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Sons of San Clemente #1
Crushed
Heath “Con” Connelly is back in San Clemente after three stints in the Middle East with the Navy SEALS. Despite the fact that he’s known to his “brothers” at Preach’s Place for being better with his hands and dangerous when angered, he’s trying to turn over a new leaf. And that’s going…well, not great when he bumps into Mia Santos and notices someone has been beating up the beauty who was always the woman he could never have.
Mia Santos, daughter of one of the most dangerous drug lords, finds herself in the cross-hairs of a turf war. Knowing she put herself there by making bad decisions when deep in a tequila bottle has sharpened her resolve to keep anyone—especially Con—from getting involved in the bloody and dangerous world that is her own. But Con’s not walking away and danger is like a second skin to him. He intends to protect his “family” and claim Mia, unless he gets crushed beneath the dual instincts of lust and rage…
Mia Santos, daughter of one of the most dangerous drug lords, finds herself in the cross-hairs of a turf war. Knowing she put herself there by making bad decisions when deep in a tequila bottle has sharpened her resolve to keep anyone—especially Con—from getting involved in the bloody and dangerous world that is her own. But Con’s not walking away and danger is like a second skin to him. He intends to protect his “family” and claim Mia, unless he gets crushed beneath the dual instincts of lust and rage…
128 pages, ebook
First published September 22, 2015
235 people are currently reading
343 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Garbera
815 books662 followersKatherine Garbera is a USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 100 novels, which have been translated into over two dozen languages and sold millions of copies worldwide. She is the mother of two incredibly creative and snarky grown children. Katherine enjoys drinking champagne, reading, walking and traveling with her husband. She lives in Kent, UK, where she is working on her next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
December 4, 2015
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Hey you guys – I’m eating junk and reading pornos. You better come out and stop me . . . .
‘Cause y a’ll know this doesn’t end well.
Former Navy Seal now turned sunkissed surfer smexytimes, you say?????
SCHA-WING!
However, it was me reading it, sooooooooo 2.5 Stars it is! This is the second book in the “Sons of San Clemente” series that I couldn’t help but one-clicking on NetGalley. Sadly neither of them worked for me (but this one was better than Wrecked). The main problem with this one was the abbreviated timeline.
Crushed read like it was on fast-forward. Con and Mia had ZERO relationship in high school (except thinking the other was hot). They go from running into each other on the beach 10 years after graduation, to running in to each other at a bar, to Mia declaring Con's simple touch on her arm as being “something to live for.”
I’d like to be able to say I think these women who get all fired up over something as stupid as someone brushing their thumb across their hand are idiots, but I’m pretty sure if Paul Walker did that to me I’d be a giant sploosh factory as well . . .
Well, I mean not if he did that now, you know since he’s a corpse and all – buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut if he were a zombie?????
Perchance.
Anywho, I still don’t grasp the idea of sounding all fatal attraction and instalovey about FOR.EV.ER. just because you wanna do the dirty.
Okay, back on track. Said convo with the “inner goddess” about potential soulmatery is followed up by Mia shoving a “slut” aside and getting dry-humped on the wall outside a bar. You seriously gonna say the other chick who was just talking to dude is a slut????
Unfortunately, the clothes-on-sex is soon interrupted by a bad guy from Mia’s past. Now, I know I always opt to forget about the freaking DRUG LORD who is probably going to kill me if there’s a chance I can get banged real good. But dontcha know it, right when they’re getting – uhhhhhhhhh, sexy????
“You know I want to be buried deep inside of you, Mia. You can feel my dick trying to get through both our jeans.”
(in a storage room – even though dude literally lives UPSTAIRS) - KABOOOOOOOM!
But the baddies get away (*wah waaaaaaaah*), so the two have to occupy themselves until morning with some - dirty dancing?????
Alrighty then. Luckily that doesn’t last long and we finally get down to bidness. After that? It’s on like bingbong and time to take back the streets . . .
“Girls wished for things to be different. Women made them happen.”
Followed by some more shebangity bangity . . . .
I guess once you’ve had protected sex one time it’s totally cool to bareback it from then on. Thank god, right? Those things are totes inconvenient when you want to have bathtub sex.
And then stuff and things happen and yada yada yada. This gets 2.5 Stars because the action scenes were pretty on point – it just needed more pages in order to properly develop the relationship between the MCs and I probably would have gone up to 3. I’m really not good at these types of books so take my opinion with a grain of salt. Want to tell me I’m wrong????? Here’s something I made special just for you . . .
Before I go I need to ask a serious question: Does moisture really “bead up” for anyone?????
Sounds like there should be a pill for that.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
Hey you guys – I’m eating junk and reading pornos. You better come out and stop me . . . .
‘Cause y a’ll know this doesn’t end well.
Former Navy Seal now turned sunkissed surfer smexytimes, you say?????
SCHA-WING!
However, it was me reading it, sooooooooo 2.5 Stars it is! This is the second book in the “Sons of San Clemente” series that I couldn’t help but one-clicking on NetGalley. Sadly neither of them worked for me (but this one was better than Wrecked). The main problem with this one was the abbreviated timeline.
Crushed read like it was on fast-forward. Con and Mia had ZERO relationship in high school (except thinking the other was hot). They go from running into each other on the beach 10 years after graduation, to running in to each other at a bar, to Mia declaring Con's simple touch on her arm as being “something to live for.”
I’d like to be able to say I think these women who get all fired up over something as stupid as someone brushing their thumb across their hand are idiots, but I’m pretty sure if Paul Walker did that to me I’d be a giant sploosh factory as well . . .
Well, I mean not if he did that now, you know since he’s a corpse and all – buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut if he were a zombie?????
Perchance.
Anywho, I still don’t grasp the idea of sounding all fatal attraction and instalovey about FOR.EV.ER. just because you wanna do the dirty.
Okay, back on track. Said convo with the “inner goddess” about potential soulmatery is followed up by Mia shoving a “slut” aside and getting dry-humped on the wall outside a bar. You seriously gonna say the other chick who was just talking to dude is a slut????
Unfortunately, the clothes-on-sex is soon interrupted by a bad guy from Mia’s past. Now, I know I always opt to forget about the freaking DRUG LORD who is probably going to kill me if there’s a chance I can get banged real good. But dontcha know it, right when they’re getting – uhhhhhhhhh, sexy????
“You know I want to be buried deep inside of you, Mia. You can feel my dick trying to get through both our jeans.”
(in a storage room – even though dude literally lives UPSTAIRS) - KABOOOOOOOM!
But the baddies get away (*wah waaaaaaaah*), so the two have to occupy themselves until morning with some - dirty dancing?????
Alrighty then. Luckily that doesn’t last long and we finally get down to bidness. After that? It’s on like bingbong and time to take back the streets . . .
“Girls wished for things to be different. Women made them happen.”
Followed by some more shebangity bangity . . . .
I guess once you’ve had protected sex one time it’s totally cool to bareback it from then on. Thank god, right? Those things are totes inconvenient when you want to have bathtub sex.
And then stuff and things happen and yada yada yada. This gets 2.5 Stars because the action scenes were pretty on point – it just needed more pages in order to properly develop the relationship between the MCs and I probably would have gone up to 3. I’m really not good at these types of books so take my opinion with a grain of salt. Want to tell me I’m wrong????? Here’s something I made special just for you . . .
Before I go I need to ask a serious question: Does moisture really “bead up” for anyone?????
Sounds like there should be a pill for that.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
October 13, 2015
DNF before 25%
If you would ask me to describe this book in one word that would be...
It didn't start bad and I could have even looked past the average writing but when the relationship started out of nowhere and progresses at an unbelievable pace I had to call it quits.
I mean seriously...they don't have a past beside being high school colleagues and out of nowhere he wants her and she wants him, he's offering her help when dealing with a drug lord and to top it of she jumps and kisses him out of nowhere on the second time they meet (and I don't mean a date)...and all this is happening before 15%...of course that was when I pressed DELETE.
*ARC generously provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
If you would ask me to describe this book in one word that would be...
It didn't start bad and I could have even looked past the average writing but when the relationship started out of nowhere and progresses at an unbelievable pace I had to call it quits.
I mean seriously...they don't have a past beside being high school colleagues and out of nowhere he wants her and she wants him, he's offering her help when dealing with a drug lord and to top it of she jumps and kisses him out of nowhere on the second time they meet (and I don't mean a date)...and all this is happening before 15%...of course that was when I pressed DELETE.
*ARC generously provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
October 3, 2015
3.5 Stars
Heath 'Con' Connelly is back to San Clemente after his time in the SEAL's with not a clue what to do with his life. He surfs all day and bartends at night but still doesn't know where to go from there. Life sends him in a direction he never thought he would go in when he see's Mia Santos again.
Mia was Con's high school crush and one of the only classmates that saw more than the juvenile delinquent. Seeing her bruised and beat up brings out the protective instinct inside of him and he will do anything to get the guy hurting Mia. But what he stumbles into is a turf war between drug lords that's going to take more than just himself to settle.
This story was dark and dangerous with a side of sexy. I loved Con and how tough badass he was but how he had a cute side to. Seriously guys, he had a three legged dog named Butta - it was adorable. Mia's life had gone downhill after her father left her and her mother but with the help of Preach she was able to get her life back on track. I really liked how she owned up to the mistakes in her past and tried to fix them.
There were a lot of things going on with this story but it all flowed really well together. I did have an issue because it seemed like we missed a lot of the backstory in the beginning. I wanted Mia's past explained a little more, I guess, so that we could get a better understanding of what was now happening.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I will definitely be reading more from the series. We were introduced to a lot of secondary characters so I'm hoping that they will all get their own stories.
Reader copy kindly provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Heath 'Con' Connelly is back to San Clemente after his time in the SEAL's with not a clue what to do with his life. He surfs all day and bartends at night but still doesn't know where to go from there. Life sends him in a direction he never thought he would go in when he see's Mia Santos again.
Mia was Con's high school crush and one of the only classmates that saw more than the juvenile delinquent. Seeing her bruised and beat up brings out the protective instinct inside of him and he will do anything to get the guy hurting Mia. But what he stumbles into is a turf war between drug lords that's going to take more than just himself to settle.
This story was dark and dangerous with a side of sexy. I loved Con and how tough badass he was but how he had a cute side to. Seriously guys, he had a three legged dog named Butta - it was adorable. Mia's life had gone downhill after her father left her and her mother but with the help of Preach she was able to get her life back on track. I really liked how she owned up to the mistakes in her past and tried to fix them.
There were a lot of things going on with this story but it all flowed really well together. I did have an issue because it seemed like we missed a lot of the backstory in the beginning. I wanted Mia's past explained a little more, I guess, so that we could get a better understanding of what was now happening.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I will definitely be reading more from the series. We were introduced to a lot of secondary characters so I'm hoping that they will all get their own stories.
Reader copy kindly provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 7, 2015
3 stars
*An ARC was provided by Tule Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
This was a short and intense story. Actually I was expecting a lot from this book but I was disappointed. The plot was brilliant and strong. It actually had everything to be a 5 star book1 What happened? Well, there was no development of the characters or of the story. The book starts and Con surfs and Mia appears and suddenly he wants to save her and I don't know what else. I mean, it would have been great if we had a bit of background information, a bit of action and most important a bit of development of everything that goes on.
The writing was smooth although there were points that the same thing was said again and again. The communication among the heroes was passionate but it wasn't feeling real as there was no development.
The end of the book was so rushed that I couldn't believe that it finished! I really think that the story line was brilliant if it was moving so fast and without explanations.
*An ARC was provided by Tule Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
This was a short and intense story. Actually I was expecting a lot from this book but I was disappointed. The plot was brilliant and strong. It actually had everything to be a 5 star book1 What happened? Well, there was no development of the characters or of the story. The book starts and Con surfs and Mia appears and suddenly he wants to save her and I don't know what else. I mean, it would have been great if we had a bit of background information, a bit of action and most important a bit of development of everything that goes on.
The writing was smooth although there were points that the same thing was said again and again. The communication among the heroes was passionate but it wasn't feeling real as there was no development.
The end of the book was so rushed that I couldn't believe that it finished! I really think that the story line was brilliant if it was moving so fast and without explanations.
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April 4, 2017
I've read quite a few of Katherine Garbera's books now, and never fail to be impressed - especially with the way she skilfully writes different heat levels depending on the publisher/line she's writing for. Crushed is a dark-ish romance with plenty of heat. It tells the story of an ex-Navy SEAL and a drug dealer's daughter, who see each other again after a long time, and discover the attraction they once had is still there. Unfortunately, so are a bunch of problems that are dangerous and must be dealt with. I don't want to say too much more and give the game away, but this is a great, easy read and one I'd recommend to romance fans who like smokin' hot ex-military men and aren't averse to some violence in their reading material.
December 31, 2015
First reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf
Before I get to my review of Crushed by Katherine Garbera – I just wanted to say that I am constantly amazed by the wide variety of novels that Tule Publishing offers to its readers. From exotic locations of the rich and famous, to down home country living or simply ripped from tomorrow’s headlines we are never ever left with just one type of romance from Tule. *tip of the reader’s hat* and a Thanks to Tule Publishing.
San Clemente, California is far from simply a beautiful oceanfront location with waves that surfers dream of hitting the shore daily. There is wealth and poverty – and all of those spaces in between the extremes of this city. It’s a place where edges can so easily blur, and what is right isn’t always a clear glass to look through. Life happens. Choices are made. And people live or die by those choices… just like almost any other city in the world.
Mia and Con’s story is one of those blurred edges. Both have a history from way back in their childhood. Neither is a product of their environment but they have been influenced by it. Con found his way out when Preach came along and took him under his wing at a very young age. His time in the military has honed his abilities like a slick machine. But the man within still has unspeakable rage within him. He and his brothers of the heart all have one defrocked priest and the love of his life to thank for the home they know. Any of them would do anything for family.
Mia is paying for the mistakes she’s made. Paying in such a heart wrenching way. When her father took off for Mexico and her mother for Miami, her pampered life changed and it was time to face reality. For Mia facing it came with the strength from a Tequila bottle – false strength rarely takes you in a good direction. She made mistakes. Big ones. And a chance run in with Con on the beach, where he sees her wounds and bruises from a recent beating will propel her deeper into Con’s family and life forever.
Crushed is an intense, almost raw story of choices, circumstances and overcoming them all. All of the characters have an edge, well earned from life. Con doesn’t hold anything back from Mia, except perhaps words but his actions speak real loud. Mia sees herself as damaged and tries to spar the man she’s come to love from the trouble that is following her – but true love doesn’t walk away when the one you love is in trouble.
I enjoyed Crushed very much and I’m looking forward to the rest of this series. I would recommend this story for anyone who enjoys a story on the edgier side, a strong couple and amazing secondary characters who will be sure to have their own story told soon.
*I received an e-ARC of Crushed from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*
Before I get to my review of Crushed by Katherine Garbera – I just wanted to say that I am constantly amazed by the wide variety of novels that Tule Publishing offers to its readers. From exotic locations of the rich and famous, to down home country living or simply ripped from tomorrow’s headlines we are never ever left with just one type of romance from Tule. *tip of the reader’s hat* and a Thanks to Tule Publishing.
San Clemente, California is far from simply a beautiful oceanfront location with waves that surfers dream of hitting the shore daily. There is wealth and poverty – and all of those spaces in between the extremes of this city. It’s a place where edges can so easily blur, and what is right isn’t always a clear glass to look through. Life happens. Choices are made. And people live or die by those choices… just like almost any other city in the world.
Mia and Con’s story is one of those blurred edges. Both have a history from way back in their childhood. Neither is a product of their environment but they have been influenced by it. Con found his way out when Preach came along and took him under his wing at a very young age. His time in the military has honed his abilities like a slick machine. But the man within still has unspeakable rage within him. He and his brothers of the heart all have one defrocked priest and the love of his life to thank for the home they know. Any of them would do anything for family.
Mia is paying for the mistakes she’s made. Paying in such a heart wrenching way. When her father took off for Mexico and her mother for Miami, her pampered life changed and it was time to face reality. For Mia facing it came with the strength from a Tequila bottle – false strength rarely takes you in a good direction. She made mistakes. Big ones. And a chance run in with Con on the beach, where he sees her wounds and bruises from a recent beating will propel her deeper into Con’s family and life forever.
Crushed is an intense, almost raw story of choices, circumstances and overcoming them all. All of the characters have an edge, well earned from life. Con doesn’t hold anything back from Mia, except perhaps words but his actions speak real loud. Mia sees herself as damaged and tries to spar the man she’s come to love from the trouble that is following her – but true love doesn’t walk away when the one you love is in trouble.
I enjoyed Crushed very much and I’m looking forward to the rest of this series. I would recommend this story for anyone who enjoys a story on the edgier side, a strong couple and amazing secondary characters who will be sure to have their own story told soon.
*I received an e-ARC of Crushed from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*
September 24, 2015
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley from Tule Publishing for an honest review. This is the first book in a new series written by different authors - Sons of San Clemente. Since the next book, Wrecked, is not about any of the people in this one (but it is set in San Clemente and features surfing), I did a little digging to find out Katherine Garbera is continuing with her own series under this broader umbrella - Preach's Sons. The hero, Con, is one of 4 boys "Preach" and Dulcie took in as kids.
Since it's a novella, we jump right into Mia and Con reconnecting their friendship and immediately becoming something more. Compared to the other series by Tule Publishing, this one feels a lot darker and grittier. As Ms. Garbera points out on her website, if you don't like cursing or explicit love scenes, this book won't be for you. (I'm not sure if the rest of the San Clemente series will be similar in style/feel to this one.) For me the darker feel to the book was centered around the not so black/white world of the heroine, Mia. Everyone (including her cousins) are fighting for the drug territory her father left when he abandoned them to run away to Mexico. Now a recovering alcoholic, Mia is caught in the middle of it all and Con and his friends are helping to keep her safe.
This is a fast-paced, not in any way sweet or fluffy book. I'm not sure why, but I didn't click with the story once Mia's past and current predicament came into the picture. I like that she's a strong heroine, but her actions and aggressiveness frustrated me more than I appreciated them. I think I liked each of the characters individually, but the story overall didn't keep me engaged enough to really be entertained. What I did like the most? Butta aka Buttercup the 3 legged surfing pug!
Since it's a novella, we jump right into Mia and Con reconnecting their friendship and immediately becoming something more. Compared to the other series by Tule Publishing, this one feels a lot darker and grittier. As Ms. Garbera points out on her website, if you don't like cursing or explicit love scenes, this book won't be for you. (I'm not sure if the rest of the San Clemente series will be similar in style/feel to this one.) For me the darker feel to the book was centered around the not so black/white world of the heroine, Mia. Everyone (including her cousins) are fighting for the drug territory her father left when he abandoned them to run away to Mexico. Now a recovering alcoholic, Mia is caught in the middle of it all and Con and his friends are helping to keep her safe.
This is a fast-paced, not in any way sweet or fluffy book. I'm not sure why, but I didn't click with the story once Mia's past and current predicament came into the picture. I like that she's a strong heroine, but her actions and aggressiveness frustrated me more than I appreciated them. I think I liked each of the characters individually, but the story overall didn't keep me engaged enough to really be entertained. What I did like the most? Butta aka Buttercup the 3 legged surfing pug!
October 10, 2015
2.5*
Con and Mia knew each other in grade school but lost touch with each other after graduation. 10 years later, they meet again at the beach and Con finds Mia battered and bruised. When she refuses to tell him what’s been going on, he immediately starts snooping for answers. As it turns out, Mia is caught in the middle of a turf war between drug lords. Con, who is an ex-SEAL, rounds up his closest friends to join in the war in order to keep Mia safe and bring it all to an end.
The book starts out with Con surfing, and as he leaves the beach, he runs into Mia. They haven’t seen each other in 10 years, but they talk as if they just saw each other the other week. It was odd. Con then begins grilling Mia on her bruises but she shuts down the conversation and says goodbye. The whole scene was maybe a page and a half. That same evening, rather than revisit her issues with Con, she jumps on him and they have sex. Again, the same evening they met, after 10 years!
What I didn’t care for, any maybe I should cut the author some slack because this is a short book, was the lack of development. We get next to no background information on the characters and there’s no buildup to the attraction. It’s almost as if you’re reading a book that’s missing several chapters throughout. Because of this, I had a hard time finishing it and/or even caring about the characters.
My thanks to NetGalley and The Tule Publishing Group, LLC for the opportunity to read and review Crushed by Katherine Garbera.
Con and Mia knew each other in grade school but lost touch with each other after graduation. 10 years later, they meet again at the beach and Con finds Mia battered and bruised. When she refuses to tell him what’s been going on, he immediately starts snooping for answers. As it turns out, Mia is caught in the middle of a turf war between drug lords. Con, who is an ex-SEAL, rounds up his closest friends to join in the war in order to keep Mia safe and bring it all to an end.
The book starts out with Con surfing, and as he leaves the beach, he runs into Mia. They haven’t seen each other in 10 years, but they talk as if they just saw each other the other week. It was odd. Con then begins grilling Mia on her bruises but she shuts down the conversation and says goodbye. The whole scene was maybe a page and a half. That same evening, rather than revisit her issues with Con, she jumps on him and they have sex. Again, the same evening they met, after 10 years!
What I didn’t care for, any maybe I should cut the author some slack because this is a short book, was the lack of development. We get next to no background information on the characters and there’s no buildup to the attraction. It’s almost as if you’re reading a book that’s missing several chapters throughout. Because of this, I had a hard time finishing it and/or even caring about the characters.
My thanks to NetGalley and The Tule Publishing Group, LLC for the opportunity to read and review Crushed by Katherine Garbera.
September 24, 2015
I had a hard time putting this book down. It was one intense scene after the next. It's a love story and a story about fighting for what is yours.
Former juvenile delinquent turned Navy SEAL, Heath "Con" Connelly is finished with the Navy and back in San Clemente. He is living over Preacher's bar, surfing during the day and bartending when he is needed at night. Preacher is a former preacher who has helped many troubled kids in the past and got them on the right track in life. He is loved and respected by everyone.
One day after surfing, Con runs into Mia Santos, a beautiful girl he knew from school, on the beach. Mia has bruises on her body and a black eye. Con is very upset about this and wants to take care of whoever did it to her. Little did Con know, trouble was to soon follow and Preach's bar is attacked.
Mia has worked hard to get away from her past and being known as a drug kingpin's daughter. She wants revenge on the drug dealer who is after her and trying to take over her father's old turf. Con insists on taking matters into his own hands after the attack at Preacher's bar. How far will Con go to protect his woman and the people he considers family?
This very sexy story has a well scripted plot and characters you'll find yourself cheering on as you turn each page. With very detailed sex scenes, intense fight scenes and an emotional ending, be prepared for a wide range of emotions while reading this one.
Former juvenile delinquent turned Navy SEAL, Heath "Con" Connelly is finished with the Navy and back in San Clemente. He is living over Preacher's bar, surfing during the day and bartending when he is needed at night. Preacher is a former preacher who has helped many troubled kids in the past and got them on the right track in life. He is loved and respected by everyone.
One day after surfing, Con runs into Mia Santos, a beautiful girl he knew from school, on the beach. Mia has bruises on her body and a black eye. Con is very upset about this and wants to take care of whoever did it to her. Little did Con know, trouble was to soon follow and Preach's bar is attacked.
Mia has worked hard to get away from her past and being known as a drug kingpin's daughter. She wants revenge on the drug dealer who is after her and trying to take over her father's old turf. Con insists on taking matters into his own hands after the attack at Preacher's bar. How far will Con go to protect his woman and the people he considers family?
This very sexy story has a well scripted plot and characters you'll find yourself cheering on as you turn each page. With very detailed sex scenes, intense fight scenes and an emotional ending, be prepared for a wide range of emotions while reading this one.
November 11, 2015
3 Stars
Fantastic plot but that was it.
There was no character development, things just fell from the sky with no explanation, couldn't feel the chemistry between the main couple (because there was no character development), and last, but not least, the end was so rushed that it left me thinking there were pages missing.
It would have been a negative review if it not for the fantastic plot and this could easily be an amazing book, if given more thought and time.
*An ARC was provided by Tule Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
***
Fantastic plot but that was it.
There was no character development, things just fell from the sky with no explanation, couldn't feel the chemistry between the main couple (because there was no character development), and last, but not least, the end was so rushed that it left me thinking there were pages missing.
It would have been a negative review if it not for the fantastic plot and this could easily be an amazing book, if given more thought and time.
*An ARC was provided by Tule Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
***
November 10, 2015
Dark and brooding Heath “Con” Connelly has returned to San Clemente after 3 tours with the Navy SEALS. And he walks right into a turf war between Mexican drug cartels. And right in the middle of this war is Mia Santos, the woman he's wanted all his life. So he pretty much has no choice in the matter and is determined to protect her. But she is determined to keep him out of it. So what follows is a battle of wills and egos. But to find out who wins, you are going to have to read the book. I'm not giving you any spoilers ;oD
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
September 24, 2015
ead/review for Tule and the author
Second book in the Sons of San Clemente, Crushed by Katherine Garbera. A great addition to the series. I really enjoyed this book and also the first one in the series. The characters just pulled me in from the first page and I couldn't put the book down until I finished. I'm looking forward to reading the other books in this series as they come out. Great characters, dialogue, and setting also just the right amount of spice.
Second book in the Sons of San Clemente, Crushed by Katherine Garbera. A great addition to the series. I really enjoyed this book and also the first one in the series. The characters just pulled me in from the first page and I couldn't put the book down until I finished. I'm looking forward to reading the other books in this series as they come out. Great characters, dialogue, and setting also just the right amount of spice.
December 1, 2017
I wasn't crazy about this book. It was an okay read, but I struggled to care about the characters. For me, there was just something missing and I couldn't really get into it. It was okay, just not great.
February 19, 2017
Good story
Good read Con and his family and Mia and her f family come together too make the streets safe again. Love respect. concurs all
Good read Con and his family and Mia and her f family come together too make the streets safe again. Love respect. concurs all
May 4, 2017
It is a great book to read
June 20, 2020
Sorry not my cup of tea dnf
March 2, 2022
what was I thinking?
March 14, 2017
Yawn. This book was crap. Nothing in it grabbed me. None of the characters. Not the story line.
February 25, 2017
Ex-Navy SEAL, Heath "Con" Connelly is back in San Clemente where he's not doing much, just surfing and bartending. Years ago Preach, a former priest, had taken him in, along with several other kids who had troubled childhoods. He turned their lives around, making them feel loved and valued. Mia was one of these kids. She was the daughter of a Mexican drug lord and had grown up in a huge house, getting all the material things money could buy but not loved. When Con runs into Mia, who he'd crushed on in high school, seeing she had been beaten, he wants to protect her and find out who did this to her. He learns that this is part of a turf war where drug lords are fighting for the drug territory her father left when he abandoned his family to run away to Mexico.
This story has an interesting plot and good characters. I liked how protective Con was and that his SEAL background gave him the skills needed to look after everyone that was important to him. I didn't like the extreme anger he had at times, even though he was able to keep it under control. Mia was a strong woman, determined to get away from her past. That's just one of the reasons she wants revenge on the dealer who is after her and trying to take over her father's old drug area.
This isn't a sweet romance by any means, but an emotional story with explicit sex and fighting scenes.
This story has an interesting plot and good characters. I liked how protective Con was and that his SEAL background gave him the skills needed to look after everyone that was important to him. I didn't like the extreme anger he had at times, even though he was able to keep it under control. Mia was a strong woman, determined to get away from her past. That's just one of the reasons she wants revenge on the dealer who is after her and trying to take over her father's old drug area.
This isn't a sweet romance by any means, but an emotional story with explicit sex and fighting scenes.
March 8, 2017
I just can't finish this book. I can't connect with the characters. Sorry:(
September 24, 2015
Rating: 4.5/5
Take the daughter of of one of the most dangerous drug lords, add in a turf war between the mobsters, put her in the middle of it and add an ex-Navy SEAL who wants to protect her. Life is never going to be easy in the middle of this drama but will they survive the perils to give their love a chance?
Preach is the nickname of a fantastic ex-preacher who has befriended and acted as a true caring father figure for many youngsters struggling to cope with life on the streets of San Clemente. He and his wife have helped turn around so many young lives, they’re inspirational, treating the youngsters as beloved offspring even when their grown up, helping them where necessary and always having their backs.
One of those helped by Preach is Heath Connelly - Con. Despite Con's traumatic upbringing, Preach helped him turn his life around. Con is now back in town after three stints in the Middle East with the Navy SEALs. He’s been chilling, surfing, when he bumps into his teenage dream girl, Mia Santos. Mia was always out of reach as far as Con was concerned, a princess daughter of one of the most feared drug lords, but there’s definitely an attraction between them. Now he’s spotted that she’s been beaten up and that is like a red rag to a bull for Con. He’s determined to protect her but they haven’t seen each other for many years and both have secrets that could easily tear them apart.
This is a powerful story of gangland disagreements, danger, gun fights, people getting beaten up, surfing and romance. It is fast paced with a complete range of complex characters and scenarios making it an enthralling, difficult to put down, read. The tumultuous up bringing of both Con and Mia, their battles to escape the past and move on to a more secure future all add to the fantastic saga. The camaraderie of the young people created into a family by the love and care of Preach and his wife is crucial to the outcome of the turf wars and demonstrates the impact of inspirational folk like them on communities which may otherwise be at war with each other.
This is another sizzling story from Katherine Grabera with a feisty frightened heroine, a hot heroic male lead and a magnificent team working together to protect themselves and other vulnerable folk from the machinations of mobsters. A brilliant start to the new series, I’m looking forward to reading subsequent stories in future!
Thanks to the publishers for kindly sending me a paperback ARC of this fantastic book in exchange for an honest review.
Take the daughter of of one of the most dangerous drug lords, add in a turf war between the mobsters, put her in the middle of it and add an ex-Navy SEAL who wants to protect her. Life is never going to be easy in the middle of this drama but will they survive the perils to give their love a chance?
Preach is the nickname of a fantastic ex-preacher who has befriended and acted as a true caring father figure for many youngsters struggling to cope with life on the streets of San Clemente. He and his wife have helped turn around so many young lives, they’re inspirational, treating the youngsters as beloved offspring even when their grown up, helping them where necessary and always having their backs.
One of those helped by Preach is Heath Connelly - Con. Despite Con's traumatic upbringing, Preach helped him turn his life around. Con is now back in town after three stints in the Middle East with the Navy SEALs. He’s been chilling, surfing, when he bumps into his teenage dream girl, Mia Santos. Mia was always out of reach as far as Con was concerned, a princess daughter of one of the most feared drug lords, but there’s definitely an attraction between them. Now he’s spotted that she’s been beaten up and that is like a red rag to a bull for Con. He’s determined to protect her but they haven’t seen each other for many years and both have secrets that could easily tear them apart.
This is a powerful story of gangland disagreements, danger, gun fights, people getting beaten up, surfing and romance. It is fast paced with a complete range of complex characters and scenarios making it an enthralling, difficult to put down, read. The tumultuous up bringing of both Con and Mia, their battles to escape the past and move on to a more secure future all add to the fantastic saga. The camaraderie of the young people created into a family by the love and care of Preach and his wife is crucial to the outcome of the turf wars and demonstrates the impact of inspirational folk like them on communities which may otherwise be at war with each other.
This is another sizzling story from Katherine Grabera with a feisty frightened heroine, a hot heroic male lead and a magnificent team working together to protect themselves and other vulnerable folk from the machinations of mobsters. A brilliant start to the new series, I’m looking forward to reading subsequent stories in future!
Thanks to the publishers for kindly sending me a paperback ARC of this fantastic book in exchange for an honest review.
February 27, 2017
Needs editing
Decent story, but it was a formula. Not very creative. Needs a whole lot of proofreading!! Some painful spelling and grammar errors.
Decent story, but it was a formula. Not very creative. Needs a whole lot of proofreading!! Some painful spelling and grammar errors.
February 24, 2017
No Thanks
Might have had a better review if I had finished it, but I just couldn't. Typos/proofreading errors and the out of character reference to the hero's thought of a reward put me off.
Might have had a better review if I had finished it, but I just couldn't. Typos/proofreading errors and the out of character reference to the hero's thought of a reward put me off.
September 26, 2015
Crushed by Katherine Garbera
Heath “Con” Connelly is back in San Clemente after three stints in the Middle East with the Navy SEALS. Despite the fact that he’s known to his “brothers” at Preach’s Place for being better with his hands and dangerous when angered, he’s trying to turn over a new leaf. And that’s going…well, not great when he bumps into Mia Santos and notices someone has been beating up the beauty who was always the woman he could never have.
Mia Santos, daughter of one of the most dangerous drug lords, finds herself in the cross-hairs of a turf war. Knowing she put herself there by making bad decisions when deep in a tequila bottle has sharpened her resolve to keep anyone—especially Con—from getting involved in the bloody and dangerous world that is her own. But Con’s not walking away and danger is like a second skin to him. He intends to protect his “family” and claim Mia, unless he gets crushed beneath the dual instincts of lust and rage…
how did Heath and Mia meet?
what job does Heath do?
what man is Mia father?
Heath is known to everyone as what name?
how many books in the Sons of San Clemente series?
do you like the cover for Crushed by Katherine Garbera?
who is your favorite character in this story?
And why?
will Mia and Heath be more than friends?
what job does Mia do?
Crushed by Katherine Garbera is a 3 stars book.
I got a free advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
Katherine's Books with Tule:
A Cowboy for Christmas
Copper Mountain Christmas
The Scott Brothers of Montana
(1) The Cowboy’s Reluctant Bride
The Scott Brothers of Montana
Her Summer Cowboy
Big Marietta Fair
The Scott Brothers of Montana
No Rest for the Wicked
International Bad Boys
Cowboy, It’s Cold Outside
A Marietta Christmas
The Scott Brothers of Montana
Seduce Me Tonight
Stand Alone Titles
The Great Wedding Giveaway
Where There’s a Will
Whiskey River
One Night with the Tycoon
Whiskey River
The Billionaire’s Temptation
Amalfi Night Billionaires
One Night with the Playboy
Whiskey River
Sons of San Clemente
Crushed by Katherine Garbera
Sons of San Clemente Book 1
Sons of San Clemente, Book 2
Wrecked by Sinclair Jayne
Heath “Con” Connelly is back in San Clemente after three stints in the Middle East with the Navy SEALS. Despite the fact that he’s known to his “brothers” at Preach’s Place for being better with his hands and dangerous when angered, he’s trying to turn over a new leaf. And that’s going…well, not great when he bumps into Mia Santos and notices someone has been beating up the beauty who was always the woman he could never have.
Mia Santos, daughter of one of the most dangerous drug lords, finds herself in the cross-hairs of a turf war. Knowing she put herself there by making bad decisions when deep in a tequila bottle has sharpened her resolve to keep anyone—especially Con—from getting involved in the bloody and dangerous world that is her own. But Con’s not walking away and danger is like a second skin to him. He intends to protect his “family” and claim Mia, unless he gets crushed beneath the dual instincts of lust and rage…
how did Heath and Mia meet?
what job does Heath do?
what man is Mia father?
Heath is known to everyone as what name?
how many books in the Sons of San Clemente series?
do you like the cover for Crushed by Katherine Garbera?
who is your favorite character in this story?
And why?
will Mia and Heath be more than friends?
what job does Mia do?
Crushed by Katherine Garbera is a 3 stars book.
I got a free advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
Katherine's Books with Tule:
A Cowboy for Christmas
Copper Mountain Christmas
The Scott Brothers of Montana
(1) The Cowboy’s Reluctant Bride
The Scott Brothers of Montana
Her Summer Cowboy
Big Marietta Fair
The Scott Brothers of Montana
No Rest for the Wicked
International Bad Boys
Cowboy, It’s Cold Outside
A Marietta Christmas
The Scott Brothers of Montana
Seduce Me Tonight
Stand Alone Titles
The Great Wedding Giveaway
Where There’s a Will
Whiskey River
One Night with the Tycoon
Whiskey River
The Billionaire’s Temptation
Amalfi Night Billionaires
One Night with the Playboy
Whiskey River
Sons of San Clemente
Crushed by Katherine Garbera
Sons of San Clemente Book 1
Sons of San Clemente, Book 2
Wrecked by Sinclair Jayne
February 21, 2017
Some motorcycle gang style (minus the motorcycles) bullshit with slut shaming, clunky writing, instalove, an abundance of sob stories, characters making very TSTL decisions etc etc... NO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. DNFing at chapter five.
October 28, 2015
"Crushed", was a quick paced read focusing on Heath Connoley and Mia Santos. Heath has just returned from the middle east were he served as a Navy Seal, now retired. And not really needing to rush into a career since he saved pretty much all of his pay from when he was in the service. So Heath surfs by day and bar tends at night. At Preach's bar, Preach aptly named since he was a former priest , who took in and looked out for most of the trouble youth of San Clemente ; Heath and his friends among them.
However this morning his routine is a bit interrupted after surfing with his dog, one of his old nemesis , now a police officer chooses to give him a ticket for having a dog on the beach, and though Heath points out that e dog surfed with him and then was carried to the boardwalk. Gets him nowhere, already a little wound up from that seeing the girl of his teenage dream Mia Santos sporting bruises and a damaged wrist just sends it to the gutter, not that Mia will give an inch when he tries to pry the info out of her.
Mia Santos is a strong young women Left behind by her drug lord father when he returned to Mexico, then left alone when her mom picked up and moved to Miami, she is stuck trying to protect her father's turf and trying not to go back to drinking, little does she know that Heath protects his family. And because he still has feeling for her she just got a determined self appointed body guard.
These two fall Into each other's arm the first evening, after a second attack on her , unfortunately for Roco and his crew they chose to try that on Heath and his boys turf, Preach's place.
Action packed storyline follows. Fast paced read with an Hea.
Why only three stars, well I just have that connection with the characters, weather it was the pace of the story or the story subject that did not resonate with me I can not be sure.
Overall an enjoyable story and quick read.
Arc graciously provided by Tule publishing via Netgalley for an honest review
However this morning his routine is a bit interrupted after surfing with his dog, one of his old nemesis , now a police officer chooses to give him a ticket for having a dog on the beach, and though Heath points out that e dog surfed with him and then was carried to the boardwalk. Gets him nowhere, already a little wound up from that seeing the girl of his teenage dream Mia Santos sporting bruises and a damaged wrist just sends it to the gutter, not that Mia will give an inch when he tries to pry the info out of her.
Mia Santos is a strong young women Left behind by her drug lord father when he returned to Mexico, then left alone when her mom picked up and moved to Miami, she is stuck trying to protect her father's turf and trying not to go back to drinking, little does she know that Heath protects his family. And because he still has feeling for her she just got a determined self appointed body guard.
These two fall Into each other's arm the first evening, after a second attack on her , unfortunately for Roco and his crew they chose to try that on Heath and his boys turf, Preach's place.
Action packed storyline follows. Fast paced read with an Hea.
Why only three stars, well I just have that connection with the characters, weather it was the pace of the story or the story subject that did not resonate with me I can not be sure.
Overall an enjoyable story and quick read.
Arc graciously provided by Tule publishing via Netgalley for an honest review
February 20, 2017
26% in and had to stop. Writing ok, but bad editing misses and absolutely NO sympathy for the main characters. Even if the action is slow, I should have felt some kind of emotion by the point I stopped. But if the protagonists are apathetic, that's all you'll get from me...
October 3, 2015
Crushed is probably the best written Katherine Garbera book that I've read. Fast paced and packed with action, it will suit readers who enjoy watching damaged heroes (and heroines for that matter) heal themselves and learn to trust. Set in San Clemente, Crushed tells the story of former navy SEAL Heath Connelly, Con to his friends, and Mia Santos.
Both Con and Mia have had tough backgrounds. Con, the son of a crack-addicted mother, has spent his early years being moved from one unfavourable foster home to the next with stints in juvenile detention in between. It isn't until he meets Preach, a former Catholic priest, that he starts to turn his life around, though now he's back in San Clemente he's still got demons to deal with. Trust is something that he struggles to give to anybody.
Mia has also had a less than normal childhood. The daughter of a Mexican drug baron, she has grown up in a big expensive house, being treated like a princess but not loved like a daughter. Throw these two together and sparks do fly! The sex is steamy, at times rough and very frequent, but entirely appropriate in this setting.
I have to say the setting does nothing for me. I'm a small town country girl and San Clemente seems to be a town full of gangs, drugs, shoot-outs and violence, but set on the southern Californian coast, there is the appeal of the surf, which is apparently plentiful. If that's your thing, you'll feel right at home.
The plot is well developed and while I struggled to like the characters, I couldn't put the book down, and had it finished in a matter of hours. Katherine Garbera has done a good job with this one and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Both Con and Mia have had tough backgrounds. Con, the son of a crack-addicted mother, has spent his early years being moved from one unfavourable foster home to the next with stints in juvenile detention in between. It isn't until he meets Preach, a former Catholic priest, that he starts to turn his life around, though now he's back in San Clemente he's still got demons to deal with. Trust is something that he struggles to give to anybody.
Mia has also had a less than normal childhood. The daughter of a Mexican drug baron, she has grown up in a big expensive house, being treated like a princess but not loved like a daughter. Throw these two together and sparks do fly! The sex is steamy, at times rough and very frequent, but entirely appropriate in this setting.
I have to say the setting does nothing for me. I'm a small town country girl and San Clemente seems to be a town full of gangs, drugs, shoot-outs and violence, but set on the southern Californian coast, there is the appeal of the surf, which is apparently plentiful. If that's your thing, you'll feel right at home.
The plot is well developed and while I struggled to like the characters, I couldn't put the book down, and had it finished in a matter of hours. Katherine Garbera has done a good job with this one and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
February 19, 2017
What a ride!!
What a ride this book is!! This former Navy Seal cobbled together a family growing up on the streets and now he will do anything to keep them and the girl he's always wanted safe. No matter what.
What a ride this book is!! This former Navy Seal cobbled together a family growing up on the streets and now he will do anything to keep them and the girl he's always wanted safe. No matter what.
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