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Wicked Hearts #3

התנגדות

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ברוכים הבאים לוויקד ביץ'

רייף

לשנוא זה קל.
הרבה יותר קל מהאפשרות הנוספת.
התפקיד שלי הוא לשמור על הביטחון בוויקד ביץ׳, והמשמעות היא שמדי פעם אני צריך ללכלך את הידיים. אחרי שאיבדתי את החבר הכי טוב שלי, הסרתי את הכפפות – מאז, השנאה עוזרת לי לנצח בכל קרב ולסגור כל חקירה.
עכשיו העבר רודף אותי, ואני מסרב להידחק לפינה. ולגבי הבחורה שזה עתה עברה לגור בסמוך אליי, שנאה היא האפשרות היחידה. אני לא איכנע ללא קרב.

שלבי

לפני עשר שנים הוא הרס את חיי.
עכשיו הגיעה ההזדמנות שלי להרוס את החיים שלו.
לא תכננתי לעבור לגור ליד רייף נולן, במיוחד אחרי מה שהוא עשה לאחי ולי, אבל עכשיו יש לי הזדמנות לאמלל אותו כמו שהוא אמלל אותנו.
ועם גבר כל כך מעונה, זו לא תהיה בעיה.
אלא שהסוד האפל שמאחורי הכאב שלו סוחף אותי פנימה. הוא מנסה לשמור על יחסי הכוחות בינינו, אבל אני רואה שהוא מאבד שליטה.
אני יכולה להשתמש בסודות שלו נגדו, אבל כשאני מתחילה להתאהב בו, ברור לי שבקרב הזה אני עומדת להפסיד.

התנגדות הוא הספר השלישי בסדרה הסוחפת וויקד הארטס. יש בו תשוקה ושנאה, גבר אלפא אידיוט וגיבורה לוחמנית.

232 pages, ebook

First published August 1, 2020

366 people are currently reading
3388 people want to read

About the author

Sara Cate

48 books19.6k followers
Sara Cate is a USA Today best-selling author of steamy romance and sexy book boyfriends. Although she writes a wide range of tropes, Sara is best known for her age gap and taboo romances. One thing you can expect from her entire collection is heaps of steam and plenty of angst.

Living in Arizona with her husband and kids, Sara spends most of her time reading, writing, or baking.

Find out more at: www.saracatebooks.com

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5 stars
572 (40%)
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527 (37%)
3 stars
241 (17%)
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55 (3%)
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13 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
Profile Image for Christy.
4,542 reviews35.9k followers
June 29, 2022
3.25 stars

When I saw enemies to lovers and Sara Cate, I knew I wanted to check this one out! Rafe and Shelby have a complicated past and haven't seen each other in almost a decade. Then they become neighbors. I loved the angst in this one. Rafe had a traumatic past he needed to work through and with time and help, he did. It felt a little short and underdeveloped at times, but Sara Cate is one heck of a writer. I love her writing style. I wonder if I would have read the first two books I would have loved it more, either way it was a good read. I am super curious about Shelby's brother, Ezra and would love to read about him!

Profile Image for Sissy's Romance Book Review .
8,992 reviews16 followers
August 23, 2020
Defiant by Sara Cate is book Three in the Wicked Hearts Series. This is the story of Shelby and Rafe. I felt could be a standalone book. Rafe, Ezra and Shelby were once friends that hung out together. But Ezra and Rafe decided to do something that put their path on a different road. Now in their present day, Rafe is a police officer, Shelby a Hospice nurse and Ezra ended up in prison. Shelby has just moved into an apartment to keep an eye on her twin brother Ezra. But she finds that her neighbor is Rafe who she hold it against him the decision that ended her brother in jail. This is a chance for a fresh start for them but will Shelby get past the hurt that she feels because of Rafe's actions towards her brother? Enjoyed this book and will be looking for more from this author.






Profile Image for BLT.
601 reviews3 followers
August 9, 2020
I was not aware of this series but am glad I got the opportunity to read this stand alone. I didn't need to have read the others to appreciate these characters.
Rafe is such a tortured soul and it takes the love and guidance of Shelby who only want to see him heal with or without her. Shelby has such a big heart; it is that heart that leads her to understand she needs to cut the men in her life loose so that they can heal themselves without her enabling them. It is that selfless act that comes full circle and they are all rewarded with happy, healthy lives.
Now I need to go back and read the other books!!
Profile Image for Jezabel Nightingale.
Author 8 books43 followers
July 11, 2022
Beautifully broken people who work hard to mend parts of their lives. And hot seggsy times—what’s not to love?
Profile Image for Emma (emjbookshelf).
976 reviews22 followers
August 31, 2021
Defiant is the third book in the Wicked Hearts series. This is an enemies to lover story and the chemistry between Shelby and Rafe was off the charts. It is also about second chances. Defiant will give you all the emotions suspense, romance, betrayal and a whole heap more. The storyline is well written and I enjoyed seeing the other characters from past books show their faces in this one.
Profile Image for Kayla.
119 reviews3 followers
August 7, 2020
I read this enemies to lovers story in almost one sitting! The chemistry between Shelby and Rafe was so strong and intense that I just couldn’t put it down. The past between them almost makes their love story a forbidden one, which I always love in a book. The author did a fantastic job writing this story and the character development from hate to love for both Shelby and Rafe was amazing. This is actually the first book I’ve read of this series and my first book by this author. I’m always hesitant to start a book in a series when I haven’t read the others first, but I wasn’t lost in this book at all. I definitely plan to go back and read the other two in this series because I loved this one so much!
Profile Image for Veronica Ticker.
901 reviews61 followers
December 6, 2020
(audiobook) I liked this second chance story about a traumatized cop slash boxer and the woman he betrayed–more precisely, he put her twin brother in jail, for reasonable reasons. They start as enemies, but undeniable sparks flare between them and they soon become lovers… almost. Because of his troubled past, Rafe has problems with intimacy. If I thought Shelby was a bit too bossy–and almost disrespectful–trying to get him past his fears, the way he tries and overcomes them for her was beautiful.

The background plots, with Rafe the cop investigating a possible drug trafficking, the illegal bets, Shelby’s work as a nurse for dying people, were interesting but barely used, as the story really focus on the relationship and Rafe’s trauma. Ezra’s revenge was more useful, as it creates the conflict between the two main characters.

The female narrator’s pace and voice did nothing to me, even annoyed me at times, while the male voice did a much better job. So the narration was okay but could have been much better. At least they both knew how to read the sexy scenes.

Quickie

- Series: Wicked hearts #3 (can be read as a standalone)
- Hashtags: #cop romance #sport romance #enemies to lovers #second chance #virgin
- Triggers: past parental abuse, mild violence in the ring, drug traffic
- Main couple: Shelby Hawthorne & Rafe Nolan
- Hotness: 4/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + I loved how Rafe gets over his struggles with sex
- – I don’t like people denying the consequences of their actions and blaming others
Profile Image for MPT.
280 reviews31 followers
January 24, 2021




2 Stars ⭐️⭐️

Defiant was my first book I read by Sara Cate and I have to say I was disappointed. The blurb sounded really good, but unfortunately it was meh…This book had so much potential, but it just didn’t follow through. Supposedly this was a enemies-to-lovers book, which I’m still trying to figure out how the Author come up with that conclusion? 🤨 because seriously Rafe’s hatred for Shelby was a whopping second and Shelby’s hatred was non-existent.. No joke it was like I blinked and them saying they both hate each was over.



They whole story was so rushed that you never get the chance to connect with the characters. Sara Cate never gives her readers any backstory details. How is this a second chance romance when we know nothing about them? There were too many things that didn’t make sense. For instances why did Rafe have condoms in his side table when he was a virgin? The better question is why was he a virgin at 28 years old still? I get he was traumatize for what his parents did to him when he was a young boy, but to never experience intercourse at all, well that just ridiculous..Plus the reason that we are given why Rafe still has his virginity just made no sense. If you loathe being touch that much then you’re not going to perform oral sex on another person nor let them on you. It just wasn’t believable…

On top of all that, the story jump all over the place. It had too much going on and not enough details. There were laughable situations, one being Shelby learning how to fight…



When fighting was the reason why she removed herself from Rafe and her brother. Sounds Hypocritical if you ask me. The story was just poorly written and unfortunately a waste of time.


Audiobook review: Unfortunately I didn’t get to experience Kelley Huston and Aiden Snow full potential on narrating, due to the poorly written story, but what they had to work with I think they did a good job and for that I gave them 4 stars.


This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ga Books LoverX.
2,410 reviews24 followers
August 18, 2020
Uh, where has this series been all of my life and why have I been unaware of it? We have a wicked enemies to lovers romance with Defiant. The story is intense with several factors coming into play, not only is there major emotions between the two main characters, but the root issues are pretty heartbreaking. I can let you know that you cannot help but get emotionally invested with the characters and the story!

All in all if you are looking for an enemies to lovers romance that has a LOT of depth, this is definitely one to check out. It is a standalone, but I feel as if it might be better to check out the other ones in the series to get some backstory, because I did feel as if I was kind of thrust into this world. Regardless, it was a great book with tons of heart and emotions and heartbreaking moments, I give it 4.5 outta 5 stars!

PS: Thank you to Sara Cate and Give Me Books PR for allowing me an advanced copy of the book to read and review honestly!
Profile Image for Carissa.
3,373 reviews91 followers
June 18, 2022
This is my first read by Sara and first in this series. This was ok for me because I felt things were glossed over or super rushed. I wanted more enemies to lovers tone to the book and there definitely wasn't enough. I felt a tiny bit lost in the beginning as there wasn't enough background/past info. I'll try more books from Sara.

Narrators Aiden Snow was good, Kelley Huston I have to get used to.

I received this audiobook and book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Profile Image for Cheers&Applause.
191 reviews12 followers
August 19, 2020
One of my favourites for the year. Electric chemistry between the MCs, whom I both loved. Great writing. Amazing dialogue. I can't recommend it enough. Thanks Sara Cate, I can't wait to read the rest of the series. I would of preferred it to be a longer read though but definitely worth sacrificing sleep for.
Profile Image for xxBooksILovexx.
776 reviews41 followers
March 12, 2022
Really enjoying this book by Sara Cate. The enemies to lovers trope is my favorite. The angst & banter between Rafe & Shelby is beyond hot! Rafe has some secrets. Definitely give this one a listen! Aiden Snow & Kelley Huston (new to me narrator).
Profile Image for Fos.
1,296 reviews2 followers
December 5, 2022
Audiobook
Yay!!!! A Boxer! 🌟

Rafe is kinda weird. It's difficult to see why anyone would be attracted to him. I really was hoping for a hot Boxer story.
If you separate out what he says from what he thinks, there's no reason to be interested in him. He's a creeper.

Shelby is TSTL.
Profile Image for Keelz.
51 reviews
May 8, 2024
not even going to beat around the bush. best book in the series. these were all stand alone books, and this one just hit the spot, i only wish rafe and ezra actually sat down to talk about the past, however was a five star book.
Profile Image for Amee.
811 reviews52 followers
August 28, 2024
Sad to see the Wicked series done but I think author saved the best for last. All the couples were damaged in their own ways, but Rafe’s was heartbreaking.

Oh and I NEED a book on yummy Vic!
Profile Image for Christina  Pepper.
32 reviews1 follower
August 20, 2020
I loved reading about Rafe, who keeps his circle ridiculously small. I can so relate to that!!! Rafe’s background is dark and because of it, he is denied love. Throughout the book, you question whether his denied love is because of his history or is it self-imposed. Rafe’s only outlet is fighting, sometimes in shady matches, and as a police officer you see the struggle within, especially what illegal activity he is willing to overlook. Rafe’s dedication to keeping the town of Wicked safe from drugs and dealers is commendable, even though the way Rafe goes about it is questionable.

Shelby’s character is just as fascinating. You can sense her feelings for Rafe, when she sees him for the first time in ten years, laying in front of his apartment after a fight. This woman is loyal to a fault to her twin brother and their history with Rafe is hard to let go. Shelby is a hospice nurse and I absolutely love how Cate explains why Shelby decided to work in hospice care. It is a hard job, however extremely rewarding and a true calling.

What I did learn from Rafe and Shelby, is never stop fighting for what you want because the hard work you put into training will always pay off!!

Full review here: https://christinashuffle.com/2020/08/...
Profile Image for Kelly Hill.
89 reviews
April 9, 2021
Wowza. This was such a steamy read. You have Raffe, Shelby, and Ezra as the main characters in this book.

Raffe, Shelby, and Ezra were all friends at one point and then some choices broke up the friendship. Raffe became a police officer. Ezra ended up in prison due to Raffe turning him in and costing him a friendship. Ezra was turned into prison but Raffe most likely saved him from being killed but he doesn't see it that way.

Shelby is holding some grudge for her once friend Raffe as he is the one that landed her brother behind bars. She moves into an apartment only to run into Raffe who just so happens to be her neighbor. She starts to lead him on and get close to him in hopes of getting some info to ruin him for paybacks. As she learns more about Raffe she falls more deeply in love with him and can't look back. She is forced to make a choice between her brother or the traitor as she sees it that turned in her brother.

What will she choose. This book made me cry several times as Raffe was badly abused as a youngster and will forever deal with the emotional scarring. Can Shelby soften his memories and help him love. I found this book so intriguing and really enjoyed it. This series was quite enjoyable and I wish their was more.
Profile Image for Jennifer Pierson.
11.7k reviews188 followers
August 18, 2020
There are times that I come late to a new author's party which leaves me kicking myself in the aftermath because I could have been there earlier, and Sara Cate's party is a great example that I'm talking about. I mean HOLY HELL WHERE HAS SHE BEEN MY WHOLE LIFE?! Rafe had a horrible childhood that he really hasn't faced yet, though he became a police officer to help other young kids. Shelby is a hospice nurse who has history with Rafe, and not a good one either, so she was shocked when she came face to face with him at her apartment building since he's living close to her, and while the chemistry is shooting sparks everywhere & fate stepping in as they keep running into each other, it's not all fun and games. This story took me through so many emotions that I was totally book hungover when I was done. There's so much more going on & I devoured it in one sitting to see how it all ends up. So, if you want to see how it all plays out, and trust me you want to, hit those one click buttons immediately! HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
Profile Image for Sara Cate.
Author 48 books19.6k followers
Read
September 20, 2020


DEFIANT is now live!
Free in Kindle Unlimited!

"As soon as my fingers touch his pants, he pulls away, glaring at me like I’ve offended him.
“You broke the rules, sweetheart,” he growls at me, his head tilts down so he’s watching me through a hooded brow.
“What?” I breathe, but before I can move, he’s putting the key into his lock and disappearing into his apartment.
“Goodnight,” he says in a teasing tone before the door slams.
What. the. Fuck.

Defiant: geni.us/Defiant
Profile Image for Lori Alexander.
67 reviews4 followers
August 15, 2020
ANGSTY, GRITTY, EMOTIONAL, TRAUMATIC AND A BEAUTIFUL SECOND CHANCE
Absolutely amazing and captivating story between Rafe and Shelby. This book is a mix between a second chance romance and an enemies to lovers story that will grab you and refuse to let go.
Rafe is a cop just trying to bring down criminals and help kids on the verge of making bad life decisions. He has been through a horrific childhood and on a daily basis those memories haunt him.
Shelby is a Hospice nurse who loves her job and just wants to live her life as peacefully as possible. Her twin brother Ezra, however definitely keeps her on her toes and since he was arrested and put in jail years ago Ezra holds a deep seated loathing for Rafe. Shelby always feels like she needs to keep an eye on Ezra because his life choices are not always the best.
Ten years ago the three of them were thick as thieves and stayed friends after graduating high school. A terrible decision was made between Rafe and Ezra to commit a crime. Rafe had a last minute emergency come up and he couldn't go with Ezra; however Ezra was going to go through with the plan and in order for him not to be killed Rafe decides the best course of action is to throw Ezra under the bus to the police. Now all that lasts between the three is a deep seated hate for each other.
Shelby accidentally runs into Rafe in her own apartment building and can't believe she has to live so close to him.
Things start to heat up when the chemistry and circumstances keep pulling them back towards each other. Both Rafe and Shelby have their own sketchy plans that involve each of them to get close to the other but it completely starts to backfire when the feelings start to turn real between them. Scenes heat up to molten levels and the fire between the two is burning bright when all hell breaks loose and Shelby realizes she needs space from both Rafe and her brother.
The book ends with a fantastic HEA and a beautiful future for the two to look forward to.
This story was extremely riveting and hard to stop once I started it.
I received an ARC of Defiant for an honest review.
944 reviews2 followers
August 18, 2020
Shelby is sweet, caring and a hospice nurse, Rafe is a cop with anger issues due to childhood abuse and he holds a personal grudge against Shelby's twin Ezra, a ex convict turned business owner who in turn wants revenge against Rafe. Shelby is always caught in the middle off them and tends to end up on the receiving end of their attitudes. Shelby and Rafe have a love hate relationship and the author did an amazing job highlighting and describing the emotions and feelings between Shelby and Rafe and their growing attraction to each other.

Rafe was the reason Shelby's twin brother Ezra went to jail for attempted robbery, something he and Rafe worked on together and when Rafe was called away, he called the cops on Ezra for the attempted robbery. As Shelby lived with Ezra and the plans were in their apartment she nearly ended up in jail as well. Rafe walked off scott-free and became a cop, and holding on to his personal grudge against Ezra ,instead of investigating he believes Ezra is dealing drugs and gets a search warrant to search his business and ransack his inventory. This triggers Ezra's grudge and they end up in a fight with Ezra being arrested again this time for assaulting a cop and Shelby washing her hands off both of them.

The characters have depth and growth tangled with realistic array of emotions ranging from mistrust, disgust, disappointment, hatred, sorrow, protection and love. The supporting characters and relationships between them were realistic and well done. A well written emotional story,

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for M Mendes Bookstagram.
725 reviews48 followers
August 20, 2020
Defiant is full of heat with lots of emotions. Defiant is about second chances. Shelby and Rafe had a past that is full of anger and wanting revenge. Rafe had a horrible childhood that he still refuses to deal with and the same can be said for Shelby’s twin brother. They both want to use her to hurt the other. Will they all repeat the same mistakes. Will they let their inability to let the past go or will it destroy all of them cause as much as Shelby and Rafe’s relationship is about them her brother plays a big part in what happens. I won’t say exactly what happens or the outcome. That you will have to read to find out. I will say that Shelby is easy to like and makes you want to narrate along by cheering when things go right and groaning when things goes side ways. Yes, I highly recommend reading Defiant. It is the third book in the Wicked Hearts series. It can be read as a stand alone. I am sure that there would have helped if I had read the first two books but I was able to follow along and didn’t feel like I should have read the first two books. I do want to just because I want to know more about Rafe’s friends and the people he calls family. Hope you will enjoy reading about Rafe and Shelby.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Ella.
6 reviews8 followers
October 30, 2024
לי אישית לא יצא לקרוא עדיין ספרים של שרה קייט. שמעתי עליה המון דברים לכאן ולשם, אבל הדבר הכי בולט שנאמר על הספרים שלה זה שיש יותר סמאט מתוכ��. בסדרה הזו, זה לא היה ככה…
התחלתי את הסדרה בידיעה שאני חייבת ספר קליל!! והסדרה היא באמת כזו - כל ספר עומד על ממוצע של 250 עמודים, עיירה קטנה - מה כבר יכול להסתבך?

לדעתי, בגלל שהסדרה כזו קצרה הספרים רצו לי. לא מבחינת הספק הקריאה שלי, אלא מבחינת העלילה. הרגיש לי שהכל קורה מהר מדי, שהדמויות משנות את דעתן מהר מדי וגם שהסיטואציות מוגזמות מדי (כי זה סוג הספרים).
עם זאת, אני חושבת שלסדרה הזו יש המון פוטנציאל. מדובר בשלושה ספרים על חבורה של שלושה בנים, כאמור לכל ספר מצטרפת בת זוג אחרת. מדובר בשני מקעקעים רוכבי אופנועים ושוטר - על פניו, ספרים מטורפים!

לי הפריע בסדרה שהיה מוטיב חוזר על עצמו של זוגיות שהן לא הכי בריאות בלשון המעטה… הגברים היו מתוסבכים ולא הצליחו לבטא את מה שהם מרגישים במילים, אז יצא מצב שבנות הזוג שלהן / לפני שהשניים הפכו לזוג נפגעו המון פעמים, בעיקר בגלל חוסר תקשורת.
בנוסף, הרגיש לי שכל שלושת הספרים היו בנויים משלד שהוא זהה לחלוטין, אבל כל זוג הביא לשלד הזה צבע אחר. כלומר, היו המון דברים שחזרו על עצמם.

פרט לכל מה שציינתי מעלה, סך הכל הייתה לא רעה!
ממליצה בחום למי שאוהב ספרים קצרים על עיירות קטנות ואופנוענים חתיכים!!

כל הסדרה קיבלה ממני 3.75🌟
Profile Image for KelsBookstagram.
724 reviews23 followers
December 29, 2020
A beautifully breathtaking journey!

Holy heck! Why did I wait so long to read Rafe & Shelby's journey. Their hurt, pain, love & passion mesmerised me and is a beautiful journey i didn't realise i needed. But HOLY HELL Rafe is something else and i defo need his fire in my life!🥵

Rafe is a strong gorgeous alpha lead with a troubled and tortured past that he struggles to let go and deal with. His past has you clutching your heart & begging him to believe he's not s tortured soul. I definitely connected with Rafe and want to dive and give him a hug!

Shelby has a big nuturing heart who has never let go her past with her twin brother & Rafe from 10 years ago. Shelby wants to support & help Rafe heal and move forward. But that's never straightforward... Shelby grows in her character and i LOVE the fire in her & her strength to believe and put herself first!

Seeing Ezra, Shelby & Rafe growing as people and reflecting was captured perfectly. The growth of all 3 them have completed my heart!

This stand alone is beautifully breath-taking and will leave you swooning and that ending has my smiling like a chimpanzee!!

Thank you Sara Cate for this incredible journey & i will diving into the others in this series!!
Profile Image for Katie.
1,276 reviews22 followers
November 4, 2022
Rafe & Shelby- Pure Perfection

This book will surprise you, make you laugh, cry, pump your fist in the air and will leave you smiling at how strong these characters. Rafe had a horrific childhood and it has controlled his life and his actions everyday. He puts all that into fighting but sometimes even the fight doesn’t satisfy his needs. He never talks about his past but when his past comes to Wickett in the form of Shelby & Ezra he can no longer use his fists to forget.

Shelby has loved Rafe since they first met but once the bad blood between them caused her brother to end up in jail she had to forget him and move on. Now he is her neighbor and they can’t fight their feelings anymore. However, she can tell he is broken and closed off. If he won’t change for himself how can she ever give him her heart.

This is a crazy ride but worth every page turning moment. Their story is strong, fierce, and full of love & devotion. You will fall in love with them just as much as the entire Wickett crew. Sad this is the last book in the series but these characters will definitely leave a lasting impact. Happy Reading!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews

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