Frenemies quickly become lovers in this exhilarating tale of finding love unexpectedly, second chances, and suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last. Keep reading to get a taste of Too Bad So Sad by Lani Lynn Vale, along with my impressions of this book, then add this fifth installment in the Simple Man series to your bookshelf!
Tyler Cree has never been good at the whole look and don’t touch thing.
From the moment he was old enough to walk on his own two feet, he’s been looking for trouble.
Trouble comes in many forms…quite a few of those forms being the female persuasion.
Tyler knows what girls want—a bad boy. And he has the bad boy image down pat.
Ex-military—check.
Hot cop—double check.
A bike between his legs and a devil may care attitude—oh, yeah.
All the girls want him, yet none of them will have him—at least not all of him, anyway. A certain appendage they can have all they want. His heart, however, is not up for grabs. The useless organ inside his chest was broken and battered, mutilated by the one woman he thought would keep it safe.
Spoiler alert: she ripped it to shreds and set fire to the pieces.
To protect himself, Tyler keeps everyone at arm’s length, and never lets anyone get too close.
Then Reagan Rose Alvarez barrels into his life, and trespasses on not only his property, but straight into his abused heart. One glance is all it takes, and he’s suddenly thinking about things he hasn’t thought for quite some time—thoughts that a man like him should never have about a woman like her.
One moment of weakness is all it takes, and suddenly he has no other choice but to go on the offensive.
Keeping her is the only other option now.
Turns out, his heart isn’t as broken as he thought it was.
The only problem is, now the little she-devil holds it in the palm of her hands, and she has no clue just how much power she holds.
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
From the moment I started this book I found myself captivated by the witty banter between the main couple, the unrelenting sizzle surrounding them whenever they’re together, and it kept me frantically turning the pages to soak up their delightful interactions. Add in glimpses of past characters and the story takes on a familial vibe as everyone comes together to save their town, and the spunky heroine, from a rich boy unaccustomed to not getting what he wants.
Tyler Cree’s a chick magnet, with his sexy looks and alpha tendencies, women can’t get enough of him. He may enjoy their bodies for a night, but his heart is strictly off limits courtesy of an ex girlfriend’s betrayal. Because of her, all women are now seen as the enemy and are not to be trusted. Not only did his ex leave his heart bruised, she took away his best friend Rome. Her machinations took away someone he could always count on and added to the closing off of his heart. Though he’s sworn off women beyond a single night he finds himself quickly caught off guard by the strong-willed Reagan whose fiery temperament tempts him beyond reason and has him thinking of her beyond one night. When her obsessed ex comes back to claim her, Tyler’s protective instincts roar to the surface and has him calling in every favor he can to get her back home by his side. Tyler’s a delicious hero, charming while arrogant at times. His words are sometimes hurtful but his actions show his kind heart and his steadfast love for those he claims as his. He’s a rule follower too, courtesy of a rough childhood where he was forced into becoming an adult far too soon, and it leads to a lot of push/pull between him and Reagan. Though Reagan’s impulsiveness frustrates him she’s just what he needs to truly feel alive. On his own life had become stale, but with her he’s living life to the fullest and is finally able to work through his past pain because of her intervention. They’re a wonderful couple ultimately and I enjoyed seeing him off kilter as it added intensity to an already scorching connection.
Reagan Alvarez is an immensely appealing heroine, one I’d love to hang out with in real life. She’s not always good with people, but she’ll never lie as she’s a tell-it-like-it-is person. She’s a bit brash, a bit impulsive, and it puts her right in the middle of danger a time or two. She’s extremely loyal to those few she claims as hers and does her best to fix wrongs done to others. Her and Tyler are a crackling couple as they started out as frenemies before becoming oh so much more. After a previous relationship went bad, with her dreams going up in smoke because of his jealousy, Reagan’s leery of forming a commitment to any man but Tyler’s too much of a temptation. Theirs was a relationship full of sexual tension, scorching encounters both in and out of the bedroom, as they’re both strong-willed and outspoken. It was delightful watching their playful yet erotically-charged interactions, watching their love bloom despite their fears, and everything came together in a rip-roaring romance. With this unforgettable heroine leading the way this book became one that I look forward to reading again and again!
As the fifth book in the Simple Man series there’s still plenty of excitement and romance to be found. With its engaging main couple, a larger-than-life pairing that I rooted for every step of the way, I found myself fully invested in this book. There was a beautiful balance of romance, with both sweet and sexy interludes, as well as heartfelt depictions of friendship that brought a tear to my eye. The pace set here is quick, heart-pounding at times, courtesy of small town corruption and a villain who’s truly bad. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough and found things wrapped up almost too quickly as I’d hoped to savor this story more. Along with an engaging main couple was a cast of equally appealing secondary characters who came together to save the day. These secondary characters were ones we’ve seen before and I enjoyed getting an update on their lives. I was especially drawn to Rome, and his sweet son who’s battling leukemia. Rome’s clearly suffering and I ached for the pain he’s going through and the loneliness he’s dealing with because of his son’s duplicitous mother. I look forward to his story being told next as he and his son endeared themselves to me and both desperately deserve a HEA. On a whole this was an exhilarating thrill ride full of delightful banter and scorching romance. It kept me on edge while pulling at my heartstrings a time or two and I highly recommend it to those looking for a captivating couple and a distinctive heroine.
Tyler Cree’s a chick magnet, with his sexy looks and alpha tendencies, women can’t get enough of him. He may enjoy their bodies for a night, but his heart is strictly off limits courtesy of an ex girlfriend’s betrayal. Because of her, all women are now seen as the enemy and are not to be trusted. Not only did his ex leave his heart bruised, she took away his best friend Rome. Her machinations took away someone he could always count on and added to the closing off of his heart. Though he’s sworn off women beyond a single night he finds himself quickly caught off guard by the strong-willed Reagan whose fiery temperament tempts him beyond reason and has him thinking of her beyond one night. When her obsessed ex comes back to claim her, Tyler’s protective instincts roar to the surface and has him calling in every favor he can to get her back home by his side. Tyler’s a delicious hero, charming while arrogant at times. His words are sometimes hurtful but his actions show his kind heart and his steadfast love for those he claims as his. He’s a rule follower too, courtesy of a rough childhood where he was forced into becoming an adult far too soon, and it leads to a lot of push/pull between him and Reagan. Though Reagan’s impulsiveness frustrates him she’s just what he needs to truly feel alive. On his own life had become stale, but with her he’s living life to the fullest and is finally able to work through his past pain because of her intervention. They’re a wonderful couple ultimately and I enjoyed seeing him off kilter as it added intensity to an already scorching connection.
Reagan Alvarez is an immensely appealing heroine, one I’d love to hang out with in real life. She’s not always good with people, but she’ll never lie as she’s a tell-it-like-it-is person. She’s a bit brash, a bit impulsive, and it puts her right in the middle of danger a time or two. She’s extremely loyal to those few she claims as hers and does her best to fix wrongs done to others. Her and Tyler are a crackling couple as they started out as frenemies before becoming oh so much more. After a previous relationship went bad, with her dreams going up in smoke because of his jealousy, Reagan’s leery of forming a commitment to any man but Tyler’s too much of a temptation. Theirs was a relationship full of sexual tension, scorching encounters both in and out of the bedroom, as they’re both strong-willed and outspoken. It was delightful watching their playful yet erotically-charged interactions, watching their love bloom despite their fears, and everything came together in a rip-roaring romance. With this unforgettable heroine leading the way this book became one that I look forward to reading again and again!
As the fifth book in the Simple Man series there’s still plenty of excitement and romance to be found. With its engaging main couple, a larger-than-life pairing that I rooted for every step of the way, I found myself fully invested in this book. There was a beautiful balance of romance, with both sweet and sexy interludes, as well as heartfelt depictions of friendship that brought a tear to my eye. The pace set here is quick, heart-pounding at times, courtesy of small town corruption and a villain who’s truly bad. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough and found things wrapped up almost too quickly as I’d hoped to savor this story more. Along with an engaging main couple was a cast of equally appealing secondary characters who came together to save the day. These secondary characters were ones we’ve seen before and I enjoyed getting an update on their lives. I was especially drawn to Rome, and his sweet son who’s battling leukemia. Rome’s clearly suffering and I ached for the pain he’s going through and the loneliness he’s dealing with because of his son’s duplicitous mother. I look forward to his story being told next as he and his son endeared themselves to me and both desperately deserve a HEA. On a whole this was an exhilarating thrill ride full of delightful banter and scorching romance. It kept me on edge while pulling at my heartstrings a time or two and I highly recommend it to those looking for a captivating couple and a distinctive heroine.
My rating for this is an A-
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE SIMPLE MAN SERIES:
KINDA DON’T CARE (Book #1)
MAYBE DON’T WANNA (Book #2)
GET YOU SOME (Book #3)
AIN’T DOIN’ IT (Book 4)
AUTHOR INFO:
Lani Lynn Vale is a USA Today Bestselling Author of over thirty titles. She is married with three children, two dogs, two cats, a donkey, and a couple (a couple also meaning over twenty) chickens. When she’s not writing, you can find her curled up in her favorite chair reading.
Lani is married with three children, and lives in the Great State of Texas.
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