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USA Today bestselling author Megan Mulry takes readers from the sun-washed coasts of Florida to the cobbled streets of London, exploring the fresh, messy course of real love—and the courage it takes to keep it…
A beautiful stranger
It’s something about his the intense, searing blue; the focus on her—not just her body, but on Ellie herself. Those eyes hint at passion, determination, the scars of grief. But when she asks the handsome mechanic to meet her for coffee, Ellie knows nothing about him—not even his name.
What she does know is that after three years of building a decent life out of the shrapnel of tragedy, she’s ready to open up again. Ellie is a survivor. She’s willing to fight for a new happiness.
But the unforgettable Luke McCormick has wounds and contradictions of his own. He’s a maddeningly patient lover, and an insatiably passionate soul; an aristocrat and a cowboy; a man with the mark of violence on him, more gentle than anyone she’s known. And yet as Ellie and Luke unfurl the pleasures of a second chance, the terrors of the past lurk just beneath the surface.
A beautiful stranger
It’s something about his the intense, searing blue; the focus on her—not just her body, but on Ellie herself. Those eyes hint at passion, determination, the scars of grief. But when she asks the handsome mechanic to meet her for coffee, Ellie knows nothing about him—not even his name.
What she does know is that after three years of building a decent life out of the shrapnel of tragedy, she’s ready to open up again. Ellie is a survivor. She’s willing to fight for a new happiness.
But the unforgettable Luke McCormick has wounds and contradictions of his own. He’s a maddeningly patient lover, and an insatiably passionate soul; an aristocrat and a cowboy; a man with the mark of violence on him, more gentle than anyone she’s known. And yet as Ellie and Luke unfurl the pleasures of a second chance, the terrors of the past lurk just beneath the surface.
ebook
Published March 2, 2016
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About the author
Megan Mulry
16 books206 followersMegan Mulry writes sexy, stylish, romantic fiction. Her first book, A Royal Pain, was an NPR Best Book of 2012 and USA Today bestseller. Before discovering her passion for romance novels, she worked in publishing and finance in New York and London. She now lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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March 10, 2016DNF @21%, no rating. Review posted March 10, 2016
The way they met was totally plausible to me and I didn't have an issue with them meeting up to drink a coffee. What rubbed me the wrong way was how the heroine easily switched gears from being a reserved widow who didn't have any real interest in the male species and then…wham! She meets her love interest and she can hardly wait to jump his bones (I was glad that the hero reined her in and geared down). I'm sorry to say that I really didn't like her. And the hero popping his soul stuff right off the bat didn't make a lasting impression on me either. I mean, come on! Their dialogue simply didn't come off as realistic to me and felt somewhat cheesy and stilted. What actually intrigued me was the hero's complicated name and allegedly Unfortunately, though, the scene at the 21% mark killed my volition to keep on reading.
“Come check this out.” She could hardly conceal her eagerness. Luke walked across the living room and peered down into a safe about four feet deep that had what looked like about a dozen shotguns and rifles in individual nylon or leather cases. “Which one should I bring?” She was as bright and cheerful as if she were asking which boogie board to take to the beach. Luke looked from the safe into Ellie’s sparkling, mischievous eyes. She gazed up at him from her position on the floor.
“Jesus Ellie. Are you planning to start a revolution?” She looked a little crestfallen and he regretted saying anything that made that childlike glimmer fade from her eyes. He squatted down so he was closer to her face.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to put a damper on it, but seriously. This is an arsenal.”
She looked into the safe with new eyes, her hands resting in a loose clasp in her lap. “I guess it does look a bit excessive. But Rob and I just bought a few here and there and then, well, since I’ve been on my own I didn’t see the point in getting rid of his, but they’re really just pairs for any occasion.” She gave him a winsome smile that made his heart crimp. “So...I think probably the .45-70, don’t you?”
He stared at her. “Ellie. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I don’t think I could have dreamed up a more perfect you.”
The heroine's childlike glowing and mischievous attitude at the mere sight of her impressive arsenal challenged my gag reflex. Having one single arm for the purpose of self-defense is one thing, but practically bragging with an entire bloody arsenal is another matter altogether. What made matters worse was the hero's approving response. WTH? I saw her as a gun horny female lead. And, as a woman, I seriously expect more sensitivity in that regard.
As a side note
Pos. 334
"(…) I'm 43 in case you are wondering."
Pos. 816
"Of course he's legal. He's forty-five."
A good editor should have caught that mistake.
*********************************
31-year-old mom brags about her 4-year-old son who already knows how to shoot. He shot his mom in the back. Accidentally…of course.
http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/20...
The way they met was totally plausible to me and I didn't have an issue with them meeting up to drink a coffee. What rubbed me the wrong way was how the heroine easily switched gears from being a reserved widow who didn't have any real interest in the male species and then…wham! She meets her love interest and she can hardly wait to jump his bones (I was glad that the hero reined her in and geared down). I'm sorry to say that I really didn't like her. And the hero popping his soul stuff right off the bat didn't make a lasting impression on me either. I mean, come on! Their dialogue simply didn't come off as realistic to me and felt somewhat cheesy and stilted. What actually intrigued me was the hero's complicated name and allegedly Unfortunately, though, the scene at the 21% mark killed my volition to keep on reading.
“Come check this out.” She could hardly conceal her eagerness. Luke walked across the living room and peered down into a safe about four feet deep that had what looked like about a dozen shotguns and rifles in individual nylon or leather cases. “Which one should I bring?” She was as bright and cheerful as if she were asking which boogie board to take to the beach. Luke looked from the safe into Ellie’s sparkling, mischievous eyes. She gazed up at him from her position on the floor.
“Jesus Ellie. Are you planning to start a revolution?” She looked a little crestfallen and he regretted saying anything that made that childlike glimmer fade from her eyes. He squatted down so he was closer to her face.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to put a damper on it, but seriously. This is an arsenal.”
She looked into the safe with new eyes, her hands resting in a loose clasp in her lap. “I guess it does look a bit excessive. But Rob and I just bought a few here and there and then, well, since I’ve been on my own I didn’t see the point in getting rid of his, but they’re really just pairs for any occasion.” She gave him a winsome smile that made his heart crimp. “So...I think probably the .45-70, don’t you?”
He stared at her. “Ellie. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I don’t think I could have dreamed up a more perfect you.”
The heroine's childlike glowing and mischievous attitude at the mere sight of her impressive arsenal challenged my gag reflex. Having one single arm for the purpose of self-defense is one thing, but practically bragging with an entire bloody arsenal is another matter altogether. What made matters worse was the hero's approving response. WTH? I saw her as a gun horny female lead. And, as a woman, I seriously expect more sensitivity in that regard.
As a side note
Pos. 334
"(…) I'm 43 in case you are wondering."
Pos. 816
"Of course he's legal. He's forty-five."
A good editor should have caught that mistake.
*********************************
31-year-old mom brags about her 4-year-old son who already knows how to shoot. He shot his mom in the back. Accidentally…of course.
http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/20...
April 2, 2016
This passionate and emotional romance is the story of Ellie and Luke. Ellie lost her husband a few years earlier, and she finally feels like she’s ready to move on. When she catches the intense soulful eyes of Luke, a mechanic at her local garage, she makes a decision to go with her gut and ask him out. Luke has also suffered loss in his life, but something about Ellie compels him to trust her and slowly but surely they begin a passionate love affair. But where Ellie is upfront and open, Luke has secrets, ones that he holds back and shares only bit by bit. When the past catches up to them, will the love they share be enough to heal old wounds and new ones too?
This story is written in a very eloquent and picturesque manner, with settings in Florida, California and London, England that come to life. I really enjoyed the fluidity of the language and the smooth development of the romance between Luke and Ellie. Luke is a quiet and reserved man (though devastatingly handsome). It’s clear that he is the one who’ll have to make a leap of faith if he wants to have something meaningful with Ellie. Because of this he is insistent on moving slowly with Ellie, getting to know her before leaping into bed together, resulting in some lovely sexual tension between the couple. And when they do eventually end up sharing some sexy scenes, they are well worth the wait. It was a rather nice change from the typical ‘sleep together first, get to know each other later’ situation, and made their love scenes just that – love scenes, not sex scenes. Clearly they have an emotional entanglement, though what that will mean for them as the days go by is not so certain. Themes of trust, and forgiveness and family are evident throughout and I really enjoyed seeing Luke open up to Ellie and to the possibility of healing some fractured familial relationships. Ellie herself is a wonderful warm and friendly woman, with plenty of patience and good cheer to help bring Luke out of his shell and break down the barriers holding him back from having a meaningful relationship.
When I read the blurb for this story, I conveniently glossed over the line’ the terrors of the past lurk just beneath the surface’ and expected this to be a gentle but passionate second chance romance for Ellie and Luke, bittersweet with grief and sadness, but also with the goal of moving forward with their lives. And as a result, things were going along smoothly for me, until the second half, when emotionally devastating events took place that took me completely by surprise and broke my heart. If you are an easy crier, you’ll want to keep a box of tissues handy. Suffice it to say, it went in a direction I didn’t expect, and for a time, I despaired of how it could possibly come to rights. But this is a romance with an expectation for a happy ending and luckily the author comes through and finds the right way to stitch things back together – perhaps a little jagged around the edges but smoothed over with love and tender care. At the end of the story, I felt satisfied and hopeful for the future for Luke and Ellie, their relationship proof that love can overcome all obstacles. 4.5 stars for this passionate and intense story.
Note: this story was provided by the author for review.
This review appears as a blog post at: http://straightshootinbookreviews.com...
This story is written in a very eloquent and picturesque manner, with settings in Florida, California and London, England that come to life. I really enjoyed the fluidity of the language and the smooth development of the romance between Luke and Ellie. Luke is a quiet and reserved man (though devastatingly handsome). It’s clear that he is the one who’ll have to make a leap of faith if he wants to have something meaningful with Ellie. Because of this he is insistent on moving slowly with Ellie, getting to know her before leaping into bed together, resulting in some lovely sexual tension between the couple. And when they do eventually end up sharing some sexy scenes, they are well worth the wait. It was a rather nice change from the typical ‘sleep together first, get to know each other later’ situation, and made their love scenes just that – love scenes, not sex scenes. Clearly they have an emotional entanglement, though what that will mean for them as the days go by is not so certain. Themes of trust, and forgiveness and family are evident throughout and I really enjoyed seeing Luke open up to Ellie and to the possibility of healing some fractured familial relationships. Ellie herself is a wonderful warm and friendly woman, with plenty of patience and good cheer to help bring Luke out of his shell and break down the barriers holding him back from having a meaningful relationship.
When I read the blurb for this story, I conveniently glossed over the line’ the terrors of the past lurk just beneath the surface’ and expected this to be a gentle but passionate second chance romance for Ellie and Luke, bittersweet with grief and sadness, but also with the goal of moving forward with their lives. And as a result, things were going along smoothly for me, until the second half, when emotionally devastating events took place that took me completely by surprise and broke my heart. If you are an easy crier, you’ll want to keep a box of tissues handy. Suffice it to say, it went in a direction I didn’t expect, and for a time, I despaired of how it could possibly come to rights. But this is a romance with an expectation for a happy ending and luckily the author comes through and finds the right way to stitch things back together – perhaps a little jagged around the edges but smoothed over with love and tender care. At the end of the story, I felt satisfied and hopeful for the future for Luke and Ellie, their relationship proof that love can overcome all obstacles. 4.5 stars for this passionate and intense story.
He was falling in love with this woman. It was as simple and terrifying as that. Never mind the turn of her hips, or the swing of her long cinnamon hair, just her voice was enough to rearrange his organs.
“Luke, are you there?”
“Yeah, sorry. I mean, God, just the sound of your voice and I’m pretty much wrecked.”
He heard her shuffling in bed, the sounds of sheets and pillows rustling through the phone. “Really? Just my voice?”
“Don’t even start with me.” His voice came out more strident then he intended.
“Ooh. Bossy. I like it.”
Oh God. He’d kicked off his work shoes when he came in the front door and he was sitting on the edge of his low futon, his legs crossed in front of him. “You like bossy?” he asked as he settled himself back onto his pillows and stretched his legs down the length of the Japanese bed cover.
She hesitated. “I don’t know. I mean I liked it just then when you sounded bossy. I don’t know if I like bossy as a thing. Do you have a red room or something?”
He burst out laughing. “No, I don’t have a red room.” She laughed along with him until they both simmered down but he could hear from her breathy voice that getting sexy on the phone excited her.
Because he was a gentleman, he obliged her.
“Tell me what you’re wearing. And touch yourself as you describe it to me.”
“Oh, you know, I’m just…”
“And don’t pretend you stayed in your old gray T-shirt. You changed into something soft and silky while I was driving home, didn’t you?”
She inhaled and he felt his cock twitch in response.
“Yes,” she whispered.
Note: this story was provided by the author for review.
This review appears as a blog post at: http://straightshootinbookreviews.com...
July 6, 2016
I love Megan Mulry's writing. I was a little surprised at first when I didn't immediately fall in love with the story and characters. Usually I'm half way in love by the time I read the blurb, and then all the way by 25%. I fell half way for Luke and Ellie after reading the blurb, but it took me a little while to get into the book and then fall all the way in love them. It happened, but not until a little after 25% off the book.
I think what made it so hard for me to get into the book right away was because I was unsure about where the story was headed. I felt like it was going to be an erotic contemporary romance, but the characters didn't jump into bed immediately so that theory went out the window. By the time Ellie and Luke and met Luke's estranged brother, I'd long given up trying to figure out what was going on and fell into the story. Once that happened, I was all in and could not put the book down.
I'm hoping Megan will write books featuring Luke's other siblings and I also wouldn't mind reading something about Ethan and Maria.
There's a lot more I'd like to say about this book. Full review to come!
I think what made it so hard for me to get into the book right away was because I was unsure about where the story was headed. I felt like it was going to be an erotic contemporary romance, but the characters didn't jump into bed immediately so that theory went out the window. By the time Ellie and Luke and met Luke's estranged brother, I'd long given up trying to figure out what was going on and fell into the story. Once that happened, I was all in and could not put the book down.
I'm hoping Megan will write books featuring Luke's other siblings and I also wouldn't mind reading something about Ethan and Maria.
There's a lot more I'd like to say about this book. Full review to come!
March 8, 2022
Good story
I read it beginning to end. I don't usually do that. I skip chapters this one kept my interest. I looked the characters and related to them. Good construction of the characters! Good story. Really enjoyed
I read it beginning to end. I don't usually do that. I skip chapters this one kept my interest. I looked the characters and related to them. Good construction of the characters! Good story. Really enjoyed
January 26, 2016
I'll read pretty much anything by Megan Mulry, and this one didn't disappoint. With dialog that snaps and sizzles, gorgeous destinations, and a plot that keeps you turning the pages, Encore is one of my new favorites. I loved Ellie and Luke's romance and the way they're both dealing with pasts that could have left them unable to love, but still find a way with each other.
March 11, 2016
Toooo much. Seriously, just waaaay too much. Both heroine and hero have too much backstory and too much baggage.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews