★TBT #45★
Lauren Layne's Redemption series (1 & 2) is on this weeks #ThrowbackThrusday. Another great series from this author. It is sweet, romantic, steamy and entertaining all at once.
Title: Crushed
Author: Lauren Layne
Series: Redemption #2
Genre: new adult, romance
Lauren Layne’s latest novel about the healing power of redemption tells the story of a crush gone wickedly wrong, proving that what you want isn’t always what you need.
Growing up in New York, Michael St. Claire never expected to spend his twenties wearing cowboy boots. But that was before he learned about his real father, a total stranger with a family in Cedar Grove, Texas. Once in the Lone Star State, Michael meets Kristin Bellamy, who is exquisitely refined and everything Michael always thought he wanted in a woman. The only problem is that Kristin is dating Michael’s new half-brother, Devon.
Kristin’s mouthy, curvy sister Chloe has always been in love with Devon Patterson. So when Michael offers to help Chloe break up Devon and Kristin, Chloe agrees to a deal that seems too good to be true. Before long, Chloe finally gets her man, only to make a startling discovery: She no longer wants the guy she had to fight for—she wants the one who stood by her side.
After all he and Chloe have been through, Michael swears he’s damaged goods. Can Chloe convince him that love is worth the risk?
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SANDY’S REVIEW
***3.5 stars***
Chloe was smart, funny, caring, foodie and curvy. Her sister, Kristin’s stark beauty always overshadowed her goodness and she had to live with the bitter fact that her long-time crush/love (Devon) is dating her sister. Devon and Chloe were best friends back in school when he was just as invisible as her, as they grew up he only had eyes for Kristin and they started drifting apart now since she found an opportunity to win him back she agrees to lose some weight and gain that self-confidence to charm Devon.
Michael left the luxurious life of NY to work as trainer/bartender in Dallas to find his biological father. In earlier books we saw that Michael was still in love with Olivia, that her rejection hurt him badly. He swore he wouldn’t love anyone else but Kristin’s exquisite beauty reminds him so much of Olivia the kind of girl he dates; only hindrance is that she is dating Devon, his half brother. So he devise a plan to get to his father through Devon by getting close to Chloe, in return he’ll help her get in shape and break up Kristin and Devon.
Michael never thought he’d feel so strongly about someone after how things left with Olivia but being with Chloe makes him forget his miserable lonely life for a while. Though she keeps annoying him with her nonstop chatter she always makes him laugh, she knows the right thing to say to ease his burden. Falling for Chloe is not an option for Michael, he has firsthand experience of being someone’s second choice and he doesn’t want history repeating itself again.
Chloe was such a refreshing unusual character, she was definitely the reason I enjoyed this story so much, loved her sassy witty mouth. Michael on other hand didn’t leave an impression on me; I was so annoyed by his choices. While first half of the story was great fun, second half seem to divert from its track. It was as if the author was trying to tie all the loose ends to give a happy ending which again was rushed. Nevertheless the story was really sweet and Chloe was super cute, just to know how amazing she is you have to read this book.
ARC kindly provided by Random House Publishing Group via Netgalley, for an honest review.
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