SPURRED ON is the third full-length book in Sabrina York's Stripped Down series. Reading the previous books in this series is not a necessity in order to enjoy this book, because Cody and Sidney's story is told with past events merged into it. Sabrina York usually writes stories about deliciously sexy strong heroes, but I was not initially excited to read Cody's story. Cody was never one of my favorite supporting characters in previous books, and I'm not wild about heroes who have a reputation for leaving a string of broken hearts behind them. These doubts about Cody made me empathize with the heroine, since she has reason to think the worst of him. In spite of these misgivings, Sabrina York makes Cody easier to understand and more sympathetic as she tells part of SPURRED ON from his point of view.

Cody Silver and Sidney Stevens have a long and tangled history, and in SPURRED ON fate keeps throwing them together and getting explosive results. This is a perfect example of when it is crucial to tell a story from alternating points of view. Cody and Sidney would have gotten together and been happier sooner, if they had communicated more. A big part of this story is about Sidney's struggle to get past the strong emotions she has for Cody -- both good and bad, and Cody's efforts to get Sidney to see him in a new light. I like the gender role reversal that Sabrina York has in SPURRED ON. I've read quite a few stories about female characters having to overcome negative, and often misconstrued or blatantly false, perceptions that people have about them. In SPURRED ON, Cody is a man often judged for his encounters with women -- whether actual ones or imagined. It's sadly ironic how Cody daydreams about the exact same kind of family life that Sidney does, but people assume that he's sweet but too shallow to have those kind of dreams about settling down.

The well-developed characters and their interconnected relationships, as well as the steam generated by Cody and Sidney are the highlights in SPURRED ON. Sabrina York knows how to create chemistry between two characters, and Cody and Sidney succeed at seduction -- when they're not driving each other crazy. The humor that the other characters add, balance out the ferocity that Cody and Sidney's relationship brings to SPURRED ON.

SPURRED ON is an intense, character-driven romance with some cowboy hotties thrown in. The supporting characters in SPURRED ON add to the story without detracting from the central romance. The epilogue in SPURRED ON is great for fans of the series because it details how favorite characters are doing years into the future. I look forward to reading Sabrina York's next romance -- whether it be about cowboys, highlanders, or any other type of hottie hero.