Blog Tour & Book Review: Dirty, Reckless Love by Lexi Ryan

Dirty, Reckless Love

by Lexi Ryan 
Series: The Boys of Jackson Harbor #3
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 14th, 2018 

 

Synopsis:

I’m in love with a man who tried to kill me. At least that’s what they tell me . . .

Six weeks ago, paramedics found me unconscious in my own home. Beaten. Bruised. Hardly breathing. When I woke up, I couldn’t remember the last three years or anything about my life in Jackson Harbor. They tell me my fiancé, Colton McKinley, is on the run for what he did to me. They tell me I’m safer if I stay away.

I don’t care if my memories ever come back. I want nothing to do with those missing years . . . until a sexy stranger with angry eyes shows up on my doorstep and demands I stop ignoring him.

Levi Jackson is my fiancé’s best friend, but seeing him sparks something inside me. As the truth unravels in my mind, I know they’re wrong about Colton. My own secrets are far more dangerous than the man I was engaged to.

I return to Jackson Harbor to search for answers and find myself running from a faceless boogeyman and seeking refuge in Levi’s arms. And in his bed.

I can’t deny my feelings for Levi. But as the pile of lies between us grows, I realize that sometimes the truth can’t set us free. It may be the very thing that could destroy us.

Buy now:

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2MrKbyR
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Excerpt:

The man searches my face. “That’s why you won’t come home. You’re afraid of Colton.”

“I don’t want anything to do with that life.”

He exhales heavily and rolls his shoulders back, as if he’s trying to shake off a ghost. “That’s not fair to the rest of us. To everyone who loves you, everyone who was sick with worry when they put you into that coma. Not. Fucking. Fair.”

I shrug. “Maybe losing a child and almost dying has made me a little selfish.”

His gaze drifts down to my stomach, and I cover it with my hand without thinking. “I’m sorry about the baby.”

I nod, tears springing to my eyes. “Me too.” So sorry.

“I understand if you want to live here now, but don’t cut us out. We all lost something that night.”

“Did you?”

He narrows his eyes. “You think I didn’t care? That this was all some game to me, and losing you was nothing?”

I wrap my arms around my chest, as if the pressure might weaken this force pulling me toward him by the solar plexus, this inexplicable need to be closer and let him wrap me in his arms. “Losing me? When was I ever yours to lose?”

He jerks his gaze away from me, slides off his stool, and downs the rest of his beer. “Thanks. I guess that clears up where we stand after everything.”

I open my mouth to apologize but swallow the words and meet his steady gaze.

Then he backs away and grabs his bags off the bar. He pulls an envelope from his pocket and hands it to me. “I was going to leave this for you with the barista next door, but I guess I can save myself the trouble.”

“What is it?” I ask, staring at the crisp black calligraphy that reads Ellie Courdrey.

“An invitation to Ava and Jake’s wedding. Despite what you seem to think of me, I’m not fucking my future sister-in-law.”

“Their wedding?”

He nods. “They thought about canceling after everything, but . . .” He stares at me for a long beat. “They decided to put love first.”

That feels like a jab. At me? At them? I don’t know. “I don’t want to go back there.”

“Maybe it’s not always about what you want.” He shrugs as if it’s no different to him either way, but I can tell by the tension in his shoulders that it matters a lot.

He steps forward—too close—and I let him, closing my eyes at his scent. Then a flash.

He’s over me. The weight of him presses into my hips, his calloused hands holding my face, his fingers in my hair. “You’re sure?”

I nod. Slide my hands down his back and lift my hips. “Yes. Please.”

He searches my eyes. “No regrets.”

I hold on to the memory of this man, wanting to examine it, to figure out what it means, but I’m too distracted by his closeness in this moment. He’s big. Strong. Warm.

He lowers his mouth to my ear. “I never stopped loving you. Even when you told me to. Even when you chose him.” And then he walks away.

About the author:

Lexi Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of emotional romance that sizzles. Lexi is the 2018 winner of the Romance Writers of America® RITA® award for Best Long Contemporary Romance. She considers herself the luckiest girl around to make a living through storytelling. She loves spending time with her crazy kids, weightlifting, ice cream, swoony heroes, and vodka martinis.
Lexi lives in Indiana with her husband, two children, and a spoiled dog. You can find her at her website: www.lexiryan.com

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 My review:

I liked this book a lot and it was hard to put down most of the time. I especially loved how it started because it pulled me right in, but Ellie was anything else than the woman introduced at first (though who could blame her with all that happened).

The story jumped from the past to the present (before and after the incident) every few chapters and told parts of the past every time when Ellie remembered them. After a while I could have done with a few less chapters but was captured again when the story picked up its pace.

The characters have been already introduced in the previous book where a huge secret was discovered. Obviously this caused a lot of trouble along the road in this story as well.

The Story:

Ellie barely survived an attack that's being said was done by her fiancé. Without memory of what happened to her and by whom, without evidence found and with her fiancé missing, there's no telling who attacked her and why.

But Ellie lost more than just her memory and life after her attack turned into a whirlwind of emotions and discoveries when a certain sexy stranger sparks more than just unknown feelings in her.

Thoughts:

I was torn about my feelings for Colton the entire time. It was like a rollercoaster. I disliked him at first but loved him after, then I got annoyed and later really pissed at him. At the end I couldn't help but feel sorry though. But yeah, he wasn't the hero in this story.

Levi was introduced as the bad boy, too bad for Ellie, though I never saw anything bad about him and wished we got more of his dark side. Especially because I was looking forward to see him in action on a motorbike since he was first introduced in the previous books but sadly there was nothing.

I love the boys of Jackson Harbor but as amazing as the first book was, I couldn't help but miss seeing more of the family and their togetherness in this story.

I liked Levi but the romance came too short in this book. It was mostly about Ellie and what happened to her, which was still very interesting and capturing. Closer to the end there was even some suspense but you won't find deep emotions or lots of love in this book (in case you need those in your HEA).

It was partly even very tense and I can honestly say that some things took me by surprise. Especially the ending! Who would have seen that coming? I could have never guessed, no matter my assumption, on what happened or rather why it happened to Ellie. Hat's off to the author for keeping me guessing till the end.

I wasn't in love with the characters but it was a great book nonetheless. It revealed some new secrets and confirmed some of my suspicions and now I can't wait for the next one.

Although each book is about a different couple, it's recommended to read them in order because especially from the second book on, the story of the secondary or coming characters continuous throughout the series and you wouldn't want to miss the details leading to the next drama.

-- I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book given by Social Butterfly PR. --

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
View review on goodreads