Author: Cherry Shephard
Title: Imperfect
Series: Blaze of Glory
Release Date: October 21, 2015
US Special Forces, Staff Sargeant Ethan Stone, lives by one mantra “fight or die”.
The army is his life, his men are his family. So when an injury sends him home from Afghanistan, the nightmares of what he’s witnessed, can no longer be kept at bay. The alcohol he drowns himself in every night only sinks him further into depression’s abyss.
Waking after one of his benders, Stone is greeted by a tiny, knife wielding firecracker and one destroyed bar.
Saddles, was meant to be her escape. A new start away from an abusive relationship and a way to fulfill her daddy’s dying wish. But all the bar has brought Shannon is debt collectors and pushy buyers threatening to destroy her. And to top all that off one drunken, gorgeous idiot.
The last thing she needed was a handsome, angry ex-soldier to distract her.
All he wanted, was to pay for the damages. But when she refuses there is only one thing he can do. But when a familiar face from his past changes everything, can they learn to work together?
Will they find salvation in each other’s arms?
Review
Review by: Jennifer
(3.5 stars)
Shannon is a girl that has had a hard time, her past relationship wasn't all that great, and is now managing a bar her father left her.
Both thrown together in a way, Shannon realizes that Stone needs help and she is the one to help him.
This story had some really great sexy time, and it kept you interested. I did have some issues with the time line, and there was one major issue I had; but maybe that was just me and you guys won't even notice. For those issues that I did have, I have to give it a 3.5.
She turns over in bed and I look at her, expecting to see
regret in her eyes. Instead, I see understanding. This woman, this . . . angel,
has come to me in my greatest time of need.
I swallow past a sudden lump in my
throat, too overcome with emotion to speak. She doesn’t say anything but leans
over to kiss my cheek. I turn my head at the last second, capturing her lips
with my own. This kiss is different, though; it’s softer, gentler. I nibble
lightly on her bottom lip and feel her smile.
Her hand travels down my chest to
the waistband of my jeans but instead of pulling them off like I expect, her
hand disappears beneath my shirt. I tense, not ready for her to see that
vulnerable side of me. I’m too scarred; she’s going to take one look at my body
and run. I grab her hand and pull it out of my shirt, but she’s felt them.
The
scars.
I can see the horror on her face. She’s going to leave. I brace myself
for the rejection I know is coming… But it doesn’t. I flinch as she pushes my
shirt up, exposing my scars to her gaze.
The light from the lamp casts our
shadows on the wall, and I choose to look at that rather than the horror on her
face. She’s silent. Too silent.
What the hell is she thinking?
I risk a glance,
and my heart almost stops beating from what I see.
Tears.
She’s fucking crying.
For me.
“I’m sorry,” she cries, wiping away her tears.
I want to fucking laugh.
She’s crying for me, and apologizing for doing it.
“Don’t.” I smile, leaning up
and capturing her hand in my own.
I press my lips against it, tasting the
slightly salty tang of her tears on her fingers.
“Why are you crying?”
“Look at
what they did to you,” she whispers through her tears. “Keets told me you were
captured, but he never told me this.”
Keets told her? I should be angry, but I
guess a part of me is glad she knew. It would explain why she didn’t run the
second she saw the scars.
“Will you tell me?” she asks, but I shake my head. I
can’t do it. She’s opened a part of my heart tonight that I thought would lie
dormant forever. But this, this past that I come from, this weight that I carry
. . . it’s mine. I can’t burden her with it.
She understands. I don’t even have
to say anything. I swallow past another lump in my throat as she kisses the
long, jagged scar on my ribs. I have a tattoo there, covering the worst of it.
I’m covered in tattoos, actually, most of them on my chest and arms. All
designed to hide the imperfect body that lies beneath them. But she makes it
bearable. Her kiss is soft, fleeting. Not enough, though. Never enough. This time,
when she tries to take my shirt off, I let her.
This time, we make love. It’s
gentle, slower. I want to show her the same kindness she’s shown me. She takes
me to heights far beyond my fear and insecurities.
This time, I make love to
her as Ethan, the man . . . not Stone, the injured soldier.
Cherry Shephard loves Jared Leto, that’s no secret.
She also writes beautifully dark erotic romance stories,
focusing on honour and redemption. Her men are dark and strong, with just
enough vulnerability to make you believe you could save them. Her women are
tough, beautiful and can hold their own.
When not writing, Cherry can be found indulging her other
obsession, watching horror movies.
Cherry lives in Queensland, Australia, with Mr. S, her three
children, three cats, three dogs and 4 hermit crabs.
No comments:
Post a Comment