Restored

by Alexa Riley

Gemma has been through some hard times lately but she’s holding her head up and trying to move forward. After losing her dad and their beloved classic car, it’s been tough finding her feet. One thing that’s always been constant is her dad’s right-hand man Bronx. He was loyal to their family, and her dad treated him like a son. But since Gemma confessed her feelings for him when she was sixteen years old, he’s kept her at arms reach. Could it have been because she was too young, or did he only see her as his mentor's daughter?

Bronx wouldn’t be the man - or success - he is today if it wasn’t for Gemma’s father. He tried to give her time and space to heal after he died, but a man in love can only be stopped for so long. The only problem is that Gemma’s suddenly got in her head to test him at every turn and now he’s chasing her all over town. He just hopes she’s ready to be caught because that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

Warning: Can one man bring our heroine back and restore her heart? Well, we did name the book that…so outlook is good! This is sexy-sweet with a sprinkle of angst and one heaping spoon of happily ever after!

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Novella, Adult, Friends To Lovers, Smut

93 pages, ebook

First published June 19, 2019

About the author

Alexa Riley is two sassy friends who got together and wrote some dirty books. They are both married moms of two who love football, donuts, and obsessed book heroes.

They specialize in insta-love, over-the-top, sweet, and cheesy love stories that don’t take all year to read. If you want something SAFE, short, and always with a happily ever after, then Alexa Riley is for you!

Feel free to follow us each on twitter @smut_sasshole & @SassNSmut

Reviews

[♡Tonya♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

-no cheating
-no ow/om drama
-no violence
-plenty of pushing away
-safe - neither are with others after meeting
-good epilogues

[*CJ* · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Restored" is the story of Gemma and Bronx.

Another OTT sweet AR tale with loads of love, forbidden attraction, insane longing, mild drama all leading to hot sex and HEA with detailed epilogues.

Safe
3/5

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was a sweet and steamy story. Typical Alexa Riley. Safe: virgin heroine and celibate hero. No cheating, no drama. Cute future epilogue with (I think) 3 kids but I am not a fan of epilogues that are so far into the future!

[Nova · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a classic AR quickie and as always I am never disappointed with her books.

Gemma was finally moving on in her life after losing her father and the car they had lovingly restored she was lost, luckily with her friend and her dads right hand man beside her she is ready to take on anything but what she wants is Bronx. But he has pushed her away from the start so maybe its time to really move on. Can she really leave him and all her memories behind/

Bronx owes everything to Gemmas dad he too him in and taught him everything that he knew but Gemma has always been special to him and after her father died there is nothing that he wont do to keep her safe. Bronx has been sat on the sidelines waiting for her to be ready for him and keeping her at arms length has been hell. Now it appears he has pushed her away too hard. Will he be able to make things right or has he left it too late?

Quick, enjoyable and safe read.

[Kenya Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun and short. Not as hot as usual, but lots of sizzle where it counts!

[Pearl Angeli · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars



I've been reading books lately where the MMCs are jealous and possessive to the point where it's already unhealthy. I'm sad the MMC here is one of those. I thought at first Bronx was sweet, calm, and mature enough since he's way much older than Gemma but when I reached that part where Gemma was seeing someone and the guy insulted her, I was just annoyed how Bronx reacted. He had to prove a point that he doesn't mess around when it comes to Gemma and of course, slam the guy's face in the bar. Like wtf man. I love me some protective strong man, but if it's done too much, CRINGE. I'm out.

It's not my first time reading a work of Alexa Riley but I think her books are a hit-or-miss for me. This one focuses heavily on the HEA and while I find it sweet, I feel like it's missing uniqueness. I wasn't invested with the characters and the romance because I feel like there's nothing new. There was a little bit of angst here but it failed to connect with me. I think the only redeeming factor was Alexa's writing style. She writes good and I can tell from that alone why her works are popular.

[Alba M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gemma ha estado enamorada de Bronx desde que su padre lo contrató hace años. Siendo ella una niña, se enamoró de él y reunió el valor para pedirle una cita... Pero él dijo no. Ahora, toda una adulta Gemma sabe que tiene que superar sus sentimientos por Bronx incluso si no es lo que quiere. Y tampoco lo que él quiere.

Awww, ha sido dulce, no tan posesivo y loco como otros libros de estas autoras pero ha sido bonito. Me ha encantado el último epílogo con el pobre Bronx emocionandose cuando su hijo iba al baile 😍 que adorable todo jajaja

Recomendado para pasar el rato, yo lo necesitaba con el desastre que hizo en mí el libro anterior.

[❀ Crystal ✿ - PEACE ☮ LOVE ♥ BOOKS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another quick, light, super romantic read from Alexa Riley. Once again the epilogue made the book and gives all us HEA fanatics everything we could ask for. There was a sizable age difference between the two but there was no weirdness or inappropriate feeling even though the hero knew the heroine as she was growing up. Bronx is 100% obsessed with Gemma, to the point he GPS’s her car and even somehow makes it stall so she doesn’t leave time. He’s a bit over the top Alpha but I think that’s what most of us want when we read these quick and naughty Novellas.

[Jami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gemma is still getting over the lose of her dad. It had always been the two of them but his sudden death left a whole in her life. Living above his shop made her feel close to him since living in the house was too much, but it always made her feel closer to Bronx, the guy that she's secretly been in love with. Too bad he doesn't feel the same about her.
Bronx promised Mac, his mentor/friend and also Gemma's father, that he would always take care of her if something was to happen to him. Little did everyone know that promise would come into play sooner than anyone thought. Bronx knew that Gemma was the one for him from the moment that he met her. He gave her time to grow up and then time for her heart to heal after losing her dad.
Gemma believes that Bronx only does things for her because of the promise to her dad. If she only knew the things that Bronx did behind the scenes to make sure that everyone of Gemma's dreams came true.
Can Bronx reveil all that he's done before Gemma walks out of his life for good? Will Gemma continue to run from the love that she thought she had with Bronx? Or will their love for each other help Restore both of their hearts?? It's an Alexa Riley book... what do you think??

-safe read
-h is a virgin
-H has been celibate since he met her.
-no om/ow drama
-cute epilogues (2 years and 17 years)

[April Symes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sizzling story about a girl named Gemma who fell in love with a man named Bronx who was mentored by her father when it came to being a mechanic. Gemma as she grew up to a beautiful woman, thought her love was one sided. Bronx was honoring his mentor 's last request but suddenly Gemma is not a teen any more and he is ready to prove how alpha he is and how deep his love runs. This is a deliciously sweet and steamy Alexa Riley novella. Loved the epilogue. Just fit this book perfectly.


My Rating: 4.5 stars ********

[Darlene I read WAY to many books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't my final raiting since idk what the cover is yet so it might change.
one was pretty quick and easy read..

The only reason Bronx doesn't go after Gemma is she was undersage (first met her at 16) and when she turned 18 her father died so he stood back and watched made sure she was taken care of and made damn sure no one in town dated his woman. Now Gemma she was sweet, sassy and had a fiery charm she tried to keep her crush on lock down since Bronx broke her heart by "turning" her down (she was underage) and now she wants to be free.. now Bronx is stepping up to keep his girl and make sure she knows she has always been his always.

Like i gotta tell you Bronx man he wins as boyfriend of the year he got his whole back tatted about Gemma... like Dangggg that's dedication in a guy.

Low agnst, no ow drama slight tiny om drama (guy at the bar) no cheating, dramaish, secondary charas, sexy time, virgin and nothing on him

Recommend-maybe
Cover-⭐⭐⭐⭐

Instalove/lust
Push/pull from H (due to age)
Safe
No condom
Faithful both
Slight tiny anal play
Hea
Epilogue

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

I enjoyed this story. It was sweet and sexy and filled with miscommunication. Bronx has held his feelings back for Gemma and in the process been a bit of a jerk and made her think he doesn’t like her. After losing her father and feeling like she has lost the guy she loves she admits she needs some changes, especially after some misinterpreted events. These two were both headstrong yet perfect for one another.

Safety and Spoilers
Completely safe. Minor om drama with a guy at a bar and ow drama, Gemma thinks Bronx is having sex when he is really getting tattooed. No abuse. H has been celibate since meeting the h and h is a virgin.

[SassyLeg · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
A romance with a little sweetness and characters development, finally!
I found this one a slow-burn romance (although a quick read): h is in love with H since childhood, but is unable to act on her feelings and is presently struggling after her father's death.
Our H, a great friend of h's father who was also his mentor, is totally smitten with her but is respectful of h's sorrow and thinks she is too young and innocent....
Anyway their attraction explodes and sex scenes are high-pitched, as usual in AR books.
The good news is that we have a little bit of plot before sex - thank you!

[Amyb1975 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another hit by Alexa Riley...no surprise there really. What I really liked about this one was that the heroine did not chase. Once the hero told her no about being with her (or so she thought) she didn't chase after him. She actually ran away when not being able to be with him got too much for her & I loved that he chased her.
-virgin h, celebate H
-no abuse
-no cheating
-dual POV
-loved the epilogues. 2 years & 17 years later

I want the story of Mitch & Roxy who are the h/H friends. I also NEED the story about their kids. There is a part about their son resting his head on Roxys pregnant belly that punched me in the heart along with reading the 2nd epilogue. Great story & ready for the next.

[Lynn Thinking out loud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Usually I'm giggling like a high school teenage girl with Alexa's books. Of course I did with Restord too, but I also cried
This book had tragedy, hurt , love and restoration all rolled into one little 'ole novella.
I read an advanced copy of this book.

[DeeReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet and smexy read! Memorable H/h: Gemma & Bronx

[Joana · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I love the cover. It's very sexy. This is one of my favorite AR stories and I have been reading a lot of Alexa Riley novellas. Great story. ❤️🛻

[Elizabeth Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bronx and Gemma have found their one in each other, the only problem is Gemma doesn't know he feels the same way. When they first met, not only was she underage, which means Bronx had to wait, but, she was also the daughter of his mentor, the man that took him in and treated him like family.

Gemma has loved Bronx for years, the feelings only growing stronger the older she gets, but he rejected her once and, after the unexpected loss of her dad, there was an unmistakable distance in how Bronx treated her, though she still saw him all the time.

Resigned to her dream of them being together won't come true, she tries to move forward. Only to learn Bronx has other ideas because she belongs to him and always has.

Can Bronx undo the hurt he's unknowingly caused by giving her time to experience life before he claimed her? Will Gemma believe Bronx's profession of love? Will they finally get their HEA?

One-click now and follow along as two people accept their fate.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.**

[MichelleG · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a genre that is saturated with billionaires, age gap and taboo relationships (all of which I love, by the way), it was a great change of pace to read about characters living regular lives. Gemma has had a crush on Bronx since he started working for her Dad as a mechanic years ago, and thought her feelings unrequited. Bronx has been quietly building a future for the two of them and trying to give her space to heal after her father’s death. The story drops you in as Gemma is trying to decide to finally move on from her crush.

There are minor misunderstandings and miscommunications that provide the conflict, but very little angst. I would have loved to have seen a little more drama especially considering the years of pent up feelings on both their parts, but I otherwise really enjoyed it. The secondary characters of Roxy and Mitch provided some push. There were 2 epilogues; the first one being 2 years in the future and the second one being 17 years into the future.

[Mtve41 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and safe. Usual AR stuff. Could have more depth and could be longer. I felt rushed and out of my breath! However. One hot, steamy, extreme blush fest of a book. Cute epilogue but I didn't care for the one that was so far into the future!

[Ｋａｔｅ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is “the other kind” of book I love from the AR girls—crammed full of heart feels and romantic overtures so sweet, you’re likely going to be smiling with misty eyes while swooning.
Oh and of course it’s still an AR read...so your drawers will likely be misty, too. 😜

[Maria... · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet story! Loved it!

[Fiction Junkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. I loved it. Love the steaminess.

Full review

[moi, k.y.a. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kapak insanı hiç açmasa da güzel, alışılmış bir Alexa Riley kitabıydı.

[GuisBell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bien no ha sido tan intenso, como sus anteriores libros, pero ha sido una buena historia...

[Fiona Fog · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a lot different what these two normally write, and I’m not complaining. It was sweet and sexy.

Gemma can’t remember a time when she hasn’t been in love with Bronx. He used to work along side her father in his mechanic shop but ended up going into business on his own, restoring classic cars. He still maintained his friendship with him though.

But Gemma’s world is shattered when she loses her dad, struggling with grief she closes herself off.

Bronx has been in love with Gemma for years. Watching her grow up into the beautiful young woman she is now everything he’s done and been working towards is for her. Her dad knew how he felt about her he’d approached him about his intentions towards his daughter and he had his blessing. When he died Bronx lost someone he respected and loved. And he vowed that he would honour the promise he’d given to Mac to protect his little girl.

Gemma and Bronx are headed for a collision of epic proportions. And if your familiar with the queens of smuts style you know what’s coming. Sizzling I’m going to put a baby in your belly times. A must read for Alexa Riley fans!

[Book Snob Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Bronx (loved his name...just sayin) is older than Gemma and had been waiting for her, but once she’s old enough there was a tragedy that kept him from pursuing her. The wait is the only reason this wasn’t 5 stars for me. I don’t like separation or time apart. This was a safe read, she was a virgin and he hadn’t been with anyone since he met her. Hot af couple with a dirty talking alpha and a shit ton of baby batter. Cute epilogues and an hea. Also...I freaking loved the cover of this book.

[lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read

[Janice Somers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read enjoyed reading. It's a sweet story about Gemma, a girl who grew up in her father's mechanic shop. Gemma graduated cosmetology school and is doing freelancing.
She fell in love as a teen with, Bronx, when her father took him under his wing and taught him about mechanic work and restoration of cars.
When her father was killed she was left with the shop but she doesn't have anything to do with the running of the business. Bronx, is now half owner of it and owns the restoration shop attached to the shop. She receives and gets a cut from the man who runs it.
When she asked Bronx to go out with her once, he turned her down. She still loves him but her father told her to never make a man tell you more than once that he doesn't want you.

[Habiba Hasabo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another Alexa and Riley fairytale with your typical alpha male. All this banter and back and forth was cute yet a little boring.

“Thank you.”
“For what?” I say, kissing her softly.
“All of it. Everything.” She places a hand on my cheek and I look into her eyes. “You’ve given me hope for the future.”
“Anything you want is yours, Gemma. Just so long as I have you.”

However, what I really liked the most about this was theme of parental love and connection. It was more of a story about a family restored.