Summary
Rocco Caldo is tall, dark, and handsome, but not interested in love. Loyal to a fault, he can’t turn away an old friend in need or a beautiful woman on the run…especially when they have unfinished business.
Rebel Bishop is a single mom, looking for shelter, not a handout. But when her path crosses with an old flame, they uncover an ember of passion that’s been smoldering inside them both for over a decade.
Can they move beyond their tragic pasts, allowing the flame to burn bright into their future?
Excerpt
There’s nothing peaceful about dying.
Not for the person taking their last breath.
Not for the person there as witness.
Not for the people left behind.
And yet, the world doesn’t stop moving for a single second to mourn their passing. There’s no universal pause for the life that’s been extinguished. One minute, they are alive, and the next, they’re gone.
I had a romanticized version of dying before that day. I never thought it was as brutal as the reality.
I was naïve, stupid, and young.
It was my youth that made me delusional, but that day…that very moment Carrie took her last breath, I was left with the reality that those whom I loved would die someday, along with myself.
I’d forever be haunted by the sounds of the life being choked out of her. Eternally traumatized by the way she pleaded for my help with nothing except her eyes.
I was powerless to save her. Unable to do anything except comfort her. I made a promise to myself after her body finally stilled.
I’ll never allow myself to fall in love, opening my heart to someone so wide that they have the ability to destroy me from the inside out.
There was no guarantee of growing old, even though my family had seemed blessed with years well beyond the norm.
I knew every second that passed was another moment I was closer to the end. That simple fact stayed rooted in my mind for years.
I’d live life to the fullest, never tying myself down to something that could destroy me. I’d enjoy every moment, savoring new experiences. I’d lose myself in the opposite sex, forgoing emotional relationships and indulging in carnal pleasures instead.
At least, that was my goal, and I had every intention of keeping the promise I’d made to myself.
But then, she happened…
The one who had the power to destroy me if given half a chance.
The only person who made me believe the wonders of loving someone could outweigh the pain of losing them.
The one who changed everything.
And for the first time, the one I couldn’t walk away from.
Review
(audiobook) Reading a new author is always a journey. Even with known tropes and genres, you never know what to expect. This was my first book by this author, and though it wasn’t perfect, I quite liked it.
Often authors shy away from anything explicit–unless it’s a sexy scene. Nothing like that here. The beginning of the story, which happens in the past, is absolutely gut-wrenching and gory. It’s especially crushing as the car accident follows some sexy time. It’s also the origin of all Rebel’s and Rocco’s problems and bad decisions.
We meet them again ten years later. Rocco has sworn off love, and Rebel is running away from an abusive relationship with her young daughter. Rocco offers them to stay with him to protect them when it becomes clear that Rebel’s ex will come for her. That’s the gist of the suspense part of the story. It was mostly an afterthought for most of the book though.
The focus is on the romance and how they slowly build a relationship. Family is also important–Rocco’s is big and welcoming, while Rebel has only known rejection for hers. Rebel’s is now reduced to her daughter, so Rocco’s relationship with Adaline is another strong element in the story. There’s past lust and, according to both of them, past feelings, but they’ve had a life after their short fling, hence they need to build something new, learn about each other. But their past is a solid foundation, so the seduction and flirting is limited.
I didn’t feel the BDSM element in Rocco’s life was really necessary, but I did like the character anyway. He’s protective, and shows a cute side when he’s with Adaline. He’s also a family man, and we see a lot of his relationship with his parents and his twin brother. I don’t know how to feel about Rebel though. Her life choices made little sense, and the way she reacts after some of Rocco’s actions seemed a bit over the top.
The narration did add something to the story. The female narrator had the proper spunk for Rebel, and the male narrator was adequatly alpha. The characters’ emotions, both from the main couple and all the side characters, were brought to life, and it made for an enjoyable audiobook.
Quickie
- Series: Men of inked: Heatwave #7 (can be read as a standalone)
- Hashtags: #romantic suspense #forced cohabitation #second chance romance #single mom #twins
- Triggers: graphic car accident with death, mention of domestic abuse, violence, light BDSM
- Main couple: Rebel Bishop & Rocco Caldo
- Hotness: 5/5
- Romance: 3/5
- + Rocco’s interactions with Rebel’s daughter were adorable
- – I didn’t feel like the BDSM part added anything to the story
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