I’m not who I led her to believe. I’m sin wrapped in silk. Betrayal masked by beauty.

And she’s not the only one with scars…

 

Rebel North, an all-new stunning and seductive standalone romance from New York Times bestselling author J.B. Salsbury is available now!

 

Amazon  |  Amazon Worldwide  |  Apple Books  |  Kobo  |  Nook

 

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Blurb

In a city where image is everything, Gabriella turns heads for all the wrong reasons.

The marks that slash across her neck and face turn people away. But I see the beauty that lies beneath, feel a kinship to her pain.

I regret the way she found me—mugged and left for dead. I should walk away, follow the rules, but I can’t. I want to see her again. There’s only one problem.

My brother convinced her I’m gay.

I use that lie to my advantage, persuade her to be my pretend girlfriend, to help protect my fake-sexual identity from my judgmental family. But what starts as a shameless excuse to be near her leads to crossed lines and midnight confessions.

I’m not who I led her to believe. I’m sin wrapped in silk. Betrayal masked by beauty.

And she’s not the only one with scars…

 

Add Rebel North to Goodreads

 

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Review

5 stars!

This is a beautifully written story – funny and so entertaining, but also dramatic and emotional, with a passionate, intense romance that completely owned me. This is a gorgeous friends-to-lovers story with so much heart, and I loved it!

This is the second book in the North Brothers series, the story of Kingston, who was a complete scene stealer in the first book, and who is a fascinating and unique hero, and Gabriella, a sassy woman with a traumatic past.

Kingston is the youngest of the North brothers and is considered the black sheep of his family. While he enjoys his wealth and privilege, he doesn’t work for the family corporation, and seems to have little to no direction in his life. He is constantly and cruelly belittled by his father and his a-hole brother, Hayes, and his unique style, fashion sense and preference for wearing eyeliner paints him as even more of a target. But he is so much more than he seems.

I’m able to create an image that works like a smokescreen. Attractive enough that people befriend me at face value and have no interest in digging deeper.
And thank goodness for that.
Because if they look beyond my designer clothes and pretty face, they’d see me for the royal fuck-up that I am.

Gabriella is also a mystery. She’s lived through trauma which has left her badly scarred – inside and out, and though she’s sensitive about her scars, she is brave and bold, and has a wickedly sarcastic sense of humour, and I loved how strong she is! But there’s this sense of the unknown about her, you know that there is so much to learn, and I couldn’t wait to uncover her and her story.

Kingston and Gabriella meet in unusual circumstances, and though there is a spark between them, she is led to believe that he is gay. She agrees to act as his fake date for an evening, which is wonderfully entertaining and so freaking hilarious, and the two of them form a fast friendship that is easy, natural, and complicated by the fact that they are both attracted to the other, which they do their best to ignore.

I loved seeing these two together. They are playful and funny, and the sexual tension is so good! The chemistry is electric, and it builds beautifully as we watch them fall for each other.

“You’re falling for me.”
“Oh, my God.” She laughs and avoids my eyes.
I rest my arm on the back of the bench and scoot closer to her, “Tell me I’m wrong, and I’ll back off.”
Her expression sobers, and she blinks while still staring ahead. She finally turns toward me, and I see my future play out in her blue eyes. Us, together. Forever. Fuck, I am so in love with her. I always have been.

And when the big moment comes, I was bouncing up and down with excitement.

“I’m not gay. I’m not bisexual. I’m a heterosexual man, and I have wanted you. I want you.”

The romance is sexy, swoony, and so, so right. Things between them change so naturally, and it was gorgeous watching it happen. They are absolutely beautiful together, and I was riding on a wave of romantic bliss.

Where my world was once wrapped up in success, money, or living up to my family name, it now is condensed into one beating heart inside this woman.
She is my world now.
And I plan to make her mine forever.

But they both have secrets, and they are both carrying scars from the past – literally and figuratively. There is a lot they have to work through, and there is heartache and a lot of soul searching as they unpack their pasts and figure out how to move forward. With twists and turns, and some epic surprises, I was captivated as it all unfolded, and I watched them work to deal with it all.

I press a kiss to her head and run my fingers through her hair. “Take all the time you need.”
I mean it. Even if she needs forever.

I love these characters so much. Kingston is sweet and kind, with a huge heart, and though he is arrogant, it’s in a charming way, and he has a phenomenal sense of humour. He is flawed and lost, and is living with terrible secrets, trying so hard to find his way. He absolutely owned me, and I thought his journey throughout the book was beautifully written. And as much as I obsess over book boyfriends, Gabriella almost steals Kingston’s thunder. Her strength, wit and epic sarcasm made me fall madly for her, and as the mysterious of her life were revealed, I came to appreciate her more and more. They are such a wonderful match for each other, and I loved seeing them find their way through their drama to reach their happy ending.

I loved seeing Alex and Jordan from the first book, and we get to see more of the rest of the North boys – and wow, there are going to be some interesting books coming our way! I am so excited to explore more of this family, and can’t wait for the series to continue.

Such a beautiful story, with just the right mix of emotion. I loved it!

5 stars.

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

 

The North Brothers

 

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About the Author

JB Salsbury, New York Times Best Selling author of The Fighting Series, lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her husband and two kids. She spends the majority of her day lost in a world of battling alphas, budding romance, and impossible obstacles as stories claw away at her subconscious, begging to be released to the page.

Her love of good storytelling led her to earn a degree in Media Communications. With her journalistic background, writing has always been at the forefront, and her  love of romance prompted her to write her first novel.  She has since won a RONE Award.

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