New York Times bestselling author Lorelei James returns for another wild ride in Wyoming with a new Blacktop Cowboys® novel. Years in the Army equipped Bailey Masterson for many things: target shooting, rappelling off cliffs, dodging grenades. She’s lived through horrors that still give her nightmares. But nothing in Bailey’s life-or-death training prepared her for caring for the tiny terror that … for the tiny terror that is five-year-old Olivia Hale. Or how to control her raging attraction to Olivia’s father, Streeter, the rugged, green-eyed cattle rancher who undermines her every move even when he stars in her dreams.
Streeter Hale has room for only two things in his life: his daughter and his job. He doesn’t date. He doesn’t get attached. Not anymore. So not only is Streeter stunned by Olivia’s improved behavior after just a few days with Bailey, he’s downright floored by his immediate attraction to the woman. But with secrets in her eyes and a body that doesn’t quit, Streeter begins to worry that Bailey Masterson might just be the one woman to heal his fractured family and broken heart.
One thing’s for sure–these two wrecked souls are spinning out of control as they desperately try not to fall in love…
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Spun Out (Blacktop Cowboys #10)
Lorelei James
Streeter Hale’s story isn’t an easy one to read and up front you need to be aware that if you have triggers about suicide this story may not be for you. However I think that Lorelei James approached the subject like she always approaches hard subjects. With respect to those characters and people who have dealt with those issues and a heart bigger than any one can truly imagine.
That being said if you give this single dad a chance, his story and he himself will melt you and have you coming back for more. He is first and foremost an incredible father who’s love for his daughter shines.
We also meet up with a character that we met a few books back, Bailey Masterson. She visiting her sisters family in Wyoming when the sparks fly between her and Streeter.
I think what I also love is how Lorelei places value in the relationships between Streeter and his daughter Olivia and even the relationship between Bailey and Olivia. It’s not always something that authors focus on or really care about but it was so sweet.
We do also get to revisit the characters from past books which is another thing I adore about Lorelei James’s books. Each book is special for those two characters and their relationship but I appreciate how we do get to catch up with our favorites from the past too.
As always Lorelei James reminds me why she is one of my absolute favorite authors. She is able to capture the ugly and beautiful about life in such a real and stunning way. She creates characters that feel like your friends and family and have you rooting for them from the first page.
Streeter, Bailey and Olivia are all broken souls. Each of them are survivors in their own way. Lorelei James has written a book that will tug on your heartstrings and may bring a tear to your eye. Watching Streeter and Bailey learn to trust and share their burdens was so touching and encouraging for anyone dealing with depression. I can’t praise or recommend this book enough.
Spun Out is Book 10 of Lorelei James’ Blacktop Cowboys series. While I’ve read most of the series, I haven’t had a chance to read them all and I’d say even though past characters do make appearances throughout, it stands perfectly fine on its own.
This was a fun, steamy, wonderful romance that didn’t shy away from some of the tough stuff in life. Bailey and Streeter were an amazing couple and at times I swore the heat between them was going to melt my Kindle!
Another amazing addition to the series and I look forward to more Blacktop Cowboys!
I want to give this book all the stars…..I loved it so much. I love Olivia….because she is a little girl I just want to hug. I love Bailey and Streeter. I love how this story plays out. Two people who have suffered so much, coming together to find fulfillment in each other. This one gives all the feels. Break out the tissues….
4 Stars
Review by Leah
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
A sweet coming home and starting over story. Spun Out, Blacktop Cowboy #10, by Lorelei James has so much laughter and heart. From the father/daughter relationship to the relationships of everyone on the ranch, it will make you feel right at home.
Bailey is coming home to regroup and figure out her next step. Helping out her sister in her shop, she sees a little thief running through the store. Bailey decides to pursue this little thief and that’s where the antics and laughter begins. What she walks into is hilarious! Since Bailey happens to be in town and has military training, who else would be the best as running a summer boot camp for the kids on the ranch. Bailey brings it and I love her interactions with each child.
A tall drink of water in wranglers, work boots and cowboy hat, Streeter Hale, ranch hand, is a single father and his one and only focus is his daughter, Olivia, the little thief. Oh, sweet sweet Olivia. I fell in love with her. Between her and the other ranch children antics, I felt right at home, as if they were my kids and nephews. Streeter has his hands FULL with Olivia. So many times I was laughing out loud at her antics. There are also so many sweet scenes between Streeter and Olivia.
This is a book of real-life issues. Real-life, really hard issues and what makes this book is reading about the family and friends working through these issues. That is what makes this book full of heart, loyalty, and love. No, Lorelei James did not skirt around the issue, she dived right in. Each situation was written beautifully. The relationship between Streeter and Bailey was not the main focus of this story to me. The focus, in my opinion, was Olivia and her building the relationship with Bailey. Which was beautiful. The relationship between sisters. The relationship between friends and coworkers.
Ugh. She gets me every. single. time. I love these people & all things Muddy Gap. With every Blacktop Cowboys book I have felt more & more apart of the Split Rock/Mud Lilies loving crew. Bailey & Streeter did not disappoint.
After suffering through way too many of life’s valleys, Liberty & Harper’s little sister, Bailey & Tobin’s middle brother, Streeter finally get the happy ending they both so deserve. Even though I wanted to just shake some sense into both of them, especially hard-hearted Bailey, they found their way into each other’s heart & helped a little girl learn to love.
I know I say this every time, but this might be one of my series favorites!
Spun Out (Blacktop Cowboys Novel Book 10) By: Lorelei James
As you can see from the title this is the 10th book in the Blacktop Cowboys Series. However, just like every book in this series this book can be read as a stand-alone. But also like all my reviews that regard this series I think you should read them all, not because you need to, but because they are all freaking awesome.
OK so now for the review, I am in love with these main characters. Seriously I have a new book boyfriend, Streeter. And I kinda have a crush on Bailey. But for real through this couple just fits. They are true relationships goals. This story was so well written that I finished it in a day. I forgot to eat. As also Mrs. James has delivered a story that sucks you in and makes you wish you were there.
Rated 4.5 Stars
Spun Out is funny, sweet, sexy and filthy. It also packs a punch. It’s a single dad romance that deals with a lot of heavy issues yet has a lightness to it. I loved it especially the characters, the author did a great job with crafting them. I highly recommend this book.
Copy provided by author
Love some “me time” with a Lorelei James book – and couldn’t wait to get my hands on “Spun Out”. While this book is the final installment of the Blacktop Cowboys series and it helps know some character background, by no means do you need to have read any of the others in the series before hand, (but why wouldn’t you?). There is good background information to help the reader understand what is going on and why. The story line is a serious one about sicknesses and diseases – it is heart wrenching at times to read the emotions that the main characters were feeling — but that makes you want to keep reading.
Two things I wish were covered better –1) saying one never saw any symptoms of an issue/illness is plausible but I think that, in retrospect and in therapy, Streeter would have seen what he missed. The second is – why did Bailey not give back the drums??? I think it was just so she had someone to see every morning but tell the poor girl why! I didn’t feel any less love for this story due to these issues, however, and as usual James has written a great story that keeps you engaged – and wanting more.
In the end I love the story line of two lost souls finding each other — and how the souls joined to complete a family. Sad to see this series end. The whole series is a must read!
Lorelei James never disappoints her readers, she packed Spun Out full of fireworks, sweet, sexy, strong personalities and an intense romance.
Streeter has a lot going on in his life, and his sweet little Olivia adds to it. She reminds me so much of kids that want to be loved but are scared of being hurt so they push people away. So such sass and fire in Olivia and Streeter is trying so hard to make her mind.
Bailey is a tough one, shes been in some scary situations but none as scary as being attracted to Streeter while trying to babysit his daughter. So many emotions flow through Bailey when she watches Streeter it is nearly impossible not to smile while reading. She is a trying to place boundaries up for Olivia and Streeter flips them back over, the heat between the two is intense.
Bailey and Streeter are a couple like no other, yes they are strong willed and rancher but their stories separate them from the rest. From loving single father to a strong time tested solider learning to live in a ranching town again. They are navigating some very tough waters, I love to see how Ms. James can wrap readers into her novels so quickly, the pages fly by and we keep craving more, we always want just one more chapter. Spun Out is not to be missed, a love story that will be a reread many, many times.
Holy Hotness…It’s the Blacktop Cowboy’s back in the groove. This is the final book in this series and while I have enjoyed all of the families of Split Rock and Muddy Gap, this is the perfect conclusion.
Bailey and Streeter are two damaged individuals with very different issues. Bailey comes to help her sister and work through her future and Streeter is trying to get past his disappointed past relationship and raise an independent and strong willed daughter.
In the past, the series has focused on the individual characters and how they work in their own relationships. This story is a little more dependent on the other characters and their relationships to the main characters. Bailey’s relationship with Harper plays a pretty big role in how she sees herself and therefore what she is willing to put into her building relationship with Streeter. And Streeters past with his wife and his family definitely affect what he is willing to try with Bailey.
It is still LJ and the Blacktop Cowboys series and the hotness factor doesn’t disappoint. I will enjoy waiting to see if the kids grow up and get their own stories. No pressure though….
You had me at single dad. Streeter was so endearing. I fell in love with him early on. I love a good guy. I’m so sick of men that sleep around. I feel like that is all there is in books anymore. This is what I’m looking for in a guy! The first half was slow to me and I could understand Baileys reservations. Why did she act the way she did!? As soon as secrets wee revealed, we got into the meat of the story and I loved it. I love when a book goes way deeper emotionally than I was expecting. This book does have some triggers, so there is that aspect to watch for, but it was also more than I expected it to be.
This is the last book in an amazing series. This book is about 2 very different people dealing with something awful that has happened in their lives. They seem to not get along when they are face to face but both are seriously attracted to the other. Streeter lost his wife and is dealing with the guilt he feels over her death and trying to raise is 5-year-old daughter that has a detachment disorder. Bailey is trying to figure out what to do with her life after leaving the military. She is not telling her family and friends why she is home or how long she will be there. The more time she and Streeter spend together the more sparks fly between them. They decide since Bailey will only be there for the summer to have a no strings attached friends with benefits relationship. Both realize soon into spending time together that they are developing real feelings for each other. After Streeter confides in Bailey what happened with his wife, she cannot bring herself to tell him the truth about why she is leaving the military. When he finds out will they be able to salvage the relationship they have built or is it too much for both? This story brings up a lot of serious topics and will have you in tears one moment and laughing at the antics of a cute 5-year-old the next. It was the perfect ending to the series.
***5 Stars***
Ahhhh…where to begin??
How about a confession or two??
First one: This series has been one of my absolute favorites for many, many years and I get all kinds of happy when I get to spend a few hours with the Muddy Gap crew.
Second one: Bran and Harper (Saddled & Spurred) are my fav couple of the series. Even after all this time, they are still the ones that I NEED to have updates on ~ even if they are just in passing.
So, with the Turners being my fav’s it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that I did a happy dance that Bailey was finally getting her own HEA, especially since both of her sister’s had already gotten theirs, and this book gave me everything I could have wanted and didn’t know I wanted.
I adored Bailey, and not only because she is Harper & Liberty’s baby sister, but because she was pretty damn amazing. She’s sassy, sweet and strong in more ways than one. She isn’t afraid to speak her mind, but isn’t abrasive ~ at least not unless the situation calls for it. Streeter…this man. My heart hurt for him. He’s been through so much and outside of giving his all to his daughter, he is simply living a half life for himself. But as things progressed and he started to truly live, I loved getting to know the man who was that heady mix of panty melting alpha AF goodness and heart warming vulnerability.
Bailey and Streeter’s journey definitely started off on an interesting foot, but I loved how everything played out for them. They had this flow between them that despite all the obstacles they faced, I had no doubt they’d come out stronger in the end. And they did. The bantering was on point, the smexy was HAWT and I loved how they truly appreciated everything about each other. The big bump in the road was and wasn’t a surprise, cryptic I know, but when it was exposed everything that led up to that point made sense and though the fall out was intense, I loved how everything worked out for both of them in the end.
This was a great read, and a great addition to the series. I was hooked from the start and really didn’t want it to end. This one tackles some pretty heavy topics that could be triggers for some, but all were handled with respectful and compassionate hand and gave depth to the characters involved. And speaking of characters…this baby is chock full of amazing moments with so many of the Muddy Gap crew I’ve come to love as the series has progressed that it made my heart all kinds of happy. Obviously getting to catch up with the Turner’s and the McClain’s made me all kinds of happy but seeing how almost everyone was doing was awesome, and the Mud Lilies were, as always, a joy to have pop on in.
Note: While you can read this one as a stand-alone, I honestly believe you’ll get a lot more out of it if you start at the beginning of the series and work your way through so that you’ll get the full impact of all that happens in this baby.
~ Copy provided by the author & voluntarily reviewed ~
This book has so many layers within the story! We meet Streeter who has a feisty 5 year old and is parenting alone. Bailey is trying to find herself after having a career that has ended. These two are drawn together and agree for just fun. But as the layer unfold you see how these two are a great match..Oh there are many steamy moments that take you back to why Lorelei James writes such great scenes! This book will tug at your heartstrings because Bailey has a way of making you want to jump in the book and give her all the hugs. Streeter might be one of my favorites she has ever written..what a fabulous father he is and a great partner! Life isn’t always perfect and we see the struggles within these pages. One of my top reads on 2020!
Being a single parent is never easy. For Streeter – the pitfalls in life have mounted on his shoulders. Adding to the pressures of losing his wife, Streeter is responsible for raising a head-strong child – Olivia. It is not an easy task, but it is a necessity that Streeter feels slipping through his grasp. Life at Split Rock is the saving grace that Streeter needs to make it through each passing day.
Bailey Masterson is trying to deal with the reality of civilian life. Looking for a place to get her bearings, Bailey heads to Split Rock Ranch to seek solitude with her family. This change comes with the realization that the children of Split Rock are out of control. With an offer of employment that will use her military skills in an unexpected way, Bailey agrees to have a boot camp to get the children of ranch employees in line. What Bailey didn’t expect was to end up living next to Streeter and Olivia.
With a routine in place that will not only benefit herself, Bailey decides to dip her toes into the perks of living at the ranch. Streeter is nothing like Bailey expects, but he certainly offers more than a romp in the sheets. As the boot camp swings into action, Bailey discovers there is more to Streeter than meets the eye. Mounting responsibilities weigh on Bailey’s shoulders, but will her attraction to Streeter prove to be the incentive needed to stick around the ranch?
Spun Out is the latest release in the Blacktop Cowboys series by Lorelei James. Readers will enjoy peeling back the layers to Bailey’s hard as nails personality. In spite of being so caring, Bailey is a military woman through and through. That mindset brings its own set of challenges to light. Streeter knows the meaning of hard work. As a single dad who has experienced his share of hardships, Streeter needs someone who knows how to push through his guarded exterior. As a reader watching this romance unfold, you will find yourself completely wrapped up in the nuances of this story.
Make sure you visit the Split Rock Ranch…..Bailey and Streeter will make the journey worth the anticipation!! A great addition to the Blacktop Cowboys series!
Spun Out by Lorelei James is the tenth book in her Blacktop Cowboy series. Each book in this series is a great read and I really liked this one. I enjoyed the storyline because it was a little different from most romances. Including the subjects of physical and mental diseases and disabilities opened this book up as a deeply emotional read. I hurt for the heroine of this story Bailey “Sergeant B” Masterson. I loved the determination and especially the patience of the hero Streeter Hale. I identified with the automatic support of family exhibited in Spun Out. The Happily Ever After of this story especially delighted me. Kudos to author Lorelei James! She has written an excellent “must-keep-turning-pages” story.
Spun Out by Lorelei James’ tenth book of the Blacktop Cowboy series, but it can be read as a standalone book. Lorelei James writes superbly about hard subjects and real-life problems. The heartwarming story is filled with passion and emotional charged characters. Streeter Hale made a brief appearance in Hang Tough. He’s a vulnerable and sexy cowboy raising his daughter, Olivia, now five years old. Through her, he meets Sergeant Bailey Masterson. Bailey is home for the summer to help her sister Harper at the Split Rock and undergoing counseling and preparation to be medically discharged from the military. Although each has trauma in their past, their attraction to one another is something they cannot ignore. Olivia plays a vital role in their relationship. This book has heartache, tears, laughter, love, and lots of steamy sex. I received a complimentary ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
4.25 stars- SPUN OUT is the tenth instalment in Lorelei James’ contemporary, adult BLACKTOP COWBOYS erotic, romance series. This is thirty-six year old Split Rock Ranch foreman, widower and single father Streeter Hale, and thirty year old, US Army soldier Sgt. Bailey Masterson’s story line. SPUN OUT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. Bailey is Liberty Masteron’s sister (Hillbilly Rockstar#6) and Streeter is Tobin Hale’s brother (Hang Tough #8).
NOTE: The story line focuses on issues of depression and suicide that may be triggers for more sensitive readers.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Bailey and Streeter) SPUN OUT follows the building relationship between thirty-six year old ranch foreman Streeter Hale, and thirty year old, US Army soldier Sgt. Bailey Masterson. On leave from the army, Sgt. Bailey Masterson finds herself struggling to fit in upon her return home. Volunteering to help run her sister’s struggling clothing store (Wild West Clothiers), and look after her sister’s rambunctious children, Bailey is asked if she would like to take over the Split Rock Ranch and Resort summer day camp but our heroine offers to run a military style boot camp instead. Enter Streeter Hale, whose five year old daughter is among the children about to come under the command of Sgt. Bailey Masterson. What ensues is the building relationship and romance between Streeter and Bailey, and the potential fall-out as Bailey keeps too many secrets from the man with whom she will fall in love.
Streeter Hale is a widower raising his five year old daughter, a young child with emotional issues that are often uncontrolled. Meeting Bailey Masterson finds Streeter thinking about stepping out of his comfort zone, something he hasn’t done in a very long time. Bailey Masterson struggles with her attraction to Streeter Hale knowing her time at Split Rock Ranch comes with an expiry date but Bailey is keeping secrets from family and friends, secrets she believes are going to affect her relationship with our story line hero.
The relationship between Bailey and Streeter is one of immediate attraction but Streeter struggles with work and home life, leaving very little time for anything else. Agreeing to ‘casually’ date, Bailey offers a no-strings attached relationship, a relationship that is about to turn into something more. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate but I struggle with the author’s use of a certain four-letter word that I dislike in my romance story lines.
There is a large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters including Streeter’s five year old daughter Olivia; Streeter’s brother Tobin and his wife Jade (Hang Tough); Streeter’s former in-laws, several nieces and nephews on both sides of the relationship; Bailey’s sister Harper and her husband Bran (Saddled and Spurred #2), Renner and Tierney Jackson plus Janie and Abe (owners of Split Rock Ranch)and a large number of ranch hands.
SPUN OUT is a story of grief and acceptance; depression and desperation; struggle, second chances, friendship, romance and love. The premise is engaging, heart breaking, and captivating; the characters are broken, coping, colorful and energetic; the romance is seductive and intense. SPUN OUT focuses on the affects of depression and suicide on those struggling to cope but also in the aftermath and on those left behind to move forward after a devastating loss.
Lorelei James is not only a one-click author for me, but one of my all time favorite authors. Every reason why to both of those reasons is contained in Spun Out. Her books contain every element that make her characters and stories come to life and feel like I’ve come home. Filled with emotion, passion, meaning, and people you won’t soon forget Spun Out is a book you need to read.
Although this is the last book in the Blacktop series, Spun Out is different than the previous books (and I say that in the best way possible) and can be read as a complete standalone. Yes, there are mentions of previous characters, but Lorelei fills in the blanks of who they are (because even for myself, it’s been a few years since I’ve read some of the books and I needed a refresher so don’t worry because you will be able to follow along).
Streeter Hale (next to his brother Tobin) is probably one of my favorite characters in this series. He’s a single father raising a strong-willed, intelligent child, Olivia. Between losing his wife, his livelihood (which included a falling out with his father and older brother), and raising his daughter with almost “Sheldon Cooper” like needs, he barely makes it through the day. When Bailey, Harper’s sister, arrives for the summer and tells all the parents who live at Split Rock Resort that their child are out of control (he’s somewhat thankful it’s not just his, but at the same time knows something must be done). The parents make a decision and decide that Bailey is just the woman to wrangle their kids in.
Sergeant Bailey Masterson is straightforward, to the point, and I love that she sees not only her one nephew, Gage, who is third born getting lost in the mix of his family, and she makes special time with him, but also that she understands Olivia, Streeter’s daughter right off the bat and doesn’t discount her as a brat (well maybe headstrong, but somehow she sort of admires it). When Bailey is asked to begin a Boot Camp for the children who live at Split Rock Resort, she isn’t quite sure is she is qualified, but when they offer her free housing where she isn’t living with her sister, husband, and four children anymore, the deal doesn’t sound half bad. Besides if it means getting not only her nephews and the other children to behave better, it has to be a win-win.
Living next to the hot, single dad and his precocious daughter isn’t exactly what Bailey had in mind, but she makes the best of it, especially as the summer moves forward and her living arrangements come with benefits.
Bailey and Streeter together are so hot…I think what makes it combustible is how Bailey helps Streeter find himself again. He’s been lost for so long that she brings his self confidence and personality to the light. She is sort of instrumental for several people in finding themselves and that is her gift. I’m not sure she is entirely aware of it, but she doesn’t share too much about herself and I’m not going to give away as to why she keeps it locked up tight.
Spun Out is the conclusion to a great series, and like I said above, it is different than the others, but in the best possible way. I really hope Lorelei continues with the next generation of Split Rock children (you get the chance to meet and know several, like Olivia, in this book), but time and her muse will show us what direction she will take us.