Rough & Ready by Tracy Wolff is a good fit for readers looking for a heartfelt romance between two strong-willed individuals who learn to trust and love again, set against the backdrop of the sports world.

What do you get when you cross a football player with a retired WNBA player? A book that is so hot it is smoking! Tanner and Elara have so much chemistry I was surprised my Ipad did not combust as I was reading. Elara runs a rec center for at risk kids and she was expecting a donation that went to Tanner's charity and when she confronts him it is in his locker room in front of his teammates while he is in a towel. Oh yeah. He knew nothing about this. When he shows up at her rec center to make a donation to make up for the slight he finds her playing a basketball pick up game in a tight skirt and barefoot as she was on her way out to a meeting but then challenges her to a 2-on-2 game and plans to go easy on her. First mistake. Oh, these two are perfection together. Elara is independant and Tanner is smooth. Together they are just right. Definitely a great ending to this series!

I received this book as an ARC for a honest review..Tanner and Elara were so well-matched in many ways. They understand each other's careers and aspirations, as well as being good for each other emotionally and romantically. This was a fun book to read.I would recommend

Rough & Ready - Tracy Wolff

GREAT CHARACTERS! - 4 stars

#3 in the Lightning romance series

Plot - 4 stars - Elara is an ex-WNBA star who runs a rec center for disadvantaged kids. When a pro football star gets the funding that she's been working for, she tells him off. When he tries to make it up to her, their chemistry kicks in and things start happening.

Writing - 4 stars - As always, Wolff caught my attention right from the first page. She creates warm and appealing characters that you just want to hang out with. Their situations make sense, and despite some resistance, their relationships grow at just the right rate. The sexual scenes are hot and way sexy.

Characters - 4.5 stars - This is where the story shone for me. Tanner is awesomely hot--strong and alpha and protective but not over the top. His protectiveness makes sense because of his upbringing and his relationship with this sisters (and his previous relationship, which we discover well into the book). He's sweet and sensitive and seems to always try to do the right thing. But don't get him mad! Elara is also very attractive. She's strong and independent, working for a better world for "her kids." I liked her creativity and her persistence and the fact that she doesn't take any crap from anyone.

Title - 4 stars - This fits with the previous titles in this series, and its mention within the story made sense. Actually, both main characters fit this description, both being strong and ready for both action (and a sexual relationship).

Cover - 3 stars - The cover is totally hot and also fits with the previous covers in this series. My only problem is that the cover model has very short hair while the main character in the story has dreds that are mentioned several times. I really wish the cover would match the character's description in the book.

Overall - 4 stars - This is an excellent end (?) to what has been a very enjoyable series. The characters are all strong and attractive and just normal people despite their wealth and fame. It was fun to revisit with characters from the previous books, also on Tanner's team.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. I really enjoyed it! There was much more of a storyline compared to other books similar to this. The characters were well-developed, each with their own history, yet come together to make each other better. Enjoyed it!

Elara and Tanner were such an interesting pairing! He's a current football player and she's a former professional basketball player. There were a few moments where she annoyed me, but in general I loved how determined she was to make her center be a safe place for all the children in the community. I do love that she was tall and that they fit together so well (wink, wink)

There is reference to an abusive relationship and I really hated her ex and I kind of wish he could of been killed, but this isn't that kind of book.

This is a fun sports romance that focuses on what comes after your sporting career in Elara's case and how dealing with the spotlight can affect the relationship.

Upon first meeting the characters one might think both are full of themselves, but this is farther from the truth. They are looking to help out disadvantaged youth. Separately they can do a lot, but when the two start working together good things come. This was a great read.

Rough and Ready is from the Lightning series, but works as a stand alone. The hero and heroine are the story tellers using first person narration. That is not my preferred style, but Tracy Wolff makes it work. I really appreciated the depth of her characters, the hero and heroine are strong, layered and intriguing. I started out not liking the heroine, but Ms Wolff managed to turn that around at some point and I found myself rooting for their happily ever after. There is lots of passion and attitude in Rough and Ready, a sexy, quick read.
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

rough and ready is a sad title considering the whole book was not that ready. I understand these are ARC but still i couldnt make it through without continually rolling my eyes

I actually didn't much care for this book. While the premise of retired WNBA player turned child advocate was really good, I just couldn't get into her character. She was too determinedly focused on not allowing anyone to help or care for her and she was beyond rude many times to the hero of the book. He on the other hand put up with all the negativity from her and was a pushover which I found unattractive.
I think the only really good parts were the love scenes, they were sexy and steamy but all that does not offset the rest of the plot.

Tracy never disappoints. I have found Tracy’s books to be well written and very captivating. Keep them coming

Tanner Green first meets Elara when she barges into the locker room and chews him out for taking a donation that was meant for her kids charity Rebound. Tanner is intrigued by Elara and seeks her out. When he gets to know her better, the sparks fly. Elara is proud of her independence and Tanner's desire to take care of her causes some friction. It comes to a head when Tanner gets in a fight with her abusive ex-boyfriend at Elara's WNBA Hall of Fame after party. She breaks up with him. After a few weeks Tanner makes a grand gesture and wins Elara back. In the epilogue they decide to get married. I liked Elara and the book started out strong, but I felt something was missing.

Excellent romance

Tracy Wolff scores again with Rough & Ready the newest addition in the Lightening series.
Elara and Tanner were an amazing couple with chemistry that was off the charts. They were both believable well rounded characters.
The plot was well developed and compelling. This was a very enjoyable read.
I received an advance reader copy via Netgalley.

I voluntarily read an advanced review copy of this book

This book was great, Tanner and Elara were a great couple that started with a misunderstanding and continued on with romance. I loved this book and my heart broke for Elara. Tanner was just the man that Elara needed to get over her past and gave her the strength to fight against the demons from her past. The only thing I disliked was that the cover model does not match the description of Tanner.

Tanner and Elara were so well-matched in many ways. They understand each other's careers and aspirations, as well as being good for each other emotionally and romantically. This was a fun book to read.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary – ☆☆☆☆☆
Tanner Green is the main man of the offensive line. He is also the man off the field, with his sweet and caring attitude, protective mode, and all-around good guy. He just can't be real, can he?

Elara Vance lost her dream when an injury sidelined her career in the WNBA. Now she runs a rec center to help kids to have a better future. When she sees Tanner, she knows he can't be real, no man is that good. Now all she needs to do is get more people with money to donate to her rec center so she can continue to help these kids.

Tanner and Elara have explosive chemistry and he wants to explore it more and she wants to deny it. She thinks he is a player because most ballers are. He wants to show her he is different with gifts and donations for her rec center.

Will Tanner be able to convince Elara that he is different? Can Elara let her past go and let Tanner in? Will Tanner share his past with her?

I love this story and it just might be my favorite in the series so far. It is filled with pain, hurt, heartbreak, lust, trust, and love that will last forever. I hope you read this series and enjoy it too. You can read one or all of them, just read them. I found Tracy Wolff with her Ethan Frost series and have loved her writing style ever since, so read it, enjoy it, love it.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the third in the series – and whilst it would read fine as a standalone, it is a great series, so why miss out?

I love the explosive start to the Tanner/Elara story; the scene in the locker room with him protected only by a towel is very entertaining. But after a series of encounters, they both start to understand why she was so angry, and Tanner wants to work together to change things. He is really an all-around good guy and comes from a position of care not control. However, Elara has a frightening past which when shared with Tanner, causes him to see red. Through the abuse she suffered and has risen above, he can see how strong she is, but yet needs to protect her. And here lies the problem in their possible relationship – one which both of them need to overcome in order to move forward together.

I love that he trusts his friends with his problems, but never divulges hers. He takes their advice and does not give up when it would be easier to do so. He shows her how much she matters and that he knows when he messes up. Elara is also willing to revise and accept changes in her life, which leads to a hope-filled happily ever after for them both.

Another lovely romantic, sport filled story from the Lightning family, thank you, Tracy Wolff.


Lee’Anne – ☆☆☆☆☆
I absolutely loved this book! Tanner and Elara are two of my favorite characters that I’ve read in a very long time. Elara is a former WNBA player and currently runs a rec center for children; when funding she’s been banking on for summer rec programs is “stolen” by famous football star Tanner Green, Elara heads straight to him and gives him an earful. Tanner has absolutely no idea who Elara is or why she’s yelling at him, but he’s intrigued and sets out to make things right between them. Once Elara has calmed down, she realizes what a great guy Tanner is but things that happened in her past keep her from getting too close.

Elara is absolutely fierce, she doesn’t take crap from anyone, and defends her “kids” to the death. She’s just an awesome character and Tanner was equally as awesome – though he’s definitely an alpha protector, he’s also the world’s sweetest guy who spends much of his free time also helping out kids in need. This is a hot, steamy read and I was sad to see it end. The only thing that could have made this book better was a longer epilogue, I just wanted more. I’m very much looking forward to more from Tracy Wolff and I hope there is another book to this series and that we wind up getting more of Tanner and Elara.

Warning: I am a fan of ball-busting heroines and Elara is exactly that. It's hard to find books where both characters are athletes (or ex-athlete in this case) and I appreciated that as well as a tall girl heroine. Woot woot! For Tanner, I loved that he was a responsible, non-nonsense guy. No games, takes care of his younger sisters. Just a breath of fresh air mature hero. The setup was great and there were a lot of funny moments between Elara and Tanner. My main issue, though, was it felt kind of rushed, especially with Elara's history.

This was such a fun and fast paced read. I fell in love with Tanner right away. Who wouldn't love a tall sexy alpha wanting to take care of you.i also really loved Elara. She was strong, smart and pretty much just a bad ass baller. It was fun to read their story and how they fell in love.

*4.5 stars*

Big fan of this series by Tracy Wolff! Many great characters and the storyline is engaging, fun, sexy and keeps my interest. This installment is no exception. Loved the push and pull between Tanner and Elara. Also loved Tanner's character as a whole - he is a great character who is a big teddy bear under it all. Just a great read and I am eagerly looking forward to more!

Wow, our heroine, Elara, did not make a good first impression with me, nor, did she make a good second impression. I understood the frustration behind her outburst toward our Hero, Tanner, but it was so over-the-top and inappropriate that I'm surprised Tanner bothered to give her the time of day. I loved how he broke through her tough exterior to find the vulnerable and feminine side of Elara because they make one heck of a power couple.
On a somewhat tangent note, I don't normally think too much about the cover models on the book, but it did kind of bug me that the guy on the cover did not match the description of Tanner at all.
There were a few loose ends that I had hoped would be resolved in the Epilogue, namely about her ex, but the Epilogue fell flat for me too.