Review: Emotionally gripping and incredibly hot
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 19, 2014
I absolutely loved this story. Out of the three books so far, this one really stood out, and quite frankly, it blew the other two out of the water. While the sex scenes were all off the charts hot, they didn't overpower the plot or the struggles that Nathan and Rachel were facing. I loved their intimate times, but it was everything else that surrounded them that really made me fall for them and care about them.I'm very picky when it comes to heroines, so when I say that I loved Rachel, I would switch teams for her, that's saying a lot. She didn't have the flash that Lexi and Rubi possessed, but she made up for it with her candid remarks and how she treated everyone around her. Her relationship with the men of Renegades was so sweet - she was a mother hen, a sister, a loyal friend, and I adored them for their protectiveness and respect. She was raised with certain values, so she was hardly the type to sleep around. But her one and only attempt to live a little like Rubi once had, was both an amusing success and failure. I really enjoyed seeing her push her own boundaries which led her on a path of self awareness.Nathan was the perfect tortured hero. And when I say tortured, I really mean it. His journey throughout this story was heart-breaking at times. The glimpses into his psyche began during his introduction in the second chapter and just kept escalating from there. The author did an amazing job with his character. I felt every bit of his slow self destruction with each episode of his trauma being triggered.This couple had chemistry in spades. Aside from the wickedly hot love scenes, it was Nathan's PTSD that ratcheted up their encounters up a few notches. From the beginning, Rachel was an exception to his method for dealing with his demons. That is, until near the end when he began to unravel completely. That one scene made my heart break for the both of them. It was a little uncomfortable but so raw and believable. There was a connection but yet also a horrible disconnect that was filled with angst. I started tearing up from that point forward. Outside of the sexcapades, they displayed wonderful communication skills, both serious and humorous. I loved the fact that they had meaningful dialogues which added credence to their developing feelings. They were both quite intuitive, but neither of them made the other feel foolish.There is so much more that I could say, but this story is best experienced for yourself. If you love a confident and quirky heroine, a badly damaged hero with an edgy, sexy streak, and one hell of a redemption scene, then this story is definitely for you. I received an eARC for the purpose of an honest review, but upon completion, I had to purchase it for my personal collection. This is one book I will reach for for a re-read.