Untamable by Becca Dale

Take one arrogant cowboy with Unbendable Pride. Add the ex-girlfriend trying to protect her Broken Heart. Untamable shows what happens when each person has different stories of what happened after his rodeo accident and neither chased after the other, both believing the other broke off their relationship.

Eight years ago Lily Swanson left Havashaw County with a broken heart. Now circumstances have brought her back to the cowboy who still drives her crazy. Seeing him again stirs erotic memories, but the pain of his betrayal refuses to be soothed with a sexy smile.
Lily left him. That inescapable fact drives Thor Hanson to succeed more than any other. Her return to Havashaw triggers anger, lust and regret, but when she reveals the truth behind her leaving, he's determined to rein her in and show her that what they have is more than a memory.
Neither can deny their passion, as untamable as the broncs Thor trains. But will it be enough, and can Thor convince Lily she's right where she belongs?

Lily Swanson has come back to her hometown for the first time in eight years for a charity event. She left after her first and only love, Thor, was in a rodeo accident and told her to leave and never come back. He may have always asked her if she loved him and how long she would (looking for their phrase “till the day after tomorrow”), but he never told her he loved her, so she believed him when he said never come back. She has kept in touch with his sister, her best friend, so she knows somewhat about him and how he is doing. But she has not even talked to him since the day he had her barred from his hospital room after the accident. And her heart has never healed from his harsh treatment, nor from loving him.

Thorvold Roosevelt Hanson, ie Thor ‘Thunder’, was the hot bronco rider on the rodeo circuit when he had his accident. He and Lily had been high school sweet hearts yet he was too prideful to let her into the hospital room when injured. He does not even remember telling her to leave (or that the nurse who ‘helped’ keep her from seeing him later). All he knows is that she never visited him when hurt, and left afterward without any reason given. He has been holding a grudge ever since (male prideful version of a broken heart).

Seeing each other brings everything back. And both realize they still love the other. But what to do about/with those feelings and overcoming the past is hard the question. It comes out that Thor is responsible for Lily leaving, even though he has a hard time believing it. He finally decides to win her back, even if he keeps say the wrong thing. Will he be able to convince his ‘Peace Lily’ he still truly loves her and she belongs back home?

Ok, I am just going to have to come out and say that I am having a devil of a time with this review. Untamable is suppose to be a ‘second chance at love’ story, but I think it may be more like a “grow up before someone smacks you” story. Not that we can claim that isn’t based on reality, I know people just like these two. Maybe I am being too hard, but these two were all into each other and together for several years and sooo in love, yet let one incident (ok, plus the nurses keeping Lily out at the hospital) break them up with no talking ever again? It sounds like bad teenager angst to me.

As for Thor, if we didn’t ‘see’ inside his head and see that he really loves and wants Lily, I would have wanted to kill the character for the things he says to her and how he treats her. Now, I freely admit my mouth runs away and says stupid thinks often without checking in with my brain, but he is hurtful one too many times. For all Thor remembers everything about Lily and loves her, he doesn’t treat her like it. I don’t care even if he is suppose to be protecting himself or it shows them “butting heads” because they still love each other, he still treats her badly too much for me to be comfortable with.

There are some good characters in Untamable. Thor’s parents are a hoot! Their interaction is fun and I would have loved to have seen them “helping” him win Lily! As for Lily, she saved Untamable from being bad. But she should have smacked Thor more than once, no matter how much she still ‘loved’ him! And why did she? If you claim him asking if she loved him is his version of saying he loved her, ok; otherwise he is just selfish. It is not like he was waiting around for her (girls over the years she was gone, only when she came back did he go after her!) so have to wonder about this…Untamable is okay, but a little bit a pit of a letdown. The western theme is a strong background. This does have a nice feeling of these two people finally growing up. And shows how important communication is to any relationship!