BLOG TOUR: ON THE ROCKS by SAWYER BENNETT ~ REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

 

 

 

Welcome to my stop on the On the Rocks Blog Tour, hosted by AToMR. Find all the tour stops here.

Series: Last Call Series #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Big Dog Books

Publication Date: 2/17/14
Format: eARC
Source: Author
Rating: 4 stars

He left to travel the world for fame and glory, but only after spurning Gabby Ward and crushing her young heart. Now Hunter Markham has come back home to the sand and salty breeze of the North Carolina Outer Banks so he can open up Last Call, a beach bar nestled among the dunes of the Atlantic.

Gabby Ward is not happy that Hunter has returned. Bitter over his rebuff years before, she’s content to stay far away from him and his dangerously charming ways.

Gabby’s well-schemed plans to ignore Hunter go up in flames when he presents an offer to her that she simply can’t refuse, throwing them together in a common quest to each reach their goals. Working together day in and day out proves to be problematic for Gabby, who soon realizes that the feelings she had for him are still very much alive. Hunter struggles to reach through to Gabby’s cold heart, all while starting a new career away from his life as a top ranked, professional surfer.

What starts out as a mutual business arrangement soon turns into a passion that neither of them can continue to deny.

Hard choices lay ahead for both of them when Hunter is offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to return to the pro surfing tour.

Choices that could destroy what they have built or take them further than they ever had dared to hope.

I'm a big fan of Sawyer Bennett's, of whatever she writes. So when I learned that she was starting a new contemporary romance series, needless to say, I was excited. Sexy, funny, and with a smidge of angst, On the Rocks was exactly what I was looking for.

The story begins with a prologue set five years the past, when Hunter breaks young Gabby's heart. Over the next five years, Hunter traveled  world on the Pro surfing circuit, while Gabby moved on, went to college, and has taken over her father's construction business. Gabby has pushed all of her feelings aside, considers herself over Hunter. (or so she thinks)

So when he comes back home, buys Last Call, and hires her to do remodeling work, Gabby thinks that she will do her job and move along. But Hunter quickly sees that older Gabby is a woman that he wants to know better. Of course this means that the attraction between them  takes front and center. The chemistry between them is hot, it is very emotionally charged, and it is fun. This change quickly forces Gabby and Hunter to re-examine their lifelong relationship. Gabby assumed Hunter is in town temporarily, and will break her heart again. Hunter assumes nothing, except for the fact that he finally meant to be together.

So. What we have here with On the Rocks is a really good, second chance romance, of sorts. Gabby and Hunter get to know one another again as adults, as friends and -finally- as lovers. I really enjoyed everything about this story, from the setting on the gorgeous North Carolina coast, the cool and cozy Last Call bar, the great secondary cast, whom I can't wait to know better in future books. One character in particular is Brody, Hunter's twin. Yes, twin. Brody is quite an enigmatic character, with a recent history that is a bit gut-wrenching. I feel certain his book will make me ache.

Once again, Sawyer Bennett has made me happy to be one of her readers. She has a great talent for creating stories and characters that I absorb. Simply based on On the Rocks, her Last Call series might end up being my favorite of hers yet.
 

Favorite Quotes:

  Hunter Markam has the ability not just to hurt me. He's a man that could destroy me. And that makes me cranky


  "I don't know what this is," I admit. "I don't know where this is going."
  Giving me a small smile, Hunter leans in and gives me a kiss. When he pulls away, he says, "No one knows where anything is going...not for sure. Who's to say we need to know what waits for us? Maybe all we need to know is that we don't want to stay where we are."


  I hold these truths to be self-evident. I'm so fucking in love with Hunter, and yes, I know I'm quoting the Declaration of Independence to summarize my feelings at this point, but that's a damn good clause.
 

Purchase Links

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  iBooks

Giveaway

Epic Love Boxed Set – releasing 3/10/14 with following novels:

-Off Chance by USA Today Bestselling Author Sawyer Bennett
-Trophy Husband by NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author Lauren Blakely
-Finding the Right Girl by NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author Violet Duke
-Indulgent Pleasures by USA Today Bestselling Author Karen Erickson
-Keeping You by iBooks and International Bestselling Author Jessie Evans
-With Every Heartbeat by USA Today Bestselling Author Melody Grace
-Unravel Me by NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author Kendall Ryan
-Text Appeal by NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author Lexi Ryan  
a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author

USA Today Best-Selling author, Sawyer Bennett, is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. She is married to a mobster (well, a market researcher) and they have two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn't have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.

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