Stepbrother Hero

by Krista Lakes

“You better be careful, or I'll have to rip that dress right off of you,” he growled...

I'm pregnant, and the father of my child is the one man that I can't have.

He's intelligent, muscular, and oh-so-sexy.

He's also my stepbrother.

Ian got off on tormenting me for years, using my silly crush to humiliate me over and over.

However, things have changed since he joined the Army. I've grown up, filled out, and come into my own.

Even though he was leaving in a month, I soon realized that I would do anything, take any risk, to keep him in my life.

Especially if I could give him the one thing he had always wanted...

A baby.

Genres: Romance, Military Fiction, Contemporary, New Adult, Erotica, Forbidden Love, Contemporary Romance

420 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 11, 2015

About the author

Krista Lakes is a writer of romances that leave you feeling good and always have a happily ever after. She has two boys and a husband that keep her busy, not to mention two cats and a dog.

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a struggle to finish.. but finish I did just so I could see how it ended. I love the taboo reads and step brother/sister hotness. But this wasn't like that. Ian and Hayley had only been related for like 3 years.. but aside from that.. Ian and Hayley were just too immature and I swear I expected to find out Ian had a vagina somewhere behind his monster cock because he acted like a grade A pussy the last part of this book when his dumbass twat burger ex came back in the picture. Hayley had more balls than he did. So ok.. the sex was hot. But Ian's pussy ruined it for me by the end of the book. Then add the baby drama.....


I'll still probably try another one of Krista's books later..she can write some hot sexy times and this story did have potential.. but the dude and jacked up baby drama was just not hittin it with me.

[I.Heart.Romance · Rating 1 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️ 1.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️

***SPOILERS***

♦️Book: full length, standalone.

♦️Writing: First person, heroine

♦️Editing: needs work--missing punctuation, missing letters in words, incorrect words

♦️Hero: Ian Jackson, 24--Soldier, little league football coach, former high school football star. Teased Hayley in high school, but later runs guys away from her once they are step-siblings.
"He looked at me as only a bad boy could. Cocky and confident as all get out."

♦️Heroine: Hayley Hemingway, 21--photographer, former ugly duckling, virgin. Had a crush on Ian in high school, before they were step-siblings. "My rule of thumb was if Ian offered, take." (And she took way too much crap from him) Graduated early from art school but also mentions that she went to culinary school at some point too.

♦️Steam: Hot, About 5 or so sex scenes but like a porn script (while explicit, not exactly sexy). Lots of repeated "filled me with his life-giving seed"(*gag). For an innocent virgin, Hayley was quite cock-hungry & obsessed

♦️Warnings: lots of irresponsible/unprotected sex, virgin heroine, psycho ex - with a baby, TSTL h, weak H, weak h, pregnancy, manwhore

♦️What WORKED:
--Ian coaching little league was cute
--Hayley's dad is the only redeemable character. He comments about Ian marrying his psycho ex when she shows up 9 months pregnant - "the right thing' isn't subjecting your child to a lot of unnecessary fighting, just to keep a family together. Mark my words, that marriage won't last." --smart man!
--The epilogue was sweet

♦️What DID NOT work:
--irresponsible unprotected sex
--making a baby with someone without discussing it first
--h going out in a terrible storm and endangering herself so Ian will come to her rescue ...
“I came out here so you would have to come save me,” I said quietly. “You are my hero.”... BARF!
--h keeps saying their relationship is so wrong but keeps perusing him, then says how big of a scandal it will be in their town, but keeps trying to get pregnant ...
"Even though we hadn't used protection, there was no way I was pregnant. No one get's pregnant their first time and I wasn't that lucky."
*Not only had they already had sex 3 times when she thinks this, she can't be that stupid, right?!?
--they've had unprotected sex at least 4 different times before Ian even asks her if she's on birth control, then she evades the answer so he won't freak out that she's not...so WRONG!!!
--Jenny completely flipped and went from sweet stepmother to complete bitch halfway through and she doesn't have an issue with the horrible way Rachel (psycho ex) is treating her son? Nope, she decides to treat Hayley like Cinderella and expects her to cater to Rachel...some mom she is!
--Hayley then finds out she's pregnant with Ian's baby but he's with Rachel so she decides she'll just lie to him about it and say it's someone else's? Yep, that's her plan! That's awful, not to mention he'd have to be a complete moron to believe that after the weeks of constant unprotected sex.
--Ian is an absolutely weak H, doesn't fight for Hayley at all. I like my Heroes to fight for their women! He let's Rachel get away with all her crap!
--Ian finds out about Rachel's lies and that the baby isn't his but seems more upset about it than he was about losing Hayley! He's so upset that Rachel's baby isn't his, he even says “I think that may have been my only chance.” (To have a family) WHAT?!? Why would that be your only chance?? Are you sterile all of a sudden or something? Hayley actually consoles him bc he's upset he's lost his chance at a family...WITH ANOTHER WOMAN! He then decides to be with Rachel anyway and raise some other man's son so he can have a family. WTF?? And he would have married her THAT DAY if the real father hadn't shown up!!! He just picks the most convenient woman to give him the family he's always wanted. Didn't feel like the h was special to him At. All. In fact, he doesn't even think they have a chance to be together until she tells him that she's pregnant with his kid!
I'm so done with these people!

♦️Ending: HEA, Epilogue - 4 months later. NO cliffhanger.

[Saunders · Rating 1 out of 5]

dont want to say too much about this one - the blurb tells you what this is about.

Couple of issues I had was that the "stepbrother" has unprotected sex with his stepsister

she thinks she can't get pregnant first time she has sex - should be made clear that this is a misnomer and its not something to joke about!

he also has unprotected sex with his ex-fiance who is pregnant and alleges he is the father of her baby - the blurb tells us he is intelligent. Yeah?

I didn't like the direction this was going - the characters come across as a bunch of airheads.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to start off by saying that I’m so glad that I got to finally finish this book. What Amazon did to the author when she was publishing this as a serial was just awful. But, she was able to publish this as one book, and I for one was beyond happy.

I loved the beginning of this book. I loved the chemistry between Ian and Hayley . I loved how they got together, how they’d always wanted to be together. The beginning of the story was great, how Ian and Hayley finally got together, the plans they were making for their future…but of course, every book needs a foe, an obstacle; and in this book, it was Rachel. Rachel was Ian’s ex-fiancé and Hayley’s ex-best friend.

I loathed Rachel. From the moment that she entered the picture, it seemed like everyone had turned against Hayley.



Rachel was one of the worst characters I’ve read in a long time (well done by the author!). I absolutely hated her. And what was worse is that Ian, and Hayley’s dad saw how awful she was to Hayley but couldn’t do anything about it because of the leverage Rachel had over Ian.

When her lies were finally found out, I was quite literally:



Ian’s mother, Jenny, who had previously been decent to Hayley was now believing the cheating witch Rachel…every word out of her mouth. I realize that she and Hayley’s dad were in the process of going through a divorce and divorces are always hard, but she went from being pleasant to Hayley to a vindictive bitch in the blink of an eye. I wish she’d had her comeuppance, and I really wish I’d seen her reaction to the events towards the end of the book.

My one complaint was that while I loved having a full story as opposed to a bunch of pieces, the end was just a little too rushed. I wished there was a little bit more groveling from Ian and I wish there had been an (unaccepted) apology from Jenny to Hayley.

Before I end the review, I have to say that Hayley was a very smart and practical person. After certain events, instead of giving into the temptation of Ian, she thought ahead to what the future would be like and she chose herself and her child over the continued torture from Rachel. I appreciate the author not making Hayley a TSTL heroine and having her make the smart decision.

Overall, I really enjoy this author’s work and I’m glad that I finally got the conclusion to this story.

Review also posted at:

[Ally Cakes · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book infuriated me to no end. First off it needs another round of edits. Second, is that author trying to make us hate everyone? Seriously, Ian was THE hero?! He was the biggest asshole jerk I've read in a while. Our protagonist, no backbone whatsoever. No self respect whatsoever. Completely grossed out by her own lack of self-worth.

I HATE doing a DNF so I always try my best to finish a story. I was hoping against hope that the story would redeem itself at the end, no such luck though. If anything the story got worse as it progressed.

Just an overall disappointment.

[Leah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dear Amazon,

If this is the shit you recommend for me then just stop. No one likes a whiny immature female MC.

[Jamie Alexander · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not so much...

This truly was a struggle to finish. I thought in the beginning of the book that Hayley had her 21st birthday? I caught myself having to remind myself how old she was because she was just plain immature, or just an idiot. She put herself in danger on purpose so Ian would have to come to her rescue? How stupid can someone be? I'm not even going to start on Ian. All I'm going to say is I struggled with seeing him as some sexy hero. This novel definitely wasn't for me.

[Rgreader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Took awhile to finish this. Its supposed to be taboo but its not. The hero didn't grow up with the heroine from infancy instead they became "related" late in their teen years.

The hero was a beta tho he was military. He wasn't take charge. The heroine was more alpha than the hero.

The ex-girlfriend drama seemed to be unnecessary.

A so so read. Not really compelling.

[JoAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok so this book almost had potential. The heroine was very immature at times and the hero was weak. Haley ended up being the alpha of this book. I wanted to throw my phone when Rachel shows up... Really?!? Does anyone not notice what a bitch she is in that house?!? His mom needed to be punched in the face too she needed to mind her own business... Then the part in the hospital I wanted to smack some sense into Ian geez dude grow some balls...

[Peggy · Rating 1 out of 5]

No, just no. I should have DNFed after I read about the ropes of life-giving seed splashing inside the h's vagina for the 100th time.

[Paradise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Holy shit this book was a waste of time. Ian was an asshole. His mom was a super-cunt. and Ian was a baby-trap and he didn't care about anything else, at all.

[Faseeh Ilahi a.k.a Sunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished reading stepbrother hero by Krista Lakes. It was good. I overall enjoyed it but the only problem I had with it was that Ian along with Hayley was kind of getting on my nerves, I don't know why but they were. it does have a lot of steamy scenes. It is kind of an incest relationship, although they are like stepbrother stepsister so it's not incest but for me it was kinda, but I already knew about that going into it. And I overall enjoyed it.
Although there's one question that has been left unanswered, I really wanted to see the reaction of Jenny and Sam, there parents. But we never got it. But it was at least a HEA for Ian and Hayley.

[Shari · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Delighted Reader

Oh a lot to get off my chest about things. Ok, what's with the stepbrother craze in books lately? It borders on ridiculous...kind of like all the billionaire books. So anyway, I haven't read many of them, so I decided with my Kindle Unlimited subscription, I would try one after my last failed attempt. And I still don't understand it. Like, I have two stepbrothers. I never grew up or lived with any of them. I never found them attractive, but if I had, would it have been weird since I was 23 when my father married my stepmom? Ok, I am a little off topic here, but this is kind of what happened in the book.

The story is told completely from Hayley's point of view. Some things are skewed and then some things just don't make sense because of this.

Hayley and her best friend, Rachel, had crushes on the popular boys in high school. When Hayley's dad marries Ian's mom, that crush went out the door in hopes, but never ended in reality. Hayley wasn't trying, but when she tutored Aiden, he asked her out and kissed her, but to the anger of Rachel. Say end of that friendship. So now a high school Hayley is the stepsister to Army boy Ian.

Fast forward a few years and it is the night of Hayley's 21st birthday. Somehow she graduated college earlier and has come home to live in her father's house along with her stepmom, Jenny, and Ian. She's drunk when Ian finds her walking the roads. Nothing happens, but old desires roar their ugly heads. Oh, and Hayley is a virgin, but since her room is right next to Ian's, she has gotten to listen to all his wonderful sexual exploits....and cue the creepy music....he once was engaged to Rachel! Gross!!!!

So through the entire book there is portrayed a since that Ian wants a family in the worst way and getting engaged to Rachel was just one way to make it happen. He wasn't particularly in love with Rachel either. Oh, no, Ian has been in love with Hayley for a long time, but knows he can't have her since she is considered his sister.

As you guessed it, lust overcomes Ian and Hayley and they have wild monkey sex...without a condom or birth control. Subconsciously I swear they both wanted a pregnancy. In fact they never use birth control for two weeks. Once again cue music in the form of a lullaby. Well, I digress. These two don't have a lick of common sense between them. They are both living in the house with their parents. There is some special entrance to Ian's room, but I guess if he wants to shower he has to exit his room and travel back into the house, but also Ian and Hayley's room border each other's. Oh, Oh, Oh, and somehow you can hear everything from Ian's room into Hayley's but not vice versa. Strange right?

Through this all, Hayley's dad, Sam and Jenny are having a hard time with their marriage. They go off to a retreat to work on it, thus leaving some time for Hayley and Ian to bump uglies. They come back to announce they are divorcing. This is when Jenny becomes a world class bitch and Sam decides to hide in the basement.

Ian is deploying in a month for a four month tour, so Ian and Hayley think they just have to wait out the the divorce then they won't technically be siblings any more. Well, there is a total curve ball thrown in to all these plans and I can't tell you what it is without spoiling the book.

So, while Ian is in the army, you don't get much on the military front. They never use a condom or birth control, so you know what will happen soon. They are both kind of stupid and I just can't express that with giving away points in the book. Ian is way to cocky at times and Hayley seems quite unmotivated to make a living. It all just came down to immature people making little people with no plan for life. But hey, they all wanted to be a family with kids. Never mind how you will support those kids.

Hopefully the next generation isn't going to really be this way. I seriously hope my kids aren't living with me when they are pregnant. I love them, but I hope they can be self sufficient so I can spoil my grandkids, not raise them. So did I find this sexy...sometimes, but mostly I was worried about everything they were doing wrong and morally I just didn't like them.

This review was originally posted on Delighted Reader

[Vonetta Young · Rating 2 out of 5]

I rolled my eyes so hard...spoilers!

Where do I even start! This book started out promising, the "sample " part you get is great and it books you! Right away I thought oh I like the main m.c enough to buy the book!...then the rest happened...

First eyeroll, not only did she want to have sex with her legit step brother, I mean that's what the book was called right? But she took it a step further and wanted to have a baby with him. Even fantasizing about it. Then, then she sets out to try and make it happen by beating Round the Bush when they finAlly do have sex and he straight up ask her if she's on the pill and she says don't worry?!
Second eyeroll? When she confesses she wanted a bandy with him, he says he dreamed about it too?! Really?
And let's not forget they are doing all this sexing behind their parents back. But he's supposed to be this honest do the write thing military hero but he's doing his step sister?! Yeah okay! I could go on but I'm not trying to hurt the author or fans of the books.
This book obviously wasn't for me and if you want a book with more meaning, don't pick this one..but for a light read and wasted 5 hours pick this one up.

[Krista Lakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a little steamier than my usual fare, but I hope everyone loves it!

It was originally published as a series called "A Baby for My Military Stepbrother" under my erotica pen name. The first three parts soared into the Amazon top 100 and I was ecstatic.

Then Amazon said it didn't meet their guidelines and blocked it from sale.

I was crushed. Three parts out and I had the next three parts already written. Yet, I couldn't offer it for sale.

After hundreds of fans emailed Amazon about this series and the other series that also got blocked (A Baby for My Billionaire Stepbrother), Amazon finally let me talk to them. They reviewed the content, and found that it really was a romance book- and that the content was appropriate. (Both series)

I am so glad to say that the emails from fans worked. The book was approved to go on sale. (THANK YOU FANS!)

So, now- thanks to amazing fans writing to Amazon and telling them to let us publish this book, "Stepbrother Hero" will be available June 1st. "Stepbrother's Gift" will be coming June 7th!

Thank you!!

[Poppy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure how this is a "forbidden" romance. They are connected through marriage and were not raised under the same roof as siblings growing up and it's stated they resided as teens for mere months. I've read other work by this author that I abandoned and bought this on the cover alone, not paying attention to the author, lesson learned! A few spelling errors.


They have countless unprotected (porn not erotic) sex and their first time all she can think about is being Prego with his child yet Ian is made out to be a manwhore, what about STI's?

Hayley comes across as a immature 21 year old who needs to grow up and learn about life and PROTECTION.

Ian is a jerk, plane and simple!

[Mojo_Mama · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another off of my old kindle...

I guess it was some kind of Cinderella retelling?!?

This wasn’t terrible. It also wasn’t recommendable. The drama was good, the plot depth was nonexistent, the execution was passable, the ending needed work.

He was a manwhore deluxe for the few months they actually occupied the same house. It was all off page and recall. I felt like the best parts were all off page unfortunately.

[Tracy Lundy-Munn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stepbrother Hero is a stand alone book by Krista Lakes. I'm a huge fan of this author and her series The Kisses, and this book is just another reason why I love her style of writing. The storyline was solid and had a great flow. The chemistry between the characters was smokin hot in and out of the bedroom. Krista is a fabulous author and I guarantee you won't be disappointed!!

[TAMMY L. EILERS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story,but.....

I really liked the story line, and it really kept my attention. I would have given it a much higher rating had it not been for all of tell errors in the writing itself, which in some parts I found myself becoming rather frustrated with because there were so many. Needs better proof reading/editing a I think this would have been at least 4 star book.

[Nicole BHam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok

But both characters were weak. Not willing to fight for what they want. Just so they could do the right thing when it wasn’t. And being stupid without checking things first. Just absurd

[Arabella Steedly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing plot. Loved the characters.

[Vicki Arellano · Rating 1 out of 5]

I pushed myself to finish this one..! Sorry but just not my cup of tea all characters are idiots except the stepdad.

[Bella Marley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.6

[Sivutha · Rating 3 out of 5]

The H and h push and pull got my nerves. Then mix with the O/W drama is not my fav. It’s over all 2.5

[Gigi Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read on Radish under the title of “A Secret Baby for my Military Stepbrother”. Really enjoyed this story and was delighted for Ian and Hayley after the fiasco with Rachel.

[阿琪拉 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't believe in book burning...but if I did, this is the kind of book trash I'd burn.

[Hockey Makeup · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ian and Hayley became step siblings three years ago, although they knew of each other all through high school. Haley's high school best friend, Rachel, knows about the crush Hayley has on Ian before they become siblings. After Hayley starts dating a guy Rachel liked she starts to date Ian. She ends up cheating on him days after he proposes to her. Ian is a war hero and after coming back from his most recent tour, him and Hayley find themselves home alone for the weekend. Neither of them know that the other secretly burns to be together. Temptation finally takes over and they both get what they always wanted ... each other. Haley wants to give Ian a baby, the family he's always wanted but their lives get turned upside down when Rachel shows up at the front door nine months pregnant claiming the baby to be Ian's.

I wanted to LOVE this book but it was so difficult. The story is very tortured and sad, both Hayley and Ian have messed up families and want the family they never had. I thought a lot of the story was drug out way too much and I honestly skipped through most of it til I got to the final chapters. Ian is a very lovable character and you find yourself rooting for him. I thought his character development from the middle of the book until about 98% left, was terrible. He was trying to be honorable but being a total idiot too. Someone of his character wouldn't have been stabbing the person he truly loves in the heart as he was doing to Hayley.

The ending goes by way too fast. I would have rather see a couple chapters of that instead of the middle going on and on and on. I don't want to tell you NOT to read this book, overall it is a good book, there's just a good portion of it that makes you want to rip your hair out and scream.

[Tami Talbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read Krista Lakes’ entire Kisses series and absolutely loved every story. So when I became aware that she had begun a new series, Stepbrother Hero: A Forbidden Romance, I was intrigued. I decided to head over to Amazon and read the synopsis and some of the reviews. Well, to be honest I was a little surprised as I noticed there were quite a few 1 and 2 star reviews which was virtually impossible for me believe having had extensive experience with Krista Lakes. Well I decided I had to read Stepbrother Hero myself and I am certainly glad that I did. This was an entertaining, hot and sexy love story and Ms. Lakes has given us an amazing and tantalizing tale of “forbidden love.”

Despite the fact that Ian and Hayley are now related through marriage, their connection and interest in one another began long before their parents married. Although they never let the other know how they felt, having now grown up and living under the same roof, they can no longer deny the attraction they feel. But when Ian's old girlfriend reenters their lives causing turmoil, despite Hayley being able to see through her façade, Ian must decide whether to follow his heart's true path or turn his back to do the right thing.

Since completing Stepbrother Hero and learning for myself what a great story it is, I returned to Amazon to discover that many more 4 and 5 star reviews had since be put up. Now that I can completely believe. With Stepbrother Hero: A Forbidden Romance, Krista Lakes has given us a much steamier romance than she has previously written but has definitely proven herself capable. I certainly hope for more stories from her written in this style. I loved it!

[books-on-a-wire · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was banned from Amazon...why??? I thought this would be a lot sexier and more taboo since it was supposedly banned. Our leads are step-siblings, but it sounds like they barely even lived together. Their parents married when Hayley and Ian were young adults. They knew each other before, she pined for him, he teased her, and then their parents came home from a weekend in Vegas married and now their love is forbidden.

The romance was sweet, but at times very immature. She acted like a spoiled teen at times, stomping around, growling, and hiding in her room. Despite falling into bed with each other on multiple occasions, they never once had the safety/pregnancy talk about contraception.

I started at three stars and took one away for editing and formatting errors. I'm 100% behind indie authors and self-publishing but you need to have someone read your work before you publish. There were things that should have been caught (i.e. missing page numbers, out of order page numbers, chapter headers creeping further down pages, paragraphs not even following the chapter headers but on the next page, etc.)

[Joanna Brocklehurst smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOLY WOW!!!! This is the first Stepbrother novel I have ever read, and I loved it. I have never really thought much about reading this kind of book, but as it was Krista’s book, I couldn’t not read it having loved her work so far. This is totally different from her Kisses series which I love, but it is definitely hot as hell……
When Ian returned from the military, Hayley has changed, filled out, since he left. She had a crush on him before, but now all she wants is him….
There are twists and turns in this book, many ups and downs. You feel for both Ian and Hayley as they try to figure out the MANY issues that face them, not only the fact that their parents are married.
There was more than one occasion in this read when a cold shower could have been used, that is if I could have out down the book which was impossible. Loved it.