Review: Another great addition to the series!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 17, 2013
Although Tough Luck picks up right after the events that took place in Get Bent, on this third installment in the Hard Rock Roots series we get to see Turner and Naomi as supporting characters while Ronnie's story plays out.From the moment he appeared on Real Ugly, I was curious about this tortured man. His pain jumped off the page and his struggle with moving on was heart-wrenching for me to read. I've said previously that I was crushing on him hard, especially after his part on the previous book, but after reading Tough Luck it is safe to say that I am a goner.Ghosts from the past.Blood.Pain.Guilt.Tears.Peace.Never before have I enjoyed a character's growth as much as I enjoyed Ronnie's. His story was not an easy read for me. It was dark and screwed up, but I loved it.Ronnie's emotions are all over the place while he goes through some of the hardest stuff a man as emotionally broken as Ronnie can go through. I think Ronnie's circumstances are the hardest and most horrible C.M. Stunich has yet to throw some of these characters.C.M. Stunich pulled me into his story and she never let me go. With every tap of my tablet, I was even more riveted and horrified. I wanted to cry right along with him, smack him upside the head for him to snap out of it, lick his tears away and take him away from it all. I admired the fierceness of his loyalty to the woman he lost and loved him for his determination to see this through with a clear head. Yep, I found my book boyfriend for the week!Lola wasn't bad either, but her whining got to me a time or two. I didn't just want to smack her senseless, I wanted to kick her butt and yell at her to own up to her actions and get over herself. She made her bed, she might as well lay in it. Her reward - to lay in it with Ronnie.Nope, I'm sorry. I lied. I don't think they ever made it to a bed. There was that time that they were close, but...nope, didn't make it. ;-)Although Lola was not my favorite person, I did understand the situation she found herself in. Ronnie was her mark, but the man was too much for her to resist. No, I could not blame her at all. Especially since their chemistry was pretty explosive and that coupled with the mess of emotions they were dealing with, made for an awesome couple of scenes.Once again, Stunich leaves us hanging in regards to the mystery part of the story. We get a little head way and get a glimpse of who are the main players on the attacks, but this story focused mainly on Ronnie and Lola - what they have to go through in their own lives, what ties them together and how they get together. By this point I should be pissed about these cliffhangers, but surprisingly I'm not. I'm more intrigued now than I ever was and I can't wait to read more about these couples and the mystery that surrounds the tour.Tough Luck is the third book in the Hard Rock Roots series and although it focuses on Ronnie and Lola's story I would not recommend for it to be read as a stand alone. The mystery from the previous books continues in this story with some new events and new-found secrets and revelations.I hope this is not the end of Ronnie and Lola's story though. I enjoyed their interactions and their chemistry. There was too much left in the air for it to be over, so I better get more of them. According to Stunich, the next book in the series, Bad Day, releases December 1st, 2013. You can bet your ass that I'll be on it as soon as it is out.All in all, another amazing addition to the series with a couple of screwed up characters that are emotionally stunted but who find in each other something they had thought unattainable.Check out my other reviews at: LeAnn's Book Reviews