Opposites don’t just attract in the West—they sizzle—and Wyoming has never been hotter than in this sexy Blacktop Cowboys® novel from New York Times bestselling author Lorelei James.Growing up with three older brothers, Larissa “Riss” Thorpe defines the term tomboy—a moniker that never mattered to her until she crossed paths with sexy cowboy player Ike Palmer. Seeing him in action on the road, … in action on the road, Riss can tell that Ike prefers his women soft-spoken and feminine. And since Riss is obviously not his type, it’s unlikely that they’ll mix business and pleasure when they’re in close quarters together.
Former cattle broker Ike Palmer was ready for a new chapter in his life as a stock contractor when he started working with Riss, a sassy truck driver who gets under his skin at every turn. But Riss is unlike any woman he’s ever met and her candor inflames him in the most unexpected ways.
After circumstances force a truce between them, Riss and Ike will have to choose to maintain the stubbornness that keeps them apart or take a chance on the fiery attraction that could lead to something more….
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“Racked and Stacked” the ninth book in the “Blacktop Cowboys” series is an entertaining snarky romance where frienemies become lovers despite the stubbornness that keeps them apart.
Rissa and Ike are two very strong characters that leap from the pages and grab reader’s attention right from the start and the chemistry between them sizzles with a strong electrical current that singes the pages all while these characters do their best to fight their attraction. Readers can’t help but become caught up in their romance as the characters capture hearts, send sparks flying in every direction and spark spontaneous laughter throughout their very fiery and passionate struggle to out stubborn the other and overcome their issues in order to even begin to think about a relationship.
The plot is fast paced and keeps readers on the edge of their seats with anticipation of what Riss and Ike will come up with next and just how will they sabotage themselves again. There is also lots of friends and family to add their opinions to the mix which keeps this couple working hard to overcome the odds and those same friends and families adds to the fun and laughter of the story with their own shenanigans as well. The romance and the characters also has realistic problems that the Riss and Ike will have to overcome which adds depth and makes it easy to connect to these wonderfully lively characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed Racked and Stacked and I couldn’t help but feel as if I really got to know Riss and Ike through Lorelei James creative writing that brings the story, the scenery and the characters to vibrant life.
I totally fell in love with Ike and Riss; both characters are amazingly strong and passionate. Each of them have a stubborn streak a mile wide and still manage to drown in vulnerability. I loved that both of them have similar family dynamics and no relationship history to speak of, I think this made it so easy to feel the chemistry between them and easy to connect with them while reading.
Ike is going through a phase in his life and it has put him in a standstill. He has so many accomplishments and yet no where to go. The worst part is he has no idea how to take the first step. Now he is best man in his friend’s wedding and paired up with the one woman that can get under his skin like no other. The problem is he doesn’t hate her as much as he lets on.
Larissa has spent her whole life running with the boys. She has had to work harder at everything to prove herself but calling a truce with Ike is testing all of her limits. When he comes to her rescue the last thing she expects is for new feelings to come to the surface.
Now these two are fighting everything these days including themselves. Will they be able to see what is right in front of them before it is to late?
Racked and Stacked is Book 9 of Lorelei James’ Blacktop Cowboys series. While you can probably pick it up easy enough and follow along, I do recommend reading at least the book prior as Tobin and Jade do make some appearances in this book as well.
Ironically, I found myself reading this in the car at the start of our family vacation to none other than the South Dakota/Wyoming area. The author did such a superb job of bringing the story to life that I half expected to look up and find myself right in the middle. After driving in the mountains, I can certainly appreciate Riss and Ike’s truck driving skills. I can’t even imagine driving a big rig on those steep slopes.
This book was simply amazing! Even though they started off as enemies, the heat leaped from the pages between these 2. It was great how they agreed to put their differences aside for their friends and found love along the way. It was also refreshing for the author to include financial and employment struggles. It seems like everyone’s been jumping on the billionaire bandwagon.
Overall this was an excellent addition to the series and I look forward to the next!
I was pulled into this book on page one, and it did not let me go until the end. It is the ninth book in the series, but it will not be an issue to read this book, even if you have not read any of the others. First, we have Riss that is a tomboy, and you never know what is coming out of her mouth. Then, we have Ike, who is a soft spoken, sexy cowboy. When they come together, there is definitely lots of fire and passion, along with some fun and laughter. It is a wonderful story. I highly recommend this book.
Racked and Stacked is the long awaited addition to the Blacktop Cowboys Series! Ms. James did not disappoint her readers, she once again delivers, hot cowboys, alpha personalities, sassy independent females and the hardships of working with livestock.
Riss is a true independent, hard working, fun loving girl who never expected to find herself falling for Ike Palmer. It has always been easier to fling insults than to discuss her feelings about him, or to even recognize what stirred all of her emotions when he was around. Ike has eyed Riss for quite a while, but continued to keep his emotions pushed away and verbally battle with Riss. Volatile would be the best way to describe the relationship between the two. I love how their background are similar but it shaped them in opposite ways. Watching how each other learned to read the other and turn their characteristics into something more, the gave them both the foundation to form a relationship.
The combustibility of these two is off the charts, each time the fire was burning and just waiting to combust and engulf everything. I love the strong characters, Ike and Riss both would face the world head on to help those they love, but battled so hard against themselves. Each time we get sucked back into the Blacktop Cowboy series the outside/real world disappears; Lorelei transports us back within the first page. The plots are smooth flowing and grip readers quickly, refusing to let us go. I truly enjoyed every page in Racked and Stacked!!
“This is gonna be intense, sweet cheeks, you sure you’re ready?”
Racked and Stacked by Lorelei James is a wonderful enemies to lovers romance with enough cowboy charm to leave you swoonin’ for days! Riss and Ike couldn’t be more different. They fight like cats and dogs whenever they’re around each other, but with their so-called “truce” in place, they have to buckle down and try to be civil. Even with the understanding between them, they can’t help but to egg each other on. Their antagonist and hilarious banter made the sexual tension between them burn even brighter. I had so much fun with their witty comebacks and sarcastic barbs. It made the anticipation of them finally getting together that much greater with all that animosity swirling around them.
Book nine in Lorelei’s fantastic Blacktop Cowboys series gives us drama, heat, and enough verbal foreplay to knock you on your backside. With the beautiful backdrop of Wyoming, the author sets the stage for quite the journey. Riss and Ike are unforgettable characters that I fell hard for, despite their stubborn pride and stupid mistakes. I loved them. I loved their journey. I loved their banter. Everything about their story pulled hard on my heartstrings. If you are craving an enemies to lovers romance with some southern charm mixed in, get ready for one wild ride with Racked and Stacked! Great writing, an exciting and entertaining storyline, amazing characters, OH! And a bunch of Ike’s hugs…can’t forget the hugs. You’ll see what I mean. Pretty soon, you’ll be hankerin’ for an Ike of your very own. Wow! I totally sounded like a country bumpkin right then. Eh, seems fitting, don’t ya think?
***5 ‘Alternative Reality’ Stars***
I feel like I slipped into my own “Alternative Reality” and came home after being away for a really long time. It seems crazy because if you knew me you’d know how much of an AR this would really be, but it’s true. From the first page I felt like I was home, or at least in one of my verybestfavorite happy places and thoroughly enjoyed Rissa and Ike’s story. It was sweet, smexy, funny, frustrating (the eye rolling moments were numerous, but less than I initially thought there would be and most in conjunction with laughing) and filled with the kind of heart that I’ve come to expect from this series.
Larissa is a no nonsense, no edit button, blunt from the tips of her red hair to her boots kinda woman with a brain that never quits ~ which depending on what she is using it for and on can cause a plethora of reactions ~ and I couldn’t help but adore her. She’s got a good heart, but that heart is well guarded, which caused some moments of wanting to reach out and Gibbs smack her with a two by four, but it is a golden one when it’s used for all things good.
Ike is a laid back good ‘ole boy with more charm and charisma than he really needs. He’s all about going with the flow, but when that flow gets disrupted he doesn’t always know what to do about it. He carries a lot of weight on his shoulders, much of which is of his own doing, but he just rolls with it because it’s what he’s always known, but also because he loves hard and doesn’t want to let other down.
Ike and Larissa’s frenemies to lovers journey promised to be an explosive one and the fireworks were real. From the first page the chemistry between them jumped off the page, even though they were slightly oblivious to it, it was there just waiting for them to take the blinders off and see it for themselves, and the way it happens was all kinds of fun. I loved watching as they had numerous lightbulb moments about each other and how, even with doing the two steps forward one step back dance a few times, finally saw what everyone else did. The smexy was HAWT (Have your B.O.B. within reach HAWT) and I loved their bantering, but what really proved how well they fit together was how they ended up being each others safe place to land even when they were laying down some tough love.
Now, if it wasn’t apparent in the beginning, I’m a fangirl of the series. Have been for a long time, so I have to admit that part of my rating has to do with the Muddy Gap gang as a whole and the family dynamic they bring to the story. They make it real and fun and I love even getting a glimpse of where they all are. While I didn’t get much time with my absolute fav couple (I got a little so I’m happy), I still got a good dose of the Mud Lilies, whom I still want to be like when I grow up, and am hoping that there will be at least a few more books in the works because I wouldn’t mind getting up close and personal with Riss’s brothers….just sayin’ *BSEG*
~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~
RACKED AND STACKED is the ninth full-length instalment in Lorelei James’ contemporary, adult BLACKTOP COWBOYS erotic, cowboy romance series. This is thirty-year old, truck driver Larissa ‘Riss’ Thorpe, and forty-year old, former cattle broker Ike Palmer’s story line. RACKED AND STACKED can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalments is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Riss and Ike) RACKED AND STACKED focuses on the contemptuous relationship between thirty-year old, truck driver Larissa ‘Riss’ Thorpe, and forty-year old, former cattle broker Ike Palmer. Ike Palmer is the bane of Riss Thorpe’s existence since the day, two years earlier, Ike supposedly got her brother Lloyd fired. For the upcoming wedding of Tobin and Jade, Ike and Riss have agreed to call a truce in their mutual disdain for one another until an accident finds Riss in need of round the clock care, and Ike offers up his services for the foreseeable future. What ensues is the building but acrimonious relationship between Riss and Ike, and the potential fall-out as a distinct lack of communication, snark, misunderstanding, and risks to one another’s independence threatens the growing love and limited peace that as developed throughout the weeks.
Larissa Thorpe is a bit of a ball-buster; a hard-nosed, stubborn, in your face heroine who refuses to ask for help especially where is concerns any threat to her long-fought independence. Finding herself laid-up for close to twelve weeks is a slap in the face for both her financial and personal life but coming face to face with the man who was once the target of every nasty word and thought pushes our heroine into a friend zone that slowly develops into something more. Ike Palmer raised his three younger sisters, and didn’t think anything about helping Larissa Thorpe on her long road to recovery but Ike never expected to find himself falling in love with the foul-mouthed red-head who was currently starring in his fantasies and dreams.
The relationship between Ike and Larissa is an enemies to friends to lovers romance that struggles with misunderstanding, a lack of communication, and Riss’s fear of losing her independence. Ike’s fear of failure pulls him closer to the brink of bankruptcy and unemployment, and Riss’ downtime forces her to confront the direction of her life. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic, intense and seductive but I dislike the use of a certain four-letter word I found unnecessary in a romance story line.
There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Larissa’s brothers-Lou, Lonnie and Lloyd, as their Aunt Beatrice; Ike’s sisters Lea, Jen and Kay, as well as Tobin and Jade (Hang Tough #8).
RACKED AND STACKED is a story of family, friendship, misunderstanding and forgiveness. The premise is energetic and encouraging; the characters are lively and animated; the romance is fated and sassy. RACKED AND STACKED is an engaging and delightful addition to the Blacktop Cowboys series.
Words fail me. I’m so glad that Lorelei has a new book and she hasn’t lost her touch. I loved Riss and Ike’s story! I wasn’t sure how she was going to get me so involved in their lives that I didn’t want to quit reading. The only problem with being finished is that I didn’t have another of her books to look forward to reading. Even though both Riss and Ike have been featured in other stories, I really never gave them much thought. Boy, what was I missing (will have to reread previous books to see if I missed the sparks they gave out). Lorelei is one of my “have to read” authors and she still hits the mark with this one. She is one of the authors that I always recommend. Her writing remains consistently good. You really feel as if you know her characters and that they are real, flaws and all.
After two years of relentless squabbling, Rhiss Thorpe and Ike Palmer had come to the conclusion that a truce was in order, at least until their best friends were married. It would not do to fight each other when you are respectively bridesmaid and best man. Little did they know that it would come in handy when one of them got hurt!
A friend of mine had recommended I read Lorelei James’ books. While I implicitly trust her, I was a tad concerned that RACKED AND STACKED would consist mostly of sex scenes with a flimsy story to hold the steamy bits together, since it was the impression I had got from reading some reviews of the author’s past work. I am overjoyed to admit that my fears were entirely unjustified, as RACKED AND STACKED is absolutely brilliant! I adored Rhiss, her foul mouth and unrepentant independence and her hold-no-prisoner attitude; she’s someone I would love to call my friend. Ike’s character is unlike anyone I have ever read about, and this is due entirely to Ms. James’ extraordinary writing skills at fleshing out her characters. Watching Ike and Rhiss go from enemies to more, was positively enthralling! Ms. James made me go through the wringer, as
RACKED AND STACKED is all show and no tell. At all! Which is nearly a novelty with this sort of trope; the author’s storytelling skills simply blew me away! Gripping from the very beginning, I was hanging on to every word, almost nothing predictable happened, and it was glorious! I also liked the fact that both Rhiss and Ike are blue collars, and have normal money worries; no over the top drama, no rescuing of damsels in distress – Rhiss would have had a fit – everything was just perfect! Lorelei James was a new-to-me author who, with one book, vaulted to the top of my contemporary romance author list. If you like a romance that is entertaining, intelligent, with characters who behave like adults, not teenagers, I could not recommend RACKED AND STACKED and Lorelei James any higher! This is truly a remarkable book!
Riss doesn’t know how to be invisible. She makes herself heard. Her brash personality is her calling card. She’s no wilting violet. She can keep up with any man. Unfortunately what is her most appealing quality is also a painful cross for her to bear. She wants to be true to herself, but will it end up costing her a chance to be loved? Lorelei James goes beyond the armor and exposes what makes Ike and Riss a perfect match. Racked and Stacked is not just a romance. It’s about staying true to your heart despite the inconvenience. Ike and Riss wear their flaws proudly, however what each fails to realize is that the imperfections are perfectly placed to help the uniqueness shine through. James and her dueling duo headline an important message with laughter and heart. Loved it!!
Copyright of Night Owl Reviews
When Riss and Ike agreed to be in Jade and Tobins wedding they set up a truce, no name calling or fighting. Ike likes his women quiet and feminine but Riss is the opposite, she looks soft and sweet but she is a trucker with a mouth to boot. When Riss gets injured Ike takes it upon himself to take are of her because his career is in the can and there is something about her he is drawn to but Riss is independent so they have a lot of disagreements. This story was written in a way that made fighting seem fun and the way that Riss talks you can’t help but laugh but when it seems that Ike and Riss are getting closer is when they both start to freak out. This is a enemies to lovers story but getting there is a lot of fun.
Reviewed on behalf of Once upon an Alpha
No one writes a western like Lorelei James. Ike and Riss are now one of my favorite couples in the series.
Riss is a little rough around the edges but she was raised by her brothers so it stands to reason. I still liked her character and how real she was. You might not like what she has to say but she always speaks the truth even when the truth hurts.
Ike had a lot of growing up to do and thank goodness he had Riss there to help him see the error of his ways. He’s a great guy and Riss brought his potential.
The sexy scenes were smokin’ but there’s so much more to this book than that.
A frenenemies to love story. I really liked the verbal forplay in this book. Riss and Ike make the book book fun and unpredictable. Loved this one
*4.5 stars*
Frenemies with all the angst and a whole lot of attitude…
Actually, I could be talking about just Riss actually. She’s a trucker with a mouth to go with the tough job and an independent streak a few miles long. She and Ike are best man/woman at their friends’ wedding and the truce they kept up for weeks was either going to crash and burn or turn into something unexpected…
Riss was a bold, in your face character, with a lack of self-confidence under all her bluster. At times over the top, but never mean, the sparks between her and Ike drove this story completely. Ike was the quieter of the two, calmly doing his thing while keeping his problems hidden, as he fell under her unintentional spell…
There was a lot of family in their lives and that spawned much of the drama they both faced. Career problems, money issues, neither was in a good place until Ike was suddenly her protector and Riss had his back. Riss fought every inch of the way and Ike wasn’t that much better though her vocabulary was a lot more (ahem) colourful… They made me laugh, made me shake my head, and kept me glued to their story all the way through. They grew and changed as their relationship did and it was a treat to watch each tentative step they made towards admitting their true feelings…
Steamy, funny and full of drama, this duo shouldn’t have worked. Yet they did, spectacularly. In fact, they could have written the book on dealing with adversity and real life with a lot of love and communication. Eventually (lol)… One of my favourites in the series.
*Reviewed for 1-Click Addict Support Group
**Thank you to NetGalley
Enjoyable
A little too crude for me.
Not one of her better stories.
easy to read
4.5 stars
It’s been far too long since I’ve visited this series. As much as I can remember, we haven’t seen Riss and Ian in too deep of a storyline until now. I feel we’ve gotten to know Ike much better than Riss, which makes sense since she travels for work.
The chemistry and heat are definitely there with these two. It’s amazing how much you can find out you like a person once you call a truce and don’t go with your first knee-jerk reaction every time they say anything. That’s exactly what happens with these two. Once in a while they (Riss especially) revert to old habits and say some not-so-nice things to each other. But when that happens, the other usually realizes it’s happening and calls the other on it instead of falling down the rabbit hole of bickering.
Some of my favorite things about this story are the way Ian and Riss’ oldest brother have it out and come to understand each other on a different level. I really was not a fan of any of Riss’ brothers, but that conversation made me see I wasn’t getting the whole story yet. And to be clear, I’m positive we’ll get his story and see him get an HEA eventually. On top of that relationship build, there’s also an inside look at some mental health issues. It’s a bit different from what we usually see when author deal with depression. Ian is the type of guy people look at and think he has a great life, and he perpetuates that image. Which does nothing to help him out of his funk. I do wish the author would have delved a bit deeper into treatment for the things Ian was dealing with. It’s good it was a theme of this story though since the more mental health is brought into current culture, the more it will start to be de-stigmatized.
The way Riss and Ian call each other out and help open each other’s eyes is great. Not only do they have the heat to make them want to fall into bed together, they have a level of kinship and comfort that all of us deserve in any relationship.
Ian’s sisters are written wonderfully because I know people just like them. It’s so true to life, even though none of us want to think anyone is that oblivious or selfish. I am not a fan of any of them and I can only hope they’ll eventually redeem themselves. They don’t deserve to have Ian as a brother, protector, and guardian.
The next book in this series is out in a few months. Let’s hope I don’t let so much time slip away before I get my hands on it, I just adore this author and her characters.
This review can also be found on my blog at https://allingoodtimeblog.wordpress.com/2019/08/12/racked-and-stacked-blacktop-cowboys/