Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: May 24th, 2016
Pages: 384
Series: Saints of Denver #2
Source: e-ARC
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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.
REVIEW
Avett isn't new to readers. We've seen her pop up, not in the most positive light, throughout The Marked Men Series. She's a troublemaker that is sure to give her dad, Brite, a heart attack. Avett has special gift for falling in with the wrong crowd. This time around it lands her in jail and fearing that her actions have finally hit too close to home. Her boyfriend did try to rob her dad's bar. This is where Quaid comes in. We caught bits of this handsome lawyer in Built as he pursued Sayer. Came off as a conceited player. That probably plays into his persona as one the best criminal attorneys. This is where Avett and Quaid's worlds collide; they clearly don't get off on the right side of the law, but attraction is quickly apparent. Which how could they not eventually act on it, even with heartbreak written in their future.
Avett is a tough, no nonsense, I don't deserve forgiveness spark plug of a lady. Her colourful hair along with her attitude sets her apart and ultimately makes her unforgettable. Quaid clearly has a past that has sparked his driven force of nature personality. He's the type of lawyer that you would sell your house to have on your side in the courtroom. Both have pasts that aren't so much as in the past as they'd like. Avett was just a child that found trouble, and that trouble got worse as she got older until what she sees as her actions, thus her fault, caused the unthinkable. So as far as Avett is concerned there's no redemption out there for her. But finding herself in jail, seeing what that does to her parents, Avett isn't ready for it to be the end. Quaid grew up with nothing, but he never wanted to be nothing. A career that can buy him all the material things and a loving wife was all her wanted. At least that's what he thought. Neither of those things could keep his wife around. Quaid thought he was fine. But Avett might just be his salvation. He's lonely and has the means to keep her safe. Keeping her out of jail wasn't the end of Avett's problems. Pain, mess and disorder all seem to be rearing their ugly heads.
Because of who Avett is(Brite's daughter), I was excited by the appearances of a few of Jay's past men. The bar is a prominent character from The Marked Men series, and that hasn't changed in Charged. I mean it's the confrontation center for this book and Avett's woes. I also really liked getting to know Brite a bit more. He's this tough biker guy that seems to be full with all the wisdom. And how can you not like him? Avett is a tough cookie to like, unlike her dad. But Jay made it that way. You're hopefully able to warm up to her and finally come to understand her. I had troubles doing that. And it wasn't that Avett's past kept from forgiving her, it's that her journey in Charged felt a little wonky. Everyone and their sister is giving you their hand, take it without so much attitude. Gah. Quaid what a juxtaposition. This hard ass lawyer is really just a confused lonely guy in the inside. Quaid I liked. I understand wanting to be a better person, was his definition of better a little materialistic? Sure, but his childhood negates his understanding. I really just wanted to get him a few good friends to help him out. Avett and Quaid have obvious attraction. Different worlds may be their mantra, but love don't care. But hey, it's always fun to watch the couple try and fight their love. I always know who's going to win that war.
Charged offered a bit more suspense than past books. Which I think Jay did really well. So not only are you getting this rocky road to romance between two characters who deeply need a person to pull them out of their lives. And just jump into something new; with the added bonus of some thrilling moments. Like mentioned earlier, Charged has Jay's trademark style all over it. And that's never a bad thing. It's why I constantly need to pick up her new book right away; it's comforting, like coming home.
EXCERPT
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 shit 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.
About Jay Crownover
Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men, The Point, and the Saints of Denver series. 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.
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Brittany
Brittany
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