As a fan of Ms. Crownover's, and the delicious heroes she crafts, I always celebrate a new release of hers and am thrilled to have you join in the celebration. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Riveted by Jay Crownover, and its angsty tale of opposites attracting, then get my impressions of this book. In honor of this third installment in the Saints of Denver series make sure to fill out the form for the chance to win a $50 Amazon GC too!
Everyone else in Dixie Carmichael’s life has made falling in love look easy, and now she is ready for her own chance at some of that happily ever after. Which means she’s done pining for the moody, silent former soldier who works with her at the bar that’s become her home away from home. Nope. No more chasing the hot as heck thundercloud of a man and no more waiting for Mr. Right to find her; she’s going hunting for him...even if she knows her heart is stuck on its stupid infatuation with Dash Churchill.
Denver has always been just a pit stop for Church on his way back to rural Mississippi. It was supposed to be simple, uneventful, but nothing could have prepared him for the bubbly, bouncy redhead with doe eyes and endless curves. Now he knows it’s time to get out of Denver, fast. For a man used to living in the shadows, the idea of spending his days in the sun is nothing short of terrifying.
When Dixie and Church find themselves caught up in a homecoming overshadowed with lies and danger, Dixie realizes that while falling in love is easy, loving takes a whole lot more work…especially when Mr. Right thinks he’s all wrong for you.
Denver has always been just a pit stop for Church on his way back to rural Mississippi. It was supposed to be simple, uneventful, but nothing could have prepared him for the bubbly, bouncy redhead with doe eyes and endless curves. Now he knows it’s time to get out of Denver, fast. For a man used to living in the shadows, the idea of spending his days in the sun is nothing short of terrifying.
When Dixie and Church find themselves caught up in a homecoming overshadowed with lies and danger, Dixie realizes that while falling in love is easy, loving takes a whole lot more work…especially when Mr. Right thinks he’s all wrong for you.
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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
Throughout her various books Ms. Crownover has crafted a wide variety of delicious heroes who are imperfect yet unforgettable. With Dash Churchill she has crafted another hero who's complex, conflicted, and utterly drool-worthy. He's also broken and lonely, letting his fears rule him. When he's paired with the perky, kind hearted, and positive Dixie Carmichael the sparks will fly as friends slowly become lovers in a sweet and sensual romance that had me rooting for her sunny disposition to bring light to his darkness.
Growing up Dash experienced numerous losses. With each death of a loved one, after opening his heart to them, it had him hardening his heart to any future relationships. Staying in his home town became too full of painful memories which eventually had him running straight towards a career in the military and years of him living a lie. With his military career over he's floundering and hiding out in Denver, drawn to the bubbly Dixie but desperate to stay just friends as he doesn't want to taint her cheerful disposition. When an accident occurs he's called back home dragging Dixie with him to act as a buffer and give credence to the lies he's been telling those he left behind. Their journey south soon puts them in close quarters and has him unable to keep ignoring the feelings he's been fighting. As he starts opening his heart, telling her of his fears, they grow closer physically too in erotically-charged interludes that flare when you least expect them to. When danger starts rearing its ugly head, putting Dixie in the crosshairs, Dash will have to decide if he's going to run again or stay and fight for their future. Dash is in a dark and lonely place at the start of the story, a sexy yet wounded warrior inside and out. He's told so many lies about why he hasn't gone home though that he's afraid to deal with the truth. With those issues weighing on his heart he also has his attraction to Dixie to deal with. Dixie represents truth, loyalty, and unconditional support which scares him as much as it draws him to her. He's drawn to her light, desperate to keep her safe from any harm, especially the kind he could bring her. Her belief in him, her unconditional support, ultimately has him seeing himself in a whole new light though and as his heart lightens it's clear he's ready to fight towards their hard-won HEA.
Dixie's family has a romantic history and it has her longing for her own HEA despite the numerous bad dates she's had. For so long she's worried over other's happiness but she's now ready to find her own. The person to finally capture her attention though is a man determined to be alone, but she's just as determined to have him re-join the land of living. Her friendship soon has him opening his heart to her which leads to a deeper connection that reaches scorching levels. With her by his side she pushes him to reunite with his family, always showing him the positive side of dealing with his past and his resultant pain. She's a strong and unconditional support to him and their encounters soon see a weight lifting off him. The moment she brought out his first smile I actually cheered. Through everything Dixie's a delightful heroine, strong-willed and comfortable in her own skin. She's devoted to family, and those she calls friend, and she was always there to help when they came running. She deserved her own happiness though for all the sacrifices she made and it's what had me rooting for her and Dash every step of the way.
This was an emotionally intense story courtesy of the pain Dash was carrying. His darkness called to me early on and had me aching for all that he'd lost but happy that Dixie entered his life as it was a lone bright spot in a lot of darkness. Their friends to lovers connection was full of sexual tension that slowly brought out a sweet and sexy side to him that endeared him to me. Going home gave readers a taste of small-town living with its colorful residents, racial stereotypes, and everyone knowing other's business. It's a charming picture, as I enjoyed Dash's loving yet guilt-inducing family, but a frustrating one when it comes to his and his brother's being biracial. Another frustrating aspect of the story involved the mystery of who's trying to harm Dixie. It seemed to come out of nowhere and, while the villain was well-hidden, the reveal felt silly with the resulting fall-out feeling melodramatic. Despite this rather rocky conclusion I still enjoyed the journey these two took to HEA as it beautifully balanced heartfelt feelings and scorching encounters. Along with these compelling main characters came an enticing cast of secondary characters who have me excited for the future. I'm especially drawn to Dixie's sexy friend Wheeler and her quiet and frightened neighbor, Poppy. Their interactions are equally combustible as she fights to get out of her shell while he tries to recover from a betrayal and a broken heart. Ms. Crownover has crafted yet another winner that takes readers out of the gritty neighborhoods she usually depicts to bring us to Mayberry where a wounded warrior finally finds healing.
Growing up Dash experienced numerous losses. With each death of a loved one, after opening his heart to them, it had him hardening his heart to any future relationships. Staying in his home town became too full of painful memories which eventually had him running straight towards a career in the military and years of him living a lie. With his military career over he's floundering and hiding out in Denver, drawn to the bubbly Dixie but desperate to stay just friends as he doesn't want to taint her cheerful disposition. When an accident occurs he's called back home dragging Dixie with him to act as a buffer and give credence to the lies he's been telling those he left behind. Their journey south soon puts them in close quarters and has him unable to keep ignoring the feelings he's been fighting. As he starts opening his heart, telling her of his fears, they grow closer physically too in erotically-charged interludes that flare when you least expect them to. When danger starts rearing its ugly head, putting Dixie in the crosshairs, Dash will have to decide if he's going to run again or stay and fight for their future. Dash is in a dark and lonely place at the start of the story, a sexy yet wounded warrior inside and out. He's told so many lies about why he hasn't gone home though that he's afraid to deal with the truth. With those issues weighing on his heart he also has his attraction to Dixie to deal with. Dixie represents truth, loyalty, and unconditional support which scares him as much as it draws him to her. He's drawn to her light, desperate to keep her safe from any harm, especially the kind he could bring her. Her belief in him, her unconditional support, ultimately has him seeing himself in a whole new light though and as his heart lightens it's clear he's ready to fight towards their hard-won HEA.
Dixie's family has a romantic history and it has her longing for her own HEA despite the numerous bad dates she's had. For so long she's worried over other's happiness but she's now ready to find her own. The person to finally capture her attention though is a man determined to be alone, but she's just as determined to have him re-join the land of living. Her friendship soon has him opening his heart to her which leads to a deeper connection that reaches scorching levels. With her by his side she pushes him to reunite with his family, always showing him the positive side of dealing with his past and his resultant pain. She's a strong and unconditional support to him and their encounters soon see a weight lifting off him. The moment she brought out his first smile I actually cheered. Through everything Dixie's a delightful heroine, strong-willed and comfortable in her own skin. She's devoted to family, and those she calls friend, and she was always there to help when they came running. She deserved her own happiness though for all the sacrifices she made and it's what had me rooting for her and Dash every step of the way.
This was an emotionally intense story courtesy of the pain Dash was carrying. His darkness called to me early on and had me aching for all that he'd lost but happy that Dixie entered his life as it was a lone bright spot in a lot of darkness. Their friends to lovers connection was full of sexual tension that slowly brought out a sweet and sexy side to him that endeared him to me. Going home gave readers a taste of small-town living with its colorful residents, racial stereotypes, and everyone knowing other's business. It's a charming picture, as I enjoyed Dash's loving yet guilt-inducing family, but a frustrating one when it comes to his and his brother's being biracial. Another frustrating aspect of the story involved the mystery of who's trying to harm Dixie. It seemed to come out of nowhere and, while the villain was well-hidden, the reveal felt silly with the resulting fall-out feeling melodramatic. Despite this rather rocky conclusion I still enjoyed the journey these two took to HEA as it beautifully balanced heartfelt feelings and scorching encounters. Along with these compelling main characters came an enticing cast of secondary characters who have me excited for the future. I'm especially drawn to Dixie's sexy friend Wheeler and her quiet and frightened neighbor, Poppy. Their interactions are equally combustible as she fights to get out of her shell while he tries to recover from a betrayal and a broken heart. Ms. Crownover has crafted yet another winner that takes readers out of the gritty neighborhoods she usually depicts to bring us to Mayberry where a wounded warrior finally finds healing.
My rating for this is a B+
*I got this book from Edelweiss for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men, The Point, and the Saints of Denver series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.
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ReplyDeleteWell mom of course! It's the one place where I'm truly 100% taken care of you know?
ReplyDelete"Home" is wherever my hubs & girls are. It is where I am completely free to be me, demons & all.
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