The Hanover brothers are doing their best to live down the legacy of their con artist father…but they still have a knack for getting in trouble where romance is concerned.
As the lawyer of the family, Beckett Hanover ought to be sorting through the many claims filed against their family estate—which the brothers have recently inherited from their grandmother. But something about the housekeeper, Sophie, keeps stealing his focus…
Little does he know, as he flirts, what else she intends to steal. The truth is Sophie took the job with one purpose in mind: to help her aunt. But she never expected to find a man like Beck or get sidetracked by the handsome hottie's sweet talk and broad shoulders. Between her secret and Beck’s past, the two are headed for one risky romance.
HelenKay Dimon is a divorce lawyer-turned-romance author. After dedicating years to helping people terminate relationships she now writes romance novels full time. Her books have earned praise, appeared on bestseller lists, won numerous awards and twice been named Red-Hot Reads and excerpted in Cosmo. She sometimes writes erotic romance, sometimes writes romantic suspense and sometimes writes contemporary romance. But no matter what she's writing her books are always filled with smart banter and sexy times, and a HEA is guaranteed.
-"Sharp writing and plenty of sexy romantic sizzle..." - John Charles, Chicago Tribune
-"So smart, sexy and fast-paced, I devour her stories." - Lori Foster, NYT bestselling author
-"Lots of heat with lots of humor." - MaryJanice Davidson, NYT bestselling author
-"She's a delight." - Christina Dodd, NYT bestselling author
Let me just say how much I've loved the Hanover series to date. I loved Declan and Leah's story so much and was super excited to see Beck and Sophie would get their story next. I love Beck and Sophie together so much!!! They have the best chemistry together, yet also made me laugh.
Beck has his family's past as a stumbling block for their relationship; while Sophie has a secret that she thinks will end their relationship. I love that she eventually trust Beck enough to share her aunt's secret with him. Of course, Callen still doesn't trust Sophie and continues to give Beck a hard time about her secret, not knowing Sophie has told Beck the truth. We get to meet the brother's mom in this book and she is such a strong characters. She was dealt a crap hand from Charlie, but worked to be there for her sons, even when Charlie took Callen away from her.
Sophie is the one who messes up in a major way in my opinion. Even though I knew she did it by accident, she still screws up. Beck compounds the situation by not listening, but I think Sophie was at fault for the big fight. I will say that Beck proves himself to Sophie in a major way. There were 2 very big reveals in this book about the Hanovers. One I saw coming and one completely threw me for a loop. All I can say is I need Callen's book right now!
Publisher: Berkley Intermix Publish Date: 16 July How I got this book: ARC from the author via Novel Sidekick
The Hanover brothers are doing their best to live down the legacy of their con artist father…but they still have a knack for getting in trouble where romance is concerned.
As the lawyer of the family, Beckett Hanover ought to be sorting through the many claims filed against their family estate—which the brothers have recently inherited from their grandmother. But something about the housekeeper, Sophie, keeps stealing his focus…
Little does he know, as he flirts, what else she intends to steal. The truth is Sophie took the job with one purpose in mind: to help her aunt. But she never expected to find a man like Beck or get sidetracked by the handsome hottie’s sweet talk and broad shoulders. Between her secret and Beck’s past, the two are headed for one risky romance. This blurb came from the author’s website.
Earlier this year I did a joint review of No Turning Back, the first of the Hanover Brothers series, and really enjoyed it. I waited a few months and started pestering Dimon about the next book in the series. She eventually gave permission to Novel Sidekick to send me a copy to review. As much as I dislike waiting for things this was certainly worth the wait. It was as if Dimon took everything I enjoyed in the first installment and multiplied it plus added a few more things.
Beck while a straight-laced appearing lawyer, the exact opposite of his father, prided himself on looking at things from a logical unbiased viewpoint. He liked to follow the paper trail until he was able to fix whatever the problem was and right the wrong. However, while the wrongs are staring him in the face he has been unable to find what he needs to fix it. Add that to the stress of living with his brothers again, the inclusion of Leah into the household, Sophie flitting around “cleaning,” and Beck was about to lose his mind. I put cleaning in quotations because the house never seemed to be any cleaner even though Sophie was there every day in just about every room. He was both attracted to Sophie and bugged by the secrets he knew she was keeping.
Poor Sophie, she was torn between her loyalty to her aunt and her growing loyalty to Beck and his brothers. She knew that their father was a criminal who conned a lot of people but she never believed the sins of the father were the sins of the children. While she stood up for them against other people she felt that the information she had could not be shared because it belonged to someone else. I loved hearing her inner thoughts as she tried to remain in control of the situation even though people were accurately reading into what she was or wasn’t saying. I also liked how she tried to tell Beck her secrets once she understood they were a barricade between the two of them and more than a physical connection.
Dimon did a great job of including humor and various types of tension in this installment. I think I started giggling when I was about four percent in and was laughing so loud I was afraid the neighbors would start banging on the walls by the six percent mark. Even though that scene was hilarious, it also ratcheted up the sexual tension between Sophie and Beck while giving the other members of the household something to bring up whenever they wanted to get a reaction. I think that really resonated with me because it reminded me of the teasing that goes on in my family and it showed that the three brothers and Leah were building and strengthening their connection. That same scene also spurred a few arguments between Beck and his brothers as the story continued.
There were so many things I loved about reading this A Simple Twist of Fate, the humor, tender moments, sad moments, smexy times, secrets revealed and kept not to mention the reactions of those involved. I did wish Beck delivered a bit more of a grovel, but I think his grovel will end up being worth a much higher price as the series continues. I am super curious about Callen’s HEA because he is a very complex character. Hard on the outside but soft and squishy on the inside so his heroine will have to be amazing. I also have my hopes for the mysterious FBI dude who won’t leave Callen alone. I mentioned my suspicion about him to Dimon, but I was unable to get her to comment or even hint one way or the other. I really hope that he gets his own story because there has to be so much more to him buried under his rigid surface. I can’t wait for the next installment.
When Sophie infiltrates the Hanover household, posing as a housekeeper, she really did intend to stay under the radar. All she wants, is to find the one thing that will safeguard her aunt's secret and then leave the rest of the house, and the people in it, in peace.
But Beck Hanover has noticed the housekeeper, in more ways than one. As youngest of the three Hanover brothers, and lawyer of the family, his job has been to sort through the pile of claims against the family estate. All a result of their late father's career as a con artist, and following the death of their grandmother, their responsibility now.
Since then, the brothers have returned to the family home and the community has not exactly welcomed them with open arms. Sins of the father........and all that. So needless to say, Beck is a little suspicious, when he catches Sophie doing more than just dusting around the house at odd times. Then again, everyone in the family seems to be keeping secrets and trust seems a high priced commodity.
Sophie is finding fit difficult to maintain her distance from Beck, when all she wants to do is get closer. The pull is obviously mutual, but she has to keep reminding herself that her first loyalty has to be to her aunt, and Beck has already made it clear that he knows she is up to something. Finally she decides to take a leap and offer herself to Beck, making it clear that whatever it is she is keeping from him, has nothing at all to do with him or his brothers, hoping that will buy her some time.
And it does, at first. As Beck and Sophie give in to months of pent up sexual tension, and try to create a tentative relationship, external forces are gathering to blow apart all secrets and with it, their blossoming relationship. Question is, can the family, and Beck and Sophie, survive the explosion?
****
I swear, secrets can and will destroy everything!!!! This family is rooted in secrets and lies, the brothers work so hard to pull themselves out of the devastation left by the career their father made of lying. And yet, they still seem to be surrounded by them. Combine that with the stigma attached to the name Hanover, and it's no wonder they have an inherent suspicion towards any 'outsiders'. Trust is not something given easily. But even among the three of them, they hesitate to be completely open with each other, always keeping part of themselves hidden.
For Beck, Sophie is a catalyst. He has become so used to people seeing him as part of his father's life and therefore painted with the same brush, that when Sophie ends up defending him and his brothers against some accusatory voices, he is floored. But he is also used to being in a defensive mode all the time, so when there is disagreement, he can only see a situation from his point of view. Sophie has had her own traumatic childhood, and her own family issues to deal with and her responses are directly linked to that, no different than for Beck. So when he is reminded that there are two parts to a whole, two frames of reference, he realizes that a lot of things he might have thought to be unforgivable before, are actually quite understandable, if you take an opportunity to examine all sides.
Both characters grow in the course of this book, becoming better, more complete and developed as individuals, and richer and fulfilled as a couple.
Good grief, and the heat these two ignite, once unleashed?? Yowza!! HelenKay Dimon sure knows how to make the pages smoke. The fallibility and imperfection of the characters makes them all the more loveable and real. And it's not just that.........she tells a good story it in a very clever, funny, yet insightful way that makes me want to read more.....and more, wondering if I will ever be sated.
This book will get my 5 STARS everywhere I go.
HelenKay Dimon turns a dramatic subject into a smart, sexy, stimulating read!
**ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Penguin Group Berkley in return for an honest review.**
The more contemporary romance I read, the more I’m able to decide what I like and what I don’t like in them. I’m finding that I really enjoy novels by HelenKay Dimon. She has great characters all over the story, lots of heart, and plenty of laughs, which is why her books have a place at the top of my to-be-read list! And today, I have the absolutely awesomest pleasure of hosting Miss HelenKay not just on our blog, but on the release day of her new book, A Simple Twist of Fate! SQUEE!!!!
Sophie is the housekeeper at the Hanover brothers’ estate. She has a secret, but the author doesn’t let us in on what it is right away. As the story progresses, we find out more and more. I really liked Sophie in the beginning of A Simple Twist of Fate. In her first scene, she walks in on a naked Beck Hanover exiting the shower. Instead of it being just a silly or embarrassing scene, it’s drawn out and takes the funny factor way over the top. I just loved it! But as the book went on, I liked Sophie less and less. She had plenty of opportunities to tell her secret, but she kept putting it off. Later, she thinks something about how she’s lost her hope and belief in the hero because he didn’t believe her. I just thought that was insanely hypocritical since she had been lying to everyone for months! She seemed to expect a level of trust from people but didn’t reciprocate that trust, and unfortunately, I never really got back to the point where I liked her.
Beck, on the other hand, was awesome from start to finish! Beck is a lawyer and is sort of the overall problem solver for the family. Still, his brothers tease him mercilessly about being a lawyer. Hilarious yet maddening…older brothers, right?! It seemed like much of the book is told from Sophie’s point of view, so I felt like I didn’t get a chance to know Beck as well as I got to know Sophie. But it was clear how much Beck loves his brothers and how he would do just about anything for them. I felt like it was a very real relationship.
Now I may or may not have loved Sophie, but as a couple, Sophie and Beck are completely awesome! What I thought was really great was how Beck is sort of trusting (but not gullible) and she is totally the opposite for the longest time, so they complement each other perfectly!
Overall, with the exception of the heroine, I enjoyed this one. I love all of the characters in this book and across the series so much—the brothers, of course, but even some of the secondary characters as well! In fact, I can’t wait to read Book 3. I have my fingers crossed that Sophie’s new friend Mallory will find herself in love with the last Hanover brother.
Bottom Line A Simple Twist of Fate is another great installment in the Hanover Brothers series. You don’t need to read the first book; A Simple Twist of Fate can be read on its own and has great characters that you’re really going to enjoy! Plenty of laughs and a great relationship between the hero and heroine make this book one you won’t want to miss!
I’m really enjoying these Hanover brothers. The first book is very good, and this one is even better. While the boys may be boys, as is usual with brothers, they also have each other’s backs as they stand and fight against their father’s transgressions in a town where everyone’s business is known and the name Hanover causes stares, gossip, hostility, and a little love that heals all.
Beckett is the baby of the family, and his brothers still treat him that way. Which irritates him to no end. He’s an attorney who takes care of the tedious side of things, especially in the aftermath of Charlie’s cons and now their decision to stay put and fix up the house their grandmother left them. Since the three of them are together again, Beck takes the ribbing in stride. He has other things on his mind these days. Namely, Sophie. Another something their grandmother left them – her housekeeper, who seems to be doing more than housekeeping when she sneaks around the place, like she’s looking for…heaven knows what.
Which she is. Sophie has loads of secrets, which is a big no-no in Beck’s life. He and his brothers lived with secrets for years and look how their lives turned out. But Sophie still searches on, in the name of family and loyalty. But as she gets to know Beckett more, as her feelings for him grow, as her desire for him spirals out of control, her sense of family and loyalty undergo a huge alteration. These brothers know more about those things than anyone she’s ever known. However, Sophie still has a twinge of conscience in betraying her aunt’s confidence when Beck lays things on the line toward their future, and she nearly loses all at that point.
I really love the interaction between these brothers. They’ve been apart for years, and their plan was to sell the house and get out of town, not wanting to endure any more hostility from the townsfolk than necessary. It’s when Declan, the hero from the first book in the series, falls in love and wants to put down roots that they decide to stay to see if it will work. They each hope a new life in this town where their father is despised will work. They are good, honest men, everything their father was not, and though there are those in town who want them gone, there are others who decide to give them a chance. Sins of the father may be ensconced in everyone’s minds, but I have faith in these men.
My favorite brother is Callen. He’s had the worst of it, being taken away by their father when he was young. Beck and Declan don’t know what happened during those years and Callen is tight-lipped about it. I’m surprised, but happy, that Ms. Dimon gives us so much with Callen in this book, but she’s a sly devil. Now I’m just as anxious as can be, after the explosion of information no one saw coming, waiting for his book to hit the shelves, but it’s going to be a long wait – August of next year. I may have to send Ms. Dimon a fan letter about that! But you can bet I won’t forget what led up to his story when I finally crack open that book. Talk about shell shocked. My poor Callen!
In the meantime, what I really like about Beck and Sophie is no matter how bad things get between them, and Beck finally lets it all get to him near the end, they still communicate. Even when my poor Callen – and he does make me a tad angry here – gets in between them to make things worse. To give credit where it’s due, however, he also helps heal the rift. Because he realizes, just like you will, that these two terrific characters belong together. Ms. Dimon writes these characters and their many loves beautifully and realistically, pushing them through every imaginable emotion to end up exactly where they need to be.
I have to admit I was looking forward to reading this one at the end of the previous book. We knew who the main pair was just because of the heat we witnessed but I can say we got more than expected in this one.
Sophie is keeping a big secret from the Hanovers but it is a secret that isn't hers to share and it puts her in a bind when she starts to want something with Beck. She knows he doesn't like secrets and can't blame him for his feelings but also knows she can't spill it no matter how much she wants to. She's such a hard person to get to know and watching her get flustered around Beck was funny as hell. She's got a smart mouth but behind this tough girl exterior you have someone that desperately wants somewhere to belong and a family that really loves her. She has a sad back story and hearing about how her aunt and uncle treated her as a child made me feel for her. I understood her motivations and really loved how she worked so hard to protect and defend the Hanover brothers even as they didn't completely trust her. Watching her develop a friendship with Leah and Malory was heartwarming as you understood how badly she needs to be loved and feel like she belongs.
Beck was something else. He always needs to be the one who makes things right and can make sense out of things that make no sense. Unfortunately his father left a trail of things that don't add up and he feels driven to figure it out in order to make it right. He tries so hard to ignore his attraction to Sophie but as we all know in romanceland this never ever works. He works to get her to trust him but at the same time really has trouble letting her in and trusting her with his own inner secrets and issues. I loved watching him work so hard to ignore his feelings and the level of denial he's willing to go to was just funny at times. The interplay with his brothers will have you rolling on the floor especially after the bathroom scene. I almost spit out the drink I had when I read the scene and loved noone was willing to let it go. He did frustrate me at times with his attitude but I did understand it even when I wanted to slap some sense in to him. He needed to grovel a bit more at the end I think but his gesture meant the world to her and it leaves us in a very intriguing place.
I left this book desperately wanting the next one as dear lord I need to know who the FBI agent really is (I have a theory) and need to know what is under the freaking concrete slab already. The next book should prove to be interesting as there are some bombshells dropped in this one that made me wish we could dig up Charlie and kill him all over again. The man was truly evil and deserves to be in a truly deep circle of hell for all the pain he caused so many people.
Special thanks to Penguin/Berkeley and NetGalley.com for giving me the chance to read this in exchange for my honest review. I am beyond ready for the next one so feel free to send that to me ASAP. ;-)
This author did it again. She wrote and amazing sequel for her first book in this series. It was completely a page turner. She always leaves you wanting more. Sophie is a soft spoken person who prides herself in helping her family and giving back to those who she thinks she owes. In this case she is trying to help her aunt find missing jewelry. She just never thought that she would find love with someone from the family in which the small town hates. She also did not think that she would every find someone who will show her that she does not have to be alone and she can go to for help. Beck is the youngest son of three. He is also a part of a family which the town hates because of something his father had done when he was younger. Now he and his brothers are trying to make things right and fix their grandmothers house in the process. He is also the logical one of his brothers, which is because he is a lawyer and always thinks like that. He did not think he could fall in love. But when he first saw Sophie, he knew he was hooked. While Sophie was searching for her aunt’s jewelry, she got closer to the family. She also started to become friends with Leah who was kind of insistent they become friends anyway. Something about too many men and not enough women in the house. She also grew more and more attracted to Beck. Beck also got more attracted to her even though he fought it for a long time. You could cut their sexual tension with a knife. Everyone who was in the room with them knew that they eventually would sleep together. There were some bumps in the road in Beck’s and Sophie’s relationship. Trust was a major part of their bumps. They made an agreement but somehow things got messed up and Beck thought she lied and Sophie tried to explain but being a hard headed male, Beck did not want to hear it until his older brother pointed it out to him. And then in his own unique way, Beck asked for forgiveness. I am so glad I got a chance to read this book. I loved how the book continued from where the first one left off. It was like there was not even a separate book but just one long story. Which I completely enjoyed reading. I so cannot wait for the next book to come out. I have been curious about the history of the finely brother and how his story ends up. Two thumbs up for this book and four thumbs up for the author and her amazing writing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I'm going to start by saying i missed book 1 of this series. I remember reading the blurb and liking it but somehow i did not read it. If you want to follow this you really need to start with book 1. You can guess at a lot but it's not quite enough. Was in not enjoyable? It was awesome. Made me really mad at myself for missing book one though. Definitely need to go back and read that so i can understand this one more and how it all ties in with the next book. The Hanover brothers are pretty well hated by the town they now live in. They came back to fix up and sell the house their grandmother left them but ended up staying. In this book Beckett the baby of the brothers gets most of the story although there are surprises for other characters as well. Beckett's the lawyer of the family and is constantly trying to sort through piles of paper work to sort through the mess of lawsuits etc from the fall out of their dads schemes. Beckett's grandmothers former housekeeper Sophie is not much of a housekeeper and the brothers suspect somethings up with her and the way she seems to lurk around and the way she doesn't really clean. Beckett's attracted to her though and tries to get past her walls to find out what's going on with her. Sophie's got a pretty big secret though. She's not really there to clean. She's there to find something that was stolen from her aunt by Beckett's dad. She had a rough upbringing with a aunt and uncle who were forced to take her in when her parents were killed when she was only 5. She's never really known love and feels she needs to help her aunt out for all she's done for her. Even if it means sneaking round and lying to Beckett and his brothers. Since Beckett's dad was a big time swindler who lied and stole his way through life Beckett has some huge trust issues and lying and secrets are a big deal to him. I really enjoyed this book even now knowing what happened in book one. Lots of drama but plenty of laughs thrown in for good measure. The brothers are learning to trust each other and be there for each other and act as a family. There is one mystery after another and when one seems to finally comes to light another one pops up. At the end your left with a bit of a cliff hanger and a few questions you want answered. Guess you have to read the next book though to find out what happens next. Well worth reading the each book to find out how it ends. Look forward to book three.
*HelenKay is a personal friend so take this review however you’d like*
In this return to Sweetwater, Oregon HelenKay Dimon has again swept the reader away with the continuing story of the Hanover Brothers who have returned to the town after the death of their con-man father. No one is happy to see the return of these young men because almost everyone in town was conned by their father. Beck is the lawyer in the family so while his brothers try to make their late grandmother’s home more livable Beck is sorting through the claims and accusations against his father. Taking care of that paperwork is hard enough but he keeps getting distracted by Sophie, the house cleaner. Except Sophie doesn’t keep the house very clean, she seems to do more searching than cleaning. It’s true that Sophie isn’t the best housekeeper but she has a secret but it’s not hers to share. Beck is fed up with secrets and omissions so before she can even think about anything personal with him, she’ll have to open up and share. But the attraction between them is burning hot so Beck may be willing to bend his rules just a little bit. A great addition to the series. I’m enjoying how the stories will tell their individual HEAs but there is an overarching storyline that keeps building with each book. I was left at the end of this story so curious about what comes next so I can’t wait for Callen’s story. I felt that Beck and Sophie were really good together and I loved their chemistry. Another great read and I’m ready for book 3!
***Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Berkley, NAL/Signet Romance, DAW for providing me with a copy for review***
2.5 stars
Beck Hanover is trying to sort out the mess that his con-artist father left behind--his father has conned most of the people in Sweetwater out of their money or property, so most of the town is not very welcoming to the family. Sophie, their housekeeper, is trying to keep her aunt's indiscretions with Beck's father under wraps--in order to do so, she has to keep her reason for being in Sweetwater a secret. Beck and Sophie have an undeniable attraction, but can they trust each other and have a relationship beyond employer/employee?
This book was okay. The one thing the author really did well was outline the attraction and chemistry between the two main characters...but the actual character and emotional development of the story didn't really pan out. I don't really know anything about the characters--for example, does Sophie have a last name? What was her profession in Seattle? Do we know anything about Beck other than he is a lawyer, he avoids doing housework, and he only knows how to cook eggs? Not really. There were definite character development issues with this one. But chemistry with no character development or growth does not make a good romance novel. I see promise with this author, but I don't really have a desire to read any of the other books in the series.
The Hanover brothers are back with all the mystery and drama that surrounds them. Beck has always been the calm brother, the one that looks for logic and refuses to jump to conclusions without all the facts. As he starts to fall for Sophie, there’s no place for logic. The attraction is immediate and the smexy times are smoking. As more secrets are revealed and the past shoves a wedge between Beck and Sophie, they both must decide if they can trust each other enough to fight for love. Includes a groveling hero :D
The romance of each Hanover Brothers book is a stand alone but the mystery extends through all the books. I recommend that they be read in order. And I do recommend them! Fun, sexy, with a touch of angst. This small town setting is perfect for these hot heroes and strong heroines.
HelenKay Dimon sure knows how to make her characters sizzle. I found her characters loveable and real, well as real as any I have encountered in a good erotic romance. The story premise is good, though the book does not stand alone as well as I would have liked. The dialogue was witty, the sex scenes passionate, the secondary characters interesting, and the setting well drawn. I became immersed in the story easily and anticipated a happily ever after and wasn't disappointed by the conclusion. This is my first by this author, but will not be my last. I like stories about families and siblings, so I believe i will be picking up the rest of this series as well as checking out Ms. Dimon's backlist. *I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review
Over i like this story, the background of it..3 brothers rebuild their lives and brotherhood in a place where thy are not wanted. Most people hate them based on their father's crimes, and as they keep saying along the story those that don't hate them want something from them... Beck and Sophie are just adorable together... The shower scene is pretty funny...its where you can see the female brain working...Look, don't look...answer him, can't think strait while looking at a hot naked guy! Lol Ilike the scenes in the book store and i'm thinking they might be a little glimpse to the 3rd book...hope so!!!
great series, great premise and great matching of heros and heroines. These guys need strong women and get them. Good back story and ancillary characters.