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Blurb

INSTANT ATTRACTION IS A POWERFUL THING.

Six months of dancing around each other led to one explosive night and two weeks without a word.

Only then did I learn the truth:
The man I’d wanted since he walked into Sailor’s Grave Tattoo Parlor was actually an undercover cop.

And the worst part is, I don’t even know his real name.

BUT WHAT IF ATTRACTION ISN’T ENOUGH

For over eight months I held back.
Except for that one night when I couldn’t fight it anymore.
I’d wanted her from the beginning, but I should have kept waiting until my secrets weren’t between us

Now, I have the ultimate challenge before me:
Convince the inked goddess of a receptionist to at least let me keep her safe, even if she won’t give me another chance.

 

 

 

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Review

3.5 stars

The second book in the Sailor’s Grave series, and we are back in the MC-run tattoo studio, Sailor’s Grave, this time for receptionist/office manager, Jess’s story. And though this book is #2 in the series, and this series follows on from another series (Savage Disciples), this book can be read as a standalone.

Jess is a bold, confident girl who has had a difficult life but who has fought hard to get where she is, and she’s confident in who she is and her alternative-ish style. For the last few months she has been sharing lusty glances with a customer who comes into the studio for two-weekly appointments, and who also just happens to be her neighbour. She made her move only to get shot down, and she’s all kinds of worked up about it until the object of her fantasies comes knocking at her door. They have one sizzling encounter, only for him to disappear the next day, and it’s two weeks later when she learns that her mystery man is actually an undercover cop who had to leave as part of his mission, and that she has no idea who he really is.

Braden was completely swept off his feet by Jess. She is exactly the kind of woman that he wants, and she pushes all his buttons in the right way, but he held himself back from starting anything until he could come to her openly and with everything. Their one time together never should have happened, but he can’t regret that it did, and now he just has to bide his time until he can get back to her.

She wasn’t the only one who grabbed life by the balls. I knew what I wanted when I saw it, and I’d never fucked around in going after it. There wasn’t one doubt in my mind from the start that I’d wanted her.
But what could I do with my identify being a secret that stood between us?

It’s months later when Braden returns, and it’s right when Jess becomes the target of a violent stalker. He has a challenge in front of him to get Jess to give him another chance, but that’s not going to stop him from keeping her safe in the meantime.

Braden is such a great hero! He is a total alpha, he knows what he wants, and he is committed to winning his girl. His absolute devotion to Jess is beautiful to see, and I loved how he held nothing back from her as he fought so hard for her.

“I know what I’m getting into. I know what I want. And that’s you, Jess.

And when his hard work pays off and we get a passionate, intense romance that is all kinds of hot!

“You really are a goddess.”
… “Does that mean you’re at my command?”
… “Not a chance. I’ll worship you, but you’ll get that how I want to give it.”

But there are still barriers between them, with Jess’s fears holding her back. They have issues to work through if they’re going to find their HEA, but with Braden going all out, it’s really gorgeous to watch.

“I’m tired of being afraid,”…
I kept moving toward her. “You don’t have to be. Why the hell should I scare you?”
“I might care about you.”
“Well, I’m already there. So who has the upper hand here?”

It’s a great story with a really interesting set-up, and I enjoyed these two together, but my big issue with this book is that we’re dropped into the story after all of the build-up has happened, and we didn’t get to watch it happen and enjoy the development of feelings. We meet them when they’re both already feeling it, and apart from a quick flashback glimpse (which is more sexual than emotional), we miss out on their first steamy encounter as well. And I think missing all of that stopped me from feeling this love story as much as I wanted to. Yes, there’s chemistry that they are clearly feeling, but I wasn’t feeling it with them, which was disappointing when the first book in this series made me feel so much! But it does build well, and though Jess got a bit annoying at times, Braden more than made up for it with his awesomeness.

The mystery/suspense part of the storyline is predictable, but it plays out well, and it adds a nice dimension to everything that is happening between Braden and Jess.

I enjoyed this one – not as much as I was hoping – but still a good read. And I’m really intrigued for Parker’s book up next.

3.5 stars.

Advanced Review Copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

 

Sailor’s Grave

 

 

 

 

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About the Author

Drew Elyse spends her days trying to convince the world that she is, in fact, a Disney Princess, and her nights writing tear-jerking and sexy romance novels.

When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found analyzing every line of a book, binge watching shows on Netflix, doing strange vocal warm ups before singing in a variety of musical styles, or screaming at the TV during Chicago Blackhawks games.

A graduate of Loyola University Chicago, she still lives outside Chicago, IL, where she was born and raised, with her boyfriend and her fur babies Lola and Duncan.

 

 

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