Review: fell in love
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 1, 2013
I didn't think it was possible, but I loved Give Me Strength even more than Give Me Love, which is one of my favorite books of 2013!  I had really hoped that the second book would be about Mac,  Evie's best friend, and band manager of Jamieson.  When I found out it was about Travis, Mac's brother, I was a little bummed out.  I really wasn't sure where  it would go or if I'd have any connection to him because he wasn't prominently featured in book 1.  Boy was I wrong in so many ways!  The sex was steamier, the suspense was much more intense, and the story very well developed.  I really felt that the author had gained a lot of confidence since her debut and it showed in this book.Where book 1 only included the members of the band Jamieson and their family members, Give Me Strength introduces us to an "outsider" named Quinn.  Her back story is heartbreaking and she has suffered terrible tragedy in her life.  She lives a solitary lifestyle, only allowing her neighbor and best friend Lucy in.  Lucy convinces her to go out one night where she proceeds to have a one-night stand with the "hottest guy in the bar".  Yep, she didn't even know his name.  The next day she is hired as the assistant to Mac, unbeknownst to her that the hot hook up (aka Travis) is Mac's brother.  You can imagine what happens when they run into each other a second time.  I really liked the way they introduced her character into the book and into the "family".  It felt very authentic.So what can I say about Travis?!  He is a true Alpha Male.  I absolutely fell in love with him - total book boyfriend material!  The sexual tension between Travis and Quinn was insane and I kept groaning every time they would get interrupted by their friends and family, which happened way too often for my liking  But when they finally did get time alone...so good!  I prefer my book boyfriends to be over protective and Travis totally fit the bill.What sets this book apart from other Contemporary Romances, is that the author adds a suspense filled story line to each book.  This one was great!  It was much more intense and violent.  This story deals with Quinn's abusive step-father, David, who owes money to the mafia.  When David is sent to prison, you can guess who they pursue to collect their money.If you're looking for a book with romance, sex, suspense, violence, tight friendships, and laugh out loud dialogue then this is the series for you.  I'm so glad that there are so many awesome, funny, hot characters in the series because it means a lot more books to be written!  The ending was perfect and we were introduced to Grace, who I have a feeling will play a prominent role in book 3, Give Me Grace (wink wink).  Ms McCarthy will continue to torture me while I wait for Mac's book, but I'm going to stick it out and eventually she'll tell her story. ~ Jennifer