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The Roughnecks #3
Rough Tumble
Rough Tumble. Book 3 of 3 of The Roughnecks
Having her fiancé confess through email that he married another girl while away was humiliating enough. Telling the small town she lived the truth was something Tonya just couldn’t face. With her ex in the military, it seemed easy to let everyone think they were still together. Just for a little while. Except a little while snowballed into a huge lie she didn’t know how to get out of.
Fast-forward through time and Tonya’s restless, lonely, and unsure how to fix her lie. To add to that, she’s finding her best friend, Trent Iverson, more and more attractive.
When Tonya confesses the truth, Trent feels like his life is finally on the right path. The girl he’s admired and secretly wanted for so long is single. Just one problem. After a past filled with lies, Trent isn’t sure if he can look beyond Tonya’s deception so they can have a future.
46,700-words
Having her fiancé confess through email that he married another girl while away was humiliating enough. Telling the small town she lived the truth was something Tonya just couldn’t face. With her ex in the military, it seemed easy to let everyone think they were still together. Just for a little while. Except a little while snowballed into a huge lie she didn’t know how to get out of.
Fast-forward through time and Tonya’s restless, lonely, and unsure how to fix her lie. To add to that, she’s finding her best friend, Trent Iverson, more and more attractive.
When Tonya confesses the truth, Trent feels like his life is finally on the right path. The girl he’s admired and secretly wanted for so long is single. Just one problem. After a past filled with lies, Trent isn’t sure if he can look beyond Tonya’s deception so they can have a future.
46,700-words
- GenresContemporary Romance
Unknown Binding
First published November 1, 2012
2 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Keri Ford
30 books174 followersKeri Ford brings sexy contemporary romance to the American South. With a sprinkling of men in suits and women in high heels, you’ll most likely find four-wheeler riding, ball cap wearing fellas trying to sweet-talk sundress wearing ladies in Keri’s books. Glass of sweet tea at your elbow while you read is not required, but strongly recommended.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 13, 2012
When I received this book I already had 5 books due for review but, I did the naughty thing and tossed them all aside to read this – I just couldn’t wait.
This is my first book by this author – This book does reference characters from the previous 2 books in the roughneck series but it can stand alone. Also I noticed she has another series – all of which are now on my TBR shelf. This short novella is complete with fantastic characters – the tension between Tonya & Trent is perfectly constructed; the drama between them is often caused by insecurities and doubt. My favorite thing, other than the romance, was that the author gave an incredible amount of depth to her characters – so much that they often surprised me. There were sides to Trent that were completely unexpected (I am not going to spoil it for you) – I loved it!
Disclosure: This ebook was provided to me free of charge through NetGalley for the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments, and ratings are my own.
This is my first book by this author – This book does reference characters from the previous 2 books in the roughneck series but it can stand alone. Also I noticed she has another series – all of which are now on my TBR shelf. This short novella is complete with fantastic characters – the tension between Tonya & Trent is perfectly constructed; the drama between them is often caused by insecurities and doubt. My favorite thing, other than the romance, was that the author gave an incredible amount of depth to her characters – so much that they often surprised me. There were sides to Trent that were completely unexpected (I am not going to spoil it for you) – I loved it!
Disclosure: This ebook was provided to me free of charge through NetGalley for the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments, and ratings are my own.
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November 6, 2012OOOMMGGG!!!! I JUST WON AN ARC OF ROUGH TUMBLE FROM THE AWESOME KERI!!!! *SQUEAL* THANK YOU!!!!!
December 17, 2012
Tonya and Trent have been friends for over a year now. While Trent’s two brothers and Tonya’s two best girlfriends have hooked up, moving forward with their lives and getting married, Trent and Tonya have remained solidly in the friend zone. Tonya has a boyfriend who is away in the military, and Trent totally respects that situation.
Trent is carrying around a lot of baggage. He’d been hurt badly in a previous relationship and it’s shaped how he views all women. His biggest problem is his inability to trust a woman. He expects her to fail him, in every way. Tonya is safe, because she has a boyfriend and she’s been completely faithful to him while he’s been away. This is a quality Trent admires in Tonya so he’s content with the friendship and being there for her in every platonic way.
Unfortunately for Tonya, the one thing that Trent admires most about her is about to blow up in her face. There is no boyfriend in the military. He broke up with her in an email two months after leaving Tonya when he met someone else and got her pregnant. Tonya didn’t know how to tell anyone what a scumbag he’d been so she just let everyone go on believing they were still together.
Now over a year later, Tonya is regretting that decision as her feelings for Trent stray far away from the friendship they’ve shared. She wants more, but she knows that when she tells him the truth, she stands the chance of losing him for good.
Of the three books in this series, Rough Tumble was probably my least favorite. I didn’t like Trent very much. We know Trent was hurt in a previous relationship, but we don’t get many details about exactly what happened until later in the story, so it’s hard to understand his stance on relationships. Because of this, I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that he had hardened his heart and put up so many walls around himself that he literally expected every single woman that came into his life to hurt him in the same way. I can understand being leery and cautious, but to all out expect someone to betray you didn’t work for me.
Tonya’s “fake” boyfriend had come up in the previous two books and by the time we get to Rough Tumble everyone in their small circle knows Tonya’s secret except Trent. I found this difficult to believe. That everyone perpetrated the lie over such a long period of time didn’t work for me. I can’t imagine pretending to have a boyfriend just because you were embarrassed and didn’t know how to tell the town what he had done. How is that a reflection on you? He’s the one that was unfaithful. He made that choice. He’s the bad guy. Not you.
Once Tonya’s secret is out, things do move rather quickly between Trent and Tonya and considering page length, I was okay with this. Trent is still cautious, but once he realizes how he feels about Tonya and that she feels the same way, these two aren’t going to waste any time. They’ve been hungry for each other for a year and they have a lot of time to make up for. But Trent won’t open himself up to Tonya, not in the way she has, and his attempt to keep his past in the past just keeps that wall up around him because he thinks he’ll be safer that way. But I see how it was a necessary evil because it sets up Trent for the conflict the author introduces to test the relationship.
With all that, though, there were parts of this story and this series that I truly enjoyed. Most especially it is the relationship between the three heroines of this series, Gretchen, Flora and Tonya. These three strong women, who are independent, smart and courageous, have been there for each other in one way or another over a period of time. Together they have forged a strong bond of friendship that was only enhanced by the relationships they found with the men they let into their hearts.
I also loved the fact that these women were not afraid to eat. Their love of pie and their pie eating contests made for many humorous moments throughout the series. The camaraderie among the three women would stand the test of time as long as there was pie or the occasional pitcher of Sangria. I really liked that their bond remained important even after they fell in love and married.
While I had definite issues with Trent’s character, in the end, it was the realizations that Trent made that pulled the story together for me. His love for Tonya becoming more important than the worries and fears he had harbored for so many years.
Trent is carrying around a lot of baggage. He’d been hurt badly in a previous relationship and it’s shaped how he views all women. His biggest problem is his inability to trust a woman. He expects her to fail him, in every way. Tonya is safe, because she has a boyfriend and she’s been completely faithful to him while he’s been away. This is a quality Trent admires in Tonya so he’s content with the friendship and being there for her in every platonic way.
Unfortunately for Tonya, the one thing that Trent admires most about her is about to blow up in her face. There is no boyfriend in the military. He broke up with her in an email two months after leaving Tonya when he met someone else and got her pregnant. Tonya didn’t know how to tell anyone what a scumbag he’d been so she just let everyone go on believing they were still together.
Now over a year later, Tonya is regretting that decision as her feelings for Trent stray far away from the friendship they’ve shared. She wants more, but she knows that when she tells him the truth, she stands the chance of losing him for good.
Of the three books in this series, Rough Tumble was probably my least favorite. I didn’t like Trent very much. We know Trent was hurt in a previous relationship, but we don’t get many details about exactly what happened until later in the story, so it’s hard to understand his stance on relationships. Because of this, I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that he had hardened his heart and put up so many walls around himself that he literally expected every single woman that came into his life to hurt him in the same way. I can understand being leery and cautious, but to all out expect someone to betray you didn’t work for me.
Tonya’s “fake” boyfriend had come up in the previous two books and by the time we get to Rough Tumble everyone in their small circle knows Tonya’s secret except Trent. I found this difficult to believe. That everyone perpetrated the lie over such a long period of time didn’t work for me. I can’t imagine pretending to have a boyfriend just because you were embarrassed and didn’t know how to tell the town what he had done. How is that a reflection on you? He’s the one that was unfaithful. He made that choice. He’s the bad guy. Not you.
Once Tonya’s secret is out, things do move rather quickly between Trent and Tonya and considering page length, I was okay with this. Trent is still cautious, but once he realizes how he feels about Tonya and that she feels the same way, these two aren’t going to waste any time. They’ve been hungry for each other for a year and they have a lot of time to make up for. But Trent won’t open himself up to Tonya, not in the way she has, and his attempt to keep his past in the past just keeps that wall up around him because he thinks he’ll be safer that way. But I see how it was a necessary evil because it sets up Trent for the conflict the author introduces to test the relationship.
With all that, though, there were parts of this story and this series that I truly enjoyed. Most especially it is the relationship between the three heroines of this series, Gretchen, Flora and Tonya. These three strong women, who are independent, smart and courageous, have been there for each other in one way or another over a period of time. Together they have forged a strong bond of friendship that was only enhanced by the relationships they found with the men they let into their hearts.
I also loved the fact that these women were not afraid to eat. Their love of pie and their pie eating contests made for many humorous moments throughout the series. The camaraderie among the three women would stand the test of time as long as there was pie or the occasional pitcher of Sangria. I really liked that their bond remained important even after they fell in love and married.
While I had definite issues with Trent’s character, in the end, it was the realizations that Trent made that pulled the story together for me. His love for Tonya becoming more important than the worries and fears he had harbored for so many years.
July 4, 2014
Roughnecks, book 3
Trent & Tonya's story
Trent is the oldest triplet & oldest of the four boys. He lives in Gretchen's trailer part & is "best friends" with diner owner Tonya. He had a bad relationship years back & it tends to cloud his perspective and judgement.
Tonya's best friends, Gretchen & Flora, are moving on with their lives by taking the next steps in their respective relationships. This leaves Tonya feeling like she's stalemated & treading water. A humiliating "Email of Dooom" and a few small cover stories turned into a huge imaginary life that she no longer wants to live.
Although this one was also short, I enjoyed it. Neither character was annoyingly whiny or so hung up on their issues that irritation was the main focus. Trent had his issues, he was justifiably labeled the jackass & some tough love showed him a better path to travel.
Trent & Tonya's story
Trent is the oldest triplet & oldest of the four boys. He lives in Gretchen's trailer part & is "best friends" with diner owner Tonya. He had a bad relationship years back & it tends to cloud his perspective and judgement.
Tonya's best friends, Gretchen & Flora, are moving on with their lives by taking the next steps in their respective relationships. This leaves Tonya feeling like she's stalemated & treading water. A humiliating "Email of Dooom" and a few small cover stories turned into a huge imaginary life that she no longer wants to live.
Although this one was also short, I enjoyed it. Neither character was annoyingly whiny or so hung up on their issues that irritation was the main focus. Trent had his issues, he was justifiably labeled the jackass & some tough love showed him a better path to travel.
December 4, 2012
This one didn't do it for me as much as the other Roughnecks books. It just didn't feel flushed out enough. I wanted to see more of their relationship before things went to hell. I definitely like this author's voice though, and am excited she'll be releasing a full-length novel with Carina. Also--as a copy editor, I couldn't believe how many typos there were! Keri--I'll copy edit your books for free!!
OH also, I really like the women's friendship in this series. Their dialogue is genuine, which I find lacking in a lot of contemps. They're not all "hey girl, let's eat chocolate ice cream cause our men were mean to us." They have pie eating contests cause pie is delicious. Very refreshing!
OH also, I really like the women's friendship in this series. Their dialogue is genuine, which I find lacking in a lot of contemps. They're not all "hey girl, let's eat chocolate ice cream cause our men were mean to us." They have pie eating contests cause pie is delicious. Very refreshing!
November 17, 2012
I was so excited for Tonya and Trent's story. Probably because they've been such a part of the first two books. Then I decided Trent is a stalker. Very possessive. I had a hard time liking him. I just wanted to punch him through most of the book. Loved the series. Great characters. I will always love Flora the most. I loved them all, even Trent!
November 15, 2012
Bittersweet, hate the end of a series:( Needed a KA epilogue to wrap up everyone's storyline...
November 25, 2012
review soon :)
October 11, 2014
Disappointed - Loved rest of series, but not this one. I don't think the Hero could heal his "controlling" issues this way or this quickly.
January 2, 2013
I really enjoyed these books. Like the family dynamic and the hot guys of course.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews