BRANDED is Book three in Colette Auclair's Aspen Valley series. Even though I had never read the previous books in this series, I was still able to follow and enjoy BRANDED. The romance in BRANDED is red hot and Jack is a hero to swoon over. The snowy backdrop of Aspen adds to the intensely romantic and sensual feel throughout the story.

One of the things that makes BRANDED stand out from every other romance is the utterly charming hero. Jack Cormier is introduced at the beginning of BRANDED in such an unusual way -- riding a ski lift wearing a tuxedo. That was enough to pique my initial interest, but it's the witty banter between him and the heroine at their first meeting that made me fall for him. Jack is one of the most charming and sexy male main characters I've read about in a long time. He has the same kind of quick wit and easy charm as a the kind of male lead from a 1930s film. I love that Colette Auclair is able to combine sexiness, charm, and emotional understanding in a hero.

The chemistry between Jack and Cordy is off the charts and makes BRANDED such an enjoyable read. It's difficult to fully understand why Cordy tries to keep an emotional distance between herself and Jack. However, Colette Auclair does a good job of going into Cordy's romantic past as a way to try and explain her intimacy issues. Jack proves to be an equally complex a character and his history is fully explored as well. Their complexity is part of what makes their romance so compelling to read about.

BRANDED is part sexy, sparkling romance and part powerful emotional drama. Although this is the first book I've read by Colette Auclair, I look forward to reading more by her in the future.