ALL I NEED IS YOU

ALL I NEED IS YOU                              WENDY S. MARCUS

As a dancer who creates mesmerizing visions onstage, Neve James is looking for the same kind of stability in her love life. Her pen pal, Rory McRoy, is on leave from deployment in Afghanistan, so she heads to Boston to surprise him. After corresponding for months as part of a “Support Our Troops” initiative—and exchanging dozens of “Read When You’re Alone” letters—Neve knows what Rory likes, and she intends to fulfill his every fantasy. But all they get are a few blissful moments together before they’re interrupted by a woman claiming to be Rory’s fiancée.

Rory has fallen hard for Neve’s letters. When he finally meets her in person, he has to have her, right then and there—until Neve takes off in a fit of anger. Forced to return to Afghanistan before he can fix things between them, Rory waits four agonizing months to prove that he’s not the man Neve thinks he is. But by the time he arrives in New York, she’s already made up her mind. Luckily, Rory never backs down from a challenge, and he’s prepared to put everything on the line for love.
MY REVIEW:

     Neve James and Rory Mc Roy meet under unusual circumstances.  You see Neve decided that since it was soon to be winter and in New York that’s cold and she had no boyfriend or dates on the horizon that she would write to a serviceman.  She made it perfectly clear during the first letter she was unattached and wanted to know if he was because if he chose to get sexually explicit letters for a thrill and to keep boredom away she wanted to know if he was attached.  She told him because if she had a boyfriend serving she wouldn’t want him to have a sexual pen pal.

     Rory assured her he was not seeing anyone.  That he was very honest in this regard.  Because he would never want to hurt any woman like that.  After several months of writing one another Neve finds out he will be coming home to Boston on leave.  He is so excited in every way but sexually especially.  He takes her into the storage room for some sexy R&R. 

     When they are interrupted by a misguided 18 year old family friend.  You see his mother had bought this girl a ring for her 13^th birthday just before Rory entered the service.  Somehow she thought that it meant that they were engaged.  So Neve was beyond angry and wouldn’t listen and this crazy girl wouldn’t shut-up.  He was losing ground.  So, as she was trying to leave grabbed onto her arm and she said to let go.  He said he didn’t want to if it meant she wouldn’t listen to him about what was going on.  Crazy girl says, “Let her go you got me.  Neve says, “Yeah you got her!”  Since she didn’t like being told what to do by someone trying to make her do something she didn’t want to do which was stay in the storage room and talk it out.  She did what her brother the cop taught her to do. One fast jab to the throat.  As he gasped for air she kicked him in the jewels, hard, stepping away as he fell to the ground with a thud.

     This hurt Neve right down to her marrow.  It had It had happened again.  She thought for sure Rory was the one.  The good guy.  She told him things she didn’t even tell her best friend.  How could her instincts be so off?  As she ran to her car with tears running down her cheek she got to her car and got the hell out of Boston.

     Before Rory could fix it he was called back from his leave early and was gone 4 months.  In all that time Neve would not take his calls, text, emails, or anything at all.  All letters were returned unopened.  He was beyond himself.  He was determined that when he got out he would go straight to her.  When he gets to her she collapses in his arms as her brother is right there.  They rush her to the hospital…

     Can they mend this relationship?  Can Rory get Neve to believe him?  Does she think Rory only wanted to use her and marry the good girl?  Although I enjoyed the moments of emotional drama of which there were several.  It was the times in between that seemed to lag.  Rory at times seemed whipped to me.  I could figure out why he was so passive.   I give this 4 stars.  Provided by netgalley.com.  Follow us at:

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CHRISTMAS IN VERMONT

CHRISTMAS IN VERMONT                        BRYAN MOONEY

In the small town of Woodstock, Vermont, Christmas means white snow and warm traditions. For ex-Marine Jack Reynolds, it’s a chance to visit home and sort out his life. He’s engaged but unhappy, his brother is missing in action, and he often thinks about Hope, the beautiful teacher who helped him survive an attack in Iraq before disappearing. Unbeknownst to Jack, Hope is in Woodstock, having sworn to visit the hometown of the man who saved her life.

A chance encounter brings Jack and Hope together once more, and they instantly feel the same deep connection that sustained them in Iraq. When a long-lost bag of Christmas cards is discovered at the local post office, the pair sets out to deliver them. As the letters bring joy around Woodstock, Jack and Hope grow closer—but misunderstandings and uncertainty come between them. Can the cozy town’s Christmas spirit help them find the courage to follow their hearts?

Revised edition: This edition of Christmas in Vermont: A Very White Christmas includes editorial revisions.

MY REVIEW:

     “Now one left behind.”  Was strongly ingrained into Jack Reynolds as he is a Marine after all.  It wasn’t just that though you see his kid brother Charley enlisted with him, Marines, went to boot camp together, and assigned was together.  Jack though was assigned to recon unit in the field when Charley’s helicopter he was assigned to went down.  Jack was determined to find him or die trying.  So he’s still out there he knows it.  Alone!

     Then one day in Iraq he sees this beautiful woman with long red hair who he finds out is a teacher.  She had noticed him too.  Hope Caldwell a former military brat was just lingering at the front of the school after saying goodbye to her class for the day.  When she sees men full out running toward her yelling unkind words.  She takes off running into the school for cover.  When she hears shots fired.  She keeps running all out like she did for track team back in the day.  She even knew at 36 she was not in shape.

     When all of a sudden an American soldier appears and pulls her in his direction.  She follows him when they end up in the basement.  All is quiet until they hear this thumping down the stairs and it sounds like a canvas bag. When Jack yells, “In coming!”  He grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the direction of the bomb.  All of a sudden the whole building is coming down on them.

     Hope wakes first to severe pain and feels that she is pinned and can’t move and that she is laying in a pool of her own blood.  She remembers the Marine and sees he is still holding her hand.  When his eyes pop open.  He too is pinned and also bleeding.  She starts to panic but Jack’s training kicks in.  He explains that she cannot go to sleep because she is in shock and due to head injury it could be fatal.

     The took turns talking when her Marine started to slip away from her but never letting go of her hand.  She tried everything to keep him awake.  She even tried everything to keep him awake.  She even yells, “Marine, Marine do you hear me?  Wake up you need to stay away that’s an order!”  She says it several times, nothing.  When she starts feeling herself falling asleep.  She started to think she never got his name she only knew about his fairy tale winter wonderland that happens to be Woodstock, Vermont where everyone loves Christmas and snow all the time if they could.  She promised herself if she made it she would go visit that little town but at this moment it would take a miracle.

     This was a very sweet, feel good Christmas treat read.  All the characters are friend you wished you had and hoped you could strive to be.  One nice family saga which you know I love.  What Jack calls his aunt Holly for the first time just tugs at your heart.  I give this 5++++ stars.  Provided by netgalley.com.

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BREAKING A LEGEND

BREAKING A LEGEND                                 SARAH ROBINSON

As one of the big names at his family’s gym, Legends, MMA star Rory Kavanagh is used to being in the spotlight—until a gruesome leg injury knocks him out of the cage. Rory is left feeling sidelined in more ways than one, battling the inner demons that come with losing the one shot at his dreams. Then Clare walks into his life and gives him a new dream: winning her heart. There aren’t many new faces in Woodlawn these days, but this tough, beautiful stranger makes Rory want to get his life back into fighting shape.

Clare Ivers doesn’t think she’ll be able to tell anyone what really brought her to the close-knit Bronx neighborhood where she just started bartending. But her life’s on pause and her past is catching up fast, try as she might to move on—with new friends, steady work, and a chiseled alpha male trying to get her attention. Even though Rory’s more than a little intense, she can’t deny that her heart beats faster when he looks at her with those soulful silver eyes. Clare thought she was done with love, but Rory might just be man enough to show her she thought wrong.

MY REVIEW:

     Family sagas what can I say I love them.  This one here about the Kavanagh family doesn’t disappoint.  This story here mainly surrounds Rory Kavanagh.  A world class MMA who was at a very important fight for his career when he gets too over confident and his technique becomes sloppy and his opponent gets the better of him.  Ending his career by making a careless mistake that took only minutes to make.

     Once his career was over he could see some changes that he didn’t like.  People looked at him with pity and not as this champion combine that with the pain and the rollercoaster of pain pills after his physical therapy was over where they thought he might never walk again.  The pity did him in and self-loathing.

     So know the Kavanagh still had pull because his father Seaman ran the area where he lived and the old stories of him once being a part of the Irish mob the Westies still put fear in those around town.  Yet, also the family owned Legends the most successful gym is most of New York.  So he could go from doctor to doctor saying he was hurting and pay them nicely under the table.  You see being a champion for all those years payed him well and he invested well.  Then on top of that he started drinking.  A lethal combination.  His family dad: Seaman, mom: Dee, Brothers: Kane, Jimmy, & Quinn and adopted sister: Casey, knew it was one they were helpless to help him with.  He had to want to stop the madness of self-pity and using.

     When one night he stumbles into a few more drinks before last call.  He goes to the end of the bar and asks for a drink when he sees an angel filling the ice bucket.  He smirks and she takes offense.  He explains he means nothing by it and calls her his sweetheart in Irish.  So she can’t stay mad.  He realizes that he likes that she stands up to him not caring he is one of the Kavanagh’s, he’s like 4 times his size, and he’s flirting with her.

What he likes most is that she makes him laugh and he hasn’t done that in a very long time.  He could be Joe Blow for all she cared.  Then her boss sticks his foot into it and Rory punches him in the nose breaking it.  Scaring Clare Ivers in so many was.  He taken out by his brothers and Jimmy the family cop smooths things out with the bar manager.

     The next day he runs into Rory at the gym when Clare is there to sign up for self-defense classes.  They start seeing each other due to that class and him training Kane for MMA fighting.  Little by little he gets in her good graces.  But her ex and his threats are still there and she worries for those around her.  See where they go from here.  She has lived in fear for so long can see live here in no fear of will he find her and her those she has grown to love?

     This book is all I love in a family saga of course.  I glossed over so much that goes in between these lines and the rest of the book.  The brothers along with Casey remind me of an Italian family or my own Hispanic family, loud.  The love and understanding the two find in one another is rewarding as you read and the ending is a lot of fun.  I give this 5 stars.  Provided by netgalley.com.  Follow us at: www.1rad-readerreviews.com