Twenty-year-old
Reese Johnson can finally leave her troublesome past behind. She enters college
with her best friend, Gia, and spends her time doing what she loves—working as
a self-defense instructor at a local gym. Then Luke Ryann enters the picture.
He’s the tall, dark, and tattooed MMA fighter her boss hires to privately train
her. One minute, he captivates her with his piercing brown eyes and boyish
dimples. The next, he infuriates her with his relentless banter and cocky bad
boy behavior. He’s the last thing she wants or needs, and she never expects to
fall in love with him. Luke’s jaded past has him keeping a safe distance. Despite what he feels, some things are better left alone. He has a dangerous secret—one that has the potential to risk their lives. As he fights the attraction between them, can he resist the growing tension and protect the woman he’ll never be able to have?
Recommended for mature audiences due to situations of abuse, violence, strong language and sexual content.
Raising Ryann, the first book in the Bad Boy Reformed series, isn't just a story about first love. It's filled with action, suspense, mystery, and a touch of humor.
REVIEW
"I'm in love with you," he growls. "Can't you see that? I live and breathe you. I bleed you."
The best thing about this book is that it's easy. Easy to follow, easy to like, and easy to read. The only thing NOT easy about it is the ending. It was a cliffhanger. Nothing too detrimental happened so it was bearable.
The story itself follows Luke, a fighter. Yes, a fighter! I know you just did a *happy dance* when I told you that. Everyone loves a good fighter. The thing is...he's throwing in the towel. He's done fighting for now, so he heads back to the only place he could ever call home. He returns home and starts working at the same gym the girl he used to look out for works at. Reese was younger when they last saw each other, so he's pretty surprised when he comes home and finds a woman in place of the little girl he used to know. A woman that had a crush on him when he was younger. She is MORE than satisfied with what sees when he returns. He was prime time eye candy and she found him hard to resist. She's a known man-hater, but all that hating evaporates when it comes to Luke. They fight their pull for each other for awhile and play the friend game. We ALL know how the friend game works. Reese pulls the "lets make him jealous card" he falls for it like a stupid little mouse that goes after the cheese.
They both have less than ideal childhoods. Chapter one shines a little light on Reese's backstory, so I don't want to give anything away. After looking at the cover, I was expecting a super steamy read. It wasn't. Don't go into it with that impression. There's a healthy amount of sexual tension and a steamy scene at the end but that's all. I liked it and I thought that it was appropriate for the storyline. This is a intriguing new series. It's light and I'd definitely recommend it when you're looking for a quick read with characters that are very easy to love. Like I said before, this book is just plain easy!
My Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by:
AUTHOR
BIO:
I'm a mother
of three, wife of one and caregiver to two English Bulldogs. I spend most my
time taking care of my children or watching Sam & Dean Winchester, fight
off scary creatures on the WB. I'm also a big reader, and tend to prefer books that tug at my emotions. I'm a sucker for any love story that includes bad boys, alpha males, fighters, rockers, and tattoos. I also enjoy an angsty read, and am not a fan of the instalove type romance.
The first time I picked up a pen and started writing, I couldn't stop, which leads to the publishing of my first novel Raising Ryann, coming out August 2013.
I live in Phoenix Arizona with my husband, our three daughters, two English Bulldogs, two Holland Lops bunnies, a Beta fish.
PURCHASE
LINKS:
GIVEAWAY:
1st
Prize $25 Amazon GC
2nd
Prize $15 Amazon GC
Entered at Gutter Girls Book Reviews
ReplyDeleteThank you for the fabulous review!
ReplyDeleteAlyssa