Short Rides (Rough Riders) Paperback – March 30, 2014

Short Rides is a collection of three short stories by Lorelei James featuring characters from her Rough Riders series. If you haven't read the series, you will be lost reading these shorts. These are an excellent addition to an already fantastic series. I'm so happy we got a glimpse into the lives of these families again. It's my hope that we have many, many, many more of these Short Rides to look forward to! Enjoy, I know I did twice...already!

King Of Hearts 4.5 stars

When this short story was originally published in the Guns and Roses Anthology I remember thinking how different it was from Lorelei's other Rough Rider books. I liked it but it kind of burst my happy McKay bubble because of the gruesome crime Cameron McKay had to deal with on Valentine's Day. Upon re-reading itI realized it is different, but the key point that even if you want to be miserable the McKay family isn't going to let you do it alone. I love that Colt came to Cameron's rescue, that he gave Cam advice that he really didn't want but needed to hear. Most of all I loved that Cameron who never wanted a wife and children came to understand how important they are to him and how much he relies and needs them. I also love the little snippet of Dr. Joely Monroe with Chet and Remy and my mind has been working overtime on those three ever since!

King Of Hearts is a great reminder that no matter how big and tough you are, you need a soft place to land and people who will love you no matter what. Cameron McKay got that lesson and it's one we can all benefit from, thanks L!

Rough Road 10 freakin' stars (okay so we don't have 10...so 5 will have to do)

I was so excited when Lorelei announced that Chassie, Trevor, and Edgar would be included in this anthology. They've always held a special place in my heart and I've always admired them for living their life the way that works for them. So, the first line in this book made my heart stop and then I got pissed as hell on behalf of the Glanzer family and especially little Westin.

It was great to watch this family in action. I love the undisputed love that radiates through these three and the way it spreads to their beautiful children. I hate that people are so judgmental and I really hate when they spew their nastiness in front of their children and they breed another generation of haters. I love the way they handled everything together as a unified team. I especially love that they refused to lets the idiots break them.

Finally, I got some Ramona time! This girl has fascinated me for so long and I got my wish to see more of her and Cam's friend picking her up in Seattle...ummm, could that be Brock? Damn Lorelei is a tease! It was fun to watch her interact with her cousins and the kids and just makes me want her story even more, dammit!

I was more than happy to see that despite parenthood Chass, Trev, and Ed still enjoy adult time and man did we get some smokin' holy hell hotness in that department. Might as well bring the pumper truck over and spray down the house because a cold shower isn't going to cut it!
Once again the McKay/West families rallied together to make sure The Glanzers know they are a part of them. I had to break out the tissue box which is not something I expected in a short story.

I absolutely loved seeing this family again and how it's grown and changed. It's evident that their children see the love they have for each other and them and that that their bond can't be broken. Rough Road was a hard read for me because I have no tolerance for bullies and so called Christians behaving badly. It's a well crafted story filled with love, happiness, and hope for the future and I can't wait to read it again.

All Knocked Up 5 stars

Since the first time Keely appeared in Long, Hard Ride I've been a fan of this girl. Through it all she has remained a character I can't get enough of. I love her smart ass mouth, her quick wit, and her snappy come backs. The fact that her father, uncles, brothers, and cousins couldn't tame her and one snappy, preppy, loafer wearing, GQ man can just freakin' cracks me up. I know there are some people who will argue that Jack hasn't tamed Keely but he has without changing the person she is. That's why Jack is perfect for her and she is perfect for him and that's why a pregnant Keely is even more fun.

Suffice it to say Keely thinks she's not behaving badly during her pregnancy but ask anyone around her and they'd laugh. Her escapades are hilarious to read about and Jack probably should be anointed as a saint. I will say that pregnancy has not cooled off their uncontrolled lust for one another, not one little bit. It's always interesting when these two burn up the sheets!
There are many surprises in this story although given it's these two I guess nothing should shock me. However, I think Lorelei might have been trying to kill me towards the end because I'm pretty sure my heart stopped at least twice in the last two chapters.
I really would love to say more but I can't because I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't had time to read it. I will say All Knocked Up is everything I expected and way more, a lot more and I couldn't be happier for Jack and Keely. They have some interesting years ahead of them and I hope we get to see them again.

Short Rides is a wonderful compilation of “after HEA” glimpses of three of my favorite Rough Rider stories.

King of Hearts…I felt so bad for Cam. What a thing to have to see! Yes, he’s a veteran. Yes, he’s a deputy. Regardless of their profession, no one should have to see such horror! What I loved about this part of the book? Domini’s understanding and the purest of love pouring from their family. The very last scene had me blinking away the tears.

Rough Road…Wowzers. Chassie, Trevor, and Edgard are ALWAYS so freaking hot. It’s not because it’s a three-way relationship. It’s because of the love, understanding, and adoration that each one has for the others as individuals. And the way they parent their kids is so beautiful. It’s not one is Daddy and the other is Uncle. They’re both their fathers and it just melts me. But I admit that the first question, the first line had my temper rising. I HATE that word. It’s so ignorant. Then for it to be repeated by adults who should know better? UGH. I was so angry at those parts! However, the ending had me in tears. Gotta love it when love, romantic or familial, takes over.

All Knocked Up…had me grinning and laughing. Well until the last part of it where my heart dropped and that feeling of panic took over. I always enjoy the relationship between Keely and Jack. Their family just made me want to snuggle all of them! I love Keely’s fire so much. Jack’s adoration of his wife? That’s what so many of search for.

Lorelei James really knows how to yank those emotions right out. Whew!

Lorelei James put together this trilogy of stories for the fans of her Rough Riders Series, but it's a great collection for anyone who likes their cowboys sexy, loving, and pure of heart. While the blurb insists these are not to be read as standalone stories I claim that they can be if the reader doesn't need a lot of backstory on the many, many McKays who have become family to their fans. The plots stand alone and the characters who "live" the plots are life like and wonderful.

Anyone who knows me knows that Cam McKay is *mine*. I've loved the man since he was first introduced and continue to love his gruff sheriff deputy persona as well as the loving husband and father of a large family. In King of Hearts he discovers a gruesome small town murder suicide that causes him to doubt himself until his family grounds him.

Rough Road tells the story of a boy who is subjected to bullying based on his parents' lifestyle. You might not think a story based on family and small kids would be super sexy, but let the parents get away for a weekend alone and things heat up fast. They come home to an extended family that steps in to help solve the problem of the bullied child.

And last, but certainly not least, All Knocked Up has Keely and Jack starting, and finishing, their family. Keely is pregnant, hormonal, and not easy to live with. I loved the little peeks at what has gone on previous to this story and Keely's justification for her outrageous behavior. Super funny! It wouldn't be a Lorelei James story without some angst and when Keely goes into labor, more than once, while Jack is unavailable, sparks fly. We get a peek at her father and his love for his only daughter. Carson is another of my favorite McKays and this story cements that affection for him.

If you have read any or all of the Rough Riders Series you owe it to yourself to get this book ASAP, and if you haven't read any of them, well, you are missing the best contemporary western series I've ever read. There is a reason this series took Lorelei James to the NY Times Best Seller list more than once, and it isn't the author's huge collection of cowboy boots.