Tag: Second Chance series

Guest Review: Return of the Bad Boy by Jessica Lemmon

Posted April 28, 2016 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: Return of the Bad Boy by Jessica LemmonReviewer: Tracy
Return of the Bady Boy by Jessica Lemmon
Series: Second Chance series #4
Also in this series: Rescuing the Bad Boy, A Bad Boy for Christmas
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: April 26th 2016
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

He's a mess...

Asher Knight has three constants in his life: music, beautiful women, and a bottle of Jack. He lives for the next gig, the next city, and dreams only of a life spent in front of an arena full of screaming fans. But Asher's nomad ways come to a sudden stop when he learns he's the father of a three-year-old from a past relationship and suddenly this rock star bad boy is forced to put down roots.

Only she can clean up

Gloria Shields is no one's fool. Sure, the sexual chemistry between her and Asher has always been intense, but she'd never risk giving her heart to a man who has a perfect record for breaking them. Except the man desperate to make things right with his newfound son is nothing like the rock god she's guarded her heart against for years. And it isn't long before she starts to wonder if life with this bad boy might be the best thing that's ever happened to her.

Asher Knight and Gloria Shields have a client/agent relationship but they also, at one time, had a personal relationship.  That didn’t last long when Gloria found one of Asher’s groupie’s at his place one night.  After that Asher found out that said groupie (who he did not sleep with that night but had slept with before he got together with Gloria) had been keeping a secret from him.  He’s a father.  He now has his band, his children’s story book writing and his son, Hawk, in his life.  Even though he has all of that, he still wants Gloria in his life.  He knows that she’s the one for him.

Gloria had a crappy childhood and tends to keep to herself.  She doesn’t trust people to stick around so it’s difficult to try and let people in – friends, boyfriends, whatever.  She really cares for Asher but she doesn’t trust him not to hurt her again.  He says he wants her back and he’s making all of the right moves but Gloria’s still hesitant.  She had bad examples as parents so she doesn’t think that she can help with Hawk in any way and she’s just not sure she can handle everything that Asher is offering.

This was a sweet story.  It’s definitely a premise that has been used before but I thought Lemmon did a good job with it.  She really made the reader think about Gloria’s life and situation and when we were done we just knew that she should be together with Asher

The characters from the previous three books in the series were heavily involved in this story as well and I really liked that.  Not only did we see them interacting with Gloria and Asher but we also got caught up on what was going on in their lives.  It was pretty cool.

In the blurb for this book it says that “he’s a mess…only she can clean up.”  Quite frankly I thought it was the other way around.  She was the one that was a mess!  Asher had taken a lot of time to get his shit together and worked especially hard after he found out about Hawk.  Gloria, while she had the business side of her life figured out, she was a mess on the personal front.  She held out a little long for my liking (when it came to giving in with Asher) but in the end I felt it was done well and I was happy with the HEA.  Overall a good romance to read.

Rating: 4 out of 5

four-stars

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Guest Review: A Bad Boy for Christmas by Jessica Lemmon

Posted October 14, 2015 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: A Bad Boy for Christmas by Jessica LemmonReviewer: Tracy
A Bad Boy for ChristmasSeries: Second Chance series #3
Also in this series: Rescuing the Bad Boy, Return of the Bady Boy

Publication Date: September 29, 2015
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four-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

 

Connor McClain knows what he wants. And after four harrowing years in Afghanistan, that’s a quiet life in the lakeside town of Evergreen Cove. But coming home has land mines of its own-the most dangerous of them being long-legged bombshell Faith Garrett. Now getting her into his arms this holiday is going to require more than mistletoe . . .

With a cheating ex behind her, all Faith wants is a relaxing holiday free from man drama. And even though every moment with gorgeous Connor is a sweet temptation, Faith is determined not to give in. But Jack Frost has other plans, and soon Faith and Connor are snowbound in a winter wonderland with only the sparks flying between them to keep them warm. As one hot kiss leads to another, they’ll have to decide if they’re ready to give each other the best gift of all-love.

Tracy’s review of A Bad Boy for Christmas (Second Chance #3) by Jessica Lemmon

Faith Garrett was with her boyfriend then fiancé Michael for three years when she caught him cheating on her. She kind of folded in on herself for a while but now she’s out of her mom’s house and ready to be independent. Unfortunately it’s hard to be independent when she has Connor McClain hanging out on her couch because of an intruder that keeps trying to break in. Once that issue is solved Faith expects Connor to move along but he doesn’t. Kisses turn to more and while Faith tries to push him away, Connor is persistent and soon they are a couple. Faith has her doubts about Connor, however, and his reasoning behind his feelings for her. She’s not about to be duped by a man again.

Connor is a man who knows what he wants and goes after it. His personality is that of a caretaker and his protective side comes flaring forward when Faith has her break-in issues. He’s wanted her for a while but the more he gets to know Faith the more he likes her. He starts to fall in love but he’ll have to get by Faith’s fears before he can go forward.

This is the third book in this series and it might be my favorite. It’s hard to tell as all three of them have been really good. With this one, however, I found myself just falling completely in love with Faith and Connor as a couple.

Faith had her issues with men, and that was understandable considering her past experience. She was a great woman and I liked how she handled herself for the most part. She did let her fears lead her astray for a bit but she finally screwed her head on straight and figured out what she wanted.

Connor was an amazing. He might be my new book boyfriend as I loved him so much. He was kind and giving, protective yet caring and above all…hotter than sin. His personality really shined through in this book and I was happy that even though he had some past issues he didn’t let them get in the way of his future happiness. He was mature enough to realize that Faith wasn’t like anyone else and he couldn’t live his life stuck in the past. He was a good man and made me smile throughout most of the book.

ABBfC was a fun, sexy story and one I definitely recommend.

Rating: 4/4.5 out of 5

This title is available from Forever Publishing. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

four-half-stars

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Guest Review: Rescuing the Bad Boy by Jessica Lemmon

Posted June 11, 2015 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: Rescuing the Bad Boy by Jessica LemmonReviewer: Tracy
Rescuing the Bad Boy by Jessica Lemmon
Series: Second Chance series #2
Also in this series: A Bad Boy for Christmas, Return of the Bady Boy
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: May 26th 2015
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Not All Scars Heal
For Donovan Pate, the lake town of Evergreen Cove is a minefield of tough memories-including the day he had to let go of Sofie Martin. Years later he still can't forget the taste of her lips and the feel of her killer curves. He knows he's too damaged, that he should stay away for her own good. But what the head says and the heart wants are two very different things . . .

Seven years ago, Donovan broke Sofie's heart. Now her career depends on playing nice in order to pull off the charity fund-raiser of the decade. She vows to keep things professional . . . yet working by his side every day doesn't make it easy to fight temptation, and it isn't long before she finds herself falling for this bad boy all over again. But loving Donovan means helping him face his past-so they can fight for a future together.

Tracy’s review of Rescuing the Bad Boy (Second Chance #2) by Jessica Lemmon

Donovan Pate grew up in a mansion but just because his family had money didn’t mean he led a charmed life –  the exact opposite in fact. His father was incredibly abusive and his grandmother just ignored everything that was happening in the home.

Now Donovan is back, having inherited the mansion from his now deceased grandmother. He left Evergreen Cove seven years earlier and he doesn’t plan on staying. He wants to clean out the house so that he can sell it to his friend who will then open a B & B. Seeing Sofie Martin wasn’t in his plans. He’s not sure how he would feel after he left her so abruptly after taking her virginity seven years earlier. Their paths cross immediately, however, and the softness and warmth that he remembers from Sofie starts to pull him in again.

Sofie never expected to see Donovan again and she’s not sure how to act around him after what happened in their earlier lives. She does know that he’s still as sexy as hell and he seems to have become a better person. They end up reigniting their passion for each other but Donovan has no plans to stay in Evergreen Cove. Where will this leave Sofie?

Rescuing the Bad Boy was a great follow up to the first novel in this series, Bringing Home the Bad Boy. I loved the whole set up of the novel and the history that Donovan and Sofie had together that added that extra bit of tension.

Donovan rightfully hated the place he’d grown up. He can’t fathom wanting to stay there any longer than he has to but then when he starts making new memories in the house he starts to see things in a different way. Granted it takes him time to pull his head out of his ass but the I loved reading about the journey between the two. I can’t say that I loved Donovan’s nickname for Sofie. When they had worked at a restaurant together when they were younger they had had a incident with shrimp scampi. He started calling her Scampi and it stuck. I get that it was fun and all but the over-usage of the nickname got on my last nerve by the end of the book. There were times I needed him to use her real name as the situation was serious but it didn’t happen. I realize that he did this to try to keep her at arms length for his own reasons but I still found it really annoying.

Sofie was a great character – strong, loyal, loving, intelligent – she really had it all. I thought she was a wonderful match for Donovan and I appreciated her honesty with him.

I also really liked the Charity that Sofie was working with. Donovan house was being used for a Charity dinner and the contract was iron proof and signed before his mother died. The charity was Open Arms who provided emergency shelter and foster care for abused children. I thought the involvement of the charity, knowing Donovan’s past, was a wonderful addition to the story.

Overall I found RtBB to be a great story that had a fantastic blend of sweet and sexy. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5

This title is available from Forever Publishing. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

four-stars

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Guest Review: Bringing Home the Bad Boy by Jessica Lemmon

Posted January 16, 2015 by Tracy in Reviews | 1 Comment

Guest Review: Bringing Home the Bad Boy by Jessica LemmonReviewer: Tracy
Bringing Home the Bad Boy by Jessica Lemmon
Series: Second Chance #2
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: January 27th 2015
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Evan Downey needs a new beginning. Since the death of his wife five years ago, the brilliant tattoo artist has shut himself away in a prison of grief that not even his work can break him out of-and what's worse, Evan knows his son Lyon is bearing the brunt of his seclusion. Moving back to the lake town of Evergreen Cove where he spent his childhood summers is his last chance for a fresh start.

Charlotte Harris knows she owes it to her best friend's memory to help Evan and his son find their way again, but she can't stop her traitorous heart from skipping a beat every time she looks into Evan's mesmerizing eyes. Charlotte is determined to stay strictly in the Friend Zone-until a mind-blowing night knocks that plan by the wayside. Now, if they're brave enough to let it, Charlotte and Evan might just find a love capable of healing their broken hearts . . .

Tracy’s review of Bringing Home the Bad Boy (Second Chance #1) by Jessica Lemmon

Evan and his young son, Lyon, are moving to Evergreen Cove, a place that he spent most of his summers growing up. He needs to get out of the house that he lived in with his wife, Rae, as he sees her death every time he walks down the hall – as that’s where she died in his arms.

Charlie was Rae’s best friend. She had a crush on Evan when she was younger but Evan only had eyes for Rae. Now they’re friends. Charlie and her ex-boyfriend once hung out with Evan and Rae as couples and the pair get along fine.

When Evan sees a beautiful woman in a bikini laying out of the dock at the lake he’s anxious to go get to know her further. He’s shocked when he finds out that it’s Charlie but realizes that that instance provided him a view of Charlie he’d never had before. He starts trying to get closer to her but as much as Charlie longs for Evan and she loves Lyon to death, she can’t get over the feeling that she’s betraying Rae by starting something with her husband.

This was a really great story. I loved the ins and outs of Charlie and Evan’s relationship even though I thought at times that Charlie was fighting it all too hard. I still understood what she was going through as I feel that I would have some of the same issues as she did if I were in her shoes.

Evan was…hot. Everything about him was gorgeous. He was beautiful from head to toe and inside and out. He loved his wife dearly and would have liked nothing more than to have her alive and well but he knew that would never happen. He was also not blind to the fact that he and his wife didn’t have a perfect relationship. They had their issues and even though people tend to remember only the good about someone once they’ve died he wasn’t blind to their problems. He had survived 5 years without his wife and he was ready to start living again. He was still haunted by his own demons but for the most part he was a pretty great guy all the way around. I loved him and his son together and the fact that he didn’t let things slide with Lyon’s upbringing as he so easily could have – just from guilt alone.

Charlie took a little longer for me to warm up to. I thought she was overly dramatic at times but as I said, I understood where she was coming from. I would have liked to have seen her stand up to her ex (who was a complete douche) when he confronted her. He was such an ass and I wanted her to be strong in his presence. Unfortunately that didn’t happen but it would have been great to see. 🙂

While it had its issues I found the book to be an overall good one. I’m looking forward to see what happens next with the secondary characters we met in this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5

This title is available from Forever Publishing. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

four-stars

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