Laura Wright (1)Rezensionen

In book one in the Wicked Ink Chronicles, Addison and her best friend Lisa head to Las Vegas for a tattoo convention in order to see Rush Merrick, a famed tattoo artist and Addison’s ex-boyfriend.
For the past five years, Rush has been nursing a broken heart and refusing all contact with Addison, but then he finally has to deal with the past when she shows up at his exhibit. Though he hates her, he still loves her
I love stories featuring tatted men, especially sexy-as-hell tattoo artists! Rush was deliciously wicked and foul-mouthed. Both Addison and Rush were pretty foolish when they were seventeen—she for taking their relationship for granted, and he for not giving her a chance to explain—but desperation and heartbreak makes people do crazy things.
Most of the story focused on the H/h’s emotions and internal conflict, and less with the world around them. I really wish there would’ve been more information about Addison’s family and why she was in foster care. I would also like to know how Rush became a well-sought-after artist.
The story has a HFN ending, but their story is continued in a second book. I’m really interested to know what happened with Lisa and Vincent (Rush’s tattoo artist friend and coworker).
I enjoyed Ms. Wright’s writing style, and though I normally don’t read 1st person narrative, I found this story easy to follow.
4 Stars

Disclaimer – I downloaded this book from Amazon and volunteered to review it. I am not compensated in any way, shape, or form for this honest review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion.

Branded
4 Stars

After the death of their father, Deacon Cavanaugh and his brothers return home to the Triple C ranch with one goal - to destroy the ranch and their father's legacy. But Deacon's determination is tested when the ranch foreman, Mackenzie Byrd, challenges him at every turn, and soon he will have to choose between his obsession for revenge and a future with the woman he cannot live without.

While Deacon and Mac have strong chemistry, their backstory is underdeveloped, and their romance has little going for it other than insta-lust. Aside from mentioning Mac's girlish crush and Deacon's annoyance at her friendship with his sister, Cass, there are few details of their past acquaintance. Moreover, the transition of their relationship from opponents to soulmates is sudden and unrealistic, as is Deacon's decision with regard to the ranch at the end.

That said, the rest of the plot elements are much more intriguing. In addition to the kernels of a murder mystery, there are also snippets focusing on the lives of Deacon's brothers, all of whom have problems and secrets of their own. It will be interesting to see where the author takes these characters.

In sum, despite the shortcomings of the romance, Branded is a well-written and entertaining read and the mystery has definite possibilities.

Broken
4 Stars

After the losses of both his younger sister and his fianceé in quick succession, James Cavanaugh has sworn to never love again. But his attraction to quietly confident Sheridan O'Neil challenges him to face his demons and risk his heart one more time.

James and Sheridan are both engaging characters and their romance progresses naturally at a smooth and steady pace. Nevertheless, their chemistry is not as tangible as that of Mac and Deacon. Moreover, James's constant self-deprecation and stubborn unwillingness to accept that he is in love with Sheridan gets old after a while.

The real appeal of this and the previous book is the investigation into the murder of Cass Cavanaugh. There are some intriguing developments in this regard, and it will be interesting to see where the author takes this in the third installment, which focuses on Cass's twin, Cole, and the former Sheriff's daughter, Grace.

Overall, this series has tremendous potential as a suspense novel, but the romances so far have only been so-so.

Brash
4.5 Stars

Brash is the third installment in the ongoing saga of the Cavanaugh brothers' investigation into the murder of their younger sister, Cass. This book focuses on her twin brother, Cole, an MMA fighter who uses his guilt to fuel his rage in the ring, and Grace Hunter, the daughter of the former sheriff, who botched the case. Cole and Grace work together to uncover new leads into the identity of the mysterious "Sweet" and his connection to Cass's death.

Cole and Grace's slow-burn, opposites-attract romance has all of the chemistry and true intimacy lacking from the previous books. Their teasing banter is particularly delightful, and it is fun following along as they finally submit to the tension that has been building from book #1. Wright also manages to avoid much of the angst and drama that detract from Deacon and Mac's as well as Sheridan and James's stories.

In terms of the mystery surrounding Cass's death, there has been a great deal of exposition and foreshadowing, which makes it relatively easy to guess some of the twists and turns that emerge. Nevertheless, these revelations add another layer of intrigue to the story.

The book does end on a rather jarring cliffhanger, but the final installment is thankfully published already so I am off to read it ASAP.

Bonded
3 Stars

The focus in this final book of the Cavanaugh Brothers saga is on the illegitimate half-brother, Blue Perez, as he struggles to come to terms with the truth about his birth, and the fact that his one-night stand with local waitress, Emily Shiver, has had an unforeseen complication. There is also a resolution to the ongoing mystery surrounding the death of Cass Cavanaugh.

Unfortunately, Blue and Emily's book completely misses the mark mainly due to the huge chip on Blue's shoulder. It is virtually impossible for him to move past his anger at what he perceives as his mother's betrayal, which results in his treating the woman, who has loved and cared for him his entire life, in a truly reprehensible manner. This makes it difficult for the reader to sympathize with him.

Emily is much more likable, but she too has issues, primarily a desire for independence, that lead her to push Blue away.

In terms of the murder mystery, the identity and motivation of the killer has been obvious since the second book, and all that remains is the rather lackluster revelation. That said, the final showdown is intense and exciting.

Overall, this series has excellent potential and Wright does manage to keep the reader's interest throughout despite some problematic characters and tropes.

Great book, but ended on a cliff hanger.

Grace Hunter is the town veterinarian, and her father is the former sheriff. Cass Cavanaugh died on her father's watch, and he seems to know something about her death, but Grace is losing him to dementia and fears that she may never know all of his secrets. The Cavanaugh brothers have been pushing Grace to find out what her father knows, especially Cole, the MMA fighter and Cass's twin. The more she pushes her father, the more he seems to pull away from her, and when her father's best friend dies in jail, she and the Cavanaughs fear that they may never know what happened to Cass.

Brash doesn't really get going until about midway through the book when Cole's experiences as an MMA fighter become part of the story as well as more about Cass Cavanaugh's murder, making the second half of the book much more interesting than the first half. However, the relationship between Cole and Grace is a little underdeveloped. Overall, though, this book is a good entry in The Cavanaugh Brother's series, and the ending leads right into the last book in the series, Bonded.

Blue Cavanaugh thought he'd found his soulmate online, but when he discovers that his "Cowgirl" is Natalie Palmer and that she's been manipulating him, he chalks it up to the fact that nobody can be trusted. When he finds Cass Cavanaugh's diary concealed in one of Natalie's cookbooks, he goes on a bender that leads to a one night stand with waitress, Emily Shiver that barely registers. His life hasn't been the same since the reading of Everett Cavanaugh's will when it was revealed that he is Everett's illegitimate son. Learning that Emily is pregnant with his child leaves Blue feeling more lost and confused than ever. As much as he wants to be there for Emily, she is determined to live her own life, but someone is out there is trying to make her miserable.

Bonded ends The Cavanaugh Brothers' series with Blue's story, providing opportunities for drama that are left unrealized. The romance between Blue and Cass is lukewarm at best. By the time the disappointing solution to the mystery of Cass's death is revealed, the killer has been foreshadowed multiple times, leaving the expectation for a twist unfulfilled. However, the series is successful in telling the story of several characters with very diverse backgrounds and intertwining their lives in a satisfying way. Overall, a decent series that could have been so much more.

Sheridan O'Neil has worked for Deacon Cavanaugh as his assistant for years, but the time she has spent at the Triple C Ranch owned by the Cavanaugh brothers has been the best of her career. Not only has she learned a lot about the business of ranching, but she has made friends with Deacon's fiance, Mac. When she is attacked by a local contractor that blames her for charging him with using substandard materials, James Cavanaugh, Deacon's brother steps in to help keep Sheridan safe. As she spends more time with James, Sheridan realizes that she may be falling in love with him, but he is holding on tightly to a past in which he was never able to keep the women in his life safe from harm.

The conflict between James and Sheridan in Broken is barely tangible as most of the story is spent on James's inability to leave his past behind. What makes this book worth reading is the continuing thread throughout these stories of the mystery surrounding the Cavanaugh sister, Cass's murder. Each book brings more clues and suspects to light, buoying a decent western romance into a more substantial book.

Mackenzie Byrd has been foreman at the Triple C ranch for years, but now that Everett Cavanaugh has died, her position and her life seem less certain. Deacon Cavanaugh harbors a hatred for his father which has fueled his desire to destroy the ranch that is the root of the pain that has infected himself and his brothers since their sister, Cass, was abducted and killed. Now that his father is dead, Deacon has the chance to bulldoze the ranch and his torment along with it. Mac mourned the loss of her best friend, Cass, but has managed to move on with her life. Mac's crush on Deacon eased when he left, and she remained on the land and with the people that she cared about. Now Mac and Deacon are at odds and battling over the fate of the ranch, while at the same time, they battle the attraction that they have for one another.
Branded is a well-written western romance with a depth of emotion charged by revelations from both the past and present. However, a story line involving a business takeover, reminiscent of Pretty Woman, seems to have a fairly weak resolution. Also, the romance between Mac and Deacon intensifies almost too quickly but can be explained by their history and feelings they shared from their past. The mystery of Cass's death seems to be a thread that will run through the entire series as a few clues including entries from her diary are revealed throughout this book. Overall, this is a good story with likable characters, lots of conflict, and profound emotion, making it an enjoyable read and hard to put down.

I had two questions: who killed Cass and what was Blue going to do? The ending of the book before this (can't remember the name right now) sort of gave away the answer to "Who killed Cass". I was interested in finding out how it was going to be revealed and how they got away with the truth being buried for so long. Figures, people in the right places willing to do whatever it took to protect family.
Blue. Blue was on the road to destruction on the night he found out who his on-line love interest was and just what she had been hiding. So what's a guy to do....go to a bar and get rip roaring drunk. Have a one night stand with Em, someone he sort of knew from high school, and BOOM....she ends up pregnant. Can he overcome all his doubts and fears? Can he find forgiveness for his mother and make peace with his brothers? Will Em and their unborn lead him down the path to redemption and happiness?
What do you think? Last book in a series and everyone needs their HEA right? Interesting time finding out just how off her rocker Natalie was. Seeing the brothers come together and find a bond. Blue and his mother finally talking. Solid end to a good series.

Tall, dark, handsome and a cowboy....OMG my fantasy come true. Flawed but still able to love his brothers and let himself find love Deacon comes back to his hometown to settle the score once and for all after his father passes away. His plan to destroy, literally, the ranch where he grew up (and not in the best frames of mind) starts to fall apart when he reconnects with Mac...his murdered sister's best friend and now ranch forewoman.
Mac, she's adored Deac since she was a small girl trying to capture her best friend's oldest brother's attention. She stayed after tragedy hit and has grown into a strong willed, opinionated, fierce woman. Willing to fight, dirty if she has to, to save those she loves and the ranch she calls home.
Along the road to their HEA more family skeletons are revealed, arguments threaten to tear folks apart, and an old man's fading memories stir up old wounds.
The heat and chemistry between Mac and Deac extends past the bedroom and into their day to day dealings giving us some great one liners and a few tears shed. They declare their love midway through the story but that doesn't mean one is going to lay down and roll over for the other. No it just means each is going to fight for what they believe to be right even harder to save themselves and those they love. Sometimes misguided but love is never in doubt.
We also get a glimpse of the other brothers. James and Cole. Both with their own issues but cole hurting most of all....after all it was his twin, Cass, who was murdered and the killer never brought to justice. Will they heal, will they find a woman to help them want to live again, can the ranch be saved? Oh, and will Sam ever not have an opinion on the shenanigans these youngins get themselves into?
i shed a few tears during the book but then again picked up the book to escape some emotional goings on in my world so guess the book help me escape and connect so that I could find a release of my own. Isn't that what books are supposed to do, carry us away and make us feel for the characters. This one did it for me and can't wait to read the next one....James' story....the horse whisperer.

Cole, the youngest of the brothers and twin of the murdered Cass, tortured by guilt he takes his vengeance out on his opponents. Grace, country veterinarian, who just wants to help animals and clear her dementia fallen father of any wrong doings. A couple of people at odds with one another...emotionally, mentally, and the way the go about looking for answers.
Now we know as a twin Cole feels Cass' death a little more deeply than Deac and James but to use that anger and guilt to build his career at a top notch MMA fighter, well that's just down right crazy. But it works for him while he runs from emotion and family. The constant reminders of all that was lost. He purposely has put no roots down and now barely had any contact with his brothers. Until daddy dies and his world is rocked even harder. Another brother...WTH.
Dr. Grace Hunter. Only child of the county's ex-sheriff. Came back to her hometown with dreams of her own practice, home, and family. Daddy now is suffering with dementia and is talking silly, or is he? What do you mean by...if the boy had never come back she wouldn't be broken. And why are you worried that Caleb Palmer might take the blame for something daddy? Uh oh, could the Cavanaugh brothers be right, could the good sheriff know more than he let on. Was Sweet a real person? How do you get a grip on the fact that your father may be involved in covering up a murder.....
Especially when you lust after her twin. Yes, there are a lot of verbal barbs between the two but let's just call it what it is...verbal foreplay. No, these two don't hit the sheets until almost the very end but loved watching them grow to trust, respect, and care for one another. We didn't say there was no fooling around (fighters in training can only go so far and take so many cold showers) but their relationship builds and relies on something more. The emotional bonding.
And in true Cavanaugh form, when he falls Cole goes head first and no holds barred. Love the shock and surprise when the rest of the family figures out what's going on and the guff they give Cole and Grace. Not that they don't stand up and hold their own. Something tells me these two are going to do just fine.
Now as to the side story. We get more insight into Cass' death and ....GASP....a MAJOR revelation at Caleb Palmer's funeral. Oh no, I'm not spilling the beans on that one! This is too good to be a spoiler. It rocks all the Cavanaugh's, and I do mean all 4 brothers, to their core. What has Blue now discovered? What will he do with that information? Where does this leave him now? (Can't wait to find out what happens)

24 hours...less than that actually, that's all the time it took for me to open this book and read it all the way through.
The second in the series this focused on the middle brother, James, the internal one. The horse whisperer. The Shakespeare quoting cowboy who's main flaw is fear; the fear of not be able to protect another female he loves and losing her.
Now his leading lady, Sheridan, of course has her own set of issues. Career driven and all alone, her mama's gone and she has no friends, she brings to the table a life time of advice and wisdom her bitter mama fed her. Trust no man. They leave. Count on yourself. See where this leads her...yup, alone and focused on becoming a success. As Deacon's executive assistant she has learned quite a bit about business and thanks to his broken family she'll learn about relationships.
Everything was going along rather timidly until the night Sheridan was attacked, all the push James needed to call out his protective and possessive instincts. Glad that when he would fall back on his old habit and start to close himself off, Sheridan didn't back down or give in. She meets him head on and calls his bluff. Guess the spine of steel she forged in the business world comes in handy when the man you love is a stubborn, broken cowboy.
Of course we can't forget the wedding and the mystery surrounding Cass' death. Cole gets a little more time as we get eased into his story for the next book. (I see a little something something starting to flicker between our UFC-type fighter and the town vet....maybe she can stitch up his wounds.)Let's not forget about Mac, trying to get in touch with her girly side and plan a wedding. Girl is used to dealing with cattle, not caterers and picking out bouquets. Loved the panic attack when she didn't know what the heck a boutonniere is. And Blue is still MIA, what's going to happen with him?
I have only one criticism of the book and it's not about the story but the packaging. On the back cover for the synopsis it mentions Sheridan being rescued from a horse stampede by James...(1) it wasn't actually a stampede (12 horses running towards the fence line near her but not coming close to her) and (2) it happened towards the last third of the first book and is not mentioned at all in this book. Kind of misleading wouldn't you say; especially if you have a habit of picking up books by description and if you are like me, don't keep track of what author has what series going on. Half the time I end up in the middle of a series without even knowing it just because I read the synopsis on the cover.

DNF about 40%
I give up. There is nothing about this book that stands up to time. I pause the book and I've forgotten absolutely everything I've heard so far. I've reread to hours of this book because I literally don't remember a thing about it. I was just surprised about one of the main characters names. And it isn't like I've passed for days. I've been listening for only 2 days.

Maybe I'll try this again another time. With an ebook. Maybe not.

These books are a fun read. Each story is fairly short and features a quick relationship blooming with a snippet that moves the over-arching plot line along. I'm not usually a fan of "insta-relationships", but the hormonal/magic works fairly well to forgive that. The characters are fairly robust and individual. These are good if you are looking for a light, enjoyable series.

Definitely prefer the other cover pages.

Decent start to new series, my issue is that the book ended in the middle of the story. I would have preferred a real ending leading to the next book, but that is just me.

ARC REVIEW: REBEL INK BY LAURA WRIGHT  
 
My Review
 
 
Rebel Ink (Wicked Ink Chronicles, #3) by Laura Wright
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Two emotionally complicated individuals trying to move on from past mistakes and never managing to let go. Vincent and Lisa's relationship seems like a toxic, self-destructive obsession. For Vincent forgetting the one that got away has not been easy, for Lisa she has tried to move on in a more stable direction but has bad boy Vincent has never been far from her thoughts. Bad decisions are made by both in the quest to find escape from the painful reality that they just may be the one individual that the other cannot live without. A deep meaningful at times frustrating story of two troubled people seeking to find their soulmate. Good story. I received an ARC of Rebel Ink by Laura Wright for an honest review.  (www.goodreads.com/review/list/25556913-isha-coleman)
 
Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Rebel-Ink-Wicked-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B00TSN74Z4/
 
 
Kobo:  http://www.amazon.com/Rebel-Ink-Wicked-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B00TSN74Z4/
 

Two emotionally complicated individuals trying to move on from past mistakes and never managing to let go. Vincent and Lisa's relationship seems like a toxic, self-destructive obsession. For Vincent forgetting the one that got away has not been easy, for Lisa she has tried to move on in a more stable direction but has bad boy Vincent has never been far from her thoughts. Bad decisions are made by both in the quest to find escape from the painful reality that they just may be the one individual that the other cannot live without. A deep meaningful at times frustrating story of two troubled people seeking to find their soulmate. Good story. I received an ARC of Rebel Ink by Laura Wright for an honest review.

Loving this series, can't wait to see how it concludes.

RAGE: It was a little too short for my liking. Lucie was an intriguing character for me and I would have loved to have seen a bit more into the backgrounds of both Rage and Lucie. No real insight into Benson Enterprises yet except for a few of the security personnel looking to make a quick buck. But overall the story was quite enjoyable.

KILLIAN: The story on Pantera experimentation expands. Killian being a Hybrid engineered for combat is quite a jump forward into the machinations of Benson Enterprises. Rosalie's loss of Mercier is also quite new. and the connection between the two is magnetic. Somehow Killian's understanding and gentleness is exactly what she needs and both their pumas can sense that.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Kayden
This one has to be one of the sweetest stories I've read in this series so far. Kayden is hell bent on revenge. When he can't get his hands on the guy who killed his parents, he takes the next best thing, his daughter. Bianca has lead a sheltered and isolated life. Her father says it's for her safety but she never suspected that he may have ulterior motive. Not until she meets Kayden who reveals the truth behind her cancer treatments and unmasks her father in the process

Simon
This story was an unusual one. A Pantera who actually wants to stay away from the Wildlands, who wants nothing to do with them. Unfortunately the leader of the Pantera has other plans and sends his best tracker after him. Tryst, revels in being Pantera, spending more time in her cat rather than her human form. Well, Simon is about to teacher her that she can enjoy life a lot more in human form. But Tryst is going to make him see that being Pantera is what he truly is inside.

Even though both these novellas are really short, the storyline is meaty and the chemistry between both sets of characters is explosive as ever.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, an alpha female for once and she meets her match too. Elyon and Max are the ultimate power couple. But that little cliffhanger there in the end has really got this cat all curious. What have you guys got up your sleeves hmm?

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Blade and Valli's story is quite a lovely read. Both of them have been victims of Benson Enterprises. Blade witnesses the violence done to Valli and can't get her out of his mind. To top it all she's carrying his cub and his Pantera instincts won't let it go until both Valli and his future child is safe in the Wildlands.

Valli has had bad experiences with trusting people in the past. Plus the lies she was fed about Blade make her even warier and fearful of him. But with treatment from Jean-Baptiste and Blade's patient care, the truth is revealed and she finds herself attracted to the intense male. But Benson is still monitoring her unbeknownst to all and when she suddenly disappears, Blade is determined to move heaven and hell until she is safely back in his arms.