What do you think?
Rate this book
Burnout #1
Shooter
Chris "Shooter" Sullivan has returned to his home town of Rapid City, South Dakota to pick up the pieces of his life shattered by a roadside bomb in Iraq. He only wants to focus on holding what's left of his old unit together, running his garage where he builds custom bikes and cars, and pretending that his murdered father's motorcycle gang doesn't exist.
Hayley Turner is a young woman with her own traumatic past. Fresh off the bus from Nowhere, USA, all she wants is a job and a place to live, until it's time for her to leave again. She doesn't want to make friends, or enemies, least of all the ex-Army Ranger who obviously doesn't like her. She bristles under his watchful eye. He's even got her convinced she's bad news.
But circumstances force two people who don't need anyone to need each other more and more. The more Chris gets to know Hayley, the harder it is to stay detached. And the more Hayley gets to know Chris, the more she realizes she's been alone for so long she might never recover from it.
Hayley Turner is a young woman with her own traumatic past. Fresh off the bus from Nowhere, USA, all she wants is a job and a place to live, until it's time for her to leave again. She doesn't want to make friends, or enemies, least of all the ex-Army Ranger who obviously doesn't like her. She bristles under his watchful eye. He's even got her convinced she's bad news.
But circumstances force two people who don't need anyone to need each other more and more. The more Chris gets to know Hayley, the harder it is to stay detached. And the more Hayley gets to know Chris, the more she realizes she's been alone for so long she might never recover from it.
334 pages, Paperback
First published October 4, 2013
528 people are currently reading
5725 people want to read
About the author
Dahlia West
24 books945 followersAmateur Writer. Professional Procrastinator. Voted Least Likely to Succeed in high school. Twice. Dean's list-Purdue University. Honorary Southerner. Future stand-up comedian. Gen X.
www.dahliawest.com
DahliaMWest@gmail.com
Follow me on IG: dahlia_west_13
www.dahliawest.com
DahliaMWest@gmail.com
Follow me on IG: dahlia_west_13
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 838 reviews
August 31, 2016
I must say I really enjoyed this one. Not sure how I came across it as not many of my friends have read it.
Hayley is on the run. She stays a few months in a place and and then moves on again… When she arrives in Rapids she feels at home. She has a run-in with Chris Sullivan (has to be a bit of Irish in there). They get off on the wrong foot. He thinks she is up to no good – he calls her “Slick”!
He starts off being a right Ass – yep, love those types. But she ends up renting a house from him and living next door to him. They end up spending a lot of time together. Loved the build up of their friendship.
Chris as been on three tours overseas with the military. He has a good bunch of friends. There is an MC (Motorclycle Club) in the area but he is not a member.
He runs a Bike repair shop.
Loved his friends.
There is a bit of suspense and mystery surrounding Hayley’s past.
Overall, a very good read. Look forward to reading about the rest of the guys in the next few books.
Hayley is on the run. She stays a few months in a place and and then moves on again… When she arrives in Rapids she feels at home. She has a run-in with Chris Sullivan (has to be a bit of Irish in there). They get off on the wrong foot. He thinks she is up to no good – he calls her “Slick”!
Christ, she was such a fucking miracle. A thing he hadn’t known he’d needed and and no explanation for, but couldn’t let go of now for any price.
He starts off being a right Ass – yep, love those types. But she ends up renting a house from him and living next door to him. They end up spending a lot of time together. Loved the build up of their friendship.
Chris as been on three tours overseas with the military. He has a good bunch of friends. There is an MC (Motorclycle Club) in the area but he is not a member.
There’s my girl
He runs a Bike repair shop.
Loved his friends.
There is a bit of suspense and mystery surrounding Hayley’s past.
Overall, a very good read. Look forward to reading about the rest of the guys in the next few books.
It felt good to please him. This was true, but she was struck by how much it pleased her, as well
I’M FINALLY HOME
December 26, 2023
I didn't like this book. Mostly because, most of the time I was just in limbo waiting for the unrelated heroine's sad backstory and when it finally came, I felt nothing.
It's ironic because the heroine's name is Sarah and MY name is Sarah but she just left me uncaring.
The hero didn't have any chemistry with her, I couldn't even feel it even when they were having sex.
Just overall underwhelmed with this book,
Hope the next one is better.
It's ironic because the heroine's name is Sarah and MY name is Sarah but she just left me uncaring.
The hero didn't have any chemistry with her, I couldn't even feel it even when they were having sex.
Just overall underwhelmed with this book,
Hope the next one is better.
January 20, 2018
3.75 Stars
Overall Opinion: I have had this in my (huge and ever growing) tbr list for a long time, but for some reason I put off on reading it.
First off -- I agree wholeheartedly with other reviewers that this is not a biker/mc romance. Yes, the H has a motorcycle. Yes, he also has a garage and works on motorcycles and cars. And yes, the H grew up in an mc and has loose ties to the local mc. BUT that is not the focus at all. He is not a member of the mc, and even though there are a few interactions with the mc -- it is not really important to the story. So, please don't go into this looking for an mc romance (especially after looking at the cover). I would say it was more about him being an (ex) Army Ranger and his military buddies. It also is mainly focused on the h and her moving all around with no identity and an obvious traumatic past.
I did enjoy it. I liked the build-up from being hesitant and untrusting of each other - to friends - to more. It is probably considered a "slow burn", but where I normally am bothered by those I felt like it worked well here.
I would've preferred a farther glimpse into their future, but with this being the first book in a series I am hopeful that I will see them in the other books in the series (and yes, I do want to continue the series). I was also a little frustrated with the OW drama. Those two reasons had me lower my rating, but I'm still happy I finally read it!
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Hayley and Chris's story. They meet when Hayley arrives in a new town and ends up renting a small house of Chris's. He is hesitant at first to trust her, and she has major trust issues because of her past. Chris lives next door to the rental and through food and more visits they form a friendship along with his military buddies, but they share a secret attraction that causes a stronger connection to form. After a while of denying their connection, they give in and fall in love. There are some big secrets revealed, some sexy times, some suspenseful moments, and some great friendships formed...and they get a HEA.
POV: This alternated between focusing on Hayley and Chris in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed, and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H rating: 3 stars. Chris. He had me conflicted. I didn't like some of his behavior , but I appreciated how he cared for the h.
h rating: 4 stars. Hayley. I liked her. I felt bad for her past, but I appreciated her smarts and how she was strong regardless of what happened to her.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW/OM drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: Not technically
Cheating: Borderline, but probably not technically cheating
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had pretty good closure with what I would call a HEA. I would've preferred a farther glimpse into their future, but it was still pretty good .
Safety: This one should be either Safe with exception or Not Safe for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences.
Overall Opinion: I have had this in my (huge and ever growing) tbr list for a long time, but for some reason I put off on reading it.
First off -- I agree wholeheartedly with other reviewers that this is not a biker/mc romance. Yes, the H has a motorcycle. Yes, he also has a garage and works on motorcycles and cars. And yes, the H grew up in an mc and has loose ties to the local mc. BUT that is not the focus at all. He is not a member of the mc, and even though there are a few interactions with the mc -- it is not really important to the story. So, please don't go into this looking for an mc romance (especially after looking at the cover). I would say it was more about him being an (ex) Army Ranger and his military buddies. It also is mainly focused on the h and her moving all around with no identity and an obvious traumatic past.
I did enjoy it. I liked the build-up from being hesitant and untrusting of each other - to friends - to more. It is probably considered a "slow burn", but where I normally am bothered by those I felt like it worked well here.
I would've preferred a farther glimpse into their future, but with this being the first book in a series I am hopeful that I will see them in the other books in the series (and yes, I do want to continue the series). I was also a little frustrated with the OW drama. Those two reasons had me lower my rating, but I'm still happy I finally read it!
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Hayley and Chris's story. They meet when Hayley arrives in a new town and ends up renting a small house of Chris's. He is hesitant at first to trust her, and she has major trust issues because of her past. Chris lives next door to the rental and through food and more visits they form a friendship along with his military buddies, but they share a secret attraction that causes a stronger connection to form. After a while of denying their connection, they give in and fall in love. There are some big secrets revealed, some sexy times, some suspenseful moments, and some great friendships formed...and they get a HEA.
POV: This alternated between focusing on Hayley and Chris in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed, and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H rating: 3 stars. Chris. He had me conflicted. I didn't like some of his behavior , but I appreciated how he cared for the h.
h rating: 4 stars. Hayley. I liked her. I felt bad for her past, but I appreciated her smarts and how she was strong regardless of what happened to her.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW/OM drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: Not technically
Cheating: Borderline, but probably not technically cheating
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had pretty good closure with what I would call a HEA. I would've preferred a farther glimpse into their future, but it was still pretty good .
Safety: This one should be either Safe with exception or Not Safe for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences.
December 26, 2013
4 Shooter Stars!!
Hayley aka Slick has just arrived in Rapid City, South Dakota off a bus. The first thing she needs to do is find a job and a place to stay. After securing a job at a bar, she is offered a place to live by Chris aka Shooter. Hayley is definitely skittish with a mysterious past and Chris is definitely wary of her, but after living next door to each other for awhile and getting to know each other, the sexual tension between them grows.
Hayley has been running from her past for five years and never stays in one place longer than six months before moving on, but after making some friends and being with Chris, she finds herself wanting to stay put for the first time in a long time. Will the danger from her past catch up to her?
Chris is an ex-Army Ranger and now owns a custom bike shop, Burnout. He finds himself wanting Hayley to confide in him. He wants to keep her safe and protect her.
"You...you live Hayley. I've never seen anyone live like you. The food and the baths and the way you are when you see the stars or a sunrise or have an orgasm. Even when we're just kissing. It's like there's nothing else happening in the world around us. You get so much out of such a small life."
The first part of the book was a little slow going for me but it did keep my interest. All in all, this was a great romantic mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Hayley aka Slick has just arrived in Rapid City, South Dakota off a bus. The first thing she needs to do is find a job and a place to stay. After securing a job at a bar, she is offered a place to live by Chris aka Shooter. Hayley is definitely skittish with a mysterious past and Chris is definitely wary of her, but after living next door to each other for awhile and getting to know each other, the sexual tension between them grows.
Hayley has been running from her past for five years and never stays in one place longer than six months before moving on, but after making some friends and being with Chris, she finds herself wanting to stay put for the first time in a long time. Will the danger from her past catch up to her?
Chris is an ex-Army Ranger and now owns a custom bike shop, Burnout. He finds himself wanting Hayley to confide in him. He wants to keep her safe and protect her.
"You...you live Hayley. I've never seen anyone live like you. The food and the baths and the way you are when you see the stars or a sunrise or have an orgasm. Even when we're just kissing. It's like there's nothing else happening in the world around us. You get so much out of such a small life."
The first part of the book was a little slow going for me but it did keep my interest. All in all, this was a great romantic mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
January 5, 2014
4-4.5 Stars
This was an enjoyable, super solid read. Good plot, great main characters, and a great ensemble "cast."
I'm always a sucker for a series featuring a band of brotherhood (in whatever form) and this one even comes complete with cheesy, cliched nicknames. Tex? Check. HAWK? Of course. And the ever present "medic" character dubbed Doc? You bet your ass.
So unoriginal. So laughably trite. And yet SO right up my alley! For some reason, this all worked for me with this one. The writing was great and the dialogue was seamless. It was an all in all well rounded read.
I don't want to include any spoilers since the main female character's origins are all supposed to be super mysterious and all, but if you are looking for a solidly entertaining read with touches of military spice and intrigue and little to no angst, this one's for you.
This was an enjoyable, super solid read. Good plot, great main characters, and a great ensemble "cast."
I'm always a sucker for a series featuring a band of brotherhood (in whatever form) and this one even comes complete with cheesy, cliched nicknames. Tex? Check. HAWK? Of course. And the ever present "medic" character dubbed Doc? You bet your ass.
So unoriginal. So laughably trite. And yet SO right up my alley! For some reason, this all worked for me with this one. The writing was great and the dialogue was seamless. It was an all in all well rounded read.
I don't want to include any spoilers since the main female character's origins are all supposed to be super mysterious and all, but if you are looking for a solidly entertaining read with touches of military spice and intrigue and little to no angst, this one's for you.
January 11, 2015
4.5 Stars!!
WOW. CONSIDER ME IMPRESSED! Read this book in one sitting and could NOT put it down.
So instead of writing a full and boring review, here is how I felt throughout the book (as told by gifs so that you can't roll your eyes at this review and mutter; ughhhh too long, didn't read...):
how I felt during one of Hayley/Slicks many bitch-fits over things that were supposed to be taken as a joke...
how I felt about Tex, Hawk, Easy, and Doc
how I felt about Chris/Shooter
how I felt about any scene involving Deanna
how I felt when I realized that Hayley/Slick had every reason to overreact to things after hearing her story and that I judged her WAY too harshly throughout MOST of the book
but seriously, all jokes aside...
There was one scene in particular that is hands down one of the most emotional and has become one of my favorite scenes I have ever read...
One of Chris' friends, Easy, is not coping with being home from the war very well and is just miserable. While over thier house one night, Easy was just acting like a complete jackass and was pretty much insinuating that he wished he died instead of being where he is now. In walks Slick...with a gun. She goes up to him with a gun in her hands and discusses the pros and cons of him taking his life. She uses what happened to her as an example. Up until this point, we did not know the full extent of Slick's story and when she divulges what happened to her..it is utterly heartbreaking. Seriously a POWERFUL powerful scene. Hands down one of my favorite scenes in a book.
I HIGHLY recommend this book to my fellow romance novel readers. Only, this novel went far beyond the typical romance book because, DAMN, this book was emotional, funny at times, and not to mention RAW. No fake emotions here...no insta-love...just real LOVE and in return, I LOVED it.
WOW. CONSIDER ME IMPRESSED! Read this book in one sitting and could NOT put it down.
So instead of writing a full and boring review, here is how I felt throughout the book (as told by gifs so that you can't roll your eyes at this review and mutter; ughhhh too long, didn't read...):
how I felt during one of Hayley/Slicks many bitch-fits over things that were supposed to be taken as a joke...
how I felt about Tex, Hawk, Easy, and Doc
how I felt about Chris/Shooter
how I felt about any scene involving Deanna
how I felt when I realized that Hayley/Slick had every reason to overreact to things after hearing her story and that I judged her WAY too harshly throughout MOST of the book
but seriously, all jokes aside...
There was one scene in particular that is hands down one of the most emotional and has become one of my favorite scenes I have ever read...
One of Chris' friends, Easy, is not coping with being home from the war very well and is just miserable. While over thier house one night, Easy was just acting like a complete jackass and was pretty much insinuating that he wished he died instead of being where he is now. In walks Slick...with a gun. She goes up to him with a gun in her hands and discusses the pros and cons of him taking his life. She uses what happened to her as an example. Up until this point, we did not know the full extent of Slick's story and when she divulges what happened to her..it is utterly heartbreaking. Seriously a POWERFUL powerful scene. Hands down one of my favorite scenes in a book.
I HIGHLY recommend this book to my fellow romance novel readers. Only, this novel went far beyond the typical romance book because, DAMN, this book was emotional, funny at times, and not to mention RAW. No fake emotions here...no insta-love...just real LOVE and in return, I LOVED it.
January 24, 2021
Shooter is entertaining. I love the back and forth banter between Chris and Hailey. They are so cute toegther. Miss West gives me enough dose of sassy banter. It lighten .y mood during glummy sunday.
Miss West is now my favorite author for MC romance. I like her writing style. It is light plot less gritty for MC romance. I usually like my MC to be dark, gritty and heart breaking. To my surprise, Miss West done a great job in Shooter.
I definetly wantinf more from this series.
4 stars
Miss West is now my favorite author for MC romance. I like her writing style. It is light plot less gritty for MC romance. I usually like my MC to be dark, gritty and heart breaking. To my surprise, Miss West done a great job in Shooter.
I definetly wantinf more from this series.
4 stars
consider-later
March 29, 2015
FREE on Amazon US today (3/28/2815)
Stand-alone book 1.
BLURB:
Chris “Shooter” Sullivan has returned to his home town of Rapid City, South Dakota to pick up the pieces of his life shattered by a roadside bomb in Iraq. He only wants to focus on holding what’s left of his old unit together, running his garage where he builds custom bikes and cars, and pretending that his murdered father’s motorcycle gang doesn’t exist.
Hayley Turner is a young woman with her own traumatic past. Fresh off the bus from Nowhere, USA, all she wants is a job and a place to live, until it’s time for her to leave again. She doesn’t want to make friends, or enemies, least of all the ex-Army Ranger who obviously doesn’t like her. She bristles under his watchful eye. He’s even got her convinced she’s bad news.
But circumstances force two people who don’t need anyone to need each other more and more. The more Chris gets to know Hayley, the harder it is to stay detached. And the more Hayley gets to know Chris, the more she realizes she’s been alone for so long she might never recover from it.
http://www.amazon.com/Shooter-Burnout...
FREEBIES are often good for MORE than one day, I have gathered all my FREEBIES on a special shelf: Kindle-freebies (currently over 400 books)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
January 9, 2015
This was a sexy, fun read ! I'm definitely continuing this series and am really excited about the stories for the seriously wonderful cast of characters. Intrigue ❤️
Ladies there's another Hawk for us to love up on and I'm digging in!
Ladies there's another Hawk for us to love up on and I'm digging in!
November 18, 2014
4 Fabulous Freebie Stars! Lots of yummy men wrapped up in a delicious story!
This is one of those books that keeps you from doing the basic things in life...like sleeping, eating, taking a shower...I found it very hard to put this one down. I was in the grocery store annoyed with myself that I left Shooter at home, and was doing a menial task like buying food when all those men were waiting for me to read their story! Who needs food anyway?!
One of the things I loved about this book was the slow build to the relationship between Chris and Hayley, friends first, then lovers. Also, the way the men circled around Hayley and put up a protective shield to keep her safe. Chris might have been "in love" with Hayley, but all the men that befriended her, loved her in their own way.
I could have done without the motorcycle club aspect of the story, it didn't make sense or fit into the overall plot, and it might have gone on a tad too long for my taste. But overall, an absorbing read with some great (actually pretty damn scrumptious since most of them are men) characters, excitement, steamy sex and an ending that will make you swoon!
I appreciate the fact that this was a freebie, but I would have shelled money out for this book. Also, I believe this was the author's debut book, but don't quote me on that, and if Shooter is any indication of what we can expect from her in the future, it's very promising!
January 16, 2014
Though I feel like there's something a bit “off” with the way the book was written, I ended up enjoying it. I really liked how the book was not only focused on Hayley and Chris, but it was also focused on his relationship with his friends, which I love! Just the banter between them cracks me up!
These guys just teased each other like there's no tomorrow! Though they disagree sometimes, they will always have each other's back.
The slow building of Chris and Hayley’s relationship was actually good. I like that they were friends first and foremost.
Hayley’s traumatic past just keeps on haunting her and it seems like she can never move forward. Though Hayley can be a bit annoying at times, I liked how she finally gains her self-esteem little by little as the story unfolds. And, though Chris has his own demons I love how he bend over backwards just to assure and please Hayley.
Aside from this story having mystery and a bit of suspense, it also has steam and humor which I definitely enjoyed.
These guys just teased each other like there's no tomorrow! Though they disagree sometimes, they will always have each other's back.
The slow building of Chris and Hayley’s relationship was actually good. I like that they were friends first and foremost.
“Don’t look at my butt”
“Don’t watch me mow the lawn”
Hayley’s traumatic past just keeps on haunting her and it seems like she can never move forward. Though Hayley can be a bit annoying at times, I liked how she finally gains her self-esteem little by little as the story unfolds. And, though Chris has his own demons I love how he bend over backwards just to assure and please Hayley.
Aside from this story having mystery and a bit of suspense, it also has steam and humor which I definitely enjoyed.
April 25, 2019
3.5* and spoilers ahead
Hayley moves to town desperate for a job. She's hired by Maria who suggested to Chris that he rent his empty house to Hayley. From.the beginning we know Hayley/Sarah had been through something traumatic,as the story progressed we find out the horror she'd survived.
Chris/Shooter is an ex army ranger who now owns a motorcycle shop where he does custom.builds along with his now retired rangers team. He and Hayley get off to a rough start as he thinks she's running a con. Eventually they build a friendship as he realizes that she had to have been raped in her past. They build slowly from.friends to lovers.
It took a but for me to get into this, the beginning was slow and the writing style very different to my usual reads. When it picked up though, it got going really well.
While Chris and Hayley became friends she !made it clear that she couldn't offer more, at that time just the thought of sex had her feeling to retch. Though they were friends only the feelings were already developing which is why I was royally pissed that Chris had sex with the skank whore. I couldn't blame him.but I was very upset. Then when said whore said some very vile things to Hayley I wanted to punch Chris in his dumb dick. Alas in all fairness I had to let go of my rage as he apologized to Hayley and from the moment they get together he never thought of straying.
Chris was very sweet and understanding to Hayley most times, he was a jerk on occasion and made a couple dumb mistakes but he was ok as a bbf. My problem was just that he wasn't quite as Alpha as I like. That however was entirely a me issue.
A couple times they'd have an argument and stay away from each other abruptly which i found really immature because the issues could've been cleared up.with communication.
I liked Hayley/Sarah for the most part, the things she'd been through had me in tears and I found her an admirable h. Seeing her retake control of her life was a thing of beauty.She did run off crying a bit too much but thats a me issue.
The evil ow returned and made a play for Chris, as he attempted to teach her a lesson he flipped up her skirt, unbuckled his jeans and bent her over his desk. I thought a slap to her face would've gotten his message across way better but again that's a me issue
The evil bad guy made a return and though I usually don't like my mmc looking incompetent in this case I was contented as Hayley killed the raping bastard in self defense.
There were a couple of things that were glossed over that I would've liked an explanation for.
All the guys were great and loved Sarah but Tex was my favorite of all the secondary characters
The ending was a bit abrupt with.no.epilogue but as the series continues I'm hopeful we'll see this couple again.
All in all, although I had some issues I genuinely enjoyed this book and will try others in the series.
Hayley moves to town desperate for a job. She's hired by Maria who suggested to Chris that he rent his empty house to Hayley. From.the beginning we know Hayley/Sarah had been through something traumatic,as the story progressed we find out the horror she'd survived.
Chris/Shooter is an ex army ranger who now owns a motorcycle shop where he does custom.builds along with his now retired rangers team. He and Hayley get off to a rough start as he thinks she's running a con. Eventually they build a friendship as he realizes that she had to have been raped in her past. They build slowly from.friends to lovers.
It took a but for me to get into this, the beginning was slow and the writing style very different to my usual reads. When it picked up though, it got going really well.
While Chris and Hayley became friends she !made it clear that she couldn't offer more, at that time just the thought of sex had her feeling to retch. Though they were friends only the feelings were already developing which is why I was royally pissed that Chris had sex with the skank whore. I couldn't blame him.but I was very upset. Then when said whore said some very vile things to Hayley I wanted to punch Chris in his dumb dick. Alas in all fairness I had to let go of my rage as he apologized to Hayley and from the moment they get together he never thought of straying.
Chris was very sweet and understanding to Hayley most times, he was a jerk on occasion and made a couple dumb mistakes but he was ok as a bbf. My problem was just that he wasn't quite as Alpha as I like. That however was entirely a me issue.
A couple times they'd have an argument and stay away from each other abruptly which i found really immature because the issues could've been cleared up.with communication.
I liked Hayley/Sarah for the most part, the things she'd been through had me in tears and I found her an admirable h. Seeing her retake control of her life was a thing of beauty.She did run off crying a bit too much but thats a me issue.
The evil ow returned and made a play for Chris, as he attempted to teach her a lesson he flipped up her skirt, unbuckled his jeans and bent her over his desk. I thought a slap to her face would've gotten his message across way better but again that's a me issue
The evil bad guy made a return and though I usually don't like my mmc looking incompetent in this case I was contented as Hayley killed the raping bastard in self defense.
There were a couple of things that were glossed over that I would've liked an explanation for.
All the guys were great and loved Sarah but Tex was my favorite of all the secondary characters
The ending was a bit abrupt with.no.epilogue but as the series continues I'm hopeful we'll see this couple again.
All in all, although I had some issues I genuinely enjoyed this book and will try others in the series.
November 5, 2017
2.5 stars
This is a hard one to rate for me. I was really enjoying it up to around the 30-40% mark and the author had to go and include a scene where the hero and his friends turn into d-bags toward a woman obviously just created to make our heroine look better and create some completely unnecessary angst. I disliked it enough that I seriously thought about dnf-ing because I'm sick of stuff like that. Also, if you have a problem with your hero sleeping with someone other than the heroine, there's a moment you're going to hate, author doesn't show scene but reader gets clear idea on what happened. It was such an odd scene because the only time the hero and his friends displayed this attitude was the one scene but talk about leaving a distaste in my mouth.
Anyway, the first half had some really fun contemporary moments.
Ex.:
“So,” Chris said, leaning on his cart. “If I’m not a pirate king or a highlander, what kind of romance novel character am I?”
The checkout girl looked him up and down. “Definitely contemporary. Maybe a fireman or-”
“Army Ranger?” Chris asked teasingly.
The girl picked up a sales flier and fanned herself. “Lord, girl you snagged yourself an Army man?”
“Landlord,” Slick repeated. “Land. Lord. No snagging.”
“We’re having lunch today,” Chris told the checkout girl. “She’s making roast beef sandwiches.”
“There was a sale,” Slick whined. “I like roast beef.”
The checkout girl shook her head. “Girl, you like some kind of beef, I’ll give you that. You take that man home and get some beef, okay?”
A little meta-ness with discussing the heroine's love of romance books and their heroes and some cuteness with Chris our hero actually being a former Army Ranger.
I thought the second half dragged on with too many sex scenes, this could have been edited down about 20% as far as I'm concerned. It would have made the danger Hayley was in feel more prominent and kept the story engaging. Hayley also turned into some kind of Mary Sue/Leave It to Beaver mom that made me wonder if her character was written from a male gaze. Chris stayed the same throughout and while at sometimes seemed one dimensional, he broke out enough times to make him interesting.
Overall, I liked this but the slut shaming and general d-bag attitude towards a woman character was not endearing, at all. The story needed to be edited, would have liked the female characters as complexly written as the male, the serial killer plot could have been formed and strung through better, and the writing could have been cleaned up a bit. Chris' friends are clearly serial bait but their different stories and attitudes have me hooked and I'll give the second book in the series a try.
This is a hard one to rate for me. I was really enjoying it up to around the 30-40% mark and the author had to go and include a scene where the hero and his friends turn into d-bags toward a woman obviously just created to make our heroine look better and create some completely unnecessary angst. I disliked it enough that I seriously thought about dnf-ing because I'm sick of stuff like that. Also, if you have a problem with your hero sleeping with someone other than the heroine, there's a moment you're going to hate, author doesn't show scene but reader gets clear idea on what happened. It was such an odd scene because the only time the hero and his friends displayed this attitude was the one scene but talk about leaving a distaste in my mouth.
Anyway, the first half had some really fun contemporary moments.
Ex.:
“So,” Chris said, leaning on his cart. “If I’m not a pirate king or a highlander, what kind of romance novel character am I?”
The checkout girl looked him up and down. “Definitely contemporary. Maybe a fireman or-”
“Army Ranger?” Chris asked teasingly.
The girl picked up a sales flier and fanned herself. “Lord, girl you snagged yourself an Army man?”
“Landlord,” Slick repeated. “Land. Lord. No snagging.”
“We’re having lunch today,” Chris told the checkout girl. “She’s making roast beef sandwiches.”
“There was a sale,” Slick whined. “I like roast beef.”
The checkout girl shook her head. “Girl, you like some kind of beef, I’ll give you that. You take that man home and get some beef, okay?”
A little meta-ness with discussing the heroine's love of romance books and their heroes and some cuteness with Chris our hero actually being a former Army Ranger.
I thought the second half dragged on with too many sex scenes, this could have been edited down about 20% as far as I'm concerned. It would have made the danger Hayley was in feel more prominent and kept the story engaging. Hayley also turned into some kind of Mary Sue/Leave It to Beaver mom that made me wonder if her character was written from a male gaze. Chris stayed the same throughout and while at sometimes seemed one dimensional, he broke out enough times to make him interesting.
Overall, I liked this but the slut shaming and general d-bag attitude towards a woman character was not endearing, at all. The story needed to be edited, would have liked the female characters as complexly written as the male, the serial killer plot could have been formed and strung through better, and the writing could have been cleaned up a bit. Chris' friends are clearly serial bait but their different stories and attitudes have me hooked and I'll give the second book in the series a try.
March 9, 2014
Contradictory to the title, this was not actually a romantic suspense. It just so happened that the hero was an ex-military with a nickname 'Shooter'. There was not insta-love, insta-lust or insta-whatever, which I love.
This a story about Hayley who was running away from a horrid past. She kept skipping town every few months to avoid herself being traceable. That was until she reach Rapid City and met an ex-army guy, Chris Sullivan.
At the first sight of Hayley, Chris thought she was up to no good and probably a junkie or a con artist. So he acted like a jerk to her. But after finding out he misjudge her, he was really nice to her and worried of her well-being and convince her to rent his house next door.
From the onwards, this two strangers became great friends. We also got introduced to Chris' army buddies, Tex, Caleb, Jimmy and Hawk. All the guys were a riot and their banter was hilarious. They all worked together at Chris' garage that build custom bike. Hayley was such a great cook and Tex was totally enamoured by her. It just too bad he said Hayley was not her type because he is into BDSM. TMI, Tex!
Actually this book didn't have a dramatic plot, no angst or a suspense plot. But I got sucked into the Chris and Hayley's relationship and even the guys were all so lovable. Chris knew that Hayley had an abusive past that might caused her to be wavy of men. He didn't push her for anything more than just being there for her. He was simply amazing.
Chris is not an uber alpha male, he didn't tell Hayley what to do and chain her to him. He was protective, but not possessive. He was such a great friend and patient man. I kept waiting for him to make his move though. Despite the author writing style that didn't had heavy emphasize on the character's inner emotion/conflict, we just knew he cares for her so much. I like the fact that the author make us felt or deduced things from the characters actions and conversation alone, without putting all those emotion shit into words in our face.
Towards the end when Hayley's past resurface, it was one of the nail biting moment that I'm so worried for her. Oh gosh, the guy was totally psycho. I hope she stay safe and no revert back to her old self.
All in all, I think is a very lovely contemporary romance with a mature writing. Is a standalone with a HEA with the next book featuring a new couple.
This a story about Hayley who was running away from a horrid past. She kept skipping town every few months to avoid herself being traceable. That was until she reach Rapid City and met an ex-army guy, Chris Sullivan.
At the first sight of Hayley, Chris thought she was up to no good and probably a junkie or a con artist. So he acted like a jerk to her. But after finding out he misjudge her, he was really nice to her and worried of her well-being and convince her to rent his house next door.
From the onwards, this two strangers became great friends. We also got introduced to Chris' army buddies, Tex, Caleb, Jimmy and Hawk. All the guys were a riot and their banter was hilarious. They all worked together at Chris' garage that build custom bike. Hayley was such a great cook and Tex was totally enamoured by her. It just too bad he said Hayley was not her type because he is into BDSM. TMI, Tex!
Actually this book didn't have a dramatic plot, no angst or a suspense plot. But I got sucked into the Chris and Hayley's relationship and even the guys were all so lovable. Chris knew that Hayley had an abusive past that might caused her to be wavy of men. He didn't push her for anything more than just being there for her. He was simply amazing.
Chris is not an uber alpha male, he didn't tell Hayley what to do and chain her to him. He was protective, but not possessive. He was such a great friend and patient man. I kept waiting for him to make his move though. Despite the author writing style that didn't had heavy emphasize on the character's inner emotion/conflict, we just knew he cares for her so much. I like the fact that the author make us felt or deduced things from the characters actions and conversation alone, without putting all those emotion shit into words in our face.
Towards the end when Hayley's past resurface, it was one of the nail biting moment that I'm so worried for her. Oh gosh, the guy was totally psycho. I hope she stay safe and no revert back to her old self.
All in all, I think is a very lovely contemporary romance with a mature writing. Is a standalone with a HEA with the next book featuring a new couple.
January 16, 2022
This story was all over the place. It's not necessarily an MC book, the characters just happen to ride motorcycles. We do get a glimpse of Preacher, I read these books out of order, but highly recommend his.
This is an ex-military, murder mystery, kinda thriller, featuring a group of characters that make really poor life choices. The plot is very iffy, but overall I enjoyed the strength of the h, and despite the close calls with cheating, I thought the H was a good guy as well. He was so gentle in helping the h recover from her
Mason Lloyd did a wonderful job as narrator.
This is an ex-military, murder mystery, kinda thriller, featuring a group of characters that make really poor life choices. The plot is very iffy, but overall I enjoyed the strength of the h, and despite the close calls with cheating, I thought the H was a good guy as well. He was so gentle in helping the h recover from her
Mason Lloyd did a wonderful job as narrator.
May 3, 2014
I had to stop this book after 40% bc it didn't go anywhere. There is a good mystery with the h being on the run. We don't know who or why she is running. However, once she settles into town she becomes martha stewart. Page after page, chapter after chapter is filled with her cooking for the H and his friends. Making elaborate dishes and desserts with the guys fighting over the food. Plus, the h becomes a whiny brat bc she keeps sulking when the H and h fight over something stupid like food. This book had potential but couldn't deliver.
October 15, 2022
1.5 stars rounded up to v. generous 2
DNFed at 81%
I just didn't care any more.
At all.
It was all kind of a snoozefest.
Tbh, I am pretty surprised because when I started this book, I thought I was gonna love it.
But then, something went terribly wrong and from a great enemies-to-lovers, slow burning deliciousness as we were promised from the synopsis, we got a weird mixture of a rather clunky enemies-to- friends-to-finally-lovers with your typical OW drama and a bunch of other characters for new books.
And it was soooo boring and I wanted to dnf a few times before because there was absolutely no chemistry between the hero and the heroine.
And I mean nohing, zilch, nada!
There were no stolen glances, no need to meet or spend time together, not even one mentioning that they felt sth more than being friendly towards the other one, nothing was burning in the air and the only thing that kept me going was the style of writing.
But at that point I was sure as hell getting kinda impatient with these two.
What's better, the hero screws an OW for around half the book and then has her bent over his desk, with her ass naked and his zipper undone but eventually doesn't do anything.
That's after he already got together with the heroine.
And that deserves a bitch slap in my dictionary.
Even if he never intended to stray.
Another bummer was the whole mystery surrounding our heroine.
It started promising but it wasn't done right and after a while I realized I just didn't care anymore.
Her reasoning behind why she was on the run for over 5 years became somehow unimportant and her entire focus was on cooking and feeding the guys.
Plus, her sitting on their laps was so fucking weird, I wanted to holler.
What kind of a 25 yo woman does that? And those dudes are in their mid 30s!
The heroine wasn't my favourite either and she started annoying me by the end.
The hero and his friends were somewhat ok, I guess but their behaviour reminded me of a bunch of fishwives at a market, all nosey and gossipy.
And that was super weird and unrealistic.
Srsly, a group of tough, ex military biker men talking about cakes and their feelings and how disrespectful it is to have a calendar with nudes in your office?
Really?
I reckon the author let her imagination run wild at this point and I wouldn't be surprised if they had knitting sessions over a cup of tea in the next book.
All in all, not for me.
It did have potential to be a great book but the execution was too poor.
I'm out.
I don't think I'll continue with this series.
And the only reason it's 2 and not 1 star is the style of writing which kept me going.
Well, until it didn't.
DNFed at 81%
I just didn't care any more.
At all.
It was all kind of a snoozefest.
Tbh, I am pretty surprised because when I started this book, I thought I was gonna love it.
But then, something went terribly wrong and from a great enemies-to-lovers, slow burning deliciousness as we were promised from the synopsis, we got a weird mixture of a rather clunky enemies-to- friends-to-finally-lovers with your typical OW drama and a bunch of other characters for new books.
And it was soooo boring and I wanted to dnf a few times before because there was absolutely no chemistry between the hero and the heroine.
And I mean nohing, zilch, nada!
There were no stolen glances, no need to meet or spend time together, not even one mentioning that they felt sth more than being friendly towards the other one, nothing was burning in the air and the only thing that kept me going was the style of writing.
But at that point I was sure as hell getting kinda impatient with these two.
What's better, the hero screws an OW for around half the book and then has her bent over his desk, with her ass naked and his zipper undone but eventually doesn't do anything.
That's after he already got together with the heroine.
And that deserves a bitch slap in my dictionary.
Even if he never intended to stray.
Another bummer was the whole mystery surrounding our heroine.
It started promising but it wasn't done right and after a while I realized I just didn't care anymore.
Her reasoning behind why she was on the run for over 5 years became somehow unimportant and her entire focus was on cooking and feeding the guys.
Plus, her sitting on their laps was so fucking weird, I wanted to holler.
What kind of a 25 yo woman does that? And those dudes are in their mid 30s!
The heroine wasn't my favourite either and she started annoying me by the end.
The hero and his friends were somewhat ok, I guess but their behaviour reminded me of a bunch of fishwives at a market, all nosey and gossipy.
And that was super weird and unrealistic.
Srsly, a group of tough, ex military biker men talking about cakes and their feelings and how disrespectful it is to have a calendar with nudes in your office?
Really?
I reckon the author let her imagination run wild at this point and I wouldn't be surprised if they had knitting sessions over a cup of tea in the next book.
All in all, not for me.
It did have potential to be a great book but the execution was too poor.
I'm out.
I don't think I'll continue with this series.
And the only reason it's 2 and not 1 star is the style of writing which kept me going.
Well, until it didn't.
September 23, 2020
five million stars/5
My first use of Goodread's reread feature. I reread this book earlier this month but wasn't able to add it to my reading goal, so in love with this feature because I love rereading my favourite books! Still in love with these characters and their beautiful romance story *swoons*
My first use of Goodread's reread feature. I reread this book earlier this month but wasn't able to add it to my reading goal, so in love with this feature because I love rereading my favourite books! Still in love with these characters and their beautiful romance story *swoons*
October 4, 2022
After 8 years I decided to do a reread on this book. My rating remains at 3 stars. I really loved the first half of this book. The character development, the slowly building romance. After 50% it kinda went downhill for me. The pacing and tone abruptly changed and the H became a bonehead. What once felt like a slow-burn romance with a patient H slowly drawing out the h became a drama fest with OW, a motorcycle club, and a serial killer. The OW drama really changed my appreciation for the H and lowered my enjoyment of the book. If you're not bothered by that kind of thing, you'll probably like this book.
Safety
Looking at the other books in the series, I'm going to stop with this one.
ORIGINAL REVIEW FROM 2014
Better than average freebie. Enjoyed the relationship development from friends to more. Love the side characters. Liked the first half better than the rest.
Safety
Looking at the other books in the series, I'm going to stop with this one.
ORIGINAL REVIEW FROM 2014
Better than average freebie. Enjoyed the relationship development from friends to more. Love the side characters. Liked the first half better than the rest.
July 11, 2018
3 stars
This one is ok. At least the hot group of guys speak in full sentences when trying to communicate and were actually funny at times. Most of this series has been on sale or free over the years, so I have most of them.
I will note here - I liked Tex in this book - but I did not like him in his book Tex. For those interested, my review of Tex is here. I really did not like it.
I read another review of Shooter and gave it a chance. I read Tex first in 2014. So, it took me a while to read other books by this author.
This one is ok. At least the hot group of guys speak in full sentences when trying to communicate and were actually funny at times. Most of this series has been on sale or free over the years, so I have most of them.
I will note here - I liked Tex in this book - but I did not like him in his book Tex. For those interested, my review of Tex is here. I really did not like it.
I read another review of Shooter and gave it a chance. I read Tex first in 2014. So, it took me a while to read other books by this author.
January 4, 2023
I wanted to give the series another chance since my review of Easy was a teensy harsh, although I feel deservedly so. Some of my GF friends liked this one, so here we go.
It's hard to believe this is the same author and same series. Shooter isn't exactly Prince Charming, but other than asking the heroine some tough questions he doesn't debase her and cast aspersions on her character or sexuality. Well, not too much.
The heroine undergoes a personality transplant from quiet victim to a perkier, Southern gourmet that all the guys love. She skips over being a precious little Princess that other women just don't get thank goodness, and the banter is fun with the H and his posse of alpha males. Not sure how it all changed, but I'm not going to question an author making a character more interesting.
More humor than I expected as he succumbs to her charms totally against his will from buying her a deaf cat to allowing her into his circle of friends as a pal way before they sex it up.
There is an evil OW, and, wow, what a mouth on her. She's so bad one of his alpha male friends gets disgusted.
Turns out her backstory is intense and she takes the Royal Family approach (cough, cough) Never explain. Never complain.
It's hard to believe this is the same author and same series. Shooter isn't exactly Prince Charming, but other than asking the heroine some tough questions he doesn't debase her and cast aspersions on her character or sexuality. Well, not too much.
The heroine undergoes a personality transplant from quiet victim to a perkier, Southern gourmet that all the guys love. She skips over being a precious little Princess that other women just don't get thank goodness, and the banter is fun with the H and his posse of alpha males. Not sure how it all changed, but I'm not going to question an author making a character more interesting.
More humor than I expected as he succumbs to her charms totally against his will from buying her a deaf cat to allowing her into his circle of friends as a pal way before they sex it up.
There is an evil OW, and, wow, what a mouth on her. She's so bad one of his alpha male friends gets disgusted.
Turns out her backstory is intense and she takes the Royal Family approach (cough, cough) Never explain. Never complain.
September 25, 2017
3.5 Stars
November 27, 2015
Shooter is a contemporary romance that felt a little like an alternate universe fan fic of Kristen Ashley’s Sweet Dreams. The stories were different, but there were certain elements that reminded me very much of Sweet Dreams. There was the quirky, nosy checkout girl, the kitchen remodel , the nickname (Slick to Lauren’s Ace), the discussion of paint color, the heroine’s cooking/baking, and the sweet tea (reminded me of Lauren’s Kool-Aid). By the 60% mark I had wondered whether
All of this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. All stories inspire other stories, and many contain similar tropes. For example, who hasn't enjoyed an alternate version of Hamlet or Pride & Prejudice? However, in order for something like that to work, the characters have to take on a life of their own. This is where Shooter fails.
Hayley, the heroine, never becomes a real person. Other than her interaction with Chris and Chris’ friends, she had no true life of her own. No friends, especially with other women, in the story. Her sole activity was cooking for Chris and his crew. It would have been nice to see other aspects of her life. And, there wasn’t progression in her character or any true transformation of her own making.
Also, for the most part, Chris’ crew remained two dimensional. Their role was to be available to Chris at all times, which wasn’t realistic. While we were told they had lives outside of Chris, this never truly comes across in the story. The only ones that were somewhat fleshed out were Tex, and at times, Doc. The rest were cardboard thin. Also, the crew's protectiveness of the heroine was often over-the-top and unrealistic.
Chris, the hero, was okay. He's a jerk in the beginning, but becomes likable as the story progresses. My only issue with him is that his concern for Hayley comes out of thin air. I would have liked more interaction between him and the heroine before he developed such intense feelings of concern. The way it was done felt a bit jarring.
The last 80% of the story felt tacked on, and some of it, a bit silly. Much of it was predictable so I skimmed a little at the end.
I did find some parts of Shooter enjoyable, particularly the first portion of the story. But, by the end, the cons outweighed the positives.
Final rating: 2 stars
All of this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. All stories inspire other stories, and many contain similar tropes. For example, who hasn't enjoyed an alternate version of Hamlet or Pride & Prejudice? However, in order for something like that to work, the characters have to take on a life of their own. This is where Shooter fails.
Hayley, the heroine, never becomes a real person. Other than her interaction with Chris and Chris’ friends, she had no true life of her own. No friends, especially with other women, in the story. Her sole activity was cooking for Chris and his crew. It would have been nice to see other aspects of her life. And, there wasn’t progression in her character or any true transformation of her own making.
Also, for the most part, Chris’ crew remained two dimensional. Their role was to be available to Chris at all times, which wasn’t realistic. While we were told they had lives outside of Chris, this never truly comes across in the story. The only ones that were somewhat fleshed out were Tex, and at times, Doc. The rest were cardboard thin. Also, the crew's protectiveness of the heroine was often over-the-top and unrealistic.
Chris, the hero, was okay. He's a jerk in the beginning, but becomes likable as the story progresses. My only issue with him is that his concern for Hayley comes out of thin air. I would have liked more interaction between him and the heroine before he developed such intense feelings of concern. The way it was done felt a bit jarring.
The last 80% of the story felt tacked on, and some of it, a bit silly. Much of it was predictable so I skimmed a little at the end.
I did find some parts of Shooter enjoyable, particularly the first portion of the story. But, by the end, the cons outweighed the positives.
Final rating: 2 stars
October 1, 2015
re-read
I am much more sensitive to things in this book now than I was when I first read it. But even with that, this is a story I really enjoyed so I am not changing the rating.
Prior comments:
Was not expecting much from this book, but I really liked it! All of the guys were awesome. Shooter and Hayley were perfect!
Safety Gang - NOT safe.
I am much more sensitive to things in this book now than I was when I first read it. But even with that, this is a story I really enjoyed so I am not changing the rating.
Prior comments:
Was not expecting much from this book, but I really liked it! All of the guys were awesome. Shooter and Hayley were perfect!
Safety Gang - NOT safe.
September 15, 2018
3.5
Better than I expected!
I liked Shooter and I liked Hayley, the plot was interesting and, well, a bit unexpected (not a lot, but a bit is better than none ).
Cute, fun, an easy read and better than most romance books out there. Oh, an let's not forget the friends! What lovely friends, can't wait to try their books next.
This one's definitely worth a try though.
Better than I expected!
I liked Shooter and I liked Hayley, the plot was interesting and, well, a bit unexpected (not a lot, but a bit is better than none ).
Cute, fun, an easy read and better than most romance books out there. Oh, an let's not forget the friends! What lovely friends, can't wait to try their books next.
This one's definitely worth a try though.
December 27, 2018
HMM.. I still don't know how I feel about this book and I just finished this audio.
Shooter is the first book in the Burnout series. Now I feel like I was on a see-saw for this one.. because I couldn't stay in one mood. I went from bored, to interested, to bored, to omg is this done yet to aww.. cute ending. So many emotions/feelings for one little audio.
In it, you will either fall in love/hate with the couple: Hayley and Chris. They both have a past and end up meeting each other and falling in love. Of course their relationship throughout the book goes through some ups and downs (just like every day relationships) but at one point - I just stopped caring. I didn't care if they ended up together or not because I was just getting bored with everything. There wasn't a lot of action and even though I liked the smut.. there just wasn't enough of it.
I wanted more of something from this book.. and maybe I'm realizing that I might need to take a break from books. I feel like I'm somehow getting a bit disappointed here and there from books that I'm really excited to dive into. Or maybe I just need so many freaking good book recommendations (of any genre) to get me back into my excellent reading groove.
Send help/recommendations asap guys! I need to love reading/listening again.
Shooter is the first book in the Burnout series. Now I feel like I was on a see-saw for this one.. because I couldn't stay in one mood. I went from bored, to interested, to bored, to omg is this done yet to aww.. cute ending. So many emotions/feelings for one little audio.
In it, you will either fall in love/hate with the couple: Hayley and Chris. They both have a past and end up meeting each other and falling in love. Of course their relationship throughout the book goes through some ups and downs (just like every day relationships) but at one point - I just stopped caring. I didn't care if they ended up together or not because I was just getting bored with everything. There wasn't a lot of action and even though I liked the smut.. there just wasn't enough of it.
I wanted more of something from this book.. and maybe I'm realizing that I might need to take a break from books. I feel like I'm somehow getting a bit disappointed here and there from books that I'm really excited to dive into. Or maybe I just need so many freaking good book recommendations (of any genre) to get me back into my excellent reading groove.
Send help/recommendations asap guys! I need to love reading/listening again.
no-dnf-zzz-avoid
December 21, 2016DNF. H cheats.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2024
Super slow burn, but when they got started - it was pretty hot. Triggers listed in the review + OW/Cheating concern. Review also highly influenced by the sexy audio of Mason Lloyd. Also.... this is not a biker book.
Haley/Slick (A girl has no name IYKYK) has been on the run for the past 5 years after she was raped, stabbed, and left for dead. She arrives in Rapid City and secures herself a job as a waitress at a bar. The owner is friends with former Army Ranger/mechanic, Shooter/Chris (sexy but stupid), who just happens to have a little house available for rent. Yada yada they end up neighbors. Because of her past, Slick is wayyyyy slow on opening up to Shooter and his group of Army friends. Over half the book is them getting to know each other.
Eventually they knock boots and it's pretty hot. Especially his dirty talk. I love a good dirty talk. Eventually, her killer shows back up and there's some drama/trauma there. Spoiler for trigger:
ISSUES:
CHEATING/OW: This mofo is dumb as fucking dirt during one part. First, he does like Haley but they've not had any physical relationship and he needs a release so he calls up a prior f*ck buddy. I wasn't a fan of that, but I guess it's not fair to make him stay celibate when he's not even in a relationship with Haley. BUT.... when he and Haley are finally in a committed relationship, the former FB shows up at the shop and propositions him. He tells her no and he'd never be with her. She insists that she can give him what he wants. To prove his point that he doesn't want her, he decides to bend her over his desk, pull her dress up, and unzip his pants - all while telling her she'd only ever be a hole to f*ck and he would be calling Haley's name. He thought this would make her feel cheap and therefore not want him anymore. I was like WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!!! HOW STUPID COULD ONE PERSON BE?!?! I was ready to give this a zero because of that - then I just accepted that he's stupid, because honestly most men are stupid enough to think something like that.
CONDOMS: It's no secret I hate condoms in fics. My thing was, they've been pretty steady - so why doesn't she just get on birth control?! If disease is a concern, get tested. That doesn't make sense to me. PLUS instead of regular birth control, she just takes Plan B. I have no problem with Plan B, but seems like it shouldn't be used that often. Anyway - I just thought it was weird.
Even though it was a slow burn, I actually really enjoyed it (aside from the issues I mentioned). That's probably because I was listening to the audio which doesn't allow me to get bored. I've been in a slump lately so I'm super pumped to get a new series I like.
I would have given it a 4 if he hadn't done that crap with the OW.
Haley/Slick (A girl has no name IYKYK) has been on the run for the past 5 years after she was raped, stabbed, and left for dead. She arrives in Rapid City and secures herself a job as a waitress at a bar. The owner is friends with former Army Ranger/mechanic, Shooter/Chris (sexy but stupid), who just happens to have a little house available for rent. Yada yada they end up neighbors. Because of her past, Slick is wayyyyy slow on opening up to Shooter and his group of Army friends. Over half the book is them getting to know each other.
Eventually they knock boots and it's pretty hot. Especially his dirty talk. I love a good dirty talk. Eventually, her killer shows back up and there's some drama/trauma there. Spoiler for trigger:
ISSUES:
CHEATING/OW: This mofo is dumb as fucking dirt during one part. First, he does like Haley but they've not had any physical relationship and he needs a release so he calls up a prior f*ck buddy. I wasn't a fan of that, but I guess it's not fair to make him stay celibate when he's not even in a relationship with Haley. BUT.... when he and Haley are finally in a committed relationship, the former FB shows up at the shop and propositions him. He tells her no and he'd never be with her. She insists that she can give him what he wants. To prove his point that he doesn't want her, he decides to bend her over his desk, pull her dress up, and unzip his pants - all while telling her she'd only ever be a hole to f*ck and he would be calling Haley's name. He thought this would make her feel cheap and therefore not want him anymore. I was like WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!!! HOW STUPID COULD ONE PERSON BE?!?! I was ready to give this a zero because of that - then I just accepted that he's stupid, because honestly most men are stupid enough to think something like that.
CONDOMS: It's no secret I hate condoms in fics. My thing was, they've been pretty steady - so why doesn't she just get on birth control?! If disease is a concern, get tested. That doesn't make sense to me. PLUS instead of regular birth control, she just takes Plan B. I have no problem with Plan B, but seems like it shouldn't be used that often. Anyway - I just thought it was weird.
Even though it was a slow burn, I actually really enjoyed it (aside from the issues I mentioned). That's probably because I was listening to the audio which doesn't allow me to get bored. I've been in a slump lately so I'm super pumped to get a new series I like.
I would have given it a 4 if he hadn't done that crap with the OW.
December 31, 2014
This really isn't considered to be a MC book there is a club there but there is no big involvement in that respect. This is romantic suspense. 3.5 Shooting Stars.
Hayley Turner is on the run from some pure evil she ends up in Rapid City and gets a job as a waitress. So far she is staying in the local motal rat infested shit hole. Maria the owner of the bar introduces Hayley to Shooter as he is looking for a tenant. Chris "Shooter" Sullivan is an ex Army Ranger and has moved back to RC wiith his unit. He doesn't trust Hayley aka Slick and tells her that is until he has to swallow crow as it turns out his wrong. Hayley and Shooter get to know one another so they spend time together although he only ever says "It's just lunch" to his buddies. His buddies are Tex, Doc, Hawk and Easy. They'll get their own book. In the end Hayley does move in next door. Chris gets Hayley a white poofy ninja that he wants to sic on the postman Mr. Tibbs but Peppermint is deaf or according to the unit defective. Hayley is a strong character in this book although she did grate on my nerves. But I loved what she did with Easy so that was really cool how she bared her soul to everyone. Ms. West did confuse me though when using the real names and the nicknames.
This book was really well written and I really really did enjoy it. I might read the rest of the series although this was the only one I was interested in. I might also skip Tex's book as I don't thing it will my cuppa.
Hayley Turner is on the run from some pure evil she ends up in Rapid City and gets a job as a waitress. So far she is staying in the local motal rat infested shit hole. Maria the owner of the bar introduces Hayley to Shooter as he is looking for a tenant. Chris "Shooter" Sullivan is an ex Army Ranger and has moved back to RC wiith his unit. He doesn't trust Hayley aka Slick and tells her that is until he has to swallow crow as it turns out his wrong. Hayley and Shooter get to know one another so they spend time together although he only ever says "It's just lunch" to his buddies. His buddies are Tex, Doc, Hawk and Easy. They'll get their own book. In the end Hayley does move in next door. Chris gets Hayley a white poofy ninja that he wants to sic on the postman Mr. Tibbs but Peppermint is deaf or according to the unit defective. Hayley is a strong character in this book although she did grate on my nerves. But I loved what she did with Easy so that was really cool how she bared her soul to everyone. Ms. West did confuse me though when using the real names and the nicknames.
This book was really well written and I really really did enjoy it. I might read the rest of the series although this was the only one I was interested in. I might also skip Tex's book as I don't thing it will my cuppa.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 838 reviews