Sparks fly between a football pro and an ex-WNBA player. But he needs to prove that he’s more than a sports hero if he wants it all in this steamy standalone from the New York Times bestselling author of Down & Dirty and Hot & Heavy. Tanner: I may be a baller, but I’ve always tried to do the right thing. Maybe it’s because I’ve been in charge of my four younger sisters for half my life, … charge of my four younger sisters for half my life, or because I understand how important it is to be a role model—something I learned from my grandfather, a Southern Baptist preacher who marched with Martin Luther King, Jr. Either way, my pro football career makes it easier to give back, so when a local rec center needs help, I do my best to even the playing field. And not just because Elara Vance, the smoking hot ex-WNBA player who runs the place, has me looking to score off the field.
Elara: Before I got sidelined by an injury, my time on the court taught me that pro athletes are all flash and no substance. Sure, Tanner Green talks a good game and wields a big checkbook, but I’m not buying the whole good guy routine. Still, it’s hard to miss all the good he’s doing for my rec center and even harder to ignore the way one look from him makes me tremble in all the best ways. I just wish I knew if he’s for real. Something tells me a little one-on-one might be the only way to find out. . . .
Praise for Rough & Ready
“Loved it! Finally, a sports romance where the heroine is every bit the unapologetic badass athlete as the hero. Romance needs more female leads like Elara.”—Tricia Lynne, author of Moonlight & Whiskey
“Rough & Ready is a spirited story line. The premise is entertaining, engrossing, and stimulating; the characters are confident and animated; the romance is impassioned and seductive.”—The Reading Cafe
Look for all of Tracy Wolff’s seductive reads:
The Ethan Frost series: RUINED | ADDICTED | EXPOSED | FLAWED
The Sebastian Caine series: PLAY ME WILD | PLAY ME HOT | PLAY ME HARD | PLAY ME REAL | PLAY ME RIGHT | PLAY ME: THE COMPLETE STORY
The Hotwired series: ACCELERATE
The Lightning series: DOWN & DIRTY | HOT & HEAVY | ROUGH & READY
The His Royal Hotness series: ROYAL PAIN | ROYAL TREATMENT
And her standalone novels: LOVEGAME | FULL EXPOSURE | TIE ME DOWN
This ebook includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
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I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads, so here is my review.
Tanner Green is the main man of the offensive line. He is also the man off the field, with his sweet and caring attitude, protective mode and all around good guy. He just can’t be real can he?
Elara Vance lost her dream when an injury sidelined her career in the WNBA. Now she runs a rec center to help kids to have a better future. When she sees Tanner she knows he can’t be real, no man is that good. Now all she needs to do i get more people with money to donate to her rec center so she can continue to help these kids.
Tanner and Elara have explosive chemistry and he wants to explore it more and she wants to deny it. She thinks he is a player because most ballers are. He wants to show her he is different with gifts and donations for her rec center.
Will Tanner be able to convince Elara that he is different? Can Elara let her past go and let Tanner in? Will Tanner share his past with her?
I love this story and it just might be my favorite in the series so far. It is filled with pain, hurt, heartbreak, lust, trust and love that will last forever. I hope you read this series and enjoy it too. You can read one or all of them, just read them. I found Tracy Wolff with her Ethan Frost series and have loved her writing style ever since, so read it, enjoy it, love it.
**Wicked Reads Review Team**
“When I finally get you into bed, we’re going to burn the house down.”
I’ve been a Tracy Wolff fan ever since I found her accidentally years ago. Once I got a taste of her writing I devoured her backlist and I’ve been excited for every release since then.
I’ve enjoyed every sub-genre the author’s tackled so far, but I must say that this Lightning series is one of my favorites. I love sports romance and her ballers are badass and funny as hell. Tanner is huge and his muscles have muscles. So, you can imagine that when a gorgeous 6’2″ woman storms his locker room and starts yelling at him it would get his attention. Actually, he’s so struck by her that it takes a while for his brain to catch up and he has no clue what she’s mad about. He just stands there in his teeny tiny towel and takes it.
What an exciting start to an amazing story. It grabbed my attention and kept it from beginning to end. I couldn’t wait to find out what Elara was mad about and I was even more anxious to see what Tanner was going to do about it. And then, I was counting down how long it would take for them to burn the house down.
What I didn’t expect was to get so emotionally attached to the characters and their backstory. They both have painful pasts and a good reason for their cautious approach to dating and sharing their personal lives. But that didn’t keep me from butting into their business and meddling in their lives as I encouraged them to take a chance on love. “Because sometimes, you just have to enjoy the fall and say to hell with the landing.”
I received a copy via Netgalley and voluntarily left a review and all opinions are my own.
I was beyond giddy to read this book. I just love books about athletes, give me both a hero and heroine that are athletic, sexy, and have game…I am there! I couldn’t wait to jump heart first into the game of love with Tanner and Elara and see where Tracy Wolff would take us. It wasn’t long and I was reeling from the emotions and heat in Rough & Ready and turning the pages faster and faster to see who would win in their newest battle of wills.
It was amazing being back in the Lightning’s locker room listening to the NFL hotties joke and carry on with one another, especially when a beautiful, tall blonde walks in and gives Tanner a piece of her mind. Immediately sparks started to fly and I was hooked and ready to get to know this sassy spitfire and see how Tanner was going to be able to charm her, because he had already done that to me in the previous books. Soon I was just as smitten with the headstrong Elara as I was with Tanner and ready to see them smolder together and open their hearts to one another.
As if Tracy didn’t already have me fall hard enough for the tall, dark, and handsome Tanner, she had to make him the most amazing big brother and melt my heart forever where this hero is concerned. I just don’t know if Tracy is going to be able to give us another book boyfriend in the Lightning series as perfect as Tanner, I just don’t think it is possible. I cannot sing his praises enough. It takes a really talented author to make a hero that is sensitive enough to make you say “awe” and melt and then also rise your temperature with his commanding bedroom presence in the next chapter and Tracy Wolff has pulled this off flawlessly with Tanner.
Tracy Wolff delivers an enemies to lover romance that tangles our heart strings and leave us wanting so much more from these football heroes. I highly recommend Rough & Ready for a love story between two people who have always pushed their bodies to the max and now must do the same with their hearts. Since the moment I read my first book by Tracy Wolff, I have been enchanted by her writing and always waiting for her next book to be released, especially when it involves hot and sexy football players.
Loved it! Finally, a sports romance where the heroine is every bit the unapologetic badass athlete as the hero. Romance needs more female leads like Elara.
Wow, our heroine, Elara, did not make a good first impression with me, nor, did she make a good second impression. I understood the frustration behind her outburst toward our Hero, Tanner, but it was so over-the-top and inappropriate that I’m surprised Tanner bothered to give her the time of day. I loved how he broke through her tough exterior to find the vulnerable and feminine side of Elara because they make one heck of a power couple.
On a somewhat tangent note, I don’t normally think too much about the cover models on the book, but it did kind of bug me that the guy on the cover did not match the description of Tanner at all.
There were a few loose ends that I had hoped would be resolved in the Epilogue, namely about her ex, but the Epilogue fell flat for me too.
Ah Tanner. Steady, thoughtful, best friend. He’s met his match and she keeps him on his toes! He find his protective mode sets her on edge and she fights it with everything she is. I mean, he’s a baller! Things get ugly before they find their way. Compromise. Truth. Partnership.
3.5 stars
I’m a fan of strong, feisty heroines and make no mistake Elara is both. I really liked the premise of this story but I loved the strength of Elara more. Her struggle is real and I hoped for more closure on that part. But not everything fits in a book…
This sweet, insta-connection romance is all kinds of fun. Fun on the court, fun in a gazebo, and fun in the best ways possible.
4 Marvelous Stars
Review by Nancy
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
A light steamy read, Rough & Ready by Tracy Wolff is a great sports romance. It is the third book in the Lightning series, but can be read as a standalone.
Tanner is an absolute swoon worthy hero, a very successful football player with a heart of gold. Having to raise his sisters has given him a different perspective on life. Running a successful rec center is how he gives back to his community. When Elara storms into the locker room accusing him of being a bad person, he takes it upon himself to prove her wrong.
Elara is rough around the edges, at one point playing basketball was everything until an injury caused her to retire from playing pro ball. Now running a rec center is her life, she dedicates every moment to that place and the kids that come through there. After she loses a donation she thinks is already in her hands, she takes it out on the man who unknowingly got it, Tanner.
She knows Tanner holds himself to be a generous person, he can talk the talk but she questions whether he can really walk the walk. That is until she spends time with him, and then there is no stopping her from falling in love with the amazing man Tanner is.
Although the flow of the book was great, I had a hard time connecting with Elara’s character. After reading more of the book I realized she has a troubled past that explained some of her behavior, but even then I couldn’t fully enjoy her character. Nonetheless I enjoyed reading this book, the story was light and sweet. Another great addition to the Lightning series.
3.5 stars
Tanner is a footballer player who gives back and his newest way to do so is to help out the Rec center Elara runs. Elara is a former WNBA player and she spent enough time in professional sports to know Tanner’s type. He may want to score at more than just charity, but she has n plans to make it easy for home, even if she finds him attractive and almost too much to resist.
While this was a sweet, cute read, it’s my least favourite of the series to date. I’m not even sure I can exactly put my finger on what didn’t work for me here that worked in the first two books. I enjoyed both Tanner and Elara as characters and was even reasonably charmed by their relationship. There was just that little extra magic that I didn’t feel.
I love loved Tanner and Elara!!! Elara is retired from pro basketball because of an injury and now runs a rec center for kids to help them feel wanted loved and for their dreams to happen. Tanner is a football player who is hot and sweet and protective!!! He has one look at Elara and there is just something about her that he wants to know more. Then the next thing he knows he is in a towel In his locker room having his ass handed to him by Elara and if it does anything but turn him on! Elara never being able to trust and an ex that was horrible that she needs to be In control and Tanner needing to protect all that is his! Will they be able to make it or will their past hurts tear them apart! I do have to admit I love when Tanner beat the crap out of Jeremy. Book given to me by author on netgalley.
Tanner Green plays for the San Diego Lightning. He has really made a name for himself as one of the nice guys….probably has to do with having to raise 4 younger sisters and being the grandson of a preacher. Tanner always tries to give back to those in need because he remembers a time in his life when things were much harder.
Elara Vance is an ex-WNBA star player, having to retire because of an injury. Now she runs Rebound, a rec-center for underprivileged youth in her San Diego. Imagine her surprise when she finds out the donation she was suppose to receive ends up going to Tanner’s foundation instead. Elara is pissed and wants to tell Tanner off and she does it in such a great way….in his locker room, in front of his friends. It was great. Only problem is, is that Tanner didn’t realize any of this happened and he wants to help make things right. Too bad Elara isn’t biting.
When Tanner shows up to Rebound that is when the fun begins. He doesn’t realize that Elara is an ex-WNBA player and agrees to a little 2 on 2 pick up game each of them picking a youth. Imagine Tanner’s surprise when Elara blows him away! I just FLOVE Elara!
As Tanner keeps trying to play nice, Elara isn’t buying it. All ballers are just a bunch of players and because of something from her past, she is not getting played again. Slowly, Tanner is starting to break Elara’s walls down. Just when it looks like they are going to get their happy ending, the past comes back to haunt both of them and together they need to work very hard to get that happy ending.
I loved both of these characters. Tanner really is a perfect guy. Sweet, thoughtful, loving….what more do you need???? Elara is such a strong female and loves to speak her mind. You do not want to cross her! I really enjoyed their happy ending too! Overall this was a great end to such a fun series.
I’ve read quite a few of this authors books, including the Lightening series so far, and I really loved this book. Tanner Green is the superstar of the Offensive Line for the Lightening, and he’s not your typical arrogant football star, he’s down to earth, very supportive and giving and has raised his sisters since his mom passed away. Elara Vance is a retired Woman’s basketball super star who waltzes into the Lightening locker room to give Tanner a piece of her mind after the funding for her rec center is all by ripped out from under her, and Tanner was the recipient! I laughed out loud in several parts of this book, plus, given Tanner is such a gentleman, Ithere are definite swoon worthy moments in this book that makes you wish there was really a Tanner Green out there! Lots of great reading in this book, definitely worth the read !
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.
Elara Vance is an independent in your face kind of woman. She fights for what she wants. What she fights the most for is her rec center that gives kids in the neighborhood a safe place to be.
Tanner Green is an offensive lineman on a football team. He is an over-protective big brother to 4 sisters, whom he is raising. That over-protectiveness does not stop there, it also includes the other people in his life that he cares about. When these two meet, it is explosive. She is in his face giving him grief and he has relied on his good looks and football to get what he wants. Only she is not impressed. It is so much fun watching him get shot down and yet he digs in. He is determined to win her over.
I love that both lead characters are strong people, not just in the athletic sense. The interaction is great. The draw between them is so palpable and more than hot. Every girl wants a guy like Tanner. Playful, drama with a twist, steamy, humor, it’s got it all you need in order to fall in love with Elara and Tanner. Tanner is definitely the right guy for Elara, and everything she didn’t know she needed or wanted.
There was just enough background explained to get a good foundation for the characters, and the plot moved along very well with just right amount of world building, dialogue, and periphery characters. It was also very nice to see familiar characters from the other Lightning crew.
Tanner is a rarity. Taking care of others is what he does, almost to a fault. Elara is a self confident woman who doesn’t need a man to take care of her. When Tanner learns of her past he can’t help his nature and almost ruins everything.
Elara’s rec center for children is in need of money and when the money she was promised is taken away and given to Tanner’s charity, she loses it. In the football locker room, in front of his teammates, while he’s wet and wearing a towel. When he shows up a few days later, her kids go crazy and she is forced to face the fact that perhaps she was mad at the wrong person. Because, although she knows better, Tanner appears to be one of the nice guys. But can she trust that what he shows the world is the real him?
Tanner notices Elara while leaving the field after practice. He makes a plan to learn who she is but is shocked when the woman comes barging in while he and the team are changing. He doesn’t have a clue what she’s talking about but dang the woman is hot even while spewing all her anger at him. Seeing her in her element at the recreation center shines a light on the strong independent woman that only pulls him to her more. Now he’s finally got a chance and all he has to do is allow her to control her life, including dealing with her past.
I really enjoyed this story although I’m not a big fan of heroines who are ball busters, which Elara most certainly was. However, her character never fit into the mold that those around her tried to put her in, so I tried to understood why she was that way but I still had a hard time connecting with her. On the other hand, I love a hero who goes full throttle into protective mode over his woman, and that was exactly who Tanner was. He was also genuinely sweet and caring and he never thought of himself first but the ones he loved. Totally swoon worthy!
This is a fast paced read with plenty of chemistry and heat as well as some strong support from secondary characters as well as some heart clinching moments in regards to Elara’s “kids”. I would have liked to have had a further into the future epilogue that also covered them as well as the center because I had grown to care about them as much as Elara, but what we were given was okay.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by NetGalley and Random House Loveswept. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
4.5 STARS!!!
Rough and Ready was a sweet sports romance that’s light, easy and steamy, with just a tad bit of drama. I loved the characters and the storyline. Tanner and Elara made the perfect couple because they weren’t perfect people, but when it came to something or someone they cared about they put 100 percent into their actions. The only thing that stopped me from rating this book 5 stars was that I felt Tanner spent too much effort worrying about Elara’s past instead of just focusing on them when he found out what happened. However, even though I wished he hadn’t dwelled on Elara’s past so much, I absolutely enjoyed this story and I look forward to reading more from this author. Would I recommend this book to romance readers? Yes! I definitely think it’s a story worth reading.
3.5 stars–ROUGH AND READY is the third instalment in Tracy Wolff’s contemporary, adult LIGHTNING romance series focusing on the members of the professional football team the San Diego Lightning. This is former WNBA star Elara Vance, and football player Tanner Green’s story line. ROUGH AND READY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Tanner and Elara) ROUGH AND READY follows the building relationship between This is former WNBA star Elara Vance, and football player Tanner Green. Elara’s introduction to Tanner Green is all about the fire and tenacity of a woman scorned. Hoping to be the recipient of a large donation to her children’s youth centre, Elara sees red when all of the money is allocated and given to professional football player, and San Diego Lightning team member Tanner Green’s football foundation leaving Elara’s youth centre scrambling for funds. A locker room meltdown, a quick game of pick-me-up, and an explanation about the how and why finds Elara and Tanner fast becoming friends, that quickly turns into something else. What ensues is the building love and relationship between Tanner and Elara, and the potential fall out as Elara’s past becomes the elephant in the room that continues to pick at Tanner’s over-protective heart.
Elara Vance knows success but success that has come at a cost. From the loss of familiar support, to the dark secrets of her past, Elara comes across as a powerful feminist, a ball-buster that pushes at the fringes of psychotic b*tch. Elara is a prickly heroine whose confrontational attitude was irritating and made enjoyment difficult in the early chapters. Tanner Green is a successful and well respected professional player but he too, keeps secret, a past mired in heart break and loss. Meeting Elara Vance stirs something inside Tanner Green, long thought dead by our story line hero, something that has Tanner hoping for a happily ever after.
The relationship between Tanner and Elara begins acrimoniously when Elara verbally berates and attacks our story line hero. Believing Tanner was responsible for the loss of her funding, Elara becomes the aggressor in an effort to release her pent up anger, aggression that comes across impulsive and wrong. Throughout the story a softer but damaged side of Elara is revealed, a side she has kept hidden for close to four years. The $ex scenes are passionate and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
The colorful and strong secondary and supporting characters include quarterback Hunter Browning and his wife Emerson (Down and Dirty #1), and Shawn and Sage Wilson (Hot and Heavy #2); Tanner’s sister Tina, as well as a number of boys and girls, and staff members at Rebound, the centre run by Elara Vance.
ROUGH AND READY is a spirited story line. The premise is entertaining, engrossing and stimulating; the characters are confident and animated; the romance is impassioned and seductive.
I did have an issue with the book cover. Throughout the book Elara mentions Tanner’s ‘dreads’ a number of times, yet the cover model is bald, with a completely shaven head. I wish the publishers would realize that readers take the covers seriously, oft times comparing the image to the story line description.
Finally we get Tanner’s story and he’s just as amazing as I thought he’d be! Rough & Ready is the third book in the Lightning series and while fans of the series will enjoy catching up with the prior couples it is easily read stand alone. I loved Elara and thought she fit with Tanner perfectly. Elara is a former WNBA star so she’s not impressed with his NFL status. Her carrier may have been cut short due to an injury but she definitely made her mark on the league. Now she runs a community center for at risk kids and she has no time for a smooth talking baller like Tanner Green. He may seem like a good guy but she’s seen his type before. Or has she? Could he be the real deal? You definitely want to grab a copy and find out. I highly recommend it.
If you read any of the other books in the Lightening series, then you met Tanner. Tanner is like a big teddy bear, who is protective of those he cares about. Elara runs a community center for the youth and carries a huge chip on her shoulders from her past. When Tanner and Elara meet for the first time its explosive, but they do not get off on the right foot. Elara bursts into Tanner’s locker room to confront him about him stealing a big donor out from under her. Tanner is speechless, and Elara is like a mad woman on a rampage that could be considered an over exaggeration. When Tanner makes an appearance at her community center she is not impressed with him or his sexy smirk. Elara has a past that she holds onto so hard that she won’t let anyone penetrate her thick walls. Tanner has experienced a lot of lost and it makes him a little skittish and over protective of the people around him. Elara doesn’t want anyone taking care of her and being with Tanner goes against everything they both stand for. Will they both be able to compromise to get the ending they both deserve? You must read it to find out because I can’t tell you.
I love a good sports romance and I am so glad I was able to read Tanner’s story. It’s a quick romance read about friendships and finding love. The relationship between the two characters start off rough until Elara starts to get to know Tanner. I love Tanner, but Elara could be a little too stubborn sometimes. I enjoyed reading about these two and how if you overcome your past you can open up you heart to one of life’s greatest pleasure.
*I read an ARC and this is my honest opinion.*