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Irrevocable
When Tess nosedives into Ethan, it’s a genuine accident. But when she trespasses? Maybe not so much.
When Tess Williams, a neonatal intensive care unit nurse, finds her fiancé in bed with another woman, she is done with dating. Even if it means she won’t have a family of her own, because trust and honesty are that important to her. Hellbent on avoiding any temptation of the male kind, she makes one devastating mistake: nosediving into the solid chest of a Delta Force operator.
Her second far-reaching mistake? Trespassing.
Ethan Mitchell, only son of a Texas billionaire, joined the Army to turn his life around. Adamant all women are only after money and can’t be trusted, and to keep his past secret, he is only interested in casual flings. Until a stubborn and infuriating five-foot-seven firecracker crashes into him, insisting he is mistaken, and he needs to apologize.
Sure. Like hell he is. And like hell he will.
Ethan may admit he is wrong (about one woman specifically), but will he risk exposing his secrets to keep her in his life? And Tess may give in to the attraction between them, but will she risk her heart for someone who, all too often, is sent on life-threatening missions?
Content warning: This novel contains realistic neonatal experiences.
When Tess Williams, a neonatal intensive care unit nurse, finds her fiancé in bed with another woman, she is done with dating. Even if it means she won’t have a family of her own, because trust and honesty are that important to her. Hellbent on avoiding any temptation of the male kind, she makes one devastating mistake: nosediving into the solid chest of a Delta Force operator.
Her second far-reaching mistake? Trespassing.
Ethan Mitchell, only son of a Texas billionaire, joined the Army to turn his life around. Adamant all women are only after money and can’t be trusted, and to keep his past secret, he is only interested in casual flings. Until a stubborn and infuriating five-foot-seven firecracker crashes into him, insisting he is mistaken, and he needs to apologize.
Sure. Like hell he is. And like hell he will.
Ethan may admit he is wrong (about one woman specifically), but will he risk exposing his secrets to keep her in his life? And Tess may give in to the attraction between them, but will she risk her heart for someone who, all too often, is sent on life-threatening missions?
Content warning: This novel contains realistic neonatal experiences.
247 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 23, 2022
3 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Reid
1 book5 followersHirstorical and contemporary Romance Author.
AJ Reid is an Australian living with her husband, two teenage boys, and three dogs in the Pacific Northwest. When she’s not penning happily ever afters or walking the dogs, you will likely find her (and her favorite suitcase) visiting new parts of the world.
For more info, visit ajreidromance.com.
AJ Reid is an Australian living with her husband, two teenage boys, and three dogs in the Pacific Northwest. When she’s not penning happily ever afters or walking the dogs, you will likely find her (and her favorite suitcase) visiting new parts of the world.
For more info, visit ajreidromance.com.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 1, 2022
This is a Military Cowboy Hate to Love Romance, and this is the first book in the Guardians series. I was pulled into this book for the beginning, and I loved every page. The characters were just so cute, and I loved getting to know them. The romance between the two main characters was fast moving, but it worked very well. There were some steamy times in this book. I really loved all the horse talk in this book. I love a book with characters that are horse lovers. There were some things in this book that could be triggering to some readers (like miscarriages and death). I felt the triggering thing in this book was handled very well. I really loved the ending of this book. I am so glad I decided to read this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Extasy Books) or author (A.J. Reid) via Booksirens, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
August 5, 2022
I really enjoyed this introduction to A.J. Reid. This book brings Tess and Ethan together accidentally. Both are wary about relationships and want nothing to do with each other. There was a force at play, and they kept running into each other. The attraction between them became so intense, they finally did something about it! These two have been through a lot, but everything became easier to bear together. This book made me laugh and cry. I can't wait for more!
*I received an ARC from the author for my honest review*
*I received an ARC from the author for my honest review*
October 3, 2022
IRREVOCABLE is the first instalment in AJ Reid’s contemporary, adult GUARDIANS erotic, romance series. This is billionaire/Delta Force operative Ethan Mitchell, and NICU nurse Tess Williams’ story line.
Told from dual third person perspectives IRREVOCABLE follows the turbulent but building romance and relationship between billionaire/Delta Force operative Ethan Mitchell, and NICU nurse Tess Williams. A night out with friends found Tess Williams stumbling into a sexy and brooding but cantankerous man, a man she would meet not once but two more times, several weeks later, where in she would discover our ill-tempered hero is one of her brother’s Delta Force Operatives, and a man who believes women are after him for only his money. A whirlwind affair between Tess and Ethan would end dramatically when Tess catches Ethan with someone else, the end of which Tess will suffer like she had never before. Life as she knows it is about to spiral out of control but Ethan refuses to listen or accept anything Tess has left to offer. What ensues is the building relationship between Ethan and Tess, and the fall-out when Tess walks away, pushing Ethan to close his heart, one final time.
The relationship between Tess and Ethan begins acrimoniously. Ethan believes Tess is a stalker; after his wealth and power; a woman who only sees Ethan as a final payday. Tess, on the other hand, has no idea as to Ethan’s identity, and crossing one another’s paths was nothing more than a coincidence that was about to become something more but Tess doesn’t do ‘army’, having watched from the sidelines as her parents’ marriage imploded. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
We are introduced to Tess’s brother Joshua Williams; fellow Delta Force Operator Hayden Cooper, as well as Tess’s mother, and several co-workers at the hospital.
IRREVOCABLE is a story of mistaken beliefs, accusations and mistrust; jealousy and misunderstand; forgiveness and love. The fast paced premise is intriguing yet heart breaking; the characters are captivating, determined and animated; the romance is seductive but struggles in the face of issues of trust. Saying that, I made every effort to sympathize with our story line hero but his attitude and actions left something to be desired.
I would like to add, I wish there was more insight into the Delta Force operations-most of the missions and events are behind the scenes and off page.
www.thereadingcafe.com
Told from dual third person perspectives IRREVOCABLE follows the turbulent but building romance and relationship between billionaire/Delta Force operative Ethan Mitchell, and NICU nurse Tess Williams. A night out with friends found Tess Williams stumbling into a sexy and brooding but cantankerous man, a man she would meet not once but two more times, several weeks later, where in she would discover our ill-tempered hero is one of her brother’s Delta Force Operatives, and a man who believes women are after him for only his money. A whirlwind affair between Tess and Ethan would end dramatically when Tess catches Ethan with someone else, the end of which Tess will suffer like she had never before. Life as she knows it is about to spiral out of control but Ethan refuses to listen or accept anything Tess has left to offer. What ensues is the building relationship between Ethan and Tess, and the fall-out when Tess walks away, pushing Ethan to close his heart, one final time.
The relationship between Tess and Ethan begins acrimoniously. Ethan believes Tess is a stalker; after his wealth and power; a woman who only sees Ethan as a final payday. Tess, on the other hand, has no idea as to Ethan’s identity, and crossing one another’s paths was nothing more than a coincidence that was about to become something more but Tess doesn’t do ‘army’, having watched from the sidelines as her parents’ marriage imploded. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
We are introduced to Tess’s brother Joshua Williams; fellow Delta Force Operator Hayden Cooper, as well as Tess’s mother, and several co-workers at the hospital.
IRREVOCABLE is a story of mistaken beliefs, accusations and mistrust; jealousy and misunderstand; forgiveness and love. The fast paced premise is intriguing yet heart breaking; the characters are captivating, determined and animated; the romance is seductive but struggles in the face of issues of trust. Saying that, I made every effort to sympathize with our story line hero but his attitude and actions left something to be desired.
I would like to add, I wish there was more insight into the Delta Force operations-most of the missions and events are behind the scenes and off page.
www.thereadingcafe.com
October 13, 2022
3.5 stars
Irrevocable is the first book in the Guardians series of contemporary military romances.
Tess, a nurse in a neonatal unit, has sworn off men. However, her friends take her out for the evening to a popular nightclub where she trips and falls into Ethan, a good looking guy, but he accuses Tess of deliberately throwing herself at him and they separate after their disagreement.
They meet a second time at a charity event when Tess sneaks to the stables for a glimpse of a famous race horse. Ethan’s on guard duty to prevent guests from wandering, and once again the pair argue.
This is an enemies-to-lovers style story with a Texas setting which also squeezes in a good dose of secondary themes, all of which vied for attention. I did enjoy the story to a point, but it tried too hard to cover all the points where more depth could have worked just as well with fewer plot ideas.
Irrevocable is the first book in the Guardians series of contemporary military romances.
Tess, a nurse in a neonatal unit, has sworn off men. However, her friends take her out for the evening to a popular nightclub where she trips and falls into Ethan, a good looking guy, but he accuses Tess of deliberately throwing herself at him and they separate after their disagreement.
They meet a second time at a charity event when Tess sneaks to the stables for a glimpse of a famous race horse. Ethan’s on guard duty to prevent guests from wandering, and once again the pair argue.
This is an enemies-to-lovers style story with a Texas setting which also squeezes in a good dose of secondary themes, all of which vied for attention. I did enjoy the story to a point, but it tried too hard to cover all the points where more depth could have worked just as well with fewer plot ideas.
August 19, 2022
This is book one in The Guardian's Series and it is Tess and Ethan's story and what a great start to a new series and new author. Tess finds her fiance in bed with another woman leaving her angry, hurt and bruised by what he had done so her best friend's decide that they need a night out and went to a club and she was determined to enjoy herself and decided to never date again that way she can't get her heart broken. Ethan has enough going on without women constantly wanting his attention because of who he is even if the woman that fell into him trying to get his attention was hot, sassy and beautiful he definitely wasn't falling for her innocent act. Tess and Ethan definitely got off on the wrong foot on more than one occasion but what happens when Ethan finds out that he got the situation wrong about Tess. This book takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions and I cried with everything that had happened and was still happening but I still couldn't put this down and had to keep turning the pages to see what would happen next and what the outcome would be for them and it was so addictive. This is the first book written by AJ Reid and it was absolutely amazing and I can't wait to read more book's in the future.
I Voluntarily Reviewed a Copy of This Book.
I Voluntarily Reviewed a Copy of This Book.
September 1, 2022
Fate keeps dropping Tess in Ethan's path, but Ethan just sees it as another gold digger trying to get in his wallet. In reality, Tess would rather spend time with his horses rather than another military man. Having grown up watching the men in her life put the mission about all else and the women sitting home not knowing the truth of where they are, Tess wants no part of it or Ethan. I liked both characters, but thought Ethan was a little too quick to misjudge instead of talking things out.
August 22, 2022
Absolutely brilliant!!
AJ Reid is a new author to me and I am so glad that I decided to review this ARC. I am willingly leaving a review for this book.
This is the first of the Guardian books and I'm so looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
It's told from the POV of both characters Ethan and NICU nurse Tess.
Brilliant storyline, fantastic characters and absolutely loved the HEA.
AJ Reid is a new author to me and I am so glad that I decided to review this ARC. I am willingly leaving a review for this book.
This is the first of the Guardian books and I'm so looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
It's told from the POV of both characters Ethan and NICU nurse Tess.
Brilliant storyline, fantastic characters and absolutely loved the HEA.
September 26, 2022
Contemporary romance, this would appeal to anyone who loves horses and riding in general because there’s a lot of references to the sport. This book follows Ethan and Tess, who get off on the total wrong foot when Ethan accuses her of being a potential gold digger (since he’s rich) and she’s anything but. Turns out she’s the younger sister of one of his super secret army/clandestine mission colleagues and they keep bumping into one another, thus starts the attraction. The story is a bit slow burn but picks up well about half way through. There’s a few scenes toward the end that I had a hard time with, which I won’t give away without some major spoilers, but let’s just say didn’t align with the normal over protective men we’re used to in traditional romance. Outside of that it was a good read, 4 solid stars.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 26, 2022
Steamy enemies-to-lovers tale. Neo-natal nurse, Tess, has three loves - her job, family and being around horses. I loved her first two confrontational encounters with Ethan; where the cynical billionaire’s son (& Delta force operative) accuses her of deliberately ‘bumping into’ him to get his attention. Their chemistry is off the charts and this, coupled with some serious snarky dialogue between the two makes for a really entertaining read! I enjoyed the progression of the story as their relationship subtly changes and becomes steamier, despite Ethan’s initial doubts and Tess’s determination not to date a member of the armed forces (after her older brother’s demise). The complications of a misunderstanding (fueled by Tess’s mistrust) and a tragedy befalling the couple makes their eventual HEA all the sweeter. A well-written romantic read.
August 24, 2022
This story will blow your mind, it is sensual and emotional. It is so full of real and raw human emotion. Great story telling as usual and twists you literally did not see coming. Slow clap. 5 stars all day. Well done.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 2, 2022
Irrevocable by AJ Reid is a good, and enjoyable steamy enemies to lovers romance read. The story has a good story line. The characters are good, and they have good chemistry. This story is a sensual and emotional read. The story is full of raw human emotion.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 28, 2022
Wow. Just wow. I took a chance on this book as the blurb sounded good. I'm so glad I did. Any author that can make you feel exactly what the characters are feeling/going through - is a truly talented writer. Tess and Ethan's story is one that some of can relate to, or parts of their story anyway. I found myself smirking, my eyes watering and then a gasp or two came out.
Two people meet accidentally. Both have had issues in their pasts that make it hard for them to trust. The journey these two go on is one you want to be a part of.
This is the first book I've read by this author, and I can tell you, it probably won't be my last if they're all as good as this.
Two people meet accidentally. Both have had issues in their pasts that make it hard for them to trust. The journey these two go on is one you want to be a part of.
This is the first book I've read by this author, and I can tell you, it probably won't be my last if they're all as good as this.
December 16, 2022
Fun and satisfying read
This is a hot enemies to lovers story with some lighthearted fun mixed in. Though there were a few times I worried how it would end.
This is a hot enemies to lovers story with some lighthearted fun mixed in. Though there were a few times I worried how it would end.
September 6, 2022
Neonatal
A field I know nothing about, and that was why I signed up to review. Am so glad I did.
I thought that this was an emotionally charge book, I was pulled in from the start.
The author doesn’t mess about, we dive straight into the story with Tess and Ethan. The way they met amused me, Tess is no walkover whereas Ethan is cautious.
The author really takes us into the characters’ heads, so we get to understand their decisions.
I look forward to this author’s next book.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free, from the author and Booksirens, and am l leaving this review voluntarily.
A field I know nothing about, and that was why I signed up to review. Am so glad I did.
I thought that this was an emotionally charge book, I was pulled in from the start.
The author doesn’t mess about, we dive straight into the story with Tess and Ethan. The way they met amused me, Tess is no walkover whereas Ethan is cautious.
The author really takes us into the characters’ heads, so we get to understand their decisions.
I look forward to this author’s next book.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free, from the author and Booksirens, and am l leaving this review voluntarily.
September 11, 2022
The character work and story line were well written and kept my attention from beginning to end. I found this book to be entertaining.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 5, 2022
Irrevocable is a good book with a lot of promise, and certain parts of it were just right. Other parts were confusing, mostly, I think, because there wasn't a cohesive flow from the beginning to the end. It felt a little bit like there might be parts of the story that were cut without tidying up the parts that were left. It also had an identity crisis with regard to which trope it really wanted to follow: jaded billionaire, sprawling ranch/horsey set, special forces, enemies-to-lovers, just-a-fling, or a sixth that I won't mention because it would be a spoiler. With that in mind, note that I've added trigger warnings at the very bottom, and they may be considered spoilers.
Tess, a NICU nurse, comes from a military-slash-horse-loving family. Ethan is a secret, horse-loving billionaire who joined the military to atone for past mistakes. After a couple of less-than-pleasant, coincidental run-ins where Ethan acts like a supremely arrogant, presumptuous, woman-hating jackass, they meet for a third time at her mom's ranch when he shows up with her brother Joshua, who recently joined the same special forces team as Ethan. Their relationship takes off from there.
I adore Tess. Not only does she have a most excellent career (which I wish factored in a little more), but she's genuinely nice. Every issue or misunderstanding she has with Ethan I lay solely at his feet. The only part about her that gets old is the amount of time she stays in her own mind, creatively fantasizing about killing Ethan, her brother or one of Ethan's friends. The monologue is entertaining and funny, but it also gets kind of hard to follow and feels repetitive after a while.
Ethan is much more problematic. He has such a chip on his shoulder that supposedly comes from his bad experience with women throwing themselves at him because he's rich. However, he doesn't have a specific story to tell that explains why he's so jaded. It might have been easier to understand his arrogance if a woman he'd trusted had devastated him in the past. But when he is good, he's very very good. He's so incredibly gentle, intuitive, and thoughtful when Tess has had a very difficult day. His actions are perfect in those situations, which makes it all the harder to understand why he gets so angry with her later in the story when she comes across him in a potentially compromising situation.
Some of this confusion could be cleared up with a bit of editing, perhaps. For example, I don't remember Tess never telling Ethan about the day she walked in on her fiancé cheating on her. I thought that lack of insight could explain why Ethan handled himself so poorly. Yet then he refers to her ex, suggesting that this discussion happened at one point, but I guess it happened off page.
Another part I wasn't too thrilled with was how women were portrayed. Aside from Tess, her mom, and her BFF (who I'm guessing will be the Coastie who tames Hayden), the other women are pretty much brainless bimbos out for sex.
All this sounds like I didn't like the novel, but that's not true. I did like it and think there's a lot of potential. For me to want to read future books in this series though, the guys are going to have to stop being so outwardly misogynistic.
I received an ARC for free from the author and BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Trigger warnings: miscarriage, maternal death (off page), infant loss (off page), sex, profanity
Tess, a NICU nurse, comes from a military-slash-horse-loving family. Ethan is a secret, horse-loving billionaire who joined the military to atone for past mistakes. After a couple of less-than-pleasant, coincidental run-ins where Ethan acts like a supremely arrogant, presumptuous, woman-hating jackass, they meet for a third time at her mom's ranch when he shows up with her brother Joshua, who recently joined the same special forces team as Ethan. Their relationship takes off from there.
I adore Tess. Not only does she have a most excellent career (which I wish factored in a little more), but she's genuinely nice. Every issue or misunderstanding she has with Ethan I lay solely at his feet. The only part about her that gets old is the amount of time she stays in her own mind, creatively fantasizing about killing Ethan, her brother or one of Ethan's friends. The monologue is entertaining and funny, but it also gets kind of hard to follow and feels repetitive after a while.
Ethan is much more problematic. He has such a chip on his shoulder that supposedly comes from his bad experience with women throwing themselves at him because he's rich. However, he doesn't have a specific story to tell that explains why he's so jaded. It might have been easier to understand his arrogance if a woman he'd trusted had devastated him in the past. But when he is good, he's very very good. He's so incredibly gentle, intuitive, and thoughtful when Tess has had a very difficult day. His actions are perfect in those situations, which makes it all the harder to understand why he gets so angry with her later in the story when she comes across him in a potentially compromising situation.
Some of this confusion could be cleared up with a bit of editing, perhaps. For example, I don't remember Tess never telling Ethan about the day she walked in on her fiancé cheating on her. I thought that lack of insight could explain why Ethan handled himself so poorly. Yet then he refers to her ex, suggesting that this discussion happened at one point, but I guess it happened off page.
Another part I wasn't too thrilled with was how women were portrayed. Aside from Tess, her mom, and her BFF (who I'm guessing will be the Coastie who tames Hayden), the other women are pretty much brainless bimbos out for sex.
All this sounds like I didn't like the novel, but that's not true. I did like it and think there's a lot of potential. For me to want to read future books in this series though, the guys are going to have to stop being so outwardly misogynistic.
I received an ARC for free from the author and BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Trigger warnings: miscarriage, maternal death (off page), infant loss (off page), sex, profanity
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews