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Whiskey and Lies #1
Whiskey Secrets
Sparks fly between a former cop-turned-bartender and his new innkeeper in the first installment of a Montgomery Ink spin-off series from NYT Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan.
Dare Collins is a man who knows his whiskey and women—or at least that’s what he tells himself. When his family decides to hire on a new innkeeper for the inn above his bar and restaurant, he’s more than reluctant. Especially when he meets the new hire. But he’ll soon find that he has no choice but to work with this city girl and accept her new ideas and the burning attraction between them.
Kenzie Owens left her old life and an abusive relationship behind her—or so she thought. She figures she’ll be safe in Whiskey, Pennsylvania but after one look at her new boss, Dare Collins, she might still be in danger, or at least her heart. And when her past catches up with her despite her attempts to avoid it, it’s more than her heart on the line. This time, it might mean her life.
Dare Collins is a man who knows his whiskey and women—or at least that’s what he tells himself. When his family decides to hire on a new innkeeper for the inn above his bar and restaurant, he’s more than reluctant. Especially when he meets the new hire. But he’ll soon find that he has no choice but to work with this city girl and accept her new ideas and the burning attraction between them.
Kenzie Owens left her old life and an abusive relationship behind her—or so she thought. She figures she’ll be safe in Whiskey, Pennsylvania but after one look at her new boss, Dare Collins, she might still be in danger, or at least her heart. And when her past catches up with her despite her attempts to avoid it, it’s more than her heart on the line. This time, it might mean her life.
296 pages, Paperback
First published January 2, 2018
2179 people are currently reading
5116 people want to read
About the author
Carrie Ann Ryan
268 books6,331 followersCarrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary, paranormal, and young adult romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Talon Pack, Promise Me, and Elements of Five series, which have sold millions of books worldwide. She's the winner of a RT Book of the Year and a Prism Award in her genres. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over seventy-five novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not losing herself in her emotional and action-packed worlds, she’s reading as much as she can while wrangling her clowder of cats who have more followers than she does.
The Montgomery Ink World contains the following series, though each series is a stand alone and can be read in any order. Feel free to hop around:
The Montgomery Ink Series
The Gallagher Brothers Series
The Montgomery Ink: Colorado Springs Series
The Whiskey and Lies Series
The Fractured Connections Series
The Montgomery Ink: Boulder Series
The Less Than Series
The Promise Me Series
Her Elements of Five Series is her Young Adult Romance series while her other series are all adult.
Her Talon Pack series is set in the same world as the Redwood Pack series, only 30 years later.
The Dante's Circle, Holiday, Montana, and Branded Packs series are all individual series as well.
The Montgomery Ink World contains the following series, though each series is a stand alone and can be read in any order. Feel free to hop around:
The Montgomery Ink Series
The Gallagher Brothers Series
The Montgomery Ink: Colorado Springs Series
The Whiskey and Lies Series
The Fractured Connections Series
The Montgomery Ink: Boulder Series
The Less Than Series
The Promise Me Series
Her Elements of Five Series is her Young Adult Romance series while her other series are all adult.
Her Talon Pack series is set in the same world as the Redwood Pack series, only 30 years later.
The Dante's Circle, Holiday, Montana, and Branded Packs series are all individual series as well.
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August 22, 2021
R A T I N G: 3.5 stars to Whiskey Secrets ★ ★ ★
‘And he was far too dangerous for her. She’d seen the darkness in his eyes when his brothers mentioned what he’d done before he bought out the bar. To be safe, really safe, she couldn’t touch that darkness, no matter how the embers burned and begged her to.’
“You have to stop saying things like that. We don’t like each other, remember? We’re keeping our distance.” He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. “I don’t think we were ever enemies, Kenzie. That was just a lie we told ourselves so we wouldn’t do what we just did.”
As the title attributes, Whiskey, Pennsylvania is a town that recognises the history of its name, and within Dare Collins's so called bar and restaurant, the patrons do love their flights of whiskey. We're familiar with the unreadable guy trope which our hero wears dismally, but flip that on its head and we have an unreadable heroine in Kenzie Owens too. These two are a pair of secret keepers. And at the Whiskey Inn where the drinks flow and the upmarket small-town business booms, our troubled love interests swallow down those secrets, washed down with a swill of the town's namesake.
Dare Collins is a dual business owner in a small town kept afloat by tourist intrigue. He runs the Old Whiskey Restaurant and Bar, has a steady, bustling job, tireless parents and a string of siblings who love, push and bite like every down-to-earth family. The love is strong between the Collins's but Dare only wished that were enough. He’s got chips on his shoulders and lead in his heart.
He's a trapped man. By a custody agreement that has him settling for much less than being a full-time father, and never quite recovering from the dips and craters that pushed shadows into his eyes. He's a resigned man who accepts his hand while it's the same force that punishes him where he stands. With the sense that he's always one mistake away from ruining his life and one bad choice away from losing his son.
Whiskey Inn is about to go through some major changes and Kenzie Owens is one of them. She’s hired by Dare’s parents as a provisional innkeeper to oversee this new transition. To their bartending son however, she's an unnecessary intrusion to an already established family affair. Kenzie won't let a man trumped up on his own affront shake her though because her reasons for being in Whiskey, Pennsylvania are her own. They'll also remain a secret. Composed and collected In the worksphere, she doesn't know that she'll ever be of that like in this second beginning at life.
I've been meaning to try out a Carrie Ann Ryan novel for some time now. Whiskey Secrets is the debut to the Whiskey and Lies series of standalones. It's also a spin-off to Ryan's Montgomery Ink series (which I haven't read). Dare Collins is our hero, 'ruggedly handsome and growly' by his own admission and miserably intense and Intensely miserable by my own. He's a painstaking good father who wasn't given the time and opportunity to be a great one. He's bitter about the way his life unraveled, even if he is grateful for what he has.
As for our heroine, she’s never quite known the right kind of love. She compromised a life she loved for a man who leisurely drew the spirit from her bones. After surviving a controlling relationship, Kenzie resettles in small town Whiskey, shaking off a past she had the courage to walk away from. Since life had pushed her through some disturbing years, she’s ready to reshape and begin anew. The slow burning romance in this story has real reason to burn slowly - this pair need it that way, to feel without too much feeling. It's why they agree to a relaxed benefits relationship.
The intent is always to uncomplicate what could become complicated, but you can guess where this is headed. There's a gradually rising intimacy between them - it's all gentle caution, torn feelings, resistance to crystal clear want, looks and thoughts that snake without attack. I love that we have a gruff alpha male lead who asks before the first kiss, who doesn’t push the heroine's limits and especially doesn't railroad a lady into anything she doesn't want to do. When Kenzie opens up about her past, I loved that Dare was an emotional support for her and I appreciated the desire to move slowly within the romance. This, readers, was believable representation.
While the love is strong at Whiskey Inn I wished it were stronger between Kenzie and Dare. I believed in their crawling chemistry, but when emotionally resisting characters make peace with a casual fling and eat their living, albeit confused, feelings until the near-end, we don't witness them in the throes of an actual relationship. Or even in making progressive headway. That's what I missed. It was a series of keeping it light, express flaws and intimate complications draped in longing without really talking. It also doesn't particularly fill a reader with warm fuzzies when both MCs keep referring to their relationship - or non-relationship - as a mistake.
Kenzie and Dare are both emotionally Internalised characters who aren't fantastic communicators - professionally yes, personally not as much. Dare was the bigger problem for me even so. Kenzie makes a clear effort at moving on from what maimed her, whereas Dare seems loathe to see beyond what happened to him. They want to drown some sorrows in each other? Go ahead, my lovelies. They want to feel free in a way they can both handle? I encourage you to, oh fictional ones…
I understood the character indecision, the need to play it sealed and safe, that they're not sure what they want from life anymore. Here’s what I also expected; more communication, more shape and form from them as a love pair in a romance novel, and as an added extra, just that supplemental something to make them shine. Dare especially groused and grouched with a very confused head on his shoulders. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy this romance though. I rated this solidly because the atmosphere is down-to-earth, the story consistent, the individual POVs excellently developed and the writing prompt. And those bedroom scenes? Well, they definitely satisfy.
The author doesn't weaken the realities of hard work in this story - running a business/multiple businesses and at the same time making family a priority. It's pervasive to read about heroes and heroines who magically have all the free time in world at their disposal. We know that’s not exactly how real life works. Well, in Whiskey they know this too. This town is a work-hard community and here's what I especially loved: Kenzie and Dare, as individuals, as characterised, are excellently written - with separate lives and complications. I did desperately want to see them progress in length as a couple, nevertheless, because the romantic/emotional developments (to me) were suited more towards the half-baked, half-assembled side of things.
The conflicts in the Whiskey Secrets are earnest with an emotive interior that gives this story its bona fide depth, and Ryan annexes it all with a casual, plain-spoken writing style that pronounces the sober overtones and flows as smooth as they say whiskey does. The domestic complications felt real and the Collins’s family kinship was a focal point. There's an especial attention to detail throughout this story that succinctly pulls it together, and it’s the within the first few pages, where the author details the backstory to this town, that I perked up to this scene and what the central characters would bring to the intimate locale.
Bear in mind that this one is a bit more prose-laden than dialogue-heavy. A tell tale that has a reader settling a foot upon the break and leaning back to ease into the drift of this lean-back romance. I did feel let down by a plot that generally teases up the idea of secrets; one that always intimates something more, but in any case Whiskey Secrets is a saucy-sweet, measured romance that’s all trial and error, mistakes and misdirection. Reservation and fitfullness. To give what’s easy and to take more of the same.
Delighted by my decision to pick up and read my first Carrie Ann Ryan romance, I make my Ryan debut one to recommend. The central characters are great and with flawed leads, healing is a staple behest. While I wouldn’t call this a gripping read, I can tell you to ready yourself for a family-angled sunrise in Whiskey Secrets, where matters of the hurting, recovering heart are big, remote and untold.
C O N T E N T_W A R N I N G: Mentions gambling and recalls domestic abuse. Some discussions/memories/thoughts surrounding controlling relationships. An instant of on page physical assault. A few detailed/steamy sex scenes and profanity. The male lead struggles with survivor’s guilt coupled with the struggle of not getting to be enough or a bigger part of his son’s life.
A SIDE NOTE: I opened this kindle copy up to a dedication and acknowledgements that made my heart hurt. The author discloses the loss of her husband during the process of editing the final draft of Whiskey Secrets. I wanted to use this space to send my deep condolences to the author and her family. To lose like that can rip a person in two and I hope she finds faith and safety in her writing, if nowhere else. I sincerely hope the skies rain golden drops of stardust upon you for every day that feels the hardest.
E X T R A_T H O U G H T S:
* I did waver between a 3.5 and 4 star with this one but after thinking it through i went with a mid-range but solid rating*
1)I get that Dare and Kenzie aren't in a serious relationship through most of the book but it is clear that they have honest feelings for each. However, whenever Dare sums up everything in his life that's so important to him, he never mentions Kenzie. As much as she's been through, I don't want to feel that the heroine is a bit of an afterthought. Also I struggle with MCs who never quite talk about their feelings until the end - confused as they might be. They do share their pasts with each other in two separate conversations but that’s about it. I want to see them as a couple; see how they'd work as a couple and just soak in the fuzzy feelings of being together. But as Dare and Kenzie had to take their own road there, I did respect the space and time they needed to sort through their feelings.
2)I would have liked to understand more about the main characters’ backstories. We get to know the main ‘secrets’ (which we’re constantly teased about but are perhaps more played up than they need to be). I wanted to know other things like what, if anything, happened to Kenzie’s parents for instance, to expose the happier parts of their past and for Dare and Kenzie to just casually get to know each other. Even if I wanted a fuller view of their pasts (positive or otherwise) and for them to just talk about anything, their POVs are executed well.
3)Would have liked more grovelling from the hero and the final few scenes quickly pack away the story.
4)There are a few name swaps.
5)Great to see no female hate with exes!
6)Yes to the dirty-talking Dare :D
‘And he was far too dangerous for her. She’d seen the darkness in his eyes when his brothers mentioned what he’d done before he bought out the bar. To be safe, really safe, she couldn’t touch that darkness, no matter how the embers burned and begged her to.’
“You have to stop saying things like that. We don’t like each other, remember? We’re keeping our distance.” He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. “I don’t think we were ever enemies, Kenzie. That was just a lie we told ourselves so we wouldn’t do what we just did.”
As the title attributes, Whiskey, Pennsylvania is a town that recognises the history of its name, and within Dare Collins's so called bar and restaurant, the patrons do love their flights of whiskey. We're familiar with the unreadable guy trope which our hero wears dismally, but flip that on its head and we have an unreadable heroine in Kenzie Owens too. These two are a pair of secret keepers. And at the Whiskey Inn where the drinks flow and the upmarket small-town business booms, our troubled love interests swallow down those secrets, washed down with a swill of the town's namesake.
Dare Collins is a dual business owner in a small town kept afloat by tourist intrigue. He runs the Old Whiskey Restaurant and Bar, has a steady, bustling job, tireless parents and a string of siblings who love, push and bite like every down-to-earth family. The love is strong between the Collins's but Dare only wished that were enough. He’s got chips on his shoulders and lead in his heart.
He's a trapped man. By a custody agreement that has him settling for much less than being a full-time father, and never quite recovering from the dips and craters that pushed shadows into his eyes. He's a resigned man who accepts his hand while it's the same force that punishes him where he stands. With the sense that he's always one mistake away from ruining his life and one bad choice away from losing his son.
Whiskey Inn is about to go through some major changes and Kenzie Owens is one of them. She’s hired by Dare’s parents as a provisional innkeeper to oversee this new transition. To their bartending son however, she's an unnecessary intrusion to an already established family affair. Kenzie won't let a man trumped up on his own affront shake her though because her reasons for being in Whiskey, Pennsylvania are her own. They'll also remain a secret. Composed and collected In the worksphere, she doesn't know that she'll ever be of that like in this second beginning at life.
I've been meaning to try out a Carrie Ann Ryan novel for some time now. Whiskey Secrets is the debut to the Whiskey and Lies series of standalones. It's also a spin-off to Ryan's Montgomery Ink series (which I haven't read). Dare Collins is our hero, 'ruggedly handsome and growly' by his own admission and miserably intense and Intensely miserable by my own. He's a painstaking good father who wasn't given the time and opportunity to be a great one. He's bitter about the way his life unraveled, even if he is grateful for what he has.
As for our heroine, she’s never quite known the right kind of love. She compromised a life she loved for a man who leisurely drew the spirit from her bones. After surviving a controlling relationship, Kenzie resettles in small town Whiskey, shaking off a past she had the courage to walk away from. Since life had pushed her through some disturbing years, she’s ready to reshape and begin anew. The slow burning romance in this story has real reason to burn slowly - this pair need it that way, to feel without too much feeling. It's why they agree to a relaxed benefits relationship.
The intent is always to uncomplicate what could become complicated, but you can guess where this is headed. There's a gradually rising intimacy between them - it's all gentle caution, torn feelings, resistance to crystal clear want, looks and thoughts that snake without attack. I love that we have a gruff alpha male lead who asks before the first kiss, who doesn’t push the heroine's limits and especially doesn't railroad a lady into anything she doesn't want to do. When Kenzie opens up about her past, I loved that Dare was an emotional support for her and I appreciated the desire to move slowly within the romance. This, readers, was believable representation.
While the love is strong at Whiskey Inn I wished it were stronger between Kenzie and Dare. I believed in their crawling chemistry, but when emotionally resisting characters make peace with a casual fling and eat their living, albeit confused, feelings until the near-end, we don't witness them in the throes of an actual relationship. Or even in making progressive headway. That's what I missed. It was a series of keeping it light, express flaws and intimate complications draped in longing without really talking. It also doesn't particularly fill a reader with warm fuzzies when both MCs keep referring to their relationship - or non-relationship - as a mistake.
Kenzie and Dare are both emotionally Internalised characters who aren't fantastic communicators - professionally yes, personally not as much. Dare was the bigger problem for me even so. Kenzie makes a clear effort at moving on from what maimed her, whereas Dare seems loathe to see beyond what happened to him. They want to drown some sorrows in each other? Go ahead, my lovelies. They want to feel free in a way they can both handle? I encourage you to, oh fictional ones…
I understood the character indecision, the need to play it sealed and safe, that they're not sure what they want from life anymore. Here’s what I also expected; more communication, more shape and form from them as a love pair in a romance novel, and as an added extra, just that supplemental something to make them shine. Dare especially groused and grouched with a very confused head on his shoulders. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy this romance though. I rated this solidly because the atmosphere is down-to-earth, the story consistent, the individual POVs excellently developed and the writing prompt. And those bedroom scenes? Well, they definitely satisfy.
The author doesn't weaken the realities of hard work in this story - running a business/multiple businesses and at the same time making family a priority. It's pervasive to read about heroes and heroines who magically have all the free time in world at their disposal. We know that’s not exactly how real life works. Well, in Whiskey they know this too. This town is a work-hard community and here's what I especially loved: Kenzie and Dare, as individuals, as characterised, are excellently written - with separate lives and complications. I did desperately want to see them progress in length as a couple, nevertheless, because the romantic/emotional developments (to me) were suited more towards the half-baked, half-assembled side of things.
The conflicts in the Whiskey Secrets are earnest with an emotive interior that gives this story its bona fide depth, and Ryan annexes it all with a casual, plain-spoken writing style that pronounces the sober overtones and flows as smooth as they say whiskey does. The domestic complications felt real and the Collins’s family kinship was a focal point. There's an especial attention to detail throughout this story that succinctly pulls it together, and it’s the within the first few pages, where the author details the backstory to this town, that I perked up to this scene and what the central characters would bring to the intimate locale.
Bear in mind that this one is a bit more prose-laden than dialogue-heavy. A tell tale that has a reader settling a foot upon the break and leaning back to ease into the drift of this lean-back romance. I did feel let down by a plot that generally teases up the idea of secrets; one that always intimates something more, but in any case Whiskey Secrets is a saucy-sweet, measured romance that’s all trial and error, mistakes and misdirection. Reservation and fitfullness. To give what’s easy and to take more of the same.
Delighted by my decision to pick up and read my first Carrie Ann Ryan romance, I make my Ryan debut one to recommend. The central characters are great and with flawed leads, healing is a staple behest. While I wouldn’t call this a gripping read, I can tell you to ready yourself for a family-angled sunrise in Whiskey Secrets, where matters of the hurting, recovering heart are big, remote and untold.
C O N T E N T_W A R N I N G: Mentions gambling and recalls domestic abuse. Some discussions/memories/thoughts surrounding controlling relationships. An instant of on page physical assault. A few detailed/steamy sex scenes and profanity. The male lead struggles with survivor’s guilt coupled with the struggle of not getting to be enough or a bigger part of his son’s life.
A SIDE NOTE: I opened this kindle copy up to a dedication and acknowledgements that made my heart hurt. The author discloses the loss of her husband during the process of editing the final draft of Whiskey Secrets. I wanted to use this space to send my deep condolences to the author and her family. To lose like that can rip a person in two and I hope she finds faith and safety in her writing, if nowhere else. I sincerely hope the skies rain golden drops of stardust upon you for every day that feels the hardest.
E X T R A_T H O U G H T S:
* I did waver between a 3.5 and 4 star with this one but after thinking it through i went with a mid-range but solid rating*
1)I get that Dare and Kenzie aren't in a serious relationship through most of the book but it is clear that they have honest feelings for each. However, whenever Dare sums up everything in his life that's so important to him, he never mentions Kenzie. As much as she's been through, I don't want to feel that the heroine is a bit of an afterthought. Also I struggle with MCs who never quite talk about their feelings until the end - confused as they might be. They do share their pasts with each other in two separate conversations but that’s about it. I want to see them as a couple; see how they'd work as a couple and just soak in the fuzzy feelings of being together. But as Dare and Kenzie had to take their own road there, I did respect the space and time they needed to sort through their feelings.
2)I would have liked to understand more about the main characters’ backstories. We get to know the main ‘secrets’ (which we’re constantly teased about but are perhaps more played up than they need to be). I wanted to know other things like what, if anything, happened to Kenzie’s parents for instance, to expose the happier parts of their past and for Dare and Kenzie to just casually get to know each other. Even if I wanted a fuller view of their pasts (positive or otherwise) and for them to just talk about anything, their POVs are executed well.
3)Would have liked more grovelling from the hero and the final few scenes quickly pack away the story.
4)There are a few name swaps.
5)Great to see no female hate with exes!
6)Yes to the dirty-talking Dare :D
January 2, 2018
NOW LIVE!
Amazon US * Amazon UK
Whiskey Secrets is the first book in Carrie Ann Ryan's Whiskey and Lies series and follows Dare Collins, brother to Tabby from the Montgomery Ink series. If you haven't read the previous series though you will have no problem starting this one and falling in love with the Collins brothers.
I really enjoyed this story and I loved that it was so sweet but still had that hint of hotness that I like in my books. Kenzie and Dare both had their past on their heels and they couldn't escape them, always being reminded of those hurts that they wish they could just forget. When we got to see them together for the first time it was like their connection just sparked and I knew they would be amazing together. They helped each other deal with what they were running from and I really liked that about their relationship.
Both characters were well developed in my opinion. The story had a pretty fast pace but throughout it we got to see the small changes and growth of both Kenzie and Dare. Overall it was a very enjoyable story and I can't wait to read more from these brothers.
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon US * Amazon UK
Whiskey Secrets is the first book in Carrie Ann Ryan's Whiskey and Lies series and follows Dare Collins, brother to Tabby from the Montgomery Ink series. If you haven't read the previous series though you will have no problem starting this one and falling in love with the Collins brothers.
I really enjoyed this story and I loved that it was so sweet but still had that hint of hotness that I like in my books. Kenzie and Dare both had their past on their heels and they couldn't escape them, always being reminded of those hurts that they wish they could just forget. When we got to see them together for the first time it was like their connection just sparked and I knew they would be amazing together. They helped each other deal with what they were running from and I really liked that about their relationship.
Both characters were well developed in my opinion. The story had a pretty fast pace but throughout it we got to see the small changes and growth of both Kenzie and Dare. Overall it was a very enjoyable story and I can't wait to read more from these brothers.
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
March 24, 2018
I feel like I should have liked this one better. I liked the family, loved how they interacted with each other, loved how the town was all centered around Whiskey, loved the connection to Montgomery Ink, thought Dare and Nate were cute, liked that Kenzie was getting her fresh start at the Whiskey Inn. What didn't really work for me was Dare and Kenzie, I didn't buy them as a couple, it sort of felt forced to me. Part of that might be that both of them were trying to keep things light, which wasn't in either of their make-up. Now with that said, I was happy with how this one ended, glad that Kenzie can live free and that she and Dare are happy. I look forward to reading more in this series as there was much that I liked.
January 6, 2018
I've been wanting to try one of Carrie's books for a while now, and given the recent release of her newest series, Whiskey and Lies, I figured it was the perfect time to dive in.
The result? Whiskey Secrets was indeed a great place to start. It was sweet, sexy, and even a tad bit twisty.
Whiskey Secrets introduces Dare and Kenzie, and when they first meet flames fly rather than sparks.
Dare is hesitant to let anyone new enter his family's business, no matter how pretty that someone might be. From the get-go, I liked Dare. He's headstrong, protective, and hardworking; however, underneath it all he is a huge sweetheart, especially when it comes to his son. When the book first begins, Dare is struggling to maintain normalcy as well as happiness. He struggles with his past as a cop as well as the lack of time he has with his son. It broke my heart to see him struggle with both issues.
Kenzie, on the other hand, just wants to start her new job in peace without an arrogant albeit sexy bartender breathing down her neck. Kenzie has spent the past years weighed down by an abusive relationship, and now that she's in a new town she's hoping to find herself again. Kenzie was also incredibly likable. At first, she's closed-off - she's scared of making new friends, new relationships, new everything. I could understand that; however, as the book continues she starts to become comfortable in her own skin. Kenzie was always strong - much stronger than she gave herself credit for. It just took her time to realize it, and I loved seeing that transformation occur.
The plot in Whiskey Secrets mainly revolves around Kenzie and Dare's romance as well as the ghosts from their respective pasts. The romance was equal parts steamy and sweet; however, there were times at which I wished there was more development. I felt that the enemies to friends to lovers transitions occurred at rapid speed. The ghosts from their pasts created a decent amount of tension and drama, and I thought Carrie did a great job of giving each a decent resolution. I also enjoyed the family dynamics in this. Dare's family was a rowdy bunch, and I can't wait to see his brothers discover their HEAs in the next two books.
Romantic, emotional, and fast paced, Whiskey Secrets was a solid read from start to finish. I look forward to reading more in this series.
The result? Whiskey Secrets was indeed a great place to start. It was sweet, sexy, and even a tad bit twisty.
Whiskey Secrets introduces Dare and Kenzie, and when they first meet flames fly rather than sparks.
Dare is hesitant to let anyone new enter his family's business, no matter how pretty that someone might be. From the get-go, I liked Dare. He's headstrong, protective, and hardworking; however, underneath it all he is a huge sweetheart, especially when it comes to his son. When the book first begins, Dare is struggling to maintain normalcy as well as happiness. He struggles with his past as a cop as well as the lack of time he has with his son. It broke my heart to see him struggle with both issues.
Kenzie, on the other hand, just wants to start her new job in peace without an arrogant albeit sexy bartender breathing down her neck. Kenzie has spent the past years weighed down by an abusive relationship, and now that she's in a new town she's hoping to find herself again. Kenzie was also incredibly likable. At first, she's closed-off - she's scared of making new friends, new relationships, new everything. I could understand that; however, as the book continues she starts to become comfortable in her own skin. Kenzie was always strong - much stronger than she gave herself credit for. It just took her time to realize it, and I loved seeing that transformation occur.
The plot in Whiskey Secrets mainly revolves around Kenzie and Dare's romance as well as the ghosts from their respective pasts. The romance was equal parts steamy and sweet; however, there were times at which I wished there was more development. I felt that the enemies to friends to lovers transitions occurred at rapid speed. The ghosts from their pasts created a decent amount of tension and drama, and I thought Carrie did a great job of giving each a decent resolution. I also enjoyed the family dynamics in this. Dare's family was a rowdy bunch, and I can't wait to see his brothers discover their HEAs in the next two books.
Romantic, emotional, and fast paced, Whiskey Secrets was a solid read from start to finish. I look forward to reading more in this series.
February 23, 2018
I was pretty excited to start this new spin-off series to Montgomery Ink, moving to Pennsylvania and meeting a new family of men and their women. Unfortunately, I felt like something was lacking in this introduction to the Collins family and their lives in Whiskey, PA.
In Whiskey Secrets, we’re introduced to Dare and Kenzie. Kenzie is new to town, taking over the running of the bed and breakfast for Dare’s parents, while Dare owned the bar and restaurant which shared the premises of the inn. At first, Dare is resentful of her presence, but that distrust quickly turns to attraction and interest and hot talkative sex.
And that’s pretty much the only part of the book that didn’t annoy me.
It wasn’t that the storytelling here was bad. The author’s writing was crisp and enjoyable. It’s just that there wasn’t much of a story. Every tease of what went on in their pasts felt like it was supposed to allude to something monumental. And each time it turned out to be a whole lot of nothing. Everything was just very anticlimactic for me. There were no big secrets, no big surprises. In my opinion, it was one person wallowing in self-pity and another allowing themselves to be a doormat. I do not mean to sound unsympathetic to either of these characters, but I just wanted to reach in and smack both of them.
Dare’s two brothers were slightly more interesting, and it will be good to get their stories in later books, but I hope there is more of a true conflict in their romances. The conflict here just felt too manufactured, the people in their past too superficial and unbelievable, and it didn’t hold my interest the way I had hoped.
January 3, 2018
Omg I was hooked from page one. This book grabs you and holds you. The character's are amazing and the story is exciting and filled with passion and suspense. This is a great start to a new spin off series.
You can't go wrong with any book by Carrie Ann Ryan.
I volunteered to read an advanced readers copy of this book
You can't go wrong with any book by Carrie Ann Ryan.
I volunteered to read an advanced readers copy of this book
March 19, 2019
Totally Enamoured
In my first introduction to this series, I enthusiastically enjoyed this page-turner from beginning to end. It's chock full of emotion, steam, real life hardships, romance, and a perfectly executed HEA.
I look forward to more from this author, and definitely the other books in this series.
In my first introduction to this series, I enthusiastically enjoyed this page-turner from beginning to end. It's chock full of emotion, steam, real life hardships, romance, and a perfectly executed HEA.
I look forward to more from this author, and definitely the other books in this series.
March 5, 2019
3.5 i have not read any of the series that this was spun from. i feel like it has to be pretty good if there are almost 20 books. i liked the close knit family in this book, and i liked both Dare and Kenzie, but it felt a little forced between them.
dnf
March 22, 2019Wow, he didn't marry his son's mother, but would definitely fall for a heroine, coz.... coz.... she is sooo different!
Can't wait to read it... after my reincarnation!
Can't wait to read it... after my reincarnation!
January 3, 2018
Dare, a former cop, turned in his badge and now runs a bar. Kenzie, for her own safety and sanity, needed a new start in life, away from her abusive ex's reach.
Dare's family owns an inn, one that happens to be above his bar and restaurant. Unbeknownst to him, they decided to hire a new innkeeper. Dare takes one look at her and knows she has "city girl" written all over her, but there's also this instant attraction between them, and denying it isn't going to last long as it grows stronger with every interaction.
Now, not only is Kenzie in danger as her past comes charging at her, but her heart is too as Dare is quickly stealing it. However, in order to let Dare know she feels the same way, she must first escape the fate her ex has in mind for her.
Can Dare keep Kenzie safe? How long can Dare and Kenzie fight their attraction? Will they be able to move forward and explore the future they can have together? Or will Kenzie's past destroy any chance they have of a HEA?
One-click now and follow along as two people cross paths and discover their separate journeys were always leading them to each other.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.**
Dare's family owns an inn, one that happens to be above his bar and restaurant. Unbeknownst to him, they decided to hire a new innkeeper. Dare takes one look at her and knows she has "city girl" written all over her, but there's also this instant attraction between them, and denying it isn't going to last long as it grows stronger with every interaction.
Now, not only is Kenzie in danger as her past comes charging at her, but her heart is too as Dare is quickly stealing it. However, in order to let Dare know she feels the same way, she must first escape the fate her ex has in mind for her.
Can Dare keep Kenzie safe? How long can Dare and Kenzie fight their attraction? Will they be able to move forward and explore the future they can have together? Or will Kenzie's past destroy any chance they have of a HEA?
One-click now and follow along as two people cross paths and discover their separate journeys were always leading them to each other.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.**
June 17, 2018
3.5 Whiskey Secrets Stars
I really liked the characters Dare has that mysterious vibe to him, but also this huge protective streak you just want to know all his deep dark secrets.
I liked Kenzie and felt like she was just the woman to get to know all of Dare’s secrets only she has a few secrets of her own.
I very much enjoyed the fact that it was a bit of give and take and that the attraction was on both sides and no it wasn’t a love at first sight thank goodness for that.
I did feel like some of the story was a little predictable and that isn’t a bad thing just wished there had been a twist I hadn’t already read before.
I think the kids stole the show! I really like when an author brings kids into a book it makes it feel more authentic.
A character I want to know more about Locke!! Totally want to know more about this fellow.
I liked the narration it didn’t blow me away, there are narrators that make you feel a part of the story with their tones and inflection and there are narrators who just tell the story. Gregory is a tell the story in and out kind of deal to me. But that’s ok still enjoyable to listen to.
Give to me for an honest and fair review.
*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*
I really liked the characters Dare has that mysterious vibe to him, but also this huge protective streak you just want to know all his deep dark secrets.
I liked Kenzie and felt like she was just the woman to get to know all of Dare’s secrets only she has a few secrets of her own.
I very much enjoyed the fact that it was a bit of give and take and that the attraction was on both sides and no it wasn’t a love at first sight thank goodness for that.
I did feel like some of the story was a little predictable and that isn’t a bad thing just wished there had been a twist I hadn’t already read before.
I think the kids stole the show! I really like when an author brings kids into a book it makes it feel more authentic.
A character I want to know more about Locke!! Totally want to know more about this fellow.
I liked the narration it didn’t blow me away, there are narrators that make you feel a part of the story with their tones and inflection and there are narrators who just tell the story. Gregory is a tell the story in and out kind of deal to me. But that’s ok still enjoyable to listen to.
Give to me for an honest and fair review.
*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*
February 19, 2024
This is another one of those “did we read the same book??” Times where I truly don’t understand the rave reviews. This was awful and I hate that I made myself finish it 🤣
August 7, 2021
Dans cette nouvelle saga, nous partons dans la petite ville de Whiskey en Pennsylvannie à la rencontre de deux personnages écornés par la vie et qui pourraient trouver dans les bras de l'un l'autre un réconfort bienvenu.
un premier tome bien sympathique à lire même si j'aurais apprécié que certains éléments soient plus développés et ancrés dans l'intrigue. Ce roman a été écrit par Carrie Ann Ryan et son mari et c'est intéressant de voir que les scènes de sexe sont moins nombreuses et moins vulgaires que dans sa précédente saga Montgomery Ink. Ce premier tome m'a donné envie de découvrir les autres membres de la famille Collins.
Chronique complète à lire sur : https://thelovelyteacheraddictions.bl...
un premier tome bien sympathique à lire même si j'aurais apprécié que certains éléments soient plus développés et ancrés dans l'intrigue. Ce roman a été écrit par Carrie Ann Ryan et son mari et c'est intéressant de voir que les scènes de sexe sont moins nombreuses et moins vulgaires que dans sa précédente saga Montgomery Ink. Ce premier tome m'a donné envie de découvrir les autres membres de la famille Collins.
Chronique complète à lire sur : https://thelovelyteacheraddictions.bl...
June 23, 2018
There’s a lot of potential with this series so I think I’ll continue to the next books, however this book had me skimming early on.
The book starts off slow. Too slow. Ryan spends too much time on everyone’s backstory and the book crawls at a snails pace. The H/h tip toe around each other, barely interacting beyond surface niceties when they’re forced to be in the same room. Then Bam, they’re banging pretty much out of nowhere. The chemistry was lacking, and the whole romance was a bit awkward.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Dare or Kenzie. Dare was too much of a grumpy old man, and Kenzie’s personal problems with her ex and brother made her seem a bit weak. She didn’t stand up for herself with either of them even though she acted like she had and was moving on... I just didn’t like either of them, which makes it hard to like the book.
I did really like Fox and Loch. Ainsley was also a nice addition, and I am hoping her and Loch have a book in the future (I’m thinking it is the third in the series, but there’s no description for it yet).
This book might be great for other readers, there weren’t the normal red flags for me (no cheating, no rich manwhore playboy as the alpha H, no stupid pregnancy scares or actual pregnancies bringing the couple together), I just didn’t like the H/h.
The book starts off slow. Too slow. Ryan spends too much time on everyone’s backstory and the book crawls at a snails pace. The H/h tip toe around each other, barely interacting beyond surface niceties when they’re forced to be in the same room. Then Bam, they’re banging pretty much out of nowhere. The chemistry was lacking, and the whole romance was a bit awkward.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Dare or Kenzie. Dare was too much of a grumpy old man, and Kenzie’s personal problems with her ex and brother made her seem a bit weak. She didn’t stand up for herself with either of them even though she acted like she had and was moving on... I just didn’t like either of them, which makes it hard to like the book.
I did really like Fox and Loch. Ainsley was also a nice addition, and I am hoping her and Loch have a book in the future (I’m thinking it is the third in the series, but there’s no description for it yet).
This book might be great for other readers, there weren’t the normal red flags for me (no cheating, no rich manwhore playboy as the alpha H, no stupid pregnancy scares or actual pregnancies bringing the couple together), I just didn’t like the H/h.
February 2, 2018
3.5 stars
Dare and Kenzie were cute. Granted, they had some personal demons to work on individually, but who doesn’t? They squeezed in sexy moments, using the excuse that there was “nothing serious” between them, but only fooled themselves with that train of thought. The befuddlement of Dare dealing with Kenzie emotionally was actually pretty darn good..but she should have made him grovel a teensy bit longer!
The Collins family was a force to be reckoned with. They have each other’s backs, but don’t hesitate to call one another out on stupid decisions..ie. Dare and his feelings, tsk tsk. I did like how the similarities of unconditional support and love between them and the Montgomery’s. were being pointed out through conversations or self thought. It was a nice change over constant petty sibling rivalries and one-up-man moments.
Overall, this was a good start to a spin off series. I’m looking forward to what’s in store for the rest of Tabby’s brothers.
Dare and Kenzie were cute. Granted, they had some personal demons to work on individually, but who doesn’t? They squeezed in sexy moments, using the excuse that there was “nothing serious” between them, but only fooled themselves with that train of thought. The befuddlement of Dare dealing with Kenzie emotionally was actually pretty darn good..but she should have made him grovel a teensy bit longer!
The Collins family was a force to be reckoned with. They have each other’s backs, but don’t hesitate to call one another out on stupid decisions..ie. Dare and his feelings, tsk tsk. I did like how the similarities of unconditional support and love between them and the Montgomery’s. were being pointed out through conversations or self thought. It was a nice change over constant petty sibling rivalries and one-up-man moments.
Overall, this was a good start to a spin off series. I’m looking forward to what’s in store for the rest of Tabby’s brothers.
July 22, 2019
Quite good story.
A lot of triggers: domestic abuse, separated parents, child only on rare weekend.
I love the heroine: she was a survivor!! Women who suffers domestic abuse, you are not alone!!!
Hero, "typical" grumpy, growling type... Where are normal men who is not grumpy or growling?
He was hit minute and cold the second one. I get he was burned with his child's mother... But... It's not necessary being an asshole.
Safe read
A lot of triggers: domestic abuse, separated parents, child only on rare weekend.
I love the heroine: she was a survivor!! Women who suffers domestic abuse, you are not alone!!!
Hero, "typical" grumpy, growling type... Where are normal men who is not grumpy or growling?
He was hit minute and cold the second one. I get he was burned with his child's mother... But... It's not necessary being an asshole.
Safe read
November 5, 2018
Nothing too terrible about this book just nothing at all interesting either. The story is VERY cliche and stayed strictly on the surface. Also, Dare’s (the main character) emotions seemed more like a woman’s that a man. The “I’m not good enough” trope, then, pouring out his heart to his brothers. Really?
Want to read
February 20, 2025🎁 FREE on Amazon & on iBooks today (2/28/2019)! 🎁
January 12, 2018
4 whiskey-soaked stars for WHISKEY SECRETS.
When former cop and current bar owner Dare Collins meets the woman his parents hired to take over the Old Whiskey Inn, he's furious! How dare they not consult their kids before hiring an outsider to run the family business?! But once he gets to know Kenzie Owens, he sees that her demons run as deep as his, and the two can't seem to hate each another for long. But Dare's got his young son to think about, and Kenzie's ex-husband can't seem to let her go…will the two get their chance at happily ever after?
First of all, Ms. Ryan's Acknowledgements page was just heartbreaking, and I'd like to say to her that I'm very very sorry for your loss. May peace be with you and your families.
As for WHISKEY SECRETS, the first book in the Whiskey and Lies series, it was really an excellent spinoff from the Montgomery Ink series, which I totally dig. Dare was intense and broody, the perfect "opposites attract" man for Kenzie, who's sweet but has learned that she'll never let another man walk all over her again. The action/suspense felt a little forced and undeveloped, but I think that could be a really great element to this book in future edits.
Bottom Line: No OM/OW or sharing; condom use; no BDSM/kink; no sexual assault; mild violence, discussion of murder.
When former cop and current bar owner Dare Collins meets the woman his parents hired to take over the Old Whiskey Inn, he's furious! How dare they not consult their kids before hiring an outsider to run the family business?! But once he gets to know Kenzie Owens, he sees that her demons run as deep as his, and the two can't seem to hate each another for long. But Dare's got his young son to think about, and Kenzie's ex-husband can't seem to let her go…will the two get their chance at happily ever after?
First of all, Ms. Ryan's Acknowledgements page was just heartbreaking, and I'd like to say to her that I'm very very sorry for your loss. May peace be with you and your families.
As for WHISKEY SECRETS, the first book in the Whiskey and Lies series, it was really an excellent spinoff from the Montgomery Ink series, which I totally dig. Dare was intense and broody, the perfect "opposites attract" man for Kenzie, who's sweet but has learned that she'll never let another man walk all over her again. The action/suspense felt a little forced and undeveloped, but I think that could be a really great element to this book in future edits.
Bottom Line: No OM/OW or sharing; condom use; no BDSM/kink; no sexual assault; mild violence, discussion of murder.
January 3, 2018
Starting off 2018 with an awesome new series!! Sweetly sensual, emotionally thrilling, action packed and engaging romantic journey that stays with you and warms your heart.
Dare Collins is a former cop turned bartender and a sexy, strong alpha male that is not to thrilled with his family's decision to hire a new innkeeper for the Inn above his bar. Kenzie Owens is a sweet, sexy and smart new innkeeper leaving her unpleasant past behind her (or so she thinks) to start a new life in Whiskey, PA. Sparks fly between them from the start and they both try their best to resist the magnetic pull between them. Loved every heart pounding twist and turn in this highly entertaining reading adventure.
Dare Collins is a former cop turned bartender and a sexy, strong alpha male that is not to thrilled with his family's decision to hire a new innkeeper for the Inn above his bar. Kenzie Owens is a sweet, sexy and smart new innkeeper leaving her unpleasant past behind her (or so she thinks) to start a new life in Whiskey, PA. Sparks fly between them from the start and they both try their best to resist the magnetic pull between them. Loved every heart pounding twist and turn in this highly entertaining reading adventure.
March 29, 2024
This slow burn between Dare and Kenzie is quite sweet. He's the grump ex-cop turned bartender who isn't happy she is there to run his parent's Inn, and she's just trying to start over after divorcing her abusive ex. Both have pasts they are trying to put behind them and move on from. But Dare is still torturing himself over past events and Kenzie's won't leave her alone.
It's a rocky road but together Dare and Kenzie start their journey of moving on from sadness to happiness.
It's a rocky road but together Dare and Kenzie start their journey of moving on from sadness to happiness.
January 10, 2018
loved it!!! cant wait for the rest of this amazing spin off series. in true Carrie ann Ryan style it has all the feels as well as the breaking and making of the couple and the right amount of drama
December 28, 2017
Generally i'm a huge fan of Carrie Ann Ryan's books - they're edgy, humorous and incredibly sexy in a way that makes your mouth water. Whiskey Secrets felt and read differently. It felt like a slow burn up until you get to that one spot in the book that makes it explode in surprise because you simply didn't expect it - i know i didn't.
Now, i've read a good majority of this author's Montgomery Ink and Talon Pack series, but the first in the Whiskey and Lies series was different. It was mysterious, suspenseful and emotional in ways that i couldn't have guessed. It's the type of book that will make you think twice on just how resilient a human being is, how much they're willing to fight for what they want and need and just how far they'll go to get that special someone that makes them feel whole after all the hurt and pain they've been through and left them broken.
*ARC provided by Author in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed by Kathleen, The Small Girl from A small girl, her man and her books
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December 19, 2017
Whiskey Secrets is a spinoff of the Montgomery Ink series. This series revolves around Tammy’s brothers and can be read separately from Montgomery Ink.
Dare Collins is a former cop-turned-bartender and single father (with crappy visitation rights). He isn’t so great with handling life so he buries himself in his work and family. He isn’t a fan of change.
Kenzie Owens is starting over. She has divorced her abusive husband and after therapy has found the strength to start anew. Change in her case is a very good thing.
When these two meet the chemistry is immediate though neither wants it. When they decide to explore it as “friends with benefits” things get hot. When feelings get involved it get complicated.
I loved Kenzie she is stronger than she knows and kinder than Dare deserves. There were times I wanted to slap Dare upside the head. I think that Dare finally discovers that sometimes change is the best thing that ever happened to him.
Dare Collins is a former cop-turned-bartender and single father (with crappy visitation rights). He isn’t so great with handling life so he buries himself in his work and family. He isn’t a fan of change.
Kenzie Owens is starting over. She has divorced her abusive husband and after therapy has found the strength to start anew. Change in her case is a very good thing.
When these two meet the chemistry is immediate though neither wants it. When they decide to explore it as “friends with benefits” things get hot. When feelings get involved it get complicated.
I loved Kenzie she is stronger than she knows and kinder than Dare deserves. There were times I wanted to slap Dare upside the head. I think that Dare finally discovers that sometimes change is the best thing that ever happened to him.
September 7, 2018
Loved Dare and Kenzie amazing love story.Cant wait for more of their story.
January 4, 2018
Received in exchange for a honest review.
Carrie Ann Ryan has created a passionate entertaining saucy romance that brings you to your knees in Whiskey Secrets.
Our two characters Kenzie and Dare just capture from the beginning. Both are flawed and are carrying secrets. Dare is carrying guilt that I believe is survivor’s guilt. He is overall such a great guy. His love of family is wonderful. Kenzie is trying to start fresh and let go of his past. A past they took a lot from her. When the meet for the first time it shows the attraction that is between them. Sparks fly but the second time wasn’t so good though. Dare does have an outburst that kind of sidelined the attraction. An attraction that isn’t a good idea to act upon since Kenzie now works for his parents.
what do I enjoy the most? I love the family interactions and the interactions between Kenzie and Dare. I love seeing Dare learn to let go and let someone in. That was my favorite part he forgave himself and also got his ex to see he is different than what she thought he was and this in turn gives him a great turn with his son. I love that all the characters are flawed but also that they stick together as family and support one another and are there for each other no matter what. Dare and his brothers are entertaining together. I really am excited to see what this family will be up to next.
What did I like? I liked how Dare forgives himself and lets go. How he falls in love but it wasn’t easy and it wasn’t instalove. there was miscommunication, passion, snark, misunderstandings but they became friends and equals first. They definitely had passion down wow but I loved how they confided in one another and respected the other. Neither took the other for granted and they learned from their mistakes. They also learned about one another and gained strength from the other.
I liked how strong Kenzie was even when she didn’t think she was. It took alot for her to do what she did and it impresses Dare and gives him strength to make changes in himself.
What is keeping me wanting more? The brothers and their unfinished stories. Wanting to see how Dare and Kenzie make out and where they go from here. This family and how close they are. How Carrie ann ryan gives us passion, real characters, and family but also love and forgiveness. She blends this so effortlessly and just has you love this family and each member that you root for them.
Carrie Ann Ryan has created a passionate entertaining saucy romance that brings you to your knees in Whiskey Secrets.
Our two characters Kenzie and Dare just capture from the beginning. Both are flawed and are carrying secrets. Dare is carrying guilt that I believe is survivor’s guilt. He is overall such a great guy. His love of family is wonderful. Kenzie is trying to start fresh and let go of his past. A past they took a lot from her. When the meet for the first time it shows the attraction that is between them. Sparks fly but the second time wasn’t so good though. Dare does have an outburst that kind of sidelined the attraction. An attraction that isn’t a good idea to act upon since Kenzie now works for his parents.
what do I enjoy the most? I love the family interactions and the interactions between Kenzie and Dare. I love seeing Dare learn to let go and let someone in. That was my favorite part he forgave himself and also got his ex to see he is different than what she thought he was and this in turn gives him a great turn with his son. I love that all the characters are flawed but also that they stick together as family and support one another and are there for each other no matter what. Dare and his brothers are entertaining together. I really am excited to see what this family will be up to next.
What did I like? I liked how Dare forgives himself and lets go. How he falls in love but it wasn’t easy and it wasn’t instalove. there was miscommunication, passion, snark, misunderstandings but they became friends and equals first. They definitely had passion down wow but I loved how they confided in one another and respected the other. Neither took the other for granted and they learned from their mistakes. They also learned about one another and gained strength from the other.
I liked how strong Kenzie was even when she didn’t think she was. It took alot for her to do what she did and it impresses Dare and gives him strength to make changes in himself.
What is keeping me wanting more? The brothers and their unfinished stories. Wanting to see how Dare and Kenzie make out and where they go from here. This family and how close they are. How Carrie ann ryan gives us passion, real characters, and family but also love and forgiveness. She blends this so effortlessly and just has you love this family and each member that you root for them.
January 7, 2018
Carrie Ann Ryan is an author whose works always end up making me feel like I am living in a great giant plushie; and this newest release by her is no different after all!
Dare Collins is a former cop turned bartender, who now takes care of his family’s bar and restaurant, something that fills his plate and so can’t help with his parent’s in as much as he would like but he still ends up pissed when his parents hire a new innkeeper without consulting him (or even his siblings) – a city girl no less.
Kenzi Owens is a woman running away from her past, an abusive relationship that she is trying hard to believe that she has left behind – this new job as a resident innkeeper in a family establishment is her fresh start.
Dare and Kenzie do get off to an antagonistic start; but it’s clear as day that they are attracted to each other. But when Dare sees something that bothers Kenzie, especially when her past starts to interfere with her present, things came to head for them – Dare jumped in with both feet, even if he didn’t believe it was with his heart!
Dare and Kenzie are both headstrong people, so it was fun to see them butt heads with each other yet be unable to stop themselves from falling for each other – I LOVE it when this trope happens!
You also get introduced to the Collins siblings; who have already peaked my interest in them – which is exactly what Ms. Ryan is known for – forging familial connections that suck you in like there are your very own! A feeling I have through both the Montgomery Series and The Gallaghar Series!
Definitely looking forward to how the rest of the Collins Siblings fare on their journey to HEA! :D
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February 25, 2018
Eek! I just got this in the mail recently from Carrie Ann Ryan and I cannot wait to jump into it. She can write a romance y'all!
This novel follows Dare Collins and Kenzie! It was a sweet novel with two character that have pasts to face. When they get together though, sparks fly and you swoon. I loved every page of it. These two have a connection from the get go and ever with the happenings of the book, you just fall in love with them.
I like the quick pace of the read and honestly it was nice to get to read it in one sitting without having to feel like I was rushing.
This was a novel about two people who while facing the past find love in each other. SO Much.
I can't wait to read more from Carrie Ann, this is my second read from her and I really enjoy them.
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Synopsis:
Sparks fly between a former cop-turned-bartender and his new innkeeper in the first installment of a Montgomery Ink spin-off series from NYT Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan.
Dare Collins is a man who knows his whiskey and women—or at least that’s what he tells himself. When his family decides to hire on a new innkeeper for the inn above his bar and restaurant, he’s more than reluctant. Especially when he meets the new hire. But he’ll soon find that he has no choice but to work with this city girl and accept her new ideas and the burning attraction between them.
Kenzie Owens left her old life and an abusive relationship behind her—or so she thought. She figures she’ll be safe in Whiskey, Pennsylvania but after one look at her new boss, Dare Collins, she might still be in danger, or at least her heart. And when her past catches up with her despite her attempts to avoid it, it’s more than her heart on the line. This time, it might mean her life.
January 2, 2018
ARC REVIEW
Yay! Starting the New Year off with a five star read from Carrie Ann Ryan. Whiskey Secrets is the first book of her brand new series (a spin-off of the Montgomery Ink series. If you haven't started Montgomery series it is perfectly okay to read this as a stand-alone) Whiskey and Lies. The Collins Family first introduced in Ink Exposed when they ran to Tabby's rescue. The brothers, Dare, Loch, and Fox, I knew instantly would get their own series after reading that book, and the wait has been worth it. As always Carrie Ann Ryan's writing pulls at your heartstrings, the characters are so well written they are deep and flawed and they real do end up feeling like they are my friends.
Dare never thought he would end up a bartender, ok so he's more than a bartender he runs not only the family bar but the restaurant too, Old Whiskey Restaurant and Bar, it's essentially two seperate places not to mention all the stuff he does for the Old Whiskey Inn attached. But Dare really doesn't mind because it keeps him busy and not thinking about the son he only gets to see one weekend a month.
Kenize Owens was eager to start her new job as the innkeeper at the Old Whiskey Inn. It is her way of starting over in a new place away from all the people who she knew and all their pitying looks. After years of dealing with verbal abuse from her husband getting away from everything was exactly what she needed. Being a big city girl moving to the small touristy town of Whiskey is going to take some getting use to.
Dare and Kenzie didn't start off on the right foot but after making up and Dare apologizing they start getting along, more than getting along they soon fall head over heels for each other but with Kenzie's past she's hesitant to let herself be in that vulnerable to another person again, and Dare is worried about keeping custody of his son he doesn't want to start something and then it be held against him. Kenzie is also afraid of her ex-husband who keeps trying to contact her and is obsessed with her not to mention her own idiot of a brother who causes her nothing but grief.
Overall, I loved everything about this book. The family dynamics are different than the Montgomery clan and that's good because not every family is the same but it isn't a drastic difference, they are still a very loving family, and they are for each other when they need it, they pick on each other, and get into each other's business but you can tell the differences when you read it. Kenzie and Dare are a great couple and Dare is so oblivious, I do love oblivious heroes. This was a great start for the series it gives a little look at the other two brothers and their lives, like Loch and his daughter and the fun easy going Fox (which means he's going to be the exact opposite in his book, which is the next book.)
Yay! Starting the New Year off with a five star read from Carrie Ann Ryan. Whiskey Secrets is the first book of her brand new series (a spin-off of the Montgomery Ink series. If you haven't started Montgomery series it is perfectly okay to read this as a stand-alone) Whiskey and Lies. The Collins Family first introduced in Ink Exposed when they ran to Tabby's rescue. The brothers, Dare, Loch, and Fox, I knew instantly would get their own series after reading that book, and the wait has been worth it. As always Carrie Ann Ryan's writing pulls at your heartstrings, the characters are so well written they are deep and flawed and they real do end up feeling like they are my friends.
Dare never thought he would end up a bartender, ok so he's more than a bartender he runs not only the family bar but the restaurant too, Old Whiskey Restaurant and Bar, it's essentially two seperate places not to mention all the stuff he does for the Old Whiskey Inn attached. But Dare really doesn't mind because it keeps him busy and not thinking about the son he only gets to see one weekend a month.
Kenize Owens was eager to start her new job as the innkeeper at the Old Whiskey Inn. It is her way of starting over in a new place away from all the people who she knew and all their pitying looks. After years of dealing with verbal abuse from her husband getting away from everything was exactly what she needed. Being a big city girl moving to the small touristy town of Whiskey is going to take some getting use to.
Dare and Kenzie didn't start off on the right foot but after making up and Dare apologizing they start getting along, more than getting along they soon fall head over heels for each other but with Kenzie's past she's hesitant to let herself be in that vulnerable to another person again, and Dare is worried about keeping custody of his son he doesn't want to start something and then it be held against him. Kenzie is also afraid of her ex-husband who keeps trying to contact her and is obsessed with her not to mention her own idiot of a brother who causes her nothing but grief.
Overall, I loved everything about this book. The family dynamics are different than the Montgomery clan and that's good because not every family is the same but it isn't a drastic difference, they are still a very loving family, and they are for each other when they need it, they pick on each other, and get into each other's business but you can tell the differences when you read it. Kenzie and Dare are a great couple and Dare is so oblivious, I do love oblivious heroes. This was a great start for the series it gives a little look at the other two brothers and their lives, like Loch and his daughter and the fun easy going Fox (which means he's going to be the exact opposite in his book, which is the next book.)
January 5, 2018
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Dare Collins is at his wits end. You will feel sorry for him because his life seems to be working against him. Kenzie Owens puts on a good front. But she seems comfortable enough around Dare to let him into her life.
This is one great thing about our author. We get to see a whole family network along with the love and pain that sometimes occurs. They are people that you can periodically relate to. And when you add in children, they just seem to have a way of stealing a scene. And that’s another thing I like about this author. All her scenes seem to flow seamlessly from one to another. I never seem to get lost and have to go back and re-read a scene to see what I may have missed. Ms. Ryan also connects this series her popular Montgomery Ink. You may not have read that series but that’s ok because you won’t be lost if you haven’t. But if you want to see how it connects to this one you may at some point want to take a chance and see what that series is about. The author even helps you out by giving you the books that crossover.
Kenzie is a woman that’s trying to recover from a past that tried to pull her down. This may be a trigger for those that have gone through domestic violence. It could also lift those up that have been able to escape and come out stronger and with a strong voice. It was also nice to see that she had a champion in her corner.
This book may not be as long as some others that you have read but it is a story that will have you slow down. It’s one to sit back, relax, and have either a favorite snack or a favorite drink handy as you read. It was very easy to tune out everything else so that I could concentrate on the story that our author has written. I came to care for Kenzie and wanted to know that she ends up with a white knight even if he does have a little chink in his armor. The ending left me thinking and reminiscing about my own family and may do the same for you.
I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Dare Collins is at his wits end. You will feel sorry for him because his life seems to be working against him. Kenzie Owens puts on a good front. But she seems comfortable enough around Dare to let him into her life.
This is one great thing about our author. We get to see a whole family network along with the love and pain that sometimes occurs. They are people that you can periodically relate to. And when you add in children, they just seem to have a way of stealing a scene. And that’s another thing I like about this author. All her scenes seem to flow seamlessly from one to another. I never seem to get lost and have to go back and re-read a scene to see what I may have missed. Ms. Ryan also connects this series her popular Montgomery Ink. You may not have read that series but that’s ok because you won’t be lost if you haven’t. But if you want to see how it connects to this one you may at some point want to take a chance and see what that series is about. The author even helps you out by giving you the books that crossover.
Kenzie is a woman that’s trying to recover from a past that tried to pull her down. This may be a trigger for those that have gone through domestic violence. It could also lift those up that have been able to escape and come out stronger and with a strong voice. It was also nice to see that she had a champion in her corner.
This book may not be as long as some others that you have read but it is a story that will have you slow down. It’s one to sit back, relax, and have either a favorite snack or a favorite drink handy as you read. It was very easy to tune out everything else so that I could concentrate on the story that our author has written. I came to care for Kenzie and wanted to know that she ends up with a white knight even if he does have a little chink in his armor. The ending left me thinking and reminiscing about my own family and may do the same for you.
I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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