BLOG TOUR: RETURN TO POUGHKEEPSIE by DEBRA ANASTASIA

Welcome to my stop on the Return to Poughkeepsie Blog Tour.
My post includes a review and two giveaways.

Series: Poughkeepsie #2

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Omnific

Publication Date: 12/31/13
Format: eARC
Pages: 
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 stars

Beckett Taylor is a murderer. Destruction and intimidation are his calling, his craft —whether he wants it that way now or not. He left Poughkeepsie to keep his brothers safe,to keep Eve safe. Set up with happy lives to live, they’re better off without him, right?

But all his willpower crumbles when he hears his brother Blake’s frantic voice on the phone. Mob forces have moved in on his old territory, and Livia’s been taken. In an
instant, Beckett knows it will take an attack only he and Eve can execute to bring her back safely. All his self-imposed embargoes are torn to shreds, along with the new man
he’s struggled to become.

“Brother, call Eve. I’ll be there soon.”

In this emotional and action-packed sequel to Poughkeepsie, Debra Anastasia conjures a tale of love at its most raw and ragged. With Beckett and Eve, how could we expect anything less? But even when it’s messy, not magical, true love perseveres. Real love finds a way—for better or worse until death does part.

 

First Impression ... Oh my peas, I have been waiting for Eve and Beckett's book for ages. Or maybe a year and a half, same difference. Poughkeepsie, the story of Blake and Livia and their families is one of my favorite books. I'm dying to see what Debra Anastasia brings us next.

The Story... Where do I begin? If you've read Poughkeepsie, then you know what beautiful insanity is in store. If you haven't, I highly suggest you give it a try, because it is a gorgeous love story full of many surprises and dynamic characters.

In Return to Poughkeepsie, the story continues with Beckett. Having left Poughkeepsie to keep his loved ones safe, he is in despair. He misses his brothers, their wives, and Eve, his assassin lover/would-be killer. Beckett sets off to become a better man, one worthy of Eve's love. The journey takes a surprising turn, one I never ever expected. But a man as renowned and feared as Beckett will not be forgotten. His family in danger brings Beckett back, but can he and Eve ever find their way?
 

The Characters ... Return to Poughkeepsie centers primarily around Beckett and Eve and, WHOA, those two were still as crazy and fantastic as I remembered. Before, the two consistently toed a fine line between love and hate. Their lust is alive and lethal, constantly pulling them together in a dance of love and pain. Their appetite was so intense that it bordered on scary. I am always fascinated with characters who feel an attraction to a person who is their enemy, deserves their hatred. Anastasia completely sells this seemingly insane pairing; Beckett and Eve are a couple that must be together.

Return to Poughkeepsie also heavily features the beloved couples Blake and Livia, Cole and Kyle. Having read Poughkeepsie, it did my heart wonders to find Blake healthy and happy with Livia. Their home is happy and full and I appreciated Anastasia's realistic portrayal of marriage and parenthood.

Kyle and Livia's portion was both hilarious and heartbreaking. Hilarious because Kyle still has the funniest and filthiest mouth and I adore her and her former priest husband, with his peaceful nature and constant prayers. Their story is also heartbreaking because they go through some really rough times. Anastasia did their experience tender and honest justice.

Ryan, a cop, is another character with a good bit of page time. I did not trust Ryan, at all. I wanted to hate him, actually. But between him dealing with his ex's horrible and hilarious pranks, and the fact that he was a stand up guy who had a certain character's back, and the fact his heart gets broken, I ended up loving Ryan. I would love to see him find some happiness in the future (hint, hint).

The Writing... Debra Anastasia has once again proven herself a truly gifted author. Her prose is gorgeous. The tone easily transitions between sexy and exciting, thoughtful and sad, dangerous and loving. And humorous. The dialogue, especially from Beckett and Kyle, is ridiculously funny. 

I loved that Return to Poughkeepsie was a story with so much depth. Eve and Beckett by all reasoning, should never be together. The fact that I agonized for these two speaks a lot for the character development and emotions infused into the story.

Could I Put Return to Poughkeepsie Down? The story gets off to a truly heart pounding start, full of close calls, violence and sex. When the story soon took a much, much different path than I expected, I was thrown. I was afraid that as a reader I would be missing out on very important moments. But I saw where the story was going, and I rallied. There's lot of mobster-ish happenings in the middle portion of the story, which really isn't my thing, but I appreciated how it impacted Eve, Beckett and Ryan. As the story progressed, the tension built to a kickass pace, and my heart was in my throat throughout.

In the End... Return to Poughkeepsie was a great story. It was full of love and hope, violence and danger, pain, anguish, and achingly beautiful moments. I love this series, love the characters. And the ending was perfection. Until the very end, I was not aware of a forthcoming third book. And after the sneak peek, I am once again dying for the next Poughkeepsie book.

Favorite Quotes:

  Her blue eyes filled with tears. "I love you.
  His forceful manner slipped. His voice caught on the emotion in his throat. " I know. I'm sorry."


  She touched him and smiled. She didn't need to say it. It was all over her face: She loved him. He was her hero. She kissed him again and again. He ran his hands all over her body, feeling for injuries but only finding her softness.
  She cuddled into him and took a deep breath. Blake wrapped his arms around her and felt primal. Here in woods he could protect her forever.


  "Come her to me," Beckett demanded in a gravelly voice. He pointed to the spot in front of him. "Come here or run, because the next choice you make will be for the rest of your life."

Poughkeepsie Series

 

(covers lead to GoodReads)

My Review of Poughkeepsie

Purchase Return to Poughkeepsie

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GIVEAWAYS

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Poughkeepsie & Return to Poughkeepsie (ebooks)

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About the author
Debra Anastasia is busy, just like every other mom. There's dinner, the dogs, the two kids, the two kids, and her ongoing battle with...ahem... digestive issues, which combined with her adolescent boy sense of humor makes for colorful and sometimes cringe-worthy social media updates. Her first love and crowning achievement is her thriving career as the weirdest mom on the block.
Her writing started a decent handful of years ago when--along with the animals and humans in her house--the voices of characters started whispering stories in Debra's ear. Insomnia was the gateway to plots that wouldn't give up, wouldn't let go. Now they stalk her everywhere. Halfway through making lunches, a twist takes hold and--fingers full of peanut butter--she finds somewhere, anywhere to write it down.

She's eternally grateful to Omnific Publishing, which has now published four of her books: two in the Seraphim Series and two in the Poughkeepsie Brotherhood Series, as well as her novella, Late Night with Andres. That one is special because 100% of the proceeds go to breast cancer research. (So go get it right now, please!) She also very much appreciates her open-minded readers, who embrace everything she has to offer, with a focus on anti-heroes and bathroom humor.Debra lives in Maryland with her family. You can find her at DebraAnastasia.com and on Twitter @Debra_Anastasia. But be prepared.

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