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They have each other s backs until love pulls the trigger.
"Lights and Sirens, Book 3"
Great Barrington beat cops Jackson Ford and Marisol de la Espada enjoyed a seamless partnership for a decade, guarding each other s backs, predicting each other s moves. Until they sent it all to hell with a gesture of comfort that turned romantic. Not only was the sex awkward terrible, even it messed with their focus. And Jack was shot.
Four months later, Jack has been cleared for active duty, but beneath his barely mended body, he s barely holding it together. Because once the paramedics tore his blood-soaked body out from under Marisol s hands, she practically disappeared.
Since that day, Marisol has done nothing but replay every mistake she made over and over in her mind. As she and Jack grope through the pain, the guilt, and the fog of PTSD for the key to healing their partnership, they begin to wonder if love is enough to heal the trauma, or if they re destined to blow their partnership and any chance at love all to pieces.
This book contains two hot, effed-up cops, bad sex that turns good, good sex that turns bad, and some real-talk PTSD."
"Lights and Sirens, Book 3"
Great Barrington beat cops Jackson Ford and Marisol de la Espada enjoyed a seamless partnership for a decade, guarding each other s backs, predicting each other s moves. Until they sent it all to hell with a gesture of comfort that turned romantic. Not only was the sex awkward terrible, even it messed with their focus. And Jack was shot.
Four months later, Jack has been cleared for active duty, but beneath his barely mended body, he s barely holding it together. Because once the paramedics tore his blood-soaked body out from under Marisol s hands, she practically disappeared.
Since that day, Marisol has done nothing but replay every mistake she made over and over in her mind. As she and Jack grope through the pain, the guilt, and the fog of PTSD for the key to healing their partnership, they begin to wonder if love is enough to heal the trauma, or if they re destined to blow their partnership and any chance at love all to pieces.
This book contains two hot, effed-up cops, bad sex that turns good, good sex that turns bad, and some real-talk PTSD."
- GenresContemporary Romance
232 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 3, 2015
31 people want to read
About the author
Ruby McNally
8 books25 followersRuby McNally double-majored in psychology and cognitive linguistics before ultimately deciding her talents lay elsewhere. She grew up hiding her diary from her five brothers, who will never know she writes romance. She lives in Boston and has no cats. You can visit her online at rubymcnally.tumblr.com or follow her on Twitter @Ruby_McNally.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 27, 2015
Bang by Ruby McNally is the 3rd book in the author’s Lights & Sirens series & my experience in reading this author. While the story worked for me on certain levels, there were bits and pieces that I had slight problems with which however when it came down to it still managed to deliver a good read.
The story begins 4 months after Jackson Ford returns to duty after being shot and fighting the long, tough and hard battle of recovery. While physically Jackson seems to have recovered, as the story goes on, it is evident that Jackson suffers from post traumatic stress disorder owing to what he has gone through.
Jackson’s partner Marisol de la Espada, the woman he has loved for almost as long as they’d known each other has a tough time dealing with what happened to Jackson. So much so that she had completely avoided going to see Jackson while he had lain on hospital, playing a waiting game to see when she’d walk through the doors of his hospital room.
What makes it extra hard for Jackson and Marisol to get back into their groove is the fact that their relationship had progressed to a stage that had ended in a disastrous lovemaking session which needless to say makes things pretty much awkward.
What struck me the most in this story is the fact that how realistic Ruby creates her characters. Jackson and Marisol aren’t perfect in anyway. Yes, Jackson is handsome, strong and endowed in the way most heroes in romances are. While Marisol is the dream woman for Jackson, she suffers from her own insecurities with her physical appearance after having given birth & a lot of doubts when it comes to whether she and Jackson would ever be able to make it work.
Marisol having never turned up to see Jackson through the long hard months of recovery that had followed surpasses the usual survivor’s guilt. While most would question why she never did manage to work up her courage to go see him, I kind of understood where Marisol was coming from. Sometimes, fear & insecurities coupled with of course the survivor’s guilt that Marisol was experiencing has a way of preventing you from doing what’s right. And the longer you put it off, the harder it tends to become to take that step and that’s one other reason why I say that when it comes to flawed characters and putting that message across, Ruby McNally has done a bang up job.
Like most cops, Jackson has a hard time coming to terms with his PTSD. But he does eventually get there through a lot of misunderstandings that takes place between him and Marisol. I admired Marisol for taking that difficult step in nudging Jackson in the right direction and I was equally glad that Jackson took the bait because otherwise their story would’ve become more messed up than it already was.
While the sex was hot & the romance good enough to make it worthwhile, I felt that the story lacked the emotional wallop it’d have packed if it had included more details on the shared past of Marisol and Jackson. The past that is just barely skimmed through when it comes to Jackson and Marisol. While it does the required job to lay down the groundwork for the characters, I’d have loved if it had been just a little bit more. The missed chances, the heavy longing on each side, the realization that had led to the breakdown of Marisol’s marriage etc. would have brought with it a huge emotional impact to the story.
The one other problem I had with the story was the tense it was written it. I can’t exactly put my finger on which tense it exactly is, but I can definitely say that it made getting into the story a tad harder for me.
Recommended for those who love stories involving law enforcement officers & friends to lovers trope.
Rating = 4/5
For more reviews & quotes, please visit www.maldivianbookreviewer.com
The story begins 4 months after Jackson Ford returns to duty after being shot and fighting the long, tough and hard battle of recovery. While physically Jackson seems to have recovered, as the story goes on, it is evident that Jackson suffers from post traumatic stress disorder owing to what he has gone through.
Jackson’s partner Marisol de la Espada, the woman he has loved for almost as long as they’d known each other has a tough time dealing with what happened to Jackson. So much so that she had completely avoided going to see Jackson while he had lain on hospital, playing a waiting game to see when she’d walk through the doors of his hospital room.
What makes it extra hard for Jackson and Marisol to get back into their groove is the fact that their relationship had progressed to a stage that had ended in a disastrous lovemaking session which needless to say makes things pretty much awkward.
What struck me the most in this story is the fact that how realistic Ruby creates her characters. Jackson and Marisol aren’t perfect in anyway. Yes, Jackson is handsome, strong and endowed in the way most heroes in romances are. While Marisol is the dream woman for Jackson, she suffers from her own insecurities with her physical appearance after having given birth & a lot of doubts when it comes to whether she and Jackson would ever be able to make it work.
Marisol having never turned up to see Jackson through the long hard months of recovery that had followed surpasses the usual survivor’s guilt. While most would question why she never did manage to work up her courage to go see him, I kind of understood where Marisol was coming from. Sometimes, fear & insecurities coupled with of course the survivor’s guilt that Marisol was experiencing has a way of preventing you from doing what’s right. And the longer you put it off, the harder it tends to become to take that step and that’s one other reason why I say that when it comes to flawed characters and putting that message across, Ruby McNally has done a bang up job.
Like most cops, Jackson has a hard time coming to terms with his PTSD. But he does eventually get there through a lot of misunderstandings that takes place between him and Marisol. I admired Marisol for taking that difficult step in nudging Jackson in the right direction and I was equally glad that Jackson took the bait because otherwise their story would’ve become more messed up than it already was.
While the sex was hot & the romance good enough to make it worthwhile, I felt that the story lacked the emotional wallop it’d have packed if it had included more details on the shared past of Marisol and Jackson. The past that is just barely skimmed through when it comes to Jackson and Marisol. While it does the required job to lay down the groundwork for the characters, I’d have loved if it had been just a little bit more. The missed chances, the heavy longing on each side, the realization that had led to the breakdown of Marisol’s marriage etc. would have brought with it a huge emotional impact to the story.
The one other problem I had with the story was the tense it was written it. I can’t exactly put my finger on which tense it exactly is, but I can definitely say that it made getting into the story a tad harder for me.
Recommended for those who love stories involving law enforcement officers & friends to lovers trope.
Rating = 4/5
For more reviews & quotes, please visit www.maldivianbookreviewer.com
September 27, 2015
I liked this one, but not as much as the others in the series. This one just seemed to lack a bit of the of emotion that worked for me in the other two. The ending felt like it was happening because it was time for the book to end, rather than because the situation had been satisfactorily resolved.
So, still good, but not as good as the other two.
So, still good, but not as good as the other two.
July 20, 2021
I genuinely can't believe everyone is sleeping on this series. This one was hard to read, just because the emotional stakes were so high, and I was desperate for Jack and Mari to be together. I would give anything for more Ruby McNally books!
May 2, 2016
I could not put this book down. The characters are so good, their stories have just the right amount of angst. And their HEA feels real because they both have work to do, changes to make. I liked this series, I think this one is my favorite.
Bought from kobo
Bought from kobo
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews