Chelsea & Jessica Get Brazen! Against the Wall by Rebecca Zanetti

Hey guys! We’re back again and this week we’re getting Brazen with Rebecca Zanetti’s Against the Wall. We have met a baseball player, a couple of cops, a fighter, and now we can add sexy lawyer/cowboy to our list of Brazen men! Sign me up! 

Never challenge a cowboy in the courtroom…

Surveying the proposed site for a high-end golf course should have been a breeze for spunky Landscape Architect Sophie Smith. But when this born-and-bred city girl is suddenly—and quite literally—swept off her feet by a sexy cowboy on horseback, she realizes that the country life has some serious (and seriously steamy!) possibilities. That is, until she finds out exactly who her smokin’-hot wrangler really is.

Cowboy and Tribal lawyer Jake Lodge is desperately trying to block the development. And if that means playing hardball—and being every inch the shark lawyer—so be it. But Sophie is a distraction he didn’t expect. A distraction that makes his blood burn.

Two different worlds. Two opposing sides. And when they finally give into the exquisite temptation, the consequences will shake the foundations of both of their lives…

**************************************

-Against the Wall takes place in Montana. Are you a city girl or a country girl?

Jessica: Hm. This is hard! I love being in the city because I like the excitement and the hustle and bustle. But living in the country myself, I love seeing the stars at night and watching the fireflies light up a field. I guess I’m a country girl at heart now!

Chelsea: Oh, definitely a country girl! As much as I love the city, growing up in Idaho will forever make me a country girl and I love it!

-Our male hero, Jake, actually has a daughter. Would you date a single father?

Jessica: This is hard. I want to say I would, but I honestly don’t know. Is it strange that I would almost feel gypped that I wasn’t the first one to have his baby? Not saying that the baby wouldn’t be any less special to him, but that it’s like I lost the chance at having that first with him. Yet- if I fall in love with a guy who happens to have a kid, then would I deny myself my chance at love? I don’t think I would….

Chelsea: As a single girl out in the dating world now, this is actually something I’ve thought a lot about. I’ve always said it was a hard no because of the baggage and drama that can come with it but I have to agree with Jess and wonder if I could be missing out on something really great if I denyed someone because of that. I probably wouldn’t date someone with kid’s at this time but never say never.

-There are some pretty sexy scenes in this book and a few of them involve some outdoor lovin’! Is that something you would do with your man?

Jessica: LOL. If I knew we were completely and totally alone, then sure. Sadly, I’ve never had that crazed, passionate ‘if you’re not inside me right this second I’m going to DIE’ with a guy before, so I can’t say whether or not I’d lose myself to the point it didn’t matter where I was or who could show up.

Chelsea: Haha! I’m not sure I would be so sex crazed that I couldn’t at least make it to a bedroom or a more private place but I do kind of like the “risk” of doing something a little adventurous. Might be kind of hot…l

-Sexiest scene in the book?

Jessica: I would have to say the scene outside of the B&B on the porch where Jake and Sophie absolutely can’t wait another minute to be with each other.

Chelsea: Oh that’s definitely a really hot scene. For some reason, I love a good shower scene so I’d have to go with the scene in the shower after Jake comes home from doing some real man work J

-This book involves a spirit guide by the name of Bob. What were your thoughts on him?

Jessica: I thought it was a bit cheesy. I get that Jake and his family are part of the Kooskia Tribe, so there’s some native American heritage here, but Sophie having dreams of Bob was definitely weird.

Chelsea: LOL, I agree. It was a bit weird. In the end, I didn’t feel like it really added anything to the story and I didn’t quite get the purpose of it at all.

-What did you think of Jake’s brothers Quinn and Colton?

Jessica: I have to say I am mighty intrigued by those boys! I definitely want to see where their stories go, as well as with their sister Dawn and their friend Hawk. Colton’s story sounds like a case of best friends to lovers and Dawn’s sounds like the little sister dating a good friend trope and I do love those kinds ofstories! And Quinn’s the sheriff/cowboy so that’s hot right there!

Chelsea: I really liked Quinn and Colton. I love the whole family dynamic in this book and I think the brothers are going to be just as intriguing and sexy as Jake was so I’m excited to read their stories as well. I agree with Jess; sheriff/cowboy is about as hot as lawyer/cowboy!

-Do you like the idea of the whole small town feel? Where everyone knows your business?

Jessica: It reminds me of Gilmore Girls and I always loved watching that. It seems cool to have so much history with a town of people, but it would grate on my nerves never having privacy, especially when they find out something you don’t want them to know.

Chelsea: I grew up in a small town like this myself so I know all too well how news spreads like wildfire. I did love growing up in a small town but it definitely has its downsides when it comes to your business. You can’t really sneeze without everyone knowing about it the next day.

Jake is quite the bossy one- both inside and out of the bedroom. Are you into bossy, take charge guys?

Jessica: I would be open to it inside of the bedroom, but outside? Hell no. Jake meddled quite a bit in Sophie’s affairs even before they had determined their relationship and I think that would have been a really problem for me.

Chelsea: I might be able to handle a guy being a little bossy in the bedroom but no way outside. I’m pretty independent and I hate being told what to do. In fact, when a man tells me what to do, I’m even more inspired to do the exact opposite.

From the moment I read the title of this book, I was dying to read it. I love the title and it screams Brazen. Jake is not only a sexy ass lawyer but he’s also a cowboy. I’m not sure it gets much better than that. I also really like the small town setting in this book and the way that everyone opens their arms for Sophie. Also, it’s in Montana. Enough said.

Sophie is a golf course designer and she’s in Mineral Lake, Montana to propose her design. While there, she meets Jake, a local cowboy and also the lawyer for the tribe that is opposing the golf course she’s set to design. Sophie and Jake are instantly attracted to each other and I could definitely feel the chemistry and sexual tension between the two right away. I liked how confident Jake was and how hard he fought for his family and beliefs and for Sophie.

I liked Sophie but she frustrated me a time or two. I understood her loneliness because of the childhood she had but I felt like one minute she wanted the familial closeness of Jake’s family and the next minute she was fighting him because he wanted her to stay. I could get her weariness with how fast paced the relationship was moving but she bounced around on what she wanted a little too much sometimes. However, I did think she was strong willed and I liked that about her. She took every opportunity to follow her passions and I admired that.

Sophie and Jake have some really hot passion and I liked that they didn’t waste any time in going for what they both wanted. Jake is a very determined guy and when he wants something, he goes after it with 100% of his heart. He loves his little girl, Leila, more than anything and I loved how sweet and protective he is of her. His heritage is important to him and so is family and I really liked seeing that. I definitely think it was a huge bonus for Sophie, considering she never really had a family growing up. While I loved the interaction and chemistry with Sophie and Jake, I felt like the plot could have used a little more development. There were a lot of things going on with the land development and Sophie and Jake’s relationship and it felt like some things were skimmed over just a little too easily.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and really loved the family dynamic portrayed between Jake and his family and the way they opened their arms and hearts to Sophie. I liked the relationship between Jake and Sophie and they definitely had some sexy, steamy times. I have a soft spot for cowboys and I need to make a serious trip to Montana one of these days. Haha!

I enjoyed Against the Wall, as it was incredibly easy and quick to read. I also loved the Montana setting, as well as our hero being a sexy cowboy AND a powerhouse lawyer. I did feel Against the Wall was a bit on the cheesy side, and there wasn't a lot of development in terms of the characters and their relationship.

I did like Sophie. She was independent and career driven and manages to keep her wits about her even when an incredibly sexy cowboy nearly runs her down on his horse. I really liked how Jake's family was so accepting of her and willing to embrace her as one of their own, especially since they are opposed to her company's golf course they want to build on tribe land. Sophie never had that growing up, having been shipped off to boarding school and never knowing who her real father was. For a woman who has lived a rather lonely life, I can see her being overwhelmed by the Lodge/Freeze family. Sophie longs for that closeness and sense of family, as well as passion and love in her relationship. Her co-worker Preston, expresses his interest in her but it seems like a merger of benefits than it does about love. Meeting Jake definitely throws her off balance, as he is a pretty intense guy. I am glad Sophie found what she was looking for in the end and that being in Montana really opens up another set of doors she never gave serious thought to before.

I liked and didn't like Jake at the same time. Yes, he is incredibly sexy, intense, and protective of his own. However, I didn't like how much he meddled in her career to fit his own needs and desires without consulting her first. It also bothered me how blasé he was regarding the fact that they had sex twice without using protection and Sophie not being on birth control. For two people who have only known each other a short time, he acts like her possibly being pregnant is just something they'll deal with and it will all work out.

Sophie and Jake's relationship just moved too quickly for my taste and I had a hard time visualizing and really seeing the moment where the two fell in love. I don't doubt that they didn't, I just felt it was rushed and would have liked it to slow down while they were together. I also had a hard time discerning Jake's true feelings for her, especially after a certain event. Did he really love her because he wanted to be with her or was it for other reasons? That question did get answered during one pivotal scene, but I just felt it was a bit up in the air for a bit.

 

They DO have some explosive chemistry and that porch scene is beyond hot and steamy! 

I did really enjoy the side characters in the novel. I'm very interested in reading about Jake's brothers, Quinn and Colton, as well as his sister Dawn. Jake's mom Loni and his daughter Leila were also great to read about- both of them were really cute in their working to make Sophie see what a catch Jake would be.

The storyline, while fast moving, was also very interesting not only with the romance between Jake and Sophie, but with the emphasis on family and seeing the legal side of the battle over whether or not to build a golf course on tribe land.

While not my favorite Brazen read, I am still looking forward to checking out the future books in this series.

**************************************

Thanks for joining us for another Brazen feature this week! Come back next week as we talk Game for Marriage by Karen Erickson!