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Chicago Underground #1-3
Rough Hard Fierce
Ally dreams of safety more than anything. There's no room in her life for a man, even one as roughly handsome as Colin Murphy. He should be gone after one night, but he breaks every rule. He defies every cold expectation. He's heartbreakingly tender even though he looks so hard.
He may be gentle with her body, but he's fierce when fighting for her heart.
How can Ally trust him when she knows too well what danger men are capable of?
Colin breaks through her defenses with surprising kindness and steely patience. And when her past comes back to haunt them, he proves that he can be as violent she fears--but only to protect his family.
ROUGH HARD FIERCE is a 95,000 word novel of seductive and dangerous romance. It can be read as a STANDALONE and ends with a happily ever after.
He may be gentle with her body, but he's fierce when fighting for her heart.
How can Ally trust him when she knows too well what danger men are capable of?
Colin breaks through her defenses with surprising kindness and steely patience. And when her past comes back to haunt them, he proves that he can be as violent she fears--but only to protect his family.
ROUGH HARD FIERCE is a 95,000 word novel of seductive and dangerous romance. It can be read as a STANDALONE and ends with a happily ever after.
440 pages, ebook
First published March 20, 2014
28 people are currently reading
717 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
January 1, 2016
Best friends that trick, whore themselves out, and prostitute together - stay together!
I'm not sure how to rate this without giving much away but I was thoroughly disgusted with this series.
It starts of with Allie finding out she is pregnant while sitting in her double wide; age 16 - in walks daddy (hers not the baby's) and basically kicks her out.
So, who's the babydaddy? Her supposed best friend who she did not want to have intercourse with, where she cried and said NO however he did not rape her! Now I could blame it on her being young..but as the story continues..two years later she is still the stupid bish she was at age 16.
She lives in the ghetto, working at some rundown bakery for minimum wage, while her best friend prostitutes herself on a nightly basis.
Now the thing that disgusted me is that she lives her 20 month old daughter with her prostitute of a friend while she goes out a club on a monthly "dinner outing", finds random men to roughen her up during sex!
So now flowers and candy for her.. There are so many things wrong with this girl it's unrealistic.. She meets the hero with his own set of secrets; moves in with him after a few days and plays girlfriend.. Again, that poor child would have been better off getting adopted out.
I felt as though I needed to take a shower from this filth!
Want to read
December 3, 2021💝 FREE on Amazon today (4/25/2018)!💝
Blurb:
Ally dreams of safety more than anything. There's no room in her life for a man, even one as roughly handsome as Colin Murphy. He should be gone after one night, but he breaks every rule. He defies every cold expectation. He's heartbreakingly tender even though he looks so hard.
He may be gentle with her body, but he's fierce when fighting for her heart.
How can Ally trust him when she knows too well what danger men are capable of?
Colin breaks through her defenses with surprising kindness and steely patience. And when her past comes back to haunt them, he proves that he can be as violent she fears--but only to protect his family.
ROUGH HARD FIERCE is a 95,000 word novel of seductive and dangerous romance. It can be read as a STANDALONE and ends with a happily ever after.
Blurb:
Ally dreams of safety more than anything. There's no room in her life for a man, even one as roughly handsome as Colin Murphy. He should be gone after one night, but he breaks every rule. He defies every cold expectation. He's heartbreakingly tender even though he looks so hard.
He may be gentle with her body, but he's fierce when fighting for her heart.
How can Ally trust him when she knows too well what danger men are capable of?
Colin breaks through her defenses with surprising kindness and steely patience. And when her past comes back to haunt them, he proves that he can be as violent she fears--but only to protect his family.
ROUGH HARD FIERCE is a 95,000 word novel of seductive and dangerous romance. It can be read as a STANDALONE and ends with a happily ever after.
April 24, 2018
I absolutely love Skye Warren and the Chicago Underground series. Rough Hard Fierce was sexy and emotional and also realistic. I loved Colin and Allie. They were sexy, real, heartbreakingly honest and so good together.
When down on her luck Allie finds Colin, she looks to him to fulfill her dark urges. But she never would've expected this gritty, brooding man to be a kind badboy underneath who saw things in her she didn't see in herself. I loved their chemistry, banter and the way they fit together.
All in all, this was a great read and I look forward to more Skye reads in the future! 4 stars! ~Ratula
When down on her luck Allie finds Colin, she looks to him to fulfill her dark urges. But she never would've expected this gritty, brooding man to be a kind badboy underneath who saw things in her she didn't see in herself. I loved their chemistry, banter and the way they fit together.
All in all, this was a great read and I look forward to more Skye reads in the future! 4 stars! ~Ratula
Read
June 21, 2018DNF 33%.
October 30, 2019
2.5 stars
April 27, 2019
Reading this book is like watching Wrecking Ball song video, you like the song but then you see the clip very disturbing
March 10, 2023
Purch Amazon May 2, 2018
Rough Hard Fierce by Skye Warren
Genres: Adult,
?? Stars
📕Rough
3.5 Stars
I understand this is a prequel, but it was just to despairing for me.
The writing was great and it was a quick read, but the character Allie is so confusing.
I understand the youth and her circumstances in this story. However, she doesn't really seem to be doing anything about it. Like a mental time-bomb that is going to blow & soon.
If this was a real person I would recommend EXTREME counseling.
I just found Allie to be irritating.
I am curious enough that I will be reading the next book in the series.
📕Hard
Hated it.
📕Fierce
Didn't even try after reading Hard. I give up
Rough Hard Fierce by Skye Warren
Genres: Adult,
?? Stars
📕Rough
3.5 Stars
I understand this is a prequel, but it was just to despairing for me.
The writing was great and it was a quick read, but the character Allie is so confusing.
I understand the youth and her circumstances in this story. However, she doesn't really seem to be doing anything about it. Like a mental time-bomb that is going to blow & soon.
If this was a real person I would recommend EXTREME counseling.
I just found Allie to be irritating.
I am curious enough that I will be reading the next book in the series.
📕Hard
Hated it.
📕Fierce
Didn't even try after reading Hard. I give up
May 9, 2018
A man has unprotected oral sex with a prostitute and THEN decides he need a condom for 'the real thing' WHY?? I mean - surely NO ONE can catch ANYTHING from oral sex?? (can they?)
Dnf at 4%
This isn't 'romance'. This is porn.
Dnf at 4%
This isn't 'romance'. This is porn.
June 11, 2018
This is Allie and Colin story. Allie was betrayed by her best friend Andrew. The outcome was Andrew disappearing and Allie having to fend for herself with a new baby. When her path crosses with Colin, he is everything she wants and does not want. Colin takes one look at Allie and desires her, but he sees more in Allie and her daughter, he sees the family he wants. When the world has taught you never to trust, can you learn to trust one another? Allie has learnt to self- harm herself through sexual encounters. Will Colin be the one to show her a different light? Can Allie trust Colin or is he like every man she has ever encountered? Overall this was not a bad read and Ms Warren definitely draws you in with her writing and plot twists. However I could not warm up to the characters, there was just something lacking and I did not feel the attraction between Allie and Colin. So for me personally it was an okay read.
Reviewed for Hot books and Sassy Girls book blog
Reviewed for Hot books and Sassy Girls book blog
August 9, 2019
Colin and Allie's story is about broken people and how they come together and hopefully merge their broken parts together to become whole again.
They go through so many scenarios pushing and pulling apart.
I loved this story!
They go through so many scenarios pushing and pulling apart.
I loved this story!
September 1, 2015
Amazing serial! Love every word.
Here are my individual reviews as I read every book:
Skye Warren always teeters on the verge of darkness. She might often cross over and into the chasm, but she does so with the grace of a ballerina.
Even when she describes black deeds, sleazy lives or stormy feelings, there is poetic softness in her words.
That paradox keeps drawing me back to her stories and that's how I found myself reading Rough. Just with the prologue I could feel the pain of a woman betrayed and thrown out into an unforgiving world, all alone.
Though I couldn't understand why such traumatic events would lead her to commit herself to the same torture again and again. The mind works in mysterious ways, I suppose, and it's a thought-provoking way to push the reader's mind out of its comfort zone.
This sick consequence of her past leads Allie to a man who changes her complete withdrawal from worthy feelings and self-respect. Though it's a bumpy road that's only just started. I'm so excited about this journey!
Colin.
A gentleman-bad boy combo. I loved it. I loved how strong and giving he was towards Allie's twisted needs, and how layers of him would come apart to show his real, dark, human and gloriously beautiful self.
The plot gripped me right away. It's raw, emotional, dangerous. Allie has issues with men but she also has a difficult life with not much money, a hard job, a sweet responsibility and a danger lurking over her head from the past. And it all mingles with her strange, moving relationship with solemn Colin.
Let me tell you about the steamy times between these two. Desperate, sensual, sometimes too much but never enough.
Surprisingly, there was some humour thrown into the tumult of emotions and harsh life. One scene in particular was incredibly endearing and fun. That kitchen scene is just perfect in all its messy glory.
I was eager to see this weird but wonderful couple's relationship develop, wondering where it would lead. However, I was disappointed to a certain extent to find out this is just the beginning of the story. Not because it's bad that there is so much more to tell, I just thought it was a stand-alone novel. How silly of me. Now I'm without a closure for this original, gritty romance on the rocks.
Colin and Allie deserve something good, but they're not there yet. I believe there's a lot of change and heartache waiting to happen, and lot of tears and epiphany ahead, before they truly connect and real love blossoms. I hope I can see it happen someday!
First reviewed on Literaria http://sede-literaria.blogspot.com
----
This second part cannot disappoint. Allie feels the need to fend for herself, but she's uneasily dependant of Colin. In the meantime, the noose is closing in around them due to his shady business with his brother. The evolution of their relationship is really well reflected in how they communicate through sex. Sometimes these encounters were hurtful, other times they were scorching hot. Regardless, they were always as emotional and intimate and significant as the way they behaved towards each other.
I really liked Allie's side as a mum or how Colin took to parenthood. Some humour was also very heart-warming and I could relate to Allie's awkwardness in certain scenarios. Though the dramatic part was gripping as this girl is like a magnet for bad luck. She's forced into situations that are clearly dangerous and had my nerves on edge. And she seems to be playing with fire. Wow, this story is growing so much with suspense and grit and life-like characters. I'm so ready for what's next!
Favourite quote: There's a certain magic to being held. No one could hurt me there.
----
Thrilling, sad and soulful. This third part is so full of drama and emotions that I read it in one whoosh. Allie shows a lot of courage, though she's rewarded with all her nightmares coming to life. I absolutely loved how valiant she was, how all the secrets spill out and put everyone, Shelly, Colin, Philip, under the harsh light of truth. And the story made me frustrated with all the longing for Colin and Allie to finally be happy and together, but it never did!
He is one stubborn man. Though that proves how resilient and strong Allie is. She's grown into this brave woman who knows her worth and her heart.
Until that moment when they do realize they belong together and it happens in a way that is so like them, with courage and pain and humour. Oh, this author always surprises me because not one of her stories is the same, but they're always so good, deep, real and haunting.
Favourite quote:
It would be scary to be that drop of rain. To know she was going down, but not know how or when it would happen.
Here are my individual reviews as I read every book:
Skye Warren always teeters on the verge of darkness. She might often cross over and into the chasm, but she does so with the grace of a ballerina.
Even when she describes black deeds, sleazy lives or stormy feelings, there is poetic softness in her words.
That paradox keeps drawing me back to her stories and that's how I found myself reading Rough. Just with the prologue I could feel the pain of a woman betrayed and thrown out into an unforgiving world, all alone.
Though I couldn't understand why such traumatic events would lead her to commit herself to the same torture again and again. The mind works in mysterious ways, I suppose, and it's a thought-provoking way to push the reader's mind out of its comfort zone.
This sick consequence of her past leads Allie to a man who changes her complete withdrawal from worthy feelings and self-respect. Though it's a bumpy road that's only just started. I'm so excited about this journey!
Colin.
A gentleman-bad boy combo. I loved it. I loved how strong and giving he was towards Allie's twisted needs, and how layers of him would come apart to show his real, dark, human and gloriously beautiful self.
The plot gripped me right away. It's raw, emotional, dangerous. Allie has issues with men but she also has a difficult life with not much money, a hard job, a sweet responsibility and a danger lurking over her head from the past. And it all mingles with her strange, moving relationship with solemn Colin.
Let me tell you about the steamy times between these two. Desperate, sensual, sometimes too much but never enough.
Surprisingly, there was some humour thrown into the tumult of emotions and harsh life. One scene in particular was incredibly endearing and fun. That kitchen scene is just perfect in all its messy glory.
I was eager to see this weird but wonderful couple's relationship develop, wondering where it would lead. However, I was disappointed to a certain extent to find out this is just the beginning of the story. Not because it's bad that there is so much more to tell, I just thought it was a stand-alone novel. How silly of me. Now I'm without a closure for this original, gritty romance on the rocks.
Colin and Allie deserve something good, but they're not there yet. I believe there's a lot of change and heartache waiting to happen, and lot of tears and epiphany ahead, before they truly connect and real love blossoms. I hope I can see it happen someday!
First reviewed on Literaria http://sede-literaria.blogspot.com
----
This second part cannot disappoint. Allie feels the need to fend for herself, but she's uneasily dependant of Colin. In the meantime, the noose is closing in around them due to his shady business with his brother. The evolution of their relationship is really well reflected in how they communicate through sex. Sometimes these encounters were hurtful, other times they were scorching hot. Regardless, they were always as emotional and intimate and significant as the way they behaved towards each other.
I really liked Allie's side as a mum or how Colin took to parenthood. Some humour was also very heart-warming and I could relate to Allie's awkwardness in certain scenarios. Though the dramatic part was gripping as this girl is like a magnet for bad luck. She's forced into situations that are clearly dangerous and had my nerves on edge. And she seems to be playing with fire. Wow, this story is growing so much with suspense and grit and life-like characters. I'm so ready for what's next!
Favourite quote: There's a certain magic to being held. No one could hurt me there.
----
Thrilling, sad and soulful. This third part is so full of drama and emotions that I read it in one whoosh. Allie shows a lot of courage, though she's rewarded with all her nightmares coming to life. I absolutely loved how valiant she was, how all the secrets spill out and put everyone, Shelly, Colin, Philip, under the harsh light of truth. And the story made me frustrated with all the longing for Colin and Allie to finally be happy and together, but it never did!
He is one stubborn man. Though that proves how resilient and strong Allie is. She's grown into this brave woman who knows her worth and her heart.
Until that moment when they do realize they belong together and it happens in a way that is so like them, with courage and pain and humour. Oh, this author always surprises me because not one of her stories is the same, but they're always so good, deep, real and haunting.
Favourite quote:
It would be scary to be that drop of rain. To know she was going down, but not know how or when it would happen.
May 2, 2018
In all honesty, I thought Colin and Allie's story was ok, but I didn't love it.
I'm spoiled by Skye Warren's words and the way she masters the emotions of her audience, but with this particular series, I couldn't find anyway to connect with the main characters. I think they were just too young and their behaviors and interactions reflected that.
I wanted Allie to be a little more fierce and I really needed Colin to be a bit more alpha.
I would classify this as more of a YA contemporary romance than dark romance.
This is the author's earlier work and I'm enjoying her current releases much more.
I'm spoiled by Skye Warren's words and the way she masters the emotions of her audience, but with this particular series, I couldn't find anyway to connect with the main characters. I think they were just too young and their behaviors and interactions reflected that.
I wanted Allie to be a little more fierce and I really needed Colin to be a bit more alpha.
I would classify this as more of a YA contemporary romance than dark romance.
This is the author's earlier work and I'm enjoying her current releases much more.
May 5, 2018
I believe that's the last I'll read of this author. Let me see if I can say this in a way that makes sense. Her writing style is not all bad, but the flow of the story has some serious issues, to me it seems like large chunks are missing throughout the whole thing. I probably skimmed about 30% of the story.
Colin Murphy
Allison (Allie for short)
Rating: NC-17
Language: lots of profanity including use of deity
Recommend: No likely
Colin Murphy
Allison (Allie for short)
Rating: NC-17
Language: lots of profanity including use of deity
Recommend: No likely
January 12, 2018
I don’t think this is dark. Yes, she had been raped by her best friend but it’s not graphic and they stay cordial. I think it was a good read. If I didn’t read the three books together book 3 would be 5 Stars.
Want to read
December 10, 2021
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Blurb:
Meet the woman shaped by betrayal and the man determined to save her at any cost...
ROUGH (Book One)
I'm a cautionary tale. A statistic. A victim. A single teenage mother from the poor part of town. Most of the time I'm too busy working and struggling to care what people think. Survival doesn't come easy.
I have a dark secret, a pressure valve, a rare moment just for myself. On these nights I visit a club. There I find men who give me what I need.
Men like Colin.
But he wants more than a few stolen hours. He demands more than my body. He wants my heart and soul--my happily ever after. I never thought I'd be Cinderella. I never thought a man that rough could be my prince.
HARD (Book Two)
What Colin doesn't know can't hurt him.
At least that's what I tell myself about the secrets I keep. I don't have a choice, not if I want to keep my daughter safe. And keep him Colin safe too. There are enemies in the shadows waiting to strike from all sides. I'm holding them out with my bare hands, but it's hard not to get crushed in the process.
And the truth has a way of coming out.
If I'm not careful, the past I've been working so hard to hide, the pain I've been fighting so long to outrun, will wipe out the man I love.
FIERCE (Book Three)
I'm torn between what I want and what I need. Between the men in my past and the man by my side. Colin has tried to control me, to use me. But he also guards me so fiercely my heart aches.
Raincheck. Business. Don't wait up. --C
That's the note he leaves for me, as if I could sit around while he fights my dragons. As if I could let himself get killed in some vain attempt to protect me.
There's no protection left for me. No redemption either.
This is my battle, and I've already lost.
April 30, 2018
This was all so much, but not enough! I feel like I want to live outside Colin's and Allie's window and watch them grow. I really would love to see them further down the line, hopefully they appear in other books. I'm rambling. But I loved their instant connection and tragic journey they took to find themselves and each other. This one was unique for a love story, it's Skye Warren, she delivers fast-paced stories filled with broken people and sets their world alive with chaos and sexuality. I originally read these books as novellas, when they first released, this was a reread, I'm glad I did. My rating and thoughts have changed. Not by much, but I feel as though I connected with this read, so much more than I did the first time around. I don't re-read books, I may need to change my ways. It seems I've grown as a reader.
Allie's journey hit me hard, in a way that felt realistic and alarming. I guess I read her like I'd lived her life. In a way I have, I choked up a few times, her path was bumpy, rugged, filled with roadblocks, yet she kept fighting. Things didn't have to be perfect, it was what is was. A challenge. A battle. She conquered. I don't want to go into detail about her last and what led to her drawing a line. You'll have to dive in and see for yourself. Let's just say, I love her.
"At nineteen I had seen it all. The world had already crumbled around me and been rebuilt, brick by brick."
Colin. Oh, Colin. He reminds of a silent cave man. Mysterious. Dark. Delish. Hit me over the head and cherish me for the rest of our lives. God, I fell in love with him too. This unlikely pair. Allie could speak for the both of them in a way I felt all the need.
"This big, strong man, wearing a muscle shirt and cargo pants, sang rock songs to a toddler in the middle of the night. I was so toast. Game over."
Before I make this review into a novella... Lmao! It wouldn't be a Warren book without some suspense to keep wondering. There's a layer of everything you'd like to sample. All your needs baked into one cake. I ate it and licked my fingers. I really fell in love, didn't I say that already, like ten times. Anyway, I loved this pair. The story was grey at times. But the trust and overwhelming feelings were ever present. I needed my happily ever happy. They deserved it, they wiggled their way into my heart.
"I couldn’t breathe, but then I’d already decided to give it all to him, even my breath."
Allie's journey hit me hard, in a way that felt realistic and alarming. I guess I read her like I'd lived her life. In a way I have, I choked up a few times, her path was bumpy, rugged, filled with roadblocks, yet she kept fighting. Things didn't have to be perfect, it was what is was. A challenge. A battle. She conquered. I don't want to go into detail about her last and what led to her drawing a line. You'll have to dive in and see for yourself. Let's just say, I love her.
"At nineteen I had seen it all. The world had already crumbled around me and been rebuilt, brick by brick."
Colin. Oh, Colin. He reminds of a silent cave man. Mysterious. Dark. Delish. Hit me over the head and cherish me for the rest of our lives. God, I fell in love with him too. This unlikely pair. Allie could speak for the both of them in a way I felt all the need.
"This big, strong man, wearing a muscle shirt and cargo pants, sang rock songs to a toddler in the middle of the night. I was so toast. Game over."
Before I make this review into a novella... Lmao! It wouldn't be a Warren book without some suspense to keep wondering. There's a layer of everything you'd like to sample. All your needs baked into one cake. I ate it and licked my fingers. I really fell in love, didn't I say that already, like ten times. Anyway, I loved this pair. The story was grey at times. But the trust and overwhelming feelings were ever present. I needed my happily ever happy. They deserved it, they wiggled their way into my heart.
"I couldn’t breathe, but then I’d already decided to give it all to him, even my breath."
April 16, 2018
Amazing and perfect! Loved it!!!!!
We start we two damaged characters somewhere in their teens and a mention of a third damaged out there. It is clear none have a good home life and some bad things have happened to them
Fast forward a few years and our two are doing what they need to survive. The less damaged (?) meets mysterious man who sees through her front and sees her. He has some sort of secret life but is taken by her. She is drawn to him and they try and work out what they are to each other
You often wonder while reading, is this really a relationship or a just for now. What the heck is going in Colin's mind about everything going on and is Allie's complete story going to ever come to light? Can she ever trust Colin, can she ever trust herself?
There are so many heart-warming moments with Allie, Bailey and Colin, and really, that is what anybody should be looking for from the story. After all, this is the story of two people falling for each other and everything else is the pressures around them
As the story was unfolding, there was always the question on where the heck was this all leading? You knew something was going to make the tinderbox catch fire and explode, but there were so many possibilities!
Luckily the story played out and wrapped up in a fashion that wasn't predictable, but also wasn't too far off the wall. If you loved the characters, nothing seemed all that off with what they did, but boy, was it a gritty and wrenching ride to get there
When it finally wrapped up, it was so sweet, but so what you would expect from these two, and their supporting cast, so not classic sweet, but perfect for them!
Fast relationship, fast and instant love and commitment, dark and looming fear and pain - if that is your trifecta of perfection, read it, read it, read it and you will love it as much as I did!!!
We start we two damaged characters somewhere in their teens and a mention of a third damaged out there. It is clear none have a good home life and some bad things have happened to them
Fast forward a few years and our two are doing what they need to survive. The less damaged (?) meets mysterious man who sees through her front and sees her. He has some sort of secret life but is taken by her. She is drawn to him and they try and work out what they are to each other
You often wonder while reading, is this really a relationship or a just for now. What the heck is going in Colin's mind about everything going on and is Allie's complete story going to ever come to light? Can she ever trust Colin, can she ever trust herself?
There are so many heart-warming moments with Allie, Bailey and Colin, and really, that is what anybody should be looking for from the story. After all, this is the story of two people falling for each other and everything else is the pressures around them
As the story was unfolding, there was always the question on where the heck was this all leading? You knew something was going to make the tinderbox catch fire and explode, but there were so many possibilities!
Luckily the story played out and wrapped up in a fashion that wasn't predictable, but also wasn't too far off the wall. If you loved the characters, nothing seemed all that off with what they did, but boy, was it a gritty and wrenching ride to get there
When it finally wrapped up, it was so sweet, but so what you would expect from these two, and their supporting cast, so not classic sweet, but perfect for them!
Fast relationship, fast and instant love and commitment, dark and looming fear and pain - if that is your trifecta of perfection, read it, read it, read it and you will love it as much as I did!!!
April 23, 2018
This Boxset was an emotion packed read. Damaged people doing the best they can to live a normal life. There is a fierce friendship between Allie and Shelly and I had a HUGE soft spot for Colin. Tough subjects such as rape and child abuse are covered in this series but nothing is gratuitous and the characters are so determined to survive you can't help but admire them. Plenty of action and hints at future storylines had me hooked til the end.
I received a free Boxset for review
I received a free Boxset for review
May 6, 2018
This boxset is one emotional ride. Allie is one tough chick after everything this woman goes through it makes me emotional just thinking of everything. Then there is Colin the silent man with few words but does more than he thinks and protects with his whole heart. I loved every page of this series and hoping we see more of them someday! 5/5 stars
January 31, 2021
Another one that didn't work for me.
I have been in a mood for dark romance but when I'm reading it I'm suddenly not in the mood for dark romance at all. Can't understand it, can't explain it.
Skye Warren's books used to work for me but not so much lately and clearly not this one.
Everything felt disconnected, characters acting out of character and choices made that didn't make any sense.
I have been in a mood for dark romance but when I'm reading it I'm suddenly not in the mood for dark romance at all. Can't understand it, can't explain it.
Skye Warren's books used to work for me but not so much lately and clearly not this one.
Everything felt disconnected, characters acting out of character and choices made that didn't make any sense.
July 7, 2024
Not quite as good as I remember, and I feel like The author has come a long way with her writing since these books were written. I'm going thru my TBR and reading everything I have by the author, starting with the oldest books.
I still really enjoy the grittiness and realistic look at the characters.
I still really enjoy the grittiness and realistic look at the characters.
Want to read
April 19, 2018 Free on iTunes.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/roug...
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/roug...
February 15, 2016
This box set contains all three stories about Allie and Colin. Allie was left pregnant when she mistakenly trusted Andrew, a boy she considered one of her best friends. He took advantage of her and then left. When she went to the police, she was again betrayed. Now she lives the best she can taking care of her daughter and trusting no one except her best friend Shelly.
Allie meets Colin at a bar and right away it's obvious that things are different with him than the normal men she hooks up with. There's a connection between them and he makes her feel safe. Colin wants more from Allie than just one night.
These three stories take us on an emotional ride as Colin and Allie try to build a relationship and make it work. There are secrets they both are hiding that case problems. There are dirty cops and best friends with secrets. A past comes back also.
While we did learn some about Allie's past, I felt we needed a little more background into Colin and what happened to him and his siblings Philip and Rose as children. It just felt as though there was important information missing that would have explained his actions more clearly.
This series continues with Shelly's story.
Allie meets Colin at a bar and right away it's obvious that things are different with him than the normal men she hooks up with. There's a connection between them and he makes her feel safe. Colin wants more from Allie than just one night.
These three stories take us on an emotional ride as Colin and Allie try to build a relationship and make it work. There are secrets they both are hiding that case problems. There are dirty cops and best friends with secrets. A past comes back also.
While we did learn some about Allie's past, I felt we needed a little more background into Colin and what happened to him and his siblings Philip and Rose as children. It just felt as though there was important information missing that would have explained his actions more clearly.
This series continues with Shelly's story.
February 10, 2016
I liked most of this series...the first book sucked me in and the next two...well I just had to finish them so I could find out how it would all turn out.
Shocking, at times really sweet but then again really perverse...it was a mixed bag of who do you trust, who is really the bad guy and who is the knight riding in to save the damaged princess and her daughter.
I have found that Skye Warren writes really deeply intense sexual stories that make me wonder how much of it she might have experienced herself...because much of her heroine's desires to be physically hurt and handled roughly, are pretty accurate to how many victims of abuse actually behave sometimes when they feel self-loathing as Allie did.
This one might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed the read and will continue to buy this author's books.
**** 4 **** "learning to like gentle again" stars
Shocking, at times really sweet but then again really perverse...it was a mixed bag of who do you trust, who is really the bad guy and who is the knight riding in to save the damaged princess and her daughter.
I have found that Skye Warren writes really deeply intense sexual stories that make me wonder how much of it she might have experienced herself...because much of her heroine's desires to be physically hurt and handled roughly, are pretty accurate to how many victims of abuse actually behave sometimes when they feel self-loathing as Allie did.
This one might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed the read and will continue to buy this author's books.
**** 4 **** "learning to like gentle again" stars
March 27, 2016
3.5 stars
What killed this book for me was the h response and actions after some abuse takes place. Being someone who has gone through it personally. It was hard to believe that someone who goes through something that traumatic would sit and talk with the person responsible like it was a normal thing. It just didn't sit well with me. Also the H was suppose to be this yummy alpha of a man and really he was a softy in a I'm not gonna fight for what I want kind of way and it was a turn off.
But. The concept and mystery in the story kept me reading. Over all it was a one time read
What killed this book for me was the h response and actions after some abuse takes place. Being someone who has gone through it personally. It was hard to believe that someone who goes through something that traumatic would sit and talk with the person responsible like it was a normal thing. It just didn't sit well with me. Also the H was suppose to be this yummy alpha of a man and really he was a softy in a I'm not gonna fight for what I want kind of way and it was a turn off.
But. The concept and mystery in the story kept me reading. Over all it was a one time read
February 7, 2017
*audio review* A damaged but strong and fierce female lead coupled with a dark and broody, secretive male lead makes for an intensely satisfying listen.
Rose Dioro was perfect for this role as her narration was not only technically amazing, but the emotion she portrayed was convincing and enthralling.
I cannot wait to continue on with the Chicago Underground series, most definitely credit worthy.
Rose Dioro was perfect for this role as her narration was not only technically amazing, but the emotion she portrayed was convincing and enthralling.
I cannot wait to continue on with the Chicago Underground series, most definitely credit worthy.
August 24, 2015
I read the entire Chicago Underground series in one complete weekend. These books were funny, sexy and smart. I enjoyed them all and was glad that they were available to read all at once. Going from one to another gave me a better experience overall, as it was just like picking up the next chapter. Highly recommend.
October 18, 2015
kinda slow. not my fav
January 22, 2016
Wtf was this
May 14, 2018
I, honest to God, don’t understand these 4 & 5 Star reviews. Did y’all read the same book I tried to read?!? This review contains a few details about the story, ie; “spoilers”, but it won’t keep you from reading this book and ending up confused and disappointed as I was by 33%...
Wow, where to begin? I’m pretty disappointed with this series. After reading The Prince, The King and The Queen, this series was a big let down. Gotta be honest, I did not finish it. I got to about 33% and had to stop. And, I was skimming from about 20% before that. I just could not get over Allie continually making excuses about how she became a teenage single mother. Her former best friend, Andrew, impregnated her after she said ‘NO’ to his advances, but she tells everyone, including Colin, his mob boss brother Philip and his lawyer Laramie, it wasn’t rape and that’s he didn’t ‘hurt her’? She says Andrew was a drinker and a user who left town abruptly and then all of a sudden, after almost 3 years, returns asking her questions about her kid, if he’s the father and demands they “get back together”?!? M’kay. All while Allie lives in the same building as her BFF Shelly, who happens to be a prostitute, who also watches Allie’s daughter, Bailey, so Allie can go out once or twice a month to hook up with random men in the hopes of them giving her rough sex because she’s a single mom and still wants to have fun?!? Holy hair, seriously??? She’s 19 in the story. What the heck kind of nightclub is she going to? The random guys she hooks up with sound more like older truckers stopping for a drink in a seedy bar, than a guy her age at an under 21 club. I mean really, what the actual hell??
Anyway, on one of these “date nights” as Allie calls them, she meets up with Colin at a nightclub who hooks up with her in a motel and doesn’t give her the rough sex she wants, but somehow convinces her their sex was different and meaningful. They go their separate ways but meet up again when Allie is about to be forced into sex by a drunk guy out in a parking lot. Colin is somehow there and rescues her. At one point after he rescues her from the drunk guy, her kid gets sick and she goes to the ER where she runs into said drunk guy after he’s been beaten up. He’s all of a sudden really apologetic and hopes he didn’t hurt her. She asks Colin if he beat the drunk guy up and when he says he did, Allie gets pissy with him and “breaks up with him” but somehow manages to get in her story about how she became a single mother and needs help getting rid of Andrew (but not in a violent way), causing Colin to want to help her... Ah, where they dating?!? I thought it was one night of not rough sex she and Colin had?!? They’re dating all of a sudden? Oy... I just can’t... Anyway...
After about a month apart, Colin comes back asks her to move in with him after about an actual week of knowing her, knowing she has a kid and has a truck load of issues because he wants to help her with her situation with Andrew. Allie agrees, but is skeptical of Colin because even though he’s a business owner, he sometimes helps his brother Philip out with jobs that sounds pretty undesirable. Colin says that Philip isn’t a mob boss, but what little I read leads me to believe he is, but I’m not going to finish this book, so you can leave a note to let me know how it all play s out...
Honestly, I just couldn’t finish this. I couldn’t connect with the story or the characters at all. There didn’t seem to be a spark between Allie and Colin. All she ever wanted to do was blow him. Seriously beginning to wonder if she wasn’t also a prostitute like her friend Shelly... Not that I see anything wrong with it. It’s honest money, but come on... The “relationship” between Allie and Colin seemed forced—like the kind of sex Allie seemed to like so much. So many things wrong with this story to interest me enough to finish it. While I’ve read some decent stuff from Skye Warren, in the past, this book felt thrown together. Dialog is choppy and immature and as much as Ms. Warren tries to make these people a couple, their relationship just isn’t believable or relatable. I’d hide this review because of a few “spoilers”, but I’m not vested enough in the story to care. Sorry. This book was just a big let down.
Wow, where to begin? I’m pretty disappointed with this series. After reading The Prince, The King and The Queen, this series was a big let down. Gotta be honest, I did not finish it. I got to about 33% and had to stop. And, I was skimming from about 20% before that. I just could not get over Allie continually making excuses about how she became a teenage single mother. Her former best friend, Andrew, impregnated her after she said ‘NO’ to his advances, but she tells everyone, including Colin, his mob boss brother Philip and his lawyer Laramie, it wasn’t rape and that’s he didn’t ‘hurt her’? She says Andrew was a drinker and a user who left town abruptly and then all of a sudden, after almost 3 years, returns asking her questions about her kid, if he’s the father and demands they “get back together”?!? M’kay. All while Allie lives in the same building as her BFF Shelly, who happens to be a prostitute, who also watches Allie’s daughter, Bailey, so Allie can go out once or twice a month to hook up with random men in the hopes of them giving her rough sex because she’s a single mom and still wants to have fun?!? Holy hair, seriously??? She’s 19 in the story. What the heck kind of nightclub is she going to? The random guys she hooks up with sound more like older truckers stopping for a drink in a seedy bar, than a guy her age at an under 21 club. I mean really, what the actual hell??
Anyway, on one of these “date nights” as Allie calls them, she meets up with Colin at a nightclub who hooks up with her in a motel and doesn’t give her the rough sex she wants, but somehow convinces her their sex was different and meaningful. They go their separate ways but meet up again when Allie is about to be forced into sex by a drunk guy out in a parking lot. Colin is somehow there and rescues her. At one point after he rescues her from the drunk guy, her kid gets sick and she goes to the ER where she runs into said drunk guy after he’s been beaten up. He’s all of a sudden really apologetic and hopes he didn’t hurt her. She asks Colin if he beat the drunk guy up and when he says he did, Allie gets pissy with him and “breaks up with him” but somehow manages to get in her story about how she became a single mother and needs help getting rid of Andrew (but not in a violent way), causing Colin to want to help her... Ah, where they dating?!? I thought it was one night of not rough sex she and Colin had?!? They’re dating all of a sudden? Oy... I just can’t... Anyway...
After about a month apart, Colin comes back asks her to move in with him after about an actual week of knowing her, knowing she has a kid and has a truck load of issues because he wants to help her with her situation with Andrew. Allie agrees, but is skeptical of Colin because even though he’s a business owner, he sometimes helps his brother Philip out with jobs that sounds pretty undesirable. Colin says that Philip isn’t a mob boss, but what little I read leads me to believe he is, but I’m not going to finish this book, so you can leave a note to let me know how it all play s out...
Honestly, I just couldn’t finish this. I couldn’t connect with the story or the characters at all. There didn’t seem to be a spark between Allie and Colin. All she ever wanted to do was blow him. Seriously beginning to wonder if she wasn’t also a prostitute like her friend Shelly... Not that I see anything wrong with it. It’s honest money, but come on... The “relationship” between Allie and Colin seemed forced—like the kind of sex Allie seemed to like so much. So many things wrong with this story to interest me enough to finish it. While I’ve read some decent stuff from Skye Warren, in the past, this book felt thrown together. Dialog is choppy and immature and as much as Ms. Warren tries to make these people a couple, their relationship just isn’t believable or relatable. I’d hide this review because of a few “spoilers”, but I’m not vested enough in the story to care. Sorry. This book was just a big let down.
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