Friday, November 6, 2015

Freebie Friday Review and Giveaway: Chasing Rhodes by Anne Jolin


Welcome back to the monthly feature, Freebie Friday Reviews!  As you know, this feature happens the first Friday of every month, and is a review for one of the many many books I have snagged for free off Amazon. 

This week I am reviewing a book that has been burning a hole in my Kindle. If you follow the blog, you will remember that earlier this year I went to the RT Readers and Writers Roundup.  While I was there, I met this super nice and cool author that I, unfortunately, had never heard of before. I have to admit that my introverted self is a little socially awkward and I don't always know what to say to authors at these things. So I was super impressed by this one author who got my attention and started talking to me and telling me about her tattooed alpha men. WAY TO GET MY ATTENTION! And once someone starts talking to me, its much easier for me to engage.  Anyway, I ended up just loving this girl so much that I picked myself up a book, and she gave me a book and swag to giveaway on the blog (stay tuned after the jump for the giveaway!).  So who is this fabulous author? It's ANNE JOLIN! If you haven't read her yet, check her out. This first book is free so you'd be crazy not to!

Chasing Rhodes 
by Anne Jolin
Series:  Rock Falls #1
Pub. Date:  Aug. 5, 2014
Freebie Date:  Oct. 11, 2015
Publisher:  Self-Pub
Pages:  183
Format:  eBook
Source:  Amazon


My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:


Hannah Rhodes has just gotten out of a long term relationship, and she isn't looking for a new man in her life. But after a night out with the girls and one too many tequila shots, her plans to stay man free are blown all to hell. She finds herself in bed with the smoldering stranger from a party six months back and immediately knows she's in trouble, big trouble. And the last thing Hannah needs is more trouble. 

Her last relationship took her out like an emotional freight train, and she’s trying to piece back the stability her life once had.

Greyson Holt’s biggest fear in life is to end up like his father, like the man who left him as a child, and broke his mother’s heart. He vowed to never be responsible for that kind of carnage. Men could be cruel and that kind of brutality was in his blood. He never allows himself to get too close to anyone, until he meets Hannah. 

Something about her makes him want to try, but a man can’t change overnight. 

Will Holt be able to catch Rhodes every time he lets her go? Or will their chase end in heartbreak?


This quick steamy read was my first from Anne Jolin, who I met at a signing earlier this year. While I got a personalized hard copy of the book, I also was able to pick up this first installment of the Rock Falls series for free on Amazon. Can't complain about that! My mistake was starting the series last night at 10pm because now, less than 24 hours later, I have blown through the whole series sacrificing sleep and work and whatever else was in my path. So I think it's safe to say I've got another author that will be added to my must read TBR pile.

So now that I have speed-read the whole series, I am going to try to keep them straight as I write the reviews. Please bare with me... I can't usually remember what I had for breakfast so this might get a little hinky. Since the focus of the series is on a group of girlfriends and a group of badass tattooed alpha males, at least if I get them mixed up, you will know it applies SOMEWHERE in the series.

Anywho, this first installment gives us a pairing between Hannah Rhodes and Greyson Holt. We first meet Hannah in a relationship with Jackson Steele, one of the boys' group. But Jackson, bless his heart, is bipolar and things don't work out there. Being in this somewhat volatile relationship understandably makes Hannah a little gunshy. However, I give her credit because she was not a stupid annoying heroine that runs away. Well she might have run a little, but not enough to annoy me. I can't tell you how happy this makes me - I am over the whole fleeing heroine character. I like it when they stay and fight for their man and work for their relationship. So I liked Hannah just fine. Of course I can't say I love her but that's because I'm a catty bitchface and think I would be much better for Greyson than she would be.

Now let's talk about our super yummy tattooed alpha male, Greyson Holt. Who is nicknamed Hunnam because, you guessed it, he looks like Charlie Hunnam! Nom nom nom. Between his physical likeness and descriptions of his tats, I had some great imagery going here. Plus he's like an alpha male dirty talker. O.M.Gee. Love it. (I have regressed to my 20-year-old self as a result of Greyson. Le sigh.) Then, something happened... something that I cannot remember ever happening before. Our alpha gets weepy. Well, no, I think he ugly cries. And I kinda froze as I was reading, and it was like a totally different kind of OMG coming out of my mouth. Like the horrified whisper omg (very softly now). I'm all for some vulnerability in my broken broody males. But alpha male ugly crying? I don't know how I feel about this. Do I like this? Do I not? I DON'T KNOW! It's 24 hours later and I am STILL thinking about this. I'm verklempt I tell ya. I don't know if I can handle it. What about you - what do you think about alpha male crying? Turn on, turn off, does it freak you out? I think it freaks me out! Do I still love Hunnam - absolutely. Would I trip Hannah to get her out of my way so I could take a run at him - absolutely! Would I know how to handle the alpha male ugly cry? Um, I'm not sure. I envision some silent awkward back patting going on while I look around the room for someone to rescue me.

What else do I need to talk about with story? Frak - how could I forget!?! The smexytime! Very hot and steamy. Very. Very. Steamy. Like squirming in your seat steamy if you are trying to read this in public, or at work (which I would never do). This is not something you want to read while your hairdresser or dentist can see over your shoulder. Seriously, don't you hate it when your smut gets interrupted by someone over your shoulder? Gah!

I think you can tell that I like this new-to-me author and series. I only wish the stories were longer... I do like that I can finish the 175ish pages relatively fast. But when you have men this hot, the longer the better (ah-hem). I'll just stop right there.

View all my reviews

Giveaway


Rock Falls Series


My ReviewReview
Nov. 8, 2015
Review
Dec. 2015
Review
Dec. 2015

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