Reviewed by Sarina
TITLE: Rough In Wranglers
AUTHOR: B.A. Tortuga
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 332 Pages
RELEASE DATE: April 13, 2018
BLURB:
Cowboys, blue-collar men, and hot redneck boys. One thing they all have in common is Wranglers, and they’re all falling in love in this eight story collection. From Navy SEALs to rodeo riders to a food truck chef, all these men want is to find someone to share their lives with.
There are new lovers meeting for the first time, best friends who find out they have someone who loves them already when they think they’ll never find happiness, and old lovers who’ve been apart for years but come back together at the best possible time. From the ski mountains of Colorado to deep in the heart of Texas, love finds a way through old hurts and through years of being apart.
There’s nothing like a man in Wranglers and cowboy boots, and these stories prove it in every line!
Stories include:
Hey, Jealousy
Czech Me Out: An Austin Story
Worth the Work
Purgatory
Menagerie
Where There’s a Will
Cut Bait
Unwrapped
ANTHOLOGY REVIEW:
There’s no denying that I love me some cowboys and this was a good collection of stories to scratch that itch. With friends to lovers, established relationships, second chances and the blush of new love (and lust), this book has something for everyone and made for some pretty darn good reading. If you have a craving for a man in a cowboy hat wearing a fine set of blue jeans, I’d recommend checking this one out.
Hey, Jealousy 3*
Not a bad way to start the book; it certainly was an unexpected intro and got my attention right quick! Classic friends to lovers story with a dash of second chance thrown into the mix, the overall story was decent and there was a little bit of kink mixed in with the sex for those that enjoy that side of things. I never really felt the connection between the main characters, however, and that unfortunately just made this one an average read for me.
Czech Me Out: An Austin Story 4*
A little bit of a mismatched pair in this one that I nevertheless liked a lot. The chemistry was palpable between the main characters and the first time aspect was handled well (as was the subsequent freak out). I also enjoyed the food truck inclusion though I think that was mainly because I don’t remember ever seeing that in another story before. Good story that I’ll totally read again.
Worth the Work 3.5*
This story was one of the more ‘complete’ feeling ones to me. With an established long distance relationship, more work was obviously needed to make it work but it was also fairly apparent that the men involved were head over heels for each other. More hardships were shown in this one, both due to the time a part and how whim and bad luck just conspired to tear Kit down. The happy ending was nicely assured, however, and you get an epilogue to boot! Nice read.
Purgatory 4.5*
One of my favorites, hands down, this was a great second chance story. Told both in present day and flashbacks to the past, I really got a good feel for the characters and could feel how much they connected and cared for one another. Running into each other again so many years later seemed less like chance and more like fate which I can totally get behind. Great story, I look forward to re-reading this one.
Menagerie 4.5*
I’m not sure if I liked this one more for the men or the whole host of animals they had around them. 😀 These two were adorable together; the beginning of their relationship was like its own kind of dance where both wanted to take that first step but were afraid they’d just fall on their faces. (It was kind of cute, not gonna lie.) Good pacing and with an entire herd of various furry babies this was a nice feel good story I know I’ll come back to again.
Where There’s a Will 4*
I really liked this one; friends turned enemies forced back into each other’s lives through shared tragedy. With a healthy dose of hurt/comfort thrown into the mix, this was a nice slow burn as Kee and Toby got themselves straightened out both with their situation and with each other. Nice long read that I was thoroughly enjoying but the ending felt a little too abrupt to me and the sudden cut off left me feeling a bit disappointed.
Cut Bait 3.5*
This one was…different. lol I will totally give props to the author for writing something that both featured a completely in love, happily settled couple with something so ridiculous. All I can say is that I will never think of fishing lures the same way again. lol I really liked how into each other the main characters were and this was a nice kind of slice of life story showcasing that but with an added twist to it. I think my only complaint is that, and I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, it was a little too long for me. Usually I’m complaining that I never get enough but by the time this one ended, while it had been enjoyable, I was really ready to be reading something different.
Unwrapped 4.5*
This was a really great way to finish the book; two men who have done nothing but nit pick and antagonize each other find themselves on the same cruise ship and just keep running into each other. It was like a comedy of errors and, after a while, neither man really thinks they’re going to get to enjoy their respective vacations. Giving into a moment of what seems to be insanity, both men end up finding out that they were completely wrong about each other and in doing so, find they might just be perfect together. I really liked both characters and the story brought up all sorts of nostalgia for me as I couldn’t help but think of the one and only cruise I’ve gone on. Both the story and the cruise were highly entertaining and the author left off at the perfect spot so I came away with a big old grin. Will happily read this one again!
RATING: 
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