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Devil's Rock #2
Détache-moi
Grace Reeves, la fille du président des États-Unis, est une jeune femme timide et gauche. Fatiguée de toujours obéir aux ordres, elle décide d’échapper à la vigilance de sa garde rapprochée pour jouir d’un moment de réelle liberté, qui se transforme en cauchemar lorsqu’elle est kidnappée par des truands. Elle n’a d’autre choix, pour survivre, que de placer sa confiance en Reid Allister, un détenu évadé de prison dont le regard perçant l’embrase. Même si Reid semble en tout point différent du reste de ses ravisseurs, Grace peut-elle avoir foi en un homme qui n’a plus rien à perdre ?
384 pages, Paperback
First published July 26, 2016
116 people are currently reading
1276 people want to read
About the author
Sophie Jordan
83 books8,991 followersPseudonym:
Sharie Kohler
Sophie Jordan took her adolescent daydreaming one step further and penned her first historical romance in the back of her high school Spanish class. This passion led her to pursue a degree in English and History.
A brief stint in law school taught her that case law was not nearly as interesting as literature - teaching English seemed the natural recourse. After several years teaching high school students to love Antigone, Sophie resigned with the birth of her first child and decided it was time to pursue the long-held dream of writing.
In less than three years, her first book, Once Upon A Wedding Night, a 2006 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Nominee for Best First Historical, hit book shelves. Her second novel, Too Wicked To Tame, released in March 2007 with a bang, landing on the USA Today Bestseller's List.
Sharie Kohler
Sophie Jordan took her adolescent daydreaming one step further and penned her first historical romance in the back of her high school Spanish class. This passion led her to pursue a degree in English and History.
A brief stint in law school taught her that case law was not nearly as interesting as literature - teaching English seemed the natural recourse. After several years teaching high school students to love Antigone, Sophie resigned with the birth of her first child and decided it was time to pursue the long-held dream of writing.
In less than three years, her first book, Once Upon A Wedding Night, a 2006 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Nominee for Best First Historical, hit book shelves. Her second novel, Too Wicked To Tame, released in March 2007 with a bang, landing on the USA Today Bestseller's List.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 272 reviews
November 3, 2016
Hell Breaks Loose by Sophie Jordan started off well enough until the heroine, Grace, kicked into TSTL mode. The book picks up where the first book, All Chained Up left off. Reid having started a riot at Devil's Rock and escaping from his hospital bed. When he meets up with his brother and his crew, he realises that they've abducted the First Daughter, when he walks into the room and sees her tied up on the bed, his 11 year incaceration and the fact that he hasn't been with a woman comes rushing back full force.
Aside from the instataneous physical attraction this was not an insta-love situation. But Grace's reactions and actions really tried my patience. She was in complete denial about her attraction to Reid, but at the same time she was so judgemental. This guy was standing between her and immenent rape and death, all his actions made it blatantly obvious that he was protecting her. But she was quick to doubt him, but yeah he's hot and she wouldn't mind sleeping with him. Some consistency would've been great.
A part of her wanted to shatter the proper and controlled veneer of her life.
To finally be touched.
For someone to see her and peel back all the layers and tap into something that was real. To uncover that part of her that was locked away, neglected.
Never felt. Never touched. Never seen.
Reid may have been a roughened criminal, who ran a crew in prison but when it came to Grace, all he did was protect her. Over and over again, even when it seemed she was open to sleeping with him, his conscious always stopped him. This guy was a saint in my eyes, unfortunately the thankless heroine made it all for naught. Aside from telling him he was better than the revenge he sought which is still a bit judgemental mind you.
Apart from all my complaining I found this book really enjoyable, and I loved Reid's character. His characterisation in the first book made me think he was all grit and no give but he was really a decent human being.
July 18, 2016
I loved
All Chained Up
and I can't wait to read Reid's book. He is sooo mysterious and swoony!
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Hell Breaks Loose by Sophie Jordan
Book Two of the Devil's Rock series
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: July 26, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***
Summary (from Goodreads):
Hell hath no hunger like a man let out of a cage . . .
Shy and awkward, First Daughter Grace Reeves has always done what she’s told. Tired of taking orders, she escapes her security detail for a rare moment of peace. Except her worst nightmare comes to life when a ruthless gang of criminals abducts her. Her only choice is to place her trust in Reid Allister, an escaped convict whose piercing gaze awakens something deep inside her. Reid is nothing like her other captors.
He’s tougher, smarter…and one blistering look from him makes her hotter than any man ever has.
Reid spent years plotting escape and revenge . . .years without a woman in his bed. For this hardened felon, Grace Reeves isn’t just out of his league—she’s from another planet, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting her. Escaping Devil’s Rock was tough, but resisting this woman could be the end of him. For a man with nothing to lose, protecting her . . . claiming her as his own, becomes more necessary than his next breath.
What I Liked:
SO much love for this series. I adored All Chained Up and didn't think I would love Hell Breaks Loose as much. Knox and Reid are totally my type of romance hero - strong, silent, intense, brooding, overprotective alpha. Never mind that they are convicts in the Devil's Rock prison. Both are good men. This book is Reid's story, in which he breaks out of the prison and finds his younger brother, who just kidnapped the First Daughter of the United States.
Reid Allister started a fight in the prison, and he was transferred to a hospital. There is where he escapes. The fight at the end of All Chained Up was pure masterminded genius, though rather bloody and violent. Reid goes to where he knows his younger brother Zane will be - and finds Zane and his crew high on something lethal, and with the First Daughter, Grace Reeves. Grace is bound and gagged but unhurt - so far. Reid didn't break out of prison to become a part of his brother's crazy plan. or to rescue a defenseless innocent girl. He broke out to deliver some much-needed revenge to Otis Sullivan. But Reid isn't going to leave Grace, especially since Zane kidnapped Grace to deliver her to the one and only Otis Sullivan, who wants to hurt the President. Grace must trust Reid with her life, but she quickly realizes that it isn't fear she feels when she is with him.
At first, as I was reading this book, I thought that this was going in the direction of Stockholm Syndrome. Grace was kidnapped by Zane and crew, but Reid turns up not long after Grace is kidnapped (maybe a day later). He takes one look at her, and tells the men that she is his, and that he is the only one that will touch her. He does this to protect her; he won't allow anyone to touch her, not even himself. Except that pretending to have been with her has its price - he can't stop thinking about touching her. And she can't stop thinking about him touching her.
So the Stockholm Syndrome thoughts didn't last long. It was good to see that Grace considered that as well - why else would she be starting to care about an escaped criminal who is protecting her but not letting her go? And Reid - it kills him, to know that he wants her but can't do anything about it, because he refuses to take advantage of her in any way, even if she wants it as well. It felt wrong of him to touch her or even consider touching her, because she's so good and he is so not good.
Ahh, Reid. I found him mysterious and a little dark in All Chained Up. In this book, we see a lot behind the shrouds of mystery. His past, his terrible home life, how he tried to shield his younger brother. What really happened that had him end up in prison. Reid is a good man. He is all those things I listed above - silent, brooding, overprotective, totally alpha, etc. He's also a little intimidating, and while Grace feels safe with him, she didn't at first.
Grace is the awkward, not-so-graceful First Daughter of the United States. She's the President's only child, and she's given up so much for her father and his campaigning, for both election and reelection. One night, she sneaks out of her hotel, ditching her Secret Service bodyguards. Of course, it WOULD be the same night that some thugs are watching her hotel, waiting to kidnap her. So she is kidnapped. Grace is a little fragile, a little naive, a lot pampered, but you really feel for her in this book. Her parents don't love her, she's surrounded 24/7, and she's a terrible public speaker/civil servant. She isn't good in the spotlight. Grace is sweet and innocent and selfless, and sneaking out of the hotel is the first adventurous thing she's done in... forever. Too bad it backfired.
As weird as the plot of this romance sounds, I loved the romance. I loved seeing Reid and Grace get comfortable with each other. Literally the first 50% of this book is spent with Grace in fear of Zane and the crew and her getting killed or raped. Grace is very attracted to Reid, and vice versa, but neither of them act on this odd sexual attraction. Grace wants to be free and Reid wants to kill Sullivan, but Reid won't leave Grace at the mercy of his brother. I liked seeing Grace slowly trust Reid, and Reid slowly trust Grace. Like I said, the romance might seem strange, and it's definitely not a conventional romance, but it's so well-written and wonderful to read.
Not to mention steamy. Whew! Even with more than half the book passing without any sexy times, this book was hot. There were so many "almost" scenes, so many scenes filled with sexual tension, in the first half of the book. And the second half too, though there were actual steamy scenes in the second half.
This is only the third book I've read featuring a criminal and ex-con as the male protagonist, and I must say, I love how Jordan portrays her men. She doesn't sugarcoat - none of these men are innocent angels. All of them are hardened and burdened, and Jordan does not shy away from writing what makes them hardened and burdened.
The ending of this book surprised me a little! I liked the ending a lot, it's a good HEA. It just surprised me, the way it came about. I'm really happy with the epilogue/final scene, in terms of Reid and Grace. Part of it felt off, with Grace's parents, but I like the image we're left with of Reid and Grace. So sweet!
What I Did Not Like:
I think we could have had a little more scenes with Grace and Reid AFTER they have sex for the first time? Both steamy scenes and emotionally intimate scenes. It seemed like they had sex one or twice and then the climax of the book happened (hehe) and then the book ended. Of course, this could just be insatiable Alyssa's weird requests.
Would I Recommend It:
I highly recommend this book (and series), especially if you like adult contemporary romance novels. I like the archetypes Jordan is using in these books - alpha alpha male, sweet and innocent female who is tough and strong too. Not every woman is fierce and snarky, and I like seeing females like Grace and Briar (from All Chained Up) take center stage. If you like hot steamy romance novels with depth and some past tragedy and some good relationship development, try this series!
Rating:
4 stars. I am EAGERLY awaiting Fury on Fire! As of today (June 6, 2016) it hasn't been officially announced, in terms of who the protagonists will be. I'm hoping the book will feature North!
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Hell Breaks Loose by Sophie Jordan
Book Two of the Devil's Rock series
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: July 26, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***
Summary (from Goodreads):
Hell hath no hunger like a man let out of a cage . . .
Shy and awkward, First Daughter Grace Reeves has always done what she’s told. Tired of taking orders, she escapes her security detail for a rare moment of peace. Except her worst nightmare comes to life when a ruthless gang of criminals abducts her. Her only choice is to place her trust in Reid Allister, an escaped convict whose piercing gaze awakens something deep inside her. Reid is nothing like her other captors.
He’s tougher, smarter…and one blistering look from him makes her hotter than any man ever has.
Reid spent years plotting escape and revenge . . .years without a woman in his bed. For this hardened felon, Grace Reeves isn’t just out of his league—she’s from another planet, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting her. Escaping Devil’s Rock was tough, but resisting this woman could be the end of him. For a man with nothing to lose, protecting her . . . claiming her as his own, becomes more necessary than his next breath.
What I Liked:
SO much love for this series. I adored All Chained Up and didn't think I would love Hell Breaks Loose as much. Knox and Reid are totally my type of romance hero - strong, silent, intense, brooding, overprotective alpha. Never mind that they are convicts in the Devil's Rock prison. Both are good men. This book is Reid's story, in which he breaks out of the prison and finds his younger brother, who just kidnapped the First Daughter of the United States.
Reid Allister started a fight in the prison, and he was transferred to a hospital. There is where he escapes. The fight at the end of All Chained Up was pure masterminded genius, though rather bloody and violent. Reid goes to where he knows his younger brother Zane will be - and finds Zane and his crew high on something lethal, and with the First Daughter, Grace Reeves. Grace is bound and gagged but unhurt - so far. Reid didn't break out of prison to become a part of his brother's crazy plan. or to rescue a defenseless innocent girl. He broke out to deliver some much-needed revenge to Otis Sullivan. But Reid isn't going to leave Grace, especially since Zane kidnapped Grace to deliver her to the one and only Otis Sullivan, who wants to hurt the President. Grace must trust Reid with her life, but she quickly realizes that it isn't fear she feels when she is with him.
At first, as I was reading this book, I thought that this was going in the direction of Stockholm Syndrome. Grace was kidnapped by Zane and crew, but Reid turns up not long after Grace is kidnapped (maybe a day later). He takes one look at her, and tells the men that she is his, and that he is the only one that will touch her. He does this to protect her; he won't allow anyone to touch her, not even himself. Except that pretending to have been with her has its price - he can't stop thinking about touching her. And she can't stop thinking about him touching her.
So the Stockholm Syndrome thoughts didn't last long. It was good to see that Grace considered that as well - why else would she be starting to care about an escaped criminal who is protecting her but not letting her go? And Reid - it kills him, to know that he wants her but can't do anything about it, because he refuses to take advantage of her in any way, even if she wants it as well. It felt wrong of him to touch her or even consider touching her, because she's so good and he is so not good.
Ahh, Reid. I found him mysterious and a little dark in All Chained Up. In this book, we see a lot behind the shrouds of mystery. His past, his terrible home life, how he tried to shield his younger brother. What really happened that had him end up in prison. Reid is a good man. He is all those things I listed above - silent, brooding, overprotective, totally alpha, etc. He's also a little intimidating, and while Grace feels safe with him, she didn't at first.
Grace is the awkward, not-so-graceful First Daughter of the United States. She's the President's only child, and she's given up so much for her father and his campaigning, for both election and reelection. One night, she sneaks out of her hotel, ditching her Secret Service bodyguards. Of course, it WOULD be the same night that some thugs are watching her hotel, waiting to kidnap her. So she is kidnapped. Grace is a little fragile, a little naive, a lot pampered, but you really feel for her in this book. Her parents don't love her, she's surrounded 24/7, and she's a terrible public speaker/civil servant. She isn't good in the spotlight. Grace is sweet and innocent and selfless, and sneaking out of the hotel is the first adventurous thing she's done in... forever. Too bad it backfired.
As weird as the plot of this romance sounds, I loved the romance. I loved seeing Reid and Grace get comfortable with each other. Literally the first 50% of this book is spent with Grace in fear of Zane and the crew and her getting killed or raped. Grace is very attracted to Reid, and vice versa, but neither of them act on this odd sexual attraction. Grace wants to be free and Reid wants to kill Sullivan, but Reid won't leave Grace at the mercy of his brother. I liked seeing Grace slowly trust Reid, and Reid slowly trust Grace. Like I said, the romance might seem strange, and it's definitely not a conventional romance, but it's so well-written and wonderful to read.
Not to mention steamy. Whew! Even with more than half the book passing without any sexy times, this book was hot. There were so many "almost" scenes, so many scenes filled with sexual tension, in the first half of the book. And the second half too, though there were actual steamy scenes in the second half.
This is only the third book I've read featuring a criminal and ex-con as the male protagonist, and I must say, I love how Jordan portrays her men. She doesn't sugarcoat - none of these men are innocent angels. All of them are hardened and burdened, and Jordan does not shy away from writing what makes them hardened and burdened.
The ending of this book surprised me a little! I liked the ending a lot, it's a good HEA. It just surprised me, the way it came about. I'm really happy with the epilogue/final scene, in terms of Reid and Grace. Part of it felt off, with Grace's parents, but I like the image we're left with of Reid and Grace. So sweet!
What I Did Not Like:
I think we could have had a little more scenes with Grace and Reid AFTER they have sex for the first time? Both steamy scenes and emotionally intimate scenes. It seemed like they had sex one or twice and then the climax of the book happened (hehe) and then the book ended. Of course, this could just be insatiable Alyssa's weird requests.
Would I Recommend It:
I highly recommend this book (and series), especially if you like adult contemporary romance novels. I like the archetypes Jordan is using in these books - alpha alpha male, sweet and innocent female who is tough and strong too. Not every woman is fierce and snarky, and I like seeing females like Grace and Briar (from All Chained Up) take center stage. If you like hot steamy romance novels with depth and some past tragedy and some good relationship development, try this series!
Rating:
4 stars. I am EAGERLY awaiting Fury on Fire! As of today (June 6, 2016) it hasn't been officially announced, in terms of who the protagonists will be. I'm hoping the book will feature North!
July 28, 2016
I’ve been eagerly anticipating Reid’s book ever since finishing the previous book where he broke out of prison, intent on getting his revenge. And I was not disappointed!!
He might be alive and breathing, but he had died a long time ago. He was nothing but a walking ghost now.
A ghost with nothing to lose.
Hell Breaks Loose starts right off where All Chained Up ended. Reid Allister, wrongly imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, has been planning his escape and revenge for years. And finally after 11 years in prison he’s escaped. His years in prison has changed him, made him hard. And finding the president’s daughter, kidnapped by his old gang, is not what he expected or needs. But Reid can’t help but want Grace, to protect and to claim.
First Daughter Grace Reeves has finally rebelled after years of doing and being what she was told. She tried to have a few moments of being alone without her security detail, and it ended with a nightmare. She’s been kidnapped by criminals who has no problem hurting her, they actually want to harm her to get back at her father. But then suddenly Reid is there and he seems to be the only one who can save her.
Whenever he was with her, it became all about her. What she did to him. What he would like to do to her. Everything else seemed to drop away.
Sophie Jordan sure knows how to write heroes that I love. Reid was fantastic and so damn sexy. Even after years of being without a woman, he kept his control around Grace, even when things got heated between them and Grace was more than willing, he was determined to do right by her, believing that she deserved better. I just adored him.
Grace was a great heroine. At first she was very wary of Reid and tried to run from him numerous times, which was understandable. I loved that with him she became her true self, standing up for herself which she has never been able to do before. I also loved that in the end she gave up her freedom of living how she wanted to save Reid.
The chemistry between Reid and Grace was intense and instant. I loved how protective Reid was over Grace, and watching them fight their feelings was a lot of fun. The romance in this book was wonderful. Reid and Grace have actually a lot in common, both being caged for years, unable to break free, to just be themselves. I just loved them together, and their epilogue was wonderful!!
I’m really loving this series. It has a little bit of a Prison Break feel, and I enjoy the suspense created by the heroes being felons. Next is North’s book, and after everything that has happened to him, I can’t wait to read his book. A great series with fantastic heroes, wonderful romance and just enough suspense to keep you intrigued.
March 1, 2023
Whenever he was with her, it became all about her. What she did to him. What he would like to do to her. Everything else seemed to drop away. That was dangerous.4.5 stars
I loved this book—and this entire series! I've been reading them all out of order, so this is the 2nd book in a 5-book series, but it's the 4th one I've read thus far. (They don't need to be read in order, though some connect more than others; this one probably matters the least).
I was very, very wary going in honestly. I have a low TSTL heroine threshold and after reading a few reviews, I was getting that strong vibe—and then several reviews starting using the term, so yeah ... I bought it solely on the fact that I had loved the other 3 books I had read in the series (and was coming off of a high from one of them). All to say, I'm very glad that I did go ahead and purchase it, so if you're wary for that reason, maybe don't be? ... I say maybe, because obviously everyone has a different threshold, but also I wonder if the fact that I was so afraid of that made it so that the reality was by default not that bad.
He might be alive and breathing, but he had died a long time ago. He was nothing but a walking ghost now. A ghost with nothing to lose.People have gone on and on about Reid, and oh lord do I understand why. WHAT a delicious hero!! You don't realize unless you've read Book 1 how much of a bad, cold, hardened guy he is, because you get to see the good guy side of him so quickly (not a criticism). The whole setup is shit—not for the reader, I mean for Reid. He escapes from prison, and is obviously trying to stay on the DL ... and walks right into house where the President's kidnapped daughter is being kept. Yeah. Not ideal! He escaped for one reason and one reason alone though, and expects to return to prison after that.
The fact that he now has to take care of Grace and stop her from being raped or killed complicates the issue, but there is no point at which he thinks he has any other choice. He is not that guy, he will never be that guy, and even before something starts to develop between them, you know he will go all out to stop something from happening to her. Because he's a good guy! It pits him against his brother, which is a complicated dynamic and probably the saddest part of this story.
A part of her wanted to shatter the proper and controlled veneer of her life. To finally be touched. For someone to see her and peel back all the layers and tap into something that was real. To uncover that part of her that was locked away, neglected. Never felt. Never touched. Never seen.I liked Grace, what can I say?! I thought her reactions to the situations were legitimate; she acts scared when she should be scared (and she should be scared as fuck because the guys who took are not good guys, in any way, shape, or form); she tries to get away when she should try to get away; she fights back when she should fight back; etc.
And regarding one of the points brought up in other reviews, I think that she does let her guard down appropriately with Reid. Others have written that she keeps fighting him when she shouldn't, but I didn't read it that way and I didn't think she was annoying in her behavior. I also didn't think it swung to the other end of things, where she all of a sudden falls for her kind-of-captor and they have sex like rabbits. It was a perfect balance in my opinion. She tags him as potentially good guy when he offers to protect her for the night and doesn't take advantage of her; when he won't let her go again, she reacts angrily (as she should) and tries to get away (as she should). And the back and forth continues; it is definitely a situation of two steps forward, one step back, but always for a reason, not to an annoying degree, and it all made sense to me.
To note: I hate insta-lust stories, but this wasn't that, so if those are also a turnoff for you, don't be scared away, this book is great!
I loved when they finally got into the groove of things and firmly established they were in each other's corner and something was happening; it was all so sweet, and romantic, and bittersweet, and tragic, and everything that is good and wonderful and makes for a good romance story.
“Escaping is only going to make me mad. Make me catch you and pin you down. And trust me, you don’t want me to do that again. Every time I pin you down I have to fight the urge to fuck you.”Devil's Rock Series
Might as well be honest. Maybe that would scare her into behaving.
Book 1. All Chained Up (4 stars)
Book 2. Hell Breaks Loose (4.5 stars)
Book 3. Fury on Fire (3.5 stars)
Book 4. Beautiful Lawman (4 stars)
Book 5. Beautiful Sinner (4 stars)
October 5, 2017
Not as good as the other books in the series but it was still entertaining. It’s saving grace was how quick of a read it is. Lol.
March 7, 2021
3.75 stars
ETA: Originally gave this 4 stars but after reading Book 3, I just can't.
I did like this one better overall than Book 1. Especially the hero Reid, who had a little more substance and heart than muscle-headed Knox who only seemed to think with his penis and fists.
But there were things that I wasn't crazy about that could have been way better and just fleshed out more. Sophie Jordan likes to use fast easy loopholes to push her (convoluted) plots along. So you got to suspend all sense of realism & belief big time to read her books. Similar to Knox's story, the whole plot of this was super contrived with a lot of nonsensical things happening for the hero and heroine to get together. From the President's daughter easily sneaking out of her hotel room thinking she won't get recognized (😒) to getting kidnapped not even a block away from her hotel (really Jordan???!) and the kidnappers just happened to be on their way to kidnap her (LOL. Plot twist!) to Reid's easy pardon to the couple's nice and tidy HEA. But......I thought the couple were cute. I was skeptical for a good 70% of the story with the constant repetitive arguments and them not really getting anywhere while 'on the run'. I guess that would be my biggest complaint, you have your leads on the run hiding from the police and secret service and the whole damn country and they are sitting ducks for 90% of the story in a cabin in the woods with nothing exciting going on except heated tension, arguments and sex.
And this is literally the third book I've read by Sophie Jordan where the heroine's character is so inconsistent and misleading from cover blurb to story. How the heroine is packaged on the blurb and the beginning of the story is very inconsistent and drastically changing through the story. I wanna know how "shy" awkward, pushover, timid Grace transformed into a temperamental raging hellcat within a matter of 2 chapters. Yeah....ok. lol Reid bringing that out of her or not, the context of it made no sense. The development of this character was very fast and loose IMO, it made no sense for her to show that much spine towards her captor and so quickly. Jordan's tendency to have her character's personalities change with a flip of a switch just shows lack of realistic development and depth.
But nonsensical bits aside, I thought Reid and Grace were cute and sweet in the end. I loved the epilogue. And the fact that the First family was Latino(?) I found surprising and refreshing. I'm not sure since it was never outright confirmed but there were hints.
ETA: Originally gave this 4 stars but after reading Book 3, I just can't.
I did like this one better overall than Book 1. Especially the hero Reid, who had a little more substance and heart than muscle-headed Knox who only seemed to think with his penis and fists.
But there were things that I wasn't crazy about that could have been way better and just fleshed out more. Sophie Jordan likes to use fast easy loopholes to push her (convoluted) plots along. So you got to suspend all sense of realism & belief big time to read her books. Similar to Knox's story, the whole plot of this was super contrived with a lot of nonsensical things happening for the hero and heroine to get together. From the President's daughter easily sneaking out of her hotel room thinking she won't get recognized (😒) to getting kidnapped not even a block away from her hotel (really Jordan???!) and the kidnappers just happened to be on their way to kidnap her (LOL. Plot twist!) to Reid's easy pardon to the couple's nice and tidy HEA. But......I thought the couple were cute. I was skeptical for a good 70% of the story with the constant repetitive arguments and them not really getting anywhere while 'on the run'. I guess that would be my biggest complaint, you have your leads on the run hiding from the police and secret service and the whole damn country and they are sitting ducks for 90% of the story in a cabin in the woods with nothing exciting going on except heated tension, arguments and sex.
And this is literally the third book I've read by Sophie Jordan where the heroine's character is so inconsistent and misleading from cover blurb to story. How the heroine is packaged on the blurb and the beginning of the story is very inconsistent and drastically changing through the story. I wanna know how "shy" awkward, pushover, timid Grace transformed into a temperamental raging hellcat within a matter of 2 chapters. Yeah....ok. lol Reid bringing that out of her or not, the context of it made no sense. The development of this character was very fast and loose IMO, it made no sense for her to show that much spine towards her captor and so quickly. Jordan's tendency to have her character's personalities change with a flip of a switch just shows lack of realistic development and depth.
But nonsensical bits aside, I thought Reid and Grace were cute and sweet in the end. I loved the epilogue. And the fact that the First family was Latino(?) I found surprising and refreshing. I'm not sure since it was never outright confirmed but there were hints.
July 26, 2016
Loved this... Until that wholly anti-climatic ending :(
October 10, 2024
Hell Breaks Loose was a suspenseful action-filled steamy romance. It’s the second book in the Devil’s Rock series and it does stand on it’s quite well.
I loved our hero who is an ex-convict, although Reid is still a convict... newly escaped. He's focused, on a mission, and has only one goal. You feel how deeply he wanted his life to be different and how he knows that he's going back or will die doing what he escaped to do. Reid’s done bad things and prison has tainted his soul, but one thing he would never do is hurt a woman.
I liked our heroine. Grace's life isn't her own. She did, does, and is doing what daddy wants. Being the perfect daughter, dating the man he picked, etc. All she wants is to find herself again and be free. She never expect to find herself kidnapped and held hostage by a gang all because a bad man wants to hurt her father, who just so happens to be the President. In someways we all can relate to Grace and the pressures life and the people in it can put on us.
The romance is a slow burn. The passion and chemistry is their between Reid and Grace from the moment they met. Both feel a connection despite their situation. Grace is reluctant to fall for her dangerous kidnapper and Reid doesn’t want to fall for anyone. I liked the romance, but it came a little to close to being and feeling like Stockholm.
After finishing Hell Breaks Loose I’m a little curious to check out more in the Devil’s Rock series. Knox from book one, All Chained Up, makes an appearance, only a small one, to talk with Reid. And, so I get the impression they are friends, maybe from prison. It makes me curious.
Rated: 3 Stars
I loved our hero who is an ex-convict, although Reid is still a convict... newly escaped. He's focused, on a mission, and has only one goal. You feel how deeply he wanted his life to be different and how he knows that he's going back or will die doing what he escaped to do. Reid’s done bad things and prison has tainted his soul, but one thing he would never do is hurt a woman.
I liked our heroine. Grace's life isn't her own. She did, does, and is doing what daddy wants. Being the perfect daughter, dating the man he picked, etc. All she wants is to find herself again and be free. She never expect to find herself kidnapped and held hostage by a gang all because a bad man wants to hurt her father, who just so happens to be the President. In someways we all can relate to Grace and the pressures life and the people in it can put on us.
The romance is a slow burn. The passion and chemistry is their between Reid and Grace from the moment they met. Both feel a connection despite their situation. Grace is reluctant to fall for her dangerous kidnapper and Reid doesn’t want to fall for anyone. I liked the romance, but it came a little to close to being and feeling like Stockholm.
After finishing Hell Breaks Loose I’m a little curious to check out more in the Devil’s Rock series. Knox from book one, All Chained Up, makes an appearance, only a small one, to talk with Reid. And, so I get the impression they are friends, maybe from prison. It makes me curious.
Rated: 3 Stars
April 22, 2018
So, I went into this knowing it would probably be wayyy unlikely because.. well. Just read that summary. As a result I actually ended up enjoying the first 60%. It felt stronger than book one for sure. Obviously you need to suspend some disbelief over the way things unfold but the characters felt realistic somehow. However the end was a rushed hot mess of ridiculousness and definitely dragged down the whole thing for me. Oh well!
April 12, 2024
2☆ Hmm. Wrongly-convicted Jax Teller lookalike escapes prison for Revenge Reasons but instead uses his magic cock to transform the lame First Daughter into someone with a personality.
△ “I’m such an idiot.” She shook her head, tossing all that lush hair behind her. “You’re just a full-service kind of criminal, aren’t you? Abduction and orgasms. Do you know how to bake brownies, too?”
So this was a completely unbelievable story that could have been better if it lost about 100 pages and gained a more likable heroine. Nowhere near as good as Book 1. The best parts were the sex scenes.
△ “I’m such an idiot.” She shook her head, tossing all that lush hair behind her. “You’re just a full-service kind of criminal, aren’t you? Abduction and orgasms. Do you know how to bake brownies, too?”
So this was a completely unbelievable story that could have been better if it lost about 100 pages and gained a more likable heroine. Nowhere near as good as Book 1. The best parts were the sex scenes.
December 24, 2016
Originally posted at SmexyBooks-http://smexybooks.com/2016/08/review-...
Favorite Quote: “By all means, keeping trying. No one likes a quitter.”
A single act of rebellion takes a dark turn when the president’s daughter is kidnapped. Grace Reeves has spent her whole life doing what she was told. Everything from her clothing to her dates have been hand picked to further her father’s political career. When she slips her security detail for a moment of peace, she never expected to be kidnapped and at the mercy of a group of criminals, hell-bent on making her pay for her father’s mistakes.
Reid Alastair has spent the last eleven years in prison plotting his revenge. When the opportunity arises for him to escape, Reid grabs it and runs to the one place he knows he can hide out till the heat wears off. Reid is shocked and dismayed when he arrives at his brother’s hideout and finds the president’s daughter chained to a bed.
Grace knows instantly that Reid isn’t the same as the men who kidnapped her but the attraction she feels towards him spells even more danger for her. Reid convinces his brother to let him take care of Grace and he spirits her away to another location. Grace expects Reid to let her go but he has other plans for her. Plans that will finally allow him to take care of the man who sent him to prison. But the long days and even longer nights alone with Grace chips away at his resolution to keep her safe and clean from his touch. When the time comes to make a choice, Reid will have to decide if his revenge is worth losing the woman who has claimed his heart.
Hell Breaks Loose is the second in Sophie Jordan’s romance suspense series that revolves around a group of incarcerated felons and the woman who free them from their demons. One aspect I enjoy about this series so far is that Jordan doesn’t attempt to evoke our sympathy for these heroes in the beginning. They aren’t innocents. While some may not have committed the crime that landed them at Devil’s Rock Penitentiary, they definitely have done things that would have led them there eventually.
This installment gives us Reid’s story. We met Reid briefly in book one, All Chained Up. He was the leader of the prison gang who took Knox, the hero of All Chained up, and his brother in and helped them survive prison. When Reid starts a riot to cover his escape, it grows out of control and the fallout is not pretty. Reid is hurt and while in the hospital recovering, he learns of the president’s daughter’s kidnapping. He decides to use the country’s focus on her to cover his own escape.
Reid is a sexy, intelligent, quiet man whose guilt and shame over his childhood and incarceration is a shroud he wears like a second skin. He and his younger brother Zane are the products of an abusive drug riddled home. Reid spent most of his childhood and teenage years raising his brother and trying to keep his drug addicted mother alive. Their grandfather did the best he could, taking them for weekends and summers but when he passed away, they were left to rot in their own personal hell. A misguided fascination with an older gangster who appealed to then seventeen-year-old Reid’s need for a family figure drags Reid and his brother into a world of theft, drugs, and murder. When Reid attempts to get him and his brother out from under this man’s thumb, he finds himself in prison, convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. His escape has only one outcome. To permanently take care of the man who set him up and then back to prison forever. Falling for a pretty kidnap victim is not in his plans.
He was nothing but a walking ghost. A ghost with nothing left to lose.
Grace Reeves seems to have had a childhood everyone wants. Rich, pampered, and able to have her heart’s desire. Only the reality is much different. Grace, the only child of the president of the United States, has always been used as a pawn in her father’s political sphere. Every minute of her life weighed against how it will help her father and mother further succeed. Grace has been manipulated by multitudes of people, never able to live her life on her own terms. Awkward and intelligent, Grace comes off extremely innocent and naive. A complete doormat. But once she finds her backbone, she gives as good as she gets. She is determined to survive any way she knows how. Falling for an escaped prisoner is definitely not in her plans.
I’m not yours. I’m not property.
I saw some similarities between Hell Breaks Loose and All Chained Up. The protagonist’s personalities and emotional make up along with the push and pull of the romance follow a similar path. While Jordan did a good job of convincing me of the romance in the first book, ex-convict finds love and redemption, this particular trope was harder to sell in here due to the circumstances surrounding it. Reid isn’t an ex-convict, he’s an escaped prisoner. Grace isn’t with him by choice, she is an unwilling captive and he further exasperates the situation with his own agenda. This places even more stress on the questionable HEA. A darker and more forbidding tone penetrates this storyline, eliciting some conflicting feelings.You aren’t sure in the beginning how far Reid will go to execute his plan for revenge and if Grace will be his salvation or the final nail in his coffin.
Sometimes sacrifices needed to be made for survival
The romance itself is very slow to build; plagued by class differences, guilt, personal demons, and the elephant in the room. Jordan takes her time here with this couple, an issue I had with book one. The narrative is both external and internal, letting us see all their thoughts and concerns. Some humor flows lightly throughout the story, giving us minute reprieves from the overall seriousness.
Jordan addresses the issue of Stockholm Syndrome and works it out in a believable manner. Grace may think he’s hot and not as degenerate as the others but she never forgets she is a prisoner and that his attractiveness doesn’t immediately spell freedom or even safety for her. The repeated thoughts of Reid about his being without a woman for eleven years and primed for action made me wonder about his attraction at times.
Reid and Grace open up to one another (and us) in their solitude, allowing us to see their evolution from adversaries to allies. We learn not only what they both have dealt with growing up from an emotional standpoint but the strides they are making to overcome it. Grace is growing stronger by the minute, ready to stand up for herself while we see that Reid hasn’t spent all his time in prison stewing in his anger. He has worked on bettering himself, if only for his own self-worth. Tangible chemistry, anger laced banter, and sharply honed sexual tension keeps the reader on edge, wondering what will push his couple over the edge and into bed. When they tumble over the edge together, this reader was satisfied and frankly relieved. The tension was KILLING ME.
He wanted every moment with her imprinted on his mind, branded there forever so he had something to take out and hold when he was alone […] where he’d lost himself in a woman who made everything else in the world fade away.
The ending is where the story let me down. A series of anti-climatic events that fizzled out like defective fireworks. I don’t want to spoil but what I was expecting was a series of booms with incredibly defiant showers of heat and colorful sparkles and instead got the $10 “everything must go” special from Jim’s discount fireworks stand. It was just too perfect and pat.
Regardless of the issues I had, Jordan sold me on the romance, giving me a love story with two engaging characters who make it work despite all the odds. I am looking forward to reading the next story in the series, Fury on Devil’s Rock, which is North’s story (Knox’s brother). It releases January 2017.
Grade: C+
Favorite Quote: “By all means, keeping trying. No one likes a quitter.”
A single act of rebellion takes a dark turn when the president’s daughter is kidnapped. Grace Reeves has spent her whole life doing what she was told. Everything from her clothing to her dates have been hand picked to further her father’s political career. When she slips her security detail for a moment of peace, she never expected to be kidnapped and at the mercy of a group of criminals, hell-bent on making her pay for her father’s mistakes.
Reid Alastair has spent the last eleven years in prison plotting his revenge. When the opportunity arises for him to escape, Reid grabs it and runs to the one place he knows he can hide out till the heat wears off. Reid is shocked and dismayed when he arrives at his brother’s hideout and finds the president’s daughter chained to a bed.
Grace knows instantly that Reid isn’t the same as the men who kidnapped her but the attraction she feels towards him spells even more danger for her. Reid convinces his brother to let him take care of Grace and he spirits her away to another location. Grace expects Reid to let her go but he has other plans for her. Plans that will finally allow him to take care of the man who sent him to prison. But the long days and even longer nights alone with Grace chips away at his resolution to keep her safe and clean from his touch. When the time comes to make a choice, Reid will have to decide if his revenge is worth losing the woman who has claimed his heart.
Hell Breaks Loose is the second in Sophie Jordan’s romance suspense series that revolves around a group of incarcerated felons and the woman who free them from their demons. One aspect I enjoy about this series so far is that Jordan doesn’t attempt to evoke our sympathy for these heroes in the beginning. They aren’t innocents. While some may not have committed the crime that landed them at Devil’s Rock Penitentiary, they definitely have done things that would have led them there eventually.
This installment gives us Reid’s story. We met Reid briefly in book one, All Chained Up. He was the leader of the prison gang who took Knox, the hero of All Chained up, and his brother in and helped them survive prison. When Reid starts a riot to cover his escape, it grows out of control and the fallout is not pretty. Reid is hurt and while in the hospital recovering, he learns of the president’s daughter’s kidnapping. He decides to use the country’s focus on her to cover his own escape.
Reid is a sexy, intelligent, quiet man whose guilt and shame over his childhood and incarceration is a shroud he wears like a second skin. He and his younger brother Zane are the products of an abusive drug riddled home. Reid spent most of his childhood and teenage years raising his brother and trying to keep his drug addicted mother alive. Their grandfather did the best he could, taking them for weekends and summers but when he passed away, they were left to rot in their own personal hell. A misguided fascination with an older gangster who appealed to then seventeen-year-old Reid’s need for a family figure drags Reid and his brother into a world of theft, drugs, and murder. When Reid attempts to get him and his brother out from under this man’s thumb, he finds himself in prison, convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. His escape has only one outcome. To permanently take care of the man who set him up and then back to prison forever. Falling for a pretty kidnap victim is not in his plans.
He was nothing but a walking ghost. A ghost with nothing left to lose.
Grace Reeves seems to have had a childhood everyone wants. Rich, pampered, and able to have her heart’s desire. Only the reality is much different. Grace, the only child of the president of the United States, has always been used as a pawn in her father’s political sphere. Every minute of her life weighed against how it will help her father and mother further succeed. Grace has been manipulated by multitudes of people, never able to live her life on her own terms. Awkward and intelligent, Grace comes off extremely innocent and naive. A complete doormat. But once she finds her backbone, she gives as good as she gets. She is determined to survive any way she knows how. Falling for an escaped prisoner is definitely not in her plans.
I’m not yours. I’m not property.
I saw some similarities between Hell Breaks Loose and All Chained Up. The protagonist’s personalities and emotional make up along with the push and pull of the romance follow a similar path. While Jordan did a good job of convincing me of the romance in the first book, ex-convict finds love and redemption, this particular trope was harder to sell in here due to the circumstances surrounding it. Reid isn’t an ex-convict, he’s an escaped prisoner. Grace isn’t with him by choice, she is an unwilling captive and he further exasperates the situation with his own agenda. This places even more stress on the questionable HEA. A darker and more forbidding tone penetrates this storyline, eliciting some conflicting feelings.You aren’t sure in the beginning how far Reid will go to execute his plan for revenge and if Grace will be his salvation or the final nail in his coffin.
Sometimes sacrifices needed to be made for survival
The romance itself is very slow to build; plagued by class differences, guilt, personal demons, and the elephant in the room. Jordan takes her time here with this couple, an issue I had with book one. The narrative is both external and internal, letting us see all their thoughts and concerns. Some humor flows lightly throughout the story, giving us minute reprieves from the overall seriousness.
Jordan addresses the issue of Stockholm Syndrome and works it out in a believable manner. Grace may think he’s hot and not as degenerate as the others but she never forgets she is a prisoner and that his attractiveness doesn’t immediately spell freedom or even safety for her. The repeated thoughts of Reid about his being without a woman for eleven years and primed for action made me wonder about his attraction at times.
Reid and Grace open up to one another (and us) in their solitude, allowing us to see their evolution from adversaries to allies. We learn not only what they both have dealt with growing up from an emotional standpoint but the strides they are making to overcome it. Grace is growing stronger by the minute, ready to stand up for herself while we see that Reid hasn’t spent all his time in prison stewing in his anger. He has worked on bettering himself, if only for his own self-worth. Tangible chemistry, anger laced banter, and sharply honed sexual tension keeps the reader on edge, wondering what will push his couple over the edge and into bed. When they tumble over the edge together, this reader was satisfied and frankly relieved. The tension was KILLING ME.
He wanted every moment with her imprinted on his mind, branded there forever so he had something to take out and hold when he was alone […] where he’d lost himself in a woman who made everything else in the world fade away.
The ending is where the story let me down. A series of anti-climatic events that fizzled out like defective fireworks. I don’t want to spoil but what I was expecting was a series of booms with incredibly defiant showers of heat and colorful sparkles and instead got the $10 “everything must go” special from Jim’s discount fireworks stand. It was just too perfect and pat.
Regardless of the issues I had, Jordan sold me on the romance, giving me a love story with two engaging characters who make it work despite all the odds. I am looking forward to reading the next story in the series, Fury on Devil’s Rock, which is North’s story (Knox’s brother). It releases January 2017.
Grade: C+
November 27, 2018
3.5 Cute
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This was a pretty fun book, it was a bit better than I expected.
I liked the characters, they had chemistry and they were pretty cool people.
Ok, this is not a good moment for me to be writing a review, I have zero inspiration, so I'll just say this: read the book, it's definitely worth trying (and it's even better if you start with the first one in the series, that one was pretty cool too).
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This was a pretty fun book, it was a bit better than I expected.
I liked the characters, they had chemistry and they were pretty cool people.
Ok, this is not a good moment for me to be writing a review, I have zero inspiration, so I'll just say this: read the book, it's definitely worth trying (and it's even better if you start with the first one in the series, that one was pretty cool too).
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February 6, 2017
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
Hell Breaks Loose, the second book in this fiery hot contemporary series Sophie Jordan has cooked up starts out with a bang and some humor. I have so much love for this author, but she has blown me away with this series. In Hell Breaks Loose, we have our heroine. She is the president's daughter and doesn't have the life you would expect. So she escapes her secret service detail wanting some adventure and freedom. And finds herself being kidnapped by criminals, but there is one man that seems to care about protecting her. Our hero, managed to escape prison and wanting revenge against the man that sent him there. I know captive romances aren't for everyone but this one was done so well and I am not ashamed to admit it. i know its not a book that everyone would love to read, but I adored the chemistry and its not what you expect. What impressed me about this was seeing how this pair fitted together when they work out the kinks. They are both from different worlds, but somehow they fit just right for each other. A RIVETING ROMANCE!!!
Click To Buy On Amazon
[foogallery id="24074"]
Hell Breaks Loose, the second book in this fiery hot contemporary series Sophie Jordan has cooked up starts out with a bang and some humor. I have so much love for this author, but she has blown me away with this series. In Hell Breaks Loose, we have our heroine. She is the president's daughter and doesn't have the life you would expect. So she escapes her secret service detail wanting some adventure and freedom. And finds herself being kidnapped by criminals, but there is one man that seems to care about protecting her. Our hero, managed to escape prison and wanting revenge against the man that sent him there. I know captive romances aren't for everyone but this one was done so well and I am not ashamed to admit it. i know its not a book that everyone would love to read, but I adored the chemistry and its not what you expect. What impressed me about this was seeing how this pair fitted together when they work out the kinks. They are both from different worlds, but somehow they fit just right for each other. A RIVETING ROMANCE!!!
Click To Buy On Amazon
[foogallery id="24074"]
September 29, 2017
3.5 slow to start stars
I did enjoy this book, after its slow start. I enjoyed the first book much better, I think because, they weren't at odds from the beginning. This was a different type of story with Grace thinking that Reid was as bad as the men who had taken her.
This really was a case of insta luv since they weren't together too long but I found it charming and so went with it.
I love that Reid called her "Gracie".
Cute story and I look forward to the next in the series.
I did enjoy this book, after its slow start. I enjoyed the first book much better, I think because, they weren't at odds from the beginning. This was a different type of story with Grace thinking that Reid was as bad as the men who had taken her.
This really was a case of insta luv since they weren't together too long but I found it charming and so went with it.
I love that Reid called her "Gracie".
Cute story and I look forward to the next in the series.
Read
August 29, 2016I didn't like anyone in this book. A "hero" who spends most of his time trying not to rape the heroine is not sexy.
Not for me. DNF.
Not for me. DNF.
August 27, 2016
Rated 3.5 Stars
Hell Breaks Loose was an enjoyable yet predictable read. I figured out pretty much very early on how the hero and heroine would overcome the obstacle in their path.
Hell Breaks Loose was an enjoyable yet predictable read. I figured out pretty much very early on how the hero and heroine would overcome the obstacle in their path.
August 29, 2016
This review can also be found at All About Romance: http://allaboutromance.com/book-revie...
Hell Breaks Loose is the second story in the Devil’s Rock series that features a group of convicts who find romance after years of imprisonment. I read and really enjoyed All Chained Up, the first book in the series which, interestingly, defied convention to set up the second story in an unusual way. Instead of giving the introduction to the next book by using the epilogue or by tacking on a first chapter to the end as a preview, the meet and greet (so to speak) for Reid and Grace takes place as a chapter in the second half of the story. Because of this I was eager to dive into book two. If you haven’t read the first one though, no worries – each story in the series is designed to be read as a standalone.
As a young man Reid and his younger brother Zane had fallen in with Otis Sullivan, a businessman with a shady side. But while doing some of Sullivan’s dirty work, Reid had been set up to take the fall for a murder he didn’t commit. After eleven years in prison, Reid is ready to break out and make Sullivan pay. Arranging a riot that ends with him in hospital, he bides his time and escapes, quickly making tracks to find Zane, who is still working for Sullivan. But he’s in for a shock because Zane and his fellow thugs have committed the unthinkable. They’ve kidnapped the President’s daughter Grace.
Grace’s life as the President’s daughter means she has always been closely guarded. She’s been careful not to rock the boat but has dreamed of having just a few hours of freedom to herself. Carefully planning for just the right time to escape her handlers, she makes it outside – only to be unceremoniously grabbed off the street. Unbeknownst to her, she’s a pawn in a revenge plot. Sullivan had donated a huge sum of money to the President’s campaign, expecting a favor in return in the form of a pardon for his nephew, Jeremy, who was convicted of racketeering. But the President ignored Sullivan’s request and Jeremy was sent to prison for twenty years – a sentence cut short by his suicide. Sullivan wants payback and he plans to make Grace’s father suffer by having his hired men abuse and kill her. When Reid shows up searching for his brother and finds Grace too, he is horrified but resolved. If she’s his means to draw Sullivan out he won’t hesitate to use her to his advantage. His ruthless determination and hardened character make him the alpha male of Zane’s ragtag group of druggies. Reid claims Grace as his own, dragging her with him to a solitary cabin to await Sullivan’s ‘orders’. While Grace knows her circumstances have improved with Reid on her side, it doesn’t change the fact that she is still a prisoner. As they spend time together though, Grace comes to realize that Reid isn’t the man that he appears to be. And there is no denying that she is attracted to him, no matter how much this bothers her. After eleven years in prison Reid fights to subdue the lust he feels for Grace, especially once he knows the feeling is mutual. The convict and the captive – it’s a classic trope with no clear way to a happy ending.
This story delivers what it promises and it’s a page turner from start to finish. Reid has resigned himself to his stint of freedom being short lived; he plans to kill Sullivan for setting him up and he’s under no illusions that he won’t end up back in prison. Grace is a complication he doesn’t need, but he adapts quickly to the situation. But he’s not as ruthless as he appears. He doesn’t abuse women, ever. He’s a product of a poverty-stricken upbringing with a drug addicted mother and an abusive mostly absent father. The one bright spot in his life was his maternal grandfather, who showed Reid and Zane care and affection and made up for the lack of it from their parents. Reid could have gone to live with his grandfather permanently, but he chose to stay and take care of his mother. Though this eventually led to his involvement with men that turned him to a life of crime, it didn’t damage his essential goodness. It is this part of his character that Grace begins to see as she spends time with him. He takes care to keep his distance as much as possible unless it’s to protect her, and promises her that as soon as he can (meaning as soon as his revenge agenda is carried out) he’ll release her. Grace sees the kernel of truth in Reid’s eyes and knows she is safe with him.
Grace’s upbringing has been its own type of cage. It may not have been like Reid’s experience in prison, but her every movement has been tracked and her choices have not been her own. Even though she is socially awkward, she tries her best at public events, but has constantly felt like a disappointment to her parents. Her father’s term as president is coming to a close and he wants to run for re-election. For this, he wants Grace to get engaged to the man she’s been seeing (who only started dating her at her father’s behest), because it would be good for his campaign. But now she is Reid’s prisoner. Her attraction to him is inconvenient and unconscionable. She knows it’s a form of Stockholm Syndrome, their close proximity engendering in her a false sense of attraction and comfort in Reid’s presence. This is particularly the case when he lets down his guard and reveals some of his true character, that instilled by his grandfather. She is torn by her wish to escape and her wish for him to treat her like no one else has – as a desirable woman.
Reid and Grace’s attraction to each other eventually overtakes them both and there are some steamy and emotional scenes between them. Yet they both struggle to come to terms with their actions. Reid feels guilty for his attraction to a woman who is so far above him in station, not to mention the deplorable reality that she is his prisoner. Grace is initially embarrassed and ashamed of developing feelings for Reid. The story from this point proceeds somewhat predictably as Grace tries to figure out a way to ensure Reid won’t go to prison (if she’s ever rescued). Some of the decisions she makes are foolish, reacting with her heart and not her brain when circumstances arise where she can finally be in control. Things wrap up in a neat and tidy package that while appealing to the romance lover in me, come about too quickly, and the ending feels rushed. Despite this, Hell Breaks Loose is an enjoyable story that takes an impossible situation and makes a sexy romance out of it. Reid and Grace are the types of characters that prove there is more to someone than meets the eye and I’m satisfied with their happy ending.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher for review
Hell Breaks Loose is the second story in the Devil’s Rock series that features a group of convicts who find romance after years of imprisonment. I read and really enjoyed All Chained Up, the first book in the series which, interestingly, defied convention to set up the second story in an unusual way. Instead of giving the introduction to the next book by using the epilogue or by tacking on a first chapter to the end as a preview, the meet and greet (so to speak) for Reid and Grace takes place as a chapter in the second half of the story. Because of this I was eager to dive into book two. If you haven’t read the first one though, no worries – each story in the series is designed to be read as a standalone.
As a young man Reid and his younger brother Zane had fallen in with Otis Sullivan, a businessman with a shady side. But while doing some of Sullivan’s dirty work, Reid had been set up to take the fall for a murder he didn’t commit. After eleven years in prison, Reid is ready to break out and make Sullivan pay. Arranging a riot that ends with him in hospital, he bides his time and escapes, quickly making tracks to find Zane, who is still working for Sullivan. But he’s in for a shock because Zane and his fellow thugs have committed the unthinkable. They’ve kidnapped the President’s daughter Grace.
Grace’s life as the President’s daughter means she has always been closely guarded. She’s been careful not to rock the boat but has dreamed of having just a few hours of freedom to herself. Carefully planning for just the right time to escape her handlers, she makes it outside – only to be unceremoniously grabbed off the street. Unbeknownst to her, she’s a pawn in a revenge plot. Sullivan had donated a huge sum of money to the President’s campaign, expecting a favor in return in the form of a pardon for his nephew, Jeremy, who was convicted of racketeering. But the President ignored Sullivan’s request and Jeremy was sent to prison for twenty years – a sentence cut short by his suicide. Sullivan wants payback and he plans to make Grace’s father suffer by having his hired men abuse and kill her. When Reid shows up searching for his brother and finds Grace too, he is horrified but resolved. If she’s his means to draw Sullivan out he won’t hesitate to use her to his advantage. His ruthless determination and hardened character make him the alpha male of Zane’s ragtag group of druggies. Reid claims Grace as his own, dragging her with him to a solitary cabin to await Sullivan’s ‘orders’. While Grace knows her circumstances have improved with Reid on her side, it doesn’t change the fact that she is still a prisoner. As they spend time together though, Grace comes to realize that Reid isn’t the man that he appears to be. And there is no denying that she is attracted to him, no matter how much this bothers her. After eleven years in prison Reid fights to subdue the lust he feels for Grace, especially once he knows the feeling is mutual. The convict and the captive – it’s a classic trope with no clear way to a happy ending.
This story delivers what it promises and it’s a page turner from start to finish. Reid has resigned himself to his stint of freedom being short lived; he plans to kill Sullivan for setting him up and he’s under no illusions that he won’t end up back in prison. Grace is a complication he doesn’t need, but he adapts quickly to the situation. But he’s not as ruthless as he appears. He doesn’t abuse women, ever. He’s a product of a poverty-stricken upbringing with a drug addicted mother and an abusive mostly absent father. The one bright spot in his life was his maternal grandfather, who showed Reid and Zane care and affection and made up for the lack of it from their parents. Reid could have gone to live with his grandfather permanently, but he chose to stay and take care of his mother. Though this eventually led to his involvement with men that turned him to a life of crime, it didn’t damage his essential goodness. It is this part of his character that Grace begins to see as she spends time with him. He takes care to keep his distance as much as possible unless it’s to protect her, and promises her that as soon as he can (meaning as soon as his revenge agenda is carried out) he’ll release her. Grace sees the kernel of truth in Reid’s eyes and knows she is safe with him.
Grace’s upbringing has been its own type of cage. It may not have been like Reid’s experience in prison, but her every movement has been tracked and her choices have not been her own. Even though she is socially awkward, she tries her best at public events, but has constantly felt like a disappointment to her parents. Her father’s term as president is coming to a close and he wants to run for re-election. For this, he wants Grace to get engaged to the man she’s been seeing (who only started dating her at her father’s behest), because it would be good for his campaign. But now she is Reid’s prisoner. Her attraction to him is inconvenient and unconscionable. She knows it’s a form of Stockholm Syndrome, their close proximity engendering in her a false sense of attraction and comfort in Reid’s presence. This is particularly the case when he lets down his guard and reveals some of his true character, that instilled by his grandfather. She is torn by her wish to escape and her wish for him to treat her like no one else has – as a desirable woman.
Reid and Grace’s attraction to each other eventually overtakes them both and there are some steamy and emotional scenes between them. Yet they both struggle to come to terms with their actions. Reid feels guilty for his attraction to a woman who is so far above him in station, not to mention the deplorable reality that she is his prisoner. Grace is initially embarrassed and ashamed of developing feelings for Reid. The story from this point proceeds somewhat predictably as Grace tries to figure out a way to ensure Reid won’t go to prison (if she’s ever rescued). Some of the decisions she makes are foolish, reacting with her heart and not her brain when circumstances arise where she can finally be in control. Things wrap up in a neat and tidy package that while appealing to the romance lover in me, come about too quickly, and the ending feels rushed. Despite this, Hell Breaks Loose is an enjoyable story that takes an impossible situation and makes a sexy romance out of it. Reid and Grace are the types of characters that prove there is more to someone than meets the eye and I’m satisfied with their happy ending.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher for review
September 21, 2018
I'm going to put this one firmly in the "romance escapism category". Once upon a time I would have loved the bad boy kidnapping the good girl held against her will, her traitorous body responding to his every touch cliché. But in 2018 not so much..
April 17, 2017
Original review on Julalicious Book Paradise
Rating: 4.5/5
When you start a book, you never know whether or not the characters will call to you. No matter how interesting the story can be, some characters can leave you with no desire to find out more about them and I can guarantee you that for me, this wasn't the case. I wanted to know more about Reid's past or Grace's life. I wanted to see behind whatever they were trying to project to the rest of the world and Sophie gives you just what you need.
Grace Reeves is a quite a relatable character. Sure, she is the first daughter and her life isn't ordinary per say but other then that, her feelings and actions could easily be expressed through anyone's life. The way I related to her though was the way she often let herself be brought down by people surrounding her. She let her father dictate her every move and life decisions and I believe that it was the sole reason to her akwardness to the public eye; she couldn't be herself. To me, Grace was a strong woman who had never gotten the chance to show it to the world and as I read the book, I really liked that her confidence was starting to show more and brought her a new insight for her future.
Reid had planned his revenge. Escaping prison was only one step towards making someone pay for what caused his falldown. Finding his way towards it was simple if not easy, but the kidnapping of Grace Reeves complicates things even more. Trying to seek revenge is one thing, trying to seek revenge while trying to make sure she doesn't get caught in the crossfire is another.
Reid's character is complicated. While he's not evil, he is not totally good either. He has darkness inside of him, fulled by revenge. Getting a bit more about his past, about how he ended up in prison was really interesting and I swear I wouldn't mind to hear even more. Reid's background will show you reasons why he came to be the man we know and maybe understand him more.
As for the two of them together, talk about hotness there. The chemistry building between them is obviously hard to handle for them; she wants to be free and he wants his revenge. I seriously wanted them to do it like bunnies so fast (yes, I do remember saying the same about the first book lol), but like always, the wait is always worth it. The relationship building between them isn't easy, but each of them learn from the other. He opens her eyes about the fact that she's capable of anything and to open up to her own desires of what she wants for her own life and she is bringing calm to the storm inside of him (which isn't an easy job, believe me).
Sophie's writing style will keep making you want to read more. She has a way to write scenes that will keep your eyes glued to the page until you know how it will all end. Grace and Reid's story is one I have enjoyed the most and is a must read.
Overall, this book was entertaining, steamy and got us wanting a excon for ourselves hahaha I can't wait for North's book.
I was giving an advance copy of this book by Edelweiss and Avon in exchange of an honest review.
Rating: 4.5/5
When you start a book, you never know whether or not the characters will call to you. No matter how interesting the story can be, some characters can leave you with no desire to find out more about them and I can guarantee you that for me, this wasn't the case. I wanted to know more about Reid's past or Grace's life. I wanted to see behind whatever they were trying to project to the rest of the world and Sophie gives you just what you need.
Grace Reeves is a quite a relatable character. Sure, she is the first daughter and her life isn't ordinary per say but other then that, her feelings and actions could easily be expressed through anyone's life. The way I related to her though was the way she often let herself be brought down by people surrounding her. She let her father dictate her every move and life decisions and I believe that it was the sole reason to her akwardness to the public eye; she couldn't be herself. To me, Grace was a strong woman who had never gotten the chance to show it to the world and as I read the book, I really liked that her confidence was starting to show more and brought her a new insight for her future.
Reid had planned his revenge. Escaping prison was only one step towards making someone pay for what caused his falldown. Finding his way towards it was simple if not easy, but the kidnapping of Grace Reeves complicates things even more. Trying to seek revenge is one thing, trying to seek revenge while trying to make sure she doesn't get caught in the crossfire is another.
Reid's character is complicated. While he's not evil, he is not totally good either. He has darkness inside of him, fulled by revenge. Getting a bit more about his past, about how he ended up in prison was really interesting and I swear I wouldn't mind to hear even more. Reid's background will show you reasons why he came to be the man we know and maybe understand him more.
As for the two of them together, talk about hotness there. The chemistry building between them is obviously hard to handle for them; she wants to be free and he wants his revenge. I seriously wanted them to do it like bunnies so fast (yes, I do remember saying the same about the first book lol), but like always, the wait is always worth it. The relationship building between them isn't easy, but each of them learn from the other. He opens her eyes about the fact that she's capable of anything and to open up to her own desires of what she wants for her own life and she is bringing calm to the storm inside of him (which isn't an easy job, believe me).
Sophie's writing style will keep making you want to read more. She has a way to write scenes that will keep your eyes glued to the page until you know how it will all end. Grace and Reid's story is one I have enjoyed the most and is a must read.
Overall, this book was entertaining, steamy and got us wanting a excon for ourselves hahaha I can't wait for North's book.
I was giving an advance copy of this book by Edelweiss and Avon in exchange of an honest review.
July 27, 2016
First of all, I can’t suspend my disbelief enough for this plot. It’s just too crazy to make any sense, and I’m just going to ignore it for this review.
The characters are mostly meh. Any time spend on writing about them is wasted.
But what bothers me most about this book is the “romance”. Grace was already kidnapped when Reid meets her for the first time and he is the one who gets her away from the actual kidnappers. However, he doesn’t release her but continues keep her captive. That makes him a bad guy as far as I’m concerned. Grace clearly doesn’t agree with me on that, because she has the hots for him from the start. And of course from the first time they meet he’s lusting over her. When she’s trying to escape from him. When she’s sleeping. When they’re talking. When she’s considering slicing his throat. All. The. Bloody. Time. They eventually have sex which makes them realise they love each other. Of course. It doesn’t matter that he’s her captor, and that she’s a victim. It doesn’t matter that he’s an escaped convict, and that she’s the First Daughter. I just can’t accept a romance if one is hostage of the other. It’s not a romance. It can never be a romance.
1.5 stars rounded up to 2 because 1 star seems so harsh.
The characters are mostly meh. Any time spend on writing about them is wasted.
But what bothers me most about this book is the “romance”. Grace was already kidnapped when Reid meets her for the first time and he is the one who gets her away from the actual kidnappers. However, he doesn’t release her but continues keep her captive. That makes him a bad guy as far as I’m concerned. Grace clearly doesn’t agree with me on that, because she has the hots for him from the start. And of course from the first time they meet he’s lusting over her. When she’s trying to escape from him. When she’s sleeping. When they’re talking. When she’s considering slicing his throat. All. The. Bloody. Time. They eventually have sex which makes them realise they love each other. Of course. It doesn’t matter that he’s her captor, and that she’s a victim. It doesn’t matter that he’s an escaped convict, and that she’s the First Daughter. I just can’t accept a romance if one is hostage of the other. It’s not a romance. It can never be a romance.
1.5 stars rounded up to 2 because 1 star seems so harsh.
August 6, 2020
This is a well-written, entertaining, steamy contemporary romance with likable, engaging characters, a heart-warming romance and a happily ever after ending. It can easily be read as a stand alone. I am looking forward to reading the other entries in Ms. Jordan's outstanding Devil's Rock series with great anticipation.
June 10, 2016
Holy Mother of CRAP that was good! Grace and Reid have amazing chemistry and the whole story had me riveted from the first chapter. ALL must read!!!!
August 26, 2016
Like everything Sophie writes, this is super, super sexy with the added bonus of the taboo. Ex-con kidnapper with President's daughter - whoa! I loved this pairing and I can't wait for North's story.
March 25, 2023
Hell Break's Loose
4 Stars
After orchestrating a riot and escaping from the Devil's Rock, Reid Allister wants only one thing - vengeance against the man responsible for his incarceration. But Reid's plans go awry when he learns that his former gang has kidnapped the First Daughter, Grace Reeves. Now Reid must make the most important choice of his life - protect the woman he has come to love or sacrifice her for his revenge.
While the writing is well-paced and there are a couple of intense scenes (including one that appears to be copied almost verbatim from book #1), most of the plot focuses on Reid and Grace's opposites attract romance. Thus, the book is, once again, more of a contemporary romance than a romantic suspense novel.
Putting aside the unlikely premise of the President's daughter not only being kidnapped by a gang of bumbling fools and then falling for one of her abductors (yes, he wasn't involved in the actual kidnapping), the actual romance is engaging. Grace and Reid are both likable and appealing, and it is fun to see the softer gentler side of Reid after knowing him only has the cunning prison alpha in book #1. He and Grace form strong emotional bonds rather than having a relationship based solely on sex, and their snarky bickering is an added bonus.
The minor suspense plot is completely underdeveloped, which is unfortunate as it has a great deal of potential. Nevertheless, the eventual resolution is satisfying.
The next book focuses on Knox's brother North and it will be interesting to see how he fares after his release from prison.
4 Stars
After orchestrating a riot and escaping from the Devil's Rock, Reid Allister wants only one thing - vengeance against the man responsible for his incarceration. But Reid's plans go awry when he learns that his former gang has kidnapped the First Daughter, Grace Reeves. Now Reid must make the most important choice of his life - protect the woman he has come to love or sacrifice her for his revenge.
While the writing is well-paced and there are a couple of intense scenes (including one that appears to be copied almost verbatim from book #1), most of the plot focuses on Reid and Grace's opposites attract romance. Thus, the book is, once again, more of a contemporary romance than a romantic suspense novel.
Putting aside the unlikely premise of the President's daughter not only being kidnapped by a gang of bumbling fools and then falling for one of her abductors (yes, he wasn't involved in the actual kidnapping), the actual romance is engaging. Grace and Reid are both likable and appealing, and it is fun to see the softer gentler side of Reid after knowing him only has the cunning prison alpha in book #1. He and Grace form strong emotional bonds rather than having a relationship based solely on sex, and their snarky bickering is an added bonus.
The minor suspense plot is completely underdeveloped, which is unfortunate as it has a great deal of potential. Nevertheless, the eventual resolution is satisfying.
The next book focuses on Knox's brother North and it will be interesting to see how he fares after his release from prison.
November 18, 2017
*I listen to audiobooks every day during my workout, so note taking is impossible, ergo Down & Dirty Quickie Reviews are impossible. Instead, here are some words.*
When an author + a narrator can make you forget that you're sweating your boobs off during a workout, THAT AUTHOR + NARRATOR = AMAZEBALLS! There was so much smexual tension between the leads, and both were compellingly real. Even though our hero is an escaped con who has "kidnapped" (not reall) our heroine, HOLY WOWZA YOU TALK ABOUT ONE BETATASTIC HERO! He is ALLLL about consent & respect even as he holds her hostage. The conflict resolution was a bit weak only in that Mr Hero changed mind a wee bit randomly fast, BUT! Everything else was epic good.
I'm starting to think I prefer male narrators, and boy did this one hit it out of the park! SO MUCH GOO AUDIO WORDAGE!
When an author + a narrator can make you forget that you're sweating your boobs off during a workout, THAT AUTHOR + NARRATOR = AMAZEBALLS! There was so much smexual tension between the leads, and both were compellingly real. Even though our hero is an escaped con who has "kidnapped" (not reall) our heroine, HOLY WOWZA YOU TALK ABOUT ONE BETATASTIC HERO! He is ALLLL about consent & respect even as he holds her hostage. The conflict resolution was a bit weak only in that Mr Hero changed mind a wee bit randomly fast, BUT! Everything else was epic good.
I'm starting to think I prefer male narrators, and boy did this one hit it out of the park! SO MUCH GOO AUDIO WORDAGE!
April 2, 2016
From the first book I fell in love with series and when I saw that this book was about bad boy Reid I was super excited! This book was everything I thought it would be and more!
If you haven't read the first book I suggest you do so asap. Of course this could be read as a standalone but in the end of book 1 something happens which then starts book 2 (just a heads up).
Reid has spent 11 years in Devil's Rock waiting for the day he can get revenge on the man who set him up. When a riot breaks out at Devil's Rock and Reid is taken to the hospital he finds this is the perfect time for an escape. He only needs the right diversion to do so and one couldn't have come at a better time. The first daughter has gone missing so all police personnel are looking for her and not Reid. Once Reid is out his first stop is to see his brother and it just so happens his brother can get him to the man who sent him away. Once Reid gets there he also discovers his former gang is the one responsible for taking Grace. Yikes!
I really like the uniqueness of the story and loved how Jordan had inmates as the heroes. It was definitely creative and made the story enjoyable.
Reid's character was my favorite in this story. He was total bad ass but I also loved seeing the good side of him. The more I read the more I just fell for him right alongside Grace. I would say she really brought out the best in him and took the time to really understand him and uncover the different layers that he thought he lost over the 11 years he was away.
Grace at times annoyed me for the simple fact is that regarding her family she never stood up for herself and let them dictate everything from her clothes, to hair and even who she dated. There were times I felt absolutely bad for her especially when she was put in situations that caused her constant fear or pain. I guess I wanted a heroine who had more of a back bone but in the end she did redeem herself in my opinion.
As far as Grace and Reid's relationship it happens when she is held captive for a few days and they pretty much fall in love but the way Jordan wrote it made it seem like it was much longer which I loved. This couple actually talked about many different things in their lives and opened up. I don't want to give too much away but the ending was a surprise. I'm so happy it turned out that way. It was truly a HEA moment!
I am absolutely loving this series and the men of Devil's Rock! In this book we find out North was hurt (boo) but he's mentioned a few times so I'm totally praying his book will be next!
I really recommend this book and series!
If you haven't read the first book I suggest you do so asap. Of course this could be read as a standalone but in the end of book 1 something happens which then starts book 2 (just a heads up).
Reid has spent 11 years in Devil's Rock waiting for the day he can get revenge on the man who set him up. When a riot breaks out at Devil's Rock and Reid is taken to the hospital he finds this is the perfect time for an escape. He only needs the right diversion to do so and one couldn't have come at a better time. The first daughter has gone missing so all police personnel are looking for her and not Reid. Once Reid is out his first stop is to see his brother and it just so happens his brother can get him to the man who sent him away. Once Reid gets there he also discovers his former gang is the one responsible for taking Grace. Yikes!
I really like the uniqueness of the story and loved how Jordan had inmates as the heroes. It was definitely creative and made the story enjoyable.
Reid's character was my favorite in this story. He was total bad ass but I also loved seeing the good side of him. The more I read the more I just fell for him right alongside Grace. I would say she really brought out the best in him and took the time to really understand him and uncover the different layers that he thought he lost over the 11 years he was away.
Grace at times annoyed me for the simple fact is that regarding her family she never stood up for herself and let them dictate everything from her clothes, to hair and even who she dated. There were times I felt absolutely bad for her especially when she was put in situations that caused her constant fear or pain. I guess I wanted a heroine who had more of a back bone but in the end she did redeem herself in my opinion.
As far as Grace and Reid's relationship it happens when she is held captive for a few days and they pretty much fall in love but the way Jordan wrote it made it seem like it was much longer which I loved. This couple actually talked about many different things in their lives and opened up. I don't want to give too much away but the ending was a surprise. I'm so happy it turned out that way. It was truly a HEA moment!
I am absolutely loving this series and the men of Devil's Rock! In this book we find out North was hurt (boo) but he's mentioned a few times so I'm totally praying his book will be next!
I really recommend this book and series!
July 26, 2016
Going into Hell Breaks Loose, I partly felt excited and partly nervous. Excited because I like Sophie Jordan's writing and reading any book of hers is a blast and nervous because the heroine in the book is kidnapped by people the hero knows. In the end, I fell somewhere in between when it came to my feelings for this book.
I liked Grace, the main character here. As the President's daughter, she hasn't had much freedom. So when the opportunity arises, she sneaks out of her hotel room unbeknownst to her body guard ...only to find herself kidnapped. Typically, I find myself struggling with heroines like Grace who are skittish, innocent and rather lacking in poise and elegance, despite her being a powerful man's daughter. But I liked how much strength she started to show throughout the story, during her kidnapping. She tried her best to escape her kidnappers, and tried to work her way out of the situation she was. Even though she failed at her attempts, I liked that she made the effort to try.
This series features convicts and the convict featured here is Reid. Reid has just escaped prison when he comes home to find out that his brother has gotten in with the wrong crowd and has kidnapped the President's daughter. Reid was one of those quietly intense male characters. He has that dangerous air around him, which made him quite an enigma. Having spent so many years in prison had undeniably roughened and darkened him, but he still had aspirations, passions and desires. I loved when he started to open up to Grace, talking about his childhood and his grandfather. Those were some of my favorite scenes in the book.
The attraction between them was intense and passionate from the get go. Every look they shared was steamy. Despite the intense chemistry though, I felt a bit uncomfortable with their relationship because Reid was keeping Grace without her consent. Don't get me wrong, he was nothing but gentle towards her. Still though it felt, to me, very much like Stockholm Syndrome and ultimately, that left to me feeling plain weird about the romance. Outside of that though, I quite liked Reid and Grace as a couple. They shared some really sweet scenes and I thought Sophie Jordan did a terrific job balancing out the steamy and emotional scenes.
Overall, I liked Hell Breaks Loose and the issues I had were definitely all on me because I knew what I was getting into. While I didn't love the story, I still thought it was enjoyable.
July 20, 2016
3.5 Stars - 3 Flames
I'm not a big supporter of NOT reading a series in order, but this "could" be read as a stand alone, although I don't recommend that. That being said, we pick up where the first left off, sort of, by meeting the President's daughter. But we get to meet her before all hell breaks loose. Ha! See what I did? Nice.
Grace is the daughter of the President and has been living her life the way her family has deemed necessary. She's told what to wear, what public events to attend and who she's supposed to date. So one night, when she just wanted a little time to herself, she slipped her detail and ventured outside for a little "her" time. But she never made it to her destination. She was abducted and held captive by thugs who were stoned, drunk or high on something else and it was looking pretty grim.
Reid escaped prison and headed straight to the one place he could think to outrun the law. Home to see his brother. Although he knew what he could possibly find once he got there (considering his brother was still running with the gang that landed him in jail), he was completely blindsided by the President's daughter shackled to the bedpost in the bedroom. One look at her and he knew that he had to save her because his brother and his men were going to kill her. A plan is put into motion and a promise to keep her safe is made.
Now...I'm not one to give a book away (and I won't), but let's just say that a deserted cabin, sexual tension and a guy who just got out of jail made for a fun read. There were parts that we a bit too unbelievable, but the author did a good job by even playing with the "Syndrome" effect Grace could have been experiencing. Overall, I enjoyed this installment more than the first.
*I received this book from the Jeep Diva in exchange for my honest opinion.
I'm not a big supporter of NOT reading a series in order, but this "could" be read as a stand alone, although I don't recommend that. That being said, we pick up where the first left off, sort of, by meeting the President's daughter. But we get to meet her before all hell breaks loose. Ha! See what I did? Nice.
Grace is the daughter of the President and has been living her life the way her family has deemed necessary. She's told what to wear, what public events to attend and who she's supposed to date. So one night, when she just wanted a little time to herself, she slipped her detail and ventured outside for a little "her" time. But she never made it to her destination. She was abducted and held captive by thugs who were stoned, drunk or high on something else and it was looking pretty grim.
Reid escaped prison and headed straight to the one place he could think to outrun the law. Home to see his brother. Although he knew what he could possibly find once he got there (considering his brother was still running with the gang that landed him in jail), he was completely blindsided by the President's daughter shackled to the bedpost in the bedroom. One look at her and he knew that he had to save her because his brother and his men were going to kill her. A plan is put into motion and a promise to keep her safe is made.
Now...I'm not one to give a book away (and I won't), but let's just say that a deserted cabin, sexual tension and a guy who just got out of jail made for a fun read. There were parts that we a bit too unbelievable, but the author did a good job by even playing with the "Syndrome" effect Grace could have been experiencing. Overall, I enjoyed this installment more than the first.
*I received this book from the Jeep Diva in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 9, 2016
I fell absolutely in love with All Chained Up book #1 in the Devil's Rock series. And when Reid was introduced in that book as a memorable, sexy but dangerous secondary character and found out that he was getting his own book, I was freaking out. I was super excited to get my hands on Hell Breaks Loose.
So you can imagine my surprise when I started reading it and found that it fell short. I liked the overall premise, but I had quite a few issues with it. To name a few, 1) the Reid that was introduced in All Chained Up felt completely different then the one portrayed in this book. He just didn't come across as this bad ass. I know that sounds weird, but I can't describe it any other way. Also, while I enjoyed the sexual tension and build up to the big sex scene, the sex in the book still left me feeling unsatisfied. Some authors can do good sexual tension and still get away with 1 or 2 major sex scenes. But this was not one of them. Also, the ending was just okay. Some things I was curious about, like what happened to Reid's brother Zane?
I'm hoping Jodan gets back on track with North's story (Knox's brother), Fury on Fire. It just sucks I have to wait until January 2017 for that one!
So you can imagine my surprise when I started reading it and found that it fell short. I liked the overall premise, but I had quite a few issues with it. To name a few, 1) the Reid that was introduced in All Chained Up felt completely different then the one portrayed in this book. He just didn't come across as this bad ass. I know that sounds weird, but I can't describe it any other way. Also, while I enjoyed the sexual tension and build up to the big sex scene, the sex in the book still left me feeling unsatisfied. Some authors can do good sexual tension and still get away with 1 or 2 major sex scenes. But this was not one of them. Also, the ending was just okay. Some things I was curious about, like what happened to Reid's brother Zane?
I'm hoping Jodan gets back on track with North's story (Knox's brother), Fury on Fire. It just sucks I have to wait until January 2017 for that one!
September 13, 2016
I'd have liked this hot little story a hell of a lot more if a)the heroine wasn't such a TSTL nit wit in the beginning and b) the author hadn't slut shamed a potential OW to prove that Grace was Reid's one and only
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