RUCKUS
(Sinners of Saint, #2)

by L.J. Shen

A Contemporary Romance

Available Now!

$0.99/Kindle Unlimited
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Blurb

Rosie

They say that life is a beautiful lie and death a painful truth. They’re right.
No one has ever made me feel more alive than the guy who serves as a constant reminder that my clock is ticking.
He is my forbidden, shiny apple.
The striking fallacy to my blunt, raw, truth.
He is also my sister’s ex-boyfriend.
One thing you should know before you judge me;
I saw him first. I craved him first. I loved him first.
Eleven years later, he waltzed into my life, demanding a second chance.
Dean Cole wants to be my bronze horseman. My white knight has finally arrived.
Hopefully, he isn’t too late.

Dean

They say the brightest stars burn out the fastest. They’re right.
She sets my mind on fire.
All smart mouth, snarky attitude and a huge heart.
In a world where everything is dull, she shines like fucking Sirius.
Eleven years ago, fate tore us apart.
This time, I fucking dare it to try.
Getting to her is a battlefield, but man, that’s why they call me Ruckus.
Rosie LeBlanc is about to find out how hard I can fight.
And conquering her will be the sweetest victory.

Find Ruckus on GOODREADS

 

 

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Review

5 stars!

They always say that there are two sides to every story. I thought I knew who Dean was. I thought I knew what happened between him and Millie and what would happen between him and Rosie. I thought I knew but I was completely wrong. I went into it thinking one thing, wondering how I’d get over my preconceived notions and feelings about the plot, and came out of it emotionally drained yet emotionally fulfilled in the best possible way.

The prologue was a game changer. It sucked me in and I didn’t stand a chance of making it out unscathed even if, in the end, every heartbreaking moment was worth it. And it was worth it. It’s an epic love story that was surprisingly complex and powerful. It’s raw, real and intense. The passion-filled emotion it will elicit will consume you. I thought I loved Vicious, but now I know that I was never prepared for Ruckus.

Rosie LeBlanc was introduced in her sister Millie’s book, Vicious. We only get glimpses into her life and know that she suffers from an illness that will forever affect her life. She knows her limits but still wants to live and follow her dreams. Things don’t always happen how we’d like though and Rosie finds herself wanting something that doesn’t seem possible.

My story? It doesn’t have a happy ending. It won’t. It can’t. No matter how tall or handsome or rich or captivating my Prince Charming might be.
And my Prince Charming was all those things. Oh, he was all those things and more.
Only problem was he wasn’t really mine. He was my sister’s. But there is something you should know before you judge me.
I saw him first. I craved him first. I loved him first.

Dean ‘Ruckus’ Cole is one of the HotHoles from Todos Santos and a wealthy businessman living in NYC.  In highschool, Dean dated Millie but there was a moment between Rosie and him that could have been life changing. And in a way it was. But then the moment came crashing down and all that was left was a broken heart and a missed chance at true love. Then, Dean and Rosie find themselves living in the same building and he refuses to hide his feelings and intentions any longer. He is done wasting the time that Rosie doesn’t have enough of and he makes his move, ultimately placing them on an emotional roller-coaster and bringing the reader right along with them.

“I’m about to rewrite the pages of our fucking history, baby.”

I loved this book! The storyline is complex, filled with layers upon layers and as each one is pulled back the story gets even more interesting. The characters are well-developed and I couldn’t help but love them. It’s an addictive read and I found myself emotionally invested in the story and the characters, rooting for the happily ever after that was lost to them in the past.

Rosie and Dean were amazing characters both individually and together. I absolutely adored Rosie. She was sweet, outgoing, and wanted so desperately to be independent. Her illness could have slowed her down, but she didn’t let it. I loved that she didn’t give up and fought to live her life the way she wanted to. Her loyalty and ability to forgive was incredible, and she put her loved ones first even when it broke her own heart. Rosie loved Ruckus completely, including the good, the bad, and everything in between. I loved that her support and understanding were exactly what Dean needed and she was there for him, no questions asked.

I fell asleep in the arms of his demons, knowing I’d wake up in the arms of a sweet man.
For Dean ‘Ruckus’ Cole had many faces. And all of them were beautiful. At least to me.

Dean was different than I imagined. What you see on the outside isn’t want you get on the inside. He has inner demons and a tortured past that haunts him. Alcohol, weed, and women are the only things that could drown out the past but I quickly found out that that’s not what he’s all about. Sure he was far from prefect and he screws up royally, but his good side shone brightly in this story. He’s compassionate, caring, and protective. I loved that he didn’t treat Rosie like a fragile rose the way everyone else did. He loved her for who she was and accepted everything that came with loving her.

Why did it feel so divine when the man who claimed he wanted to “save” me hurt me? Maybe because a part of saving sick little Rosie was by showing her what she was capable of suffering without breaking.

Dean’s dirty talk was insanely hot and his sweet side will make you swoon. He was funny and I actually enjoyed his cocky confidence.

“Don’t you want to know what I wished for?” My voice came out hoarse. He leaned into my body, his lips pressing against my cheek.
“Doesn’t matter what you wished for,” he slurred. “What matters is what you need. I have it, Rosie. And one day – we both know – I will give it to you. In spades.”

Was he a manwhore? Yes. Maybe even the biggest one out there, but when he got his chance with Rosie, his devotion was astounding. He knew what the future held for her, for him, and for them as a couple and still he went all in and loved fiercely.

Love felt like dipping each other in gasoline and burning together. Love felt like dancing with madness in the dark, watching all of its bright lights. Love felt like gasping for air when your lungs were already full.

Dean and Rosie together are like a spark on fuel, they are combustible. From the epic banter to the crazy sexual tension, the buildup is fantastic and when they finally – finally – give into their intense desires, it is nothing short of an explosion.

Dean ‘Ruckus’ Cole was a sex god. It shouldn’t have surprised me, but he was right. What we shared wasn’t normal. It was crazy.
Crazy good.

They grow together and you can see the positive changes that each bring out in the other. I loved them as a couple. Their passion, commitment, and love was gorgeous. They had so many obstacles in their way, yet they still fought to be together.

There is so much more to this story than I thought surrounding the history of the past and the dreams of the future. The flashbacks were perfectly woven into the story and you understand the reason things happened the way they did and felt the emotion resulting from the actions that changed everything. I was worried about the whole ex- thing with Millie but the way the story is written shows you what fate had in store for them. Timing is everything and I am not upset with the way things went down in the past because I knew L.J. Shen would make things right. And she did.

There are secrets, lies, and betrayal that will crush you, and a huge twist that completely shocked me. The lead up to the reveal will keep you enthralled and you’ll be crushed when everything falls apart at the worst possible moment. There are also several serious scenes that pulled at my heartstrings and even one that stopped my heart.

The epilogue wasn’t just a small tie up of all the loose ends. It’s was the perfect conclusion to Dean and Rosie’s story. It’s a nice length and provides us with so much love and happiness that I am left with a huge grin on my face despite the fact that my heart hurt while reading it.

“Forever starts now, Baby LeBlanc. With you.”

Overall, it was fantastic. Go out and grab it today because when Dean Cole makes a ruckus, I can guarantee it’ll be good!

*ARC generously provided by the author and Enticing Journey Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review*

 

 

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Sinners of Saint series

Find the Sinners of Saint series on GOODREADS

 

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About the Author

L.J. Shen resides in sunny California with her husband, son, chubby cat and wild, wild dreams.

Her passion is to write badass stories, sushi, UFC and her awesome family and friends (not in this order, though. Obviously, sushi comes before writing. Oh, and also the family part.)

She spent the first half of her twenties traveling the world and is now paying all the fun with extra shifts in front of her MacBook. Feel free to contact her on her Facebook page. She loves to hear from her readers.

Email L.J. Shen ➜ msleighshen@gmail.com

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