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Roughstock
Picking Roses
Rosie doesn’t date cowboys anymore, not since her husband died. Les, a cowboy to the bone, is ready to convince Rosie to change her mind. Rosie doesn’t date cowboys. She knows what kind of heartbreak can come when they get seriously injured. Roughstock rider Les is determined to change Rosie’s mind from the moment he gives her his seat on the bus. He knows she’s the one for him—he just has to convince Rosie. Adding to the difficulty is the fact that Les lives in Colorado and Rosie is in Texas. During rodeo season the distance doesn’t seem so huge, but when winter threatens to lock down Les’ Colorado ranch, how is he going to prove to Rosie that he’s worth the chances she has to take?
- GenresM M Romance
214 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2011
About the author
B.A. Tortuga
389 books645 followersTexan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy's Girl, BA Tortuga spends her days with her hounds and her beloved wife, texting her grandbabies, and eating Mexican food. When she's not doing that, she's writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting, and surfing Pinterest in the name of research. Following their own personal joys, BA and Julia heard the call of the high desert and they now live in the New Mexico mountains. BA's personal saviors include her wife, her best friends, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Really good coffee.
Having written everything from fist-fighting rednecks to cowboy daddies to werewolves, BA does her damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which is committed to giving everyone their happily ever after. With books ranging from hard-hitting BDSM, to fiery passions, to the most traditional of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon-holed by anyone but the voices in her head.
Having written everything from fist-fighting rednecks to cowboy daddies to werewolves, BA does her damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which is committed to giving everyone their happily ever after. With books ranging from hard-hitting BDSM, to fiery passions, to the most traditional of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon-holed by anyone but the voices in her head.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 5, 2013
3.1 stars. I liked this book because of how the community solidarity was conveyed, Alan's portrayal as a protagonist and interactions with secondary characters. Otherwise, I could not warm up to Andrew, who seemed to use Alan either as an emotional prop or as a means to escape his painful reality. I understand the shockingly difficult circumstances and consequences of that accident, but Andrew was taking/expecting a lot from Alan with hardly any reciprocity. The hurt-comfort theme combined with physical attraction never moved into romance territory in my opinion. The abrupt ending was particularly disappointing with On a more positive note, I am curious about JB and Tommy's story which precedes and is connected to this one; it might be more satisfying in the romantic department.
March 4, 2016
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I love me some cowboys. And if the cowboy's as hot and sexy as this book's hero, well, I'm more than all for it. I'd be all over it. And I was all over this book. This isn't my first read from this author. But I have to say, I think I like this book better than the first one I read from B.A. Tortuga.
I like the heroine in this book. She has gone through the loss of a loved one. That's why I understand why she's now cautious, especially when it comes to men. But I also like the hero because if there was a man who could win over the cautious heroine, it was definitely him. I liked the chemistry between the main characters. I also like the steam and the romance of this book. It is a sexy read, and I love these kinds of stories. I will definitely be watching out for this author for future releases. I hope more books will be published by Totally Bound from this author, and I hope those books would be as hot, if not hotter.
I love me some cowboys. And if the cowboy's as hot and sexy as this book's hero, well, I'm more than all for it. I'd be all over it. And I was all over this book. This isn't my first read from this author. But I have to say, I think I like this book better than the first one I read from B.A. Tortuga.
I like the heroine in this book. She has gone through the loss of a loved one. That's why I understand why she's now cautious, especially when it comes to men. But I also like the hero because if there was a man who could win over the cautious heroine, it was definitely him. I liked the chemistry between the main characters. I also like the steam and the romance of this book. It is a sexy read, and I love these kinds of stories. I will definitely be watching out for this author for future releases. I hope more books will be published by Totally Bound from this author, and I hope those books would be as hot, if not hotter.
September 11, 2016
I honestly do not know where to begin. I want to say to you that this novel redeemed itself at some point, that the endless, repetitive somewhat whiny thoughts and dialogues of many of the characters resolved itself into a love story that was worth all the effort. However, given the ending, I am unable to do even that. So, before you read on, please realize there are going to be many spoilers here and a restrained, yet definitive opinion on why a major portion of this novel deserved to be left on the editing floor.
First--a brief synopsis. Alan has just finished with a movie filming and is going on a much needed rest to visit his friends, Tommy and JB. While enroute, he discovers an accident involving a tour bus carrying three band members and their driver, One of the members and driver are dead while the others are critically injured. He calls for help and his friend Tommy--who is a Doctor, arrives on the scene to help with triage and transporting patients to the hospital.
When the rest of the band arrives in town, it is discovered that the lead singer is none other than Andrew Lyon, who won a national talent show and then had the clout to form an all gay male band. (We'll get to that revelation in a minute)
As Alan draws nearer to a grieving Andrew, they begin a relationship borne out of a hurt/comfort theme but before long, the normally non-emotional, love em and leave em Alan discovers he is falling for Andrew while Andrew, himself, grapples with the idea that he still isn't sure what love looks like. To make matters even worse, Andrew withholds part of himself, determining that the secret he holds close about his past will send Alan running from him and he fears losing whatever this thing between them is--could it possibly be love?
Please know that it is not my intent to be mean-spirited or overly critical. I let my other reviews stand as an example that I am fair handed in my criticism and always attempt to find the best in an author's writing. I am not sure what this author was thinking when they released this work but frankly I was amazed at how poorly this novel was written.
Let's begin with the fact that this was a sequel. No, there was no indication anywhere that this was indeed a continuation from a previous novel, but as the first quarter of this story unfolded it was apparent that you had to know who these people were in order to make sense of all the names that were dropped into the conversation. In frustration, I finally went online to make sure I had not overlooked the fact that it was indeed a sequel--nothing--no indication that it was. So why was I so very, very confused and why was this novel written as though I should know who all these people were and what their former relationships were as well? Because there had been a prior novel with these characters in it--but no indication that this novel Elided Cadence picked up where the other left off.
Believe me when I say that it was very important to understand that the main character, Alan Freeman, was a make-up artist and had been heavily involved with his friend Thomas in a prior novel. I spent the first twenty pages thinking Alan was an actor! Then when Alan arrived in Arkansas and began seeing townspeople who apparently loved him for the fact that he had "pushed" Thomas back into the arms of his former love, Johnny Boudreaux, it was completely obvious that these characters had all graced a former novel.
Now I was completely lost and to make matters worse, the author began this nickname game that nearly drove me to put the novel aside and beg Jessewave to let me take a pass on finishing it for review Here is just a little example of the "nickname" debacle I am referring to:
"Johnny--JB, or JJ as Thomas called him--smile slightly...."
and then there were multiple times of this:
"...Alan and Tommy--or Thomas, as he'd been out in L.A."
Then there was Andrew or Andy or Drew, and Killian or Kill Kill and Carolan or Caro. or the Wonder Twins, and on and on and on. My head literally felt as though it was going to burst just keeping track of how many different names these characters had, with many of them uttered on the same page of text.
Once I had sorted out who was who, the next minefield to traverse was who had shacked up with whom. Alan had been with Tommy, Tommy was now with JB. Somebody named Robert wanted to be with Alan but wasn't and so did somebody named Travis. Alan seemed to be a self-proclaimed manwhore and so it followed suit that in his twisted sense of reasoning the way to best comfort Andrew was to have sex with him. If I had to read one more time that the typical reaction to grief was a good quickie I think I would have flung my kindle across the room. Friends--I can state to you with all sincerity that the last thing on a person's mind after they have found out their best friend is dead and their other two friends lay in critical condition is how fast they can get in bed with someone. I really felt this was a cheap and tawdry way to bring Andrew and Alan together. I so wish that the author could have made this more real by having Alan hold and comfort a grieving Andrew and let the attraction grow from there--with no obligatory sex, rather just a new found need for each other, a love that was beginning to take root. Call me a romantic but this would have been ever so much more plausible than the two of them falling into bed and making out like rabbits every time Andrew was sad.
Perhaps the most outlandish idea put forth in this novel was the notion of an all gay band. I understand that Andrew had some clout and wriggle room in his contract after winning the nationally televised singing competition (think American Idol) but enough for a record label to take on an openly all gay band?? I literally laughed out loud when I read this. If we were not in some alternate reality already with the idea that an entire town knew and applauded the fact that Alan had dumped Tommy so he could get back together with JB, then this factoid threw us there with a resounding thud.
And this is how the novel Elided Cadence went, one unbelievable plot point after another. We were strung along being reminded again and again that Andrew really wasn't sure he loved Alan and even if he did after Alan learned his "secret" there would be no relationship left. So the big reveal? Never happened. Instead we were left with a HUGE cliffhanger. Not only did we not learn Andrew's secret but we were left to believe that Alan, who had never thought he would fall in love was, in fact, head over heels with Andrew and Andrew was still very unsure if he loved Alan in return. So, in conclusion, Andrew was a major user, and Alan, who had been touted as a love em and leave em guy was, in essence, a doormat.
First--a brief synopsis. Alan has just finished with a movie filming and is going on a much needed rest to visit his friends, Tommy and JB. While enroute, he discovers an accident involving a tour bus carrying three band members and their driver, One of the members and driver are dead while the others are critically injured. He calls for help and his friend Tommy--who is a Doctor, arrives on the scene to help with triage and transporting patients to the hospital.
When the rest of the band arrives in town, it is discovered that the lead singer is none other than Andrew Lyon, who won a national talent show and then had the clout to form an all gay male band. (We'll get to that revelation in a minute)
As Alan draws nearer to a grieving Andrew, they begin a relationship borne out of a hurt/comfort theme but before long, the normally non-emotional, love em and leave em Alan discovers he is falling for Andrew while Andrew, himself, grapples with the idea that he still isn't sure what love looks like. To make matters even worse, Andrew withholds part of himself, determining that the secret he holds close about his past will send Alan running from him and he fears losing whatever this thing between them is--could it possibly be love?
Please know that it is not my intent to be mean-spirited or overly critical. I let my other reviews stand as an example that I am fair handed in my criticism and always attempt to find the best in an author's writing. I am not sure what this author was thinking when they released this work but frankly I was amazed at how poorly this novel was written.
Let's begin with the fact that this was a sequel. No, there was no indication anywhere that this was indeed a continuation from a previous novel, but as the first quarter of this story unfolded it was apparent that you had to know who these people were in order to make sense of all the names that were dropped into the conversation. In frustration, I finally went online to make sure I had not overlooked the fact that it was indeed a sequel--nothing--no indication that it was. So why was I so very, very confused and why was this novel written as though I should know who all these people were and what their former relationships were as well? Because there had been a prior novel with these characters in it--but no indication that this novel Elided Cadence picked up where the other left off.
Believe me when I say that it was very important to understand that the main character, Alan Freeman, was a make-up artist and had been heavily involved with his friend Thomas in a prior novel. I spent the first twenty pages thinking Alan was an actor! Then when Alan arrived in Arkansas and began seeing townspeople who apparently loved him for the fact that he had "pushed" Thomas back into the arms of his former love, Johnny Boudreaux, it was completely obvious that these characters had all graced a former novel.
Now I was completely lost and to make matters worse, the author began this nickname game that nearly drove me to put the novel aside and beg Jessewave to let me take a pass on finishing it for review Here is just a little example of the "nickname" debacle I am referring to:
"Johnny--JB, or JJ as Thomas called him--smile slightly...."
and then there were multiple times of this:
"...Alan and Tommy--or Thomas, as he'd been out in L.A."
Then there was Andrew or Andy or Drew, and Killian or Kill Kill and Carolan or Caro. or the Wonder Twins, and on and on and on. My head literally felt as though it was going to burst just keeping track of how many different names these characters had, with many of them uttered on the same page of text.
Once I had sorted out who was who, the next minefield to traverse was who had shacked up with whom. Alan had been with Tommy, Tommy was now with JB. Somebody named Robert wanted to be with Alan but wasn't and so did somebody named Travis. Alan seemed to be a self-proclaimed manwhore and so it followed suit that in his twisted sense of reasoning the way to best comfort Andrew was to have sex with him. If I had to read one more time that the typical reaction to grief was a good quickie I think I would have flung my kindle across the room. Friends--I can state to you with all sincerity that the last thing on a person's mind after they have found out their best friend is dead and their other two friends lay in critical condition is how fast they can get in bed with someone. I really felt this was a cheap and tawdry way to bring Andrew and Alan together. I so wish that the author could have made this more real by having Alan hold and comfort a grieving Andrew and let the attraction grow from there--with no obligatory sex, rather just a new found need for each other, a love that was beginning to take root. Call me a romantic but this would have been ever so much more plausible than the two of them falling into bed and making out like rabbits every time Andrew was sad.
Perhaps the most outlandish idea put forth in this novel was the notion of an all gay band. I understand that Andrew had some clout and wriggle room in his contract after winning the nationally televised singing competition (think American Idol) but enough for a record label to take on an openly all gay band?? I literally laughed out loud when I read this. If we were not in some alternate reality already with the idea that an entire town knew and applauded the fact that Alan had dumped Tommy so he could get back together with JB, then this factoid threw us there with a resounding thud.
And this is how the novel Elided Cadence went, one unbelievable plot point after another. We were strung along being reminded again and again that Andrew really wasn't sure he loved Alan and even if he did after Alan learned his "secret" there would be no relationship left. So the big reveal? Never happened. Instead we were left with a HUGE cliffhanger. Not only did we not learn Andrew's secret but we were left to believe that Alan, who had never thought he would fall in love was, in fact, head over heels with Andrew and Andrew was still very unsure if he loved Alan in return. So, in conclusion, Andrew was a major user, and Alan, who had been touted as a love em and leave em guy was, in essence, a doormat.
September 14, 2013
There are so many names/nicknames thrown around for the same people - its confusing. I kept trying to figure out if they were talking to/about the same person or not. If they have nicknames mention it once or twice- not practically every time I read their name; especially if one person goes by three or four different names. It gets annoying trying to figure out who's who.
It seemed as if I started reading the book somewhere in the middle, so I looked and found that Alan's friends are the MCs in "Making It Up" by the same author. I'm guessing you find out some things about Alan in that story. About half way through it starts to get better but it then seems to end abruptly.
It seemed as if I started reading the book somewhere in the middle, so I looked and found that Alan's friends are the MCs in "Making It Up" by the same author. I'm guessing you find out some things about Alan in that story. About half way through it starts to get better but it then seems to end abruptly.
January 20, 2012
Reviewed for Booked Up . Stay tuned for the review to be posted on Booked Up's goodreads account and the Blog
October 2, 2013
Did a full review in MM Good Book Review, but this was a wonderful book. Nothing nicer than broken boys who find each other.
June 12, 2015
Couldn't relate to any of the characters and the story was a little disjointed. This book just wasn't for me and I usually like T.C. Blue's work.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews