Title: Anytime Darlin'
Author: Julia Rachel Barrett
Series: None
Genre: Erotica, Romance
Publisher: Siren
Published: August 21, 2010
How I Got It: Reviewed for Dark Diva Reviews
Paramedic Jake McKenna drops to his knees beside the young woman. Beaten, starved, she's barely breathing, burning with fever. He stabilizes her, but when she opens her green eyes and stares, panic-stricken, into his, he realizes this is only the beginning of their relationship.
Devlin Barre has been through hell. If her uncle finds her, she's dead. When she looks into the warm brown eyes of the paramedic, she knows deep in her bones she can trust this man with her life. Devlin and Jake grow close, but, fearful of commitment, Devlin runs off to rebuild her life, leaving Jake heartbroken.
Five years later, Jake and Devlin meet again. Neither has forgotten a single detail of their time together. Both harbor the secret hope that they can begin again--this time, for keeps. But Devlin isn't the only person who ran off. Her uncle still waits for the right opportunity to get the one person who got away.
My Thoughts:
I have to admit that I decided to read this book simply because the back cover summary got my attention and the cover was hot. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this story was more than just another hot read.
Anytime Darlin’ started as a heartbreaking story about a teen that had been mentally and sexually abused by someone close to her. Usually those types of stories don’t appeal to me and I tend to shy away from them. In this case, I was drawn to Devlin and Jake, the two main characters.
Jake was the super hot EMT. He had all of his female co workers falling all over him including his crazy ex girlfriend that was plotting to trap him into marrying her. Despite all the drama in his life, Jake had a heart of gold and didn’t hesitate to help when help was needed. So, when Devlin came into his life, he couldn’t help but want to be there for her.
Devlin’s story was so sad and I truly felt for her. It was sweet the way the EMTs and hospital staff rallied around her and supported her when she didn’t have anyone to reach out to.
I found the initial relationship between Devlin and Jake to be kind of creepy. It didn’t feel real to me because Devlin was very young and going through a very traumatic ordeal. Naturally, she reached out to the first person that showed her kindness.
Jake’s first feelings were that of a protective big brother, but those innocent feelings quickly morphed into something much deeper. That made me very uncomfortable because Devlin was still a minor.
Thankfully, neither pursued the romance until much later. Devlin was given time to heal and mature before having a relationship with Jake. After that, I was glad to see the two together because they both deserved happiness.
My Rating
I give Anytime, Darlin’ four and half flowers of love. It was heartbreaking at first, but ended with a great HEA. The book came close to being a fav book, but I'll settle for a recommended read. However, Jake, the smexy cowboy, has earned a place as a book boyfriend.
0 Talk to me!:
Post a Comment