Tanner Cole’s football career was over in less than thirty seconds one Sunday afternoon. After a lifetime playing the sport he loves he’s been forced into an early retirement. Between figuring out his plan for the rest of his life and dealing with the pain of his injuries, this grouchy hottie isn’t in the mood for the perky physical therapist who makes him in ache in more than one place.
Jordan Mueller doesn’t have time for a sulky ex-NFL player, even one who looks like Tanner. She’s done with falling for the bad boy without a heart. When she’s forced out of her apartment and offered an opportunity too good to pass up, she agrees to move in with Tanner. She’s only there to speed up his recovery. No funny business, even if her body is telling her otherwise.
As Tanner and Jordan spend more and more time together, they begin to see each other in a new light that threatens to change everything. But when the ghosts of girlfriends past reappear, Tanner must decide if he’s willing to put everything on the line for a shot at a future with Jordan.
About the Book
Necessary Roughness
by Julie Brannagh
Series
n/a; standalone
Genre
Adult
Contemporary Romance
Publisher
Avon Impulse
Publication Date
October 10, 2017
SASCHA DARLINGTON’S REVIEW
My favorite part of Julie Brannagh’s Necessary Roughness were the characters. Tanner, Jordan, and Harrison were all very appealing…but especially Harrison, Tanner’s best friend. (This seems to be a continuing thing with me; the best friend more than the hero?)
Tanner who just had a career-ending injury and is obviously more than grumpy does come across as a self-aware jerk at the beginning, but changes and even becomes charming. I enjoyed his reference to perky Jordan as DP, short for Disney Princess.
While Jordan is perky, she’s also capable and determined. She smiles in the face of grump.
And, Harrison is the sarcastic, smartass, charming best friend who, although I don’t believe it’s ever acknowledged in the novel, brings Tanner and Jordan together.
The pacing ofNecessary Roughness threw me a bit. It was moving leisurely at the beginning with Jordan and Tanner getting to know each other and then someone pressed the gas and things sped up. I actually did go back to make sure that I hadn’t missed anything.
Julie Brannagh obviously knew her football, which comes shining through. It’s good to read a sports-related novel in which the author actually knows and understands the sport she’s writing about.
I enjoyed Necessary Roughness. Now that the weather actually feels like fall, it’s perfect for cuddling up with a football romance.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
rating: 
4 out of 5 butterflies
About Julie Brannagh
USA Today bestselling author Julie Brannagh has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil. She lives in a small town near Seattle, where she once served as a city council member and owned a yarn shop. She shares her home with a wonderful husband, two uncivilized Maine Coons and a rambunctious chocolate Lab. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, or armchair-quarterbacking her favorite NFL team from the comfort of the family room couch. Julie is a Golden Heart finalist and the author of contemporary sports romances.
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