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Anytime Darlin'
[Siren Allure: Erotic Cowboy Romantic Suspense] Paramedic Jake McKenna drops to his knees beside the young woman. Beaten, starved, she's barely breathing, burning with fever. He stabilizes her, but when she opens her green eyes and stares, panic-stricken, into his, he realizes this is only the beginning of their relationship. Devlin Barre has been through hell. If her uncle finds her, she's dead. When she looks into the warm brown eyes of the paramedic, she knows deep in her bones she can trust this man with her life. Devlin and Jake grow close, but, fearful of commitment, Devlin runs off to rebuild her life, leaving Jake heartbroken. Five years later, Jake and Devlin meet again. Neither has forgotten a single detail of their time together. Both harbor the secret hope that they can begin again--this time, for keeps. But Devlin isn't the only person who ran off. Her uncle still waits for the right opportunity to get the one person who got away. ** Note: This book contains rape of the heroine. ** A Siren Erotic Romance
220 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Julia Rachel Barrett
6 books98 followersI write erotic science fiction, paranormal and contemporary romances for Resplendence Publishing, Siren, Logical Lust and Cobblestone Press. In my other life, I write nonfiction. If you ever find me sitting in one place, it’s because I’m reading or writing.
I attended the University of Iowa as a creative writing major. Later I returned to school and became a Registered Nurse. You know, gotta make a buck! I am proud to admit that I was born and raised in Iowa, but I’ve lived, camped, hiked, traveled all over the United States and Israel. I am married with three children, a new puppy, two cats, two birds and two very lucky koi.
I like nothing better than to be out in the fresh air with my boys – hubby and dog! I’m a sports fanatic and I love riding horses – used to own three. Ten years ago, I lost my wonderful cutting mare to laminitis. I haven’t found a horse that can replace her. She was my best friend ever.
I come from a long line of amazing cooks – one of my great-great grandmothers was a chef to the Hungarian Royal Family – a fun day often involves creating a perfect meal. So I am all about food and fantasy and obsessive exercise – so I can eat my favorite food, chocolate!
All the best, Julia
I attended the University of Iowa as a creative writing major. Later I returned to school and became a Registered Nurse. You know, gotta make a buck! I am proud to admit that I was born and raised in Iowa, but I’ve lived, camped, hiked, traveled all over the United States and Israel. I am married with three children, a new puppy, two cats, two birds and two very lucky koi.
I like nothing better than to be out in the fresh air with my boys – hubby and dog! I’m a sports fanatic and I love riding horses – used to own three. Ten years ago, I lost my wonderful cutting mare to laminitis. I haven’t found a horse that can replace her. She was my best friend ever.
I come from a long line of amazing cooks – one of my great-great grandmothers was a chef to the Hungarian Royal Family – a fun day often involves creating a perfect meal. So I am all about food and fantasy and obsessive exercise – so I can eat my favorite food, chocolate!
All the best, Julia
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 21, 2015
This is a hard book to review without giving away too much of the story, but I've labeled the spoilers so you can avoid them!
Anytime Darlin’ is an emotion packed story about Devlin Barre, a young woman who had been brutally raped and beaten, and Jake McKenna, a paramedic who helped save her life afterwards. The author tackled some pretty delicate issues – rape and its aftermath being a big part of this story, and in my opinion, she handled them pretty well. Not so in depth that it made me cringe or feel awkward, but it wasn’t just glossed over either.
I do feel the need to point out that the cover is pretty misleading. You might get the impression that this book is all about sex, which it most definitely isn't. Also, it's listed as an erotic novel, but it didn't feel all that erotic to me. There were definitely some hot sex scenes, but not that I'd consider out of the norm for a contemporary romance.
While there were some pretty “coincidental” things that I had to overlook in order to enjoy the story, and with Devlin having been a rape victim, I wondered how difficult, or not, it was for her to have a sexual relationship with a man, but that wasn’t really covered. In this case, the weaker elements did distract me from the story, however the things that were done right were done so right that it made up for it.
The bottom line - Jake and Devlin were such awesome people that I found Anytime Darlin’ a pleasure to read and would read more by this author.
3.5/5
October 20, 2010
After reading the blurb for this book I had to swallow real hard. I wasn't sure if I would be up for this. I'm not at all fond of rape in books. I hate when authors use this as a way to make their heroine more vulnerable. It is, at least for me, not a topic that should be talked about lightly. It's something that will influence you and your life severely and it's nothing you can just forget or ignore easily. That being said I have to say it's the first book I ever read about that topic that didn't made me hate it. Julia handled this topic with so much care and thoughtfulness, it was bearable for me to read about it. Yes, It broke my heart and made me cry but I found it was handled in away that me believe it's real- with all the pain, hurt and humilation it involves. I don't think this topic should be banned from books and Anytime Darlin' showed me that there are books out there who do it right.
Jake is a wonderful character. He's working as a paramedic but he's a cowboy at heart. He always helped out on his father's ranch and he wants to have one for himself in the future too. He loves his family and always has an open ear for them when they need him. He's caring, funny and has a dirty side, too. For me he is a dream come true. I love when a man is more than just sex-o- stick. Of course I know to appreciate a sex-on-stick man, no worries I'm still a red-blooded woman, but I think you need some one you can trust completely, someone you just want to tell everything no matter what. Jake is one of those men. He eriadtes calmness and reassurance- he's a place of peace for Dev.
Devlin's life is shattered and lays in pieces in front of her. When the paramedics find her in the Kmart she nearly gave up life. Until she saw Jake. She doesn't know why but she feels safe with him- like nothing can touch her. He gives her the hope and safety she needs to give her the strength to survive. I loved reading about her journey even though it was a cruel and sad one. I admired her strength and how she tried to stand on her own feet. She's a survivor and I'm sure she will give hope to other woman in this situation.
When these two meet again after 5 years without one single word the air between them sizzles. They can't keep their hands off each other and wow they really know how to use their creativity. It gave the whole book a lighter touch and finally satisfied my need to see these two being happy.
I enjoyed the way Julia also included the lives of the side-characters in her story. They all were unique in their own way and they just fit in. I loved the group dynamic this created and I caught myself wanting to be part of such a close knitted group of friends.
At the end of the book I could have lived without one scene but I'm never a fan of seeing something through the bad guy's eyes. It's always so weird and I don't really like to read the twisted thoughts of a maniac. Yes I am a scaredy cat when it comes to books.
As you perhaps noticed I really did like this book. It was a wonderful emotional read- a rollercoaster ride that will take you from heartbreakingly sad to nearly high of joy. Anytime Darlin' made me feel and that's one of the things I love most about books. Julia's writing drew me in completely and I couldn't put this book down. I have already spent hours discussing this book and it still hasn't let go of me. Definitely a keeper on the top of my shelf.
Jake is a wonderful character. He's working as a paramedic but he's a cowboy at heart. He always helped out on his father's ranch and he wants to have one for himself in the future too. He loves his family and always has an open ear for them when they need him. He's caring, funny and has a dirty side, too. For me he is a dream come true. I love when a man is more than just sex-o- stick. Of course I know to appreciate a sex-on-stick man, no worries I'm still a red-blooded woman, but I think you need some one you can trust completely, someone you just want to tell everything no matter what. Jake is one of those men. He eriadtes calmness and reassurance- he's a place of peace for Dev.
Devlin's life is shattered and lays in pieces in front of her. When the paramedics find her in the Kmart she nearly gave up life. Until she saw Jake. She doesn't know why but she feels safe with him- like nothing can touch her. He gives her the hope and safety she needs to give her the strength to survive. I loved reading about her journey even though it was a cruel and sad one. I admired her strength and how she tried to stand on her own feet. She's a survivor and I'm sure she will give hope to other woman in this situation.
When these two meet again after 5 years without one single word the air between them sizzles. They can't keep their hands off each other and wow they really know how to use their creativity. It gave the whole book a lighter touch and finally satisfied my need to see these two being happy.
I enjoyed the way Julia also included the lives of the side-characters in her story. They all were unique in their own way and they just fit in. I loved the group dynamic this created and I caught myself wanting to be part of such a close knitted group of friends.
At the end of the book I could have lived without one scene but I'm never a fan of seeing something through the bad guy's eyes. It's always so weird and I don't really like to read the twisted thoughts of a maniac. Yes I am a scaredy cat when it comes to books.
As you perhaps noticed I really did like this book. It was a wonderful emotional read- a rollercoaster ride that will take you from heartbreakingly sad to nearly high of joy. Anytime Darlin' made me feel and that's one of the things I love most about books. Julia's writing drew me in completely and I couldn't put this book down. I have already spent hours discussing this book and it still hasn't let go of me. Definitely a keeper on the top of my shelf.
June 7, 2012
When Paramedic Jake McKenna responds to a call he is not expecting that the victim will change his life forever. Beaten, malnourished, and raped almost eighteen year old Devlin Barre is fighting for her life. The only thread of hope is an instant attachment to the man helping her, Jake with whom she feels safe. As Devlin begins to heal, ake is torn with the connection between them especially with the age difference.
Four and a half years later, Devlin is back and Jake wants to see if there really was something special between them. Devlin has thought of Jake daily and is worried that her expectations maybe too high, for she wants Jake forever.
This is a phenomenal story tht carries a delicate balance between Jake and Devlin, especially in the beginning. Jake is the rock trying to shield Devlin from the hurt she has been through, when the two are torn apart they feel it deep in their bones but hope one day they will reunite. I had actually read this before but didn't realize it.
Four and a half years later, Devlin is back and Jake wants to see if there really was something special between them. Devlin has thought of Jake daily and is worried that her expectations maybe too high, for she wants Jake forever.
This is a phenomenal story tht carries a delicate balance between Jake and Devlin, especially in the beginning. Jake is the rock trying to shield Devlin from the hurt she has been through, when the two are torn apart they feel it deep in their bones but hope one day they will reunite. I had actually read this before but didn't realize it.
August 1, 2011
This is one of those books that has parts you like and then it has parts you really don’t care for. It always seems too that those latter parts are what ends up making a book just an average read. I may remember most of what happened a day or so after finishing this one and while writing this review, but I really don’t think I’ll be able to recall anything about it next week.
The biggest thing that bothered me in the beginning was the fact that the hero, who is a paramedic and helps rescue the heroine after she’s been beaten, has an immediate reaction/connection to her. She’s only seventeen years old. As much as I liked and maybe even admired the hero because of who he is and his profession, I just couldn’t get past the bit that he wants this young girl, especially in her condition. It just didn’t sit right with me. Now, later in the book a friend does spell it out for him that because of everything she’s gone through and due to her age, he needs to back off and leave her alone, let her get her life together, she needs time, the usual you get in a romance novel. Being the man he is, he does take that advice to heart and four years pass before they see one another again.
You’d think that since he did eventually do the honorable thing, and he even questions his attraction to her himself, that that would have helped me out with my dislike of that aspect of the book, but for me it just came too late in the story. I already had that thought in my head way too long before his honor stepped up, so that idea of it all just didn’t work for me. Also, the dialogue in the beginning of the book seemed off, the conversations sounded awkward at points. And the characters did and said things that seemed contrary to what was known of them at certain times in the first half of the book.
But then there was a nice turnaround and the second half of the book was actually not bad at all. This is the four years later and Jake and Devlin come face to face after all they’d been through together. She’s still young, 22 (he’s 29), but at least that sat better in the whole scheme of things for me. I really liked the fact that they didn’t beat around the bush after being apart for so long. They knew individually they had feelings for one another and from the moment of renewed eye contact, those feelings were still there and they barely made it to the airport parking lot before they had their hands all over each other, which was actually a pretty darned good scene. In fact, the love scenes in this book were all pretty darned good; the one in the garden at the bridal shower is my favorite. It wasn’t all sex in getting to know one another again, however. They did talk and did some of the normal things couples would do upon being reacquainted.
The ending came and went little too quickly for me. A good portion of the book is spent waiting for the villain to return to exact his revenge, a lot of it from his point of view, but once he gets back into town there’s more scenes of the preparation of his revenge than his actually executing it. When he finally gets his hands on Devlin again, it seemed to be all over before it began. It just wasn’t balanced enough with all his other goings-on leading up to that point. I did like the majority of the secondary characters, with the exception of Janice, Jake’s ex-girlfriend. The author tried to redeem her in the end, but it was just too late by that time. I didn’t like her one bit, though I am still glad she had a conscience when it was called for. I also think a couple of the stunts she pulled to get back at Jake and Devlin were just too much, especially the over-the-top scene at the mall with Devlin.
There’s just too many things that didn’t quite work for me to grade it any higher.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
The biggest thing that bothered me in the beginning was the fact that the hero, who is a paramedic and helps rescue the heroine after she’s been beaten, has an immediate reaction/connection to her. She’s only seventeen years old. As much as I liked and maybe even admired the hero because of who he is and his profession, I just couldn’t get past the bit that he wants this young girl, especially in her condition. It just didn’t sit right with me. Now, later in the book a friend does spell it out for him that because of everything she’s gone through and due to her age, he needs to back off and leave her alone, let her get her life together, she needs time, the usual you get in a romance novel. Being the man he is, he does take that advice to heart and four years pass before they see one another again.
You’d think that since he did eventually do the honorable thing, and he even questions his attraction to her himself, that that would have helped me out with my dislike of that aspect of the book, but for me it just came too late in the story. I already had that thought in my head way too long before his honor stepped up, so that idea of it all just didn’t work for me. Also, the dialogue in the beginning of the book seemed off, the conversations sounded awkward at points. And the characters did and said things that seemed contrary to what was known of them at certain times in the first half of the book.
But then there was a nice turnaround and the second half of the book was actually not bad at all. This is the four years later and Jake and Devlin come face to face after all they’d been through together. She’s still young, 22 (he’s 29), but at least that sat better in the whole scheme of things for me. I really liked the fact that they didn’t beat around the bush after being apart for so long. They knew individually they had feelings for one another and from the moment of renewed eye contact, those feelings were still there and they barely made it to the airport parking lot before they had their hands all over each other, which was actually a pretty darned good scene. In fact, the love scenes in this book were all pretty darned good; the one in the garden at the bridal shower is my favorite. It wasn’t all sex in getting to know one another again, however. They did talk and did some of the normal things couples would do upon being reacquainted.
The ending came and went little too quickly for me. A good portion of the book is spent waiting for the villain to return to exact his revenge, a lot of it from his point of view, but once he gets back into town there’s more scenes of the preparation of his revenge than his actually executing it. When he finally gets his hands on Devlin again, it seemed to be all over before it began. It just wasn’t balanced enough with all his other goings-on leading up to that point. I did like the majority of the secondary characters, with the exception of Janice, Jake’s ex-girlfriend. The author tried to redeem her in the end, but it was just too late by that time. I didn’t like her one bit, though I am still glad she had a conscience when it was called for. I also think a couple of the stunts she pulled to get back at Jake and Devlin were just too much, especially the over-the-top scene at the mall with Devlin.
There’s just too many things that didn’t quite work for me to grade it any higher.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
March 1, 2014
Okay you know when you have to admit something right, well here goes...
You know that saying that goes 'Never judge a book by its cover,' or something, well MOI me surely did, yep totally more fool me haha!! Cause...
and it was. You wouldn't want to put the book down (okay, well I couldn't anyways). This is a story about a young Devlin. A young 24 year old Jake. Jake's amazing group of friends, and a crazy effed up uncle. Now from there Devlin and Jake's story continues....
Now better not get off track hehe cause the second I read it despite what the cover image looked like, its not how it is. All I can say is that its well written and flows strongly throughout each of the character's POVs. The story is suspensful, romantic, some serious hot steamy sex scenes between the two main characters Devlin and Jake. Each characters brings the story together.
But overall what I noticed while reading is that the story is based in the 80s with no phones and computers right. Now there, I couldn't believe how different it was. Reading when an incident happens and they don't whip out their Iphones and place a call but have to run to use the landline omg that's classic.
Now the ending was not what I expected. It just cut off like WTH IS THAT IT, huh, where did the rest go but I think the author really kind of ended it on a cliffhanger (my thinking only) or not but what do I know. It's probably it. Over. Nada. No epilogue. No book 2......HEHE.
Anyways this is my second book that I love from Julia Rachel Barrett. They both leave you on the edge of your seats and leaves you wanting more. Your writing is superb and I look forward to more of these types of reading.
You know that saying that goes 'Never judge a book by its cover,' or something, well MOI me surely did, yep totally more fool me haha!! Cause...
and it was. You wouldn't want to put the book down (okay, well I couldn't anyways). This is a story about a young Devlin. A young 24 year old Jake. Jake's amazing group of friends, and a crazy effed up uncle. Now from there Devlin and Jake's story continues....
Now better not get off track hehe cause the second I read it despite what the cover image looked like, its not how it is. All I can say is that its well written and flows strongly throughout each of the character's POVs. The story is suspensful, romantic, some serious hot steamy sex scenes between the two main characters Devlin and Jake. Each characters brings the story together.
But overall what I noticed while reading is that the story is based in the 80s with no phones and computers right. Now there, I couldn't believe how different it was. Reading when an incident happens and they don't whip out their Iphones and place a call but have to run to use the landline omg that's classic.
Now the ending was not what I expected. It just cut off like WTH IS THAT IT, huh, where did the rest go but I think the author really kind of ended it on a cliffhanger (my thinking only) or not but what do I know. It's probably it. Over. Nada. No epilogue. No book 2......HEHE.
Anyways this is my second book that I love from Julia Rachel Barrett. They both leave you on the edge of your seats and leaves you wanting more. Your writing is superb and I look forward to more of these types of reading.
November 17, 2014
3.0 RATING- I read Pushing Her Boundaries by the same author and really enjoyed it so when I saw Antime Darlin' on sale, I snagged it up. The story was just okay for me and definitely didn't live up to expectations based on the earlier book I had read. While I love a damsel in distress story line and loved how protective the hero was, the story dragged a bit. I think the first 50% of the book laid the groundwork for the rest of the book which was understandable, but it made for a less enjoyable read overall. No problem with the writing and I would read this author again, but the story was just kind of meh for me. Definitely glad I didn't pay more than $0.99 for this one.
February 11, 2012
This story was amazing. After reading Lion’s Heat, I knew that I had to get Lawe’s Justice. At the beginning of the story we get an introduction of how the breeds were experimented with. The scientists would take women and inject breed sperm into them, and then when they gave birth take their babies and experiment on them. Lawe and Rule are twin brothers who witnessed their mother’s vivisection. She was vivisected because she mated with a Coyote Breed (Elder). Lawe and Rule had to act like they didn’t care and like it didn’t bother them, but they swore revenge on the people who had killed their mother.
Diane Broen is a trained leader. She took over her Uncle’s team after he died. Diane has always protected the people she loved. She protected her sister Rachel when she was young. Her parents died and she always looked after Rachel. She got her Uncle to train her and became a part of his team. She may be a female but she goes as hard as the men. Diane is strong-willed, quick, intelligent, and a kick ass fighter. She has fought all of her life and has never had anyone tell her what to do until Lawe comes in.
Lawe and Diane met when they were captured and tortured and Lawe knew from that moment that she was his mate. He tried to deny it for a long time, but it eventually caught up with him. Diane and Lawe have this fire cracker chemistry that will make you melt. Diane has always longed for someone she could love, someone who would fight beside her, be her partner. At first Lawe wanted to keep her locked up so she couldn’t fight. Fighting is a part of who Diane is and he had to learn to accept that.
Amber, Diane’s niece is in danger. She was injected with a serum that will kill her if she doesn’t find Fawn, Honor Roberts, and Judd. Fawn and Honor were injected with the same serum and survived it. They are the key to Amber’s survival.
Gideon is a Breed who was injected with Fawn’s blood in order to save his life. He swore revenge on her because he wanted to die. After he was injected with her blood, he was caught by the scientists and taken back to the labs for experimentation. They experimented on him and cut him open over and over again. All Gideon wants is revenge, and he thinks that Diane will lead him straight to Honor and Fawn.
Diane and Lawe learn to work together as partners and become one. They are the perfect match for each other. Both are warriors, both are independent, and both are stubborn. They complete each other. I thought that this story was very refreshing, lots of sexual tension, emotion, and romance. I love how the author pieced this story together. Very interesting. I had a point to where I got bored toward the end. But I am very glad that I continued to read because the ending is something you don’t want to miss! I suggest you read this, you won’t be sorry (:
Diane Broen is a trained leader. She took over her Uncle’s team after he died. Diane has always protected the people she loved. She protected her sister Rachel when she was young. Her parents died and she always looked after Rachel. She got her Uncle to train her and became a part of his team. She may be a female but she goes as hard as the men. Diane is strong-willed, quick, intelligent, and a kick ass fighter. She has fought all of her life and has never had anyone tell her what to do until Lawe comes in.
Lawe and Diane met when they were captured and tortured and Lawe knew from that moment that she was his mate. He tried to deny it for a long time, but it eventually caught up with him. Diane and Lawe have this fire cracker chemistry that will make you melt. Diane has always longed for someone she could love, someone who would fight beside her, be her partner. At first Lawe wanted to keep her locked up so she couldn’t fight. Fighting is a part of who Diane is and he had to learn to accept that.
Amber, Diane’s niece is in danger. She was injected with a serum that will kill her if she doesn’t find Fawn, Honor Roberts, and Judd. Fawn and Honor were injected with the same serum and survived it. They are the key to Amber’s survival.
Gideon is a Breed who was injected with Fawn’s blood in order to save his life. He swore revenge on her because he wanted to die. After he was injected with her blood, he was caught by the scientists and taken back to the labs for experimentation. They experimented on him and cut him open over and over again. All Gideon wants is revenge, and he thinks that Diane will lead him straight to Honor and Fawn.
Diane and Lawe learn to work together as partners and become one. They are the perfect match for each other. Both are warriors, both are independent, and both are stubborn. They complete each other. I thought that this story was very refreshing, lots of sexual tension, emotion, and romance. I love how the author pieced this story together. Very interesting. I had a point to where I got bored toward the end. But I am very glad that I continued to read because the ending is something you don’t want to miss! I suggest you read this, you won’t be sorry (:
August 10, 2016
If you love her, let her go. If it's meant to be, she'll come back. And then you'll have her forever.
Plot:
Jake saves Devlin but lets her go so she can start healing. When she comes back, nothing will stop him from keeping His Love, forever. Not even a murdering Mad Man, nor a Crazy Ex.
Comments:
- Contemporary romantic drama with many explicit sex scenes.
- 5839 kindle locations, 80,570 words
- m/f - frequent once you get to 1984, explicit but more "spicy" than erotic, varied, caring.
- Devlin is a survivor and witness to horrific domestic abuse and rape by a family member. We live through it with her. It's explicit. It's hard to read. But she survived.
Opinion:
"Anytime Darlin'" read very much as a daytime, made-for-tv special. But that's okay; I like daytime tv. *grin* Poor Devlin has everything thrown at her and still she manages to find Love with the Man of Her Dreams. It's very dramatic, very romantic, and very, very sexy.
The book has two parts:
Part1, 1980, is all city grit as 24 year old Jake rescues and helps to heal almost-18 year old Devlin. It's heavy reading as we watch her go through, and survive, her horrors. But we also see her start to recreate her life and take charge. What does not kill us...
Part2, 1984. Jake has waited, and now she's back. Heavy on the explicit sex as we get our romance fulfilment. Although we do still have that Crazy Uncle to deal with, so a little drama to get us a HEA climax.
It's really good. Similar books in the genre send our heroine directly into his arms, no matter her age or history. Others begin with a guardian/ward relationship which we are expected to accept becomes a love affair. Instead Barrett lets Devlin have a life, and come back to Jake knowing that this is what she wants, and making sure Jake isn't "responsible" for her, or "parental" in any way. It makes for an intelligent romance with an exciting drama and teary emotional scenes. But the two-parts also leaves it feeling (again, I've said this about another Barrett book) schizophrenic. It's recommended for A Good Read.
Aside:
What's so special about the early-80s? No mobile phones. No Internet. But otherwise the story is pretty much timeless. An odd time setting but probably necessary for the suspense.
-CR-
June 26, 2011
**Giveaway**
A few terms were out of places. I wouldn’t expect a 17 year old to say Foley Catheter. She could have cut down on the medical aspect. The sentences aren’t choppy but the story as a whole. It jumps from one place to another without much buffering to keep the flow.
That said, the story was heartwarming and really pulled me in. I couldn’t put it down and spent hours reading this immersed as the story progressed. I instantly liked Devlin. She had a great personality despite all that’s happened to her. Her uncle, beat and raped her but she managed to survive and thrive. Jake was by her side from the beginning. He is a tall, handsome hero that could make a woman melt with a simple wink. His character was beautifully written. The only thing I would change would be Devlin waiting for him sexually. She should have waited to sleep with other men when they had a miscommunication and separated. Though those relationships didn’t work, I feel that it gave her character a side I didn’t particularly like.
Still, Devlin and Jake are great together. The pages quickly steam up and really spin toward the erotic side. That scene right beside the party was absolutely magical and damned hot! Those last twenty pages had me literally on the edge of my seat. Ms. Barrett you’ll be getting the bill for my nails after I gnawed them up reading this, lol.
Normally with the issues stated above this would get a 4 out of 5 stars but it won’t. This is without a doubt 5 stars. The story of Dev and Jake is so moving. This is real romance, a heartwarming tale of true love with scenes hot enough to fog the windows. This just reiterates what a great author Julia Barrett is.
Enter Contest here: http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/1/post/2...
A few terms were out of places. I wouldn’t expect a 17 year old to say Foley Catheter. She could have cut down on the medical aspect. The sentences aren’t choppy but the story as a whole. It jumps from one place to another without much buffering to keep the flow.
That said, the story was heartwarming and really pulled me in. I couldn’t put it down and spent hours reading this immersed as the story progressed. I instantly liked Devlin. She had a great personality despite all that’s happened to her. Her uncle, beat and raped her but she managed to survive and thrive. Jake was by her side from the beginning. He is a tall, handsome hero that could make a woman melt with a simple wink. His character was beautifully written. The only thing I would change would be Devlin waiting for him sexually. She should have waited to sleep with other men when they had a miscommunication and separated. Though those relationships didn’t work, I feel that it gave her character a side I didn’t particularly like.
Still, Devlin and Jake are great together. The pages quickly steam up and really spin toward the erotic side. That scene right beside the party was absolutely magical and damned hot! Those last twenty pages had me literally on the edge of my seat. Ms. Barrett you’ll be getting the bill for my nails after I gnawed them up reading this, lol.
Normally with the issues stated above this would get a 4 out of 5 stars but it won’t. This is without a doubt 5 stars. The story of Dev and Jake is so moving. This is real romance, a heartwarming tale of true love with scenes hot enough to fog the windows. This just reiterates what a great author Julia Barrett is.
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September 7, 2010
Wendy’s Review
Anytime Darlin’ is a great read! Devlin is a girl who had a lot to overcome, and with the help from her hero, Jake, she does.
Devlin was found beaten and raped and near death. She had nothing to live for except the man who kept her sane while she was in a drug induced coma. With Jake’s help, she was able to live and tell what her uncle had done to her.
Jake was older, he had to be the one to step back and wait for Devlin to get over what happened to her and to grow up. Jake was a man that few women would say no to, if any. He was handsome and kind, a man who you would want to rescue you.
Four years passed before they were meant to be. He gave Devlin the time to grow up, get over what was done to her, and take charge of her life. Meeting at a wedding of two friends, Devlin and Jake start their relationship on a whole new level. The sexual tension that they have held for each other comes to the surface. Their openness to love each other and accept that they were meant to be together was astonishing.
Past terror comes to tear them apart, but with them together, they would not be overcome by an uncle who couldn't or wouldn't allow Devlin to live her life with love and security, instead of fear and terror.
I rate this book a 5 Tea Cup and 3 heat index. Julia did a wonderful job of transforming a horrific event into something that turned out wonderful and unique.
5 Tea Cups!
February 23, 2011
Devlin Barre and Jake McKenna first meet when he's the paramedic on call when she's discovered near death at a K-mart. One look into her vibrant green eyes and he feels a powerful sense of connection. Devlin's on the run from her murderous uncle, and one look at Jake tells her he's someone she can trust. He stays near through her recovery and supports her as she gets her legs under her. Then circumstances and the feeling that the time wasn't right keeps them apart for another five years. When they meet again for their friends' wedding, the attraction they share combusts.
This is the first I've read by Ms. Barrett--the story kept me turning the pages, and my heart ached for Devlin and Jake. I liked the characterizations--Jake was a straight-up, stand-up kind of guy. There was another woman for him early in the story, but he was not a player, and he was clearly a man who faced his responsibilities. I'm glad that Ms. Barrett allowed Devlin the time to grow into womanhood and into her own life and sense of self.
On the whole, a good read; an opportunity for redemption for one of the secondary characters, which I appreciated. One of the plot points seemed almost annoyingly cliched, but Ms. Barrett didn't drag it out but resolved it in a pretty straightforward way.
This is the first I've read by Ms. Barrett--the story kept me turning the pages, and my heart ached for Devlin and Jake. I liked the characterizations--Jake was a straight-up, stand-up kind of guy. There was another woman for him early in the story, but he was not a player, and he was clearly a man who faced his responsibilities. I'm glad that Ms. Barrett allowed Devlin the time to grow into womanhood and into her own life and sense of self.
On the whole, a good read; an opportunity for redemption for one of the secondary characters, which I appreciated. One of the plot points seemed almost annoyingly cliched, but Ms. Barrett didn't drag it out but resolved it in a pretty straightforward way.
December 28, 2015
I enjoyed the book! I think it could have been better though.
Enjoyed the build up of the first half and then felt slightly cheated that we didn't get a chance to see Devlin recover properly.
It seemed like an easy way out - to skip to four years later to a Devlin who has no intimacy issues, PTSD etc.
Also the marriage proposal was a bit silly.... two months spending time with each other after she'd been raped at 17, 4 years apart and then a weekend together is defo not the ground for marriage proposals! forget insta love, thats just insta marriage.
Ah well! despite all this, I did enjoy the story although not much actually happens!
Enjoyed the build up of the first half and then felt slightly cheated that we didn't get a chance to see Devlin recover properly.
It seemed like an easy way out - to skip to four years later to a Devlin who has no intimacy issues, PTSD etc.
Also the marriage proposal was a bit silly.... two months spending time with each other after she'd been raped at 17, 4 years apart and then a weekend together is defo not the ground for marriage proposals! forget insta love, thats just insta marriage.
Ah well! despite all this, I did enjoy the story although not much actually happens!
November 7, 2010
This book was amazing! Not for the faint of heart, with some violence and the heroine's past trauma. The bond forged between the H&h because of what she has been through is one of the strongest and most touching I read in a long while. Talk about a protective, SEXY, alpha male; and a heroine who grows stronger not only because of his love, but her own inner strength. The sexual tension was fierce, the sex hot, and the villains despicable; all making for one of the best books I've ever read! LOVED IT!!!
December 23, 2010
What a mess.
This book has two stages - the rape and recovery stage and the time heals but new threat stage.
It was a bit over graphic for me. I don't like to know all the details of rape and assault. It was also a little extreem in that it went from one extreem to the other with no real finess.
It's a pretty good book but it will never be one of my favourites and I'm glad I'm done with it.
This book has two stages - the rape and recovery stage and the time heals but new threat stage.
It was a bit over graphic for me. I don't like to know all the details of rape and assault. It was also a little extreem in that it went from one extreem to the other with no real finess.
It's a pretty good book but it will never be one of my favourites and I'm glad I'm done with it.
July 10, 2012
A great read. Starts out kinda slow, jumping from one point of view to another. Lots of characters to keep track of with intricate plot lines. It really picks up around the middle with the reunion. From there things move at a much quicker pace. Overall a very satisfying read.
February 4, 2013
A great read. Starts out kinda slow, jumping from one point of view to another. Lots of characters to keep track of with intricate plot lines. It really picks up around the middle with the reunion. From there things move at a much quicker pace. Overall a very satisfying read.
January 11, 2012
This was such a wonderful book. Wow!!
February 23, 2012
what a wonderful stimulating book. read it all as soon as I got it. Its a very steamy book!
December 21, 2012
Almost a great book. I loved Jake, and i added an extra star because i love a hot paramedic/EMT. Hard to review however. some imagination stretching is needed,
November 17, 2013
Anytime Darlin' will break your heart in the beginning with the pain that she was put through. The hurt she had to feel but through all that she found love
August 11, 2016
3.5 Stars
July 8, 2014
really enjoyed this book I'll have to read more of Julia Rachel Barrett books.
January 3, 2016
3.5
Should have had an epilogue
Too abrupt of an ending
After 5 years apart they got together too fast
Should have had an epilogue
Too abrupt of an ending
After 5 years apart they got together too fast
March 31, 2021
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