Published By: Berkley
Released : Available Now
Details : Paperback from library, 306 Pages
RATING : 4 COPE, ANDREW, ANDY STARS!
Blurb : Goodreads
Ella Tipton is a survivor. In the wake of an attack that nearly left her dead, she has spent each day putting her life back together. Once vibrant and outgoing, she's needed to reclaim the best parts of who she was while retaining the hard-won lessons. There hasn't been room for any romantic entanglements, even if she were ready. Still, it doesn't mean she has to stop sneaking looks at Mister Tall, Dark and Tattooed himself.
Security professional Andrew Copeland isn't quite sure when his jones for the lovely and decidely skittish Ella developed. He's known her for years, has watched her triumph over the pain she's been dealt. Cope is no stranger to women, but he knows the nervous flush he gets every time he talks to Ella is different from any attraction he's had in the past. Determined to get Ella to let him in, Cope does the one thing he can think of to get close: he offers her hands-on training in self-defense.
While Ella's sure Cope is just being nice, the prospect of being able to touch him and and gain the tools to push away the last vestiges of her fear is more than she can resist. Soon enough, Cope shows Ella his feelings are far more than friendly, and he reignites something deep inside her. It isn't long before desire and love turn them both inside out.
BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:
I am on a bit of a Lauren Dane reading binge at the moment. I am popping up with reviews from a couple of her series. My library is very accommodating and I can borrow from several of her series.
The thing with Lauren’s writing I am beginning to see a pattern with her style. She loves Alpha men.
Don’t we all.
She loves damaged characters who can tend to have either awesome parents, or troublesome parents.
Whether it is the chick or the lad, one of them will have an ex or somebody that has hurt them in more than one way.
A lot of authors have a recipe for contemporary romance and it often involves abused characters. I understand why. The tension, heart ache , the putting back the pieces.
Andrew Copeland is a guy I have always loved in the Brown Siblings series. I was very excited to read about his story with Ella.
Cope always came across as a bit mischievous in Laid Bare and Coming Undone. We knew he was a bit of a lad with the ladies , but we always knew he was close to his family. I didn’t take him seriously, but I wanted to know more.
Ella has been physically and mentally abused, almost killed by her ex. Cope has known her a long time. He has liked her, a long time. Ella has liked Cope from a distance. She knew he liked the ladies and had his fair share, but what we learn in this installment is, there is another side to Andrew Copeland.
I am on a bit of a Lauren Dane reading binge at the moment. I am popping up with reviews from a couple of her series. My library is very accommodating and I can borrow from several of her series.
The thing with Lauren’s writing I am beginning to see a pattern with her style. She loves Alpha men.
Don’t we all.
She loves damaged characters who can tend to have either awesome parents, or troublesome parents.
Whether it is the chick or the lad, one of them will have an ex or somebody that has hurt them in more than one way.
A lot of authors have a recipe for contemporary romance and it often involves abused characters. I understand why. The tension, heart ache , the putting back the pieces.
Andrew Copeland is a guy I have always loved in the Brown Siblings series. I was very excited to read about his story with Ella.
Cope always came across as a bit mischievous in Laid Bare and Coming Undone. We knew he was a bit of a lad with the ladies , but we always knew he was close to his family. I didn’t take him seriously, but I wanted to know more.
Ella has been physically and mentally abused, almost killed by her ex. Cope has known her a long time. He has liked her, a long time. Ella has liked Cope from a distance. She knew he liked the ladies and had his fair share, but what we learn in this installment is, there is another side to Andrew Copeland.
There is Andy, Cope and Andrew.
The boy knows his poetry, he is an artist and a damn fine carpenter, he has a romantic side to him. Something that his friends don’t know.
He stood, slightly dusty, slightly sweaty and a whole lot work-rumpled as he ran his hands over the wood like a lover. A high casement window shafted pale sunlight over him, tinted just orange because the winter sun was setting. Dust motes danced around him, his hair gleaming.
But that wasn’t all.
He wore a pair of pale denim jeans, worn thin in the right places, nearly snow white against his thighs and at the bottom of his zipper. The hole on his thigh showed hard , olive skin, as the muscles moved while he did. His arms and chest were showcased to their advantage in the faded, thin cotton of the T-shirt.
He was a carpenter fantasy wet dream straight out of a dirty letter to a skin mag.
Rawrrrrr.
Ella sees Andrew for who he really is.
This I loved.
The only reason I am not rating this book higher is because I find Lauren gets so serious with all the friends being friends and the conversation can be, well, serious.
I know there are serious issues going on in this book. I may not be explaining myself well, but there is a lot of conversation that can be repeated with other characters.
I loved watching Andrew being this creative, artistic man. He lets his man-whore walls down and blossoms into somebody you want to wake up next to, over and over. You want to hear him recite poetry, you want to go to your mailbox.
I think the best book in this series for me is Laid Bare. Lauren really set the bar for the Brown Siblings series with how erotic and emotional her writing was in the first book.
I think for me personally, the pace slows down with each book from then on. I don’t mean to say it is about the erotic writing/ smexi, I mean the books get serious. Again, not sure if I am explaining myself well.
I love that these lads and gals are all so there in the moment for each other. They are a magnificent group.
One for all and all for one.
That is a precious thing to have and not to make light of.
I think what I am trying to say is the conversations are lengthy, opposed to dialogue and can be repeated further on.
I love that these lads can talk the man shiz with each other. Nobody alienates anyone among themselves. They are all so darn understanding of each other and each other’s needs. It truly is a wonderful thing. Other’s may not be so understanding, but this group are of each other.
The thing is I keep coming back for more. It’s the characters. The guys. The girls. I want to see these lads each get their HEA. That was cemented for me in Laid Bare when I was introduced to all these lads and even Raven.
The boy knows his poetry, he is an artist and a damn fine carpenter, he has a romantic side to him. Something that his friends don’t know.
He stood, slightly dusty, slightly sweaty and a whole lot work-rumpled as he ran his hands over the wood like a lover. A high casement window shafted pale sunlight over him, tinted just orange because the winter sun was setting. Dust motes danced around him, his hair gleaming.
But that wasn’t all.
He wore a pair of pale denim jeans, worn thin in the right places, nearly snow white against his thighs and at the bottom of his zipper. The hole on his thigh showed hard , olive skin, as the muscles moved while he did. His arms and chest were showcased to their advantage in the faded, thin cotton of the T-shirt.
He was a carpenter fantasy wet dream straight out of a dirty letter to a skin mag.
Rawrrrrr.
Ella sees Andrew for who he really is.
This I loved.
The only reason I am not rating this book higher is because I find Lauren gets so serious with all the friends being friends and the conversation can be, well, serious.
I know there are serious issues going on in this book. I may not be explaining myself well, but there is a lot of conversation that can be repeated with other characters.
I loved watching Andrew being this creative, artistic man. He lets his man-whore walls down and blossoms into somebody you want to wake up next to, over and over. You want to hear him recite poetry, you want to go to your mailbox.
I think the best book in this series for me is Laid Bare. Lauren really set the bar for the Brown Siblings series with how erotic and emotional her writing was in the first book.
I think for me personally, the pace slows down with each book from then on. I don’t mean to say it is about the erotic writing/ smexi, I mean the books get serious. Again, not sure if I am explaining myself well.
I love that these lads and gals are all so there in the moment for each other. They are a magnificent group.
One for all and all for one.
That is a precious thing to have and not to make light of.
I think what I am trying to say is the conversations are lengthy, opposed to dialogue and can be repeated further on.
I love that these lads can talk the man shiz with each other. Nobody alienates anyone among themselves. They are all so darn understanding of each other and each other’s needs. It truly is a wonderful thing. Other’s may not be so understanding, but this group are of each other.
The thing is I keep coming back for more. It’s the characters. The guys. The girls. I want to see these lads each get their HEA. That was cemented for me in Laid Bare when I was introduced to all these lads and even Raven.
What I did like about having a character like Raven is she is tight with this group but she knows how to ruffle feathers. She brings something different.
I love Lauren keeps weaving Ben, Todd and Erin’s story into the background, sometimes foreground of each book. That is a complicated relationship for many reasons, but I love those three. Through mainly Ben’s character we see how difficult it is for him and his father to cope with Ben’s relationship. It isn’t a conventional relationship but it is a relationship with love. More love than a lot of conventional relationships. It works for them. Sure there are paperwork speed humps along the way, but they are just speed humps.
I must admit because there is Ella and Elise and Erin, sometimes my brain, mainly because I read so much, has to get which chick is with which lad straight in my brain sometimes while reading as they all start with E, lol! I love that Adrian’s book, Never Enough has a chick called Gillian in it J
I love Lauren keeps weaving Ben, Todd and Erin’s story into the background, sometimes foreground of each book. That is a complicated relationship for many reasons, but I love those three. Through mainly Ben’s character we see how difficult it is for him and his father to cope with Ben’s relationship. It isn’t a conventional relationship but it is a relationship with love. More love than a lot of conventional relationships. It works for them. Sure there are paperwork speed humps along the way, but they are just speed humps.
I must admit because there is Ella and Elise and Erin, sometimes my brain, mainly because I read so much, has to get which chick is with which lad straight in my brain sometimes while reading as they all start with E, lol! I love that Adrian’s book, Never Enough has a chick called Gillian in it J
I am eager to read Adrian’s HEA and find out more about the gang as their lives together move forward.
Michelle
