A Review/ Lassoing Lara/ NJ Walters/ Ellora's Cave

Title:  Lassoing Lara
Author:  NJ Walters
Publisher:  Ellora's Cave
Genre:  Erotic Contemporary
eBook ISBN:  978-1419927812
Length:  Novella
Format:  eBook
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Book Blurb: 

Brody Courage wakes up after a night out with his brothers and finds himself naked and tied to his bed with no idea how he’s gotten there. Just when he thinks he’s going to have to rip apart the headboard to get himself loose, he hears someone entering the house. He thinks it’s one of his brothers and calls out for help, but it’s Lara Jacobs, his childhood friend and neighbor.



He’s humiliated to have to ask her help and swears her to secrecy. She’s quiet and pale and leaves after releasing only one arm. When Brody finally gets himself out of bed, he finds a pair of red lace panties stuck near the footboard—a perfect match for the red bra he’d glimpsed Lara wearing when she bent over to untie him. It’s then his memories of the night before start to flood back. He spent one hell of a night in bed with his neighbor.


Now he wants another. One he can remember. But there’s the little problem of Lara avoiding him…


My Review:

This is a fast and quick read from an established author of erotic romance and it was a joy to read.  This novella is a sequel to a previous work by Ms. Walters, "Tempting Tori", which I have not read as of yet.  You do not need to read the first story to enjoy this story, which can be read as a stand alone book.  I was surprised by the amount of emotional depth that Ms. Walters was able to provide her characters in this short novella and believe that it is part of what makes this an enjoyable story. 

Brody Courage is an interesting man, he's grown up in Texas but spent a lot of his time lately away from home.  It was not until his brother J.T. got married that Brody's subconscious directed his steps home.  Brody is a writer by trade and is in the midst of renovating a house that he has just bought.  After a night of drinking and playing pool, Brody wakes up naked in bed with no real recollection of how he got there but when he starts to put things together he suddenly realizes that the reason he came home to Texas is because he wants something permanent.  The problem is that he managed to hurt the feelings of the woman he loves by not remembering their night of passion.  I liked Brody, he's a hard worker and a fair and honest man.  When he realizes his mistake he takes the steps that he realizes are necessary to assure the woman he loves that he's in it for life.

Lara Jacobs is a great heroine and a really great female character.  She's spent her whole life in Texas and has grown up with Brody and his brother's as her neighbors.  She's been raised an equal to the ranchers in the area and has no problems with doing what needs to be done on a ranch, yet, she has also managed to maintain her femininity.  She has been in love with Brody her whole life but is not willing to settle for less than true love and a family in her future.  When she realizes that Brody doesn't remember their night together she makes it a point to avoid him and this forces him to acknowledge what they have together.  I love Lara because she was willing to take a chance on what she wanted and because she was also strong enough to be willing to walk away if she couldn't get what she wanted in life even if it meant that her heart would break in the process.

I was more than satisfied with how the story concludes and I hope that we get to see these characters again, perhaps in a novella for the last single brother in the family.  I do plan to go back and read "Temping Tori", as I am now curious about J.T.'s story. 

My Rating:  5 out of 5 Stars