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Review of The Rebel by Adrienne Giordano w/a GC & Swag Pack Giveaway! @adriennegiordano

The RebelAbout the Book

 

Title:                            The Rebel

Series:                         Harlequin Intrigue

Authors:                       Adrienne Giordano

Release Date:              October 1, 2015

Blog Tour Dates:         October 1, 2015 – October 9, 2015

Genre:                         Romantic Suspense

Buy Links:                    Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Google Play / Harlequin / Kobo

 

Book Summary:

 

Bad to the bone…in all the right ways

 

A brilliant civil lawyer, David Hennings has always been the outsider—at odds with his wealthy family, shunning relationships, defying convention as a sexy leather-jacketed biker. Which is why sculptor Amanda LeBlanc agrees to his request to reconstruct a skull from a cold case murder. The instant heat between them is scorching.

 

But once Amanda takes the job and gets too close to the rebellious attorney, her carefully balanced life is upended by a series of methodical attacks. Someone doesn’t want her to finish the job. Now David will risk everything not to lose the woman he unknowingly put in jeopardy.

Excerpt 1 from The Rebel

 

Inside the stairwell of the hundred-year-old building on the city’s West Side, David climbed the last few steps leading to the landing of Amanda’s second-floor studio. He loved these old structures with the Portland stone and brick. The iconic columns on the facade urged the history major in him to research the place. Check the city records, see what information he could find on who’d built it, who’d lived here or which companies had run their wares through its doors.

Structures like this had a charm all their own that couldn’t be duplicated with modern wizardry. Old buildings, this building, had a life, a past to be researched and appreciated.

Or maybe he just wanted to believe that.

He rapped on the door. No hollow wood there. By the scarred look and feel of its heavy weight under his knuckles, it might be the original door. How amazing would that be?

The door swung open and a woman with lush curves a guy his size could wrap himself around greeted him. She wore jeans and a graphic T-shirt announcing he should make love, not war—gladly, sweetheart—and her honey-blond hair fell around her shoulders, curling at the ends. The whole look brought thoughts of lazy Sunday mornings, hot coffee and a few extracurricular activities, in a bed and out, David could think of.

To say the least, she affected him.

And she hadn’t even opened her mouth. Please don’t be an airhead.

“David?”

Yep. That was the voice from earlier. Soft and sweet and stirring up all kinds of images right along with Sunday mornings and coffee. With any luck, more than the coffee would be hot.

Hokay. Mission Pam Hennings getting derailed by wicked thoughts. Time to get serious.

“Hi. Amanda?”

“Yes.” She held her hand out. “Amanda LeBlanc.”

David grasped her hand and glanced down at her long, elegant fingers folding over his. Her silky skin absorbed his much larger hand, and he might like to stay this way awhile. Nice hands. Soft hands. He’d imagined a sculptor’s hands to be work-hardened and rough. Not that she swung an ax all day, but he’d expected…different.

“Um.” She pointed at their still joined hands. “I kinda need that hand back.”

Epic fail, Dave. He grinned and regrettably slid his hand away. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but where have you been all my life?”

As recoveries went, it wouldn’t be listed among the top hundred in brilliance, but a man had to work with what he had. Still, her lips, those extraordinary, shapely lips, twisted until she finally gave up and awarded him with a smile.

“Good one,” she said. “Come inside and we’ll talk about your project.”

Before I start the review, you might need some background on my love Harlequin Intrigues.  They are my first love, my go-to line that Harlequin has ever produced.  I have found many authors throughout the years that wrote for the Intrigue line that I now read their self published works, works from other publishers and just a general respect for as a writer and reviewer.  Julie Miller, Nancy Warren, BJ Daniels, Delores Fossen, HelenKay Dimon, Rita Herron, Debra Webb, Mallory Kane, Elle James and that’s the tip of the iceberg.  In fact, some of these authors wrote for other lines within Harlequin and read them there and found more authors to read.  And now Adrienne Giordano.  

Most people make fun of Harlequin and that’s a shame.  Most authors that I continue to read day in, day out started with Harlequin and/or still writing for them.  I obsess, stalk and generally sit on pins and needles waiting for the next KC story from Julie Miller.  BJ Daniels…no one beats her cowboys and strong women.  Nancy Warren’s humor and smexy times, Debra Webb’s Colby Agency and the spin offs from them.  I could go on but that’s another blog post.

What I’m trying to say is, give Harlequin Intrigue’s a chance.  They are well thought out, twisted plot lines to keep up with, characters that you will love, villains to generally hate and be scared of and just the right about of smexy times that it doesn’t over power the story.  Plus, did I mention that suspense/mystery/thriller romances are my all time favorites?  Nope…well, now you know.  

review

Just when I thought this series couldn’t get any better, it did.  Okay, so I’ve only read two books (out of 4) but I’m completely 100% hooked on Ms. Giordano.  Seriously though…I really need to pick up Zac, Penny and Jenna’s books.  Of course, you don’t have to because each is a stand alone but of course I’m weird and now need to read them…just because.

I do have to apologize to anyone that is offended by my PSA beforehand.  Before the haters that are going to hate just remember where your favorite authors started out and WHY you love them?  Ms. Giordano is going to be one of those authors that will become bigger, better and more popular as time comes.

Where to start with this one?  Let’s just saw that the suspense/intrigue wasn’t as strong in this one but it really didn’t need to be until the end.  This was more of a character driven story with fleshed out characters that seemed to just take over.  Look at the excerpt above.  This is just the beginning of their relationship and it only gets better from there.  David and Amanda truly wanted to get to know each other before anything smexy happens between them.  They listened to each other, complimented each other but more importantly respected each other.  Sure Amanda had some issues but David didn’t have to “help” her in dealing with them.  David’s issues were more family related but are dealt with in a very normal and sometimes loud way.  😉

To say that I don’t love David’s mother is an understatement.  She is the kind of secondary character that isn’t overpowering but at the same time is formidable.  I literally can’t get enough of her but she does have weakness and I would have to say its David, her oldest.  She might be upper class and have her hands in a bunch of stuff but when it came to David, she gently set him straight on so many things.

The twist at the end was wicked.  Truly wicked and I never saw it coming.  In fact, since the intrigue didn’t really happen until the last few chapters, I honestly didn’t care about that angle in the book.  I just wanted David and Amanda and their relationship.  I know, I know…I’m supposed to care about the mystery and overall I did.  Just didn’t want the book to end.  These two could have an entire series devoted just for them and I’d read it.  Oh yes, a follow series and I would definitely buy it, read it, devour it and beg for more.

Do yourself a favor.  Read this book.  Fall in love with David and Amanda.  You will not regret it.  Maybe I could talk to Ms. Giordano about futhering David and Amanda’s stories.  🙂

 

5harlies

recommend-harlies- new

 

 

 

 

About the AuthorGiordano Author Photo

 

USA Today bestselling author Adrienne Giordano writes romantic suspense and mystery.  She is a Jersey girl at heart, but now lives in the Midwest with her workaholic husband, sports obsessed son and Buddy the Wheaten Terrorist (Terrier). She is a co-founder of Romance University blog and Lady Jane’s Salon-Naperville, a reading series dedicated to romantic fiction.

 

Connect with Adrienne:  Website / Newsletter / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Street Team

 

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Giveaway Details

 

There is a tour-wide giveaway of a $25.00 eGift Card to an online book retailer of winner’s choice and three swag packs.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Blog Tour Stops

 

October 1, 2015

Peaces of Me

My book Addiction and More

HEA Romances With A Little Kick

The Reading Café

CK Crouch

Long and Short Reviews

Reading On The Rocks

 

October 2, 2015

Amy Manemann’s Blog

The Book Review

 

October 3, 2015

What I’m Reading

Harlequin Junkie

Romancing The Book

Just Romantic Suspense

 

October 4, 2015

A Chick Who Reads

Em & M Books

Renee Entress’s Blog

 

October 5, 2015

Recommended Romance

Urban Girl Reader

 

October 6, 2015

So Many Reads

SOS Aloha

 

October 7, 2015

Becky On Books

The Romance Dish

 

October 8, 2015

Book Binge

Lush Book Reviews

Harlie’s Books

Adventures in Writing

Romance Junkies

 

October 9, 2015

Just The Write Stuff

Cricket’s Chirps

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