wealthy families. But the more that Cami is around Trick, the more she realizes she’s never felt that pull, that electric attraction she feels for Trick. And when she finds Trick working in her father’s stables, she’s frozen in disbelief. Putting 2 and 2 together, Trick realizes that she’s not there to visit him, she LIVES there… she’s the daughter of Jack Hines, which means he needs to stay away. He desperately needs this job to support his mother and sister.

But the heart wants what he heart wants, and desire intensifies and cannot be denied.

“I’ve been hoping on some level that things would change, that either my feelings for Brent would strengthen or my feelings for Trick would fade or… something. And something has happened. I’m in love with Trick and I can’t keep trying to make something out of nothing with Brent. No matter how much I wish it and my father wishes it and Brent wishes it, it’s just not happening. It’s time to do the right thing, the thing I feel in my heart.”

Of course, just as the right thing becomes clear, M.Leighton throws a big plot twist in the story and it seems impossible that they’ll be together. I won’t spoil anything for you, but the last 20% is heart-wrenching to read and you fiercely want them to be together.

As I mentioned above, there are so many elements I loved about the novel. Firstly, I loved the backdrop of the horses, the estate, Cami being the wealthy daughter and Trick being the hired help. I love that Trick is focused and hardworking, wanting to become something of himself, setting his sights on breaking some wild horses as the first step in paving his own future. I love that Cami is fiery and strong-willed. They both revel in their strength and independence, willing to fight for what they want.

You won’t put this book down until you’re done! You will love it, I assure you! I got so caught up in actually reading the book, that I forgot to highlight and notate as I read to facilitate my review. It was that good!

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