Blog Tour and Giveaway: Conflagration: Tessa Teevan
Conflagration (The Wellingtons #2)
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Branson Wellington? The name, my name, is usually followed by arrogant prick or self-serving bastard, and I can't say I haven't earned those titles. It's true. I'm not the good guy. I'm not the boy next door. I'm definitely not your Prince fucking Charming. Not even close.
And I never wanted to be. Until her. The day I pulled her from the wreckage was the day that my life changed.
Who would have thought that one little lie had the power to throw two lives off course?
Love has never been in the cards for me, but now that she’s here, I have no idea how I’m ever going to let her go. Even if I don’t deserve her.
Because like I said, I’m a self-serving bastard and some things never change.
As the
blackness starts to fade away, I see that white light, but it doesn’t really
look like that tunnel. No, it’s just a scene change, and if I could muster up
enough strength, I’d groan because there are things in my life I’d rather not
relive. It’s bad enough that I have the memories and have been dealing with the
fallout for far too long. Reliving it all over again is more agonizing than the
first time around, because now, I know the truth. I betrayed my brother in the
worst possible way when he’d done nothing wrong, but by the time I found out,
it was far too late.
So why am I having these flashbacks playing in slow motion? I
thought when you were on death's door, your life was supposed to flash before
your eyes. So why am I replaying every single mistake I've ever made as if it
were the first time—in slow motion instead of quick bursts? Maybe my life did
flash before my eyes and it happened so fast that I missed it. Maybe I’m dead
after all and this? This is my hell.
Tessa Teevan has managed to take a character that was an antagonist and turn him into a lovable hero. This is Branson Wellington's story and I loved it!"I'm no savior, baby. I usually destroy everything around me."
Ariana Covington is taking a stand and changing her life. She no longer wants to follow the path that was set for her and is going to start living her life for herself. But while on the road towards her independence, she hits a big detour.
Branson Wellington does not think he is a hero, but he is to Ari. He risked himself to save her and they both ended up needing time to recover. While Branson is dealing with ghosts of his past and reliving all of his mistakes, Ari needs to find a way to stay close to him and help him. But her way of accomplishing that is a bit unconventional and surprises everyone and leads to a lot of interesting dynamics.
"You're bossy, and I'm stubborn...This sure as hell is going to be interesting, isn't it?"
Branson has been the perceived selfish asshole, the misunderstood one, and the one left out. We come to see more of why he made choices he did and what he really felt about them. I really felt for what he went through and how off course he got. Sometimes he just got caught up in jealousy, anger, and hurt and it caused him to make bad or impulsive decisions. But underneath it all, he was not a bad guy.
Ari lived by the rules set by her parents and fiance. They wanted the perfect Stepford daughter and trophy wife. but she began to understand that she wanted and deserved more and had to escape.
These two slightly lost and damaged souls changed each others' lives when their pasts crossed. They were a catalyst to change and took turns trying to save each other and encouraging the other to believe in themself. I loved their flirty rapport and banter. But really liked how Are brought out the sweeter, softer, more relaxed side of of Branson. Sure he might be a bit bossy and liked control, but he was also caring, passionate, funny and even a bit needy at times. He helped her be the woman she wanted to be and explore new things. They brought out the best in each other.
She's a breath of fresh air in the wasteland that's been my latest existence, and for some reason, there's something about her that makes me feel like I can finally make my way out of this darkness that's descended over me this past year.
They started out in intense circumstances, began an unconventional arrangement, and did things backwards, but it worked for them. They developed an intimacy and true connection. But they also were not sure about whether they were just a temporary distraction or if either of them had it in them to make it more permanent. And eventually they had to also face the real world versus the little happy bubble they had isolated themselves in.
I fell so hard for Branson. I loved getting into his head and understanding his motivations, his regrets, and his fears. And I enjoyed seeing his flirty, fun, playful side even though he maintained his bossy edge. He was a perfect mix of a possessive strong alpha who also wanted to be needed and feel taken care of. But he had been conditioned by fear and the manipulation of his past for so long that he had no idea what he really wanted or needed, what he was capable of and what he deserved.
She'e everything I don't think that I deserve, but I'm selfish enough to want her anyway...My edges may be frayed, and I may be flawed, but I think I could be the piece that completes her puzzle, too.
"You're nothing like I expected, you know. You're so much more."
I loved watching Ari try to show him that he was more and deserved more. While he showed her that she was wonderful just how she was without putting on a facade or needing to be something she was not. She needed to stand on her own two feet but Branson also wanted to prove to her that he could stand beside her while she did so. They were hot, witty, and totally sweet together. It was so fun to see the real Branson when he felt comfortable in his own skin and felt accepted by those around him.
They both still have past issues and toxic people who affect them. And they both have fears and trust issues, not only trusting each other but also their own judgment.
Will these two be able to give full disclosure and trust, or will their pasts come back to take it all away?
The one had a bit of everything. It started with suspense and action, then had humor, sexual tension, steam, romance, camraderie, drama, and heartbreak. I was totally invested in Branson and Ari and their growth individually and as a couple. And I waited in tense anticipation of obstacles that I figured were going to be thrown in their way. But it was not a dark or negative feeling story. It was actually very fun, feisty, romantic, and sweet for much of it, but did have some emotional situations, drama, and challenges thrown in. I loved seeing the change in the Wellington family dynamics and his relationship with Knox and Cohen. It is so great to see the brothers taunting each other for fun and acting like brothers versus enemies now. And their mom has their number too. The family has really lightened up over the course of this series.
"True, but that's the beauty of being the oldest. Both you and Cohen will always be my kid brothers. And I love you a**holes."(Branson)
"I love you sh*theads too."(Knox)
"So I"m an a**hole and a sh*thead, but I'm supposed to be feeling the love?"...Fine, I love you f**king pricks. both of you."(Cohen)
"It's a wonder the three of you found such patient women." (Mrs. Wellington)
I sighed. I swooned. I laughed. I got frustrated. I got mad. I even teared up. But I completely enjoyed Branson and Ari's story. And I loved getting more in the progression of Knox(swoon!) and Charlie from Incinerate as well as Cohen and Andi from Combust. I love this family. I love these characters. The epilogue left me smiling and I can't wait for more. I am hoping we see more of cousin Shane Wellington and figure out what is up with Ari's sister Alyssa.
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.
When Ariana Covington runs away from her life in Atlanta the night before her wedding, she plans to take some time to find herself. But a car accident in Tennessee, and a dangerous rescue by Branson Wellington changes everything about her plans. And as it turns out, that accident scene isn’t the first time she and Branson had met either.
Suddenly Ari finds herself pretending to be engaged to Branson rather than learning about herself and who she wants to be. Branson is rebuilding the relationships he ruined and trying to feel a part of his family again. The look in his mother’s eyes when she learns about his “fiancee” is something he doesn’t want to ruin.
But as their pretend engagement turns more real, will the pasts that both Branson and Ari are running from come back to destroy the happiness they are building?
All Branson’s massive jerk moves from Incinerate are explained from his own point of view, and though I wanted to hold on to the animosity developed, he had already started to redeem himself in Inflame (Explosive #3) and Combust (Wellingtons #1). And finally, his story is cleared up. All the misunderstanding, protective moves, overprotective moves, and regrets. Everything is explained and in some cases justified, no matter how outlandish his thought process may have been in the moment.
But just because he explains and redeems his past moments, doesn’t mean the jerk side of him is gone completely. Because he is as much the jerk as he is the protective big brother and future CEO, and just because we begin to understand the why behind his past actions doesn’t mean he still doesn’t make jerk moves. It’s just a part of him.
As much as Ari handled her problems by running from them, she was the perfect match for Branson. I loved the influence she played in his life, even when he didn’t fully remember their meeting. And as we learn about her, I loved her even more.
I read this with one eye on the future events I could predict, and those I couldn’t fathom that I knew would pop up. But sets of events were perfect. There were glimpses of influence from Branson’s family that I loved. And though Ari’s family was less than supportive, I knew that particular brand of parental involvement would come back to play a part of the peak conflict.
This was such a sweet, easy story to read. I love the Wellington family and am so glad we get these continued glimpses at Knox, Charlie, Cohen and Andi, as well as the boys’ mother, Amelia.
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Wellingtons series
(a spin off of the Explosive series)
Explosive series
Tessa Teevan Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
I'm a twenty something book junkie who is also obsessed with sports. Bengals, Buckeyes, Reds are my teams! I work for the government during the day, hang out with Air National Guard on the weekends, and have been married to my own book boyfriend for over seven years. We currently live right outside of Dayton, OH with our two cats.
If I’m not writing or looking through tons of photos of hot men, all in the name of research, then you can probably find me curled up with my Kindle, ignoring the rest of the world. I love my sports almost as much as I love my books. My other obsessions include red wine, hot men, country music, and all things Grace Potter.
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