Whisper Falls (Destiny, #3)

Dec 23, 2010 Shawna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of steamy contemporary romance & tattooed bad boy heroes

Shelves: contemporary-romance, series-destiny, toni-blake-lacey-alexander, small-town-lovin, bikers-sexy-as-sin, hero-bad-boy-playboy, favorite-romance-series, tattoos-piercings-body-art, arc-review-copy-galley, netgalley, kindle, brothers-sisters-cousins-family, enemies-to-lovers-opposites-attract, pregnancy-fertility-baby-kids-drama, made-me-cry, sweet-romance-left-smile-on-my-face, best-faves-of-2010, hero-im-gaga-over, hh-disfigured-injured-scarred-ill, heroine-kickass-spirited-strong, heroine-i-adore, hero-stud-mantel-hall-of-fame, hero-addict-excon-lawtrouble-thief, hero-mix-of-alpha-beta, angsty-dark-heavy-lotsa-drama, animals-matter, favorites, favorite-romance-couple-hh-pairings, i-read-kindle, 2010-reads, hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst, hero-cold-cruelbrute-dark-dangerous, hh-physical-mental-disability-ill, hh-sweet-nice-paired-vs-gruff-cynic, humorous-at-times-or-fluffy-fun, why-do-good-girls-like-bad-boys, 5-stars, hero-tattalizing, bikes-grease-monkey-hot-rods-racer, hero-recluse-loner-lonewolf, hero-silent-quiet-type-reticent, heroine-good-girl-nice, best-endings-epilogues, hero-wrong-side-of-the-tracks

5 stars – Contemporary Romance

Reading Toni Blake's Destiny series is like coming home and visiting with dear friends, and Whisper Falls is my favorite book in the series so far, which is really saying something considering how much I enjoyed the first two books. There seems to be a noticeable trend lately in contemporary romance of characters returning to their small hometowns, but this has more depth than most, making it one of the better series. There are several attributes about the Destiny s...more 5 stars – Contemporary Romance

Reading Toni Blake's Destiny series is like coming home and visiting with dear friends, and Whisper Falls is my favorite book in the series so far, which is really saying something considering how much I enjoyed the first two books. There seems to be a noticeable trend lately in contemporary romance of characters returning to their small hometowns, but this has more depth than most, making it one of the better series. There are several attributes about the Destiny series that I love, including its perfect balance of charm, humor, drama, and steamy romance. But one of the strongest elements is its genuine characters with realistic flaws, and Lucky and Tessa are by far my favorite hero and heroine and romantic couple of the series.

Tessa Sheridan is back in her hometown of Destiny, Ohio seeking a serene fresh start to recuperate from a debilitating illness that caused her thriving big city interior design career to disintegrate. She just wants peace and privacy living in her remote cabin in the woods, and the last thing she expected was to have a hot, tall, muscled, long-haired, tattooed, and possibly dangerous biker for her new neighbor. Tessa's surprised to discover that he's Lucky Romo, Destiny's long lost, notorious bad boy, but even more shocking is the powerful, yet unwanted sexual attraction she feels toward him.

Lucky Romo left Destiny years ago without a word to anyone, and his whereabouts since have been a subject of shady speculation. Now he's back in the hometown that caused him so much grief as a teen and that he once swore he'd never return to, for mysterious reasons. Lucky hires Tessa to redecorate his house, and as they spend time together, a friendship develops and the explosive attraction between them ignites. Lucky has a dark, painful past that he'd like to forget and keep private, but can Tessa ever truly trust him without knowing his secrets? And is it too late for Lucky to reconcile with his family, especially his angry older brother Mike, who also happens to be a dedicated local cop?

Tessa and Lucky have combustible chemistry, but they also complement each other in so many ways. They're both surprised to find themselves attracted to someone so different than their usual type, but their emotional connection reinforces the strong physical desire they feel for each other. Tessa admires Lucky's artistic talent and the way he's found success doing what he loves with his custom bike painting business. She's determined to live life to the fullest and not let her disease control her or dictate who she is, and her emotional strength, positivity, and zest for experiencing all of life's pleasures is inspiring to Lucky. Tessa grows more liberated and daring because of her relationship with Lucky, and he becomes less guarded and more open with his feelings.

The romance between Tessa and Lucky was sexy, touching, fun, sweet, and steamy, and the relationship conflict was realistic, especially when Lucky's dark past endangers the trust and sanctuary they've found in each other. There were so many tender, heartfelt, and romantic moments between them. I loved when he insisted on taking care of her, the sweet scene in the park, and the sexy way he called her “hot stuff”. And it has one of the most sigh-worthy, romantic, and touching endings that I've read.

Tessa's cheerful attitude despite her health adversity was admirable, and I loved how she found encouragement from watching Ellen's TV show and optimistic life quotes. I definitely agree that laughter and dancing are powerful therapies and two of life's greatest pleasures.

Whisper Falls is another wonderful, entertaining story with great characters from talented author Toni Blake, and I highly recommend it for fans of hot, emotional contemporary romance, especially those who love sexy, sweet bad boy heroes.

This was an ARC, received courtesy of NetGalley.com. And I’d like to give a special appreciation to Lindsey Faber, Toni Blake’s personal assistant, for her perseverance in getting me a copy. Thanks Lindsey!

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Jan 17, 2011 Auntee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of the series; anyone who likes a good contemporary

Shelves: part-of-a-series, toni-blake-lacey-alexander, contemporary-romance, 2011_reads

Another winner from Toni Blake! Somehow her contemporaries always have me thinking about them long after I've finished reading them, and this one was no exception. I went over this one in my mind for some time, thinking about some of the scenes and how they could have played out differently.

Whisper Falls is the third story in the Destiny (a small Ohio town) series, and it's not essential that you read the two books preceding it, but trust me, you'll want to read One Reckless Summer and Sugar Cre ...more

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Mar 03, 2011 UniquelyMoi *Dhestiny* BlithelyBookish rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: author-toni-blake, series-destiny-blake, starts-with-u-thru-w, 2011-reads, bad-boy-reputation, black-sheep, genre-contemporary-romance, cried-like-a-baby, must-reread, reviewed-by-me, revenge-for-murder, sexy-latin-italian-lovers, top-couples-of-all-time, top-heroines, sick-ill-disease, crohns-disease, bikers, ex-gang-members, 5-stars-or-higher, favorites, keepers, mind-candy, top-heroes

I never sit down and write reviews immediately after finishing a book, but this time, I just couldn’t help it! Whisper Falls is an amazing story about forgiving, moving forward, and not judging people without giving them a chance! Throughout the book the theme is about never giving up. It’s an inspiring story that had me laughing out loud, sighing, crying tears of both joy and sorrow, and most definitely fanning myself.

Lucky Romo is the ultimate bad guy and this story could have been so very dar...more
I never sit down and write reviews immediately after finishing a book, but this time, I just couldn’t help it! Whisper Falls is an amazing story about forgiving, moving forward, and not judging people without giving them a chance! Throughout the book the theme is about never giving up. It’s an inspiring story that had me laughing out loud, sighing, crying tears of both joy and sorrow, and most definitely fanning myself.

Lucky Romo is the ultimate bad guy and this story could have been so very dark, but despite all he’d been through in his life, Tessa gave him a sense of worth, and a place he belonged. She brought light into his dark world and without even knowing what was happening to him, she worked her way into his heart and freed the man he’d kept locked away. I sobbed, literally sobbed until my chest hurt, learning about this man and the boy he was who had never felt loved. He is most definitely worthy of a place on my Top Heroes self.

In the previous two books I never really felt much connection to Tessa Sheridan. I didn’t find her compelling and couldn’t imagine that she’d make a great heroine. Wow, did I ever miss the mark with her! In fact, I connected with her in a big way because I also have health problems that land me in bed for days at a time. But despite her own illness, she’s caring, nurturing, determined and easily my favorite woman out of the three books. She has her weaknesses, but refuses to be vulnerable and I found her attitude and her indomitable spirit so encouraging.

Some of my favorite things about this story are the quotes Tessa keeps written down in her little notebook. They’re sayings that she finds here and there, and all uplifting. Whenever she starts feeling down, she reads them and remembers how much she has to be thankful for. Those quotes made me realize how much I have in my life, and to be thankful for even the smallest things.

These are some of them -

-Think of all the beauty that’s still left in and around you and be happy. – Anne Frank

-If God sends us on strong paths, we are provided strong shoes. – Corrie ten Boom

-Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you. – Walt Whitman

-Laugh. Dance. Ellen.

And my very favorite -

-Just keep swimming. – Dory, Finding Nemo

Thanks, for making it so simple, Tessa. I can do that.
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Apr 01, 2012 Norma rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, kindle-ebook, read-2010

Dinner was not cooked, children were ignored, the sick husband was not checked on (ok, I did bring him some soup). All because Norma was having a love affair with Lucky Romo. :)

This was by far the best of the Destiny series, and from what I've read of Toni Blake so far, certainly her best book.

**Re-read 3/31/12. Still LOVE me some Lucky Romo. I also loved Tessa more this time around. Maybe I was burning with too much jealousy first time around. She's a great character. I love that these characte...more

Dinner was not cooked, children were ignored, the sick husband was not checked on (ok, I did bring him some soup). All because Norma was having a love affair with Lucky Romo. :)

This was by far the best of the Destiny series, and from what I've read of Toni Blake so far, certainly her best book.

**Re-read 3/31/12. Still LOVE me some Lucky Romo. I also loved Tessa more this time around. Maybe I was burning with too much jealousy first time around. She's a great character. I love that these characters remain true to themselves throughout the book. They want to be more for each other, but essentially they stay who they are--imperfect. This is my favorite book by Toni Blake by far.

There are a lot of great reviews already out there, so I won't go into too much. But I will say that Lucky is wonderful. You can't help but love him. And Tessa is totally deserving of this love (although I still feel strongly that he should ditch her and find me).

One great thing about this book is that Lucky's looks and biker-dude status is addressed. On paper, a lot of us love a tatooed biker dude. But in real life if we met a 6 foot 3 guy with long hair and tatoos all over him, we might be taken aback just a bit. Add in the fact that you've heard rumors of him being part of an outlaw gang and now you're nervous. This is addressed and I love it. Tessa can see he's obviously handsome, but she's not all hot and bothered by his bad-ass looks. She's a bit nervous. He knows that and tries to reassure her. When we find out his reason for returning home (which is obvious from the beginning), he's concerned about his appearance and wants his house to be normal and homey (this is a funny exchange in the story). Tessa is also concerned about what her parents will think when they see him. Nobody really judges him based on his appearance but I love that Ms. Blake doesn't just assume that a big biker guy is a part of everyone's life. However I must add again though, I certainly would like this one to be part of mine. :)

I can't recommend this book enough. Wonderful story. And now I'm officially cut off from buying any more books. :) Good thing the sick husband forgave me because and I quote, "You've had a silly grin on your face all day so I figure this book was worth whatever you paid."(less)

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Mar 11, 2011 Miss Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, small-town-lovin, 2011, favorites

Loved it!! Ms. Blake is one of my favorite romance writers, and she did not disappoint me with Whisper Falls. I really enjoy the loner heroes that she writes: Rob from Letters to a Secret Lover, Mick in One Reckless Summer, and now Lucky in Whisper Falls. They are brooding and mysterious, and sexy.

I’ve been anticipating Lucky Romo’s story, since we learned a little about him in Sugar Creek. Lucky and Tessa both return to their hometown of Destiny after long absences. He’s a tattooed biker; she...more

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Mar 24, 2011 willaful rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Sherri *SheLuvs2Read*

Shelves: special-needs-illness, other-side-of-tracks-or-misalliance, tortured-hero, unusual-hero, unusual-heroine, series

Title "Whisper Falls," setting a small town called Destiny -- I confess, I went in expecting this to be pretty derivative and generic. It was a great surprise when it developed into a real page-turner.

In the last small town book I read with a bike-riding, tattooed hero, he turned out to be the mayor or something. Here we have Lucky, a man with a genuinely dangerous past, who is genuinely scary-looking and out of the norm and knows it. Lucky is reluctant to get involved with his neighbor Tessa, b...more Title "Whisper Falls," setting a small town called Destiny -- I confess, I went in expecting this to be pretty derivative and generic. It was a great surprise when it developed into a real page-turner.

In the last small town book I read with a bike-riding, tattooed hero, he turned out to be the mayor or something. Here we have Lucky, a man with a genuinely dangerous past, who is genuinely scary-looking and out of the norm and knows it. Lucky is reluctant to get involved with his neighbor Tessa, because of the class differences between them, and out of fear his past might come back to haunt her; the relationship between them unfolds plausibly, because Tessa, who is trying to live life fully despite having Crohn’s disease, reaches out of her comfort zone to him.

Lucky is tough and seemingly uncomplicated, but he has an irresistible vulnerability and takes responsibility for his past. Here he confesses the worst of it to Tessa and made me love him:

“‘Listen to me,’ she said. ‘You didn’t have a choice.’

‘But I had a lot of choices before that. And if I hadn’t made all the wrong ones, I never would have ended up there.” He shook his head, the shame oozing like a freshly reopened wound inside him. ‘When I think of all the shit I did in those days -- from stealing cars to what happened with Hammer... damn, babe. The world can be pretty fucking ugly sometimes. And I just hate that I added more.’”

Tessa is also well drawn, especially her feelings about her illness. And their relationship develops realistically, including some believable commitment anxiety on Lucky’s part:

“It’s that damn love thing. It felt like a chain in a way, and not the daisy kind. More like a big, heavy, steel contraption that pressed on him, and pulled on him, and took away the freedom inside him, in his head -- which was maybe the last freedom he’d retain after coming back here.

And yet... it wasn’t fair to describe it that way -- because it wasn’t an ugly thing. It wasn’t something he would give up if he could. It felt like something holding him tight in its grasp -- but also like something warm, good.”

I have a few criticisms: I thought the story occasionally pulls its punches and I was a bit disappointed in the ending, which was a little too convenient and fairy-talish for a story that otherwise seemed so well grounded in reality. There were also some stylistic issues that annoyed me -- I know this is a... pot-kettle... situation, but Blake way overuses... ellipses. On the positive side, there's quite a bit of steam, but not too much IMO, and the small suspense element didn't unbalance the book as I feared it might. Best of all, almost every time I thought something about the situation, that thought was addressed in the book -- how often does that happen with romance?! But mainly I gave this a high rating because I was really invested in Lucky and Tessa and eager to find out what became of them.(less)

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May 17, 2012 Pamela(AllHoney) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biker-boys-or-babes, challenge-2012, contemporary-romance, dangerous-or-bad-boy, across-the-tracks, pet-or-animal-in-story, neighborly-love, my-4-star-romances

I grabbed this one thinking it was the 2nd in the series but found out after I started reading it that it was the 3rd. No biggie. I didn't really need to read #2 to enjoy this one, though I do wonder if it might have answered a few questions about "Annie". I loved Lucky. I'm not in to the tattoos and all but I was able to overlook them on Lucky. I found Tessa to be a likable person too. Sweet and sometimes kinda heart wrenching read.

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Jun 04, 2011 Buggy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biker-boyz, blah, contemp-rom, shelf-11, tattooed-hero

Opening Line: "Meow,"Tessa Sheridan frowned at the grey-and-white cat perched next to her on the sofa."

A lot of people really liked this book, and it’s received a ton of 5 star ratings, which is of course why I bought it, unfortunately though I struggled through it. I mean this was a real effort to finish, plodding through long drawn out repetitive scenes and way too many introspective conversations that added nothing to the overall story. Even with a hunky outlaw biker hero to drool over, sizzl...more Opening Line: "Meow,"Tessa Sheridan frowned at the grey-and-white cat perched next to her on the sofa."

A lot of people really liked this book, and it’s received a ton of 5 star ratings, which is of course why I bought it, unfortunately though I struggled through it. I mean this was a real effort to finish, plodding through long drawn out repetitive scenes and way too many introspective conversations that added nothing to the overall story. Even with a hunky outlaw biker hero to drool over, sizzling love scenes, and several LOL moments I still came away kind of meh about the whole thing.

That’s not to say I hated it, because I didn’t, in fact there were several things that I really enjoyed, Toni Blake’s writing style for example and the way she incorporated random ideas into her characters and story; like dancing with Ellen and the numerous classic rock songs mentioned. I also liked the issue of our heroine dealing with Chron’s disease; this was a unique affliction and dealt with very well.

I think one of my favourite things though would have to be that Lucky as a “bad boy” biker actually speaks like a biker, he swears a lot and listens to AC/DC and Metallica. He has armloads of tattoos and a realistic past considering his gang ties. It was also obvious that Blake put some research into Harley motorcycles, specialized paint jobs and the MC language and lifestyle in general. But overall at almost 400 pages this felt like a VERY long drawn out Harlequin and would have held my interest a whole lot more and benefited with about 100 less pages.

In this 3rd instalment from the “Destiny” series Tessa Sheridan has returned to her quaint hometown of Destiny (lots of that going on in romanlandia these days) She’s had to leave her career in the big city because of a chronic illness and now all she wants to do is recover, spend time with family, and embrace life. Tessa wants to be a bit wild and experience things the old Tessa would never dream of, like skydiving, and having commitment free sex with her delicious biker dude neighbour.

However Lucky Roma may be a little more then the shy, sweet Tessa can handle, he not only looks the biker part but comes complete with a gang past and more skeletons in the closet then any woman should have to deal with. Still, Lucky has a way of making Tessa feel alive again and she just can‘t resist; he’s dangerous, sexy and exactly what she needs. What starts out as a fling soon becomes much more until Lucky’s past finally catches up with him and Tessa learns that this bad boy is in fact dangerous too and she may not know him at all(less)

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Nov 01, 2011 Kelly22 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, alpha-hero, bad-boy-rake-rogue-casanova, brooding-dangerous-hero, childhood-ties, hero-arrogant-autocratic, hh-criminal-con, gamma-anti-hero, gorgeous-handsome-attractive-hero, hero-accomplished-lover, notorious-playboy-commitment-phobic, opposites-attract, poor-plot, previous-ties, prim-proper-prudish-heroine, tortured-hero, traumatized-abused-heroine, virgin-like-herione, witty-humerous-funny-comedy, small-town-setup, hero-bashful-starchy-silent, hero-biker-leather-tattoo-wearing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I loved the first two books. It’s really tough to locate a good contemporary romance series these days. This was the third one of the series and I had few issues with it which I didn’t like. I found the book really unrealistic for my senses.

Tessa Sheridan is a former big-shot interior designer who is forced to leave her job and settle in her small home town since she is suffering from Crohn’s disease. She has a more or less boring life until her latest neighbor and our hero Lucky Romo shows up!...more I loved the first two books. It’s really tough to locate a good contemporary romance series these days. This was the third one of the series and I had few issues with it which I didn’t like. I found the book really unrealistic for my senses.

Tessa Sheridan is a former big-shot interior designer who is forced to leave her job and settle in her small home town since she is suffering from Crohn’s disease. She has a more or less boring life until her latest neighbor and our hero Lucky Romo shows up! Lucky is the genuine bad boy with long hair and strong muscles with loads of tattoos and piercings to finish the look. To make things perfect he drives a big bad motorcycle. That is all we know about him for a first huge part of the book. So does Tessa. She knows lucky is a bad boy and is involved in criminal matters. Her friends warned her about him. He is impolite and insensitive to her and often dismisses her in his characteristic belittling way which we get to identify as his usual manner of dealing with females. She tries to make her move on him, which he dismisses almost transparently. Yet it was worship at first sight for her! Lol, I don’t know I couldn’t see her point and as a result found it unreal.

Then there is Lucky, who is supposed to be a scary bad guy. Though it is all talk and less action, we finally come to know his shocking past with women and the fact that he killed a man. But before that, after his rather high-handed derogative behavior towards Tessa, she proves to be very ‘courageous’ and gets a tattoo to end up in a biker bar in order to throw herself on Lucky. Seriously? There was barely any connection between them and suddenly she transforms from a poor little Miss Muffet to a hard-edged biker chick in an hour? May be it was possible to digest if I felt a good connection between the protagonists before this.

Anyways, after murdering her self-respect and sacking her pride, Tessa almost threw herself at Lucky and finally ended up with him in the bed. Meanwhile Lucky learned about her disease and then bam! He transforms too! He decides to call upon his side in which he becomes a pro in taking care of women, cooking for them, doing dishes and everything and be the ultimate sensitive lover boy he always wasn’t. Again, I didn’t find that level of connection between them for such a measure.

Then Lucky decides to come clean about his past and admits the woman debacle and that he killed a man. Tessa tells him that it was ok and that shit happens! I am not surprised; I mean this is the very same small town heroine who takes off her bra when she ensures that a dangerous criminal was watching her :(

Few love making scenes pops up in which Lucky is said to be loving and respectful towards Tessa, which didn’t make sense in reality (refer to the part when Lucky decides to go without a condom to ‘feel the love’ without asking Tessa). Forgive me, I didn’t find it to be caring and respectful much :S

At last a guy from Lucky’s ‘dangerous’ past shows up burning down his garage and threatening other’s safety. Lucky decides like a rocket scientist that he must kill him. Softened Miss Muffet that Tessa is, she asks him to stop and that if he doesn’t she will not see him ever again. Lucky assures her, desperate and hopeless that Tessa in reality was, she will get over it and forgive him eventually and goes anyway. Tessa is upset.

Time passes, and Lucky talks with Tessa, telling her that he was sorry and that he wants to get married. Tessa is happy and thinks SCORE!

End of story. :(

I loved the previous two books. But I couldn’t connect to this one. I understand there must be fiction, but this one was so fake and invented that I was thoroughly disappointed. The heroine was ill, but instead of feeling compassionate about her I found her thoroughly annoying and intolerantly desperate. She had no pride or any trace of personality. Lucky was all about words. There was nothing deep about his character which wasn't clearly the intent of the writer. Lucky is the first biker/tattooed/gamma hero I didn’t like. And the story was too long for my patience.

I adore Tony Blake’s writing and find them very enjoyable and creative. But this one was an exception for me. I will be crossing my fingers for the next book of this series definitely though.
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Nov 08, 2011 Splage rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Splage by: previously read favorite author

Shelves: 2011-read, alpha, bad-bad-boy, boss-employee-work-together, child-from-previous-relationship, contemporary, emotional-made-me-cry-lump-in-thr, hero-heroine-artist, hero-heroine-blue-collar, hero-heroine-motorcycles, sex-medium-to-very-sexy

3 1/2 stars rating, which to me is a slight disappointment because I felt the first two books in the series were 5 star keepers. Whisper Falls had some wonderful parts, #1 Lucky!!- his heart (and bad boy looks), his journey back to his family, and #2 Lucky and Tessa's developing relationship, very sensual as Lucky breaks Tessa out of her mold and they grow together, #3 their uninhibited sex life, Toni Blake has a way of writing some scorchers without crudeness and #4 the story gives tender choke...more 3 1/2 stars rating, which to me is a slight disappointment because I felt the first two books in the series were 5 star keepers. Whisper Falls had some wonderful parts, #1 Lucky!!- his heart (and bad boy looks), his journey back to his family, and #2 Lucky and Tessa's developing relationship, very sensual as Lucky breaks Tessa out of her mold and they grow together, #3 their uninhibited sex life, Toni Blake has a way of writing some scorchers without crudeness and #4 the story gives tender choke up moments as Lucky renuites with his family and learns to forgive and love.

Lost soul and Destiny's really bad boy, Lucky Romo, returns to Destiny after a 15 year absence. He was into some seriously bad stuff and ran with a corrupt biker gang for his first 5 years away. He has been in hiding after a falling out with the gang leader and runs for his life. Thinking that after 10 years he should be safe he comes home because he finds out he has 9 yr old son as a result from a one night stand. He wants to be a part of his life and be a good, visible father to his son Johnny since Lucky felt invisible in his own family- one reason he ran away and turned bad. His neighbor is good girl Tessa who also has returned home after being a successful interior decorator because she developed a chronic illness while away. Destiny still has the small town charm as in the previous books and many previous characters reoccur in this story. The love story was beautiful and very sexy, Lucky and Tessa grew well together.

Why I gave a 3 1/2 star rating: The beginning was too slow and uninteresting. Tessa was boring for too long I felt Lucky and her tiptoed around each other for too long. Also, I have nothing against cats, but I didn't connect with them even though they had cool names. By page 150 I was recommitted. Once Tessa made the leap and threw herself into Lucky's world at the biker bar I couldn't stop reading, total 5 stars. I also wished the ending was better, I wanted fireworks with the Biker Gang leader and his threats not a dud like Red. So it was a little up and down, but some fantastic reading in between.

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Aug 31, 2012 Wanderlust rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hot-alpha-men

Cover & Title - 4/5
Favorite line - "I don't know the right way to say this stuff, Tessa, but ... you're the best thing that's happened to me. I've never felt like this before, I've never ... been happy like this."
Favorite character - Tessa

I haven't read the rest of the books in the series but after reading this i really want too.
I loved this book. Tessa & Lucky <3 aww. I was so happy they got together & stayed together. I smiled so many times while reading this book.

My favorite t...more

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Jan 02, 2011 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reads, bad-boys, bikers, contemporary-romance, favorites, smokin-hotness, series, steamy

I would say this is the best book I've read all year, but truthfully it's the only book I've read so far this year. But I'm pretty sure by the end of 2011 this will still be ranked high on my list.

I loved Lucky & Tessa. I thought they were great together. I loved the book as a whole.

I'm such a Toni Blake fangirl. So thank you Ms. Blake for indulging me with your stories! Can't wait for the next one.

5++++++ Stars!

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Aug 11, 2011 Juliana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Juliana by: Shawna

Shelves: contemporary-romance, 0-own-in-dead-tree-form, 4-half-stars, 4-to-5-stars, 2011-aug-reads, 2011-reads, 0-reviewed, cr-delicious-hero, cr-family-issues, cr-hero-reformed-bad-turned-good, cr-hero-motorcycle-tattoo-bad-boy, cr-hero-recluse-loner-mysterious, cr-hero-rough-haunted-tortured, cr-heroine-good-girl, cr-heroine-not-confident, cr-heroine-somewhat-wallflower, cr-opposites-enemies-attract, cr-sizzling-chemistry, cr-sad-or-emotional, cr-hero-black-sheep-rebel-outcast, cr-heroine-disability-illness-scar, cr-heroine-early-to-mid-30s, cr-hero-early-to-mid-30s, cr-hero-writer-art-music-science, cr-heroine-writer-art-music-history, cr-hero-has-children, best-romance-heroes-ever, challenge-2011-bb-summer-friendly, challenge-2011-wllk-august-all-a, challenge-2011-rrrc-a-to-z-friends, challenge-2011-2012-rrrc-romanc-101, challenge-2011-2012-nbrc-women-type, 2011-reads-my-favorites-of-the-year

4.5 stars
Absolutely LOVED this book. So, so, SO fantastic! If you take one thing away from this review, be it this: Lucky Romo is one of the best contemporary heroes I have ever read!! Wonderful, amazing, delicious, sweet, sexy, cute, rough around the edges, tough, the bad tattooed biker boy, loyal, sensitive, caring, on and on and on. Despite all these great attributes, before he had a period of definite bad-dom which included lots of illegal activity, yet Blake does a fantastic job in making...more

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May 30, 2012 megan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fun-dont-judge-me

I finished "Whisper Falls" a romance story about a girl with Chrohn's Disease and the bad boy biker that lives next door. Our heroine, Tessa, and our hero, Lucky Romo, are destined to be together. You read that right, in case you were like "hubba wut?"...Have I intrigued you enough to go out and buy it for yourself. It is definite book club material. Here are the questions that I have after reading this book:

(1) Is it possible to have an enjoyable "romantic encounter" while having a flare up?
(2)...more I finished "Whisper Falls" a romance story about a girl with Chrohn's Disease and the bad boy biker that lives next door. Our heroine, Tessa, and our hero, Lucky Romo, are destined to be together. You read that right, in case you were like "hubba wut?"...Have I intrigued you enough to go out and buy it for yourself. It is definite book club material. Here are the questions that I have after reading this book:

(1) Is it possible to have an enjoyable "romantic encounter" while having a flare up?
(2) Is it possible to have an enjoyable "romantic encounter" in the woods on the ground?
(3) Is it possible to have an enjoyable "romantic encounter" while having a flare up in the woods on the ground?
(4) Are bad boy bikers still really attractive?
(5) Who names their kid "Lucky"?

I have consulted with an MD about #1 above and he says yes but it would be messy.

This is the third in a series of books that takes place in Destiny, Ohio. The major plotlines revolve around the fact that Lucky Romo has come back to Destiny, Ohio after being gone for 15 years with a dubious, at best, past in an outlaw biker gang. His brother, Mike Romo, is the town sheriff (ruh roh!)...and is angry at him for not being in touch with their family since he left. Lucky comes back to Destiny in order to settle down because (view spoiler) Now he is secretly running a motorcycle paint shop in his garage.

Tessa (our Chrohn's heroine) is an interior designer who lives next door to Lucky. She used to live in the bustling metropolis of Cincinnati but, due to her Chrohn's, had to move back to Destiny to be close to her parents who could take care of her when she had a flare up. Throughout the novel, she is described as having a "debilitating digestive condition". Anyway--Lucky approaches her to do some interior decorating on his house in order to make it more presentable (view spoiler)---so she proceeds to decorate the house with a NASCAR/biker theme. That's right.

I don't want to spoil the ending but (view spoiler). Also, they adopt a cat that they name Bronte (after Charlotte Bronte of Jane Eyre fame--because there are Jane Eyre quotes at the beginning of every chapter. Because Jane Eyre is so applicable in this situation). I am pretty sure that is the gist of the story so I'm sorry if I ruined it for you---don't hate, k?

There are two more books left in the series, one set to be released this summer. None of the heroines or heroes, as far as I can tell, have a chronic disease--but this gives me an idea that I should make a romance series surrounding people with chronic disease. For instance, the first book in the series will have a young plucky virgin heroine who has asthma. I will call it "BREATHLESS". AMAZING, RIGHT? The plot does not matter so much so long as there is sex and a happily ever after. For my diabetes condition, I will call it "TOO SWEET TO HANDLE". Now I just need your help on IBD, Epilepsy, and Depression. I can't wait to write a romance novel on depression. I WILL BE RICH RICH RICH!!!!(less)

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Nov 28, 2011 Shxrxn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am no bird; and no net ensnares me;
I am a free human being with an independent will.
Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
I just feel…like life is passing me by.For the past few years, I’ve missed out on a lot, and I’ve… lost a lot.
- Tessa
she had to play the cards she’d been dealt, right?
- Tessa
I’ll try to remember I loved him once. I’ll try not to hate him for what he put us through.
- Mike
Sometimes it was the simple things in life that held you together.
- Tessa
Just keep swimming.
- Dory, Finding Nemo
Mayb...more

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Jun 06, 2011 Baba ♥♥♥ Marcus, Tyler, Tate, Dan, Ty, & Hunter rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Tessa has returned to her hometown of Destiny. She had to leave her career in the big city because of a chronic illness. And now all she wants to do is recover, spend time with her family, and embrace life. Tessa wants to be a bit wild and experience things the old Tessa would never dream of, like skydiving, and having casual sex with her new sexy biker dude neighbour.

Lucky not only looks the biker part but comes complete with a gang past and a few skeletons in the closet! But Lucky has a way o...more

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May 14, 2011 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: contemporary romance readers who like a bit of sizzle

Shelves: contemporary, may-2011, sizzling, read-in-2011

Another great sizzling hot contemporary romance from Toni Blake. I’m really enjoying this series and now have to wait until October this year for “Holly Lane” to be published.

In Whisper Falls we meet Lucky Romo. Lucky is the long lost brother of Destiny’s local cop, Mike Romo. Mike’s story is book 2 in this series “Sugar Creek”.

Lucky left the town of Destiny when he was 18 and has been missing for 16 years. His family haven’t heard a word from him in all that time. They weren’t even sure whether...more

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Dec 09, 2010 Judith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A 4.75 out of 5 for me. Just a really great book about a reformed bad-boy biker who has returned to his home town after 15 years of virtual silence. He has piles and piles of secrets, some of which aren't too cool. But he is lonely and the lure of his sexy neighbor brings him out of his shell and their affair begins to have some unexpected effects on his life, his attitudes, his willingness to re-arrange his priorities, and smoothing his reunion with his family. There are surprises here. The sex...more

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Nov 07, 2010 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction-reviews

Tessa returns home when a chronic illness leaches away her energy and undermines her dreams, and while the illness (crohns) doesn't kill her, it leaves her doubting herself and her ability to be a person apart from her condition. After three years away from her former life, now at home in Whisper Falls, Tessa begins to hope for something more, something that will help her feel alive again. Unexpectedly, (to her, this is a romance novel so I saw it coming) her biker neighbor inspires her to seek...more Tessa returns home when a chronic illness leaches away her energy and undermines her dreams, and while the illness (crohns) doesn't kill her, it leaves her doubting herself and her ability to be a person apart from her condition. After three years away from her former life, now at home in Whisper Falls, Tessa begins to hope for something more, something that will help her feel alive again. Unexpectedly, (to her, this is a romance novel so I saw it coming) her biker neighbor inspires her to seek out life and not let it pass her by. In return, Tessa's bravery in facing her problems and determination to try and live life to the fullest inspires bad boy Lucky to face the demons from his own past.

I was inspired to read this book by a post at a blog I read that discussed the use of pop culture in books, and mentioned that this book refers to the Ellen show. The blogger mentioned that it worked well for them, because it seemed like the thing that got the heroine to focus on her life beyond her illness and be positive. I'm neutral on the subject of the Ellen show, I don't watch it, so for me it could have been a made up show and worked the same. But I was interested in a heroine who had a chronic illness and how that worked. Too often characters in romance novels seem to have epic immune systems, only ever catching sick if they can be nursed back to health by a sympathetic h/h, or converted to a paranormal being to save them miraculously. But in real life there are a lot of sicknesses that don't go away, don't kill you, but come do define you as the sick girl. I LOVED the way this was treated in this book. Tessa isn't the "sick girl," but she is a real girl who deals with real problems.

The relationship between Tessa and Lucky was very sweet, as they got to know each other working together and living nearby. There was enough non-sex times to make me think that the relationship wasn't purely physical. I did think there was a bit too much tell as far as building the chemistry and not enough show--in the early part of the book when Tessa is describing how Lucky makes her feel I thought she might want to go back to the doctor to get those symptoms looked at--too much mysterious tingling.

The one hard part with having a heroine deal with something that is SO real, is the difficulty of having her live in a world that is just not as real. Honestly, I kept worrying how she could afford to eat--she works part time at a small town bookstore (not a too common sight anymore, and never well paying) and goes out to eat all the time, owns her own house, and has a chronic illness that she has to take medicine for. I don't think this is a big issue, but once an author starts being "real" is it possible to pick and choose? Maybe. I did like Christine Feehan's book Water Bound, where the heroine has an autism spectrum disorder, but the book is also a paranormal, with no magical healing. So I suppose we can have realism and escapism--a world where a chronically ill woman can work in a small town bookstore, afford to eat out all the time, and find love with a biker.(less)

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Sep 30, 2012 Lisa - (Aussie Girl) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-contemporary

Tessa Sheridan has returned to Destiny, Ohio because of a chronic but non life threatening illness and she feels that life is passing her by. Enter one Jonathan "Lucky" Romo a tattooed, long haired biker who has been absent for fifteen years as childhood family issues have led him to some really bad life decisions. Opposites attract and slowly both are able to overcome their doubts and fears to forge a HEA based on trust,respect and love. The scene where he carries the ill Tessa to the park and...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Leea rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cont-romance, series

This is the third book in the Destiny Series by Toni Blake...3 stars

In Whisper Falls we finally get to know Tessa. She's quiet, smart, fragile and looking for an adventure. Well she finds one when Lucky Romo moves in next door. Let's just say it's non stop from there.

Here is what I liked about Whisper Falls:

*Tessa's transformation from wallflower to taking life's little wild moments and embracing them.
*How Lucky was written, he's got a past (don't we all) and made some mistakes but he's learned...more

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Jan 05, 2011 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I...I...I can't even think right now!! This will be rambling, but if you've read my others you know that's nothing new!!

Lucky is, in a word, MINE! **greedily clutches book** In all seriousness, even though I hate long hair on a guy, Lucky was probably one of the most real, heartthrob worthy heroes I've read in a while. I wanted to hug him so badly most of the book. And his brother's reaction? I would not have walked out meekly like Tessa, but probably broken my hand hitting him back. I like how...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So far, this is my favorite in the series. Lucky Romo made the book. What a great character! He was tough but still smart and sweet. I liked the message that looks can be deceiving. Lucky is a big biker guy with lots of tatoos and long hair, but that is just his physical appearance. Tessa unlike all of her friends and even Lucky's brother does not judge the book by its cover. She gets to know him and finds out what kind of person he is now not who he used to be. The only thing that kept me from...more

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Mar 12, 2011 Photojim rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reads, contemporary-romance, romance, jim-swap-shelf

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I'll have to post my mini-rant over this book later as I'm off to work now. But let's just say there are lines that I can't have either of my heroes cross and still like them.

*Spoiler alert - and I mean it. Reading this will most likely reduce your enjoyment of the book if you have not read it.*

OK. I loved the first two books in the series. Then I got to the third. Our heroine is a sweet little thing that suffers from a chronic gastrointestinal disorder known as Crohn's disease. She loses her d...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Crista rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 3-star, bad-boys, contemporary, hot, series

This was an "okay" read for me at best. I am a huge fan of the first book in this series, but unfortunately, both the Romo brother's books have left me a bit disappointed and underwhelmed.

I loved the premise of this book because the "biker hero" is such an intriguing type of hero. The idea of a heroine who suffers from a chronic illness was also very intriguing and I felt that with this combo....this book couldn't go wrong. How I wish this were the case.

I certainly felt chemistry between the lea...more

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Jan 07, 2011 BecksBookPicks rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a whirlwind of a story all wrapped up in this book. This was my first book by Toni Blake and it will not be my last! Tessa is a character I think we can all relate too. Due to an illness she has almost stopped living life. She is going with the flow of things. She works, hangs out with friends, gardens and just does things that fill up her time. She is however looking for more. She starts to feel like she needs something to do to prove she is alive. She asks her friends to take her skyd...more

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Mar 23, 2011 ~Megan~ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: small-town-lovin, contemporary-romance, best-heroes-ever

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I love you, Lucky Romo!!!! This is my very favorite of the series for one reason only......this beautiful biker dude. Oh my word, he was so...amazing. I loved him from the first when he helped her find her cat and called her hot stuff.

Coming from his past with a motorcycle gang and breaking the law, I found it admirable how he'd changed his life completely around. I just wanted to hug him and love him and hurt anyone who even looked at him sideways. I was a Mike Romo fan in the last book, but I...more

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Jan 05, 2011 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Whisper Falls is the third book in the Destiny Series by Toni Blake. I have read the other books, but I am sure this book would be slammin all by itself. The whole series is fantastic though, if not for the background then simply becuause they are all slammin too. More on that...

This story is about Tessa & Lucky. Tessa is from Destiny but moved away to the city and had a great life there, good job in interior design, but it all kind of slipped away from her when she came down with a chronic...more Whisper Falls is the third book in the Destiny Series by Toni Blake. I have read the other books, but I am sure this book would be slammin all by itself. The whole series is fantastic though, if not for the background then simply becuause they are all slammin too. More on that...

This story is about Tessa & Lucky. Tessa is from Destiny but moved away to the city and had a great life there, good job in interior design, but it all kind of slipped away from her when she came down with a chronic illness Chrons disease. She could no longer properly do her job and bowed out before they could pity her or let her go. She went home to Destiny, completely resolved to not let herself become the "sick girl". Now she lives there close to her mom and her firends, and she works part time in Amy's bookstore while she tries to get an interior design business off the ground in Destiny.

Lucky is described by the author as the baddest bad boy she has created yet, and BOY he is! He is truly a badass character. He was a bad kid as a teen, hung out with troublemakers, was a troublemaker himself, then left home at 18 and joined an outlaw motorcycle gang, and totally dropped contact with his family and everyone from his hometown. No one has seen or heard from him since then, about 16 years I believe. He sneaks back into Destiny withough telling anyone, and lives conveniently in the house right up the hill from Tessa. He is still into mortorcycles, has tons of tattoos, long hair, he's tall and all muscles, he is mmmm badass and hot.

Why he is back in Destiny is his secret, and why he has not told anyone he's there and is reluctant to get in touch with his family... more secrets. He has a lot to hide but that does not stop the chemistry between him and Tessa from sparking off all over the place. Tessa has her illness to deal with and she works really hard at staying positive, from writing down inspirational quotes to watching the upbeat Ellen show. She is all about living life to the fullest, and not missing out on anything. She wants to do and experience things like skydiving and perhaps having a tryst with her mysterious baddie neighbor. She gets close to Lucky and starts to trust him and beleive in him. The man she is getting to know seems a lot different than his secrets and his past. Lucky really wants to trust Tessa but rightfully so, he has a lot to hide and a lot to loose.

When Lucky's past finally catches up with him, he is put to the test, forced to answer for himself if Tessa's faith in him is rightfully placed or not. She has a lot more faith in him than he seems to have in himself, so is her trust misplaced? How naive is she being about him?

This book was just amazing. I wanted to read it nonstop and not put it down, but I also did not want it to end. Books like this are so few and far between. I really did not think that anything could top One Reckless Summer, but this guy and his long hair, his Harley Deuce, and his down vest over a gray hoodie, he totally did me in. For me, I found it was worthwhile to have already read Sugar Creek, because in that book you get some insight into Mike (the brother) and the family situation, and why Mike comes off the way he does in this book. But like I said before this book is rockin all by itself. Like most books by this author there are many racy scenes to keep you excited and sweet romantic moments to make you swoon. The Whisper Falls of the title is one of the most romantic settings I have read. Lot of emotion, my heart was ripping out at one point. It is not often I finish a book and then want to immediately go back and read it again but I did just that with this one.
(less)

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Jan 20, 2011 Lesley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have enjoyed the Destiny series, this being the third, and I liked this one as well. I don't think it was as good as Sugar Creek, but I did enjoy reading it. I might have given it 4 stars if not for one thing, and that was when the story took a turn for the ridiculous and unlikely with Lucky's decision toward the end of the book. I felt this was completely unnecessary- I suppose it created drama, but it was a total eye-roller for me. I did not believe that he would actually make that choice- t...more

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Jun 29, 2011 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really liked this book. It is an easy book to spend the afternoon with. There is enough character development to make you feel a connection to these people.

This is the third book in the Destiny novels.

Tessa Sheridan has moved back to Destiny after an illness causes her to loss her job. Trying to establish a interior design business in small town Destiny has been slow. But she tries not to let things get her down.

Lucky Romo left Destiny just after high school and has not been seen or heard fro...more

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Whisper Falls (Destiny #3)

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