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Rough Riders #5

Rough, Raw and Ready

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A reverse harem (why choose), grumpy/sunshine, multicultural, small town romance from NY Times Bestselling author Lorelei James.

When passion turns into love, three is never a crowd.

A year of wedded bliss to sexy-as-sin cowboy Trevor Glanzer has gifted Chassie West Glanzer happiness and contentment she didn’t expect to find. But when Trevor’s old roping partner ambles up the driveway, Chassie’s life is thrown into chaos.

Trevor never expected to see Edgard Mancuso again, after it became clear he couldn’t be the man Edgard needed. Trevor is head-over-heels in love with his sweet, feisty wife, but with Edgard comes never forgotten feelings, and he is dreading Chassie’s reaction when she learns Edgard has returned to sort out their tangled past.

Edgard wasn’t sure how he’d feel about Trevor’s wife, but the more time he spends with the big-hearted cowgirl, the deeper their connection becomes. Soon the three of them test intimate boundaries together and discover old heartbreaks are no match for their unbridled hunger.

Is the newly formed threesome’s love strong enough to overcome the obstacles that threaten their future?

300 pages, ebook

First published November 4, 2008

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About the author

Lorelei James

113 books8,181 followers
Lorelei James is New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary erotic westerns and erotic romances. She lives in western South Dakota.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 553 reviews
Profile Image for Jen.
1,559 reviews
April 27, 2011
While I normally enjoy the Rough Riders series, I did not like this book. At all. Generally, I prefer my HEA to be between 2 people however I have read some very good menage HEA's that the author has really written well. Those have worked for me. This one did not.

I felt like Trevor was dishonest and a cheating bastard. If I came upon my husband kissing someone else, whether man, woman or horse, I would be PISSED. That is cheating to me. It doesn't matter what the sex. Chassie just seemed to take it all in stride. Oh, what can I do to keep this man? Accept that he has to bone someone else? Sure why not?

I like a menage relationship where all parties are given a choice, a decision. Chassie had no choice here. This was kind of forced upon her and if she wanted Trevor good old Ed had to come along too.

And the scene where she gave them permission to finally act on their desires- well it made me ill. The fell on each other like two pigs that had been starved of their slop. Like Trevor's wife wasn't just sitting right there. I have to stop thinking about this book. It makes me angry.
Profile Image for Dinjolina.
534 reviews526 followers
February 25, 2012
Wow. A very disturbing book. A menage book I didn’t like! This was a first, because it was well written and had nicely implemented drama. All this aside there was one thing I can never stomach when it comes to a tree way relationship-when I feel it’s a crowd.
Also, this book contained my second deal breaker for ménage fiction-the feel that somebody in a mm relationship is not gay. Or bi. Or what ever.

But first let me quote this:

“I know. It’s just sometimes, right after we’d made love or had sex or whatever,
you’d get this far off look in your eye. You didn’t realize you even did it. Bein’ paranoid,
I had it in my mind that I hadn’t measured up and you were disappointed in me in bed
and didn’t want to say anything.”
“Chassie, baby, you know that’s not—”
“Let me finish.” Chassie mustered the courage to look in Trevor’s eyes. “Today,
after seein’ this, I realize that was wrong. You weren’t critiquing my performance. You
weren’t even thinkin’ about me, were you?”
He briefly squeezed his eyes shut and blinked them open. “Fuck. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Like I said, I’m more relieved than anything.”
“Relieved? That I was thinkin’ about another…man?”


This? This is a crowd. And relieved? Really? This is one sick woman if she feels no jealousy. No, wait! This is fiction. And if she is ok with this, then she is badly written. Because there is no women out there, or man, to be frank, that is happy to find out that his lover, a person he is committed to was thinking about somebody else after having sex with them.
It’s just kind of twisted and,and,and... not nice!
Also, lets just hold up.
Why would he think about him?
It has been years.
He found an other person he loved.
He was happy.
Forget about Ed being a guy. Forget he now had a wife.
Think of it this way…you loved somebody. You broke up. You had a very hard time. A lot of time passed. But then you meet this other super person. You get married. You start a life together. You love this person more than anything. Why would you EVER think about the ex lover? I am a firm believer that this is unnatural. If you are still thinking about this other person you are not committed to your new relationship. Plus lets face it. Nobody pines forever. Nobody is that special. We are all very un-unique. We can all be replaced. Forgotten. So how and why is this person always thinking about an ex lover? The author wants us to think it is because he is a man. And Trev there needs both to be complete. Well that is just prejudicial, right there! Why should your sex decide the amount of possibility that you are to be remembered?

Also, regarding the previous stated…I could really feel the love Trev had for Chass. It was there, it was very palpable and real. But there is still Ed, right? Wrong. Yes, wrong. Trev never felt gay. I read the words, but his longing for Ed always fell flat. Even in the previous books.
It seems like he always goes in to a kind of theatrics ‘Oh,Ed,yes,ED,YES!!!!’ He never really says this but all of Trev’s thinking about Ed have that fake screaming sound you hear in porn movies. This would be bad enough when it comes to sex, but the problem was I heard it the same way when it was about feelings and love. Like somebody got a really straight actor that had no idea what do to with this kind of situation, and told him ‘So ok, you love this dude,…show us, make us see it..Here these are your lines..’ he never made me see it. And then on top of all that Trev states ‘I am not gay it’s just about Ed.’ Ahhhh…the friendship factor. I hate the friendship factor. Sexual attraction and passion is not really about this. The friendship factor can and will make love more powerful and lasting, but sex? No. Friendship is not a catalysis for sex.

He and Edgard had been good friends before becoming lovers,
sharing everything, from their love of playing practical jokes, to ways to stave off
boredom on the range. Although their life stories were vastly different, they’d clicked.
After spending eight years on the circuit surrounded my men, Trevor admitted to himself
that he needed male companionship. Chassie was great, but he missed that macho bullshit
and competitiveness he’d gotten from his rodeo buddies.


FRIENDSHIP! COMPANIONSHIP! It seems the author uses the words but does not apply them as she should. She makes people that have similar interests be in love. Not all are. I like running. That does not make me in love with my dog that goes with me. Also, she seems to tell us that if a man and woman live on a farm his gay side will pop up because he misses his mates. Eeeeh…what?

He’d liked having Edgard to tool around with in the truck. Fixing equipment, doing
shit work that Chassie shouldn’t have to deal with—though she’d pop him upside the
head for hinting she had less guts than any man. Lord. He’d really missed that “buddy”
part of his relationship with Edgard and it’d be worse once Edgard left.


He liked to fix stuff with him? This is why they are now lovers?
Man oh man…I gotta keep an eye on that dude that goes fishing with my fiancé! I mean, lets face it, I can not fish worth damn! And how can you not want to have sex with people that fix cars or fish?

I have read and like all of the Brothers in arm series. There are my favourit MMF books out there. All of the male friends in these books end up together. It’s very weird. And most of them go ‘Its not about men its about this one person that was my good friend’. That was the only thing that bugged me then and it buggs me now. I have friends. Good friends feel like family. They do not make you gay. They don’t make you straight either. Also in the real world when a straight man has a good friend and this good friend kisses him after hanging out, being cool…there would be blows. And possibly blood. Sure, sure…maybe I can not understand. People tell me: you are not a man and you never wanted a man as a man. Oh…nice. It makes me think about the tv series 'Brothers and sisters' where one gay brother is talking to some other person yapping on about him not understanding and he says ‘You must be more gay than me.’. So there…are you more straight than others? Are you more gay or bi? You are not. We are all alike.
So this book? It was fiction. Sure, all of it is fiction. But you know a bad line is crossed when it feels like fantasy or a whim.

P.S. Domini? This is what made this book lose one more star. Domini the Bosnian? Somebody from Bosnia is called Domini? Uh, hello,was it too big a problem to google Bosnian or just plain Balkan names, you idiot? It’s not even similar to any kind of name of any nationalyti in Bosnia. Not even Hungarians! Gah! Or she is maybe Ukrainian. Yeah..ok…not their name either! Sheeesh!
Profile Image for Shawna.
3,642 reviews4,707 followers
February 4, 2010
5+ stars – Contemporary/Western Romance/Erotica/BDSM/Ménage

Ms. Lorelei James, I humbly kiss your cowgirl boots!

The Rough Riders is one of my very favorite erotic romance series and the books just keep getting impossibly better. I thought Cowgirl Up and Ride couldn’t be topped, but then Tied Up, Tied Down proved me wrong. I once again believed that the bar was set so high that it couldn’t be beat, but I should have known better because Rough, Raw and Ready IMO is the best yet.

Ever since Long Hard Ride introduced hot rodeo circuit cowboys and roping partners Trevor Glanzer and Edgard Mancuso, who were lovers in secret and ultimately driven apart, I’ve been anxiously awaiting their reunion story, and boy does it pack an emotional, erotic wallop.

“...Torn between the love he has...and the love he’s always wanted.”

Chassie and Trevor Glanzer are newly, happily married and working hard to try and make a go of her family’s neglected, struggling ranch. Even though they’re stressed financially and Chassie lives with the knowledge (and country gossip) of her husband’s wild sexual past and numerous ménage escapades from his former rodeo circuit days, their marriage is solid and she believes wholeheartedly in his love and devotion to her.

But when Trevor’s former best friend, rodeo roping partner, and secret lover, hot-as-sin Brazilian cowboy Edgard, shows up unexpectedly and is determined to win Trevor back—things get all kinds of shook up for the happily married couple, especially for Chassie who was completely in the dark about her husband’s man lovin’ days with Edgard.

Chassie thought she knew everything there was to know about Trevor’s past sexual exploits, yet she never anticipated that his long denied and deep-rooted love for another man would come between them. But she’s not giving up on her husband or their marriage without a fight, and she’s willing to use rather unconventional methods to save their love.

Unlike a lot of ménage tales that are about the characters wanting to dip their hands in the threesome cookie jar to sample something on the naughty, forbidden menu, this story is thought provoking and actually focuses on the emotion and motivation behind the character’s decisions and the consequences of their choices.

Chassie’s brother Dag, who died in a tragic alcohol related ranch accident, suffered from depression related to his closet homosexual lifestyle, and Chassie lives with the constant regret of wondering how things might have turned out differently had she confronted him about hiding his true sexuality. She knows Trevor loves her, but if he denies the part of himself that loves and longs for Edgard, can he ever be honest, truly happy, whole, and totally committed to her? And if Chassie can’t accept the part of Trevor that loves and needs Edgard, then does she really love him? Can Chassie, Trevor, and Edgard find a way to turn their friendship, passion, and love into a unified, lasting relationship that makes them all happy, and that can stand against the scrutiny, judgment, and intolerance of others?

I loved all three flawed, yet lovable characters in this story, and the emotional intensity and passion between them is palpable and realistic. Chassie and Trevor’s love is deep and heartfelt, and the multitude of unresolved feelings (desire, longing, anger, love, and regret) between Trevor and Edgard are believable and powerful. Even the friendship, respect, and ultimately love that develops between Chassie and Edgard is sweet and touching. Chassie is such a great heroine; she’s sweet, strong, caring, understanding, wise, and a real spitfire, and she manages to hold her own with two stubborn, hardheaded, alpha cowboys.

I love ménage stories, and the fact that this is a m/m/f ménage that features some habanero hot sex between two deliciously buff, yummy, studtastic cowboys made me feel totally Christmas morning giddy! Add a spirited, relatable, endearing heroine to the mix, and it’s just an all around delectable treat in my book!

It’s a scorching hawt and emotionally moving romance that tugs the heartstrings—and that will have you turning down the A/C and daydreaming about being the center of a hunktastic Trevgard cowboy yumgasm sandwich! I can’t wait for the next installment in this amazingly good, smokin’ hot series! Big 5 spurs (I mean stars)!

How about this beautiful hunk for Edgard?

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Profile Image for Auntee.
1,333 reviews1,442 followers
August 24, 2009
Oh boy, what to say...I really enjoyed this one, maybe a little more than I thought I would, which shouldn't have surprised me. I mean, Lorelei James is one of the few authors who can have me finishing a book in one day, so she must be doing something right. There's just something about her writing style that makes reading her books almost effortless. It's probably a combination of her realistic dialogue, her plots, her flawed but always likable characters, the pacing... not to mention her scorching hot sex scenes that have you turning the pages as fast as you can read them! Rough, Raw and Ready was another winner in the Rough Riders series, and while it may not have been my favorite, it was a darn good read.

This was former rodeo cowboy Trevor Glanzer and his new wife Chassie West's story. Chassie is the half Native American cousin to the more prosperous McKay family (who stars in the rest of the stories in the series). Chassie's had sort of a rough life filled with heartache and family and financial problems, but things start looking up when Trevor Glanzer comes into her life and helps share some of her burdens and helps her make a go of it with the little ranch that she inherited. They fall in love, get married, and even though money's tight, they have each other and are very happy. Trevor's retired from the rodeo and only wants to have a place to call home and a family of his own (to make up for the crazy dysfunctional family he comes from), and he loves his feisty new wife dearly. But when a blast from his past shows up on their doorstep, things are about to change big time, and his future with Chassie may be threatened.

Trevor never thought he'd see his old rodeo roping partner and lover, Brazilian hottie Edgard Mancuso, again, not after they had a painful breakup over 3 years ago. Edgard left him after Trevor couldn't give him the public acknowledgement that he wanted, and although it hurt him terribly, Trevor thought he put all those feelings he had for Edgard behind him when he married Chassie. But one look again at the dark haired, sexy hunk has him feeling all kind of confusing things. He loves his wife Chassie, but Edgard also owns a piece of his heart. How could he have both of them? Would Chassie be willing to share him with another man? Should he let Edgard walk out of his life again? What about all the hopes and dreams that he and Chassie have? Would there be any room for Edgard in those plans? There's no way Trevor wants to lose Chassie, but he never told her about his past with Edgard. What will Chassie think? What will sweet Chassie do when he tells her?

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! Imagine being in Chassie's shoes. You're blissfully in love with your sexy hunk of a husband, you can't believe this sex god has fallen for ordinary you, things are finally going right in what has been a disappointing life...and you find out your husband has been keeping one whopper of a secret from you. How would you handle it? Give him the boot? Tell him to make a choice between you or the old boyfriend? Or see if there's a way to preserve the marriage between you and the man you still love (and who still loves you), by accepting what's going to make him truly happy and give him (and possibly you) a sense of completion.

That's about the gist of this story--can Chassie, Trevor, and Edgard forge some kind of relationship that works for all of them? Well, it doesn't take long--after Chassie gets some advice from a woman who experienced both Trevor and Edgard in her wilder days (that would be Channing McKay from Long Hard Ride)-- that Chassie decides to take matters into her own hands and proposes that her husband and Edgard get it on right in front of her (I guess to see if she can take it--kind of masochistic, I thought). But what do you know, she's turned on by their rather rough man lovin'--this just might work after all! Yes, yes, there's a few problems to work out (Is she jealous of Edgard, is he jealous of her, is Trevor jealous of the blossoming relationship between Chassie and Edgard, does Chassie enjoy being the 'filling' in their sandwich (yes!), is it more than just sex between this very lusty trio, what will the families think, do they hide the relationship, etc.) All these potential problems are dealt with and handled very well in the story, in between all the bouts of lusty lovemaking in every perceivable way, combination, and position, I might add. By the end of the story, all three learn a lot about themselves and each other, and what it means to love unconditionally, and to realize that you only get one life to live and you want to make darn sure you live it without regrets.

I really came to care for all three of these characters. I loved Chassie right off the bat. She had a hard life and had a big heart and I wanted to see her happy. And when Edgard showed up on her doorstep, I wanted to say "No, turn around and go away!" But then I saw how miserable Edgard was without Trevor, how truly alone he was, and how he and Chassie hit it off, (I loved when he bought her a goat), and I started to think that maybe he'd be good for Chassie too--maybe he can give her something that Trevor can't. And when he was attracted to her physically...well that just sealed the deal for me!

At first I wasn't too happy with Trevor--he should have never kept that secret from Chassie. And when Chassie gave them the go ahead to 'get busy', it was almost laughable when they practically attacked each other before the words were barely out of her mouth. "Their mouths met in a furious kiss. Trevor trapped Edgard's face in his hands. He inhaled Ed's whole mouth like a sumptuous feast, making up for the mere crumbs he'd tasted the day before..." Jeez, their man-love was animalistic! (That was just the prelude) But, I never felt that Trevor loved Edgard more than Chassie, which was important, because I didn't want to see her get shortchanged. And trust me, she didn't. In fact, I think she had all the lovin' she could handle.

Things got a little dicey when Trevor had to make a decision about whether he was going to take over his disgustingly dysfunctional family's business (wow, his family was mean!), or stick with the less prosperous but far happier plan of making a go of it with Chassie and Edgard. Not too hard of a choice there...

I must warn that there's lots of sex in this book, maybe more so than in LJ's other books in the series, and most of it is of the menage kind, although there's a bit of exclusive m/f and m/m. No doubt most of it is plenty hot, but it could push some readers far out of their comfort zones. Just when I thought that maybe I'd had enough and was thinking about skimming, LJ got back on track with the plot (which I really enjoyed) and no skimming was needed!

I also enjoyed the little preview/setup for one of the next books that's obviously going to be about wounded war hero Cam McKay. It was nice to also get a glimpse back into the McKay family's lives and get an update on what's also happening with recovering alcoholic Colt McKay, whose story is told in the upcoming Branded As Trouble. Looking forward to both of those future reads.

While this wasn't my favorite (I prefer an exclusive m/f romance) I'm sure plenty of readers will enjoy this hot and satisfying read about unconditional love and acceptance, and will probably fall in love with all three leads. Chalk up another winner for Lorelei James--I haven't read a bad one in this series yet! 4 1/2 stars

Warning: This book contains explicit language and sex, including oral and anal, light spanking, m/m action, m/f/m menage, and m/m/f menage. Not for the faint of heart!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Buggy.
533 reviews688 followers
October 1, 2013
..."Torn between the love he has...and the love he’s always wanted"

Wow, with each instalment in the Roughriders series I keep saying this one is my absolute favourite; it just can’t get any better. Well I was sorely mistakin because James has outdone herself with #5 and this one really is the best yet (no really) Now I’m left lamely trying to put into words how friggin fantastic this story is.

Ever since book #1 Long Hard Ride I’ve been wondering what happened to Trevor and Edgard and hoping for their story. I was curious as to how these delicious cowboys could get their HEA especially in a homophobic and generally not alternative lifestyle appreciating town like Sundance Wyoming. I never counted on a wife being involved but lucky, lucky Chassie Glanzer. She gets the lovin of two damn fine men here. And talking about fine men; if you’re a fan of M/M lovin then hang onto your cowboy hats because this is all kinds-of-ways hot and sexy man lovin. Of course Chassie does participate on occasion and even though I’m not a fan of the ménage, this works for me because all the partners are involved equally. There’s also an amazing 3-way love story unfolding here, full of undeniable passion, emotion and heaps of consequences which are all explored beautifully. And Yes theres a whole lotta spicy sex going on too, in just about every conceivable position/combination and location possible. Yeehaw!

Trevor and Chassie have been happily married for one year. Trevor loves his wife and life on the ranch is good but he’s never quite been able to forget about his old roping partner and he knows that sometimes Chassie can sense his longing. Trevor never expected to see Edgard again though especially after it became clear that he couldn’t be the kind of man that Edgard needed but now his secret Brazilian lover is walking right up the dusty driveway, looking as fine and sexy as ever and hoping to sort out their tangled past.

With the kind of sparks that are flying between this pair of cowboys it doesn’t take long for Chassie to catch them together (and damn those first mergers are aggressive and scorching hot) Chassie thought she knew everything about her husbands chequered past but this is really pushing things. However before she can come to terms with the fact that Trevor and Edgard were lovers she has to face the fact that she might just be losing her man because its not just lust she see’s in their eyes its unbridled love too.

Trevor promises he won’t leave but she doesn’t want him to stay out of any sense of duty, she knows he’d be forever missing his Latin cowboy and she’d be living half a marriage. So Chassie does the only thing a girl could do in this kind of situation she asks if she can watch them together and then she joins them. Of course for this arrangement to succeed theres all kinds of issues to work out and they are slightly worried about what the townsfolk are gunna think down at the local feed store but the more time they all spend together the more passion and raw emotion comes to the surface. Trevor and Edgard finally feel complete and damn if Chassie doesn’t too.
Profile Image for Pam Nelson.
3,586 reviews109 followers
April 22, 2023
5 Rough, Raw, and Ready Stars

Ok see again this is my favorite of the series, I have read and re read this book so many times.
So there might be SPOILERS. This is a MMF, MM , MF, MFM Book.

Chassie & Trevor & Edgard

Chassie has found out a pretty be shocking secret about her husband Trevor.
His old Roping partner Edgard shows up at their ranch out of the blue.

When there secret comes out, I think I was most surprised at how Chassie deals with everything.
She is so open and willing to understand. She is what brings them all together her love and understanding.

It’s why Trevor could finally be free to feel what he feels and Edgard realizes that maybe it’s not the sex of someone that you are attracted to but the person. Because he is just as shocked to be having feelings for a women as Trevor was to realize he was in love with a man and a women.

I think Edgard needed Chassie’s soft touch and understanding as much as he needs Trevor’s hard rough edges. And same goes for Trevor and Chassie they both need each other in different ways and as three they work.

Swoon I just love this love story, plain and simple.
P.S. I read this paperback… the signed one… Oh the hearts and the feels I feel.

*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*
Profile Image for CC.
1,166 reviews694 followers
May 12, 2018
4.5 Stars!



Chassie and Trevor Glanzer are happily married and they continue to overcome their family’s ongoing issues. While they are busy running their ranch, Trevor’s old friend and rodeo roping partner, Edgard Mancuso, makes an unexpected visit causing old feelings to resurface.

“You don’t remember how wet and eager my mouth felt sucking every drop of spunk from your cock? You don’t think about how deep I reamed that tight asshole of yours as you bucked and begged me for more?”

Though Trevor never could forget about Edgard, having him so close again begins to fill a void that Trevor chose to ignore. Being dedicated and loyal to his wife, Trevor battles strong feelings toward the only man that also captured his heart. While Chassie is an adoring wife and strong woman, she notices the unsaid words and stolen glances between Trevor and Edgard all while she also develops her own endearing bond with Ed.

“I’m stunned by the way you make me feel, Chass.” He pressed his mouth to hers. “Worthy.” A soft brush of his lips. “Safe.” Another kiss. “That I have value to you beyond what we both feel for Trevor.”

Once the truth surfaces, Chassie knows what’s at stake but she doesn’t want to lose her husband and she begins to willingly view their options. For Trevor, he has to overcome longstanding fears about his relationship with Ed and will do whatever it takes to keep Chassie content and happy.

“I never want either of you to be ashamed of what you feel for each other, or feel like you have to hold back in front of me or in our home,” Chassie said. “What you had was private, but now it belongs to all three of us. Can you guys handle that?”

What I loved about this book is how these characters approached an unconventional relationship. With this threesome, they built a foundation with one another individually and all together. While I was initially concerned about feelings of jealousy, it was quickly extinguished by the balance Chassie, Trevor and Edgard share with each other and the chemistry between all is off the charts.

In this series, Chassie and Trevor both had to overcome certain adversities and challenges and seeing them come together is rewarding. I liked Chassie’s open mindedness and her ability to accept what makes her happy despite what others may think. Trevor is more of a broody cowboy at times but his love and respect for Chassie never wanes and his sexual appetite is insatiable. As for Edgard, he offers so much heart to the storyline making me love his sincerity and dominating ways.

Rough, Raw and Ready, is a steamy story about how three people fall in love and have the courage to live how they choose. This book will appeal to those who like sexy as hell cowboys and like to think outside the box when it comes to relationships.

Note: While it’s best to read the books in this series in order, Rough, Raw and Ready can be read as a standalone.


Rough Rider series:
Long Hard Ride (Rough Riders, #1) by Lorelei James Rode Hard, Put Up Wet (Rough Riders, #2) by Lorelei James Cowgirl Up and Ride (Rough Riders, #3) by Lorelei James Tied Up, Tied Down (Rough Riders, #4) by Lorelei James Rough, Raw and Ready (Rough Riders, #5) by Lorelei James Strong Silent Type (Rough Riders, #6.5) by Lorelei James Branded as Trouble (Rough Riders, #6) by Lorelei James Shoulda Been a Cowboy (Rough Riders, #7) by Lorelei James All Jacked Up (Rough Riders #8) by Lorelei James Raising Kane (Rough Riders, #9) by Lorelei James Slow Ride (Rough Riders, #9.5) by Lorelei James Cowgirls Don't Cry (Rough Riders, #10) by Lorelei James Chasin' Eight (Rough Riders, #11) by Lorelei James Cowboy Casanova (Rough Riders, #12) by Lorelei James Kissin' Tell (Rough Riders, #13) by Lorelei James Gone Country (Rough Riders, #14) by Lorelei James Redneck Romeo (Rough Riders, #15) by Lorelei James Cowboy Take Me Away (Rough Riders, #16) by Lorelei James




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Profile Image for MelissaB.
725 reviews340 followers
August 28, 2010
There are quite a few great reviews on this book so I will just share my thoughts:

I was wary going into this story because I was afraid Chassie was going to be the third wheel in this relationship. I should have realized Ms. James could take a difficult relationship like this and make it work - and make it emotionaly satisfying as well. I felt the resonable questions and emotions that would come up from finding your husband attracted to another man (as well as you) were brought up and dealt with in a satisfying way that made sense. Trevor did love Chassie, she wasn't his consolation prize. He just loved Edgard too. I didn't feel like anyone was worse off - Trevor, Chassie and Edgar all had their physical and emotional needs met. The initial shock and hurt that Chassie felt was dealt with well, she takes it in a realistic manner then tries to work through the situation and keep Trevor from denying an important part of himself.

Overall, it was a good read that I was unsure of going in but throughly enjoyed. Ms. James can pretty much convince me of any relationship - which is the mark of a good author.
Profile Image for jenjn79.
723 reviews264 followers
August 15, 2010
Reread 8/14/10

I've been wanting to reread this one since I first read it. And I think it was even better the second time around. I love this story. For me, it's the ultimate alternative erotic romance. It's one I'll definitely have on my keeper shelf for a long time.

*****

Maybe I'm a bit biased because I love Menage HEA stories, and especially Bi Menage HEAs, but I loved this book. Super hot, great characters, an interesting storyline...I loved pretty much everything about it. If I were picky, I'd give it maybe a 4.75 stars for one aspect I thought could have been better, but really, I just enjoyed the heck out of this book.

Series Note:
Rough, Raw and Ready is the fifth book in Lorelei James' Rough Riders. In the first book, Long Hard Ride, James introduced Trevor Glanzer and Edgard Mancuso, roping partners on the rodeo circuit. The two were closet lovers, but Edgard wanted more. When Trevor wouldn't give it to him, he decided to go back home to Brazil.

Summary:
Through the few most recent additions to the series, James gave tidbits to the fact that Trevor had gotten involved with Chassie West, a cousin to the McKay family. The two married and when this book starts, Chassie and Trevor are happy together, even as they struggle to keep the West ranch functioning. Then Edgard shows back up after a fallout with his family.

Chassie had known about Trevor's past varied sexual exploits, but not that he'd been involved with another man; one he had strong feelings for. She senses right off the bat that something is odd between them. But it isn't until she catches them kissing that she finds out the truth. Because of the situation with her now deceased brother Dag, she's not disgusted, just terribly hurt. After some soul searching she realizes it wouldn't be fair to deny her husband something he obviously needs, but neither does she want to give him up. So the three decide to a menage relationship. Add in some family drama, a surprising connection between Edgard and Chassie, and an atypical relationship, and things are anything but easy for the three.

Review:
This book is smokin' hot. The scenes between Trevor and Edgard..whew! Toss Chassie in and I almost melted into a puddle. I certainly wouldn't mind having a Trevor and Edgard of my very own ;) There is some very descriptive male/male sex, though, so if that doesn't appeal to you, I'd highly recommend not reading this book. Me?...the idea of two buff, hot cowboys gettin' it on is just too yummy for words!

But on a more serious relationship front, I thought James did a good job with their relationship. Not perfect, perhaps, which is where I'd take that .25 off if I could. Chassie was very, very accepting after the initial shock. Once things got fully involved, I though she could have had a little more confusion, a little more worry about how things could possibly work between the three of them. But I liked the way things played out for Trevor and Edgard. Trevor had to come to terms with his feelings for Edgard, and Edgard finally came to realize how it was for Trevor before. For me, the whole thing worked well and I really enjoyed the three of them together. The connection between Edgard and Chassie was a bit odd considering that Edgard was a mostly out of the closet gay man. But when you consider Trevor loved Chassie and Edgard loved Trevor, it's not all that unbelievable. Plus, it's not like Edgard hadn't been involved with women during his orgy years with Trevor and Colby...he just generally preferred women.

Aside from the relationship, Trevor's got to deal with is crappy family. James did a great job with that, with Trevor coming to terms with them. And there's some good McKay stuff in the story. There's a serious family drama/trauma involving one of the unmarried males (won't say who so I won't spoil everyone) that sets up a great story for one of the future books. James also gives Colt a bit more depth and made me anxious to read his and India's story (Branded As Trouble). I really liked the way Colt was portrayed in this book; so different from the drunken lout first introduced. What he did for Chassie near the end was very sweet.

Overall, this story just really worked for me. Chassie, Trevor and Edgard had great chemistry together, and the sex was a 15 on a scale of 1-10. But like I said, I love Bi Menage HEAs so maybe I'm a little biased on this book. Whatever. I liked it a lot and thought it was a great addition to the series.

WARNING, this book contains: explicit sex, explicit language, m/f sex, *explicit* m/m sex, bi m/f/m sex and a bi menage HEA, anal sex, ass play, spanking, light dominance/submission and some mildly rough sex
Profile Image for  ~*~Princess Nya Vasiliev~*~.
1,098 reviews7 followers
December 22, 2012
BEAUTIFULLY BLUSHED INDUCED EMOTION!
These 3 had me like...
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Wow!! I don't know what it was about this story, but I could not stop reading it. I love love LOVE Edgard. He's my baby.. And I totally love Trevor and Chassie. Theirs' is obviously not a conventional union by any means but there is still beauty within it.

I honestly believe that what I love above all about this book is that although it pushed my boundaries, (I mean I still am weirded out a bit) Chassie, Trevor, and Edgard forced me to recognize and embrace what is simply what I call, the "Human Condition" when it comes to these three. I mean I cried, laughed, covered my eyes. Blushed and then blushed some more. But I ultimately understood that the heart wants what the heart wants.

I love how you see the struggle the uncertainty and the fear. But it was also clear that they couldn't just walk away from it. They couldn't pretend that it wasn't real. That it wasn't there.

Therefore their approach to this was very realistic. And I loved that. I love how this author was able to execute and incorporate the struggle but to have the emotions unfold in a very natural, realistic way. It takes a special kind of woman. A strong secure one, to tackle this. To embrace it. And to come to accept it as an added blessing to one's life. This would test anyone's mettle. So I MUST give Chassie her props. Cos I really don't know what I would do if I were in her situation.

I love how Chassie and Edgard had their own emotional bond outside of what they shared with Trevor. I thought that this came across beautifully.

It is a very hot, emotionally charged erotic read. I mentioned earlier I blushed alot, well I blushed majority of this book. So you've been warned.

There is an interesting side plot outside of these three that keeps you interested. You learn more about Trevor and Edgard's own family as well.

This type of story/plot is not something that I usually read. I tend to shy away. It's not my normal cup of tea but I truly loved this book.
READ IT!

All in all this was a good read. This is not a series that I follow but I would recommend this book.






Profile Image for ♥  Sam ♥.
348 reviews9 followers
May 9, 2011
http://shamelessromancereviews.blogsp...


Please dont read review if you LOVED this book.

I honestly dont think that to many people are going to be overly impressed by this review. Dont get me wrong the book, was great! The sex was unbelievably erotic, the characters were meaningful....

BUT....( and here come the rant )

PERMANENT menages are not cool!
I loved Trev and Ed when we were first introduced to them and I was pissed off as all hell when Trev let Ed walk away, but he did. And Trev moved on and fell in love and married Chassie. So when Ed stumbled on back up that driveway Trev should have pushed his man crush aside and told him to make tracks!

Poor Chassie, she thought she married this wonderful man who turned out to be hiding this huge lie and then was pretty much expected to accept it and embrace it if she wanted to keep the man she loved. What married woman in her right mind wants to share the husband!!!!!!

Trev was being a greedy fugger! He should have chosen who he really trully loved and been honest with himself instead of decided that he would just share himself between everyone. Honestly does he really need two people so he can get his jollys off??

And Ed. He should have seen that Trev had moved on and just left. I dont care what personal dramas he had back home. Didn't mean he could barge on in and create more chaos for someone else.

I still give the book four stars because I did enjoy the story. It was just the permanent manage that got me all fired up.
Profile Image for Leah.
1,201 reviews348 followers
May 5, 2017
I'm giving this book 3.5 stars, but not at all for the same reasons that I gave 3.5 stars to Long Hard Ride and Rode Hard, Put Up Wet. I liked this book. More than I thought I was going to. I liked the characters and thought it was a great story, even if I personally can't fully understand the situation and relationship between Trevor, Chassie, and Edgard. I personally believe that you should live your life how you want to live it and not give a damn about what others think. But, I also know that is a damn hard thing to do, especially when faced with your own insecurities. So I really do commend the three of them for saying "Fuck it" and doing what they want, even if, like I said, I can't completely understand their chosen lifestyle.

I liked Chassie, really, really liked her, but she is either the strongest woman alive or the biggest damn fool there is. I don't know about you, but I don't know any woman who would be so accepting of her husband being in love with and pining after someone else, let alone another man. I know I wouldn't be okay with that; I wouldn't be sharing my husband with anyone, whether they are a man or a woman. Selfish as it may be, I would be forcing the bastard to make a decision about who he wanted. He can't have his cake and eat it too. He'd have to make his bed and lie in it. But she was just so damn accepting. So, like I said, Chassie West Glanzer is either the strongest woman ever or the biggest damn fool.

Most of you know that I really did not like Trevor in Long Hard Ride, hell even in his cameo during Rode Hard, Put Up Wet, but that might be just because I didn't really know him. I actually do like him now. He's definitely not my favorite, but it was certainly interesting to see Trevor grow as a person and finally accept himself for everything he is.

Edgard I was just ambivalent about before and I probably still am now. I admit that I probably hated him in the beginning of this book because I felt like he was coming in and ruining the good thing Chassie and Trevor had going. At the end of this book, though, I can honestly say that I don't really give a shit about him either way. Sure, he had his sweet, cute moments, but that's neither here nor there.

There was one part of this book that really affected me emotionally. It was after Chassie saw Edgard and Trevor kissing, and she was just sitting in her truck on the side of the road, crying and not knowing where the hell to go. I felt for Chassie so much in that moment that I actually started crying. Crying. To the point that I had to stop reading, get up, and wipe my eyes, causing my sister to ask me what the hell was wrong. By the time I babbled out a semi-understandable answer, she'd already rolled her eyes, called me a freak, and went back to ignoring me. Fucking crying...Poor Chassie. But then Colby called Trevor, told him what was doing, and proved that maybe he ain't such an asshole all the time and making it all better. Mostly.

I'm sure by now most of you know that I hate threesomes. Well, permanent threesomes. Reading a threesome every once in a while? No big deal. Maybe even really sexy. Permanent ones? No way, Jose. As I'm sure you know, that was one of my biggest problems with Long Hard Ride. Rough, Raw and Ready? Not so much. It was the other sexual encounters that had me cringing a bit. Not the ones with Trevor and Chassie, but the ones with Trevor and Edgard. Now, don't get me wrong, I am in way a prude when it comes to m/m sex. Sometimes I think it's sexier than the m/f sex in a book. However, every single time Trevor and Edgard had sex alone, I felt a sense of betrayal, like Trevor was cheating on Chassie. Maybe it's because I was so sympathetic to her throughout the whole book, especially in the beginning. But even though she knew it was happening and was okay with it, I just couldn't be. Although, I felt the same sense of betrayal when Chassie and Edgard did it while Trevor was gone...Damn...How fucked up am I?

As little presence as she had in the book, I enjoyed seeing Keely, one of my favorite characters of the series. I liked seeing the two girls interacting, but I also liked seeing the more mature, serious side of Keely, even if it wasn't an ideal situation.

And then, of course, there were my three guys: Kade, Cam, and Colt. I adored seeing Kade with Eliza, the sexy daddy. He is still so utterly adorable and sweet. And I enjoyed seeing the sisterly and brotherly affection that Indy and Kade had formed for each other. Then there's my Cam. My poor, injured Cam. I was so utterly heartbroken to read about what had happened to the strong, virile man. The man who was all smiles and jokes in the previous book. Lastly, my beloved Colt. The man has come such a long way from his destructive behavior in Cowgirl Up and Ride and it was wonderful to see that transformation in him mature and solidify even further in Rough, Raw and Ready. I sincerely look forward to my reread of Branded As Trouble.
Profile Image for Ana Paula.
4 reviews11 followers
May 30, 2012
Ok the book is good, but I can't give more stars whem a author creates a charactor that is from Brazil but speaks Spanish. In Brazil we Speak PORTUGUESE, not Spanish. It is a total diferente language.

In the first book of the serie, Long Hard, Put Up Wet, I was a little annoyed when Edgard used words like "chica". In Brazil (language portuguese) we don't say chica we say menina. But In this book the used of wrong words continued. Edgard says - "Will it piss you off if I admit I was curious about whether you’re really happy, meu amore?” Ok, meu is portuguese but amore is italian. Italian is the language spoken in Italy, another contry from another continent. My God!!!!! I'm starting to believe that Edgard is actually polyglot.

To make matters worse Chassie asks “Please make my whole night, Ed. Tell me you love to dance and you were Brazilian national tango champion or something.” GOD!!!! We brazilian don' t dance Tango. Tango is a notional dance from Argentina. Argentina is is another country.

PLEASE Lorelei James, the next time that you create a new character from a different country than your, make a research before. I know you write erotic books, but try to remember that many people are reading yours books and learning from them.

Profile Image for Veronica WordsAreMyDrinkOfChoice.
490 reviews99 followers
March 9, 2019
Cannot get Behind a book where a man apparently loves his wife but is thinking of his ex lover after having sex with her. It is cheating, if it were a man thinking about another women people wouldn’t be happy, but because he is day dreaming about his ex male lover the impression is it seems to be ok, with the wife saying she is relieved? You would be pisssed. The whole husband kissing his ex and falling on him like a drug addict on coke was not attractive either. The wife was disregarded and should have left his ass, felt like a crowd and that does not work in menages. The husband should not have married his wife if he was so hung up on his ex, why couldn’t he be complete with her? Just didn’t work, and so confused by the high ratings of this book when his was going on. It felt more like the mmf part happened because the wife felt she had to do it to keep her fella. Also, why was the other dude suddenly into girls?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jamie *Gypsy Smut-a-teer*.
484 reviews263 followers
October 17, 2013
I love this series!!



This book was exceptionally good. I loved Trevor in every other book he was in, but he took it to a whole other level in this book. And Chassie, oh my, she was so caring and understanding. I swear in the beginning I believe I would have struggled a whole lot more than she did when the truth was revealed. However, the prize she got made me extremely jealous of her. And then there is sweet Edgard, sigh....

Let's just say sign me up for one of those sandwiches with a Jamie in between. *wiggles eyebrows*

and now I'm off for a cold shower and to start the next book. :)


Profile Image for Cc.
1,105 reviews131 followers
August 20, 2018

Who's Chessie again?😜😂 oh, she's the little charity case that the author put in because she didn't have the balls to do a MM romance.

Just kidding, just kidding


Written fine, but why was Chessie even in this book? Felt like she got the really short end of the stick.

SPOILERS

Re-read 2/17

Wanted to see if I could see this different bc of all the 4 & 5 star reviews. NOPE. Chick still a third wheel, love scenes between males are still written better and the supposed love between Eguardo (or whatever his name was) and Chessie? Cold as fncking ice.
Profile Image for Alex is The Romance Fox.
1,461 reviews1,190 followers
October 28, 2011
This is the 5th book in the Rough Riders Series and it’s Chassie, Trevor & Edgard’s story.
We first meet Trevor & Edgard, who were roping partners and secret lovers in the 1st book Long Hard Ride but were driven apart when Edgard returned to Brazil because Trevor was not prepared to make a commitment. I wondered what happened to them and if they would have their own story.

Rough, Raw and Ready is my favourite book so far in the series. It’s a wild, emotional and erotic read filled with lots of hot, hot, hot and steamy sex between the three.

Chassie West Glanzer has been married to sexy cowboy, Trevor Glanzer, who has given up his rodeo life to run the farm that was left to her after her father and brother’s death with her.
They have a good relationship but when Trevor’s old roping partner and past secret lover, her world is turned upside down. She senses that there is something more than friendship between them and when she catches them kissing she realizes the truth, that they were once lovers.
Trevor is in love with his wife and though he has buried the feelings he had for Edgard years ago, he has always felt that something was missing in his life. Edgard has returned from Brazil hoping to sort out their tangled past.
After some soul searching, Chassie realizes it would not be fair for her to deny something that Trevor needs but at the same time she does not want to lose him.
So they decide on a ménage relationship and as they spend time together, in and out of bed, discover that they can be happy with each other.
I am not really turned on by m/m sex but after a while it became more than just sex between two men and a woman….it’s about taking risks and finding you can love more than just one person….THIS IS A GREAT LOVE STORY. And it’s one of the HOTTEST book I have (I have read it twice so far!!!!!)
I hope I get to meet the three again in the series.

Book Blurb:
Torn between the love he has-and the love he's always wanted. A Rough Riders book. Chassie West Glanzer hasn't been a stranger to drama and tragedy. A year of wedded bliss to sexy-as-sin cowboy Trevor Glanzer has brought her the happiness and contentment she never thought she'd find, and mellowed Trevor's rodeo wanderlust. Then Trevors old roping partner ambles up the driveway and Chassie's life changes drastically. Trevor never expected to see Edgard Mancuso again, after it became clear he couldn't be the man Edgard needed. Now Edgard is back from Brazil to sort out their tangled past, and Trevor is plagued with feelings he thought he'd buried over three years ago. Although Trevor is hat-over-bootheels in love with his sweet, feisty wife, the sense his life is missing a piece has always gnawed at him. Chassie's shock that Edgard and Trevor were once lovers turns to fear of losing her husband. Or worse, fear that Trevor will stay with her only out of a sense of duty. Yet as the three of them spend time together, the sins of the past blur and fade, leaving raw emotion and unbridled passion. Passion that could heal-or cause irreparable damage to their future. Warning: this book contains unbelievably explicit sex, including multiple cowboy/cowgirl/cowboy menage scenes, juicy, hot, male on male action, a bucketful of politically incorrect situations and true Western ideology

I am quite new to the erotica/ménage romance genre and ordered the first 5 books of Rough Riders by Lorelei James as Amazon recommended the series.
I started reading Long Hard Ride and somehow couldn’t get into it. After a few months I tried again….wow was I hooked after turning the last page….I couldn’t wait to read the next book…and the next…in fact I read all 5 books in 4 days. .couldn’t put them down…..I fell in love with cowboys!!!

The series follows the McKay/West families and each book can be read as stand-alones but to get to know the family history I recommend that they be read in order.

Reading Order:
1. Long Hard Ride – Colby and Channing
2. Rode Hard, Put Up Wet – Gemma and Cash, Carter and Macie
3. Cowgirl Up and Ride – Cord and AJ –
4. Tied Up, Tied Down – Kade and Skylar
5. Rough, Raw, and Ready – Chassie, Trevor, and Edgard - my favorite
6. Branded as Trouble – Colt and India
7. Shoulda Been a Cowboy – Cam and Domini
8. All Jacked Up – Keely and Jack
9. Raising Kane – Kane and Ginger
10. Cowgirls Don’t Cry – Brandt and Jessie
11. Chasin’ Eight – Chase and Ava
12. Cowboy Casanova – To Be Released Dec 2011
Profile Image for Crazy4more.
2,490 reviews
November 28, 2011
5 stars for erotica romance is very rare in my book, but solid 5 stars it is! definitely the best, so far, in this hot hot hot series.

I was so enthalled and my heart ached for Trevor, Chassie and Edgar. Their problem, discussion and resolution were filled with raw-rare-honest emotion. I could hate Edgard for interrupting the perfect marriage, one that Chassie & Trevor were so deserving. Trevor never publically acknowledged Edgard as a lover, they parted ways 3.5 yrs only to come back, grown up and yearned to fulfill the missing piece.

OMG, Trevor came from such a horrible family & upbringing that only existed in books, rich-arrogant-sexist-manipulate-mean SOB's, so mean and ruthless. Believed he was unworthy of love, irresponsible and useless to carry on his family legacy. He loved his wife with everything he had but there was a different kind of love only Edgard can fulfill.

Edgard, Trevor's roping partner and lover who walked away bc he wanted all or nothing. Little did he know, life wasn't black or white but he needed to find out once and for all was there any hope for them or was it just an illusion he held on too long.

Chassie, half-indian, cousin to the famous McKays but she was dealt with the bad card from the beginning. Taking over her poor-barely afloat-family ranch after the death of her brother and father, she's grateful to have Trevor anchor her. Realized that her brother never truly lived due to his sexual preference, Chassie refused to live closed-minded and it was this determination that not only saved her marriage but fulfilled three lives at the cross-road.

Truly an unorthodox relationship, one I could never fathom to exist, but Chassie's reponse to her husband's concern if she's happy with sharing him with Ed permanently:
"I don't mind sharing you, especially since he's brought to life the part of you that's always been missing, a part I never had in the first place. Edgard's given me a gift by letting me see all of you, not just the part you wanted me to see because you were ashamed of the rest."

...nuff said, I love this book. BTW, how distracted was I on the treadmill and reading? I ran 7 miles in 1 hr...not as fast as my kids but fastest, so far, for this 45 yr mom. So...yeah, I was pleasantly distracted.

June 16, 2013

4.5 stars! Only deduction was I wished for a bit more fidgety angst!

Yeah! We finally get the story of Trevor and Edgard. Back in the first book, Edgard decided to move back to his native Brazil, upset that Trevor would never own up to his feelings for him.... Trevor is in love with Edgard but cannot publically admit it so he continues on his life without Edgard....never falling out of love with him. He dates and eventually marries the sweet Chassie West and set up house in the ranch Chassie inherits after the death of her brother Dag and her father. Things are fantastic for Trev and Chassie.....until a certain Edgard rolls into town. Trev is rather cold and aloof and Chass can't understand he's got this old best friend rodeo pal she's never heard of and why Trevor's being so standoffish. Can Trevor continue to deny his feelings for Edgard when the minute he stepped foot on his ranch, he wanted him with a vengeance? He loves his wife but the need he has for Ed is different and all encompassing.....
Would Chassie ever understand he's not a gay man but a man who loves Ed exclusively (apart from his wife)? Is there a way they can live together and make this situation work?

Gah! This book was hot. The sex was off the hook. The author did an excellent job with Chassie's character in her trying to understand her husband's need to be with Ed and how it didn't take from his need for her too. I don't think threesome relationships usually work long term in most books but the sequence of events and gradual caring and understanding that grew between the three was perfect. Chassie is awesome for accepting this. Her brother dying as a result of being a closet homosexual played a huge part, I believe. She just understood more than most people would in her situation....

Trevor is everything holy hotness!. The shaggy dirty blonde cut cowboy....

Edgard, the ripped dark skinned rodeo cowboy, whispering Portuguese sweet-nothing's in their ears.....

I think this book will be hard to beat in the continuing saga of the McKay and West families.......
Profile Image for Kate.
584 reviews18 followers
March 22, 2012
Ugh... seriously? <---- I did that a lot for this series. I was excited for the angst alpha male stuff that was going to happen between Trevor and Edguard, but I really wasn't very into the dynamic they developed. At one second, Chassie was upset, screaming and kicking, when she found out her husband was into this other man, and then all of a sudden not only did she support it, she joined them. It frustrated me that this seemingly inexperienced girl seemed to go from some mild dom/sub with her husband, to being the middle of a manwich. Not to mention the fact that seemingly gay Edguard all of a sudden wanted to sleep with a woman.

Even the three-some action, and man-man action got a little old after a while. They were either stressing over their relationship, or getting it on. At points I was like, these are no mere mortals...

I tried so hard to get behind the poly relationship, but man, that is so no my cup of tea. I wish it hadn't been all roses and chocolate in the end.

I was extremely disappointed in the plot of this book, it was really a very hardcore porn novel, and would do well to have been split up into several steamy short stories, rather than contriving a cheesy plot a la any bad pornographic movie.

Seems like I need to take a break from this series.
Profile Image for Korrie’s Korner.
1,259 reviews13.4k followers
July 28, 2021
This was a tough read. I haven’t read many ménage books, so this one was a process for me. That’s the thing about Lorelei James. She creates these stories and the characters and literally makes you fall in love with them. I may not understand the dynamic, and I Think I definitely need more insight as to how Chassie, Trev and Edgar work as a unit, but they all love each other and it works for them. Chassie and Trev love each other. Ed loves Trev, but fell for his wife, Chassie in the process. Chassie fell for Ed, and they all just get each other, have the same goals in life and just work. At times I felt Chassie did get the short end of the stick, but she seemed to be fine with everything. Me, I’m too jealous. Lol. Still a stellar read and I’m so excited for the next in the series!!
Profile Image for Cory .
728 reviews85 followers
August 13, 2015
Just rope me, tie me down, and call it a day. This was HOT, HOT, HOT! Seriously loved it!

So I'm not reading this series in order, but it didn't seem to matter in this one. I might read book 3 or 6 next, I can't decide. I'm sure it will be off the charts sexy whatever one I read!
Profile Image for Jammin Jenny.
1,471 reviews221 followers
January 20, 2021
I really enjoyed this story - it's heavily erotica with MM, MF and MMF action -- but it's also a great story line which you don't always get with erotica stories. The two men are rodeo guys that were together for a while, but they drifted apart. One of them meets a woman and gets married to her, and he really does love her. Then the other guy shows up. Luckily, they all get along, and
Profile Image for Ivana Azap Feješ.
217 reviews44 followers
March 4, 2017
There are quite a few great reviews on this book so I will just share my thoughts:
I was wary going into this story because I was afraid Chassie was going to be the third wheel in this relationship. I should have realized Ms. James could take a difficult relationship like this and make it work - and make it emotionaly satisfying as well. I felt the resonable questions and emotions that would come up from finding your husband attracted to another man (as well as you) were brought up and dealt with in a satisfying way that made sense. Trevor did love Chassie, she wasn't his consolation prize. I liked the characters and thought it was a great story, even if I personally can't fully understand the situation and relationship between Trevor, Chassie, and Edgard. This book, in the end was like that, although at first I was very leery, I really liked Chassie and didn't want her to be the odd man out. When Edghar left I was mad at Trevor and wanted him to get over himself. Trevor Glanzer has a secret one that he has kept from his wife of a year. Chassie West Glanzer hasn’t been a stranger to drama and tragedy. Then Trevor’s old roping partner Edgard Mancuso ambles up the driveway—and Chassie’s life changes drastically. Trevor never expected to see Edgard again after it became clear he couldn’t be the man Edgard needed. That said, like Ed & Trevor in this story, I found that Chassie was the bridge that crossed me over. And as such, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying this story so much.

Oh boy, what to say...I really enjoyed this one, maybe a little more than I thought I would, which shouldn't have surprised me. I mean, Lorelei James is one of the few authors who can have me finishing a book in one day, so she must be doing something right. There's just something about her writing style that makes reading her books almost effortless. I liked this book. More than I thought I was going to. I personally believe that you should live your life how you want to live it and not give a damn about what others think. I feel like I should state that I am not a big fan of m/m books. But lately there have been other books where this relationship has come into play and I am surprised by how much I start rooting for this couple. But on a good note, damn!! it was hot!! i Never ever read about man love and i was WOWed!!! This book took me on a rollercoaster ride. In the first half of the book I was not impressed at all. It still had the well written storyline that I love so much about Lorelei James. But, to me it was very sexist (okay not something you typically worry about when reading erotica, but I'm hard to please..lol). I applaud James for tackling such a delicate social issue and I think she did a respectable job. She is an excellent writer and storyteller. What I liked about the book was the fact that it did tackle the menage-type "love" relationship and attempted to do it justice by showing that love knows no bounds --if people are willing to do the work necessary to make the relationship work. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind same sex stories, IF they're only about sex (Erotica), but I generally have a hard time enjoying same-sex romances because when I read, I can't connect with the characters in the same way as I can with m/f - I can't feel what they feel or see myself as them in my mind's eye. *shrug*

"Their mouths met in a furious kiss. Trevor trapped Edgard's face in his hands. He inhaled Ed's whole mouth like a sumptuous feast, making up for the mere crumbs he'd tasted the day before..."

"Without her, he’d be lost on so many levels. She’d taught him he was worthy of love. She’d showed him how to love without conditions. She’d proven understanding and acceptance were not parts of love that could be parceled out, but real, honest love needed all those components to be successful, fulfilling and long lasting."

"...I realize for the first time that you really don’t fall for a person’s gender or appendage so much as you fall for the person. And I’ll be damned if I’m not falling for you, Chassie West Glanzer.”
Profile Image for Jennifer.
200 reviews14 followers
July 1, 2017
1. I am really torn on this one because while I enjoyed it overall (LJ is one of the best), the premise of this book was just too much for me to “believe” and I just couldn’t find the plot to be “plausible”... Also, while I really, REALLY wanted a Trevor/Edgard HEA after Book #1, Long Hard Ride, that did not include a third party/women. Anyway, let’s break down my issues with this storyline …

2. Ladies, let’s say your husband – the man you love and trust more than anything – had a male friend that he NEVER mentioned to you just show up at your home needing a place to stay. Let’s say, that despite your husband trying to down play his relationship with this man as simply “an old friend,” it’s obvious that they share secrets and a deep connection.

Now, let’s say, you witness your husband and this "friend" have a passionate fight and then kiss (more than once) as they discuss their past sexual relationship and feelings for each other. It's obvious they love and still long for each other. So, of course, you’re shocked and hurt because your husband NEVER told you that he had been with a man and it’s obvious your husband still cares for and wants (at least sexually) his male friend. Furthermore, your husband has been lying about all this for the past two weeks that his “friend” has been sleeping in the bedroom next to yours.

Ladies, what would you do? Well, welcome to Chassie West Glazner’s life.

3. Ladies, now that you know about your husband’s secret gay lover who is living in your home, you go to your female friend/family member for some advice. (Sidenote: I have hated Channing since Book #1 and I continue to hate her; I can’t stand it whenever I see her name on the page.) This “good” friend of yours tells you that she knew about your husband and his male lover but didn’t think it was her place to tell you. She then tells you she had sex with your husband AND his lover in her “wild youth” ... Ladies, at this point, would you continue to want to hear this friend's advice? Not I … I would have straight been like, “Girl, Bye!”

But Chassie continues to listen to Channing who suggests that the best way for Chassie to keep her husband happy would be to have a ménage-a-trois between Chassie, her husband and his lover. WTF??? What kind of advice is that? If my friend came to me with Chassie’s problem, living as a threesome would not be my helpful suggestion.

4. So armed with the shittest advice known to mankind, Chassie does just that – she agrees to living and loving as a threesome with her lying ass husband and his lying ass lover. Nope, not here for this bullshit.

5. I found a lot wrong with this plot, but my biggest issue is that I feel Chassie only wanted to try living as a threesome to keep Trevor happy because she was afraid to lose him. It’s all about what Trevor wants and needs. If the threesome had begun differently, I might feel differently; but the way the storyline played out just bugged the hell out of me.

6. Because I don’t like Colby or Cord and I hate Carter, Colt is my favorite McKay son (other than Kade). I love him even more now.

7. Despite a plot that I was not a fan of (I wanted a Trevor and Ed love story – NO Chassie), LJ’s writing is great, there is a ton of sex, we got to catch up with some of the McKay clan and the foundation was laid for future books.
Profile Image for Karla.
988 reviews1,105 followers
June 7, 2011
This book was a very pleasant surprise. I loved Edgard and Trevor from book one, but now with Trevor married to Chassie I was wondering how the author would incorporate all 3 of them into a relationship without it being too weird. Well she did a great job. I was drawn to the characters and pulling for them all the way. It was very emotional, sweet, and oh of course HOT! Didn’t think I was going too, but I loved it and could not put it down.

What LJ does so well is bring the other family members into the mix and give you a taste of what’s to come. In this case it’s Colt and India who are up next and I’m already salivating.
Profile Image for Marie Bullock.
35 reviews
June 20, 2020
Review & analysis.
Did not like this book at all, in fact I hated it. The fact that right from the start it was based on lies, cheating & manipulation by a pair of abusing psychopathic males just turned my stomach. I finished the book giving the author a ‘second chance’ to redeem her-self but in this she failed miserably! My review and analysis are long if you can bear with me, (dealing mainly with the first 40-50 pages) but they are meant to be edifying so that the average reader can get a much deeper understanding of what it is that they are reading & what the author is actually saying. Regardless of whether the author realises it or not. I read this book twice, once to get the gist & secondly to make analysis notes. I have 2 sociology degrees (psyche/counselling majors) & therefore feel qualified to critique this book.

Edgard (Ed) is a manipulative prick, a spoilt ‘mummies boy’ who wants everything his own way. He’s lost everything so he has come to destroy Trevor’s (Trev) marriage regardless of the pain he is about to inflict. (He’s kept tabs on T & C’s life & says he’s ‘passing through’ a total lie). Instead of leaving when he realises that Trev is happy (if he truly loved Trev he would have) he continues with his agenda & manipulates both Trev and Chassie (T’s wife-Chass). Now, he left Trev three & half years ago, he gave up all rights to him and his life and keeps secret his intentions (lying by omission) & befriends Chass with a view to undermining her happiness & inflict pain, a real psychopath. He gets close enough to her to ‘rock the boat’ hoping to destroy the marriage, by using & abusing her kindness, understanding & generosity to get what he wants. I hate this character & saw right through him in the first book & how he ‘groomed’ Trev into a gay relationship.

In the first book Ed tells Trev “You want only what I can give you” & forces Trev to admit that “it never feels this good when he’s fucking a woman as it does when Ed is fucking him!” This whilst Trev’s in his most vulnerable & open position!(pun intended) This is ‘grooming’ him to being gay, but Ed regularly states that he is happy to only take what Trev can give him (double standards) & because Ed is jealous that Trev still wants women. The author calls this love? Yeah right!

In this book RR&R, Ed questions Trev about allowing Chass to use a strap-on for anal play, Trev denies it & Ed forces Trev to admit that his anus is for Ed only, further undermining the marriage, happiness & emotional stability of Trev & Chass & their love for each other. Ed is horrible and Trev is no better because he is a lying, cheating, self-centred, self-involved ‘douche bag’ also wanting it all his own way. Where is the compromise that is essential to all healthy adult relationships? Where is the selfless love? Certainly none in these two males! They are such low life hypocrites!

On the first night when Ed heard them making love & thought that Trev was proving a point that he loved his wife and didn’t want him anymore, if he’d been a decent man & truly loved Trev he would have left the next day, wishing them all the happiness & love in the world. He should have moved on knowing Trev was happy. The old adage: “that if you truly love something, then set it free”, is applicable here. Ed had stated that ’he did not want to be a third wheel’ but what did he do? He stayed & certainly became busy making sure Chass (the supposed love of Trev’s life) was the actual ‘third wheel’. Despicable character!

Now, if Chass is everything in the world to Trev, then why is he prepared to brutally hurt her, risk the farm, his marriage & everything that is supposedly important to him? The story line defies belief. The barn scene typifies this.

In this scene Trev has Chass bound & is getting a ‘blow job’ & fucking her. Ed slyly intrudes on them by remaining in the shadows but seen to Trev & not Chass. Trev does not tell her. Instead of Trev telling him to leave, he continues on allowing Ed to come between them as he started watching, talking and thinking to Ed (who was masturbating) – therefore being unfaithful to his wife whilst he is fucking her. Disgusting! This is abuse! Not just perverted it is actually depraved abuse (Psychological/emotional and physical). This could also be considered rape as there was no consent by Chass for Ed to be there & is unaware. Trev starts using ‘their obviously old personal sex ‘tantric trick’ on Chass & Ed is immediately using it on himself. Trev deliberately uses it knowing that Ed will get off. This is all without Chass’ consent (cannot stress this enough) & Trevs’ taunting, teasing Ed using his wife as a ‘fuck toy’ to do so, turning her into a ‘whore toy’. This is truly depraved and sick! IT IS NOT LOVE! It is not SEXY! The fact that he does this to his wife whilst she is totally open to him, under his control & dominance, at her most vulnerable, shows that he does not love her, is not protecting her, is actually hurting/abusing her & not keeping her safe.(he learnt this from Ed) It shows that he too is a psychopath & will do anything for his own self pleasure at the expense of the ‘supposed love of his life, his everything’!. Where is the caring loving tough alpha cowboy? He is certainly not in this book!

No decent man who truly loved his wife would ever allow this abuse to happen, especially without her CONSENT! He’s the perpetrator no less! These two males have no moral compass or boundaries whatsoever. They are not even just ‘flawed’ characters’, they are cock-centred, lustful, shallow & deceitful psychopaths! No ‘higher enlightened males’ here people, these two are barely above the apes & continually give into their ‘base’ urges. No control, (they go at each other like lustful dogs) yet they want to control others through domination! Does the author actually read what she is writing and ask herself how will my readers interpret this? Is this what I actually want to say? Is this the act of a loving respectful husband? If the author thinks that this is love, well she had better head to the ‘therapy couch’ real quick, because she needs her hear read! FYI, Domestic Violence which this is, does not have to be physical, it’s emotional, psychological, monetary, deprivation of love, non-caring, disrespectful & it can appear to be wrapped in love, when in reality it is not. MORE RESEARCH AUTHOR! Does the abusive partner tell his/her other that he/she loves them whilst abusing them? You bet your ass he/she does! “It is for your benefit & only because I love you” says the perpetrator. I have heard this countless times from clients whilst counselling them! Authors have influence over their readers, especially the non-discerning and it is not acceptable for this author to infer that this has anything to do with love.(It’s about power!) So take note! You have a responsibility to your readers!

When Chass finally sees Ed she meekly goes along with it & does not question her husband at all about it. She is straight, sexually inexperienced & knows nothing of her husbands’ gay past (at this time) so the alarm bells should have been ringing loud and clear for her. Immediately realising that all was not as it seemed. No rocket science needed. If she was a realistic deep character & had any self-respect she would have ended it immediately & there would have been ‘hell to pay.’ Just can’t buy this story, as Chass is supposed to be so ‘emotionally sensitive’ so where was that sensitivity? Where is her anger at being used like this? Where is her anger/hate at Ed for intruding in her personal sex life/ marriage without consent? Where is her angst at the realisation that this is not normal? Well, obviously “Sassie Chassie’ is nowhere to be seen! Just terrible and thoughtless writing!

After 2 weeks of Ed using Chass to undermine the marriage, asking personal questions that he uses as ammunition against them, he goes snooping/sneaking through the tack room, finds his old saddle & confronts Trev in the corral knowing that Chass is likely watching. Regardless, he tries to force Trev into admitting that he loves him as Trev denies it. He will not take ‘no’ for an answer, showing what a low life abuser he really is! When this doesn’t work (he should have let it go at this stage and left) but no, he tackles him, there are punches thrown & still he doesn’t back off. He forcibly kisses Trev continually until Trev gives in & responds. Again without consent! (This is physical & sexual assault). By any standards of cognitive behaviour Ed & Trev are not really in love, they are ‘IN LUST’ as it’s too shallow for it to be anything else. The only love these two males have is for them-selves. Once again the author considers this love – on what planet?

Trev tells Ed “that he loves his wife and she’s not a second choice” but his responses are weak, he should have been absolutely outraged and ordered Ed off the property as Ed had negated all rights when he left Trev originally. No, but the weak plot line has him giving in “wanting what he’d secretly missed for the last three years”. So why in hell did he marry Chass? This makes no sense at all! He knew he was hurting her by his total lack of commitment to his wife/marriage. Deceitful Ed deliberately ‘turns him on’ knowing Chass would see because of the shouting and noise on a quiet ranch- how could she not hear? Making Ed the most ‘cruel’ of men! He makes a ridiculous comment about “fucking away our problems”. This solves nothing as the problem is still there. Three times Trev says no/stop but the ‘kissing abuser’ (a woman would slap a face for this) railroads him and the ‘groomed abusee’ gives in. Then in the quiet they hear the gasp. So obvious!

Chass runs & the asshole husband said “Chassie baby, let me explain” Yeah right! How do you explain that you actually “LOVE” a man more than the love of your life. WTF? In real life you could never come back from this! The marriage would be on the rocks! So the idiot plot has Trev physically restrain his wife (abusive) & his ex-lover calms her down. For God’s sake, talk about from the sublime to the ridiculous. Chass finally takes off but not before Ed tells her if she leaves he will steal her husband from her. Leaving her with little choice! She should have gotten her rifle and permanently damaged the ‘cock sucking pond scum’ (you know where) polluting her property and told them both to go! Oh, but it was not to be & she ends up getting the most awful advice from her husbands’ ex-lover no less (why is this OK?) and within 24 hours she’s back and ready to enter into a ‘menage a trois'. This decision actually makes the character of Chass neurotic/moronic & not the sensitive caring person the author is trying to convince you of. Never mind that triangles have very pointy edges, that inflict serious damage and there is no way that this decision/choice was given enough consideration. God save me from such drivel!

Where was Chass’ anger, shock, angst, grief, betrayal-by the love of her life? And supposed friend? Where was the perusal of every thought word & deed to find what she had missed? What signs had she ignored? How could he do this to her? How could Ed come & hurt/betray her in her own home when she'd shown him kindness? This is how he repays her? How could Trevor say he loves her when it is obvious he loves a man more? Why were men always betraying her? Why was it happening to her? The questions go on & on. Will never be resolved in one day as she’s in shock, traumatised, grieving for all she has lost, her world has fallen apart, so it’s just not possible for her to make any rational decisions in 24 hours! This is just rubbish writing – not penmanship or backed up by any research at all. It shows the authors lack of knowledge and understanding of the human condition. It’s shallow, facetious, lacks any real empathy for Chass’ character. The author has turned the heroine into a neurotic, trivial, vapid, thoughtless & weak minded female fool! Cheating is cheating, the gender is irrelevant!

God save us from authors of this ilk, that allow women to become nothing but vessels for the benefit of male sperm, who allow & enable themselves to be debased (now a self-abuser) for a man who really doesn’t love her and uses/ abuses her as a sex toy: Making her the victim & enabler, of her own & his abuse. Go figure! Chass tells them no cheating behind her back-no touching or anything, but what do they do? They touch & flirt, (in the truck having ‘hard-ons’) basically breaking the rules. How could any self-respecting wife allow her husband & his lover to fuck in the bed beside her while she sleeps? Basically being unfaithful in front of her face for the second time? Once again, the author is showing her lack of understanding of love and its’ dynamics. Jealousy is natural, a protective primal trait!

This all happens before page 40, less than a third of the book & from this point it lost all semblance of a love story & shot into the realm of porn fantasy (totally different genre’). I have read X-rated porn that’s better than this & that’s really saying something. It’s also ridiculous to write of Chass’ relief in finding out her husband was thinking of a man during sex. “Crazy female logic” – not on planet Earth! Where does the author come up with this nonsense? The fact is a woman CAN compete with another woman sexually but not with a man. Not ever! So that puts Chass even further ‘behind the eight ball’ & again gender has nothing to do with cheating or abuse. She really is the ‘third wheel’. The males get to have their cake & eat it too without censure, no equality in this triad relationship – just awful! The author should be ashamed of herself for letting women down!

There is no backlash, no penalty for Trev and Ed – there should be. At least a week should have been given for Chass to determine her future as everything rested on a rational and sound choice. The author could have used that week of angst to write a better book with much deeper meaning/ narrative, giving the readership a more satisfying read.
Manipulative/psychopathic Ed seduces and then makes love to Chass without Trev, (she broke her own rules – why is this OK?) in order to get a night totally alone with Trev, as Ed knows that Chass will be away the next night. No sooner is Trev in the door & he’s at Ed totally forgetting his loving wife, no guilt here. They go at it like rutting mongrels, finish and go upstairs for an ‘all-nighter’. Trev sees the bed & finally has a ‘twinge’ of guilt. WTF? Ed left the bed unmade to show Trev, & alleviate his guilt by telling him he made love to his wife (psychological/emotional abuse). So, it’s now OK to cheat because your wife did it! (two wrongs don't make a right) What low-life, disreputable people the author would have you believe are good guys. No fucking way!!! This book is nasty, badly written, not feasible with shallow characters, will annoy you. So avoid it!







Profile Image for Mollie.
338 reviews5 followers
December 12, 2017
I was very nervous to read this book. It ended up being really good and kept me on my toes.

Profile Image for Jessa ♥dhanger♥ EvilDarkSide.
244 reviews28 followers
June 6, 2010
*Final Review*
I first met Trevor and Edgard in book one of the Rough Rider series(Long Hard Ride). These two had a torrid secret affair that ended in loss and heartbreak. Trevor couldn't commit to being with Edgard openly so with great reluctance Edgard moved away and out of Trevor's life.

It's 3 years later and Trevor is now with Chassie, the young women he fell in love with and married. One fateful afternoon Edgard shows up on his doorstep and Trevor is reminded of the feelings he harbors for Edgard. Torn between the love for his wife and the undeniable feelings for the man he once shared a burning desire for, Trevor is thrown into the mix with the two people who share his heart.....

Okay, after reading Rough, Raw and Ready I think my eyebrows are permanently stuck in my hairline. They crept up an inch or so every time I came across a sex scene, which were plentiful in this book and they were some of the most intense sex scenes I have ever come across. At first I was worried how we would get a HEA with 3 people sharing each other. You would think the jealousy would be off the charts but James wrote this story so well that it wasn't even an issue. It wasn't about two men and one woman having sex, or a man sharing his wife with his former lover, or any other number of scenarios that would cross your mind. It was about Trevor loving his wife and discovering that he also had room in his heart to love Edgard. It was about Chassie opening her heart, her mind and her home to Edgard and being able to accept her husband's love for him. It was about Edgard risking everything for love and finding in the process that not only Trevor had his heart and soul but he needed Chassie to be complete as well. All this resulted in Trevor, Chassie and Edgard coming together and building a love for one another that defies normal romance. This was such a great love story and a great conclusion to Trevor and Edgard's story. Not to mention one of the hottest books. Ever.
Profile Image for Mahlet.
214 reviews
December 14, 2010
Since beginning this series with Long Hard Ride over a year ago, I've been looking forward to Trevor and Edgard's book. Although they weren't the h/h of that book, they completely stole the show, IMHO, with the hottest scene in the trailer. So of course, I hated Chassie the moment I laid eyes on Rough, Raw and Ready's cover. And when she was introduced as Trevor's wife in Tied Up, Tied Down, I scowled. But I got over my fear of Chassie cooties and tried to give her a chance. After her initial *Oh my God, my husband might be in love with a hot Brazilian cowboy* issues, she was actually so giving and understanding that it was hard not to like her, especially as Chassie encouraged Trevor to not feel ashamed of his feelings for Edgard.

But like Long Hard Ride, the hottest scenes of this book were, for me, moments when Trevor and Edgard were pleasuring each other, or alone. And thank you THANK YOU for their extremely touching solo scene. I admit - I got pretty nervous towards the end, especially after the Edgard/Chassie scene...but Lorelei saved the best for last, and I shouldn't have panicked ;) Their fire and intensity for one another is the best in the series, so far, followed closely by AJ & Cord in Cowgirl Up and Ride. But I'm almost as excited for Colt and India's story up next because nothing's better than a non-traditional bad-ass heroine and the gorgeous former bad-boy who's going to claim her :)
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