Rough Love
Tannen Boys, Book #1
By Lauren Landish
ISBN# 9781712237717
Author’s Website: http://www.laurenlandish.com/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi
Bruce and Allyson were high school sweethearts. They had planned on a future together, but things don’t always work out the way you plan. Things ended badly between the two lovebirds, leaving them both broken hearted.
After a failed marriage, Allyson came back to Great Falls with her son, Cooper. They’ve been back for a few years. However, it wasn’t until Cooper wanted to play football that Allyson’s past smacked her in the face. Cooper’s been talking non-stop about the new assistant coach. Imagine her surprise when it’s none other than the man that broke her heart, Bruce ‘Brutal’ Tannen. But he’s obviously misremembered things as he thinks she’s the one that broke his heart!
Unfortunately, a change in schedule for the head coach forces him to step down and make Allyson the head coach, as Bruce has no kids on the team. The jilted ex-lovers are forced to work together for the sake of the kids. As the two spend time together old feelings come forth once again. However, events occur that force Allyson to deal with demons from her past. Is Bruce’s love enough to pull her from the abyss or is the couple forever doomed for heartbreak?
I enjoy Landish’s writing and this book was no different. And, let me tell you I desperately needed a good book to lose myself in as I’ve had my share of stinkers of late. Sadly, I didn’t realize this was a spin-off of Landish’s Bennett Boys Ranch series (that I haven’t finished) when I started reading it. Even so, this book gives you enough details that you can easily read it without feeling lost. And, I really enjoyed being reunited with the Bennett boys and catching up with their lives.
“Katelyn blows Cindy Lou a kiss with a big “Mwah! You wanna stay with Auntie Katelyn tonight, sweet girl?”
Cindy Lou smiles, kicking her pink-striped stock-covered feet, and then returns the kiss. Except it’s more like she blows a raspberry, and orange baby food goes everywhere, getting all over James and dribbling down Cindy Lou’s chin.
“Sum of a bifch!” he shouts in shock, disgust wrinkling his brow. “Oh gawd, it’s in ma mouf! I ‘eed a ‘apkin!”
We’re all fighting back laughter as Sophie, who hasn’t missed a beat of her own dinner, hands him a paper towel. To his credit, he wipes his daughter down first then scrubs at his own face.
“Language,” Mama Louise corrects.
You’d think she’d give up on that by now. We’re all pretty rough around the edges, even though we have some decent manners. The language rule just doesn’t seem to be one that stuck … to any of us. Hell, I’ve even heard the girls go off worse than any of us boys before, depending on the topic and their level of excitement or fury. Mama Louise’s fighting a losing battle on a sinking ship, but she combats every instance in her presence and says what we do when she’s not around is something we’ll have to make our own peace with.
“I think it was warranted, Mama. Do you know how gross those carrots are? Blech,”
I love second chance romances and I completely ate this book up with a spoon. I didn’t want to stop reading it and I really enjoyed my visit to Great Falls.
I enjoyed Bruce and Allyson. And Cooper too! Although at times, I felt Cooper was written a bit older than the eight years old he was supposed to be. It was fun ‘seeing’ Bruce interact with the kids. He was really good with them.
And, Allyson’s ex was a real piece of work! But honestly I was expecting him to have done more physically than he did, based on Allyson’s behaviors.
This was a good novel, but I will have to finish the Bennett boys books before continuing this series, even though they can be read as stand-alones!
And, I will leave you with a song that seems fitting for this book, Get Up by Shinedown.
