Readers who like tatted-up boys with a secret heart of gold will be drawn to the three brothers with pasts full of pain and the quirky girl who enters their lives. Keep reading to get a tantalizing taste of Hendrix by Chelsea Camaron and M.J. Fields, along with my impressions of it, and learn even more about this book by visiting the other blogs hosting this tour. In honor of this first release in the Caldwell Brothers series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a bundle of eBooks from Loveswept too!
Perfect for fans of J. S. Scott and Emma Chase, Hendrix introduces the wild and sexy Caldwell boys—three brothers who are living up to their legendary names in Detroit Rock City.
Hendrix Caldwell wants nothing more than to revitalize the family bar—and tear down every last reminder of his no-good father. But business isn’t the only thing on his mind. An explosive encounter with a stranger at a charity masquerade is just the distraction he craves, with no names and no strings attached. For Hendrix, sex is casual, and love is a four-letter word. His commitment is to his brothers, his bar, and his bike. So why can’t he stop thinking about the naughty Cinderella who rocked his world, then left him—and her panties—behind?
Olivia Hemmingway knows fairytales are for little girls. Drowning in debt and hiding a shameful secret, she won’t be saved by a knight in tattooed armor, no matter how mind-blowing their one-night stand may have been. Olivia never expects to meet her masked lover again. But when she takes a job at Hendrix Caldwell’s bar, her sexy new boss seems all too familiar. And once the lights go out and the music is turned up, the sparks between them burn hotter than ever.
EXCERPT:
I walk in the bar on a Friday morning after my run with Floyd along the riverside. We don’t open until noon, but I have to place stock orders for next week.
I start up the coffeepot in the kitchen, then walk out behind the bar. The place looks like hell. It better have been a busy fucking night.
The weekday barmaid, Lola, is getting lazy. I swear to fuck, she spends more time applying that glossy shit to her lips than she does doing the job she is paid for.
Work ethic is sorely lacking nowadays. Everyone wants something for fucking free. What happened to hard work, perseverance, dedication, and determination?
I watched my momma bust her ass for years. Even though I heard a million damn times, “This is my bar,” come out of my old man’s mouth, it was Momma who held those qualities—the ones it takes to run a business—not him.
Sighing, I wipe the sticky mess from last night off the nicked-up old oak bar. One of the four sinks under the bar hasn’t drained completely, so I reach down, pull out the lime wedges plugging it up, and throw them in the trash that I notice wasn’t taken out. The coolers aren’t stocked, the fruit trays are sitting in the melted ice under the soda tap, and I am ready to fucking explode.
When I walk around the bar and look down, I find the fucking floor isn’t swept or mopped, and there are full ashtrays on the pub tables. What’s more, I have at least an hour’s worth of paperwork and orders to place before I can even start the damn cleanup. Orders that have to be placed, or I won’t get a delivery on Monday when the bar is closed, and I will be fucked.
I decide the priority lies on getting the order in, so I head back behind the bar and walk up the steps between the kitchen and the back of the bar to my office.
I walk in, and there is old Lola, bare-assed, lying across my old man’s waist.
“Get the fuck up,” I yell.
She startles and jumps. “Oh, God. Oh, Hendrix—”
“Get the fuck out of my office. You, too, old man.”
“You watch your tone with me, boy.” He glowers at me as he sits up.
“I ain’t gotta watch shit, old man. What the fuck are you doing here? What the fuck are you doing with my employee?”
“I think it’s obvious what I’m doing here, son,” he slurs as he stands.
“Get your pathetic ass out of here.” I point to the door. “Lola, I’m sorry about this—”
“We love each other,” she says and starts crying.
“Is that so?” I force a laugh and shake my head as I look at my pop’s pitiful ass as he buttons up.
“Yes,” she answers and grabs his hand when it is free. “We’ve been in love for a year.”
I look at him, waiting for him to deny this “love.” Hell, as long as I’ve been alive, I have never heard him say that word, to Mom or any of us. The denial never comes, though.
“A year? So Mom was still alive?”
Still no answer, and at that moment, charity ceases to exist.
“Get your shit out of the apartment. And, Lola, you’re fired. You may wanna get yourself checked, too, old girl. His dick is a weapon.”
“How dare you? You can’t do that!” he yells at me.
“It’s done. Now get out.” I don’t yell, don’t fight. This is actually fucking perfect.
He had been under the protection of my mother for all my life and stayed that way through grief’s numbing aftereffects over the last year.
The first step in the grieving process is denial and isolation. My brothers and I hit denial from the word “terminal,” but with only a two-month warning of expiration, there wasn’t time to go hiding out. The next step in the grieving process is anger. I have been stuck on that one for a while now. There are even stages to this particular stage. I get pissed, and then I am numb. Then, before I know it, I’m right back to being pissed again.
Lola is wiping the smudged mascara off her face. I can hear my dad mutter to her, “Guess we were meant to be, you and me.” He puts his hand on her ass as he looks over his shoulder at me, giving me his glare. It is the same glare that once made my mother and us boys cower, but now holds no weight over me.
“It’ll last as long as she stays your meal ticket,” I respond back as Lola shakes her head and continues going about gathering their things.
I head down to get back to work. He has no control over this family any longer.
“Lost another one?” Jagger strolls in and laughs. His assumption is based off the obvious fucking mess of the bar he’s taking in.
“Maybe,” I answer noncommittally.
“Seriously, bro, you need to learn to play nice with others.”
“Look, unless you’re here to take on another night—step it up a bit—I don’t wanna hear shit.”
“I liked Lola,” he says as he sits down on the other side of the bar.
I hold my finger in front of my mouth, keeping him quiet, and point up. “You hear heels clicking up the wooden stairs into the apartment?”
When he looks at me like he has no clue, I raise my eyebrow and shake my head.
“No shit?” he asks when he catches on.
“Just found ’em in my fucking office. Told him a month ago, when I caught him skimming from the till, he was out. Not to step foot in my fucking place again, or he could pack his shit.”
He nods and then shakes his head. Then, his fists ball up as he takes a moment to look down.
“What are you gonna do?” he asks finally.
“He’s packing his shit.”
“You for real, man?” There is a mischievous look in his eyes, making my kid brother look kind of happy. Looks good on him. Ain’t seen it in a long damn while.
“As fucking real as terminal cancer.”
Some people wouldn’t find that the least bit amusing, but they aren’t Caldwells. If we aren’t able to find humor in our misfortunes, we would never laugh a day in our fucking lives.
I look up when the door opens to see my buddy Johnny, the cop. It isn’t unlike him to stop by on a chilly morning and grab a cup of coffee.
Jagger stands to greet him. “Got bail?” my brother asks me.
“You’re fucking joking, right?” I shake my head, then look at his knuckles, and nah, he isn’t joking.
“Jagger, you know I have to take you in.” Johnny is pissed. “You beat the shit out of your landlord.”
“His kid was crying. Heard her through the wall, opened the door, and she’s running down the hall. Fucker came out chasing her with a belt.”
“So you beat him to the ground?” Johnny asks, taking the cup of coffee I slide across the bar. “How about call 911? That’s my job, man. Now she’s so scared she’s not talking and won’t press charges—”
“What do you mean, ‘won’t press charges’!” Jagger’s vein is popping out of his neck. “She had switch marks across her goddamned neck, Johnny. She’s a fucking kid; she needs someone—”
“She’s seventeen. Can’t make her do shit, you hear me?” Johnny states, then points to the door. “Restraining order, so now you got nowhere to live, and when the judge asks where you work, what are you gonna say? ‘I smash people up in abandoned warehouses while others stand around and watch’? It’s fucking illegal.”
“Nah, man, I got a job.” Jagger chuckles. “I’m a motherfucking astronaut. Just got back from the moon last night. Shit looks good up there.”
“Last time, you told the judge you were a fucking OB-GYN apprentice, and that got you a week in county.”
Jagger smirks and looks to me. “Do I have a place to live?”
“Of course you do.” I lean against the bar and cross my arms over my chest.
“I work here, right?” Jagger winks.
“Yeah, man, you do. Call me after your photo shoot and fingerprints. I’ll be down to pick you up.”
With that, I watch them walk out. Only Jag can climb in the back of the squad car like he is getting in a damn taxi. Then, I see the old man and Lola the bar whore walk by with garbage bags from the side alley. They must have taken the back exit. Good riddance.
I feel a weight lift off my shoulders just before the guilt washes over me. I should have booted his ass years ago. Then, maybe Momma would have paid attention to the few symptoms she did have, cramping and shit. She wouldn’t have thought they were just everyday stresses of working too damn hard. The everyday stresses I knew damn well came from dealing with his sorry ass.
I wish I could go back so fucking bad.
You know what the third step to grief is? Bargaining. Right now, that is what I’m doing. If I only had done this . . . God, if I do this, will you make the loss less?
Yeah, that shit is what I’m doing right now. Does it bother me? Hell yes. But, I also embrace this new stage in life.
Bring. It. On.
FIND THIS BOOK AT GOODREADS here.
FIND THE CALDWELL BROTHERS SERIES AT GOODREADS here.
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
When it comes to romance novels it's all about the hero for me, and with Hendrix these two authors have crafted an amazing one! Hendrix might have come from a background of physical abuse with the idea of love foreign to him, but with his mother's guidance he's a sexy yet sweet man who goes out of his way to help those he cares about never expecting anything in return. He's charming with a talent for dirty talk and though he doesn't think himself capable of love and commitment it shines through for that one woman in his every word and deed. Surrounding him are two brothers battling their own personal demons but equally sweet and sexy with them a formidable trio always there for each other with playful banter and brotherly mocking which brought a smile to my face. Each brother had a unique personality, immensely appealing in their brashness with moments of vulnerability that kept me enthralled with them.
With Hendrix's feelings regarding love you knew it would take a strong-willed woman to win his heart. The authors though didn't go for the obvious in that Olivia is a woman full of quirks and insecurities, but with a big heart to fully embrace all of Hendrix's need to be the protector and become an important part of the group he calls family. Olivia came from a family of divorce which left her vulnerable to a betrayal by someone she called family and it's left her full of self-doubts. After years of letting the negativity hold her back she's finally remaking herself, embracing her own naughty side and stepping outside her comfort zone with the luscious Hendrix as her guide. Olivia's a delightful heroine who has an obsession with underwear with words of inspiration on them. Whenever she needs strength she calls on those words, along with music lyrics, and each time she does it brings a smile to my face. Olivia's a bit naive when it comes to sex, a bit unsure of herself because of her past, but it didn't hold her back when it came to Hendrix which made for some very hot scenes with bits of humor too. I enjoyed watching Olivia gain inner strength as the story progressed and admired her desire to stand on her own but accept help when it was given. Seeing her transformation was like seeing a butterfly emerge from its cocoon and with Hendrix there every step of the way it made for a heartwarming journey to HEA.
This was a story that moved quickly when it came to the relationship between Hendrix and Olivia. With his desire to take care of her though it made sense and showed how big of a heart he really has behind his brooding nature. The connection between them is sweet, scorching, and crackled with electricity as the sexual tension between them is off the charts. Though both of them have pasts they're trying to deal with there were very few roadblocks to their HEA. There were no big misunderstandings or outside forces that pulled them apart. Many issues were hinted at, characters that seemed villainous, that were either forgotten about or too quickly and easily wrapped up. In the romances I read I want my couples to have to work for their HEA and that didn't really happen here. Despite that small quibble I loved this couple and their sexy yet heartwarming connection. I enjoyed their playful banter that easily, and almost too often, segued into erotic sexual interludes. Surrounding this memorable couple were Hendrix's two sexy and supportive brothers Morrison and Jagger. They're both hurting from the past, with very different reactions to it, with Morrison becoming a player (with two women being his usual choice) and for Jagger it's his fists. They both hide behind a fun loving facade and I look forward to seeing their hidden pain released by finding the woman to ease it. From start to finish it's the characters who drive this story, their interactions charmed me and kept me fully immersed in the lives of the Caldwell brothers and I'm greatly anticipating the next installment!
With Hendrix's feelings regarding love you knew it would take a strong-willed woman to win his heart. The authors though didn't go for the obvious in that Olivia is a woman full of quirks and insecurities, but with a big heart to fully embrace all of Hendrix's need to be the protector and become an important part of the group he calls family. Olivia came from a family of divorce which left her vulnerable to a betrayal by someone she called family and it's left her full of self-doubts. After years of letting the negativity hold her back she's finally remaking herself, embracing her own naughty side and stepping outside her comfort zone with the luscious Hendrix as her guide. Olivia's a delightful heroine who has an obsession with underwear with words of inspiration on them. Whenever she needs strength she calls on those words, along with music lyrics, and each time she does it brings a smile to my face. Olivia's a bit naive when it comes to sex, a bit unsure of herself because of her past, but it didn't hold her back when it came to Hendrix which made for some very hot scenes with bits of humor too. I enjoyed watching Olivia gain inner strength as the story progressed and admired her desire to stand on her own but accept help when it was given. Seeing her transformation was like seeing a butterfly emerge from its cocoon and with Hendrix there every step of the way it made for a heartwarming journey to HEA.
This was a story that moved quickly when it came to the relationship between Hendrix and Olivia. With his desire to take care of her though it made sense and showed how big of a heart he really has behind his brooding nature. The connection between them is sweet, scorching, and crackled with electricity as the sexual tension between them is off the charts. Though both of them have pasts they're trying to deal with there were very few roadblocks to their HEA. There were no big misunderstandings or outside forces that pulled them apart. Many issues were hinted at, characters that seemed villainous, that were either forgotten about or too quickly and easily wrapped up. In the romances I read I want my couples to have to work for their HEA and that didn't really happen here. Despite that small quibble I loved this couple and their sexy yet heartwarming connection. I enjoyed their playful banter that easily, and almost too often, segued into erotic sexual interludes. Surrounding this memorable couple were Hendrix's two sexy and supportive brothers Morrison and Jagger. They're both hurting from the past, with very different reactions to it, with Morrison becoming a player (with two women being his usual choice) and for Jagger it's his fists. They both hide behind a fun loving facade and I look forward to seeing their hidden pain released by finding the woman to ease it. From start to finish it's the characters who drive this story, their interactions charmed me and kept me fully immersed in the lives of the Caldwell brothers and I'm greatly anticipating the next installment!
My rating for this is a B+
AUTHOR INFO:
USA Today bestselling author Chelsea Camaron grew up turning wrenches alongside her father, which just so happened to inspire her Love and Repair and The Hellions Ride series. When she’s not writing, you can find her playing with her kids, attending car shows, going on motorcycle rides on the back of her husband’s Harley, snuggling down with her new favorite book, or watching any movie that Vin Diesel might happen to be in. She lives in Louisiana with her husband and two children.
MJ Fields is the USA Today bestselling author of the Love series, the Wrapped series, the Burning Souls series, the Men of Steel series, and the Norfolk series. A former small-business owner who recently became a full-time writer, Fields lives in central New York, surrounded by family and friends. Her house is full of pets, friends, and noise ninety percent of the time, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
**********GIVEAWAY**********
Thank you so much for hosting HENDRIX!
ReplyDelete