The Groundbreaking

by Deanndra Hall

Nine lives. Nine stories. One last, best hope. But will they find it in time? The introductory volume to the Love Under Construction Series, this quick read introduces you to the major characters in the series. The books within the series are not stand-alone, and reading this one will help the reader understand them better. All other books in this series are full-length novels. This volume is free!

Meet the Walters family of Louisville, Kentucky, and their extended family and friends. This introductory volume introduces the reader to the major characters in the series and gives some insight into what makes them who they are in a series of vignettes from their pasts. From Tony, the owner of the family construction business who's still dealing with his mentally-unstable ex-wife, to Steve, his attorney who also owns a security firm (and a BDSM club too) while he holds everyone at arms-length, to a widow, Nikki, who thinks her life is pretty well over, there's plenty of drama, fun, and white-hot, sex-filled romance to keep readers entertained for hours. There's Kelly, working in the insurance industry while no one knows her past; Jose, a former cage fighter-turned-personal security specialist; and Molly, a woman spurned in the worst of ways. Laura's clothes cover a painful secret that could get her killed, and Peyton, the wholesome boy next door, struggles with an injury from his service in Kandahar. And don't forget Vic, Tony's cousin and the manager of the construction company's Lexington office, who's six feet and eight inches of the hottest Italian the United States was lucky enough to find on their shores. This introductory work introduces readers to the major characters in the series and is a quick read; the four volumes to follow are full-length novels. None of the volumes are stand-alone and are written to be read in order to get the most enjoyment from them. Use The Groundbreaking as your portal - jump in and find out who lives, who dies, and who finds the love of their life. It's a rollicking good time, between the sheets and out!

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

75 pages, ebook

First published August 13, 2013

About the author

Deanndra Hall is a working writer living in far western Kentucky. A free spirit and chronic jokester, she and her partner of over 30 years enjoy visiting their two adult children and their partners and playing with their three crazy little dogs. When she's not writing, Deanndra can be found kayaking, working out at the gym, cooking something healthy, or reading. After writing for business, industry, academia, and non-profits for years and having her work credited to others, she jumped into the fiction realm, particularly erotic fiction and erotica, and had so much fun she never looked back. Look for her on Twitter and Facebook and on her website and blog.

Reviews

[Jennifer Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received this book free from Drue’s Random Chatter in exchange for an honest review*

This is not an actual book per se; it’s more of a character introduction or meet and greet.

If you want to read the series, and I suggest you do, then this is a must read. It gives you the background stories of all the main characters, so there’s no wondering. You’ll know what kind of baggage each of them carry, and it’s helpful in understanding why they act the way they do, as you read more about them in the Love Under Construction series.

In this introduction you’ll read about Tony, Nikki, Vic, Laura, Steve, Kelly, Peyton, Jose, and Molly. I have to admit that once I started reading the series that I did go back to this so I could remember who was who, kind of like a cheat sheet, and I loved it simply for that fact.

[Johanna Sawyer]

I received a free book in exchange for a read and review for Wicked Reads.
This is a prequel for The Love Under Construction Series, small tidbits that allow you to meet and greet the characters before the actual story. There is no real entertainment value if you do not plan to read the series. This was an in depth look into the lives of the characters, it seems as though all of these people have one thing in common. Life sucks, and they are at their lowest point. Each of them have had joy taken away from them in one form or another and they all are being recruited by a security company. It will be interesting to see if they get their comeuppance, and what it actually entails.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really just an intro into the series Love Under Construction. In this short novella we are introduced to key players in the series. We meet Tony, Steve, Nikki, Kelly, Jose, Molly, Laura, Peyton and Vic. Each characters background is touched on and this book is a real must before starting the series, it helps you understand and go forward. After reading this novella I was hooked and can’t wait to read the first book in the series!

Characters: Each one was described very well in this novella and they were easy to connect with and relate with.

Sex: this is a little in this short novella

Religious: no

Would I recommend to others: yes

More than one book in the series: yes

Genre: Romance/Erotica

Would I read more by this author: yes

[Felicity Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick read but it really gives you a back story to the characters featured in the Love Under Construction series. While reading this you get wrapped in their lives and feel their pain, heartache, and grief.

Each of their stories proves a different struggle. Deanndra brings to light the effects of abuse, rape, and adultery. I love that she does this in a way that isn't flashy but does bring notice.

While some scenes are graphic, each story is important to me. I recommend you read this if you plan to continue with Love Under Construction. It really does help you to know what to expect if you continue to read.

[Ruthie Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads."

This novella (as the author explains in the introduction) gives the reader the back stories of characters that will populate the future books. Well, it is going to be an amazing journey, given what we learn here. Each person has a lot of baggage that they bring to the series, and their experiences are bound to impact heavily on the story lines. I cannot wait to start the next one ... right about now!

[Heidi Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This prequel is different from any other. It is an introduction to the characters, but not exactly a prequel. It is more like an insight into what makes the characters who they are. It also is a bit of a tourism guide to Kentucky. :)
I tried reading this first, but I recommend reading Laying a Foundation first, then read this. That worked best for me. Then I had a better understanding of the characters in the series, and this just gave the characters so much depth. Grab all the books in this series, because once you get to reading them, you won't be able to stop. This author has an amazing gift for story telling, you won't want to miss a page!

[Ajs Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

***We received a copy from the author for a honest review***

This novella is the introductory to the Love Under Construction Series. You get to meet 9 people Nikki, Peyton, Jose, Molly, Laura, Vic, Tony, Kelly and Steve. Each character has their own story and struggle and this gives you a background on their grief and pain.

I really enjoyed how i got to get to know each person before i actually read the series! I had a hard time putting this book down it left me wanting more. I really look forward to finishing the rest of the series.

We give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

[WycEd Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out our blog post to see what the Wicked Reads Review Team thought about The Groundbreaking by Deanndra Hall.

http://vkwickedreads.wordpress.com/20...

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really enjoyed this prequel and the way it gives us lots of back story for the books to come.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read to familiarize you with the backgrounds of the characters in the Love Under Construction series.
The short story moves quickly, giving you enough background on each character to see how they all ended up in Kentucky working for Steve.

I developed an attachment to a few of these characters and am looking forward to the series to see how they move on in their lives.

[Connie McElfresh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This prequel is just the beginning of the series, it sets the stage for the rest of the books. I really liked getting the back story on each character, so many times it seems like you want to know why a certain character acts like they do, it seems to me in this series you just may find out. I was gifted this book for a fair and honest review.

[DJ Sakata · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This introductory volume was exceedingly helpful as I read the various books in the series. Each character is in each book, but the focus does change more intensely on various players, and this little cheat sheet helped me keep them straight.

[Missy Lyons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start to a new series. Loved the characters were so believable and three dimensional. They have lives, and friends and an overload of drama. Great book.

[Adeselna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am rating this as a combination of short-stories and not as a novel :)

[Barbara Ingram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: The Groundbreaking 0.5
Author: Deanndra Hall
Series: Love Under Construction
Publisher: Self
Reviewer: Barb
Release Date: August 13, 2013
Genre(s): Contemporary Romance, Military, Rape, Italian Family
Page Count: 75
Heat Level: 3.5 flames out of 5
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Blurb:

Review:
*****5 What a Beginning Stars*****

This short novella is an ABSOLUTE must read before you start the Love Under Construction Series! Ms. Hall sets the stage for a 4 book series that promises to be WOW, steamy, intriguing, sexy, did I say STEAMY? The Groundbreaking introduces the reader to 9 characters, each with their own backstory that details how each of them became what they are today. What I loved about this is that all of these backstories occurred decades before and that every one of the characters featured now are in their 40’s and 50’s. But don’t expect this series to be about bonfires with neighbors, exciting trips to the supermarket or couples settling into middle age! Oh no, Ms. Hall has written what promises to be a spectacular series of how these individual character’s lives intertwine with each other, their huge Italian family, and how they find their true love (or loves), much later in life. Now on to Tony and Nikki’s story in Laying A Foundation!

*****Trigger Warning***** There is a backstory that depicts a rape scene that may be disturbing to some readers.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed by Barb from Alpha Book Club

[Lisa Zeigler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick read but it gives good background details on several characters in the following books of the Love Under Construction series, based mostly in Louisville, KY. There is a wide variety of issues that each character has dealt with, and after reading ‘Laying a Foundation’, I was very happy to know more about the characters.

I was glad that I read this before ‘Laying a Foundation’ but I didn’t remember all of the details of every character since the second book focuses more on Tony and Nikki. But Tony has a large family and numerous employees, so I know I will see more of the other characters again.

This book is a great way to introduce a large number of characters prior to beginning the series and start making a connection to each one. I’ve never read a book like this one before but, it is like a journal to understand the background for the main characters, and came in handy to return to as I began reading this series.

I also enjoyed the background on the Louisville, KY area, especially since I have family there. This was an excellent tool to use prior to a series.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!! I have never had a prequel make me want to read the first book Laying A Foundation soooo bad!!! I absolutely loved this prequel. You really get to know the characters and their stories before you read Laying A Foundation. Books don't usually make me cry, but a certain character in this book did just that. I'm NOT going to spoil it for you, so you must read to understand what I'm talking about. You will not be disappointed, and what a deal FREE at that. I had the pleasure of meeting Deanndra Hall at IRC 2014. What a down to earth woman. What you see in Deanndra you see in her characters. Thanks Deanndra for writing such a heart felt story on each and every one of these characters. Laying A Foundation is next. Not to mention its ONLY .99 right now 10-24-14.

http://smile.amazon.com/Laying-Founda...

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/layin...

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a back story to the Love Under Construction Series people. It is a short read but within that short read you find out about these people and what they have to deal with in their lives. I got wrapped up in each of their lives while reading and makes me want to hurry up and read this entire series. There are nine people whose lives you get a little peak into and this will help me understand the characters more on a personal level.

Each character was touched on and even though this just gives you background on the people, it does give you an insight what to expect during this series. Deanndra touches on rape, abuse, adultery and most authors wouldn't touch these subjects but Deanndra does and with such style and class.

The first book in this series is Laying a foundation and I can not wait to find out more about each of these nine people and how each handle these crisis in their lives.

[Christine Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an introduction to the main characters from the series Love Under Construction. It's a series of flashbacks to the lives of the characters before their respective books.

I attempted to read this book before Laying a Foundation but found it confusing because it is a series of unrelated flashbacks of the characters from the series so after the confusion I decided to come back to it after having read the first book which I think was a good idea.

You get to see the lives of these characters but be warned you will cry. These characters have all had horrible lives and this book only gives a glimpse and it isn't all sunshine and roses but it will make you want to pick up the books and learn all about these characters and what their future holds.

This is definitely a book that readers will want to refer to during and after each book in the series to understand the characters and their motivations.

[Melonie Merritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I waited to write my review for this until after I read Laying a Foundation. For me this is not really a prequel but is a great book that you can read to get to know a little more about the characters in the series. I think it would depend on the person and how good they remember things on whether or not I would recommend this be read before or after Laying a Foundation. For me I was glad I read it before Laying a Foundation. If I had not read it first I would have been somewhat confused by some of the characters. I am glad the author decided to write this because while some of these characters are just background characters in Laying a foundation I think it is important that the reader knows a little bit about them!

[Gloria Herrera for As You Wish Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book should be considered the pre-quel to the series and should be read first. As a book, it provides the background to the stories we are about to read in this series for each of the nine characters involved.

The constant in all of these characters is the fact that they have all hit rock bottom. Whether old or young, age makes no difference when you are bitter about love, unemployed, or in a life situation with no future in sight. These characters share these characteristics. I cannot wait to read this series to see how their stories evolve.

[Trista Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received this series in exchange for an honest review for Beautifully Broken Book Blog. While this is not an actual book with a story line, I do believe that the author made a great decision to write this prequel. There are many complex characters throughout this series and this novella was a great introduction to the characters and provided the reader with background information on their lives. .

[Stephanie Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect introduction

This novella is the introduction to The Love Under Construction Series. The author devotes a chapter to each character. Nine characters all with different lives and different heartache, but with one common denominator.....A future in Louisville, KY. This was a short but wonderful story, and if it's any indication on how the rest of the story will go, then I'm in for a treat!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title says it all. This lays the groundwork by explaining the back story of the characters in The Love Under Construction series. If you read this expecting a story this is just background but it's crucial information that helps you understand the characters you meet in book one.

Warning (spoiler alert plus PTSD warning)
If reading about rape is a trigger for you please skip over Laura's background
This does not mean you shouldn't read this book just be aware

[Renee Entress · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 star

I was pulled right into this short story. This is an introduction to the Walters family. You meet the key players of the series. You get a little insight to their lives and what they are going though at this time. Even being a short story it packs in a lot of information.

I loved these characters and also the side characters. I was able to connect with the characters and the story was a great read.

I recommend this book.

[Lindsey Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be a shot read, but the author has loaded this story with tons of info on all the characters to come in this series. I just started reading the first full book in the series and already could link info from this book to the first. I think it will help if you read this to link things together as you go through the series. Looking forward to reading more as they come out.

[Lorraine Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a lovely introduction to the characters of this series. I like how you get to know each character separately but have no idea which order you're going to meet them. I also like that they aren't 18/30 year olds, I'm looking forward to reading the other books to find out who ends up with who and how.

[Low-La · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never read any books from Deanndra Hall. What a great prequel to a series. I purchased all the books in this series and am looking forward to it!! I am starting Book 1 - Laying A Foundation (Love Under Construction #1). I was in a book slump for awhile, but this one has seemed to have taken me out of that funk.

[Michele McMullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

review to follow

[Tabby Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is an amazing book to get you aquatinted to the characters in this series. wow! I laughed, I cried! such a great book!!