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Rough Riders #1
Rough Riders
*Previously published in the Gaymes Anthology*
Playing by different rules can lead to heartbreak, but changing the game plan can be the tiebreaker.
Luke Briscoe has a good reason to stay in the closet with his team, the Rough Riders. Bitter past experience has taught him to be cautious around athletic teams. But after Mario, his teammate and lover of ten years, leaves him, tired of the secrecy, Luke is forced to confront his fears, especially since the sexy and confident new member of the team, Derek Grimm, has no problem with being out and proud.
Derek has wanted Luke from the first moment he saw him. But he knows the timing is all wrong, and vows to let Luke have the time he needs to recover from his breakup. As time goes on, though, Derek becomes frustrated with Luke's determination to stay in the closet. Derek and Mario are out, and the team is fine with it. Why is Luke still holding back? Derek wonders if any amount of time will ever be enough. Maybe it's time to try a different game plan...
Playing by different rules can lead to heartbreak, but changing the game plan can be the tiebreaker.
Luke Briscoe has a good reason to stay in the closet with his team, the Rough Riders. Bitter past experience has taught him to be cautious around athletic teams. But after Mario, his teammate and lover of ten years, leaves him, tired of the secrecy, Luke is forced to confront his fears, especially since the sexy and confident new member of the team, Derek Grimm, has no problem with being out and proud.
Derek has wanted Luke from the first moment he saw him. But he knows the timing is all wrong, and vows to let Luke have the time he needs to recover from his breakup. As time goes on, though, Derek becomes frustrated with Luke's determination to stay in the closet. Derek and Mario are out, and the team is fine with it. Why is Luke still holding back? Derek wonders if any amount of time will ever be enough. Maybe it's time to try a different game plan...
70 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 18, 2010
1 person is currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Devon Rhodes
65 books202 followersI have always had my nose in a book and my head in the clouds!
Now I'm finally doing what I love as a career.
When I'm not lost in my imagination, you can find me in beautiful Oregon and at:
My Website: http://www.devonrhodes.com/
My Blog: http://devonrhodes.blogspot.com/
Blog with TA Chase: http://devoandtata.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/devon.rhodes
Now I'm finally doing what I love as a career.
When I'm not lost in my imagination, you can find me in beautiful Oregon and at:
My Website: http://www.devonrhodes.com/
My Blog: http://devonrhodes.blogspot.com/
Blog with TA Chase: http://devoandtata.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/devon.rhodes
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 21, 2017
I didn't hate it... I didn't love it... hmmmm....
Will see where this series goes... maybe it will grow on me! :D
Will see where this series goes... maybe it will grow on me! :D
January 28, 2013
This is a moving story about two men who’ve lost lovers; one because he wasn’t able to come out because of a bad experience in his past, the other because his ex-lover said he wanted to stay in the closet, but ended up being unfaithful. Both meet when playing for the "Rough Riders", an amateur three-sport team, of which Luke and his ex-lover are co-captains.
Luke Briscoe is so deeply in the closet that he cannot come out even when his current lover leaves him. After ten years, that is a tough realization, but it shakes him awake. He is finally forced to confront his fears when the sexy and confident new member of the team, Derek Grimm, has no problem with being out and proud. It makes Luke reconsider his stance of hiding from the world.
Derek Grimm is a new member of the team and, assuming they are all gay based on a misunderstanding, comes out. He doesn't have a problem with it, and neither have the others – most of them. He quickly falls for Luke, and while he doesn't really know what to do, he is determined to make things work between them. He is honest and courageous, and I was rooting for him all the way.
I loved this story about two men struggling with their past. Luke’s fears were so well-founded, I had doubts he’d ever be able to get over them. Derek’s patience while trying to make Luke understand how much he means to him was heart-warming. And Derek’s plan of how to wake Luke up was brilliant. This is an emotional and satisfying read, built around a couple of interesting plot twists that made my heart stop in fear for Luke more than once.
Luke Briscoe is so deeply in the closet that he cannot come out even when his current lover leaves him. After ten years, that is a tough realization, but it shakes him awake. He is finally forced to confront his fears when the sexy and confident new member of the team, Derek Grimm, has no problem with being out and proud. It makes Luke reconsider his stance of hiding from the world.
Derek Grimm is a new member of the team and, assuming they are all gay based on a misunderstanding, comes out. He doesn't have a problem with it, and neither have the others – most of them. He quickly falls for Luke, and while he doesn't really know what to do, he is determined to make things work between them. He is honest and courageous, and I was rooting for him all the way.
I loved this story about two men struggling with their past. Luke’s fears were so well-founded, I had doubts he’d ever be able to get over them. Derek’s patience while trying to make Luke understand how much he means to him was heart-warming. And Derek’s plan of how to wake Luke up was brilliant. This is an emotional and satisfying read, built around a couple of interesting plot twists that made my heart stop in fear for Luke more than once.
March 22, 2011
This is a touching story of one man’s struggle to overcome his fear in order to have the unconditional love he longs for.
Luke Briscoe is the co-captain of the Rough Riders, a recreational sports team. He’s suffering one of the worst days of his life. His co-captain, Mario, decides to quit the team and their ten year relationship. Luke has violent incident in his past that keeps him from coming out as gay to his fellow teammates and his inability to do so caused Mario to end their relationship. Only minutes after suffering this heartbreak, a ray of sunshine comes to his rescue in the form of a man, Derek Grimm.
Derek is a gay man living his life out in the open for all to see. Derek is a very confident character who doesn’t hide who he is. When he comes upon the most beautiful man he has ever seen he is taken aback by the instant attraction he feels.
Derek joins the Rough Riders and Luke is constantly fighting his attraction for the other man. Derek does his best to be a positive influence for Luke and show him it’s okay to by gay, not something to be ashamed of. What Derek doesn’t know is Luke has suffered violence his past at the hands of his college teammates when they discovered he was gay.
Unaware of Luke’s past, Derek keeps pushing him to come out so they can be together. In doing so he just keeps pushing Luke further away. Luke has to decide for himself if his fear is stronger than the love he is starting to feel towards Derek.
Rough Riders is an excellent and fast read. It is a short story but is written with enough vivid detail that you can fully relate to the characters and understand them. This is the first book I have read by Devon Rhodes and I can truly say I look forward to reading more by this author.
Originally posted at http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...
Luke Briscoe is the co-captain of the Rough Riders, a recreational sports team. He’s suffering one of the worst days of his life. His co-captain, Mario, decides to quit the team and their ten year relationship. Luke has violent incident in his past that keeps him from coming out as gay to his fellow teammates and his inability to do so caused Mario to end their relationship. Only minutes after suffering this heartbreak, a ray of sunshine comes to his rescue in the form of a man, Derek Grimm.
Derek is a gay man living his life out in the open for all to see. Derek is a very confident character who doesn’t hide who he is. When he comes upon the most beautiful man he has ever seen he is taken aback by the instant attraction he feels.
Derek joins the Rough Riders and Luke is constantly fighting his attraction for the other man. Derek does his best to be a positive influence for Luke and show him it’s okay to by gay, not something to be ashamed of. What Derek doesn’t know is Luke has suffered violence his past at the hands of his college teammates when they discovered he was gay.
Unaware of Luke’s past, Derek keeps pushing him to come out so they can be together. In doing so he just keeps pushing Luke further away. Luke has to decide for himself if his fear is stronger than the love he is starting to feel towards Derek.
Rough Riders is an excellent and fast read. It is a short story but is written with enough vivid detail that you can fully relate to the characters and understand them. This is the first book I have read by Devon Rhodes and I can truly say I look forward to reading more by this author.
Originally posted at http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...
November 9, 2010
Author, Andre Gide, wrote, “There are very few monsters who warrant the fear we have of them.” This is good advice for everyone, but it's especially pertinent to Luke Briscoe, the main character in 'Rough Riders' by Devon Rhodes. Imagine, if you will, the most glorious puzzle ever invented, except for one problem, the puzzle is missing pieces. Luke is trying to complete his puzzle by forcing pieces which were readily available, but didn't quite fit. Without the right pieces, the puzzle could never be finished. Luke knew there were pieces missing, but wasn't even sure what they were. Fear was keeping him in the dark making him worry that there were monsters under the bed. It stops him from being brave enough to search for what his heart tells him he needs. Until he could make that leap of faith, his puzzle would remain forever incomplete.
'Rough Riders' is a witty, touching romance with clearly defined characters with whom I became emotionally invested right away. This is certainly no small task for a short story, however Devon Rhodes did it with finesse. 'Rough Riders' was my first story by Devon Rhodes but it will most certainly not be my last.
NOTE: This book was provided by Total-E-Bound for the purpose of a review on Queer Magazine Online
November 8, 2010
I really enjoyed reading this. It is short, but a very satisfying read. The characters come alive quickly and the story progresses smoothly. I felt very sorry for poor Mario, but hopefully he'll find a love of his own later, because Luke and Derek are perfect.
February 22, 2013
4.25 Stars.
Review Originally Published here: http://joyfullyjay.com/2013/03/review...
Luke and Mario are co-captains of the Rough Riders, a popular athletic team that participates in three different sports throughout the year. When Mario dumps Luke one day before practice, Derek happens to be jogging by. He’s immediately attracted to Luke and quickly realizes he is also the captain of the team he wishes to join. Luke invites Derek to the practice and he soon becomes an indispensable part of the team.
Luke is gay and, due to a horrible experience many years ago, is terrified of coming out of the closet to his team. Because Mario is so frustrated with living a lie, he thinks breaking up with Luke will get him to admit that he is gay to the team in order to win Mario back. Instead, it has the opposite effect. Luke turns to Derek instead and finds he has feelings for him that he never had even in his 10-year relationship with Mario. Derek recently broke up with a closeted boyfriend and won’t play Luke’s game for long. Luke has to decide if he’s going to let Derek go to keep his sexuality hidden or if he’s willing to risk it all for a chance at love.
Rough Riders is a short, entertaining read with the added benefit of some sweaty, ripped athletes. My heart went out to Luke, who is dealing with a traumatic event from his past and I found Derek the perfect person to help him heal. Mario was a bit of an ass at first, but once I understood his intent, I loved him as well. I love team sports. (*sigh*) The camaraderie of the team showed in their playful banter, and it doesn’t hurt a bit when there’s a locker room shower scene involved.
This book did suffer from a bout of insta-love. Luke was in a relationship with Mario for ten years and never told him he loved him, yet after only a short while with Derek, he knows he’s in love. An unfortunate side effect of a novella is that there’s not much time to allow a relationship to develop, so when the declaration of love comes so quickly, it seems unrealistic. Do I believe Derek and Luke belong together? Absolutely. I just wish they could’ve spent more time together before the HEA.
Along with a hasty rush to confess their undying love for each other, I was also a little bit bugged by the coming out part of the book. The premise of the story is that Luke cannot come out of the closet, yet it’s resolved in a rather anticlimactic manner. It seemed a flimsy foundation on which to base the main conflict of the book.
All in all, though, I really enjoyed this short novella. It’s easy to read and is sweet and light. It’s also steamy and satisfying. While there are some elements of the plot that didn’t sit particularly well with me, I still had a great time reading it. And I’d love to be in the stands to watch these men play
Review Originally Published here: http://joyfullyjay.com/2013/03/review...
Luke and Mario are co-captains of the Rough Riders, a popular athletic team that participates in three different sports throughout the year. When Mario dumps Luke one day before practice, Derek happens to be jogging by. He’s immediately attracted to Luke and quickly realizes he is also the captain of the team he wishes to join. Luke invites Derek to the practice and he soon becomes an indispensable part of the team.
Luke is gay and, due to a horrible experience many years ago, is terrified of coming out of the closet to his team. Because Mario is so frustrated with living a lie, he thinks breaking up with Luke will get him to admit that he is gay to the team in order to win Mario back. Instead, it has the opposite effect. Luke turns to Derek instead and finds he has feelings for him that he never had even in his 10-year relationship with Mario. Derek recently broke up with a closeted boyfriend and won’t play Luke’s game for long. Luke has to decide if he’s going to let Derek go to keep his sexuality hidden or if he’s willing to risk it all for a chance at love.
Rough Riders is a short, entertaining read with the added benefit of some sweaty, ripped athletes. My heart went out to Luke, who is dealing with a traumatic event from his past and I found Derek the perfect person to help him heal. Mario was a bit of an ass at first, but once I understood his intent, I loved him as well. I love team sports. (*sigh*) The camaraderie of the team showed in their playful banter, and it doesn’t hurt a bit when there’s a locker room shower scene involved.
This book did suffer from a bout of insta-love. Luke was in a relationship with Mario for ten years and never told him he loved him, yet after only a short while with Derek, he knows he’s in love. An unfortunate side effect of a novella is that there’s not much time to allow a relationship to develop, so when the declaration of love comes so quickly, it seems unrealistic. Do I believe Derek and Luke belong together? Absolutely. I just wish they could’ve spent more time together before the HEA.
Along with a hasty rush to confess their undying love for each other, I was also a little bit bugged by the coming out part of the book. The premise of the story is that Luke cannot come out of the closet, yet it’s resolved in a rather anticlimactic manner. It seemed a flimsy foundation on which to base the main conflict of the book.
All in all, though, I really enjoyed this short novella. It’s easy to read and is sweet and light. It’s also steamy and satisfying. While there are some elements of the plot that didn’t sit particularly well with me, I still had a great time reading it. And I’d love to be in the stands to watch these men play
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January 24, 2023A really quick story featuring Luke, very much in the closet due to a past trauma, who breaks up with Mario after 10 years. In steps Derek, very much out, who joins their sports team. Luke challenges the way he is leading his life after realising what he feels for Derek is very different to the old comfort of Mario.
This is not an in depth emotional journey, rather a lighter focus on the issue of coming out of the closet, however it is handled well.
I would recommend reading the second book immediately after finishing this one as they are both short reads. The second book gives Mario his HEA.
This is not an in depth emotional journey, rather a lighter focus on the issue of coming out of the closet, however it is handled well.
I would recommend reading the second book immediately after finishing this one as they are both short reads. The second book gives Mario his HEA.
December 17, 2011
Rough Riders is a well written, easily read book that has just the right amount of pages. While I usually bemoan low page count books, I think that this book wore its shortness well. The plot is treated well, but there is nothing new or inventive about it. The characters are likable, but there is some inconsistency in their actions. Regardless of these issues, Rough Riders is nice book. I give it three stars.
March 23, 2011
This is a fast moving romance between a fun loving open hunk and a deeply closeted man who must come to terms with his fears and an incident in his past in order to allow himself to love openly. It's a novella so things move quickly but the characters are developed decently enough though, of course, it would've been much better had the story been longer.
September 4, 2020
Read as part of Gaymes anthology
August 31, 2012
3,5* read in the Gaymes Anthology.
October 21, 2012
Amazing book! The character development is great! You really get into who the main characters are and fall in love with them and their story. :-)
February 25, 2013
2.5 stars.
May 9, 2013
I couldn't get a feel for these characters. The book moved way too fast and the ending of a 10 yr relationship was handled just oddly. Like no biggie. Not a bad read just not good either.
October 12, 2014
3.75 stars
January 23, 2015
This was such a good story. Looking forward to Book 2
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews