ARC Review: Hooked by Brenda Rothert

Hooked is a standalone story from Brenda Rothert featuring a sexy hockey star and the woman who shakes up his life. I have read and enjoyed books by Brenda Rothert in the past, and I enjoyed Hooked as well. While I didn't absolutely love this story, I did like it.

Miranda is a housekeeper for a hotel, cleaning to pay her way through school. Jake is hockey's bad boy, stuck in a position of keeping the owner of his team happy by dating his daughter, even if it is forced. So when Jake meets Miranda and feels a connection to her, he knows that it is the worst possible timing. If he hopes to keep his job, he can't be caught with Miranda. But the more they get to know each other, the more their feelings grow. When Miranda finds out about Jake's "girlfriend" though, Jake will have to show Miranda that she is the only one he wants.

I liked Jake and Miranda, but this was definitely a case of insta-love. I did feel like they were cute together and I liked seeing them get to know one another. I definitely think that Jake handled things wrong at times though, especially when it came to Hailey. That chick was insane, and honestly the whole situation with her drove me nuts. I did like that Jake was put in his place at times by Miranda though, and I think that she was exactly what he needed. They had chemistry and were cute together, and besides things happening so fast and the stuff with Hailey, I enjoyed their story a lot.

Overall, this was a good book and there were a lot of things that I liked. The story itself was a bit predictable and didn't really break any new ground though. It felt like a lot of other contemporary romances I have read, so while I liked it I didn't love it. I think that if you are looking for something cute and sweet and easy to read, this is one worth giving a shot.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

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Feature and Giveaway: Blown Away by Brenda Rothert

In a sensual, emotionally charged novel of love and loss, a tender affair gives two daring storm chasers the strength to overcome shattered dreams and the courage to build a future together.

Drew McGovern is living for two. Her fiancé, Colby, used to savor the feeling of a powerful gale, the rain pelting his face as the sky grew dark—until a shocking tragedy struck him down. Drew’s still grieving his death a year later when she bumps into some of his old storm chasing buddies. For reasons she can’t explain, she volunteers for the next tornado. But when she reconnects with Colby’s best friend, Aiden O’Neal, Drew gets a breath of fresh air that stirs the ashes of her broken heart.

Aiden doesn’t trust himself around Drew. He’s wanted this girl for a long time—long enough to remember the stab of jealousy he felt the first time he saw her in Colby’s arms, long enough to remember the tears that fell as they buried the man they each still miss. Now he’s trying his best to behave himself. But when the wind ruffles Drew’s hair and puts a sparkle in her eye, Aiden can’t resist the urge to hold her close. And when it comes to true love, he’s holding out hope that lightning strikes twice.

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ARC Review: Blown Away by Brenda Rothert

Blown Away is the first book that I have ever read from Brenda Rothert, but I really enjoyed it. As soon as I read the blurb for this one, I knew I had to read it! I live in the mid-west, so tornadoes are something I have been dealing with my entire life. I have never read a book featuring storm chasers before, so that was something that absolutely fascinated me. I am so glad that I took a chance on a new to me author, and this definitely won't be the last I read from Brenda Rothert. 

Just as Drew McGovern is getting ready to get married, her fiance Colby is killed in an accident. She goes a year just getting by, but she realizes that she needs to change something to feel alive again. So when she gets the chance to join Colby's storm chasing team, she thinks that it is exactly what she needs. What she never expects though is to start falling for Colby's best friend Aiden O'Neal who is also on the team. Aiden has always secretly been jealous of Colby and Drew's relationship, though he never let either of them know how he really felt about Drew. So while he knows that it is wrong to take a chance with her, he finds it hard to fight the connection growing between them. 

I really liked Drew and Aiden together. Drew was strong and I loved that she took a chance and stepped outside her comfort zone when she knew that she wasn't fulfilled with what she had been doing. I really admired that about her, and it was great to see her just leave her life behind and pursue something that was both scary and exciting for her. While I did like Aiden and loved him with Drew, there were a few times here that I wasn't his biggest fan. He had a tendency to push Drew away and that usually involved him being a jerk to her. While I understood it to a point, I didn't like it. But these two had a great connection and chemistry that was undeniable, so I was really hoping that they would be able to get over all the obstacles standing in their way and be able to move forward together. 

Besides the few issues I had with Aiden, there were a few things that happened in this story that I wasn't the biggest fan of. I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't go into detail. One happened towards the beginning of the story and affected how I thought of Aiden a bit. While things turned out okay and I got why it happened, I didn't like seeing it and didn't like that Drew had either. The other thing happened later in the story, and I felt like it was a bit "much ado about nothing". It was something that seemed to just be added into the story for some drama and conflict, and honestly it did nothing but annoy me and make me angry while at the same time cause problems for Drew and Aiden. I just didn't feel like there was any need to go there, and it seemed too convenient that it was resolved the way it was for all the trouble that it had brought up. I just wish that the author hadn't gone there at all. But otherwise, I really did enjoy this story and I found the storm chasing so unique and interesting. This was something different, and it had my attention from the very first page. I would recommend this one and I will read more from Brenda Rothert in the future.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

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