Lucy Lenin is broke, her abusive husband is missing, and the gangsters he owed want to take it out on the demure Lucy. When she's offered a job at a strip club, Lucy takes the job for fast money and to get the mafia off her back, even finding a way to tolerate her regular client, Sheriff Aaron Dwyer, who happens to be her old boyfriend.
Aaron Dwyer has his own problems. He's the face guy of the county, and the public is breathing down his neck for answers on why unemployed men have shown up dead in his jurisdiction. Pile that on top of losing his wife a year ago and raising two daughters.
But there's one bright spot in his life...Lucy.
Can Lucy and Aaron work together to solve the county's murders before it's too late for one of them?
Copper is a full-length standalone. memories of domestic abuse, attempted sexual assault, murder scene descriptions, and gore.
This book was such a bizarre reading experience. It is decently well-written and edited, easy enough to read and follow along with the story, which is the main reason why I finished it. The author seems to have a firm grasp of the English language. And yet there are so many things that do not make sense. Buckle up, this is my longest review in a while!
The first and most glaring thing throughout the book is the nonchalance at which Aaron, the county sheriff, pays a stripper, Lucy, for BJs at the club. There is zero concern or risk brought up that an elected law enforcement official is soliciting sexual services. He repeatedly shows up to the strip club IN UNIFORM, and no one has any word to say about it? Aaron expresses concern later in the book about other events that could cause him to lose his job or face prison time, but paying for BJs is no big deal, apparently. He is going after bad guys for drug smuggling, possible murder, and sex trafficking. And yet there is no connection made to him being a potential customer of sex trafficking?! Lucy doesn't have a pimp exactly, but she's still prostituting herself because she has no other options. It's so strange to me that this is completely overlooked, and honestly icky that Aaron would buy BJs from her so many times. He's a cop, he has to know that either she's selling sex out of desperation or that a pimp is forcing her to do it, and he has no problem partaking in that multiple times.
It's even said multiple times that touching and kissing the dancers is not allowed. The club owner (Lucy's cousin, which is just more weirdness) even teases Lucy about what she and the sheriff get up to in the VIP room. And then says in the same conversation that he wants to run a "clean" establishment, like ??? So why are you condoning prostitution between your dancers and cops, my guy? The cognitive dissonance in this book is so jarring.
Don't even get me started on the MMF scene. That was just...so strange and unnecessary. I could not take it seriously at all. I was literally cringing the whole time. The author seemed like they intended to be this intense, emotional moment where Aaron "proves" how much he cares about Lucy, but that was not how it landed at all. I love MM and poly romance, but it was nothing like that. It seemed almost homophobic? Aaron never once expresses any attraction to men, but he used that guy to prove a point to Lucy. And it was supposed to be moving, or something. IDK.
I also got the sense (not making any accusations, this is just a feeling I had) that this book might have been written by a man, and it's hard to explain why. To me, Aaron's POV chapters felt almost hyper masculine and overly aggressive. He yells and has temper tantrums often, is unprofessional at work, seems to have sexual expectations of Lucy at inappropriate times, yet he has this hero complex and is somehow the perfect guy to save the day. Plus, he pays for BJs with 0 consequences. There are a lot of BJ and "getting on her knees" references actually. Just feels very male gazey.
Conversely, Lucy's chapters are very overtly "helpless and abused damsel in distress". There is a lot of detail going into the abuse she suffered from her ex-husband and all the mafia guys afterward. It feels almost gratuitous how often it's described how she was punched, kicked, groped, raped, etc. She also idolizes Aaron for some reason. Again, gave me "male gaze" vibes, like the author is going to brutalize this FMC as much as possible before his self-insert MMC comes in to save the day.
I'm not even going to get into the murder mystery aspect of this book, but it was so badly done. Everything from Aaron's behavior to how the crime scenes were handled. Interviews and conversations with witnesses made no sense, and/or Aaron made them all about Lucy. And none of it mattered because the reveal came in a big ol' infodump at the end anyway.
So yeah, I did not like this book, lol. Characterization and plot were a trainwreck. But it was a fairly easy and readable trainwreck, so there's that.
"I know that look. Protective. He doesn't want me working here, and he doesn't want other men to know my name. "What's your stage name?" he asks.'
After her abusive husband Beck goes missing, Lucy is threatened by the Chicago mob to pay his debts. To make fast cash she moves back to her hometown and starts working at a club ran by her cousin. Aaron Dwyer is a widowed sheriff, still in love with Lucy from high school, and a regular at the club.
"Copper. You need to call me Copper here."'
The criminals Aaron is after keep showing up dead before Aaron can arrest them, low and behold they're some of the same men who are threatening Lucy. But what about Beck? He's still missing and her biggest threat.
"I want you to take your power back. I want you to be Lucy again."
This was a blend of mafia, police procedural, domestic thriller, and spicy second chance romance. The story moved at a fast pace, I found Aaron extremely likeable, and I didn't expect the twist at the end. I loved the duo POV of Lucy/Aaron.
Well written and the plot is pretty seedy. I expected that though, as the heroine is a stripper. I usually like this type of darker romance, but I just couldn't feel any connection to the H/h and quite frankly, the scene at 40% disappointed me.
Lucy Lenin is in a dire situation, her abusive husband has gone missing but the gangsters he owed money to are coming after her. Needing quick money, Lucy takes the job at a strip joint she is offered and does her best to make ends meet. When Lucy reconnects with her high school sweetheart, Aaron Dwyer, who just so happens to be the county sheriff Lucy finally has someone in her corner. Aaron and his detectives are working on a string of murder cases where the victims are all the worst of the worst. Lucy has a connection in some way to all of the murder victims. Will she and Aaron be able to get to the bottom of the cases before it’s too late?
I had no idea what I was getting into when I picked up this book. I judged it by the cover and thought I wouldn’t like it much because of the stripper pole on the cover, but I was so wrong. This book pulled me in from the very first page and I didn’t want to put it down. Everything flowed so nicely and I kept getting pulled deeper into the story with every murder case. Lucy is a strong female lead who isn’t ashamed of the things she’s had to do to get by and I loved her. Aaron was a great supporting character and lead man. I loved this couple together. I guessed a couple times along the way at what would happen and in some ways I was right, but in other ways I was so wrong. I was surprised at the end when everything was wrapped up and tied together with a neat bow and I loved how it ended. This was a great thriller romance read with some spicy scenes that only added to the story. If you are looking for a great read to mix things up, like me, this is the one to pick.
Second Chance Romance Singe Dad MMC Mafia Vibes Bada$$ FMC MMF scene
Tori!!!! First off, the dedication is everything! I fell in love with Lucy from the beginning.
Lucy has suffered at the hand of her abusive husband, Beck for years. When he goes missing, the mob threatens her to pay back debts she didn’t know he had.
Aaron Dwyer is the sheriff of their hometown and Lucy’s high school sweetheart. When he runs into Lucy aka Copper at the local strip club she works at, he becomes a regular just to spend time with her.
Dwyer has dead bodies turning up in the county, no suspects, and it just so happens they are some of the men that have been threatening Lucy.
“I regret nothing. I’m what happens when men fuck around. They find out. I woke up one day and realized I could either cower and cringe for the rest of my life or I could fix the problem.”
This book was fast-paced, had twist and turns, the perfect amount of spice and romance with an HEA. Oh yea, and there is a super hot MMF scene you don’t wanna miss! Highly recommend!
This is a second chance mystery story that takes a turn at the end that I did not see coming.
Lucy and Aaron used to be high school sweethearts, but went their separate ways. Aaron found a loving wife and had two beautiful daughters. Lucy got into an relationship to forget Aaron and found herself being abused daily.
Decade later Lucy has returned home and took a job with her cousin, to make money to pay off the people her husband borrowed from. The husband that has taken off and she can't find to get a divorce. Aaron's wife has passed away and he has reconnected with Lucy. Their relationship is on a wild twist and turns as she is still being threatened and he, as the sheriff, is dealing with several unexplained murders.
Love the connection between Aaron and Lucy. The determination and strength of Lucy is amazing. Great story that you have to read to the end to find out what happens.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Lucy’s husband is missing and the mafia he owes money to comes knocking at her door to make her pay for his stupid mistakes! She has to do something fast so she starts working at the local strip club where her ex and current sheriff starts coming in regularly just to see her again.
Sheriff Aaron Dwyer has two dead bodies in his quiet county and people want answers; now add in Lucy’s missing husband. He isn’t sure that anything is adding up to a suspect yet, all he’s sure of is his need to protect his two daughters at all cost and Lucy too, now that he has her back in his life.
I really enjoyed this book! The FMC has such determination and grit to survive and keep going. The story was good and moved along at a great pace. Although, I did see the twist coming at the end, it was so enjoyable and entertaining! I recommend for a second chance romance with a lot of spice, MMF in one scene, with a hea.
So what do you do when you have no money, your abusive husband has disappeared, and the mafia is after you? Well Lucy is in a bit of a pickle when gangsters show up wanting her pay back the money her husband stole from them. Not having anywhere to turn, she ends up back in her home town working in her cousin’s strip club to pay her bills. The only problem is her high school ex-boyfriend is one of her favourite customers and also someone whom she is willing to give a little extra attention too. You see she never really got over him and ended up in a domestic abuse relationship for years after they split up and it seems the feeling may be mutual. But when people keep showing up dead and the connections keep leading back to her, will they be able to move on into a happy ever after or will she be watching her back forever?
Loved it. Lots of action and heat in this one.
I read this book voluntarily for an honest review.
This one tops the charts for me this year in the spicy second chance romance trope!! The one scene that gives the if a can't have you I'll find other ways to have a whole new meaning and wow was is hot!! This should definitely be read with the mindset except the unexpected cause helllllo plot twist. I pushed through this book so quickly and it's not super long to begin with. It's fast paced but written smoothly with enough twists to keep you wondering what happens next.
I love that Lucy and Aaron (Office Dwyer) were high school sweethearts. This book did a very good job on separating two completely different life journeys and proving that life circumstances can't touch a true love that's always existed. Ten years apart was nothing for these two and I love how fiercely they protect each other even if it leads down a very dark path that you can't come back from.
Wow!! I did not see that ending coming at all! I was honestly surprised how much I loved this book. It was a second chance romance. Lucy has had a hard time in life and trying to get back to be a tough woman after dealing with an abusive husband for years. You don’t realize how strong she truly is until later and she is truly a badass! I loved watching her and Aaron interact he goes to great lengths to just be near her. There are definitely some hots scenes in here that were written very well. I loved it ended with an unexpectedly HEA. No matter what Aaron wasn’t letting anything get in the way of his love for Lucy and I mean anything. Thank you Tori I truly enjoyed this book. My only ask would have been for there to be more detail I felt like it was a little quick at the end.
Copper by Tori Ross is a second chance mystery romance. What a great read it was. I did not know what to expect jumping into this book but i definitely enjoyed it. The plot was exciting and full of surprises. There was romance and some spice built in as well. It was like a muddle of genres all in one book and it all grouped together well. Lucy just wants to get the mafia off her back due to her ex when she meets back up with her old flame. Of course now Aaron (her old flame) just wants to do his job, protect his girls AND now protect Lucy after seeing her again. I really enjoyed reading their story and about the mystery that went along with the it. This definitely was an enjoyable read! I definitely say pick it up!
Wow. I was not expecting to fly through this book the way I did, it was so good! It caught my interest pretty immediately and it was just nonstop from there.
While I did have a little trouble keeping the bad guys straight, it didn't really impact my enjoyment of the story and the main couple just had my heart from the very beginning.
And that one scene in the VIP room....whoa.
The end really caught me surprise and maybe I should have saw it coming, but I didn't. Once the dominoes started to fall, I literally could not turn pages fast enough. I definitely have conflicted feelings about the way things turn out, but sometimes it's nice for everything to not be so black and white...
Lucy is finally free of her abusive husband when thugs come looking for money he borrowed. She runs to her cousin to work as a stripper in his club, and ends up seeing her old high school boyfriend, Sheriff Aaron Dwyer. But someone is murdering scum and other “bad guys” is Aaron’s county - he just wants to protect those he lives, including Lucy. I was drawn into this story from the first page - Lucy is such a compassionate, strong character and Aaron is just so gone for her. There’s plenty of seedy and uncomfortable aspects to this story, which made it all the more visceral and real to me. And that ending - did NOT see that coming. A fantastic read.
I was not expecting this book at all! It was crazy! Lucy and Aaron were two characters that I had NO IDEA I would be reading about based on that cover! I mean, seriously!! Lucy ends up stripping because her husband disappears and leaves the mafia breathing down her neck and Aaron finds Lucy because he’s just trying to get by with his work and life stress! Oh! And did I mention they are old HS sweethearts? Crazy right? The detail that went into this story was insane! I literally could not read it fast enough! This was a straight through read for me! I could NOT put it down! The mystery, the spice, the second chance romance! Perfect trifecta! LOVED IT!
What a great ride this story will take you on, a second chance romance with mafia ties, mystery and spice. Tori is a survivor, when the mafia come at her for money her missing abusive husband owes she move back to her hometown and works to earn the money she needs to cover his debt. Sure he has run off with the money she has no other choice than to turn to stripping in order to earn quick cash. Her best customer is her high school sweetheart who just happens to be the sheriff. What would the town think to find the sheriff enjoying Lucy the “love of his life” in this filthy strip club.
Great book! This was my first book by this author, and it won't be the last. Lucy has had it bad. He abusive ex took off and left her with a debt owed to the mafia. She has no choice but to go back home and take a job at a strip joint. It is here that she runs into her high school sweetheart. Aaron is the local sheriff and also a single dad. Lucy is being threatened, and bodies are turning up. This is a mystery and second chance romance all in one. I definitely recommend this book, but be sure to check the trigger warnings!
The premise of this hooked me in. An abused wife seemingly abandoned by her husband and left to pay a huge debt. Cue working in a club, stripping for money to pay it back.
The plot did keep me interested and although I guessed one of the major twists, it was far more extreme than I imagined!
This also has the single dad trope which I love.
The writing was a little repetitive in parts and I didn’t really warm to the characters but overall it was a good read.
This book is not my usual read. With a sheriff MMC and a str!pper FMC, it was actual the unsolved mürders that was new. Lucy was a formidable bada$$, and i wouldn't want to be on her bad side. Aaron and Lucy get their second chance at happiness after years apart, and I loved seeing the little hints at their first love break through in the present-day story. He would do anything to help her, and she would destroy anyone who tried to harm him or his daughters. This is one of the best second chance stories I've read, and it kept me on the edge of my seat waiting for the mysteries to be solved.
OMG!!!!! Talk about a plot twist!! Lucy is struggling to get her life back in place after her abusive husband disappears. Aaron is the sheriff in town, getting over the loss of his late wife. When bodies start to pile up, Aaron has his hands full. I loved seeing Lucy turn into a badass female who took her life back and made it something she was proud of. Aaron comes in like the knight in shining armor he thinks he is, but what he doesn't know is that Lucky doesn't need to be rescued.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The story and plot are very well written you can emerse yourself in this world. The spice is great and not a slowburn but definitely angst is felt. I did figure out part of the end twist just before it was revealed but not the whole twist. As mentioned in other comments there is MMF and it was written so well and made that angst even more. Definitely recommend reading if you are into crime, thriller, mafia, police, and spice.
I wasn’t expecting all of the directions this book took. I had a few moments early where I didn’t follow where things were going with Aaron & Lucy. I’m not saying I don’t like a MMC who’s in touch with his feelings, but Aaron felt a little weepy a time or two. I thought I had things figured out at one point, but Tori led me astray. Well played!! I enjoyed this book & would pick up more by this author.
I absolutely loved this read! Was gifted the opportunity of an ARC and devoured this book. The story of Lucy and Aaron seems to be your typical high school lovers gone cold scenario and now reuniting only under very different circumstances. The plot and story line gave the perfect amount of information to keep you hooked. The spice was just right in my opinion and that "wth" moment in the VIP room... my goodness! I was down for that suprise to say the least! I like the fact that Lucy is a strong and smart FMC that doesn't need anyone's help to get by, she is independent even if it is a struggle. However, she has sense to not deny help if it is offered. Specially from someone who has been trustworthy. If you are looking for a heated love story mixed with brutal twists and turns, this is on par!
This was an entertaining and steamy second chance romance for Lucy and Aaron. This story is told in dual POVs and is so much more than just a romance. Expect to get hooked on how their story unfolds amongst the drama of domestic violence, crime and the mafia in this well paced and engaging read :D
This is Aaron and Lucy’s story. This is a well written story which is action packed, with emotions, mystery, suspense, intrigue, second chances, challenges, friendships, family, and love, which leads to an entertaining, tragic, unpredictable, and steamy dark romance, I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book definitely wasn’t what I was expecting. It is romantic suspense…. More suspense/mystery/thriller sort of than romance. That plot twist at the end really surprised me and usually I’m great at guessing things. It was shocking and unsettling and I’m not sure if I liked how things panned out but it was good story and definitely different.
The author has given us a heart pounding story that pulls us into the lives of Lucy/Copper and Aaron. The story keeps us turning the pages with a shared past, danger, suspense, secrets and steam.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This second chance romance does not start in the best of circumstances for Lucy and Aaron. Lucy connecting with her old sweetheart Aaron may not prove good for either of them.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Loved this!!! This story was tantalizing. A steamy romance with a crime mystery blended together. I love the chemistry and love Lucy & Aaron radiated in every part of their bodies. Such a thrill of a ride! I’ve not read anything by Tori Ross before and have recommended her to my friends now!
When I picked up this book I didn’t know what to expect. What I got was a great plot and an ending I wasn’t totally expecting. I love that Tori kept me guessing until the end when I finally started to wonder. If you want a suspenseful book with some spicy thrown in, this is the book for you!
Okay so let me say this loud and clear!!! For this not being a “dark romance” there is darker themes so beware but other than that I was not expecting the ending!!! Now I want another book with what happens next