Rookie by Laramie Briscoe is now live! This is the first book in the new Bradford Station series, and if you like firefighter romances, check out Rookie.
As the story begins we find Hayden stranded on the side of the road. She has a flat, and has been struggling to get the lug nuts removed. It just so happens that Danny is driving down this same road, and he spots her vehicle, which then leads him to stop and assist. It is right then and there that Danny learns he's playing with fire. Hayden tells him who her father is, and Danny knows the Chief does not want the guys dating his daughters. Danny rushes to leave, only to reconnect with Hayden a few days later at the bank. It is then that their potential relationship begins to form. A date is had, and they agree to secrecy even though it doesn't 100% mesh with Danny's ideals. Will Danny's busy schedule allow them much time together? Can these two keep their relationship under wraps? What happens if the Chief finds out? How does that affect Danny's career?
The premise for Rookie sounds so amazing. Small town romance featuring a rookie firefighter and the chief's daughter? What's not to love?! Seriously.
The base of the story was good. Danny and Hayden piqued my curiosity, and I did like the secret dating storyline. I loved their meet cute, and even their next meet up after that. When the Chief introduced Danny and Hayden that day, I had to chuckle since these two already had met. They had even had a date or two at that point. But again, that wasn't information that Hayden's dad knew. There were a couple of scenes where Hayden went into protector mode, and I absolutely loved that. I loved seeing her in that role. Danny's devotion to his family was something I appreciated about him. No matter how tired he was from working at the station, he still jumped in at his family's business where he could. Was he burning the candle at both ends? Oh absolutely. But that didn't matter to him. Making sure his family knew they could count on him was what mattered.
Now there were a few aspects that I struggled with. It seemed that bits of the story were just forgotten. Or the parts that I had wanted elaborated on were simply glossed over like they didn't matter. Ultimately I'm left with more questions than I have answers. Knowing that Rookie didn't end on a cliffhanger, and I still have these unanswered storylines, I'm left wanting, and I don't like that. If it were a cliffhanger, then I would understand. But it's not. So...
On Goodreads I hid my questions under the spoiler feature. I'm hesitant to share them here because I don't want to share any spoilers. But I also know knowledge is a good thing. So it's a double edged sword in a way. I'm going to share a few of what I see as unanswered storylines, or why were these parts put into the story.
- What was the purpose of telling us about that "club" that Danny went to? How did that work into the story? That just doesn't make sense to me.
- What is the issue with Danny's last name, and why does the town exactly shun his family?
- What happened with the little old lady who came in to the bank? Did she ever come back?
- Then there was that tidbit about Hayden's mom that was revealed...did she ever talk to the Chief about that?
- What happened at city hall when Hayden said what she did to the person she did? What ever came from that?
- The entire fire scene. That was a major event, and yet it felt so minor in the book. How many days did that take to extinguish? How were the injured rescued? WHAT HAPPENED? Also did the entire city need to evacuate or just selected areas?
So as you can see I have questions. I don't have closure. I feel like the book wasn't complete. In my mind it needs to go back through for finessing.
Did I enjoy the story? For the most part I did. Again, the basics of the story were good. I did give the book 3 stars on Goodreads. My 3 star rating means I enjoyed the book, but it was missing something or it didn't give me what I wanted. There was so much potential for this book. For me though it fell a bit flat.
You know me though, I still recommend the book. Just because my takeaway was less than desired, doesn't mean you'll have the same experience. There are many on Goodreads who opted to give it 5 stars. I just didn't feel the same. So take my thoughts for what they are, but don't let it cloud your thoughts on the book.
Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts on Rookie. I appreciate it. Let me know if you end up reading the book. I'd love to talk about it with you.
Laura
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| Cover Designer: Cover Couture Photographer: Jeanne Woodfin |
The heat is on.
Situated on the Tennessee and North Carolina border, this town is nothing like you've ever experienced. Hot guys, the women they love, and a town worth saving. Bradford, TN is the epicenter of the next great romance dynasty.
Firefighters, family, and community...
Danny Ramirez
As a Probationary Firefighter, I'm doing everything I can to impress the members of my company. Knowing I'm the first in my family to be educated makes me proud, and gives me hope for the future.
I hold myself to a higher standard than anyone else, especially with a southern small-town breathing down my neck. One night, on a dark mountain road, I help the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life change a flat tire.
What I don't know, is she's the youngest daughter of my Chief. His number one rule? Don't date his daughters.
I try to stay away from her, try like hell, but when a forest fire threatens our town, and the guys in my company. I know I can't let her walk away from me. Not without a fight.
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Meet Laramie Briscoe
Laramie Briscoe is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of over 30 books, with sales of over half a million copies.
Since self-publishing her first book in May of 2013, Laramie has appeared on the Top 100 Bestselling E-books Lists on iBooks, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. Her books have been known to make readers laugh and cry. They are guaranteed to be emotional, steamy reads.
When she's not writing alpha males who seriously love their women, she loves spending time with friends, reading, and marathoning shows on Netflix. Married to her high school sweetheart, Laramie lives in Bowling Green, KY with her husband.
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Thank you to Laramie Briscoe, and Grey's Promotions, for providing me with an advanced review copy of Rookie.
