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Alluring #2
Engaging
Gage Hunter, lead singer for the rock group, Engage, made a mistake five years ago. He let the girl of his dreams get away. When an unexpected encounter brings them together again, fate is offering Gage a second chance. But will Cassie?
Cassie Wagner never expected to see Gage again. The man who shattered her dreams as well as her heart, five years ago. He's asking for forgiveness, but he's not the only one who needs forgiving, for she too made a mistake.
As they struggle to mend what's broken between them, an outside force threatens Cassie, and Gage's relentless pursuit, turns into an overwhelming desire to protect the woman he loves. Can Gage stop the danger before it destroys their second chance at happiness?
This is a full-length, steamy, contemporary romance. While Engaging can be enjoyed as a stand-alone, it is part of a series started with Alluring and contains some spoilers. **Trigger warning** This book deals with the abuse and rescue of "fighting dogs". No dogs are killed. I am an avid animal lover and wanted to spread the word that animal cruelty is NOT okay.
Cassie Wagner never expected to see Gage again. The man who shattered her dreams as well as her heart, five years ago. He's asking for forgiveness, but he's not the only one who needs forgiving, for she too made a mistake.
As they struggle to mend what's broken between them, an outside force threatens Cassie, and Gage's relentless pursuit, turns into an overwhelming desire to protect the woman he loves. Can Gage stop the danger before it destroys their second chance at happiness?
This is a full-length, steamy, contemporary romance. While Engaging can be enjoyed as a stand-alone, it is part of a series started with Alluring and contains some spoilers. **Trigger warning** This book deals with the abuse and rescue of "fighting dogs". No dogs are killed. I am an avid animal lover and wanted to spread the word that animal cruelty is NOT okay.
249 pages, ebook
First published May 27, 2015
63 people are currently reading
398 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Curtis
22 books766 followersSarah Curtis is a writer of all things romance. She loves nothing more than a sexy alpha male who falls hard for their heroine, almost always in spite of themselves!
A life-long resident of Southern California, Sarah shares her writing den with her childhood sweetheart and very own alpha male. When she’s not writing or dreaming up plotlines you can find her wrangling her plethora of very spoiled felines—she currently has five, yes you read that correctly, furry companions. Sarah is a reader before anything else, and her TBR mountain is higher than Everest. She’s also addicted to watching cooking competitions, especially involving baking! Of her own admission, she rarely cooks, but she’s up for the occasional birthday cake for her children as long as it involves the opening of a box.
If you like romance in all its forms along with some healthy debates with a side of games and puzzles then head over to her Facebook group, Sarah Curtis's Alpha Overload, for fun chats and to discover your next BBF. https://www.facebook.com/groups/20646...
Or visit Sarah's website and sign up for her newsletter to receive a free copy of Alluring Honeymoon — https://sarahcurtisauthor.wixsite.com...
A life-long resident of Southern California, Sarah shares her writing den with her childhood sweetheart and very own alpha male. When she’s not writing or dreaming up plotlines you can find her wrangling her plethora of very spoiled felines—she currently has five, yes you read that correctly, furry companions. Sarah is a reader before anything else, and her TBR mountain is higher than Everest. She’s also addicted to watching cooking competitions, especially involving baking! Of her own admission, she rarely cooks, but she’s up for the occasional birthday cake for her children as long as it involves the opening of a box.
If you like romance in all its forms along with some healthy debates with a side of games and puzzles then head over to her Facebook group, Sarah Curtis's Alpha Overload, for fun chats and to discover your next BBF. https://www.facebook.com/groups/20646...
Or visit Sarah's website and sign up for her newsletter to receive a free copy of Alluring Honeymoon — https://sarahcurtisauthor.wixsite.com...
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January 2, 2020
Engaging is book two in the Alluring series by Sarah Curtis. So far in this series, I have read the first book, Alluring, and skipped ahead and read book #3.5, Enchanting. The fact that I get so easily sidetracked is my only excuse for taking so long to continue this series because I love it so much. This is a second chance romance.
Cassandra “Cassie” Wagner lives and works with her Aunt Laurie at Tail Wagners, a place that takes in abused dogs, and finds them forever homes. Cassie loves to work with the dogs to help to socialize them so they will be adoptable.
Gage Hunter is lead singer for the group Engaged. Five years ago, Gage met and fell for a nineteen year old college student. But when it came time to leave for a long tour, Gage ended things, thinking that a long distance relationship wouldn’t work. It was the biggest mistake of his life. He soon realized that he couldn’t live without her but she disappeared.
Now, five years later, purely by accident, Gage has found her again. Only their reunion didn’t exactly go as he might have imagined. She wanted nothing to do with him. But Gage is nothing if not dedicated. He lost her once. He would not let her go again. She was his. The only woman he ever wanted. She just needed time to accept that fact. He would do whatever it took to prove to her that he was all in. That he wasn’t going anywhere ever again!
As Gage and Cassie are trying to find their way, danger is lurking. Gage just got Cassie back and he will do whatever is necessary to keep her safe, whether she likes it or not.
I enjoyed this so much. I loved Gage. He was just the kind of possessive, growly, alpha hero that checks off every one of my boxes! And it doesn’t hurt that he’s a rich rock star! The added bit of danger just made it all the more enjoyable. This book had all the “s” words I love, sweet, sexy, steamy and suspenseful. I can’t wait to read book three, Pursuing, which is Mase’s story. It sounds like an insta-love romance which is my favorite trope of all.
“You are and always will be, my Sunshine.”
For more about this book and so many more, come and join me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
Cassandra “Cassie” Wagner lives and works with her Aunt Laurie at Tail Wagners, a place that takes in abused dogs, and finds them forever homes. Cassie loves to work with the dogs to help to socialize them so they will be adoptable.
Gage Hunter is lead singer for the group Engaged. Five years ago, Gage met and fell for a nineteen year old college student. But when it came time to leave for a long tour, Gage ended things, thinking that a long distance relationship wouldn’t work. It was the biggest mistake of his life. He soon realized that he couldn’t live without her but she disappeared.
Now, five years later, purely by accident, Gage has found her again. Only their reunion didn’t exactly go as he might have imagined. She wanted nothing to do with him. But Gage is nothing if not dedicated. He lost her once. He would not let her go again. She was his. The only woman he ever wanted. She just needed time to accept that fact. He would do whatever it took to prove to her that he was all in. That he wasn’t going anywhere ever again!
As Gage and Cassie are trying to find their way, danger is lurking. Gage just got Cassie back and he will do whatever is necessary to keep her safe, whether she likes it or not.
I enjoyed this so much. I loved Gage. He was just the kind of possessive, growly, alpha hero that checks off every one of my boxes! And it doesn’t hurt that he’s a rich rock star! The added bit of danger just made it all the more enjoyable. This book had all the “s” words I love, sweet, sexy, steamy and suspenseful. I can’t wait to read book three, Pursuing, which is Mase’s story. It sounds like an insta-love romance which is my favorite trope of all.
“You are and always will be, my Sunshine.”
For more about this book and so many more, come and join me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
August 20, 2015
I am very torn about this rating and review. I like this author. Very much liked her first book. Because of that I jumped into a story that I knew might not fit my personal preferences. And I hate to bring down her ratings because of my decisions. People who like or do not mind second chance stories will probably rate higher. You cannot get a hero more committed to getting the heroine back. He never faltered. And she held out for 60% of the book! Gage is determined, loving, and sweet.
To me there are two important questions for this type of book:
Did I think they should end up together? - YES
Did I think they both redeemed themselves enough to deserve itheir HEA - YES
My personal thoughts on how they split filled with spoilers...
The story was very easy for the first 75%. Gage pursuing Cassie and her in denial. Which I was totally ok with. I thought they could have had more special moments with Logan (their son) but you still saw him committed to daily fatherhood. Her celebration of Father's Day was really sweet. My biggest complaint was that I thought there needed to be something else going on. The dog thing was almost periphery still. Then the story changed. It used a plot device I hate, the OW - from the past, and then Cassie became TSTL. Mostly by knowingly putting herself in danger when she has a CHILD to think about! I wanted to slap her! It all wrapped up happily, but I did not have time to deal with the events that started at 75%. I was still pissed off and confused. I just needed more time. Start the crazy earlier, then I can process it before the super fast happy ending.
Overall, I believe that if you are ok with 2nd chance romance you will really enjoy the story. Those who do not may also still like the story because the Hero is so very committed to getting her back and takes responsibility for being an idiot in the past. I look forward to the next book in the series. Mace needs to redeem himself for the shit with Sabrina in Alluring so I hope his heroine really puts him through the ringer!
Safety Gang Spoilers
To me there are two important questions for this type of book:
Did I think they should end up together? - YES
Did I think they both redeemed themselves enough to deserve itheir HEA - YES
My personal thoughts on how they split filled with spoilers...
The story was very easy for the first 75%. Gage pursuing Cassie and her in denial. Which I was totally ok with. I thought they could have had more special moments with Logan (their son) but you still saw him committed to daily fatherhood. Her celebration of Father's Day was really sweet. My biggest complaint was that I thought there needed to be something else going on. The dog thing was almost periphery still. Then the story changed. It used a plot device I hate, the OW - from the past, and then Cassie became TSTL. Mostly by knowingly putting herself in danger when she has a CHILD to think about! I wanted to slap her! It all wrapped up happily, but I did not have time to deal with the events that started at 75%. I was still pissed off and confused. I just needed more time. Start the crazy earlier, then I can process it before the super fast happy ending.
Overall, I believe that if you are ok with 2nd chance romance you will really enjoy the story. Those who do not may also still like the story because the Hero is so very committed to getting her back and takes responsibility for being an idiot in the past. I look forward to the next book in the series. Mace needs to redeem himself for the shit with Sabrina in Alluring so I hope his heroine really puts him through the ringer!
Safety Gang Spoilers
August 2, 2015
The rock star knew what he lost a little too late….
I received an ARC directly from the author to read and review.
The review has a wee bit of spoilerage, so please proceed with caution.
Engaging is the second story in the Alluring series by Sarah Curtis. In this story we have a rock star named Gage who meets a young woman named Cassie attending an outdoor concert at her university. Cassie, who is more of a country music fan, had been dragged to the concert by her best friend Monica who is a huge fan of Gage and his band Engage. Do you remember that scene from Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark where he reaches down and drags a very young Courtney Cox up onto the stage to dance with him? Well it wasn’t exactly like that, but it was pretty damn close…loved it. Gage is very keen on getting to know Cassie more and chases her down at her job at a pizza parlour. With a little wooing from Gage, Cassie becomes smitten. Things were happily humming along until Engage is set to go on tour and Gage makes the stupidest mistake of dumping her before hitting the road. Gage realises his mistake pretty quickly and heads back to Cassie to set things right. Unfortunately he gets there too late and she’s not there anymore.
In the beginning chapters we have a little bit of time warping where we see the mistakes play out when they were younger and present day settings 5 years later. In the present day, Gage is at a party and runs into a horrified Cassie. She does not want to see him and runs out of the party before he can stop her. Cassie was heartbroken when Gage broke up with her and never really recovered. She is also keeping a VERY big secret.
Cassie has a son named Logan. You guessed it, he’s 4 years old (do the math). This story then goes on to tell us why she made the decisions she made and how she coped being a single Mum. This part of the story wasn’t as big a struggle to get through as I thought it would be. Gage had matured through the years and had really missed Cassie. Yes, he was disappointed with her choice to keep him out of his son’s life, but he didn’t fully blame her. He left a young woman with tough choices to make and never gave her confidence that he would be there for her. Once he was over his disappointment, he made the decision that they would become a family.
I really enjoyed how the storyline progresses with Gage working his hardest to make Cassie trust him and his feelings for her. Cassie is very stubborn and it takes a while for her to see Gage is serious, but it was hard to deny when he becomes Logan’s Daddy with no hesitation.
A few warning because I have friends who need to know this upfront. Cassie’s aunt who she lives and works with founded Tail Wagners, a non-profit organisation that rescues abandoned, neglected and abused dogs. Her job is to prepare them and find homes for them. It also includes rehabilitating dogs that have been illegally used in dog fights. There are some scenes where she is dealing with dogs that have been hurt in fights and we have a description given of what the fight scene looks like. There is one scene towards the end at a fight, but no explicit details are given.
Overall I really enjoyed this story and was honoured to be given an ARC directly from the author to read and review. I’ll be honest and say this story wasn’t perfect for me, mainly due to our heroines TSTL actions towards the end of the story. She puts herself in harms way, knowing that she could get hurt. Does she hesitate…sure. Does she proceed…sure. Does she regret it…sure.
Another great read by Ms Curtis and I will definitely be reading more from her in the future.
This review and more can be found at http://edgyreviews.com/
I received an ARC directly from the author to read and review.
The review has a wee bit of spoilerage, so please proceed with caution.
Engaging is the second story in the Alluring series by Sarah Curtis. In this story we have a rock star named Gage who meets a young woman named Cassie attending an outdoor concert at her university. Cassie, who is more of a country music fan, had been dragged to the concert by her best friend Monica who is a huge fan of Gage and his band Engage. Do you remember that scene from Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark where he reaches down and drags a very young Courtney Cox up onto the stage to dance with him? Well it wasn’t exactly like that, but it was pretty damn close…loved it. Gage is very keen on getting to know Cassie more and chases her down at her job at a pizza parlour. With a little wooing from Gage, Cassie becomes smitten. Things were happily humming along until Engage is set to go on tour and Gage makes the stupidest mistake of dumping her before hitting the road. Gage realises his mistake pretty quickly and heads back to Cassie to set things right. Unfortunately he gets there too late and she’s not there anymore.
In the beginning chapters we have a little bit of time warping where we see the mistakes play out when they were younger and present day settings 5 years later. In the present day, Gage is at a party and runs into a horrified Cassie. She does not want to see him and runs out of the party before he can stop her. Cassie was heartbroken when Gage broke up with her and never really recovered. She is also keeping a VERY big secret.
Cassie has a son named Logan. You guessed it, he’s 4 years old (do the math). This story then goes on to tell us why she made the decisions she made and how she coped being a single Mum. This part of the story wasn’t as big a struggle to get through as I thought it would be. Gage had matured through the years and had really missed Cassie. Yes, he was disappointed with her choice to keep him out of his son’s life, but he didn’t fully blame her. He left a young woman with tough choices to make and never gave her confidence that he would be there for her. Once he was over his disappointment, he made the decision that they would become a family.
I really enjoyed how the storyline progresses with Gage working his hardest to make Cassie trust him and his feelings for her. Cassie is very stubborn and it takes a while for her to see Gage is serious, but it was hard to deny when he becomes Logan’s Daddy with no hesitation.
A few warning because I have friends who need to know this upfront. Cassie’s aunt who she lives and works with founded Tail Wagners, a non-profit organisation that rescues abandoned, neglected and abused dogs. Her job is to prepare them and find homes for them. It also includes rehabilitating dogs that have been illegally used in dog fights. There are some scenes where she is dealing with dogs that have been hurt in fights and we have a description given of what the fight scene looks like. There is one scene towards the end at a fight, but no explicit details are given.
Overall I really enjoyed this story and was honoured to be given an ARC directly from the author to read and review. I’ll be honest and say this story wasn’t perfect for me, mainly due to our heroines TSTL actions towards the end of the story. She puts herself in harms way, knowing that she could get hurt. Does she hesitate…sure. Does she proceed…sure. Does she regret it…sure.
Another great read by Ms Curtis and I will definitely be reading more from her in the future.
This review and more can be found at http://edgyreviews.com/
September 7, 2020
Second chance romance with a secret baby trope. Not my favourite combination.
But I liked the hero's unyielding determination to get back the love of his life (although why didn't he try to find her??🤔🤨, being rich and all he had all the resources at his disposal)
What I didn't like was how the story dragged and I got bored eventually despite some plot twists.
I also felt like their child's character wasn't built enough... He was there for the sake of being there
But I liked the hero's unyielding determination to get back the love of his life (although why didn't he try to find her??🤔🤨, being rich and all he had all the resources at his disposal)
What I didn't like was how the story dragged and I got bored eventually despite some plot twists.
I also felt like their child's character wasn't built enough... He was there for the sake of being there
Read
August 11, 2015Yay, the link is working now :)
I'm so sorry the Amazon link above isn't working. I'm trying to fix that. In the meantime please use this one... http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Y... :)
I truly hope you enjoy reading Cassie and Gage's story as much as I've enjoyed writing it :)
I'm so sorry the Amazon link above isn't working. I'm trying to fix that. In the meantime please use this one... http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Y... :)
I truly hope you enjoy reading Cassie and Gage's story as much as I've enjoyed writing it :)
December 31, 2018
Wow! Talk about your dedicated hero!
This is a wonderful second chance romance with a separation of five years between. Cassie doesn’t make it easy for Gage either. He hurt her beyond reason and she’s not letting that hurt go. Not due to pride but out of necessity. She can’t afford to have her heart broken again. Gage fights with all he has to win her and there were times that I thought he wouldn’t succeed.
I love this couple together! They are exactly what the other needs but unless they can move beyond the past, they may never be able to find healing beyond friendship. Of course, Gage, being the possessive hero that he is, was never going to settle for that and I absolutely adored him and the way he single mindedly goes after Cassie. He is perfection when it comes to correcting past mistakes. His is a grovel like only an alpha hero can do. Strong, persistent, heartwarming and beautiful. With each Sarah Curtis hero I’m struggling as to who will sit at the top of my favorites list and he’s definitely a contender.
This is a fast paced read and despite the past history this couple share, the angst is still relatively low. It also has secondary characters from Alluring as well as future books (already available) and a storyline that kept me intrigued until the last page. The chemistry between Gage and Cassie sizzles with heat and you may want to keep a fan nearby due to some scenes that are absolutely scorching.
This is definitely a read for anyone who loves a jealous, possessive hero who doesn’t know the meaning of give up.
Dual POV with a small scene of other POV
Safe
Triggers
This is a wonderful second chance romance with a separation of five years between. Cassie doesn’t make it easy for Gage either. He hurt her beyond reason and she’s not letting that hurt go. Not due to pride but out of necessity. She can’t afford to have her heart broken again. Gage fights with all he has to win her and there were times that I thought he wouldn’t succeed.
I love this couple together! They are exactly what the other needs but unless they can move beyond the past, they may never be able to find healing beyond friendship. Of course, Gage, being the possessive hero that he is, was never going to settle for that and I absolutely adored him and the way he single mindedly goes after Cassie. He is perfection when it comes to correcting past mistakes. His is a grovel like only an alpha hero can do. Strong, persistent, heartwarming and beautiful. With each Sarah Curtis hero I’m struggling as to who will sit at the top of my favorites list and he’s definitely a contender.
This is a fast paced read and despite the past history this couple share, the angst is still relatively low. It also has secondary characters from Alluring as well as future books (already available) and a storyline that kept me intrigued until the last page. The chemistry between Gage and Cassie sizzles with heat and you may want to keep a fan nearby due to some scenes that are absolutely scorching.
This is definitely a read for anyone who loves a jealous, possessive hero who doesn’t know the meaning of give up.
Dual POV with a small scene of other POV
Safe
Triggers
March 31, 2016
The award for the best book boyfriend goes to ‘it was all about Gage Hunter’ 4 stars.
I preferred this book to the first one although I’m not keen on second chance romances this one was done really well. In my opinion at least.
Cassie meets Gage Hunter at a concert he is the lead singer for the band ‘Engage’ Cassie falls in love and as it is time for the band to go on tour. Gage gives the long relationships don’t work, dick move Gage but then you know that and you only realise what you lost until it is gone.
Admittedly he did try to get in contact after he came back from his tour but it was too little too late. As he himself said it was the biggest mistake of his life.
Cassie had dropped out of college and moved in with her Aunt to help her with Tail Wagners and to take care of her little man Logan. Guess who the father is? Gage.
They meet again 5 years later at Mase’s birthday party. I love Mase. Gage turns on the charm and finds out that he has a son. Gage forgives her pretty easily but Cassie was like a dog with a frigging bone halfway throughout the book. You broke my heart, I can’t trust you.
I don’t know how Ms. Curtis does it but she can really get me on the heroine annoying scales. I found Alexis also to be a wee bit annoying. Cassie has no self-preservation whatsoever. She puts the dogs before her own safety and that of her son who she needs to be there for.
Overall an enjoyable read and I personally think that the writing of Ms. Curtis has developed.
I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review. Please note that my opinion is one of many who have loved this book
I preferred this book to the first one although I’m not keen on second chance romances this one was done really well. In my opinion at least.
Cassie meets Gage Hunter at a concert he is the lead singer for the band ‘Engage’ Cassie falls in love and as it is time for the band to go on tour. Gage gives the long relationships don’t work, dick move Gage but then you know that and you only realise what you lost until it is gone.
Admittedly he did try to get in contact after he came back from his tour but it was too little too late. As he himself said it was the biggest mistake of his life.
Cassie had dropped out of college and moved in with her Aunt to help her with Tail Wagners and to take care of her little man Logan. Guess who the father is? Gage.
They meet again 5 years later at Mase’s birthday party. I love Mase. Gage turns on the charm and finds out that he has a son. Gage forgives her pretty easily but Cassie was like a dog with a frigging bone halfway throughout the book. You broke my heart, I can’t trust you.
I don’t know how Ms. Curtis does it but she can really get me on the heroine annoying scales. I found Alexis also to be a wee bit annoying. Cassie has no self-preservation whatsoever. She puts the dogs before her own safety and that of her son who she needs to be there for.
Overall an enjoyable read and I personally think that the writing of Ms. Curtis has developed.
I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review. Please note that my opinion is one of many who have loved this book
March 10, 2016
Engaging is the 2nd standalone book in the Alluring series and a second chance novel. I loved how Gage and Cassie first meet in this story even though you get a just a small sneak peak before the story is flashed forward 5 years. Cassie not being impressed with Gage's celebrity status, he actually has to woo her. Unfortunately, Gage let her go not believing they can survive a long distance relationship while he is on tour with his band. 5 years later they meet again, however, Cassie is too jaded to give Gage a second chance. Now knowing what Gage truly gave up pining for Cassie for five years, he's determined not to let Cassie slip away again. The book is all about Gage proving his commitment to Cassie and Cassie refusing to depend on Gage and his love again. I enjoyed the chase in this book. Gage was relentless and wasn't giving up no matter how hard Cassie resisted which made the ending that much sweeter. You also get to read a bit about Mase who the 3rd book in the series is based off of as well as read about Alexis and Jack from the first book. Sarah Curtis does a great job of giving you the Alpha male without taking it too far and creating sassy females to give them a run for their money!
October 4, 2022
Cassie Wagner loved deeply once but that love shattered and she was left broken in return. Gage Hunter thought he was doing the right thing, he was a rock star going on tour and although he cared deeply for Cassie he had seen the effects of long distance relationships and the destruction it left, he didn't want that for her.
Five years later Gage believes fate has intervened, he found Cassie again. He has regretted his choice for all those years and now has a chance to get Cassie back. Cassie is not interested, she doesn't believe she can trust Gage fully again. Gage digs in and plans to prove to her that he is worthy of a second chance, will she give him one?
There is several plotlines that I did not delve into not wanting to give anything away. I was anxious to see what Sarah Curtis had in store for readers after reading her first book Alluring, I was not disappointed. This is completely different from the first book but you do read about familiar characters which was fun. Gage is uber alpha male and even though at time Cassie seems like a brick wall, he maintains his course. Excellent read.
Five years later Gage believes fate has intervened, he found Cassie again. He has regretted his choice for all those years and now has a chance to get Cassie back. Cassie is not interested, she doesn't believe she can trust Gage fully again. Gage digs in and plans to prove to her that he is worthy of a second chance, will she give him one?
There is several plotlines that I did not delve into not wanting to give anything away. I was anxious to see what Sarah Curtis had in store for readers after reading her first book Alluring, I was not disappointed. This is completely different from the first book but you do read about familiar characters which was fun. Gage is uber alpha male and even though at time Cassie seems like a brick wall, he maintains his course. Excellent read.
no-way-jose
January 17, 2016I really despise
June 14, 2017
"Engaging", is a second chance/ secret baby romance between Gage and Cassie.
Years ago, Gage, the rockstar and Cassie, the student met, fell for each other but Gage broke her heart due to his tours and life.
He leaves a heartbroken Cassie, and she vows never to trust him again.
5 years later, Gage has moved on yet hasn't, because his heart is stuck on her- when he meets Cassie again and discovers he has a son Logan.
Sweet and sexy romance with trust issues and mild angst. Though I love secret babies- I am not a fan of rockstar books but I'm glad I gave this one a chance.
Also it annoyed me a little that he had slept around in her absence, especially because he insists she was the love of his life- and on the other hand the author kept the heroine celibate- so that took a little while to get over.
Mixed is some illegal dogfighting drama and the heroine acting like Sherlock Holmes minus the brain or Watson but overall an engaging read *smirks*
Unsafe
3.5/5
Years ago, Gage, the rockstar and Cassie, the student met, fell for each other but Gage broke her heart due to his tours and life.
He leaves a heartbroken Cassie, and she vows never to trust him again.
5 years later, Gage has moved on yet hasn't, because his heart is stuck on her- when he meets Cassie again and discovers he has a son Logan.
Sweet and sexy romance with trust issues and mild angst. Though I love secret babies- I am not a fan of rockstar books but I'm glad I gave this one a chance.
Also it annoyed me a little that he had slept around in her absence, especially because he insists she was the love of his life- and on the other hand the author kept the heroine celibate- so that took a little while to get over.
Mixed is some illegal dogfighting drama and the heroine acting like Sherlock Holmes minus the brain or Watson but overall an engaging read *smirks*
Unsafe
3.5/5
August 4, 2015
5 doggone good stars! I'm loving this series.
January 13, 2017
[Long overdue! I don't know why this didn't post back in 2015]
“The hot rocker only falls in love with the silly schoolgirl in romance novels and movies”
Overall Rating → 5 “Baby, I’m better than Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.” STARS
Price is Right? →
Love Triangle? →
Cheating? → I seriously LOVE Sarah Curtis’s books because I know my reading experience is in good hands
Angst Level: High, Medium, Low →
Heat/Language Level: Rated G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17 →
HEA →
Page Turner? → HELL YES! More so than the 1st book in my opinion.
Would I recommend? → YES! Everyone loves a fresh/new romance book where the main characters are just getting to know each other and their compatibility, but second chance romance books have that extra edge. Why? Because these characters already have a rocky history. Personally, this makes the book more dynamic and realistic. Sure it’s harder to read about because at least one person has a broken heart, but it keeps you (the reader) on your toes.
Would I re-read? → HELL YES!!! Definitely a safe and dependable read! A book to put you in a good mood! I love me some Neanderthals “I am the man. This is my woman. Back off.” [Update: read this book multiple times since I last wrote this review]
Would I read more from this author? → YES!!! I need Mase’s story NOW! [Good news... Pursuing is now out!!!]
Quotes that made me fall in love with Gage:
“I don't want to be your fantasy fuck. I want us to be real…And I’m willing to wait an eternity for that to happen.”
“I’ll make love to you when you see it”
“Baby, I’m better than Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.”
Mase!!!
“This is my pups Godmother we’re talking about here. There is no way in hell I’m not doing this.”
May 21, 2015
4.5 stars
Another wonderful story from Sarah Curtis. Engaging is a second chance love story. It was an easy and relaxing read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Gage broke Cassie’s heart 5 years ago and it is the biggest mistake of his life. He has thought about her every day since then. After a chance encounter with Cassie he is out to win her heart back and prove he can be trusted with it. Cassie was heartbroken when Gage broke up with her to go on tour. But she also has made a mistake and is keeping something important from Gage. When Gage tries to win her heart back she tries her best to protect it.
I loved Gage. He is definitely the highlight of Engaging. Gage is an alpha who knows exactly what he wants and will stop at nothing to get it. He could be sweet and understanding with Cassie but also a little bossy. I also liked the fact he was able to admit to his past mistakes.
Cassie is a sweetheart. I would describe her as passionate and stubborn. Sometimes she doesn’t make the smartest decisions when it comes to her safety. If she just talked to Gage some of the dangerous situations she gets herself into could have been avoided.
.
Overall, Engaging was a pleasure to read. I can’t wait to see what Sarah Curtis writes next. I am crossing my fingers it is Mase’s story.
HEA:
Cheating/OW
Angst Level: Low
Steam Level : High
Safety Group note
Another wonderful story from Sarah Curtis. Engaging is a second chance love story. It was an easy and relaxing read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Gage broke Cassie’s heart 5 years ago and it is the biggest mistake of his life. He has thought about her every day since then. After a chance encounter with Cassie he is out to win her heart back and prove he can be trusted with it. Cassie was heartbroken when Gage broke up with her to go on tour. But she also has made a mistake and is keeping something important from Gage. When Gage tries to win her heart back she tries her best to protect it.
I loved Gage. He is definitely the highlight of Engaging. Gage is an alpha who knows exactly what he wants and will stop at nothing to get it. He could be sweet and understanding with Cassie but also a little bossy. I also liked the fact he was able to admit to his past mistakes.
Cassie is a sweetheart. I would describe her as passionate and stubborn. Sometimes she doesn’t make the smartest decisions when it comes to her safety. If she just talked to Gage some of the dangerous situations she gets herself into could have been avoided.
.
Overall, Engaging was a pleasure to read. I can’t wait to see what Sarah Curtis writes next. I am crossing my fingers it is Mase’s story.
HEA:
Cheating/OW
Angst Level: Low
Steam Level : High
Safety Group note
September 27, 2016
https://romanticcynicblog.wordpress.c...
Beware of Spoilers!
Star Ratings:
Heroine (Cassie): 24yrs old – 3/5
Hero (Gage): 30yrs old – 4/5
Plot: 2/5
Grovel: sort of
Cheating: none
HEA: yes but no babies
Triggers: H slept around during separation
Average score: 3/5
Best Line: “I'm willing to work hard for her forgiveness.”
Worst Line: "No. He didn't want me. I highly doubt he wants our baby."
Personal Review:
This was an average love story between a rock star and a puppy lover. It was no were near as good as the first book in this series but it was ok.
Random Ramblings
•Yay! Another h who doesn’t give in easily but she did start to annoy me later in the story
•Still love secret baby romances but started to become annoyed with the back and forth between the past and the present and when the h never even makes an attempt to inform the H
•I would have liked to have read more interaction between Gage and Logan
•The story started to drag a little
•She was an idiot for not calling 911 immediately, especially considering she was on her own with her young son
Overall Feeling:
Could have been better
Beware of Spoilers!
Star Ratings:
Heroine (Cassie): 24yrs old – 3/5
Hero (Gage): 30yrs old – 4/5
Plot: 2/5
Grovel: sort of
Cheating: none
HEA: yes but no babies
Triggers: H slept around during separation
Average score: 3/5
Best Line: “I'm willing to work hard for her forgiveness.”
Worst Line: "No. He didn't want me. I highly doubt he wants our baby."
Personal Review:
This was an average love story between a rock star and a puppy lover. It was no were near as good as the first book in this series but it was ok.
Random Ramblings
•Yay! Another h who doesn’t give in easily but she did start to annoy me later in the story
•Still love secret baby romances but started to become annoyed with the back and forth between the past and the present and when the h never even makes an attempt to inform the H
•I would have liked to have read more interaction between Gage and Logan
•The story started to drag a little
•She was an idiot for not calling 911 immediately, especially considering she was on her own with her young son
Overall Feeling:
Could have been better
June 29, 2015
I liked this one but not as much as the first one. The writing was great, I just had a hard time with the h's decisions, especially the elephant in the room one. Her doubts about him and a couple of her TSTL moments kind of sealed her fate as an h that fits firmly in my not my favorite list.
I did love the H. He was a dumbass who could have tried harder to once he realized his mistake. But, he groveled and bent over backwards to fix things with her. I kind of thought he was way too forgiving of her secret.
Still, I did enjoy the story. I'm just not as forgiving of the type of secret the h had. Others love this storyline.
I did love the H. He was a dumbass who could have tried harder to once he realized his mistake. But, he groveled and bent over backwards to fix things with her. I kind of thought he was way too forgiving of her secret.
Still, I did enjoy the story. I'm just not as forgiving of the type of secret the h had. Others love this storyline.
July 14, 2015
I didn't like this one nearly as much as I did the first one. Why? Because save me from TSTL bitches. Honestly??? She pulled the TSTL move more than once, gets the shit beaten out of her and all of a sudden she loves him. GAH, I was rooting for Gage to walk away and find someone else that's how much Cassie irritated me.
There also needs to be a great big stonking TRIGGER warning in the blurb for animal abuse.
5 stars for Gage who never gave up or wavered, 1 star for TSTL Cassie
There also needs to be a great big stonking TRIGGER warning in the blurb for animal abuse.
5 stars for Gage who never gave up or wavered, 1 star for TSTL Cassie
July 18, 2017
I didn't like this one as much as the first book. I had a hard time supporting the h's decisions and at times found her actions questionable/frustrating. As far as H's go, I thought Gage was great. But I'll admit that I'm looking forward to reading about Mase next. He seems really fun.
August 2, 2016
4.5/5
First off I am NOT a fan of "second chance" or "rock star" stories.... I don't know why... I'm just not. This just goes to show how much I LOVE Sarah Curtis!!!
I would definitely rank her up there with Alexa Riley, CM Steele, Fiona Davenport and Aurora Roes Reynolds!!!
All her men are strong, loyal, possessive men once they find their (in Reynolds words) "BOOM" this book is no different.
A must read!
First off I am NOT a fan of "second chance" or "rock star" stories.... I don't know why... I'm just not. This just goes to show how much I LOVE Sarah Curtis!!!
I would definitely rank her up there with Alexa Riley, CM Steele, Fiona Davenport and Aurora Roes Reynolds!!!
All her men are strong, loyal, possessive men once they find their (in Reynolds words) "BOOM" this book is no different.
A must read!
April 3, 2017
This book was recommended by a new friend on Goodreads. It was my first book by Sarah Curtis and it certainly will not be my last. Although the hero, Gage Hunter, was a rock star, I wouldn't classify this in that genre. It is definitely romance book and there were several steamy scenes. It was a fun, easy and enjoyable read. One that can be devoured in an afternoon.
September 15, 2015
Originally posted at SmexyBooks-http://smexybooks.com/2015/09/engagin...
Cassie Wagner met and fell in love with Gage Hunter, lead singer for the band Engage, while in college. Their whirlwind romance ended abruptly when Gage decided to break up with her before he went on tour. After a few months, he realized his mistake and came back for her only to discover she had left college and disappeared. Now five years later, Gage runs into Cassie at a party but before he can talk to her, she disappears again. Gage has never forgotten Cassie and is determined to gain her forgiveness and pick up where they left off but Cassie isn’t the star struck girl she was back then and she has some forgiveness to ask for.
As Cassie and Gage work to heal the breach between them, an outside force brings danger into Cassie’s life and Gage’s protective instincts go into overdrive. Gage needs this second chance but he won’t get it unless he can stop the growing violence that is stalking Cassie.
Engaging is the second book in Sarah Curtis’s Allure series. I read book one, Alluring, earlier this year and thoroughly enjoyed it. You can read my review Alluring HERE. Engaging is about second chances. As with book one, the romance is pretty straight forward in its reveal with a slightly off-center suspense subplot that is used to push our couple towards their HEA. Curtis flips between the past and present to tell Gage and Claire’s story, making sure we understand just where everything went wrong and how they might be able to fix it. Well written with a clear concise storyline, well developed plotlines, and personable characters; I found this one didn’t capture me as much as the first one.
I had issues with the heroine. I never really connected with her. I’m all for making someone work to regain your trust, and mind you me, Gage broke Cassie’s trust, but I’m not onboard with acting the fool out of spite in order to get exact revenge for past deeds. She makes some incredibly ignorant decisions from the moment Gage leaves her. When Gage re enters her life, in her need to punish Gage for his past decisions, she continues to make bad decisions that pretty much had me throwing up my hands in disgust. One decision in particular is unforgivable in my opinion. There are only two reasons to make the decision she made and neither of them were present.
I liked the hero, Gage, much better. Besides being sexy, smart, and alpha; he readily admits to his mistakes. He knew he was stupid for breaking it off with Claire before going on tour. He admits his fear got the better of him and when he sees her again, he does everything possible to make it up to her and prove to her he still loves her. I admit I questioned Gage’s inability to find Claire after he left her. It had only been two months. He’s a rock star and has the money and connections that the average person doesn’t. He could have found her if he really wanted to. But overall, Gage does everything he can to rebuild the trust he lost and that includes being extremely patient with Claire’s antics.
The reconnection is slow going as Claire fights it every step of the way. The chemistry is sizzling. Physically they have no issues at all. It’s emotionally where they have a long uphill battle. I personally felt Claire dragged it out for too long, inventing problems where there were none.
The stalker subplot is well written though it doesn’t blend well with the main storyline. It plays off Claire’s job and addresses a serious problem in the world today. Though Curtis uses it as a glaring plot device to push Claire forward in her life, she never belittles the issues nor uses the violence involved gratuitously. Be forewarned: some may find this aspect of the story disturbing as dog fighting is a violent crime that often does not have a happy ending.
The ending comes at us hard and fast, leaving little time to process. Curtis slams us into our happy place as the subplot and romance wrap up tightly leaving readers with no doubt Claire and Gage have found their happily ever after. While this one wasn’t a favorite, I really dislike one of the tropes used in here immensely, I still enjoyed Curtis’s voice and look forward to book three in this series.
RATING: C
Cassie Wagner met and fell in love with Gage Hunter, lead singer for the band Engage, while in college. Their whirlwind romance ended abruptly when Gage decided to break up with her before he went on tour. After a few months, he realized his mistake and came back for her only to discover she had left college and disappeared. Now five years later, Gage runs into Cassie at a party but before he can talk to her, she disappears again. Gage has never forgotten Cassie and is determined to gain her forgiveness and pick up where they left off but Cassie isn’t the star struck girl she was back then and she has some forgiveness to ask for.
As Cassie and Gage work to heal the breach between them, an outside force brings danger into Cassie’s life and Gage’s protective instincts go into overdrive. Gage needs this second chance but he won’t get it unless he can stop the growing violence that is stalking Cassie.
Engaging is the second book in Sarah Curtis’s Allure series. I read book one, Alluring, earlier this year and thoroughly enjoyed it. You can read my review Alluring HERE. Engaging is about second chances. As with book one, the romance is pretty straight forward in its reveal with a slightly off-center suspense subplot that is used to push our couple towards their HEA. Curtis flips between the past and present to tell Gage and Claire’s story, making sure we understand just where everything went wrong and how they might be able to fix it. Well written with a clear concise storyline, well developed plotlines, and personable characters; I found this one didn’t capture me as much as the first one.
I had issues with the heroine. I never really connected with her. I’m all for making someone work to regain your trust, and mind you me, Gage broke Cassie’s trust, but I’m not onboard with acting the fool out of spite in order to get exact revenge for past deeds. She makes some incredibly ignorant decisions from the moment Gage leaves her. When Gage re enters her life, in her need to punish Gage for his past decisions, she continues to make bad decisions that pretty much had me throwing up my hands in disgust. One decision in particular is unforgivable in my opinion. There are only two reasons to make the decision she made and neither of them were present.
I liked the hero, Gage, much better. Besides being sexy, smart, and alpha; he readily admits to his mistakes. He knew he was stupid for breaking it off with Claire before going on tour. He admits his fear got the better of him and when he sees her again, he does everything possible to make it up to her and prove to her he still loves her. I admit I questioned Gage’s inability to find Claire after he left her. It had only been two months. He’s a rock star and has the money and connections that the average person doesn’t. He could have found her if he really wanted to. But overall, Gage does everything he can to rebuild the trust he lost and that includes being extremely patient with Claire’s antics.
The reconnection is slow going as Claire fights it every step of the way. The chemistry is sizzling. Physically they have no issues at all. It’s emotionally where they have a long uphill battle. I personally felt Claire dragged it out for too long, inventing problems where there were none.
The stalker subplot is well written though it doesn’t blend well with the main storyline. It plays off Claire’s job and addresses a serious problem in the world today. Though Curtis uses it as a glaring plot device to push Claire forward in her life, she never belittles the issues nor uses the violence involved gratuitously. Be forewarned: some may find this aspect of the story disturbing as dog fighting is a violent crime that often does not have a happy ending.
The ending comes at us hard and fast, leaving little time to process. Curtis slams us into our happy place as the subplot and romance wrap up tightly leaving readers with no doubt Claire and Gage have found their happily ever after. While this one wasn’t a favorite, I really dislike one of the tropes used in here immensely, I still enjoyed Curtis’s voice and look forward to book three in this series.
RATING: C
big-ol-nope-from-bonnie
June 13, 2015Just not my cup of tea.
January 21, 2016
Not my fav because I'm not a huge second chance romance person.
Still pretty good though.
Still pretty good though.
July 28, 2021
I am LOVING this author.
These are page-turners!
So emotional, so beautiful. There's danger and suspense too. What more could you ask for???
(I'd love it if the heroes and heroines didn't all have to be beautiful, but otherwise, LOVE)
These are page-turners!
So emotional, so beautiful. There's danger and suspense too. What more could you ask for???
(I'd love it if the heroes and heroines didn't all have to be beautiful, but otherwise, LOVE)
June 14, 2015
I loved this book so much. It was sweet and so tomantic that I almost cried. Sometimes you got to to read sweet book that make you heart melt and this is the book. I liked this book more than Alluring because of Gage Hunter. The sexy rockstar. I love rockstars. and Gage Hunter just made me melt page after page. Cassie was a sweetheart but I felt like punching her in her face to get her act together. Stubborn but funny.
The sex scenes were hot and I liked that it wasnt overpowering the story of the book. I really enjoyed the writing because there was some honest writing involved. I got confused midway to the story but I quickly ignored it because it later filled the gaps.
Loved this book. Totally recommend this book uf you need something sweet and refreshing to read.
ARC PROVIDED BY AUTHOR FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
The sex scenes were hot and I liked that it wasnt overpowering the story of the book. I really enjoyed the writing because there was some honest writing involved. I got confused midway to the story but I quickly ignored it because it later filled the gaps.
Loved this book. Totally recommend this book uf you need something sweet and refreshing to read.
ARC PROVIDED BY AUTHOR FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
April 2, 2019
This was a great read. I loved it. There was more push/pull than I normally like, but it's still great. The Hero never wavered once he sees her again and he is all in. He definitely makes up for everything. Just a sec of ow stuff, when a hook up calls and says she's the girlfriend, but it was over quickly. Great story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2023
This was yet another "romance" about a H who dumped the h because he wanted to go wh*re around and then, after he was done, came back and instead of groveling and earning the h's trust and forgiveness, literally FORCED his way back into her life. No thanks.
June 10, 2015
I didn't dislike the book, but I couldn't get past the lack of common sense portrayed by Cassie. Gage was a patient man. 2.5
November 12, 2017
4 Stars!
Another awesome read from Sarah Curtis!
The story starts when Gage Hunter the lead singer of an up and coming rock band meets Cassie Wagner college student. They instantly connect and spend time falling in love. Gage without warning ends things with Cassie before he leaves on your devastating both of them though he felt he was doing the right thing.
It picks up 5 years later when Gage runs into Cassie at a party. He soon learns how Cassie has spend the last 5 years. Gage sets out to win Cassie back and he is not letting her go again.
I loved these characters. I love this authors alpha males that have so much determination to win over the Woman they want without giving up, and there feisty women that make them work for it and prove there love.
Another awesome read from Sarah Curtis!
The story starts when Gage Hunter the lead singer of an up and coming rock band meets Cassie Wagner college student. They instantly connect and spend time falling in love. Gage without warning ends things with Cassie before he leaves on your devastating both of them though he felt he was doing the right thing.
It picks up 5 years later when Gage runs into Cassie at a party. He soon learns how Cassie has spend the last 5 years. Gage sets out to win Cassie back and he is not letting her go again.
I loved these characters. I love this authors alpha males that have so much determination to win over the Woman they want without giving up, and there feisty women that make them work for it and prove there love.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews