Desperado (Taggart Brothers #1) by Lisa Bingham

So. Here's the thing. It was like Bingham <bless her> sat down and said 'okay, lets write a book just for Anna with all her favoritest things in it' and BAM....Desperado was born! lol It's a contemporary. But..historical-ish. There's a broody damaged hero. And a social heroine that's just full of life. She's his brother's best friend. There's a treasure hunt of sorts (competition). It's hot. And sexy. And funny too. There was lots of mouth watering food. And an amazing set of friends and family. And I just wanted to dive right in and roll around in all the awesome that was them. <lets out a big gusty breath> lol

The quick of it is that P.D. <yall. Her real name. What PD stands for #dies>has entered a throwback competition. Four days of living like they did back in the Wild West. The winner gets $10,000. They've just got to play the part--completing tasks from that time period like panning for gold or escaping train jackers, wearing the garb--big skirts, chemises and corsets included. Basically eating and breathing the old West. And PD desperately needs to win to keep her business which all looks pretty dang precarious when her partner breaks his foot and the only one left to help is his gruff, sexy brother who is pretty much a recluse and abandoned life after his wife died years earlier. Oh, yes. Four complete days of them against the land and dealing with each other and an attraction they never expected. Lordy. It was good.

Elam and PD were wonderful! I mean. There was really nothing I didn't like about these two. They're good people. In their own way's they've been a bit beaten and battered by life. He's still pulled under by losing his wife years earlier. She's got some confidence/worthiness issues from a childhood of neglect. But they're both survivors. Hard workers. Kind. And watching them heal those hurts for each other over the days of the competition was just sigh-worthy. Things do move very fast but, you know, it worked. The intense closeness of the competition and being with each other 24/7 amped things up and made their closeness believable and real. 

"Thank you, Elam."

"For what?"

"For being here."

He buried his face in her neck whispering. "Where else would I be?"

They were crazy hot together too. It took them a few little stumbles but ooo once they did managed some skin time....yeah they heat things up. *noms* 

The competition was fun and entertaining too. I loved getting into the whole event with them. It was intense and seriously had me feeling like I was right there with them wearing the clothes, eating the yummy food, shooting the guns. I was totally wrapped up in their intimate little world as they traveled by horse or buggy or walked from event to event and dealt with the exciting things and the mundane make you want to twitch bits of the competition too And when it all came to an end I was just as shell shocked to leave that "time period" and join the present day world as they were. It was quite the experience.

There was a little bit of mystery and danger. And though it was easily figure-outable it still added for a nice bit of background to the story.

Really. I wasn't lying about this one. Everything I love in my reads was wrapped up with one sexy Desperado bow. Bingham definitely has me on board for more. Really by about 1/4 into the book I was ready to snap up books 2 and 3. Elam's brothers sound like they're gonna be something else! Come on Renegade! Can't wait to get you in my hands! It's gonna hurt waiting until Jan 2016. Hurt. lol

Have you read Bingham? Have a favorite?
Ever read a historical reenactment type storyline?

Elam Taggart knows about the nickname town gossips have given him: Desperado. He doesn’t care. He’s lost just about everything: his wife, his parents, his little sister, and his career as a Navy EOD specialist. After returning home, he hightails it to the rugged Wasatch Mountains outside town.

But when his brother comes asking for help, Elam can’t say no. That is, until Elam realizes that in order to help, he’ll be forced to spend time with town newcomer P.D. Raines. P.D. knows that asking Elam Taggart to be her partner in the town’s upcoming Wild West Games is a mistake. But she needs the prize money, and Elam is lean, hard, and tortured—a dangerous combination she can’t seem to resist.

As the competition heats up—to the point of peril—Elam and P.D. have to turn away from the past and embrace the passion that sparks between them in order to escape the threat to their lives.

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