Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Review, Excerpt, Giveaway: Charged by Jay Crownover

CHARGED - Tour Banner

From New York Times bestselling author Jay Crownover comes CHARGED, the latest in her sexy The Saints of Denver Series, releasing May 24th! Known for her strong heroines and alpha males, you won't know what hit you as you read Avett and Quaid's story. Keep reading for more about the Legal Eagle and Avett and order your copy today. 
    CHARGED - cover

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men books comes the second installment in the Saints of Denver series featuring a bad girl and a by the book attorney who could be her salvation...or her ruin.

Avett Walker and Quaid Jackson’s worlds have no reason to collide. Ever. Quaid is a high powered criminal attorney as slick as he is handsome. Avett is a pink-haired troublemaker with a bad attitude and a history of picking the wrong men.

When Avett lands in a sea of hot water because of one terrible mistake, the only person who can get her out of it is the insanely sexy lawyer. The last thing on earth she wants to do is rely on the no-nonsense attorney who thinks of her as nothing more than a nuisance. He literally has her fate in his hands. Yet there is something about him that makes her want to convince him to loosen his tie and have a little fun…with her.

Quaid never takes on clients like the impulsive young woman with a Technicolor dye job. She could stand to learn a hard lesson or two, but something about her guileless hazel eyes intrigues him. Still, he’s determined to keep their relationship strictly business. But doing so is becoming more impossible with each day he spends with her.

As they work side-by-side, they’ll have to figure out a way to get along and keep their hands off each other—because the chemistry between them is beyond charged.

I loved, loved, loved Avett and Quaid. I was completely hooked on their story. From the synopsis, we know that Avett is in trouble and finds Mr. Hot Attorney on her side to help her. If you've read some of Crownover's previous books, you may recall a few insights into Avett's troublemaking past and a glimpse of the hot Legal Eagle. So that's intriguing, right? Sounds like a fun story already. But what sends this story over the edge is how very much I actually liked these two main characters. They sold their love story. Plus, Crownover has a way of developing her characters and changing their lives in such a thoughtful and impactful way, that you know you're getting more than a simple love story.

'Charged' was written beautifully. I loved the depths in which we got to know Quaid and Avett. While Avett reveals the heart behind her behavior and finally a desire to get her act together (while still holding strong to her fun, jump-in spirit), the reveals about Quaid's life, upbringing, and overall character were the real gem for me. Quaid completely rocked. Putting these two seemingly different, but very much similar, people together made this read hit me in the heart. The age gap was actually no biggie to me because I know a couple with this exact age gap and they are perfect for each other. I also loved all the side characters, new and old. Brite, however, is the best!

The only downside was that I wanted more dialogue. This was one of my complaints with the last book as well. There's lots of telling and internal feelings, but I wanted to read it, not be told about it. I don't want to be told the summary, I want to see it happen. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but there was even too much sex. Now, I may have only noticed this because I was missing the other parts in their relationship or experiences together that I was told about but didn't actually read, so going from sex scene to sex scene seemed like a lot when I wanted the relationship building in between. (But Avett and Quaid were still really hot.)

Overall, I loved Avett and Quaid and their story. I'm looking forward to the rest of this series, and hope Avett and Quaid will make some guest appearances.

  CHARGED - Tour Teaser 1    


Avett
I blew out a breath and felt that bottom I had careened onto reach up to embrace me even tighter. “It is what it is. I’ve let both my folks down a lot over the last few years but getting caught up with a guy that would rob the bar, a guy who could threaten my dad’s people.” I shook my head. “I deserve to rot.”

I was being overly dramatic but that’s how I felt. I deserved to sit in jail and so much worse than that. Self-pity was good company down here at rock bottom and I wasn’t ready to let go of the warmth it provided just yet.

He gave me a look I couldn’t read and headed for the door. “I’ll call your parents for you and see if we can have something in place before tomorrow. Working on your case will be a lot easier for both of us if you aren’t incarcerated. Remember, you need to listen to me, Ms. Walker. That’s the first rule in all of this.”

Panic hit me like a truck. What if he called my dad and my dad told him he’d had enough of his problematic daughter and her endless nonsense? What if he couldn’t love me anymore? Jail I could survive; losing my father for good, well, it would be the end of me.

Without thinking I jumped to my feet, which had the chains on both my hands and my legs rattling loudly, and two uniformed officers hurried into the room. I was about to make maybe the worst decision to date but I couldn’t stop the words from sliding off my tongue.

“Don’t call my dad!” Recklessness, thy name was Avett Walker.

The attorney turned around and looked at me like I had grown a second head. He didn’t say anything as the officers moved to either side of me and told me to calm down.

“You can’t call my dad.” The words sounded as panicked and as desperate as I felt on the inside.

His broad shoulders lifted and fell in a shrug like he really couldn’t give a sh*t that he was about to ruin my life…which was saying a hell of a lot considering where I was.

“I have to.” He sounded bored and impatient with my outburst.

I narrowed my eyes at him, and that vortex of awful, which I always seemed to be smack dab in the center of, started to spin faster and faster around me.

“Then you’re fired.” I saw the cops exchange a look and my rushed words had the blond man turning fully back around to look at me. “I don’t want your help. I don’t want anything from you.”

Finally, there was something other than indifference in his gaze. There was surprise, maybe a hint of admiration colliding with a huge splash of humor in the pale depths.

“Sorry, Ms. Walker, but you didn’t hire me, so that means you don’t get to fire me.” That grin of his, which should be registered as a deadly weapon, flashed across his face again as he watched me, and then he was gone.

And don’t miss the first titles in The Saints of Denver Series!

LEVELED - cover

Leveled (#0.5) Amazon * My Review  

Studio portrait of young bearded man --- Image by © pinkypills/Corbis

Built (#1) Amazon * My Review


    
Jay Crownover - author pic
Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men, The Point, and the Saints of Denverseries. 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.      

Website ** Blog ** Facebook ** Twitter

CHARGED Goodreads ** Jay Crownover Goodreads

     CHARGED - Tour Teaser 2

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