Anne Jolin

This quick steamy read was my first from [a:Anne Jolin|8388273|Anne Jolin|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1419492538p2/8388273.jpg], who I met at a signing earlier this year. While I got a personalized hard copy of the book, I also was able to pick up this first installment of the Rock Falls series for free on Amazon. Can't complain about that! My mistake was starting the series last night at 10pm because now, less than 24 hours later, I have blown through the whole series sacrificing sleep and work and whatever else was in my path. So I think it's safe to say I've got another author that will be added to my must read TBR pile.

So now that I have speed-read the whole series, I am going to try to keep them straight as I write the reviews. Please bare with me... I can't usually remember what I had for breakfast so this might get a little hinky. Since the focus of the series is on a group of girlfriends and a group of badass tattooed alpha males, at least if I get them mixed up, you will know it applies SOMEWHERE in the series.

Anywho, this first installment gives us a pairing between Hannah Rhodes and Greyson Holt. We first meet Hannah in a relationship with Jackson Steele, one of the boys' group. But Jackson, bless his heart, is bipolar and things don't work out there. Being in this somewhat volatile relationship understandably makes Hannah a little gunshy. However, I give her credit because she was not a stupid annoying heroine that runs away. Well she might have run a little, but not enough to annoy me. I can't tell you how happy this makes me - I am over the whole fleeing heroine character. I like it when they stay and fight for their man and work for their relationship. So I liked Hannah just fine. Of course I can't say I love her but that's because I'm a catty bitchface and think I would be much better for Greyson than she would be.

Now let's talk about our super yummy tattooed alpha male, Greyson Holt. Who is nicknamed Hunnam because, you guessed it, he looks like Charlie Hunnam! Nom nom nom. Between his physical likeness and descriptions of his tats, I had some great imagery going here. Plus he's like an alpha male dirty talker. O.M.Gee. Love it. (I have regressed to my 20-year-old self as a result of Greyson. Le sigh.) Then, something happened... something that I cannot remember ever happening before. Our alpha gets weepy. Well, no, I think he ugly cries. And I kinda froze as I was reading, and it was like a totally different kind of OMG coming out of my mouth. Like the horrified whisper omg (very softly now). I'm all for some vulnerability in my broken broody males. But alpha male ugly crying? I don't know how I feel about this. Do I like this? Do I not? I DON'T KNOW! It's 24 hours later and I am STILL thinking about this. I'm verklempt I tell ya. I don't know if I can handle it. What about you - what do you think about alpha male crying? Turn on, turn off, does it freak you out? I think it freaks me out! Do I still love Hunnam - absolutely. Would I trip Hannah to get her out of my way so I could take a run at him - absolutely! Would I know how to handle the alpha male ugly cry? Um, I'm not sure. I envision some silent awkward back patting going on while I look around the room for someone to rescue me.

What else do I need to talk about with story? Frak - how could I forget!?! The smexytime! Very hot and steamy. Very. Very. Steamy. Like squirming in your seat steamy if you are trying to read this in public, or at work (which I would never do). This is not something you want to read while your hairdresser or dentist can see over your shoulder. Seriously, don't you hate it when your smut gets interrupted by someone over your shoulder? Gah!

I think you can tell that I like this new-to-me author and series. I only wish the stories were longer... I do like that I can finish the 175ish pages relatively fast. But when you have men this hot, the longer the better (ah-hem). I'll just stop right there.

4 stars / 5 flames. Full review and giveaway will be posted at Bambi Unbridled on 11/06/15.… (plus d'informations)

So I think this is going to be my favorite book of the series. I just loved loved loved the hero in this book, Braxton Bennett. Braxton is many things. Dark. Edgy. Damaged. Tattooed. Rich. Alpha. Male. Attorney. One of these things is not like the other. Can you tell which? Yep, its that Attorney label. Let me tell you, I have been an attorney for a while now and I worked in the legal field for 8 years before I became a lawyer. I have never - NEVER - ever met an attorney like this. Seriously, it was my lament of law school. There were no good looking law students; most of the guys were weenie whiney manboys. And all the law firms I have encountered are divided into the older partners, or the absolutely average looking. So Braxton Bennet is my ultimate fantasy... if I could only find a real one. Le sigh.

I was so absorbed in Braxton that I can't even remember the heroine's name. Oh yeah, it's Beth (I had to look it up). Beth is Hannah's older sister and at the end of [b:Choosing Henley|27193363|Choosing Henley (Rock Falls, #2)|Anne Jolin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1444810414s/27193363.jpg|42346570], we discovered she was dating a major douche canoe. The douche has turned dangerous in this book, which results in her being rescued by the Cinderella Man. I liked Beth as much as you can like a girl who has something that you want. But that's about all that I have to say about her.

This book is one of insta-love... but I think that was necessary to work within the confines of the length because there was a plot conflict along with the romance, and that had to be developed and explored as well. I like that we got some suspense and bad guys in this book, it gave us something fresh and different from the earlier books in the series. I continue to love all of the secondary characters... but I am a sucker for that tattooed bad boy type so I would be right at home in this group of friends and family. (If I ever find out Anne based these guys on real people, I am moving to Canada.)

5 stars / 4 flames.… (plus d'informations)

This was another great quick and steamy read from [a:Anne Jolin|8388273|Anne Jolin|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1419492538p2/8388273.jpg]. I am just devouring these books. Our feature couple in this installment of the Rock Falls series is Lennon Montgomery and Jamison Henley, both of whom we met in [b:Chasing Rhodes|27193308|Chasing Rhodes (Rock Falls, #1)|Anne Jolin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1444810337s/27193308.jpg|42265223].

Lennon is best friends with Hannah, and was roommates with Hannah and Beth. I didn't feel like we learned a whole lot about Lennon in the first book, she just seemed like a girl who didn't talk about her feelings much and didn't date anyone seriously. In [b:Choosing Henley|27193363|Choosing Henley (Rock Falls, #2)|Anne Jolin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1444810414s/27193363.jpg|42346570], we learn that Lennon is extremely jaded when it comes to relationships due a serious daddy issue she has from a super craptastic father. Let me tell ya, I was worried about Lennon. I was worried that she was going to be one of those heroines that kept pushing the hero away and ran away from him or would be one of those wishy washy heroines that annoy me. I am happy to report that she was not. Once Lennon decided to give it a shot, she truly did work at it. At one point I was so proud of her for NOT running, that gave her a big ol' goofy fist pump (in public). Awkward. Sometimes I forget where I am when I'm reading.

We knew a little more about Jamison (Jami) from the first book. He was good friends with Hannah, had a pittie named after Martha Stewart, and was a gourmet cook. He also took great care of Hannah when she needed help during an emotional situation. He makes guitars, has some kickass tattoos, and owns his own gorgeous log cabin. And when he decides he wants something (or someone as in Lennon's case), he is going all in until he gets what he wants. It's like a fairy tale wish list of the perfect man. Only, as Jami points out, the sex they have is too naughty for fairytales.

This was a solid romance, not too much drama and lots of steam. I do wish that it had been longer... I was kind of surprised when it ended because I thought I had 20% more book left (there was an excerpt at the end). I would have also liked to see karma work a little bit on Lennon's dad. That's just a consequence of the length, I love the writing, but I can always think of more more more because I'm greedy like that. ;)

4 stars / 4 flames.… (plus d'informations)

I read this whole series within about 24 hours. These were quick reads about a group of tattooed alpha males who seemingly all had maaaggic sticks (if you know what I mean). [a:Anne Jolin|8388273|Anne Jolin|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1419492538p2/8388273.jpg] writes some very unique alpha males in that they all have a healthy dose of vulnerability.

This book coincides with the ending of[b:Breaking Bennett|27193423|Breaking Bennett (Rock Falls, #3)|Anne Jolin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1444810485s/27193423.jpg|42582161], where Peyton was attacked in her condo by Beth's creepy stalker dad. Peyton is a tortured heroine, which was eluded to in previous books with her nightmares and reserved personality. In this installment, we uncover Peyton's past and her reason for moving to Rock Falls. I liked her character, well, I have liked all the heroines in this series. She is a survivor, and I liked that she was willing to step out of the box and go after Jay. But I was missing a bit of a connection with this one, which I will explain below.

In previous books, Jay was the jokester of the group, always flirty and fun. He is an alpha male tattoo artist who provided the comic relief. However we now learn that his outward demeanor is hiding old wounds from a tragic event that happened when he was a teenager. Jay is totally different in this book - no more joking Jay. He is serious and vulnerable. Very vulnerable. There is alpha male ugly crying again like in [b:Chasing Rhodes|27193308|Chasing Rhodes (Rock Falls, #1)|Anne Jolin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1444810337s/27193308.jpg|42265223] (but for different reasons obviously). I'm still not sure how I feel about weepy alpha males - they make me uncomfortable.

So there were quite a few purple passages in this one that took me out of the story, which is what caused the disconnect that I mentioned above. For example, this is our alpha male speaking to his intended in a conversation:

I refuse to live my life buried under the weight of mediocrity. I refuse to be adequately unremarkable in a world rich with awe-inspiring possibilities. I will take advantage of every breath and every moment I steal from the sun and borrow from the stars. The day I met you was the day the stillness in my heart shook, the hope in my chest waking, and with time, you've breathed love back into my soul.

While I don't always mind purple prose, these types of passages threw me out of the alpha male tattoo artist world. I just don't think people talk like this and, while it may be poetic and pretty, it seemed out of place in this type of book. I know it works for some people, but it didn't work for me in this instance. The series had a few of these purple passages in the last book, [b:Breaking Bennett|27193423|Breaking Bennett (Rock Falls, #3)|Anne Jolin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1444810485s/27193423.jpg|42582161], but I was able to overlook them easier because I loved the hero so much. In this one, Jay did not grab me as strongly so I didn't have that laser focus and was looking around a bit.

I still love the series and am happy to have found this author. I am also looking forward to reading the next installment, Saving Steele, next year. There is a bit of a cliffhanger for Jackson's character at the end of this book and I am really excited to see where that is going.

3.5 stars / 4 flames.… (plus d'informations)