Blog Tour: Dirty, Reckless Love: Lexi Ryan
Dirty, Reckless Love(The Boys of Jackson Harbor #3)
Lexi Ryan
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Release Date August 14, 2018
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 apartment. 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. Sometimes, it’s the very thing that can destroy us.
This installment is about Ellie and Colton and Levi and even Molly. These characters lives really got all twisted up together. There are secrets, lies, omissions, danger, mystery, and suspense affecting them all.
Ellie wakes up in a hospital room after being attacked. Her fiance' Colton is missing and so is her memory from the last three years in Jackson Harbor. So she is anxious, lost, fearful, and has no idea what her life really has been like. She does not remember her friends or her fiance' or the other man that seems to care for her or who might have hurt her.
Levi Jackson is Colton's best friend. These guys shared a questionable past and were both adrenaline junkies and motocross racers. And Levi has loved Colton's girl from the first time he met her.
But now it is all a mystery to Ellie and the story is revealed to us gradually. There are so many questions about what happened that night she was hurt and where Colton is. And Ellie is realizing that there might have been more with her and Levi than just friendship. So she also has questions about her feelings for two men and why things ended up the way they did at the time. So Ellie and the readers are getting answers at the same time.
I will admit that even though the book was organized well into Now, Before, and After sections, I sometimes got confused or felt jarred in and out of the story. There was a lot going on in the past and present to keep straight and to wonder about. But having it in chunks was still easier than if it was organized with a chapter in past followed by one in the present. With so many mysteries and layers it is a difficult thing for a writer and reader.
All of the characters were complex, flawed, and with hidden depths. They all had made some poor choices and had done things they were not proud of. I really liked Levi. His alpha protectiveness along with his tenderness and vulnerability about her made me love him. I ran hot and cold with Colton. He was a man with many issues and some weaknesses. He had some good moments, but some questionable ones too.
I actually had kind of a hard time with Ellie. I felt like she sometimes used Levi without taking into consideration his feelings. I got that she was torn by her feelings and loyalty to Colton. And sure I felt bad for her due to circumstances present and past. But I was not fond of her indecisiveness and how she sometimes did not communicate well or kept the guys hanging. With that being said, there is no real physical cheating in this book if you base it on circumstances and time lines.
I was Team Levi from the beginning. But I did worry about Colton too. The cameos from this series and other series were fun. I like this Jackson Harbor group and how close and supportive they are. It seems like stories are brewing for Brayden, Molly, and maybe even Shay for upcoming books. This one had more of a romantic suspense and mystery component along with the love story that made me keep turning pages to get to the resolution. And I have to say there were some twists I did not guess.
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Ellie doesn’t remember the last three years. After being found unconscious and beaten on the floor of her apartment she has a fight ahead of her even without the memories. She just wants to put those forgotten years behind her and move on, but a stranger from her past shows up and won’t let her forget.
Levi regretted that he fell for his best friend’s girlfriend, but with Colton missing, he doesn’t want Ellie to be alone. The problem is she doesn’t remember him, or anything about the life she had in Jackson Harbor. Convincing her to come back to the friends who love her may be just what she needs to jog her memory and find answers about who hurt her and why.
This was a great mix of suspense and romance as Ellie and Levi try to bring her memories back. They both have secrets, even if Ellie doesn’t remember hers, and the regrets from past choices leave little room for mistakes now. Levi loves Ellie, but his guilt over loving his friend’s girl keeps him from moving forward for a long time.
I loved Levi from the beginning. From the very first scene when they first meet, to his reaction at seeing her again after her accident, to the way he wants to protect her as the unknown threats loom, he was always a great man. I felt a little bad rooting for him when Colton seemed to be an ok choice too, but Levi always just felt *more* right.
Returning to Jackson Harbor only cements how intertwined these characters lives’ are. The way their stories intersect and twist only adds to the drama and suspense in each installment. I love the way this family rallies around each other even when they aren’t sure who to believe or what the truth really is.
Levi regretted that he fell for his best friend’s girlfriend, but with Colton missing, he doesn’t want Ellie to be alone. The problem is she doesn’t remember him, or anything about the life she had in Jackson Harbor. Convincing her to come back to the friends who love her may be just what she needs to jog her memory and find answers about who hurt her and why.
This was a great mix of suspense and romance as Ellie and Levi try to bring her memories back. They both have secrets, even if Ellie doesn’t remember hers, and the regrets from past choices leave little room for mistakes now. Levi loves Ellie, but his guilt over loving his friend’s girl keeps him from moving forward for a long time.
I loved Levi from the beginning. From the very first scene when they first meet, to his reaction at seeing her again after her accident, to the way he wants to protect her as the unknown threats loom, he was always a great man. I felt a little bad rooting for him when Colton seemed to be an ok choice too, but Levi always just felt *more* right.
Returning to Jackson Harbor only cements how intertwined these characters lives’ are. The way their stories intersect and twist only adds to the drama and suspense in each installment. I love the way this family rallies around each other even when they aren’t sure who to believe or what the truth really is.
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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.
The Wrong Kind Of Love (The Boys of Jackson Harbor #1)
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From New York Times bestseller Lexi Ryan comes a sexy new romance novel about a runaway bride, a single dad who’s sworn off love, and the kind of family secrets that can threaten to break even the deepest bonds.
You never forget your wedding day. Or the moment your twin sister pukes on your bouquet and confesses she’s pregnant . . . with your fiancé’s baby.
I wanted to get away, to hide until my heart mended. I found myself in a strange town with a mysterious stranger whose talented mouth and hands almost made me forget it was supposed to be my wedding night.
Afraid to go home to face my broken life, I pretend to be my twin so I can take her job in Jackson Harbor caring for a six-year-old girl. Imagine my surprise when I find out my new boss is my mysterious stranger—Dr. Ethan Jackson.
I never meant for Ethan to discover my secrets. I never meant for them to matter. But the longer I work with him and his sweet daughter, the harder I fall, and the clearer it becomes that I’m not the only one carrying a secret that could tear us apart.
Get ready to fall for the boys of Jackson Harbor in Lexi Ryan’s sexy new contemporary romance series. These books can all be read as standalones, but you’ll enjoy reading them as a series!
Straight Up Love (The Boys of Jackson Harbor #2)
Lexi Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of emotional romance that sizzles. A former academic and English professor, Lexi 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
Straight Up Love (The Boys of Jackson Harbor #2)
Our 4 star reviews
From New York Times bestselling author Lexi Ryan comes a sexy new standalone romance about a woman who’d do anything to have a baby and the man who’d do anything to have her…
For my 30th birthday, I’m giving myself the one thing I want most: a baby. Sure, this would be easier if I had a husband—or even a boyfriend—but I refuse to be thwarted by minor details.
When I drunkenly confess my plans to my friends, they convince me to ask Jake Jackson for help. Jake, the best friend who’s been there for me through thick and thin. Jake, who also happens to be smart, funny, ridiculously good looking, and the winner of all the genetic lotteries.
So when Jake takes me up on my request—with the stipulation that we get the job done the old-fashioned way—I’d be a fool to decline.
The only problem? I don’t know if I can separate sex from all the things I feel for this amazing man. If I can’t keep my heart under lock and key, I risk losing the relationship I need the most.
Jake has his own reasons for granting my baby wish. But when I discover his secrets, it could mean the end of us. I have to choose—run or stay and fight for love.
Fall for the boys of Jackson Harbor in Lexi Ryan’s sexy new contemporary romance series. These books can all be read as standalones, but you’ll enjoy reading them as a series!
Upcoming:
Wrapped in Love (December 4, 2018)
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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