Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Rook & Ronin #1
Publication Date: May 15th 2013ISBN: 9781936413218
Page Count: 282 Rating: ★★★★
Review Copy: Own Purchase
Excerpt: Here
Reviewed by: Janice
Synopsis: Rook Walsh is TRAGIC
Because life so far – just sucks. Some girls get parents. Rook got the foster care system. Some girls get Prince Charming. Rook got an abusive frog. Some girls get lucky…
Rook got a second chance.
And she took it. Because when fate throws you a bone – you grab it with both hands and run.
Antoine Chaput knows the minute he spies Rook in his photography studio that she’s got The Look. The dark and desperate look he must have to land the exclusive TRAGIC media contract.
Rook is paired up with top model, Ronin, and he’s everything her abusive ex-boyfriend wasn’t. Patient, gentle, happy, attentive, and sexy! He knows exactly what to do to make Rook blush for Antoine’s camera.
Rook’s luck changes in an instant and suddenly she’s the darling of the modeling world. It’s a dream job to go with a dream guy and all she has to do is look pretty and follow directions. But there’s always a price to pay – and Rook is about to get the bill.
REVIEW
A Spicy, Engaging Read
When I read NA Contemporary Romance novels, I expect a couple of things. Feels by the boatloads, and hot 'n steamy times. TRAGIC certainly has plenty of both, but for me, what separated this book from the rest of the pack was its sheer enjoyability. Told in alternating POV's (my favorite!), it clips along at a brisk pace and does everything a good story should do. Namely, entertaining its readers and providing them with characters worth rooting for.
Rook Walsh drew the short stick in life. When the book begins, she's running away from a terrible situation. Homeless, jobless, with no money or friends to call for help, she finds herself at a coffee shop, where, by pure chance, she comes into possession of a business card for a photography studio that is looking for models. Figuring what the hell, why not, she decides to check it out, and before she knows it, she is selected as the new face of the TRAGIC campaign and is plunged into the crazy, not-as-glamorous-as-it-sounds world of erotic modeling.
Now, I know what you're thinking. If she's an erotic model, this book is going to be one big sexfest, right? Wrong! Sure, there are sexually-charged photo shoots, and the book has no shortage of sizzly scenes (start the ice baths now, ladies!), but a porn film in the making, it is not. What Rook and the other models do is a job like any other, with its own unique set of ups and downs, and I appreciated the author's no-nonsense handling of that part of the story.
Rook is an authentically "new adult" character - a girl who has been through some seriously hellacious crap and is just trying to figure out how to navigate life's choppy waters, the best she can. She doesn't pretend to have all the answers, she doesn't always make the wisest decisions, but she's got plenty of attitude and spark, and she isn't afraid to fight for what she wants. She also has a refreshingly honest voice that I connected with right away. I just plain liked the girl, and I'm excited to see where this new road in her life takes her.
Helping Rook out is smokin' hot male model Ronin. He takes Rook under his wing right away and is a big part of the reason she lands the TRAGIC contract. As a romantic interest, I'll admit he came on a wee bit too strong for me at first, but he quickly won me over after a chapter or two. He isn't much older than Rook herself, but he has been in the biz for a while and is remarkably clear-headed and perceptive. He gets Rook in ways no one ever has before, and I thought he really balanced her out well. Plus he's sexy, and sweet, and charming, and a whole list of other things that make him a leading man worth sighing over.
To sum it up, my friends, TRAGIC is a spicy, engaging, and just plain fun read, and I enjoyed the heck out of it.
Rook Walsh drew the short stick in life. When the book begins, she's running away from a terrible situation. Homeless, jobless, with no money or friends to call for help, she finds herself at a coffee shop, where, by pure chance, she comes into possession of a business card for a photography studio that is looking for models. Figuring what the hell, why not, she decides to check it out, and before she knows it, she is selected as the new face of the TRAGIC campaign and is plunged into the crazy, not-as-glamorous-as-it-sounds world of erotic modeling.
Now, I know what you're thinking. If she's an erotic model, this book is going to be one big sexfest, right? Wrong! Sure, there are sexually-charged photo shoots, and the book has no shortage of sizzly scenes (start the ice baths now, ladies!), but a porn film in the making, it is not. What Rook and the other models do is a job like any other, with its own unique set of ups and downs, and I appreciated the author's no-nonsense handling of that part of the story.
Rook is an authentically "new adult" character - a girl who has been through some seriously hellacious crap and is just trying to figure out how to navigate life's choppy waters, the best she can. She doesn't pretend to have all the answers, she doesn't always make the wisest decisions, but she's got plenty of attitude and spark, and she isn't afraid to fight for what she wants. She also has a refreshingly honest voice that I connected with right away. I just plain liked the girl, and I'm excited to see where this new road in her life takes her.
Helping Rook out is smokin' hot male model Ronin. He takes Rook under his wing right away and is a big part of the reason she lands the TRAGIC contract. As a romantic interest, I'll admit he came on a wee bit too strong for me at first, but he quickly won me over after a chapter or two. He isn't much older than Rook herself, but he has been in the biz for a while and is remarkably clear-headed and perceptive. He gets Rook in ways no one ever has before, and I thought he really balanced her out well. Plus he's sexy, and sweet, and charming, and a whole list of other things that make him a leading man worth sighing over.
To sum it up, my friends, TRAGIC is a spicy, engaging, and just plain fun read, and I enjoyed the heck out of it.
4 Stars ★★★★
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