Book One: Clandestine One night. No names. No commitment. That was our agreement. But Spencer Lancaster was addictive. And I was high. High off his taste, starved for his kiss, and desperate for his touch. So when he asked me to stay, to enjoy his company for more nights than I knew I should, I wasn’t in the right mind to say no. Everything was perfect. A dream come true. But half a world away there were secrets. Lies. Insecurities.
Book Two: Sordid It was his lips. The way his stare sent shivers down my spine. The way his rough voice whispered my name. So I caved. I did what I knew I shouldn’t. But as quickly as he’s there, he’s gone. Leaving me confused. Devastated. I hope I’ll never see him again… Then I do. He’s my new boss. And he has secrets. All of the truths that could tear us apart.
Book Three: Explicit Pierce Lancaster is bad news. Spoiled. Entitled. Sexy as — He’s exactly what I don’t want in my life. What I don't need. I’m not the girl he knew before. I’ve changed. But he hasn’t. He’s trouble filled with empty promises. I’ve come too far to fall back. Yet I can’t seem to stay away. I can’t say no. I am addicted to Pierce Lancaster.
Ava Harrison is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author. When she’s not journaling her life, you can find her window shopping, cooking dinner for her family, or curled up on her couch reading a book.
I read Sordid and Explicit back when they were first published, and loved them. Here are my original reviews.
Sordid: 4 stars Holy amazeballs, people! Sordid is angsty hot!!
Bridget is the youngest of 3 sisters and she feels invisible compared to them. Apparently both her older sisters have had, uh, things going on in their lives that have made the attention focus on them, and quite frankly, Bridget wants to stand out herself now. Now if she could just get that internship she's been angling for. When it falls through, she begs one of her sisters to help her a little. And help her she does, right into a job with the one man she had an almost night with, the one man she never thought she'd see again, the one man who heated her up in the alley, then walked away. Yep...
Grant is a broken man. He's married to a soulless, life-sucking, evil woman who has leverage to keep him tied to her - their daughter. But, when he meets young Bridget one night, and rescues her from a sleazy guy intent on assaulting her, he finally feels a little alive. But, he can't have her, so he leaves. So what does he do when he walks into his office and meets his new PA and it's Bridget? Um, let's just say he does not react very positively to seeing the beautiful woman he can't get out of his mind, the woman he can't have because...married. Yep...
I really wasn't expecting Sordid to be as angsty as it was. But it's in a deliciously addicting way, even while it's super frustrating to watch Grant give poor Bridget whiplash when he pulls her to him because he wants her so badly, then pushes her away because he knows he can't really have her. I wanted him to man up a little, frankly, and do something about his stupid wife, because it was so obvious, at least to me, that she was shady and wasn't exactly on the up and up with him. But he was so passive, and it hurt Bridget (and his stupid self!!) that I wanted to smack him more than once. Sigh...
Thank God it all worked out because I was weeping with poor Bridget for awhile there, wondering when they'd get their hard-fought for HEA. Sordid is super sexy, super angsty and even sweet and I've found myself a brand new favorite author in Ava Harrison. Can't wait for more!
Explicit: 5 stars Yes!! I finally got the youngest Lancaster's story and it's a heartbreaking one.
Pierce is such a flawed man, and yet, he's not irredeemable. He's the black sheep of the family, the one his brothers pass over every time. The one everyone else sees as just a careless, drifting waste. He's so not, though. He's just got lots of demons and lots of issues. He's known reformed party girl Lindsey for quite some time. Now that she's a REFORMED party girl, she knows she needs to stay away from this beautiful, broken man, but she just can't. They keep getting thrown into each other and soon they're seeing each other like they've never seen each other, or anyone else, before.
Reading Pierce and Lindsey's journey was quite simply heartbreaking, and beautiful, and it got me where most fiction rarely does - right in the soul. I absolutely loved Explicit. Ava has set the bar extremely high with Pierce and Lindsey's story. I'm not sure anyone to come will ever be able to ever surpass it. If you haven't been reading the Lancaster series, I highly advise you to start now. And save the best for last because Pierce is truly the best Lancaster and his story is most definitely Ava's best, by far!
I don't know if these should be a two star or a three, so I'm rounding up.
I read the first two, but not the third.
My favorite thing about both books was the inner conflict in the male and female protags.
In the first book, I appreciated how the woman's addiction was handled -- I haven't read a lot of that, and I appreciated seeing a very common disease get some screen time. (I actually thought there could be more of it.)
In the second book, our male protagonist has more of the turmoil, and I felt for the poor guy.
That said, neither book was as lush as I would have liked — the side characters feel flat, there's not too much going on except for the characters' relationships and the ramifications of the relationships. If you're looking for a quick, typical romance, these are probably for you. If you're looking for something more complex, pass.
As I mentioned before in my review on Amazon, I loved the different types of men in this book. Spencer was the oldest brother of the three. Grant was the middle brother (favorite) and Pierce was the youngest at 21. I felt it was a well written book and I would like to read more on this author. She is in my Top 10 for best authors.
Love the roller coaster ride of emotions in all of Ava Harrison stories. Recently was able to binge read and get caught up on her entire collection. If you want to jump into a story that will come alive from page one until the end you will love this box set.
These novels feels like a can of warm seltzer. You know when you forget to put the seltzers in the fridge but you want one so you open it and then it feels like a chore to finish it and by the end you aren’t even sure you like seltzer waters anymore. That is how it feels reading these novels.
Starting with the characters. They are all basically the same. They have the same motivation. And the motivation is cliche and very difficult to buy into. Way too watered down and simplistic to hold interest. There are so many chapters of dialog that are just rehashing the same motivation and not providing more depth or insight. It took so long to even start developing characters the seltzer started going flat. It became painful to read.
The voice of the author didn’t connect with me either. It felt very generic and monotone. There wasn’t any build up of anticipation in the writing. All the chapters felt the same.
The plot was so slow. And when it is coupled with the slow boring characters it’s rough.
Also the cliche rich kid narrative made me feel like the author hasn’t spent much time in that world or lacks insight into it. So it felt like an odd choice for a trilogy.
The final part that really bothered me was the white savior narrative in the final book. We need to do better.
I tried so hard to get into this book. The grammar was pretty tough to get through. I love when the guys are good guys. Sweet to the ladies. But I just felt like they kept saying the same things over and over. Then one of the characters, Lindsey, had a random, sudden change in her personality. Went from partying and not caring to the next chapter, caring about the MC Olivia and her well being. It was bizarre. I couldn’t get through it. I made it 28 chapters in and called it quits. Just didnt find it to be a page turner. Maybe I will come back to it someday and try again, but for now, it didnt do it for me.
I love Ava Harrison and her romance stories. This story is separated into three parts. Part I - Clandestine.... Spencer and Olivia Part II - Sordid....Grant and Bridget Part III - Explicit...Pierce and Lindsey Clandestine is the story of the oldest of the Lancaster brothers, Spencer. Spencer took over the reigns of his father's company which is a hotel chain, not because he wanted to, but because his brother Grant up and left with his girlfriend and so he had to take over. Olivia is a 24 year old model who has just been told by her agent and photographer she is too fat and that was horrible for a person who has been anorexic and doing drugs to keep her weight the way that would keep her modeling. She goes to London to crash with her friend Lindsey. Lindsey is an only child of wealthy parents from Texas. Olivia has two sisters, Bridget and Lynn her half sister by an affair her father had. Grant and Spencer were 12 months apart and Grant had stayed and learned the company from his father but as I said he chose love instead and so Spencer ended up as CEO. It was Spencer 32 and Grant 31 and then Pierce 22. Spencer and Olivia meet when Olivia is at her lowest but she acts like she doesn't know him and decides to spend some time with him and that is where the relationship starts. I thought it was a thoughtfully written tale. It had a whole lot of drama and then there was excitement and drama and love. Then there is Sordid with Grant, Spencer's brother and Bridget Olivia's younger sister. Grant Lancaster and Bridget Miller meet by accident, her being upset because she hadn't gotten an a job and so she goes to a bar to meet her friend Brian and finds him with his tongue down this woman's throat she runs out the back and runs smack into this hunk of gorgeousness namely, Grant. He has had a bad day and she has had a bad day so they end up going to his club and have a drink. Bridget finally gets a job through the Karen Michelle Agency at Grants soon to be opening hotel, but she had no idea. Chelsea and Grant have a marriage of convenience. They have a little girl together Isabella, so he stays with her because she would take his daughter away from him. Then there is Explicit the last of the Lancaster brothers Pierce is the hero and Lindsey becomes the heroine. Pierce and Lindsey find themselves in the Antibes where Lindsey's friend is becoming engaged to Pierce's brother Spencer finally. Pierce and Lindsey have always been drawn to one another and Lindsey was still having to use a wheel chair having still rehabilitating from the car crash, which almost took her life and brought Olivia and Spencer back together. Of course Pierce finds himself in trouble back home and finds himself in court with no one there, or at least he thought, to help him. Spencer was waiting for him where he had already asked to the judge to give him one more chance. After Lindsey gets back from Antibes she decides to do something with her life and volunteers at this place called the Polaris club which her best friend Olivia's sisters boyfriend Carson Blake runs. He needed to do something with his life after meeting Lynn and needing to resign from the place where Carson was teacher. So Pierce and Lindsey both are volunteering at the same place. Read this book about the Lancaster brothers. I loved there stories maybe some more than others but it was really nice to have there stories all in one place to read. Get this book I highly recommend this Lancaster book set.
This box set was EVERYTHING. I couldn't stop reading and each book got better than the next. There were some minor grammatical errors (using "grown" instead of "groan" during a sex scene lol) but it didn't deter from the book or the storyline.
Without giving too much away......
Book one is Spencer's story. He has been labeled the playboy and most eligible bachelor of the three brothers, a reputation he tries hard to keep. One day he runs into Olivia, a model who was released because she quit doing coke and got "fat." He thinks she doesn't know who he is and he finds it refreshing. He rarely asks for a second date but finds himself asking Olivia to spend two weeks with him while he tours Europe looking to expand his hotel chain. They have their ups and downs, their crisis they get through, and of course end up together in the end.
Book two is Grant's story. Grant was the one that was suppose to take over Lancaster Hotels, but he chose a woman against his father's wishes and ended up losing everything to Spencer. Bitter and full of hatred, for his wife (a gold-digging bitch), his family that he feels turned their backs on him and himself for making the wrong choices, he finally lets himself be happy again with Bridget, who happens to be Olivia's sister (yes, the Olivia that is now with Spencer from book 1).
Book three is Pierce's story. Pierce is the younger brother by about 10 years. He never got his parents attention and as he got older, bad attention became better than no attention at all. He drinks, parties and it all comes to a screeching halt when he gets arrested and has to serve community service where he meets Lindsey, a reformed party girl herself and also the best friend of Olivia (yes the same Olivia from book 1).
I loved all three stories and I fell in love with the Lancaster brothers. I highly recommend reading this series and I plan to pick up other books that Ava Harrison has to offer!
***This book was purchased by me on Kindle and all thoughts and opinions are my own and independent. I was not provided a copy in exchange for a review.***
Ho-lee-crud this was good. Usually 3 book sets have a formula: the first one is GREAT, the 2nd, is good and the third one is meh. But in this set, Book 1 was good, book 2 was meh and book 3 was FANTASTIC!
Book 1: Spencer and Olivia -- Spencer is harsh, mean, and basically a jerk. Olivia is a failing model and I truly didn't feel much empathy for her, but the story was really good and the conflict resolution was good too. The sex scenes were more 50-shades that I like, but there was a lot of heart in the plot.
I really had a hard time with the Bridget/Grant storyline on a number of levels. He was really, truly a jerk nearly the entire way through the story. When he wasn't a jerk, he was the opposite and it was unnerving how quickly his moods fluctuated. The conflict resolution was pretty great, though, so the ending was satisfying.
But the third story, was the one I wanted to read the least, yet it was the absolute best. Pierce and Lindsey are two of most tangled, destructive and wasteful people and yet, their love story was top notch. Conflict resolution, family issues resolved, relationship growth, and some really deep subject matter made for a page turning read and a fantastic HEA.
You'll get more insight into the brothers and their issues if you read in order, but all three stories are standalone, and all have a HEA.
Sordid - Such an emotional journey. Grant is stuck between a rock and a hard place that has not only kept him from his family but has had him locked in a box that he could lose everything if he walks away. Bridget just wants to get a job where she can make something of herself and break away from being the third daughter. When she ends up being his assistant they embark on a heartbreaking ride that in the end someone is going to lose everything. But will Grant be able to get rid of the baggage with his wife and find true love? Or will his wife keep the upper hand and end his HEA with Bridget? With beautifully written characters and a storyline that had my emotions all over the place this book that should not be missed.
Explicit - This was a masterpiece of beautiful storytelling surrounded by fabulous characters. I went from hating Lindsey and Pierce to a total fan of these two. They both come together with their individual baggage but make each other better in the end. Absolutely loved this book and can’t wait for more.
This was a great read about three billionaire brothers who has grown apart from each other. They find their soulmates in the three women that they grow to love in this book as well as overcoming obstacles that once tore their relationship apart. Spencer and Olivia's story was heart pounding with Olivia's drug and alcohol issues, while Grant's and Bridget's story was focused on ridding one's soul of prior bad choices and finding the freedom to go after what they really wanted. Pierce and Lindsay's story is a coming of age saga that pulls at your heartstrings and makes you want to cry. Each story has plenty of sexual attraction, heartbreak and finally redemption for each brother and the women in their lives.
The author does a great job developing each character, their strengths and their vulnerabilities. These characters all bring baggage into these stories unique to them. It was so great having a trilogy in one book as each story inter-lapped and the characters were prevalent throughout the entire series.
Finally finished! It was a long one since it was 3 full books in one, and I sort of lost interest during the 2nd book but I powered through.
Spencer & Olivia: One Star. Spencer was sort of an asshole. Grant & Bridget: Zero Stars. She was willing to play sidechick when she thought he was married. And Spineless McGee gave me whiplash with all of his back & forth. He should have known that his wife was stealing from his company considering how devious she was plus his private investor was crappy and he should have just hired a new one after he didn't find any dirt for years. Pierce & Lindsey: Three Stars. Best story of the bunch. They were both torchered by their past and learning to deal with changing while trying to get others to have faith in their changes. The friends-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers was entertaining. Their banter was cute.
It was a different experience to read a full series in a single digital book. Not knowing how much is really left of each of the stories... but far easier that chasing the right order of the books in a series!
These stories are WOW. I ended each of them just thinking I didn’t want to read the next because it wouldn’t top it and I just didn’t like the next brother in line... but they just grew for the better and Pierce and Lind’s story at the end just had me sobbing!
The Lancaster brothers are the ultimate in hotness and brokenness! But it is amazing the adventure each one has been through. In CLANDESTINE, Spencer and Olivia had a chance meeting and nothing is the same since then. In SORDID, Grant and Bridget also have a chance meeting and their worlds are tuned upside down. And last but not least in EXPLICIT, Pierce and Lindsey also are reunited but with angry emotions sensing similar traits of being broken. All three stories are uplifting and sad and exhilarating. Love the family dynamics!
Three brothers. Three love stories. They are all different, but all are intense and full of heartbreak and rebuilding.
What I liked about these stories is that the characters are flawed, but redeemable. They go through hard times, but eventually work it out.
Addictions, selfish decisions, big money are some of the ideas presented. Overcoming great obstacles and reconnecting with family. They are all good, and reading them one after another was a great experience.
Clandestine is Olivia and Spencer's love story, you can feel the heat coming off the pages. Sordid is Bridget and Grants love story that helps the two eldest brothers make peace with each other. Explicit is Lindsey, and Pierce's love story that brings the whole family together after a tragedy. I would recommend these books to mature readers that enjoy reading stories that are at times equally funny, steamy, and oh so romantic.
A Complete Billionaire Romance Series box set. It was a nice read. I was entertained. Each book had its own drama and angst. Most of the dialogue was okay. For me, there was a lot of missing parts to make the books flow better. Which made some parts of the story fall flat. However it is a decent enough set of books to read. A weekend read if you need some distraction. A new author for me.
I chose this rating because this was actually a really great series. I enjoyed all of the characters. This was a series of compassion, kindness betrayal, revenge, and overall finding your place in the Lancaster family. This was a family of tough love "Wow" these brothers here was something serious. Through all their trials and tribulations though, each brother are found there forever after. Great read! I recommend this series to all romance readers.
I was disappointing in book 1 and book 2 of this series. Book 1 and book 2 for me were very stereotypical billionaire heroine stories that had me skimming/skipping pages . Book 3 redeemed the series for me and was what I look forward to when reading any Ava Harrison's books.
Spencer was a champ, he went all out for his woman. Grant was a pushover, he wined about what everyone was doing to him. Could have solved his own problems if he had paid attention. Pierce was ....I don't know what to think about him. But, Ms. Harrison is a good writer, it was her story.
Handsome, wealthy men finding the forever kind of love
3 brothers each find love when they least expect it. Each story has unique characters and story lines that keep you interested. The connection between. Spenser, Grant and Pierce is interweaved between the 3 books enhancing the overall stories.
This series was so, so good! I loved each one of the Lancaster brothers and their search to find their happily ever after. What a great journey they take you on!
Miss Harrison is a great author. I have read a lot of her books, and loved all of them. I feel as if I am personally with her characters experiencing their journeys with them.
I usually read murder mysteries so this series was very different! I enjoyed the first and third stories the best. Liked the romance and problems of Spencer and Olivia very much. Grant and Brigid were annoying; he was too arrogant and had made his choices. Pierce and Lindsey were an absolute delight and very sympathetic characters !
I am in awe with Lancaster Brothers, honestly I cannot say witch one is my favorite. All the pain in their lives are translated to happiness during a hard process of transformation. The women responsible for these transformation have their own schedule scars to heal and together they build a HEA.