Review: Very good start to the series :)
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 22, 2014
4 starsThis was a very good story. Bronagh and Dominic mix together like oil and water at first but I still couldn't help rooting for them. This is the first story I've read by this author but based on this I plan to read more of her work (like the next book in the series). There is a difference in the language and the way certain things are said in the story but it didn't bother me. I also wasn't bothered by the large amount of cussing but be warned...the cussing is plentiful and colorful (including f-bombs, a-bombs, the s-word, witch with a B, and the c-word...yeah, the bad one) so IF CUSS WORDS BOTHER YOU, DON'T READ THIS BOOK!Bronagh is 17 but turns 18 soon in to the story. She's a senior in high school and lives in Ireland with her sister, Branna, who's been raising her for years, since their parents died. Since that happened, Bronagh has shut herself away from everyone, not making friends at school and shunning closeness with anyone other than Branna. Bronagh is firmly convinced she couldn't take it if she lost others that she loved like she lost her parents so she preferred not to take the risk.Dominic is not what you'd call a nice guy (although he does get a soft spot for the right woman). He and his brothers (he's twins with Damien and has 3 other brothers; Kane, Alec and Ryder) weren't raised in a loving home environment and their parents were killed when Dominic was still young. Ryder became their guardian but the brothers got caught up in and unfortunate incident that made them have to work for a very bad man (unwillingly). Dominic's part in it is participating in underground fighting and he's a tough guy who's never been beat. He and his brothers move to Ireland (from New York) for their "family business" and Dominic goes to school during the day (He's 18 years old as well) and fights on some nights.Bronagh has a run in with Dominic his very first day when he's at her seat and she (not very nicely) asks him to move. He pushes things and pisses her off and she tries to ignore him from there out. Dominic is a hot guy and is used to women throwing themselves at him. He's certainly not used to a woman ignoring him and acting like being near him and talking to him is a chore. Dominic hasn't been in a relationship before and I don't think he knew how to handle someone he wanted but didn't show any interest in him. Especially when there's an attraction that sparks between them. Dominic starts bugging Bronagh, being an annoyance to try to get her attention. Bronagh doesn't see it that way though and thinks he's trying to bully her and make her life miserable. To be honest, some of the back and forth between them is a bit childish but these are 2 18 year olds that have never been in a relationship with anyone else so I was willing to give them a break on some of the immaturity and drama. There's a number of back and forths and their relationship is very adversarial. At one point, when Dominic has just helped Bronagh and is being unusually nice to her, things between them explode and they end up in a makeout session that almost went a lot further. Bronagh and Dominic have a mis-understanding and she thinks he was trying to bed her to hurt her and she hates him again. After this, Dominic tries to stake his claim on Bronagh and she is so freaked out by him that she's not willing to let him get anywhere. That doesn't stop his actions from affecting her interactions with others at school, especially when another guy asks her out.It becomes apparent very quickly that Dominic isn't about to allow her to date other guys and Bronagh has to admit to herself that she is attracted to him but he just always pisses her off and makes her want to kill him. Dominic promises to try to piss her off less if she gives him a chance. Just when they get together there's some drama and things get worked out but it's not the end of the drama. Bronagh already found out about Dominic fighting but doesn't know why he does it. Branna is dating Ryder and knows what's going on and ends up filling Bronagh in on the other activities the brothers are in to and why. When Dominic tells Bronagh more about why they're forced in to doing what they are he also tells her they're getting out so she's hopeful that she and Dominic can have a normal life eventually. Although the love doesn't happen immediately, Dominic is determined that Bronagh is it for him and told her as much. When she agrees to be with him it's basically a matter of them realizing they're going to be together and just getting to know the details about each other as they fall in love. I really liked how at one point as they were falling for each other they were between like and love so they told each other that they lived each other (combining like and love). I thought it was kind of sweet. Even though they're falling in love with each other, that doesn't stop Bronagh from being very fiery and she's not afraid to threaten someone's balls if need be. I liked her. LOL. It takes a bit but things escalate between Bronagh and Dominic and things are going great but there's some unfortunate drama that shakes things up before the end. Bronagh is put in danger (along with Damien and her friend, Alannah) from the big bad that's been forcing the brothers to work for him. Dominic and his brothers have to come to the rescue (and Bronagh isn't idle in this part) and things get wrapped up nicely. Bronagh and Dominic then start their HEA, planning their future together.This was a very enjoyable story. I liked both Bronagh and Dominic...even when they were doing the love hate thing. While there was some action at the end, most of the story is relationship driven and with the constant ups and downs between Bronagh and Dominic things never got boring. I liked all the characters in the series and plan to read more of this series in the future. While this is about 18 year olds and there is some immature behavior, it's not exactly a normal YA story as there is a good amount of adult content including lots of cussing, violence and some graphic sexual content. If your cool with this combo I'd recommend this book. :D