Rough and Ready
by Vanessa Vale
My review:
“Rough and Ready” is book 2 in the More Than A Cowboy series from Vanessa Vale. Even if you’re already a fan of the author, like me you may also find that this book delivers more than you expect in terms of emotional impact and drama. It is a stand-alone, so you need not have read the first book in the series in order to enjoy this one. If you’ve read that first book, you’ll definitely recognized familiar characters, including Reed, the hero of this story.
Reed is an MMA cage fighter. His childhood years were brutal, he served time in juvenile detention 4 a serious crime, then spent years in the military, and after that he redefined himself as a successful, professional fighter. He knows that Harper, his brilliant and beautiful new neighbor, is way out of his league in every way. Harper is a college professor whose elegant demeanor hides a lot of painful secrets and stress that she lives with every day. She engages in risky sexual behaviors and almost compulsive physical exercise both for the same reason … she is trying to escape feelings that she just can’t handle. Despite their differences, the physical chemistry between them is as hot as a raging inferno. There are great secondary characters, including multiple despicable villains.
Harper and Reed are about as opposite one another as a couple can be and yet these 2 battered souls complement one another incredibly well. There was some very interesting role reversal in this book – when you read it, you’ll understand what I mean. You may find tears in your eyes a couple of times, but don’t be embarrassed about it because you’re not alone! There are some light moments judiciously scattered throughout this fast-paced story. I expected this would be a good book, but thr depth of gritty emotion in it really blew me away. Vanessa Vale, please let that seriously hot bad boy Frankie share his story with us!