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.
Just south of Fort Worth, Texas, you’ll find a little
ranch where the hot, toned cowboys are ready and eager to
take it all off and make your naughtiest fantasies come
true...
As the owner of the Double S Ranch, Cody Silver knows
what women want—all except the one that got away. So when
his high school girlfriend Sidney Stevens comes back to
town for her sister’s wedding, Cody will do whatever it
takes to prove that he’s a changed man.
After their explosive breakup, it took a long time for
Sidney’s broken heart to heal—and she’s not about to risk
it again. She’ll tangle with Cody and live out her
simmering fantasies, but when the time comes she’s going
to walk away satisfied.
But love has a way of ruining the best laid plans, and
Cody and Sidney are about to learn that what you want
isn’t always what you need...