The summer may officially be over, but Read-Love-Blog’s Cowboy Summer isn’t! Today, Selene reviews Short Rides by Lorelei James. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy!
Book links:
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Goodreads
Synopsis:
Short Rides is an anthology compilation of two novellas and one short story in the Rough Riders world. These are NOT meant to be read as standalone stories, but are a peek into favorite character’s lives after the happily ever after…
The stories included in the Short Rides anthology are:
King of Hearts* — Deputy Cam McKay deals with a murder/suicide case on Valentine’s Day.
Rough Road — Chassie, Trevor and Edgard Glanzer spend a romantic weekend away from the ranch and kids celebrating their anniversary…only to return home to face their biggest challenge yet.
All Knocked Up — Keely and Jack Donohue are having a baby. Given Keely’s raging pregnancy hormones, will Jack need to wear a cup in the delivery room?
Selene’s Review:
At the beginning of this anthology, I was crying. After that, I was completely furious and outraged! And by the end, I was laughing my boots off!!!
This sequence of short stories definitely is author Lorelei James at her best. She makes us fall in love with our favorite characters all over again while taking us along on new adventures! The three stories together had just a little bit of everything and they left me salivating for more.
Cam’s story, King of Hearts, absolutely broke my heart, mended it back together, and then completely melted it. All three stories send a strong message of family as a saving grace but none more so than this one. What I loved about this one especially is the depiction of how difficult former soldiers, emergency responders, and police officers have it and how their experiences can weigh down on them to the point of tragedy. The scenes between Cam and his brother, his wife, and his kids were absolutely beautiful and it reminded me of why I keep coming back to this author.
Edgard, Trevor, and Chassie’s story was much like their book Rough, Raw, and Ready; a little sad and A LOT HOT. I absolutely never tire of those three together and reading through the trials and tribulations they have to go through because of their “unconventional” lifestyle always breaks my heart. No three characters in this series are more deserving of love and the way they protect their children is incredibly touching. Did I mention how hot their love scenes were? *shudder*
Finally, we got to see Keely (McKay) Donohue pregnant. THREE TIMES. Keely and Jack’s story had me almost rolling on the floor laughing! The fact that she threw a planter at her husband went beyond funny right into “I think I just peed myself” territory. And I have to say that no other couple to date in this series has the heat factor that these two have. All I can say is that I hope to have makeup sex like them in the near future.
Well done, Miss James. Very well done.
Four-and-a-Half Loves
About the Author:
A bit about me: When I’m not squirreled away behind my laptop writing fun, sexy, contemporary erotic romances set in the modern day Wild West, I can be found reading everything under the sun, practicing yoga until I’m a pretzel, shootin’ my .22, watching the Professional Bull Riders tour on Versus, and running a kid’s taxi service, all in the guise of avoiding housework and rustlin’ up vittles.
Why do I have a particular fondness for all things western? Well, I’m a fourth generation South Dakotan, living in the Black Hills, which is chock-full of interesting characters, including cowboys, Indians, ranchers, and bikers. The geographical diversity of the surrounding area showcases mountains, plains, and badlands. Living in and writing about rural settings gives me a unique perspective, especially since I’m not writing historical westerns. Through my fictional world, I can show the ideals and the cowboy way of life are still very much alive.
Leave a Reply