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Review
“The Reeds take people in like they’re family. Anyone. The only requirement is that you have a pulse. And if you don’t have a heart, they’ll give you theirs.”
Oh how I love these boys!!!
A bunch of hot, tattooed ex-man-whores, they have the biggest hearts, and amidst their constant teasing and ribbing, they have an unwavering love for each other, and would do anything for those that they care about. And the way they love their women is nothing short of sensational – strong, sexy and confident, they treasure their girls, and they are very firmly family-focussed. I have so enjoyed watching each of the boys fall in love, and now it’s Sam’s turn.
Sam wanted Peck the moment he laid eyes on her earlier in the series. She is the drummer in the band Fallen From Zero (featuring her and her sisters), and they are starting to have some success. But Peck has had a hard life and is somewhat closed off because of it, so even though she is attracted to Sam, she has tried to ignore her feelings for him. This book picks up right where Beautiful Bride finishes off (so make sure you read these books – and the novellas – in order), and the events from the end of that book force Peck to finally face up to how she feels. Then Sam drops a bomb on her.
He squeezes my hand. “I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you, cupcake,” he says. “I just wish you could love me back.”
Peck’s insecurities continue to get in the way, until her nasty past resurfaces and Sam offers her an escape and she moves in with him under the pretence of ‘protection’. What it actually is, is the perfect opportunity for Sam to finally get Peck to himself and to force her to stop running from him.
I freakin’ love Sam. He’s gorgeously sweet, and of course he’s infinitely sexy, and the way he is with Peck is adorable! He trusts his heart completely, and he never gives up on her. And he’s so open about how he feels about her, and he is unapologetically and charmingly honest with his flirting and dirty talk.
“I’m having really inappropriate thoughts about you right now,” I blurt out. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. When I open them, she’s grinning.
“What kind of inappropriate thoughts?”
“The kind where you’re completely naked.”
“And what are you wearing?”
… “You.”
Sam’s love of curvy women is common knowledge, and Peck is pretty much perfect for him. She has some body issues, but he loves her shape, and his blatant worship of her body combined with his utter confusion about what she thinks is wrong with it is absolutely gorgeous.
“She’s worried about a pudgy spot? Seriously? I live for pudge. Bring it on.”
Peck is terrified of being hurt, so keeps herself guarded – for a little while at least. But no woman can resist a Reed brother set in seduction mode!
“You can try out my piercing after you fall in love with me, okay?”
“What?”
“I kind of need for you to love me, Peck.” He’s quiet but fierce. “You’re not in love with me yet, are you?”
“Um…” I don’t know how to answer him.
“It’s okay. Don’t rush it. I can wait.”
See! He’s perfect! And yep, he even has a piercing! And he also apparently has mad skills in the sack – must be a family trait 😉
The progression of Sam and Peck’s relationship is gorgeous, although once they finally got themselves sorted out, I was surprised at the speed with which things progressed. I also wasn’t happy with the added drama at the end. I thought it was a little unrealistic…
…and it felt like it was written in just for the sake of adding drama. But it’s resolved well (although a little overly-dramatic for my tastes) and the ending is, of course, a happy one (with epilogue), but again, parts of it felt a little rushed for me. But let’s face it, it’s a Reed Brothers book, so even though there were things about it that weren’t perfect, the rest of the book was pure awesome, and I still absolutely loved it!“Tell me what you want.”
“You,” I say. “Just you.”
“You got me,” he whispers against my lips.
The connection between the brothers is beautiful, and the way that they are unquestionably there for each other is reinforced multiple times throughout the story. And there is a scene at the end of this book that had me tearing up. I love them so much!
“So, you’re the last one to fall,” he says. He’s serious all of a sudden. “I never really worried about you. I worried more about Pete, because I knew you had more ability to love than any of the rest of us.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I don’t know,” he hedges. “You just wore your heart on your sleeve. You love, and you love well and true. That’s one of your strengths.”
And even though the boys have all now had their stories told, the series will continue with Peck’s four sisters, and then Seth will get his book – YES! I loved the inclusion of Peck’s Dad in the story, and am looking forward to seeing more of him. And if the glimpse we’ve gotten of the girls is anything to go by, their books are going to be fan-freaking-tastic!
“I don’t know.” I flop back on the bed with a groan. “What do I do?”
“Him,” Fin calls. “Do him. Then let him do you. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.”
Tammy Falkner has given us another wonderful story full of everything that I love about this series – her characters are fantastic and the dynamics between the individuals and the group as a whole is fantastic, and the banter and teasing, and the love and respect that they have for each other is something very special. I love these characters, I love these books, and I love this series! It’s definitely one that will be on the reread pile, and I look forward to continuing to catch up with them all again in the next books.
I loved it – 4 stars.
For full series info, see our Reed Brothers series page.