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Callaghan Brothers #1
Dangerous Secrets
Two secret pasts... one passionate love story.
Taryn Malone is stranded, broke, and desperate for help. But even if the sexy bartender she's been eyeing offers her a job for the evening... even if he seduces her with his impossibly intense blue eyes... even if every fiber of her heart tells her to stay with him... she can't.
Because Taryn Malone doesn't exist.
Jake Callaghan has been running the family's Irish pub for years now. When he sees Taryn standing out alone in the rain, he does what he's been trained to do as a SEAL - he rescues her. It has nothing to do with her full, firm curves, or her loose, golden-blonde hair, or the way she brushes against him that sends lightning bolts through his body. It's just the right thing to do.
Really.
But both Taryn and Jake are hiding secrets from each other. Dangerous secrets. And neither one of them knows just how dangerous it can be to fall in love...
Taryn Malone is stranded, broke, and desperate for help. But even if the sexy bartender she's been eyeing offers her a job for the evening... even if he seduces her with his impossibly intense blue eyes... even if every fiber of her heart tells her to stay with him... she can't.
Because Taryn Malone doesn't exist.
Jake Callaghan has been running the family's Irish pub for years now. When he sees Taryn standing out alone in the rain, he does what he's been trained to do as a SEAL - he rescues her. It has nothing to do with her full, firm curves, or her loose, golden-blonde hair, or the way she brushes against him that sends lightning bolts through his body. It's just the right thing to do.
Really.
But both Taryn and Jake are hiding secrets from each other. Dangerous secrets. And neither one of them knows just how dangerous it can be to fall in love...
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 19, 2014
1510 people are currently reading
2699 people want to read
About the author
Abbie Zanders
79 books2,047 followersAbbie Zanders is a USA Today Bestselling Author with more than 55 published romance novels to date. Her stories range from contemporary to paranormal and everything in between. She promises her readers two things: happily ever afters, always, and no cliffhangers, ever.
Born and raised in the mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania, where she sets most of her stories, she’s known for small town romance featuring golden-hearted alpha heroes and strong, relatable heroines. Besides being an avid reader and writer, she loves animals (especially big dogs), American muscle cars, and 80's hair bands.
Born and raised in the mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania, where she sets most of her stories, she’s known for small town romance featuring golden-hearted alpha heroes and strong, relatable heroines. Besides being an avid reader and writer, she loves animals (especially big dogs), American muscle cars, and 80's hair bands.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 579 reviews
November 21, 2023
Nice romantic suspense story!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙❤️💚💜
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌏🌎
Character development: 🙃😊😉🥰
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Solo Narration
The heroine: Taryn (a.k.a. Kiyara) - she wakes up with cracked ribs and pneumonia, with her wrists and ankles chained to a bed. Her tormented has had her and tortured her for seven months and she wasn’t waiting for someone to rescue her, she knew that she would have no option but to rescue herself. To find a weakness in him and take advantage of it. He was the same man who had killed her entire family, who had taken, abused and raped her for months on end. She had to play him despite her fever. She runs and keeps running, for 10 years.
The Hero: Jake - in Pine Ridge Pennsylvania, Jake is working at his family bar, Jake’s Irish Pub. He has been running the bar for years now. Most of the people that work there are family, except for Kayla, the waitress and his occasional hook-up though she has recently been pushing Jake for a less open and more permanent type of relationship. He and his brothers are all former military and work covert ops for the government from time to time.
The Story: Jake has some specific requirements for the girl he eventually settled down with. Someone feminine but not needy, someone fun and intelligent, good on the outside and naughty on the inside, someone he could talk to for hours and someone who would be there when he needed her, even if they were fighting. Kayla doesn’t fit that description at all, as a matter of fact, it is one of the busiest nights of the year and she didn’t show up to work because she was mad.
Taryn Malone was cold, and her car was out of commission, while she had only ten bucks to her name. She didn’t have any ID or credit cards. She needed a warm place to hold up for a while. When she sees the pub, she gets a sign that this is the place she should be. Jake was in need of help right at the time Taryn showed up and hired her on the spot. He was interested in her from the start.
The romance was good, and the character development was terrific, I loved Jake and all his special ops brothers. I also liked the fact that ten years had passed since Taryn was held captive so even though she was still scared and damaged, enough time had passed that she was ready for a romance. There was a bunch of suspense which was also good.
This audiobook was told in dual points of view via solo narration. It was narrated by Aiden Snow who is one of my all-time favorite male narrators. He has a soft yet very deep voice which is so sexy. I could listen to him for days. He does a great job with this book (and with everything he narrates).
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙❤️💚💜
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌏🌎
Character development: 🙃😊😉🥰
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Solo Narration
The heroine: Taryn (a.k.a. Kiyara) - she wakes up with cracked ribs and pneumonia, with her wrists and ankles chained to a bed. Her tormented has had her and tortured her for seven months and she wasn’t waiting for someone to rescue her, she knew that she would have no option but to rescue herself. To find a weakness in him and take advantage of it. He was the same man who had killed her entire family, who had taken, abused and raped her for months on end. She had to play him despite her fever. She runs and keeps running, for 10 years.
The Hero: Jake - in Pine Ridge Pennsylvania, Jake is working at his family bar, Jake’s Irish Pub. He has been running the bar for years now. Most of the people that work there are family, except for Kayla, the waitress and his occasional hook-up though she has recently been pushing Jake for a less open and more permanent type of relationship. He and his brothers are all former military and work covert ops for the government from time to time.
The Story: Jake has some specific requirements for the girl he eventually settled down with. Someone feminine but not needy, someone fun and intelligent, good on the outside and naughty on the inside, someone he could talk to for hours and someone who would be there when he needed her, even if they were fighting. Kayla doesn’t fit that description at all, as a matter of fact, it is one of the busiest nights of the year and she didn’t show up to work because she was mad.
Taryn Malone was cold, and her car was out of commission, while she had only ten bucks to her name. She didn’t have any ID or credit cards. She needed a warm place to hold up for a while. When she sees the pub, she gets a sign that this is the place she should be. Jake was in need of help right at the time Taryn showed up and hired her on the spot. He was interested in her from the start.
The romance was good, and the character development was terrific, I loved Jake and all his special ops brothers. I also liked the fact that ten years had passed since Taryn was held captive so even though she was still scared and damaged, enough time had passed that she was ready for a romance. There was a bunch of suspense which was also good.
This audiobook was told in dual points of view via solo narration. It was narrated by Aiden Snow who is one of my all-time favorite male narrators. He has a soft yet very deep voice which is so sexy. I could listen to him for days. He does a great job with this book (and with everything he narrates).
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dnf
February 13, 2019DNF @ 40%
I don’t like it when I can’t tell who the love interest is this far in. It seems like all 7 brothers will fall all over themselves for her before the end.
Just not in the mood right now...maybe I’ll pick it up at a later date.
I don’t like it when I can’t tell who the love interest is this far in. It seems like all 7 brothers will fall all over themselves for her before the end.
Just not in the mood right now...maybe I’ll pick it up at a later date.
February 9, 2017
7 hawt brothers, all with SEAL and black op special training what is not to love. Hard to choose which one to pick be it Kane, Jake, Ian, Micahel, Shane, Sean and Kieran. Jack Sr. is pretty hard core as well. I liked and enjoyed this book very much. But in saying that there were some things that bothered me. 3 Irish lovin’ Stars.
As I have already read bk 2 and bk 3 I can say that this one is with the most suspense in it.
Taryn Malone doesn’t exist on paper and has been running scared for about 10 years now. What she went through is hard to fathom but she is strong and a fighter. Fate is a funny thing and as Taryn’s car breaks down she ends up in Pine Ridge and in Jake Callaghan’s Irish Pub.
Jake is an upstanding citizen and runs a black ops with his Father and seven brothers. Taryn is Jake’s Creoie, Heart and Soulmate.
There is an instant attraction between the two but I would still have liked to have seen more interaction between the main characters. Ms. Zanders builds a solid world and introduces us to the Callaghan Clan but that takes us away from the main focus of the story being Taryn and Jake.
What bothered me was that she had very close relationships with the other brothers and sometime I wasn’t too sure if it was actually Jake she was interested in. At the beginning of the book it mentioned that Jake and Ian share women at the same time. So I wasn’t too sure if this was going to happen but it seemed implied. I also didn’t get the following situations.
As I have already read bk 2 and bk 3 I can say that this one is with the most suspense in it.
Taryn Malone doesn’t exist on paper and has been running scared for about 10 years now. What she went through is hard to fathom but she is strong and a fighter. Fate is a funny thing and as Taryn’s car breaks down she ends up in Pine Ridge and in Jake Callaghan’s Irish Pub.
Jake is an upstanding citizen and runs a black ops with his Father and seven brothers. Taryn is Jake’s Creoie, Heart and Soulmate.
There is an instant attraction between the two but I would still have liked to have seen more interaction between the main characters. Ms. Zanders builds a solid world and introduces us to the Callaghan Clan but that takes us away from the main focus of the story being Taryn and Jake.
What bothered me was that she had very close relationships with the other brothers and sometime I wasn’t too sure if it was actually Jake she was interested in. At the beginning of the book it mentioned that Jake and Ian share women at the same time. So I wasn’t too sure if this was going to happen but it seemed implied. I also didn’t get the following situations.
October 17, 2015
3 stars = I liked it, with nits. Taryn has secrets that have forced her to live off the grid, alone and on the run, until a broken down car strands her in town and she wanders into the Callihan's bar ...
I liked this even though it really structured oddly for a romance, and even though there were a fair amount of little niggling little nits with things in the story. Mostly, really liked idea of all the protectve Callihan brothers and I liked the heroine, Taryn, and her interactions with the taciturn brother, Kane, who was not the leading man.
My nits:
- the love interest Jake, is a no strings guy who often shares a woman with his brother, but falls in love with Taryn pretty much at first sight.
- I was a bit worried that this was going to be a menage a trois because the brother, Ian (who Jake shares with) was hot for Taryn too -and actually all the brothers want her, so I was afraid that they were all going to end up with her and it was going to be one of 'those' books.
- Since she spent so much time with Kane, interacts with Kane more, and intersects more honestly with him, and gets to know him better than Jake ( who is the brother who 'saw' her first and who she ends up with) - and since Jake is off screen for the middle of the book - it felt like Taryn should have ended up with Kane.
-Jake and Taryn have life affirming sex when she had broken ribs - No. Just, no.
-Pretty much everyone in the book has supernatral caliber instincts.
-There are fair number of coincidences threading the whole story together.
I know that's a lot of nits (some editing for the overall composition of the story would have helped), but I guess I liked the strong, spunky survivor Taryn (even if she did pick the wrong brother) enough to somehow still come out on the plus side on this.
I liked this even though it really structured oddly for a romance, and even though there were a fair amount of little niggling little nits with things in the story. Mostly, really liked idea of all the protectve Callihan brothers and I liked the heroine, Taryn, and her interactions with the taciturn brother, Kane, who was not the leading man.
My nits:
- the love interest Jake, is a no strings guy who often shares a woman with his brother, but falls in love with Taryn pretty much at first sight.
- I was a bit worried that this was going to be a menage a trois because the brother, Ian (who Jake shares with) was hot for Taryn too -and actually all the brothers want her, so I was afraid that they were all going to end up with her and it was going to be one of 'those' books.
- Since she spent so much time with Kane, interacts with Kane more, and intersects more honestly with him, and gets to know him better than Jake ( who is the brother who 'saw' her first and who she ends up with) - and since Jake is off screen for the middle of the book - it felt like Taryn should have ended up with Kane.
-Jake and Taryn have life affirming sex when she had broken ribs - No. Just, no.
-Pretty much everyone in the book has supernatral caliber instincts.
-There are fair number of coincidences threading the whole story together.
I know that's a lot of nits (some editing for the overall composition of the story would have helped), but I guess I liked the strong, spunky survivor Taryn (even if she did pick the wrong brother) enough to somehow still come out on the plus side on this.
June 3, 2015
So...I thought I was going to DNF it after the first few chapters....I was thrown off by a few things....but I trod on and I actually ended up really, really liking it! I Love Jake Callaghan! I actually really like all the Callaghan's. They are awesome. I think maybe their dialogue could have been a little less similar because I kind of got confused as to who was supposed to be talking, but it wasn't too big of an issue. Taryn was pretty straight forward - no bullshit and pretty badass. I liked her a lot. Theres a bit of mystery wrapped up in it all, It wasn't bad, and even though some of what happened near the end was borderline heartbreaking, it all came together nicely.
April 2, 2018
Dumb
Unrealistic
Insta-love
Independent Stubborn STUPID idiot heroine
Toss junt heroine
Confused author forgot who her hero was supposed to be
Unrealistic
Insta-love
Toss junt heroine
Confused author forgot who her hero was supposed to be
February 10, 2015
4.5 HOT Irish Stars!
What a pleasant little surprise this book turned out to be. I have been overindulging in the ex-seal/mercenary/military/security type books lately and they have all started to feel pretty much the same. So I didn't have overly high expectations for Dangerous Secrets and was shocked at how much I actually enjoyed it.
Whilst Zanders incorporated a lot of the usual pre-requisites for this style of book (alpha-males, hot brothers, girl on the run, lust etc) she also brought other elements to it which gave the characters and story more depth and allowed it to standout in a genre full of much of the same.
I really enjoyed all the characters in this book and the third person narrative really allowed you to get an insight into not only the MC's but the ensemble characters as well. Taryn, was actually a pretty great heroine. She was strong, independent and had just the right amount of sass without being annoying, stupid or bitchy. She had a few moments where she lost her temper, but I never found her frustrating and mostly just empathised with her.
As for Jake and his brothers, can you say HOT? Now say it seven times because there are SEVEN of them, yes, you heard right. Seven hot alpha irish brothers who will have you dropping your panties as soon as they open their mouths.
From the moment I read the prologue i was sucked in and could not put it down. I was so curious about Taryn and what/who she was running from. I knew her past was going to be bad but I didn't realise it was going to be so heartbreaking.
I must admit I am a bit of an emotional reader and one of those people who hunger for the first interactions between the hero and heroine, so I do find it a little difficult reading about the hero's explicit sex life prior to falling for said heroine especially when there were moments when he was contemplating if he had the ability to 'share' her with his brother.......... pretty sure that's not what your parents had in mind when they raised you to share with your siblings.
Thankfully, Jake realised very quickly he would never share Taryn with anyone and wants her for himself. However, he knows she is running from something and keeping painful secrets. He wants nothing more than to help her, but finds it difficult to do so when she won't let him in.
Trayn has been running from the horrors of her past for the last 10 years, hiding and alone but after a chance encounter with the Callaghan's her lonely life is tipped upside down. She feels safe with them but knows the people that want her dead will stop at nothing or no-one to get to her if they find her and she can't let anything happen to these good people who have helped her. Even if she may be falling for one of them, so she leaves.
What Taryn doesn't realise is that there is actually a lot more to The Callaghan's than meets the eye, they all have 'day' jobs but the also run a special ops business and all know there is far more going on in this beautiful girl's life than she is telling. As they begin to uncover her deadly secrets and realise just how much danger she is in it becomes a race to find her and keep her safe.
This was a really fast paced book, there was lots of drama, suspense and action as well passion, love and humour. I really enjoyed that this book wasn't all sex and that there actually was an interesting story to go along with it. If I had only one complaint it would be that the ending felt slightly rushed but other than that I have absolutely fallen for these characters and cannot wait to read Ian's story next - First and Only .
I am so glad this book came up in my recommendations and am looking forward to checking out more of Abbie Zander's books!.
What a pleasant little surprise this book turned out to be. I have been overindulging in the ex-seal/mercenary/military/security type books lately and they have all started to feel pretty much the same. So I didn't have overly high expectations for Dangerous Secrets and was shocked at how much I actually enjoyed it.
Whilst Zanders incorporated a lot of the usual pre-requisites for this style of book (alpha-males, hot brothers, girl on the run, lust etc) she also brought other elements to it which gave the characters and story more depth and allowed it to standout in a genre full of much of the same.
I really enjoyed all the characters in this book and the third person narrative really allowed you to get an insight into not only the MC's but the ensemble characters as well. Taryn, was actually a pretty great heroine. She was strong, independent and had just the right amount of sass without being annoying, stupid or bitchy. She had a few moments where she lost her temper, but I never found her frustrating and mostly just empathised with her.
As for Jake and his brothers, can you say HOT? Now say it seven times because there are SEVEN of them, yes, you heard right. Seven hot alpha irish brothers who will have you dropping your panties as soon as they open their mouths.
From the moment I read the prologue i was sucked in and could not put it down. I was so curious about Taryn and what/who she was running from. I knew her past was going to be bad but I didn't realise it was going to be so heartbreaking.
I must admit I am a bit of an emotional reader and one of those people who hunger for the first interactions between the hero and heroine, so I do find it a little difficult reading about the hero's explicit sex life prior to falling for said heroine especially when there were moments when he was contemplating if he had the ability to 'share' her with his brother.......... pretty sure that's not what your parents had in mind when they raised you to share with your siblings.
Thankfully, Jake realised very quickly he would never share Taryn with anyone and wants her for himself. However, he knows she is running from something and keeping painful secrets. He wants nothing more than to help her, but finds it difficult to do so when she won't let him in.
Trayn has been running from the horrors of her past for the last 10 years, hiding and alone but after a chance encounter with the Callaghan's her lonely life is tipped upside down. She feels safe with them but knows the people that want her dead will stop at nothing or no-one to get to her if they find her and she can't let anything happen to these good people who have helped her. Even if she may be falling for one of them, so she leaves.
What Taryn doesn't realise is that there is actually a lot more to The Callaghan's than meets the eye, they all have 'day' jobs but the also run a special ops business and all know there is far more going on in this beautiful girl's life than she is telling. As they begin to uncover her deadly secrets and realise just how much danger she is in it becomes a race to find her and keep her safe.
This was a really fast paced book, there was lots of drama, suspense and action as well passion, love and humour. I really enjoyed that this book wasn't all sex and that there actually was an interesting story to go along with it. If I had only one complaint it would be that the ending felt slightly rushed but other than that I have absolutely fallen for these characters and cannot wait to read Ian's story next - First and Only .
I am so glad this book came up in my recommendations and am looking forward to checking out more of Abbie Zander's books!.
July 19, 2018
1.5 disappointed stars
Yes spoilers ahead
This book was an epic example of expecting the unexpected. From the prologue to a couple chapters in I fully expected to rate this at least a 4,then the relationship between the h and Ian was kinda iffy so while reading with my eyebrows almost to my hairline I was still thinking ok at least 3 stars, then Jake pulled his douche move the h ran again and then.....enter Kane! It's at this point I gave up, if the author's confused as to the H in this story then there is no hope for this reader to figure it out. Taryn actually seemed to have a better connection with Kane than with Jake, and during her days spent with him she probably thought of Jake once if so much. Her massaging and falling asleep on Kane had me wishing she'd end up with him just because this entire romantic plot was shit. Add in the fact that this h was wayyyyyy on the wrong side of TSTL and unreasonably stubborn and I was glad to make it to the end. This could've been really good, the suspense was good, admittedly with some OTT elements but still good, but that whole emotional threeway just tanked this book! When Jake proposed to her she asked him why, well hello that was my question too! I'm a big fan of insta love/lust and while I bought that feeling from Jake this h wasn't sure which brother she really wanted so the hfn ending was unbelievable at best. Also the decision to keep the miscarriage from her was just a no-no in my book. All in all a major disappointment from what could've been a stellar book but again curiosity,the bane of my existence compels me to move on to book 2 😭
Yes spoilers ahead
This book was an epic example of expecting the unexpected. From the prologue to a couple chapters in I fully expected to rate this at least a 4,then the relationship between the h and Ian was kinda iffy so while reading with my eyebrows almost to my hairline I was still thinking ok at least 3 stars, then Jake pulled his douche move the h ran again and then.....enter Kane! It's at this point I gave up, if the author's confused as to the H in this story then there is no hope for this reader to figure it out. Taryn actually seemed to have a better connection with Kane than with Jake, and during her days spent with him she probably thought of Jake once if so much. Her massaging and falling asleep on Kane had me wishing she'd end up with him just because this entire romantic plot was shit. Add in the fact that this h was wayyyyyy on the wrong side of TSTL and unreasonably stubborn and I was glad to make it to the end. This could've been really good, the suspense was good, admittedly with some OTT elements but still good, but that whole emotional threeway just tanked this book! When Jake proposed to her she asked him why, well hello that was my question too! I'm a big fan of insta love/lust and while I bought that feeling from Jake this h wasn't sure which brother she really wanted so the hfn ending was unbelievable at best. Also the decision to keep the miscarriage from her was just a no-no in my book. All in all a major disappointment from what could've been a stellar book but again curiosity,the bane of my existence compels me to move on to book 2 😭
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2016
I really, really loved this story.
It has everything in it. Hot Alpha males (Lots of them & related no less) *Bonus*
But the suspense here is amazing. I love the heart & passion that surrounds these characters. Every single one of these men are unique. Mysterious in their own way. Interesting with secrets of their own. And I love the Heroine.
This one was a dark , sweet, yet an erotic & frightening read. It kept me on my toes. An amazing intro to this series, so I will be back for more.
Only one thing I didn't like here & I'm really hoping it will be addressed again in later books. As serious as it is, just the nature of the situation and the way that it was left hanging there, I can't imagine it not coming up again later.
Other than that, I would seriously recommend this read.
Happy Reading :)
It has everything in it. Hot Alpha males (Lots of them & related no less) *Bonus*
But the suspense here is amazing. I love the heart & passion that surrounds these characters. Every single one of these men are unique. Mysterious in their own way. Interesting with secrets of their own. And I love the Heroine.
This one was a dark , sweet, yet an erotic & frightening read. It kept me on my toes. An amazing intro to this series, so I will be back for more.
Only one thing I didn't like here & I'm really hoping it will be addressed again in later books. As serious as it is, just the nature of the situation and the way that it was left hanging there, I can't imagine it not coming up again later.
Other than that, I would seriously recommend this read.
Happy Reading :)
April 23, 2015
This book could of been good. Unfortunately the heroine's strong connection to several of the brothers made it confusing as to just who this was a love story for. And the heroine was an idiot.
March 14, 2015
FOUR 'YOU'RE IT FOR ME, BABY' STARS!
This is the first book I've read by Abbie Zanders, and I am now a fan. This is the start of what promises to be a great series. The Callaghan brothers, and there are seven of them, are all former Navy SEALS who now run a clandestine black ops company and several other legitimate family businesses. An Irish family lead by their patriarch, Jack Callaghan, whose wife and mother of his sons died years ago, the brothers, all happily single, have grown up hearing how once a Callaghan man meets his croie, his heart and soulmate, he will love her and only her forever. None of them really believe this, of course.
Taryn Malone is a woman who's been on the run from her horrific past for the last 10 years. While passing through Pine Ridge, she has car trouble. Down to her last few dollars after repairs, she needs some cash to get her to her next destination. While wandering through Pine Ridge, she is drawn to Jake's Pub. While looking through the window, she spots Jake and is struck dumb when their eyes meet through the window. Jake has a similar reaction. He manages to convince her to work for him tending bar to cover the busy homecoming weekend. Jake is very intrigued by Taryn, but he can sense she has secrets.
This arrangement works out for both of them and stokes the simmering attraction between them. They eventually succumb to this attraction. Jake is profoundly affected by making love with Taryn, and much as Jake denies and fights it, deep down he knows he has found his croie. Taryn, on the other hand, while also affected deeply by Jake, cannot act on those feelings. She cannot stay in Pine Ridge, she simply cannot take the risk - to herself or to him and his family, should they learn her secret. Jake is determined to get to the answers he needs, and utilizing the resources of his company and his brothers' skills, what they uncover about Taryn is alarming and disturbing. Taryn knows the clock is ticking, and she finds a way to leave, despite her desire to stay.
Jake and his brothers begin to track her, but they aren't the only ones doing so, and it takes them months to find her. Taryn's past is catching up with her. Will Jake and his brothers get to Taryn in time? How will the truth of Taryn's secrets affect her and Jake? This is an exciting book with plenty of suspense, a bit of steam and some luck of the Irish.
I really enjoyed this book, and I'm impressed by Abbie Zanders' work. Finishing out the series is a no-brainer for me, I'm hooked.
This is the first book I've read by Abbie Zanders, and I am now a fan. This is the start of what promises to be a great series. The Callaghan brothers, and there are seven of them, are all former Navy SEALS who now run a clandestine black ops company and several other legitimate family businesses. An Irish family lead by their patriarch, Jack Callaghan, whose wife and mother of his sons died years ago, the brothers, all happily single, have grown up hearing how once a Callaghan man meets his croie, his heart and soulmate, he will love her and only her forever. None of them really believe this, of course.
Taryn Malone is a woman who's been on the run from her horrific past for the last 10 years. While passing through Pine Ridge, she has car trouble. Down to her last few dollars after repairs, she needs some cash to get her to her next destination. While wandering through Pine Ridge, she is drawn to Jake's Pub. While looking through the window, she spots Jake and is struck dumb when their eyes meet through the window. Jake has a similar reaction. He manages to convince her to work for him tending bar to cover the busy homecoming weekend. Jake is very intrigued by Taryn, but he can sense she has secrets.
This arrangement works out for both of them and stokes the simmering attraction between them. They eventually succumb to this attraction. Jake is profoundly affected by making love with Taryn, and much as Jake denies and fights it, deep down he knows he has found his croie. Taryn, on the other hand, while also affected deeply by Jake, cannot act on those feelings. She cannot stay in Pine Ridge, she simply cannot take the risk - to herself or to him and his family, should they learn her secret. Jake is determined to get to the answers he needs, and utilizing the resources of his company and his brothers' skills, what they uncover about Taryn is alarming and disturbing. Taryn knows the clock is ticking, and she finds a way to leave, despite her desire to stay.
Jake and his brothers begin to track her, but they aren't the only ones doing so, and it takes them months to find her. Taryn's past is catching up with her. Will Jake and his brothers get to Taryn in time? How will the truth of Taryn's secrets affect her and Jake? This is an exciting book with plenty of suspense, a bit of steam and some luck of the Irish.
I really enjoyed this book, and I'm impressed by Abbie Zanders' work. Finishing out the series is a no-brainer for me, I'm hooked.
March 2, 2015
An interesting start to a new series that had the things I really enjoy in a book, hot alpha males, woman on the run, suspense. However, when I read a romance I want to see the romance. Unfortunately there was very little alone time for Taryn and Jake, she spent an awful lot of time in the book either on her own or with one of Jake's brothers, making the ILY's at the end rather unrealistic.
I also wanted more from the suspense aspect, all the exciting stuff was done off page and was tied up all in a pretty bow without any of the heart-pounding excitement there could and should have been. The idea behind the suspense is a really good one, just feel let down that it was done and dusted so quickly.
For me, the romance and suspense should have been fleshed out a lot more.
That said, the author has reeled me in enough that I am going straight on to the second book in the series.
I also wanted more from the suspense aspect, all the exciting stuff was done off page and was tied up all in a pretty bow without any of the heart-pounding excitement there could and should have been. The idea behind the suspense is a really good one, just feel let down that it was done and dusted so quickly.
For me, the romance and suspense should have been fleshed out a lot more.
That said, the author has reeled me in enough that I am going straight on to the second book in the series.
March 24, 2015
It's one of the most confusing books I've ever read. Writer couldn't decide who the heroine should end up with or should be it an erotica or simple, sweet romance novel. Taryn goes from one Callaghan brother to another to another. Second half of the book is all about Taryn & Kane (hero's brother). Quite frustrating!!
Want to read
March 1, 2023🎁 FREE on Amazon today (11/29/2019)! 🎁
April 13, 2015
Mixed feelings! It's a tit for tat kinda book. For every good element, there's something I didn't like counteracting it.
I typically don't like a story with the romantic elements at play in this book - insta-love, alpha male that really sticks his head up his ass before having a sudden soulmate epiphany, multiple plot points that are hinged on fate, if'y moments with other male characters that sour the romance, etc.
^ But, there was something about the book that I just couldn't put it down.
Maybe it's that the author hooks you from the beginning with a very strong empathetic connection with the female MC - her past suspense, present angst, and uncertain future.
Her life is complicated, tragic, & dangerous, and she's a proud, strong, obstinate, brave character. Then, she happens upon a family of alpha males that prickle her independence and eventually end up proving that sometimes it takes more courage and strength to accept help than to fight solo.
The author did a great job with her character (the tit)...
Ehh, (the tat) male MC? He could've been a lot better & needed more air time. I really didn't like the plot point of how he and one of his bros operated in the bedroom; even though it became a nonissue, the inference/prospect is stuck in the readers' mind afterward. The walking out scene was a little hard to get past. And, I never felt like I truly got to know him as a character. Of course, it didn't help that a large chunk of the book was spent with the female MC being up close and personal (platonically) with another one of his many brothers. I found that to be an extremely odd element in the "soulmate" romance, especially the rub downs and cuddle cabin scenes; just weird because I felt an emotional connection mixed in with all the touching there -and- a purely lust connection w the male MC. The way the whole thing was written put a damper on the romantic plot between the MCs.
This book also uses "fate" as a plot advancer for way, way too many elements of the story for my taste WITHOUT this being a clear cut paranormal book. There's talk of intuitive guts and all, but no real para theme here. The author should've committed one way or another - para or not.
Yet, I read it nonstop till I finished it. Go figure?! I feel wishy washy ... This story had a great deal of potential. The suspense was on point, but the overall story was tainted with 'romance killers' and lack of polish on the male MC.
I typically don't like a story with the romantic elements at play in this book - insta-love, alpha male that really sticks his head up his ass before having a sudden soulmate epiphany, multiple plot points that are hinged on fate, if'y moments with other male characters that sour the romance, etc.
^ But, there was something about the book that I just couldn't put it down.
Maybe it's that the author hooks you from the beginning with a very strong empathetic connection with the female MC - her past suspense, present angst, and uncertain future.
Her life is complicated, tragic, & dangerous, and she's a proud, strong, obstinate, brave character. Then, she happens upon a family of alpha males that prickle her independence and eventually end up proving that sometimes it takes more courage and strength to accept help than to fight solo.
The author did a great job with her character (the tit)...
Ehh, (the tat) male MC? He could've been a lot better & needed more air time. I really didn't like the plot point of how he and one of his bros operated in the bedroom; even though it became a nonissue, the inference/prospect is stuck in the readers' mind afterward. The walking out scene was a little hard to get past. And, I never felt like I truly got to know him as a character. Of course, it didn't help that a large chunk of the book was spent with the female MC being up close and personal (platonically) with another one of his many brothers. I found that to be an extremely odd element in the "soulmate" romance, especially the rub downs and cuddle cabin scenes; just weird because I felt an emotional connection mixed in with all the touching there -and- a purely lust connection w the male MC. The way the whole thing was written put a damper on the romantic plot between the MCs.
This book also uses "fate" as a plot advancer for way, way too many elements of the story for my taste WITHOUT this being a clear cut paranormal book. There's talk of intuitive guts and all, but no real para theme here. The author should've committed one way or another - para or not.
Yet, I read it nonstop till I finished it. Go figure?! I feel wishy washy ... This story had a great deal of potential. The suspense was on point, but the overall story was tainted with 'romance killers' and lack of polish on the male MC.
June 11, 2015
ODD
This story would have been great except for the really really odd "1 wife for three brothers scenario" I have no clue what the author was going for it felt like she was in three relationships at the same time just very odd and icky have no clue where the love story was supposed to be it felt like she would have all of them all of them if that's what they wanted even up to the end when she wanted ALL his brothers to hear them have sex UMmmmm No just No............
This story would have been great except for the really really odd "1 wife for three brothers scenario" I have no clue what the author was going for it felt like she was in three relationships at the same time just very odd and icky have no clue where the love story was supposed to be it felt like she would have all of them all of them if that's what they wanted even up to the end when she wanted ALL his brothers to hear them have sex UMmmmm No just No............
Read
October 20, 2016Just for me note
April 26, 2016
Okay, I get that the point of fiction is to create stories, to transport you to another world. But there is a line that needs to be drawn, and I think I draw it at a bunch of Irish pub owners who double as some covert operatives who go on clandestine missions for the government. How convenient is it, that each of the brothers is especially skilled at one particular thing, and so skilled at that, that he is unbeatable. There is a limit to making a story far-fetched, and Ms. Zanders crosses it beyond fathomable lengths. Oh, and what is with the weird interconnected sexcapades that everyone has going here? These guys literally don't take "bros before hoes" seriously. Ian sleeps with his older brother Jake's er...friend with benefits, and hits on the same woman that Jake, er..."stakes his claim on". Jake, then, at some point brings up something about never having thought of having a threesome (I mean, "menage") with his brother before. And then, for some reason, Taryn or Kiara or whoever she is gets really close to another brother, Kane. It doesn't help the case that most of the brothers have, for some reason seen Taryn naked? I stopped trying to make sense of this story when he thinks she acts like
"some recalcitrant child."
Oh, and I know thw clitoris has been called many things before, but this is the first I've heard of "her dragon". I don't want to live on this planet anymore.
There is some fucked up shit in this book that I don't think I want to delve into, because I don't think I'll gain my sanity back after. I don't think any family is this close-knit. Oh, and if I have to read about her perfect heart shaped ass one more motherfucking time, I will fucking harpoon someone's ass. Just, please avoid this like the zombie apocalypse. Actually, if you have to read this book too avoid the apocalypse, you probably have a better chance of surviving the end of the world than of recovering from this clusterfuck.
There is some fucked up shit in this book that I don't think I want to delve into, because I don't think I'll gain my sanity back after. I don't think any family is this close-knit. Oh, and if I have to read about her perfect heart shaped ass one more motherfucking time, I will fucking harpoon someone's ass. Just, please avoid this like the zombie apocalypse. Actually, if you have to read this book too avoid the apocalypse, you probably have a better chance of surviving the end of the world than of recovering from this clusterfuck.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2016
Taryn Malone is hiding a secret, one she can't reveal to anyone. When she stumbles upon Jake Callaghan's bar, she finds herself working a few nights under the table as a bartender. Jake realizes quickly that Taryn is not all she seems and that he wants her close. He doesn't understand his feelings and before he comes to terms with them it is too late and Taryn is on the run again. In danger, Jake pulls his brothers for help to keep Taryn safe until he can protect her himself.
This was a fantastic start for the series. I will say that in the beginning I was not sure who was going to be Taryn's love interest. The end there was one thing that befuddled me a bit, but overall a terrific read. Liked Jake, he is alpha male and an idiot at times. Taryn is interesting because you don't know why she is running, as her story unfolds you realize how strong she really is. Can't wait for the next book.
This was a fantastic start for the series. I will say that in the beginning I was not sure who was going to be Taryn's love interest. The end there was one thing that befuddled me a bit, but overall a terrific read. Liked Jake, he is alpha male and an idiot at times. Taryn is interesting because you don't know why she is running, as her story unfolds you realize how strong she really is. Can't wait for the next book.
January 31, 2015
Wow, loved this book.terrific author can't wait to read more of her work.
February 12, 2015
4.5*s
Really good read with good characters and a great storyline, I will be continuing with the series for sure.
Really good read with good characters and a great storyline, I will be continuing with the series for sure.
April 21, 2022
1.75 stars, only because the story itself had promise, but it's clearly a disappointing child for author because it didn't live up to what it should have been.
Basic story...mentally and physically abused girl walks into a pub which is bursting to the rafters with lots of drunk men and offers to help behind the bar. It sounds like the start of a bad dad joke, but it's actually the start of a lot of face slapping for the reader in the unbelievable stakes. So, face slap one.
She flirts with customers and the two hot guys behind the bar. See note about her being extensively abused as a teen. Face slap two.
She goes out to dinner with the hottest of the mchotties at 2am in the morning, with no one else around. Then she goes back to the pub to sleep in one of the guest rooms. Half a face slap, because she didn't have anywhere else to sleep.
The two hotties nick her bag and go through it because they know she's hiding something from them. Some hotties are saved from being creeps because they're hot.
Girl then works the next night at the bar in return for staying in the room. She and the bigger mchottie get it on after work, and it feels so different and right, don't you know, because they've just met and she's completely trusting of mchottie that she doesn't even tell him her real name. Two big face slaps right there.
Mchottie's several other brothers arrive, one of them ends up going into girl's room and straddling her, because you know, that's perfectly alright. Girl gives him a good kick in the balls and is fine after that. Face slap.
The brothers Mchotness then decide to investigate the girl's history because they're part time all special ops and have a sixth sense when something isn't right. They also have lots of experience handling 'packages'. Please try not to laugh. The author really did try hard to show how serious the situation was.
The girl decides to jump ship and leave all the hotties behind. I'll take a face slap off her for that. They chase her, rather than tell her straight that they're all good at handling evil people because why waste words when you can stake out and stalk a girl who's about to run? She escapes two of the hot fast ones, and then jumps into the car of the eldest Mchottie and travels all the way into the forest with him in his truck, where there's no signal, no electricity and no one about. Just her and another complete stranger. To be fair she does show a bit of fear by widening her eyes and the like, but other than that, she clearly had a good therapist from getting over her traumatic kidnapping abuse from years ago. Over all, four face slaps for that section of stupidity. I've lost count as to how many face slaps we've got up to.
Now, she's locked up in the cabin with McHottie the elder but doesn't know he's the brother of Mchottie she had hot times with. Even though he looks like him and reminds her of him, like how big and safe his chest is. In the night, Mchottie wakes up to find her curled on his chest of her own accord. He's ok with it, so everyone's good. McHottie the elder is the proper silent type which she appreciates, until they start talking to each other. McHottie actually spends about 2-3 weeks talking to her, that's TALK not RUMP her, and for several weird chapters, I was starting to think that the girl was going to fall in love with a second brother within the space of a week. Nothing like the constancy of true lurve. Face slap. Face slap. Face slap.
Anyway, the McHottness brothers all turn up at the cabin, her true lurve is a bit upset his big brother knows more about her than he does. Girl gets a bit freaked out because hey, she's in a cabin in the woods with seven guys who are all studs; she's slept with one, had another one straddle her, flirted with another, and has been using someone else as a pillow for a few weeks. It's a bit of a freaky situation to be fair. Face slap.
She tuns off, finds the cabin her adoptive father had ready for her (generator, food, warmth etc) and lives in it for I think a month or two. Evil guy then finds her and while he's giving her a good punch about because he didn't get extensive therapy the same time she did, the McHottness family move in and rescue Evil guy's dead body. In all the excitement, I missed how she killed him. Probably a gun because she's handy in waving one about. No face slap there because it was no twist of plot which got us to this point, so it's just a roll of the eyes.
So, girl in hospital with multiple injuries. She's heavily sedated for her own good while the McHottness men are in and out of her room. Yeah, completely NOT creepy because they're all hot. Turns out her one night stand with McHottness resulted in a baby, and with all the scrapping with Evil guy, she lost the baby. The brothers all decide that she couldn't have known she was pregnant because there was no sign of it in the bunker. I wasn't sure what sign they thought there would be. Posters which say "I'm having a baby!" maybe? Men can be quite thick, so I'll just chalk that loose end up to that. Oh, but then they get the doctor to agree to not tell her that she's miscarried and it's the brother's secret until the grave. Heaven help me. That's worth another three face slaps.
So, did I enjoy this? Wellllll...my face hurts from all the face slapping going on. As I said at the beginning, the story had potential, but then the author wrote it and it went down hill from there.
Did I like the characters? Unfortunately the McHottness brothers did not make my ovaries burst. The girl was as dull as ditch water.
Was there any character development? It's hard to develop characters when they're made of cardboard.
Will I read anything by this author again? probably not. Face slapping is not something I enjoy.
Any consolation for reading this 'book'? it cost me 99p on kindle. I would have been mad if it was regular price.
Basic story...mentally and physically abused girl walks into a pub which is bursting to the rafters with lots of drunk men and offers to help behind the bar. It sounds like the start of a bad dad joke, but it's actually the start of a lot of face slapping for the reader in the unbelievable stakes. So, face slap one.
She flirts with customers and the two hot guys behind the bar. See note about her being extensively abused as a teen. Face slap two.
She goes out to dinner with the hottest of the mchotties at 2am in the morning, with no one else around. Then she goes back to the pub to sleep in one of the guest rooms. Half a face slap, because she didn't have anywhere else to sleep.
The two hotties nick her bag and go through it because they know she's hiding something from them. Some hotties are saved from being creeps because they're hot.
Girl then works the next night at the bar in return for staying in the room. She and the bigger mchottie get it on after work, and it feels so different and right, don't you know, because they've just met and she's completely trusting of mchottie that she doesn't even tell him her real name. Two big face slaps right there.
Mchottie's several other brothers arrive, one of them ends up going into girl's room and straddling her, because you know, that's perfectly alright. Girl gives him a good kick in the balls and is fine after that. Face slap.
The brothers Mchotness then decide to investigate the girl's history because they're part time all special ops and have a sixth sense when something isn't right. They also have lots of experience handling 'packages'. Please try not to laugh. The author really did try hard to show how serious the situation was.
The girl decides to jump ship and leave all the hotties behind. I'll take a face slap off her for that. They chase her, rather than tell her straight that they're all good at handling evil people because why waste words when you can stake out and stalk a girl who's about to run? She escapes two of the hot fast ones, and then jumps into the car of the eldest Mchottie and travels all the way into the forest with him in his truck, where there's no signal, no electricity and no one about. Just her and another complete stranger. To be fair she does show a bit of fear by widening her eyes and the like, but other than that, she clearly had a good therapist from getting over her traumatic kidnapping abuse from years ago. Over all, four face slaps for that section of stupidity. I've lost count as to how many face slaps we've got up to.
Now, she's locked up in the cabin with McHottie the elder but doesn't know he's the brother of Mchottie she had hot times with. Even though he looks like him and reminds her of him, like how big and safe his chest is. In the night, Mchottie wakes up to find her curled on his chest of her own accord. He's ok with it, so everyone's good. McHottie the elder is the proper silent type which she appreciates, until they start talking to each other. McHottie actually spends about 2-3 weeks talking to her, that's TALK not RUMP her, and for several weird chapters, I was starting to think that the girl was going to fall in love with a second brother within the space of a week. Nothing like the constancy of true lurve. Face slap. Face slap. Face slap.
Anyway, the McHottness brothers all turn up at the cabin, her true lurve is a bit upset his big brother knows more about her than he does. Girl gets a bit freaked out because hey, she's in a cabin in the woods with seven guys who are all studs; she's slept with one, had another one straddle her, flirted with another, and has been using someone else as a pillow for a few weeks. It's a bit of a freaky situation to be fair. Face slap.
She tuns off, finds the cabin her adoptive father had ready for her (generator, food, warmth etc) and lives in it for I think a month or two. Evil guy then finds her and while he's giving her a good punch about because he didn't get extensive therapy the same time she did, the McHottness family move in and rescue Evil guy's dead body. In all the excitement, I missed how she killed him. Probably a gun because she's handy in waving one about. No face slap there because it was no twist of plot which got us to this point, so it's just a roll of the eyes.
So, girl in hospital with multiple injuries. She's heavily sedated for her own good while the McHottness men are in and out of her room. Yeah, completely NOT creepy because they're all hot. Turns out her one night stand with McHottness resulted in a baby, and with all the scrapping with Evil guy, she lost the baby. The brothers all decide that she couldn't have known she was pregnant because there was no sign of it in the bunker. I wasn't sure what sign they thought there would be. Posters which say "I'm having a baby!" maybe? Men can be quite thick, so I'll just chalk that loose end up to that. Oh, but then they get the doctor to agree to not tell her that she's miscarried and it's the brother's secret until the grave. Heaven help me. That's worth another three face slaps.
So, did I enjoy this? Wellllll...my face hurts from all the face slapping going on. As I said at the beginning, the story had potential, but then the author wrote it and it went down hill from there.
Did I like the characters? Unfortunately the McHottness brothers did not make my ovaries burst. The girl was as dull as ditch water.
Was there any character development? It's hard to develop characters when they're made of cardboard.
Will I read anything by this author again? probably not. Face slapping is not something I enjoy.
Any consolation for reading this 'book'? it cost me 99p on kindle. I would have been mad if it was regular price.
July 1, 2017
A good start to the series
I've had this book on my TBR List for a while, and decided to one-click when I looked it up on Amazon and saw that it was only $1. The first book in the Callaghan Brothers series, and I really liked it. Who doesn't like a family full of hot, mysterious brothers!!
Taryn meets Jake when she runs into car troubles, and walks into his pub to escape the cold. There is an instant attraction there, and Jake does his best to make Taryn want to hang around after her car has been repaired. There is mystery surrounding Taryn, what she's been through in the past, and what she's running from. Lucky for her she has a family of hot guys who all have SEAL training looking out for her.
I've had this book on my TBR List for a while, and decided to one-click when I looked it up on Amazon and saw that it was only $1. The first book in the Callaghan Brothers series, and I really liked it. Who doesn't like a family full of hot, mysterious brothers!!
Taryn meets Jake when she runs into car troubles, and walks into his pub to escape the cold. There is an instant attraction there, and Jake does his best to make Taryn want to hang around after her car has been repaired. There is mystery surrounding Taryn, what she's been through in the past, and what she's running from. Lucky for her she has a family of hot guys who all have SEAL training looking out for her.
Read
October 15, 2022I don't like harem or reverse harem books where a mousy heroine is the love interest of many guys.
Nope.
And I don't like it when I can't say who the love interest is right away.
That's annoying for me.
Nope.
And I don't like it when I can't say who the love interest is right away.
That's annoying for me.
Want to read
November 3, 2023Amz Prch. Nov. 3, 2023
January 25, 2024
Story is meh, but I'm giving it a whole load of stars because it's narrated solely by Aiden Snow and I'm addicted to that guy's voice...
January 3, 2020
Kept waiting for the orgy to start
This could have been a great book. The premise of the story was interesting and the setup and initial opening scenes were intriguing and well written. Then everything crashed and burned when the author decided to include two of the worst themes into the book... the patronizing hero and the "everyone loves and lusts after the heroine" themes.
Let's start with the patronizing hero. This guy, Jake, has known the heroine, Taryn, for about half a day. He immediately works out that she is hiding something. So what does he do? He decides he should take over and dig to find what she's running from regardless of whether she wants it or not. Then he goes into this whole thinking pattern of him deciding not to ask any questions and just invade her privacy because he doesn't want to spook her. So he goes through all her belongings while she sleeps and pulls prints off her stuff to get her identity. He then goes, " Alas! I was correct. She IS a damsel in distress and therefore I must protect her against her will!" After which he proceeds to contemplate how to get her to stay, going through options such as asking her (he decides he'd just spook her), using logic (he decides woman aren't logical or rational so she won't understand what he's trying to do for her), and lastly restraining her through either locked door or handcuffs (he decides to only use this as last resort). Wow what a hero! I can feel my heart swooning already. He decides to wait on all these options and instead dismantle parts of her car so that it'll take longer for the mechanic to fix it (it died and that's how she ended up in that town). He basically treated her like the "little woman" who couldn't think for herself and needed the big strong man to protect her.
Making the situation worse is that the author has Taryn act like an idiot. She readily trusts Jake and his brothers because she just automatically felt safe with them or some such nonsense, so she makes decisions based on this when her history would indicate different actions. She's essentially hiding and running for her life and she doesn't act wary or distant or slow to trust. She just thinks, "these guys are hot... definitely means they're trustworthy and safe." Even when she finds multiple brothers invading her privacy when she's vulnerable/sleeping, she doesn't really react. Other situations she acts like an idiot is when she hops in the car of a random guy (turns out he's also a brother but she doesn't know that) to get away from some of the hero's brothers that were watching her to make sure she didn't leave. That in itself isn't that bad because sometimes desperate times and all that but then the guy asks if she wants him to drop her off at the next town or if she wants to come to a secluded cabin with him and she picks the cabin! Come on! No woman on the run would do that. No woman, period, would do that. Then they have a bit of an argument in the cabin and she decides to leave, in a torrential storm, cliffs everywhere, night out, and at least 20 miles from civilization. Seriously, does she even want to stay alive at this point?
The second theme that ruined this book is the theme of all guys being in love and lust with the heroine. Jake and all of his brothers love her and want to have sex with her. Ian tries to convince Jake to share her (they have had threesomes with women in the past). Kieran finds her in his bed (Jake had given it to her but forgot to tell his brother) and holds her down while he's naked and pleads with Jake to let him have a turn (he asks Jake instead of Taryn because apparently she doesn't get a say). Kane fights his lust the whole time they're at the cabin together. Similarly, all the other guys mention how sexy and amazing she is and that they'd marry her if Jake wasn't going to. What was really weird is that Taryn seemed to be affectionate, as in lover affectionate not friendly affectionate, with all of them. She did a lot of touching and intimate behavior that seemed out of place. All of this lead to me feeling like an orgy was on the horizon at any moment. I kept waiting for it to happen but it never did.
This book was packed with macho male behavior that made it less a romance and more a caveman protecting his property. What started out as an interesting story was ruined by the behavior of all characters being idiots. I would highly discourage people from reading this.
This could have been a great book. The premise of the story was interesting and the setup and initial opening scenes were intriguing and well written. Then everything crashed and burned when the author decided to include two of the worst themes into the book... the patronizing hero and the "everyone loves and lusts after the heroine" themes.
Let's start with the patronizing hero. This guy, Jake, has known the heroine, Taryn, for about half a day. He immediately works out that she is hiding something. So what does he do? He decides he should take over and dig to find what she's running from regardless of whether she wants it or not. Then he goes into this whole thinking pattern of him deciding not to ask any questions and just invade her privacy because he doesn't want to spook her. So he goes through all her belongings while she sleeps and pulls prints off her stuff to get her identity. He then goes, " Alas! I was correct. She IS a damsel in distress and therefore I must protect her against her will!" After which he proceeds to contemplate how to get her to stay, going through options such as asking her (he decides he'd just spook her), using logic (he decides woman aren't logical or rational so she won't understand what he's trying to do for her), and lastly restraining her through either locked door or handcuffs (he decides to only use this as last resort). Wow what a hero! I can feel my heart swooning already. He decides to wait on all these options and instead dismantle parts of her car so that it'll take longer for the mechanic to fix it (it died and that's how she ended up in that town). He basically treated her like the "little woman" who couldn't think for herself and needed the big strong man to protect her.
Making the situation worse is that the author has Taryn act like an idiot. She readily trusts Jake and his brothers because she just automatically felt safe with them or some such nonsense, so she makes decisions based on this when her history would indicate different actions. She's essentially hiding and running for her life and she doesn't act wary or distant or slow to trust. She just thinks, "these guys are hot... definitely means they're trustworthy and safe." Even when she finds multiple brothers invading her privacy when she's vulnerable/sleeping, she doesn't really react. Other situations she acts like an idiot is when she hops in the car of a random guy (turns out he's also a brother but she doesn't know that) to get away from some of the hero's brothers that were watching her to make sure she didn't leave. That in itself isn't that bad because sometimes desperate times and all that but then the guy asks if she wants him to drop her off at the next town or if she wants to come to a secluded cabin with him and she picks the cabin! Come on! No woman on the run would do that. No woman, period, would do that. Then they have a bit of an argument in the cabin and she decides to leave, in a torrential storm, cliffs everywhere, night out, and at least 20 miles from civilization. Seriously, does she even want to stay alive at this point?
The second theme that ruined this book is the theme of all guys being in love and lust with the heroine. Jake and all of his brothers love her and want to have sex with her. Ian tries to convince Jake to share her (they have had threesomes with women in the past). Kieran finds her in his bed (Jake had given it to her but forgot to tell his brother) and holds her down while he's naked and pleads with Jake to let him have a turn (he asks Jake instead of Taryn because apparently she doesn't get a say). Kane fights his lust the whole time they're at the cabin together. Similarly, all the other guys mention how sexy and amazing she is and that they'd marry her if Jake wasn't going to. What was really weird is that Taryn seemed to be affectionate, as in lover affectionate not friendly affectionate, with all of them. She did a lot of touching and intimate behavior that seemed out of place. All of this lead to me feeling like an orgy was on the horizon at any moment. I kept waiting for it to happen but it never did.
This book was packed with macho male behavior that made it less a romance and more a caveman protecting his property. What started out as an interesting story was ruined by the behavior of all characters being idiots. I would highly discourage people from reading this.
January 22, 2020
This had the chance of a good read if it wasn't so poorly executed...felt like inbred as brothers like to share their women...missing information...truly confused on who should be the real Male love interest.
Am I the only one who feel these brothers are disgusting? They sneak into the FC's room while she sleeps naked, straddles her, just over all disrespects her as a person in my opinion. Just no! 2 of the brothers share women...yuck! Just over all classless to me. Disgusting pigs. And the traumatized FC just laughs it off? NO...oh hell no...and what's with all the brothers seeing her naked. I'm really thinking this woman has major issues...seriously, if I was kidnapped and rapped as a kid for 6 months, I'm not going to show my naked body to every Tom, Dick or Harry...geeze...just trampy in my opinion...huge turn off
Then MC has sex with FC then regrets it immediately...what a douche. But kudos to the FC and wiping herself with his shirt and walking out on him...can we say badass in that scene.
Middle of the book it seemed like the FC and the main MC's brother was the love interest. This was very confusing for me. It felt like the author didn't know who she wanted the FC to be with. Hell with how the brothers share why not share her like a hot potato, I'm surprised they all didn't claim a piece of her and just keep it in the family. It certainly felt like inbred to me...yuck. then we are told the brothers look at her like a sister...yea a sister they saw naked at different times and they all would f*ck...seriously gross...just poorly executed.
And what was happening back at the pub...I felt like we were missing a huge part of this story...who cares how Kane kept her at the cabin...which both could have been told through Jack and Taryn's POV if the author truly wanted these two together. In addition it went from her safe to all of a sudden the brothers were there hidden in securing the perimeter of the cabin...um lost over here...thanks for all the missed opportunity for knowing what is really happening.
And does the author truly want us to believe that this chick...as intelligent enough as she is...did not see any sibling resemblance at all...come on now...readers aren't that stupid.
Then the MC wants to keep the miscarriage from her...oh hell to the Capitol N.O. go ahead and build a relationship on a lie cause that always works out in the end...NOT!!!!
This is one messed up story IMO.
Am I the only one who feel these brothers are disgusting? They sneak into the FC's room while she sleeps naked, straddles her, just over all disrespects her as a person in my opinion. Just no! 2 of the brothers share women...yuck! Just over all classless to me. Disgusting pigs. And the traumatized FC just laughs it off? NO...oh hell no...and what's with all the brothers seeing her naked. I'm really thinking this woman has major issues...seriously, if I was kidnapped and rapped as a kid for 6 months, I'm not going to show my naked body to every Tom, Dick or Harry...geeze...just trampy in my opinion...huge turn off
Then MC has sex with FC then regrets it immediately...what a douche. But kudos to the FC and wiping herself with his shirt and walking out on him...can we say badass in that scene.
Middle of the book it seemed like the FC and the main MC's brother was the love interest. This was very confusing for me. It felt like the author didn't know who she wanted the FC to be with. Hell with how the brothers share why not share her like a hot potato, I'm surprised they all didn't claim a piece of her and just keep it in the family. It certainly felt like inbred to me...yuck. then we are told the brothers look at her like a sister...yea a sister they saw naked at different times and they all would f*ck...seriously gross...just poorly executed.
And what was happening back at the pub...I felt like we were missing a huge part of this story...who cares how Kane kept her at the cabin...which both could have been told through Jack and Taryn's POV if the author truly wanted these two together. In addition it went from her safe to all of a sudden the brothers were there hidden in securing the perimeter of the cabin...um lost over here...thanks for all the missed opportunity for knowing what is really happening.
And does the author truly want us to believe that this chick...as intelligent enough as she is...did not see any sibling resemblance at all...come on now...readers aren't that stupid.
Then the MC wants to keep the miscarriage from her...oh hell to the Capitol N.O. go ahead and build a relationship on a lie cause that always works out in the end...NOT!!!!
This is one messed up story IMO.
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