Nautier and Wilder by Lora Leigh and Jaci Burton (Nauti #7-Wild Riders #6)
Contemporary Romance Duology
April 2, 2013
Berkley

Reviewed by Helyce

Nauti Siren by Lora Leigh

Piper Mackay is so done with her overbearing and over protective brother Dawg and her cousins Rowdy and Natches. If they would just let up a little, she wouldn’t feel so suffocated in her day to day life. They are never far, monitoring her and her sisters in every minute detail. She just wants a little space to live her life, follow her dreams. Add to that, her increasing attraction to Jedediah Booker, and she is frustrated on a whole different level.

Jedediah Booker is well aware of Piper’s attraction to him. In fact, he shares in it, but he knows that she is hesitating because she thinks he’ll be the same type of overbearing asshole her brother is. Jed does not want to be that kind of man but he knows it will take a lot to convince her he does not want to tie her down and keep her from living her life.

When Piper sneaks away to see a man about a possible design job, Jed watches, hidden in the dark. Letting her go is hard, but the first step in what he hopes will prove to her he isn’t like Dawg and the cousins. Unfortunately, danger does find her and when she is attacked, Jed must come to her rescue.

I am a fan of Lora Leigh and her Navy Seals/Elite Ops and Nauti Boys books were my first foray into books with strong alpha men who are overprotective and clearly fit the term alpha-asshole. At the same time, I always felt the strength of the romance and the strong bonds between the main couple. I was a little bit lost while reading this book because I couldn’t connect with Dawg and these four sisters that apparently came into his life. I did not read the first Nauti Girls book which came out last November, so I was missing some vital facts and the foundation for these characters.

I enjoyed Piper’s character. Still very young, she clearly knows what she wants and where her talents lay. Unfortunately, she does make a rather big mistake when she sneaks out of town to meet a big fashion designer in the hopes of snagging a coveted position with his fashion house. She realizes too late that his intentions are not what she expected and she barely makes her escape from his clutches. If that were not enough, she also becomes an unintentional pawn in a jewel smuggling ring. When the bad guys get to her and knock her around, she barely escapes that except for some good Samaritans who brave the bad guys, scaring them off. They also find Jed’s number in her purse and call him. Jed arrives and gets Piper home safely only to face the Mackay men who are livid that Piper snuck out of town, got herself hurt and clearly seems to have a developing relationship with Jed.

Jed and Piper’s relationship clearly had some foundation which was probably expressed in the previous books. She’s had a thing for him since she met him, but both held back for their own reasons. When they finally give in, it’s done well. Ms. Leigh gives us some hot smex with sexy Jed who is shocked but thrilled that Piper has saved herself for him. The mystery of the jewels and their connection to the Mackay’s past is built up and resolved pretty quickly. All in all, a typical “Nauti” story.

Rating: C

Riding To Sunset by Jaci Burton

Jed Templeton is part of the new generation of Wild Riders. This elite group of undercover agents who pose as Harley Riders under the direction of General Grange Lee are given unique assignments that can’t be given to your every day agents. When General Lee’s sister goes missing, he tasks Jed with protecting his niece, Elena Madison. General Lee then moves forward to try and unravel the mystery around his sister’s disappearance.

Jed arrives to find Elena is a very attractive and successful woman who owns a gallery showcasing the artists in her little coastal town. There is an immediate attraction, so Jed easily finds a way to insert himself into Elena’s life without suspicion. But it’s clear that there is more to Elena’s mother’s disappearance when a series of events puts Elena in danger and they are forced to go into hiding.

I happened upon Ms. Burton’s Wilder Riders books a while ago and really enjoyed this band of special agents and the unique tasks assigned to them as they each found their romantic partners along the way. It was fun to revisit this series with the introduction of a new character, Jed Templeton. Handpicked and trained by General Lee himself, he’s the perfect man for the job when General Lee’s sister goes missing. No one knew the General had a sister much less a niece and he’d kept it that way on purpose, knowing his enemies would take any opportunity to hurt him by using people who he loved. His niece, Elena, doesn’t even know she has an uncle, which makes Jed’s job a little difficult.

Elena’s mom has always been a sort of hippie. She did her own thing, never really holding a steady job. She often left Elena with friends, while she went off where the wind took her, following whatever man or thing interested her at that time. So, when Elena doesn’t hear from her for weeks at a time, it doesn’t faze her too much. When her gallery is broken into, she’s grateful for Jed’s help. Further adding to his cover of a securities specialist, Jed uses the opportunity to set up a security system that he can monitor from his place. But when Elena becomes a target, he’s got to come clean and get her to safety.

The romance between Jed and Elena is understandably rocky considering the way they meet and what happens afterward. However, the mystery and suspense builds beautifully and I was shocked at who the bad guy was. Ms. Burton gives us a quality romance and suspenseful plot in this short story and I really liked it.

Rating: B

NOTE: I’m not sure if it was a coincidence that the men of these stories shared the name Jed, but I found it odd and while they were different enough in character, having the same name kind of wreaked havoc in my head as I tried to picture them individually. I didn’t like it at all.

Recent Reviews:
Under the Covers – 4/5
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