The Hooker and the Hermit

Rugby #1

by L.H. Cosway, Penny Reid

Book #1 in the USA TODAY BESTSELLING Rugby Series

New York’s Finest
Blogging as *The Socialmedialite*
April 22
LADIES AND GENTS! I have an announcement!

You know that guy I featured on my blog a few months ago? The really, really hot Irish rugby player who plays the position of ‘hooker’ in the RLI (Rugby League International)? The one with the anger management issues, the body of a gladiator and the face of a movie star? The one with the questionable fashion choices leading me to ask whether he was the lovechild of a leprechaun and a hobbit? Ronan Fitzpatrick? Yeah, that guy.

Well, I have a confession to make…

THE HERMIT

Annie Catrel, social media expert extraordinaire at Davidson & Croft Media and clandestine celebrity blogger, can make anyone shine in the court of public opinion. She is the Socialmedialite, anonymous creator of New York’s Finest and the internet’s darling. Virtual reality is Annie’s forte, but actual reality? Not so much.

THE HOOKER

Ronan Fitzpatrick, aka the best hooker the world of rugby has seen in decades, despises the media—social or otherwise. The press has spun a web of lies depicting him as rugby’s wild and reckless bad boy. Suspended from his team, Ronan has come to Manhattan to escape the drama, lay low, fly under the radar. Only, Ronan isn’t easy to overlook, and he can’t escape the notice of the Socialmedialite…

THE PLAN

When Ronan is sent to Davidson & Croft Media to reshape his public image, he never expects to cross paths with shy but beautiful Annie, nor does he expect his fierce attraction to her. He couldn’t be happier when her boss suggests pairing them together.

What lengths will Annie take to keep her virtual identity concealed? And what happens when the hooker discovers who the hermit really is?

Genres: Romance, Sports, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance, Humor, New Adult

369 pages, Paperback

First published January 20, 2015

About the author

L.H. Cosway lives in Dublin, Ireland. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favourite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.

She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LHCosway

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LHCosway

Mailing List: https://lhcoswayauthor.com/newsletter/

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lhcosway13/

Website: www.lhcoswayauthor.com

Reviews

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ‘Bollocks, bitches, and Battlestar Galactica’ stars!



The collaboration of Penny Reid and L.H. Cosway (two authors who's other books I adore) was just fantastic. The Hooker and the Hermit exceeded my expectations. It was funny, as I expected, but also fresh, unique, fun, sexy and clever. The hero and heroine were both characters I loved. This was a real win for me and going straight to my favorites shelf!

Annie Cartel is a hermit. Her job is to deal with those opposite of her- the famous. She is a social media expert. Have a poor image? She can turn it around. She is also, in secret, a famous blogger.

I’m the Socialmedialite. I’m that girl, the most influential infotainment blogger in the world.

She’s blogged about all sorts of people, and most take it in stride. But when she blogs about a rugby player, Ronan Fitzpatrick, she gets more than she bargained for. She gets someone who writes her back.

Ronan is sick and tired of people who think they know him writing about his life. And the day he see’s the Socialmedialite’s blog post… he’s had enough. So he writes her a strongly worded letter. That same week Ronan is brought in to get his image fixed. By none other than Annie Cartel. He doesn’t know who she is, but she sure knows him. As Annie and Ronan start working together, it begins. This crazy attraction. Ronan see’s past Annie’s hermit like ways and see’s her.

“Let’s be unprofessional together, Annie.”

Annie fights her feelings every step of the way. Not only is it unprofessional to her that she dates a client, but this is the same guy she’s written about. She just can’t in good conscious go there. But once you meet Ronan, you’ll realize just how hard he can be to resist.



Let me take a moment to gush about all things Ronan. Ronan is a sexy athlete, but he’s so much more than that. With the nickname ‘Mother Fitzpatrick, you know he’s the responsible one on his team. He’s funny, oh so sexy and even has moments of sweet trickled in. He’s a fantastic dirty talker and I just can’t think of anything I didn’t like about Ronan.

Annie Cartel is another character that I just adored. Annie has some issues with relationships, but it’s explained very well why she is this way. It’s hard for her to be open with other people, but Ronan is somehow able to tear down some of these walls she’s built around her heart and see the real her. Not the hermit no one notices, but the woman behind all that. He see’s Annie for the woman she is.

I couldn’t believe I had this woman. This woman who seemed designed by some divine power specifically to be mine, and I was designed to be hers.

This wasn’t a completely easy road for these two, but any drama or angst was minimal and not over the top. This is a couple you will root for. You will want them to get it together so bad. Because they really do just work. Even though they are so different, something about them together just clicks. The banter they share both in real life and in their emails made me laugh out loud so many times. A book that makes me laugh AND makes me feel… well, you just can’t beat that.

The collaboration was so well done, had such a flow to it, I often forgot that two authors were writing this story and not just one. If any two authors should be writing together, it should be these two. They are both wonderful in their own regards, but together they really shine.

The Hooker and the Hermit is a book I think most everyone will enjoy. If you’re looking for something with loads of humor thats also sexy and a heartwarming romance, this should definitely be your next read!

“I don’t always want you to be tied up. I want you free. I want you wild. I want you brave. I want you any way I can get you.”

This was the dynamic I’d craved my whole, life but had never found a partner as perfect as my dear, sweet, gorgeous little hermit.

[Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5,000 Top Shelf, "Shit, Shit, Star Wars" Stars

I fucking LOVED this book.

Seriously...Every. Single. Second.

If I could string the words that comprised this book into a roll of yarn I would make a damned blanket out of it and wrap myself up forever.

This thing was like the best rom-com you've ever seen. With a dash of off the chain sexual tension, a sprinkling underpinning of awesomely geek-tastic witticisms, and a underlying mega dose of solidarity for all of us GR freaks who interact through our computers day in and day out.





Plus, Ronan was THE cheese on this skank's cracker.



#newspankbankfavorite ***And no Allison people I'm not talking about the below picture, I'm talking about Ronan***




Speaking of Ronan, since I am apparently in a casting mood today...

Here you go.

Ronan:



Because...duh. The authors said he looked liked Colin Farrell.

And because I say, why fuck with perfection?

Annie.



And of course, we can't leave out Joan:

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Poor Danny Joan. Poor, poor Joan.

I don't even know what else to say about this aside from mindless gushing.

The characters were great.
The story was great.
The writing was great.

In short, it was...GREAT.

Go read it.

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks for the flag, whoever you were - its much appreciated...

I love Penny Reid. Just saying. My little gif here was prior to reading the book in reference to Penny sending me an ARC. I love L.H. just as much for writing the book.


Thanks Penny for the ARC. It was much appreciated.

Being Irish, I know my rugby. To be honest, being Irish, you are either a Rugby aficionado, a GAA aficionado or a Football (soccer) aficionado. Growing up, I was NOT a rugby aficionado. To me, rugby players came across as privileged, upper-class morons. My only foray into the rugby world was when I went to Dublin to meet up with a girl I met while inter-railing around Europe when I was 20 - we stayed in the same Convent in Nice, South of France for a few nights. DON'T ASK. I don't even know myself!


In Dublin, we ended up going to a rugby disco at Annabel's Nightclub (that alone should have had me running for the hills). Now I was a country girl from the West of Ireland and most of the folks there were D4 people (think The Hamptons, Knightsbridge). We were worlds apart. My first impression of rugby players... to quote a line that Ronan might use "They were a shower of wankers"!

But I digress. That has nowt to do with the book.

I loved Ronan. Loved his honesty, his humour, his wit, his dirty talking!

Unfortunately, I was a cynical, disillusioned twenty-seven year old with no patience for women and their wiles.

I loved Annie. She was normal. You read some books and the author tries too hard to make the heroine out to be some sort of femme fatale. Annie's background story was tough but it made me love her even more.

"My Annie is perfect just as she is ..."

I've read some books with Irish characters and, OMG, talk about awful. The Irish are quite normal, you know. We don't look like leprechauns or talk with stupid accents. Well, we do have an accent, I presume (as some Yank said to me once "Oh My God I just loooove your cute accent!") Feck off!

"Here's to Ronan, ugly as a sheep's arse, and yet he finally managed to find himself a looker."

They had the words and Irish lingo down to a "T".

"Oh, Annie," he whispered affectionately, "what am I going to do with you?"

They had their ups and downs. It wasn't all plain sailing. Annie was a tough nut to crack.


Having read both these authors and enjoyed their work I was wondering how it would be with them writing together. It worked for me. It blended well together.

"Is there something wrong?"
"No! Of course not!
Everything is just cunting!"

I had some real LOL moments with some of the stuff Ronan said.

"Damn, dammit, dickless Donald Duck.".

.... and with some of the stuff Annie said.

Looking forward to Lucy's story - if we get one.


4.5 yummy stars.


On a side note, when I saw the title for this book the first thing that jumped into my mind was "Pretty Woman" - you know a prostitute and a rich millionaire ...

[Lady Vigilante (Feifei) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!!



I’m seriously at a loss for words to describe just how much I adored this book. From the catchy cover to the whip-smart writing to the endearing characters…everything about this story was absolute perfection! I’ve already read it twice now, and highlighted nearly 75% of the book filled with unforgettable quotes that made me laugh or swoon. I wholeheartedly loved this story, and I’m confident that everyone who reads it will love it too, whether it’s the charming dirty-talking hero, the feisty sharp-witted heroine, the humor, or their romance that appeals to you.

There is so much about this book that worked for me personally, especially the heroine Annie Catrel. This chick is a social media genius and works for a top-notch media company. But her secret? She runs ‘Socialmedialite,’ a well-received & popular blog where she dazzles readers about celebrity news in anonymity.



She’s good at what she does, and the online world adores her for it. In real life though? Her track record isn’t too perfect. She’s introverted and a hermit, willingly choosing a simple, lonely life because she always plays it safe, never letting anyone get close to her. From a romance reader point of view, her personality is my worst nightmare. I don’t want to spend most of the book reading about a heroine who pushes away the hero, you know? BUT! And this is a big one…I ended up loving Annie. Her character was well-developed and her backstory convincingly explained why she bottles up her feelings. I didn’t find her to be weak at all. She was strong in mind and just needed a special someone to push her boundaries a little is all. Someone like the hero Ronan Fitzpatrick...



Ronan, Ronan, Ronan. I could wax poetic about this hero all day because he’s just that amazing. At the start of the story, Ronan is a rugby player who has to clean up his image for the sake of his career and team, and luckily for him, he gets paired up with Annie. I loved this guy. I loved how much he loved his family, his dedication to his sport, and he complemented Annie perfectly. While she was shy, he was outspoken and reading about him wooing her made me swoon big time!



Even though Annie has high walls around her, Ronan’s charm is irresistible. While she teaches him about the workings of social media, he teachers her how to truly live. There is a good amount of conflict in here that stems from Annie’s insecurity issues but I found it all to be ‘healthy angst’ so to speak. I loved Ronan’s patience and acceptance of Annie’s quirks, and in turn, I loved that Annie pushed his buttons like no other. The authors did a splendid job of showcasing their individual traits and how well they complemented each other together. It made me root for them even more.



I have to take a minute here and talk about how stunningly good the writing is. I’m especially impressed because this is a collaborative work, and the few I’ve read in the past I’ve been disappointed by since I felt the authors lost their individual voice. It’s definitely not the case here. With Ronan’s character, L.H. Cosway really brings out the charismatic side of him along with giving him this passionate voice. It’s a heartfelt feeling that only makes me adore this hero more. And with Annie’s character, Penny Reid has done the impossible – endear me to a heroine whose quirks would normally frustrate me but didn’t. And I can’t forget the wit and humor that leapt off the pages! Both of their writing styles flowed so well I even forgot that this book was written by two authors. As such, this is a book that engaged both my mind and heart, and those kinds of books are my absolute favorite.

I already know that this is a book that will be on my best books list for this year. It’s highly entertaining yet has emotional scenes sprinkled in that tugged at my heartstrings. The writing was beyond sensational and both characters were wonderful and brought big smiles to my face. It’s a fun, fresh book that’s both intellectually stimulating and a beautiful love story. I can’t recommend it enough!



The Hooker and the Hermit is a standalone collaborative romance. L.H. Cosway wrote Ronan’s side of the story while Penny Reid wrote Annie’s.

ARC provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review.

[Catarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 +++ Stars!
(I really wish I could give more!)

Annie is a girl who likes to live in solitude and is used to be alone. Ironically, her job is to clean the “public image” of celebrities and she is pretty good doing that. She’s also the anonymous face behind the “Socialmedialite” alter-ego, an extreme famous and successful site about celebrities. Ronan is an Irish rugby player that went through a rough phase and now’s being portrayed as the “rugby bad boy”. Until the waters run dry, he’s taking a break in NY and he hires the service of Annie’s company to clean his image. Long story short, they end up in a fake relationship to help cleaning his image. Quickly that relationship starts to feel very real, but how can you turn something fake into something real, when one of the persons his hiding her true self behind a computer screen?



If this book was a person, I would hug it, allure it with chocolate and then risk prison time by kidnapping and keep it hidden in my room so I would have it all for myself. That’s how much I loved this book.
For some time (too much) that a book didn’t hooked me up like this one, I started reading it and what appeared 5 minutes later I was already reading “the end” and it wasn’t nearly enough. I NEEDED MORE!! So, please, dear authors, join forces again and write a book about Lucy, or Tom, or anyone really. BUT WRITE!
I am probably one of the few persons in this world who haven’t read L. H. Cosway yet (and I have “Painted Faces” in my kindle for years!), but that is a fact that will definitely change. This book was spectacularly written and I liked that I wasn’t able to differentiate the different writing styles. (Although there were some remarks that were clearly Penny, and I loved them!).
Anyway, if you want a steamy and heartwarming romance that will make smile all the way and leave wanting (so much) more, this a great choice. What are you waiting for?



Rating: 5 Stars.
Characters Development: I really liked Annie! Yeah, there were some moments where I just wished she saw the damn reason, but her actions were very understandable. She was sweet, a little nerdy and impossible not to like her. Ronan was amazing, starting by his Viking-like name, to his awesome sense of humor and dirty mind he was impossible not to love. Not to mention he was sweet and had pretty sexy alpha traits. I definitely grew a new fascination for Irish men. The supporting characters were amazing, from the nutty Lucy, to Tom, or the sweet and scary Joan, they were amazing and brought a lot of humor to the book. I only wish there would be more books about some of the characters!
Steam: Some hot scenes.
Sensible Subjects: Abandonment Issues.
Love Triangle: No.
Cheating: No.
HEA: Yes.

[Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ · Rating 1 out of 5]

► DNF at 12% - I just can't bring myself to go further because yes, it was that bad.

Yeah, you saw correctly, I just rated a book I didn't finish, and trust me, I thought about it for a while before taking this decision - but I couldn't help. Edit : YES, I do think that I'm still able to judge this book, or his crappy male-lead, because this kind of behavior speaks for itself, no matter what will happen in the rest of the story. Stop telling me that I don't get it.

Let me explain : basically, this book - sorry, the first 12% of this book - made me rage so much I couldn't go on, even for the sake of a complete review. Why? Because Ronan, the male-lead acts like a fucking predator.

How to make me loathe a male lead? Easy! Follow the steps!

▦ Step 1 : He is a fucking telepath

"I wondered if she was attracted to me but was trying to hide it."

→ She just told you that she didn't appreciate your behavior, you dumbass.

"Nothing can happen between us, Mr. Fitzpatrick." She didn't sound convinced."

→ Now, nobody asks you to interpret her words which were really clear. Words have a meaning so go search in a dictionary and give us a break. What makes me rage is the fact that this interpretation of her words, what am I saying, of her acts is something often used by rapists or assholes.

Oh, the wonderful "I know she wants it"!



Talk about an awful move. To clear the air, let me tell you something : I don't care if she is attracted by him, he doesn't know that.

▦ Step 2 : Charming, he is.

✘ After their first meeting :

"And despite the fact that it frustrated me, there was something about her timidity that appealed to me on a very base level. I could just imagine how easily she'd... submit."

Why, thank you, that's so nice of you!

▦ Step 3 : Personal space is a foreign concept

In the course of 3 pages, I moved from feeling rather annoyed to so much pissed that I wanted to throw my Kindle on the floor. Do you want to read what goes through the mind of this incredible piece of shit of a male lead?

✘ In the elevator, after she was trying to avoid him :

"Since she was leaning against the wall in the corner, she was in the perfect position for me to cage her in."

→ REALLY? I'm not gonna lie, I reread this sentence a few times because silly me, the words couldn't sink in my mind - I. JUST. CAN'T. BELIEVE. IT. And I'm supposed to be interested in him? REALLY?!

But that wasn't the end of the scene, oh, NO. Ronan has still predators moves to make, don't worry.

✘ While she is caged in the corner, after he hit the "stop" button of the elevator :

"Bending down a little so we were almost level, I lifted a hand from the wall and rubbed my thumb along her chin."

→ I don't know how many times I have to write this, but girls, physical touches are not okay when they aren't solicited, nobody has the right to touch you without your consent.

But that's not the end! Despite being so dense, Ronan still wonders if maybe, maybe she doesn't want to be CAGED IN A CORNER OF AN ELEVATOR WHILE BEING TOUCHED so he asks her why her heart is racing (yeah, because he has his hand on it) and she says him that she doesn't like it, but you know, WHY BOTHER?

"Have dinner with me," I said, ignoring her answer."

→ Oh, right, I forgot. Why listening to someone when we can ignore her?

"Quickly, she righted herself, brought her hands to my chest, and pushed. I caught them, holding them in mine, my thumb brushing her inner wrist. She shivered. Her hands were shaking."

→ There's so much wrong in this that I don't even know where to start. First, she shows in an obvious way that she doesn't want to be near him, I mean, she pushes him for fuck sake. His response to her action is both disrespectful and plain scary. To me, anyway.

▩ That's it. I quit. And frankly, I don't give a damn if the male-lead behaves better in the end - nothing can redeem such behavior in my eyes. NOTHING.



For more of my reviews, please visit:

[✦❋Arianna✦❋ · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★5 STARS★★★★★



What a sweet and funny story! “The Hooker and the Hermit” was such a fantastic read. It really has everything – a great premise, a good solid, unpredictable plot, two endearing characters and exquisite writing. A standalone collaborative romance, “The Hooker and the Hermit” tells the story of Annie (the hermit) and Ronan (the hooker).

So who’s Annie? Annie is the primary project lead of the Social Media Marketing division at Davidson & Croft Media. Her specialty is cleaning the public image of different celebrities. She’s the best at what she does, she’s legendary in her field, but in real life Annie is terrible. She’s introverted, reclusive and quiet and she doesn’t like attention. She’s a hermit and she knows it. What no one knows is that Annie is the most influential blogger in the world, that she’s The Socialmedialite.

“I, Annie Catrel, am The Socialmedialite, the owner and purveyor of the blog New York’s Finest.”

If in real life Annie is quiet, online she’s fantastic. She likes to talk with everyone and everyone loves her. Online she wants the attention, she is clever and she is witty.

Ronan is an Irish rugby player who needs to clean his image if he wants to have a career. He is seen as a bad boy, even if he isn’t. Suspended from the team he hopes he’ll be back in a couple of months.
Annie and Ronan meet when Ronan hires the company where Annie works to help him clean his image. They start working together, they like each other and they are drawn to each other. Their friendship grows and their relationship starts to change when they are paired up to work together.



While Ronan wants to know Annie and to have more with her than a simple friendship, Annie is scared to trust and be with someone. She doesn’t want to lose control over her thoughts and emotions. She tries very hard to resist Ronan, but he makes her feel special, he feels her, he makes her want things, things she learned to bury.

“I’d like to give you everything you want.
Annie’s gaze jumped to mine, and she blurted her next question like she hadn’t really meant to ask it. Why?
You’re very real, Annie. I like that you’re without pretense. I like that you’re both smart and sexy as hell without a lot of fuss. I like who you are.”

I really loved this story! It was wonderfully written! Overall, Annie was a great heroine. She’s smart, strong, hard working and despite her past she managed to become a successful young woman. I really admired her. Her character is very well developed through the entire story and she felt real and even relatable. I liked her a lot, but I must admit she was a little frustrating at times. I didn’t like at all how judgmental she was with Ronan in the beginning.

Ronan was wonderful.I absolutely loved him. He’s amazing. He’s handsome, he’s smart, he’s confident, he’s charming and so great with his sister and mother. He knows what he wants, he’s honest, loyal and generous.



I loved how he is with Annie – how he looks at her, how he talks with her, how protective and possessive he is with her. He is perfect for her. He made me smile and swoon and I loved him to pieces. I loved how focused he is on his profession and how ambitious he is.

I enjoyed all the sweet and funny moments between them and I really liked Joan, Annie’s boss and Lucy, Ronan’s sister.

Overall, a sweet and very enjoyable read!

“You’re nothing like what I expected you to be, Ronan Fitzpatrick.”

[Penny Reid]

**AUDIOBOOK LINKS**
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Buy a Signed Paperback Copy from Penny's Store

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

"Let's be unprofessional together, Annie."



This was a wonderfully clever, witty, snarky and sweet story. Annie is the intelligent endearing hermit and Ronan is the dirty talking, witty, rugby god. The writing was TOP SHELF and completely enjoyable. I highlighted tons of exchanges between the two lovable main characters, here’s just one that made me smile…

"Ronan: You gonna let me inside you tonight, love? I could just imagine her blushing.

Annie: Isn’t that more of a fourth or fifth date kind of thing?

Ronan: I’m Irish. We don’t adhere to that shite."

Annie has virtually met Ronan through a bash type post under her crazy popular anonymous blog. When the hot Colin Farrell lookalike walks into her day job looking into ways of improving his public image he is drawn to her and the story takes flight with their hot exchanges.

"He kissed like he flirted, aggressively, with complete expert abandon."

Ronan was a total swoon worthy, crazy hot Irishman. Annie was a scared runner but was so lovable and real that a reader will understand and pull for this match the whole story.

"Love me back, I begged. Please, if there's any mercy in the world, make her love me back."

My only issue with the story was that it felt a bit slow at times. Still, this was a terrific collaboration of two wonderful writers and I can only hope that perhaps Lucy will have a story sometime down the line.

"You make me feel everything."

[Patrycja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: The Hooker and The Hermit
Series: Standalone (for now)
Author: L H Cosway & Penny Reid
Release Date: February 3, 2015
Rating: 4.5 - 5 stars
Cliffhanger:. No
HEA: Yes





L. H Cosway and Penny Reid should seriously consider writing more books together. I would definitely read them all. I have a feeling that this duo could truly shake the romance world not once or twice but with every new release. The Hooker and the Hermit is spectacular read. It nicely blended together hilarious humor, heart fluttering romance and complex plot. It showed only the best qualities of both authors; L. H Cosway’s fantastic writing and Penny Reid’s adorable remarks! I would give away my firstborn child to read more from them, so please God let the ladies consider teaming up for another book!



It seemed that from the very first page I was hooked. It was amazing; one minute I was reading first chapter giggling to myself and in a matter of few hours I was saddened to reach the end. The plot was sweet, cute and heartwarming. It had everything I appreciate in contemporary romances; witty characters, lots of laugh and great sexual chemistry. I felt glued to the pages. And damn! The hero was absolute male PERFECTION!

Ronan is hot, affectionate, sexy, dirty talking Irish rugby player. I loooved him to pieces! I was wooed by him. He made me laugh so hard and I literally melted all over my bedroom floor every damn time he said something sexy. It was hard not to let him charm me. And even though I know literally nothing about rugby or rugby players for that matter, thanks to Ronan I found myself believing I need to get myself interested in that sport. (So yeah I went little bit crazy with googling/you tubing rugby).



Annie, the main heroine didn’t disappoint me either. She was normal and not over the top but with great deal of quirkiness and snarky comments and attitude. She was very likeable. And so funny! I wouldn’t say no to being friends with her. She certainly would make my life interesting.



Summing up, I had so much fun while reading this story! It was AWESOME! I cannot find other words to express how much I enjoyed Ronan and Annie’s story. Like I mentioned in the beginning of my review, L. H Cosway and Penny Reid make a wonderful duo. I WANT MORE.

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[Sleepless Readmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blogging as "Sleepless, Readmore"
February 15

Ronan and Annie ♥



GOODREADS COMMUNITY! You know the novel The Hooker and the Hermit that's been in my "to read" for weeks now? Well .. I read it! A helluva way to spend the big V-DAY .. V♥LENTINES D♥Y (THAT IS). It's the one with the Irish hunk and the brunette BOMBSHELL.

I have a few items to share with you all ...

THE PLOT
What a collaboration. L.H. Cosway ANDPenny Reid have joined forces and created an INCREDIBLE story. You know what they say .. two minds can be better than one. The dialogue is outright hilarious and will have you laughing in hysterics. It truly is one of those one of a kind novels due to the insane story line.

“..I feel like I could lose myself and find myself in you

THE CHARACTERS
HAHA still laughing here. Annie .. I feel your pain sister! I trip on a daily basis and can't even handle a 500m distance without doing so. She keeps her identity a secret WELL FOR THE MOST PART when she blogs. Which we also have in common .. who doesn't love being the mysterious anon. Hermit? The level of accuracy on that term is true when describing myself as well (75% of the time). Ronan *INSERT GERARD BUTLER ACCENT HERE* oh Ronan my Irish hunk! I'm in LOVE with this COLLIN FARRELL LOOKALIKE - LEPRACHAUN MIXED WITH HOBBIT - QUESTIONABLE FASHION SENCE of a man. I'd love to watch this man in action .. and I mean playing RUGBY of course (GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE GUTTER).

He had a great laugh, a sexy laugh. My laugh was the mating call of the Yeti.."

THE VERDICT
5 I'll lick you like an Éclair STARS. No questions asked. This book was pretty close to perfection *QUE ROUND OF APPLAUSE*! Definitely re-read worthy. I'm so glad this book was recommend to me thus I RECCOMEND TO YOU LOVELIES.

"..That’s right, I’m a reclusive pervert, and I make no apologies for it. And, giving the matter some thought, a reclusive pervert is much preferable to an extroverted pervert

On that note .. I bid you farewell

The Hooker and the HermitL.H. CoswayPenny Reid
- Sleepless, Readmore. Twitter

[Patty ~ Wrapped Up In Reading Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

*****FIVE STARS*****
{BR with Mel and Sharon}





I absolutely LOVED this book!!! I have only read one of Penny Reid's books but I definitely became a fan as soon as I finished it. AND, I have yet to read any books by L.H. Cosway, but I've heard many wonderful things about her works. I think these two authors made a PERFECT team!!



Annie Catrel, is an extreme introvert. She has a blog in which she posts gossip articles on famous Hollywood actors. But, her full time job is working for a PR agency in which she is responsible for helping to improve the public image of some high profile celebrities. Annie is so good at her job that her boss lets her work from home the majority of the time, but once in a while she does have to come into the office and that's when she runs into Mr. Ronan Fitzpatrick. Annie actually saw him at a local restaurant earlier that week, but mistook him for Collin Farrell. Their meeting in the office break room was very steamy. They have an instant crazy attraction to each other.



Ronan Fitzpatrick is a famous rugby player from Ireland. He is the "Hooker", which in rugby terms is equivalent to a football quarterback. This man is super HOT, and a DIRTY TALKER!! WOW! Holy hell!! His dirty talking did some crazy things to my girly bits!!



Dearest Annie, Roses are red. Violets are blue. I'm using my hand But I'm thinking of you. - Ronan

P.S. Just to clarify, I'm using my hand to write this note...get your mind out of the gutter.


Annie was such a lovable heroine. I really felt for her, and Ronan could see right from the start that she was one special lady. He knew she was the kind of girl he needed to hold on to and never let go. But Annie has been a loner for most of her life. She doesn't trust anyone and so she keeps people at arms length for fear of getting hurt. So Ronan has his work cut out for him because he wants to break through all her barriers.



I'd kneel at her feet and beg her to stay because I belonged to this woman heart and soul, and I needed her to belong to me, too.



I enjoyed all the funny and dirty banter between these two and I just fell head over heels in love with Ronan! He had my heart racing so many times because not only is he a dirty talker but he's into a bit of the kink as well.



I'm definitely a Penny Reid fan and will be making it a point to read some of L.H. Cosway's works soon. I would love to see these two collaborate again. I thought this story was perfect and it flowed seamlessly.

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars



This collaboration kicked ass! I seriously had a smile on my face throughout this read. Witty and clever, the writing, the characters, everything was just brilliant. A dirty talking, Irish, rugby player and a sweet, shy, and intelligent blogger, what's not to love?

"I feel like I could lose myself and find myself in you."

The Hooker and the Hermit was a unique, fun, and heartwarming story with a sprinkle of kink for the smut lover. An all around fantastic read, I definitely recommend.

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hooker and the Hermit is by L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid. This book is just…WOW! Super sexy, funny, sweet, heart breaking and so much more. I had been seeing it around but the title threw me. No, it’s not about a prostitute. A Hooker is a rugby player. But no, this book isn’t really a sports book either. It’s about two people, both suffering in their own ways, both isolated and both needing each other. They just didn’t know it yet. This book had a sort of “You’ve Got Mail” feel at times. Hilarious and sweet text messages and emails are exchanged. I loved that about it.



Annie Catrel works for a company that helps to fix famous people’s images when for whatever reason, their images need some cleaning or sprucing up. What she does, though, can mostly be done from home. She only really needs to go into the office a couple of days a week. It’s from home that she has her other job, her alter ego, a celebrity blogger. You see, Annie Catrel is very socially awkward. She does not interact well with other people at all. But online, on her blog, she can be herself, no inhibitions. When she does go out in public, she dresses down, in baggy clothes in dark colors so no one will notice her. But the first time Ronan saw her, he saw right through it all. For him, no baggy clothes could conceal her beauty.



Ronan Fitzpatrick is a Hooker with an anger problem. He is currently on probation from his rugby teem in Ireland. So he is in New York and has been sent to the company Annie works for to clean up his image. He wants nothing to do with this, until he lays his eyes on Annie. When Annie’s boss pairs them up to work together, Ronan is thrilled. And the more he gets to know her, the more intrigued he is with this beautiful, shy woman. Ronan has sworn off relationships as a result of his crazy ex. But Annie soon changes that. He is committed to breaking through the shell she has built around herself and winning over this woman.

“I feel like I could lose myself and find myself in you, Annie. You make me feel everything.”



Both Annie and Ronan have stories. When you hear Annie’s your heart will break for her and you will understand why she is the way she is. And Ronan, oh Ronan. That man had me melted into a puddle. Swoony doesn’t even begin to describe him. He demands complete control of everything, his diet, his fitness and when he is with a woman, he wants complete control there as well.



Annie doesn’t feel brave or strong. She is afraid. Ronan’s life is in the public eye, paparazzi chase him everywhere he goes. He deserves so much more than she can give him. She can’t imagine why he would be interested in someone like her. And what would he do if he ever found out about her secret blog?



“Who did I think I was? That I would have a chance with this guy? I was living in a fantasy, one that would leave me abandoned-again-and heart broken.”



These two together, “sigh” were off the charts. The sexy times were sizzling. And the sweet times melted me. But can they overcome their challenges? Annie’s insecurities seem insurmountable to her. And she can’t imagine ever giving up the anonymity she loves online with her blogging. Ronan has a crazy ex, anger issues, an intrusive mother, and a seriously damaged public image. Together, though, they somehow are able to heal each other, give each other strength. But is it enough? I hope you’ll give this book a try. I am in love with it. I might have to find a rugby game on tv sometime and see what a hooker does. But he’ll need to be just as sexy as Ronan.

“I want you free. I want you wild. I want you brave. I want you any way I can get you. I want you now, and I want you for the rest of my life.”

[~♡AB♡~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★ 5 Stars ★★★★★

Now LIVE!
Amazon US - http://amzn.to/1CRHMVb
Amazon UK - http://amzn.to/1zvdIhk



I can't explain how much I enjoyed this book, it was just that good. With top notch writers such as LH Cosway and Penny Reid, the standards are set high already and this collaboration succeeded way beyond my expectations.

Annie is a hermit, she is introverted and shy. She mainly works from home and her only real friends are virtual. She is extremely intelligent and is at the top of the game in her job cleaning up the dirty public images of celebrities. In her spare time she is an anonymous celebrity blogger. She has abandonment issues but she accepts this as her lot and is happy and content with her life and is not one to moan or whine about her loneliness.



Ronan is an Irish charmer, who is spending some time in New York after a very public fracas between him and one of his Rugby League teammates. Annie is tasked with helping him shed his bad boy persona but is mortified when she realises he is someone she has recently blogged about (and taken the piss out of) and to complicate things further, she finds herself becoming his 'fake girlfriend'

Not only is Annie extremely attracted to him but she has an urge to make him happy, she sees sadness in him that she just wants to take away. Unfortunately for Ronan, she is reluctant to start something up with him due to her low self esteem.

"I wanted to kiss away his hurts...or at least make his hurts some cookies."

Ronan on the other hand recognises straight away that Annie is pretty much his dream woman and is determined to break down her barriers and prove to her that he is serious about his intentions towards her.

"The protector inside me was frowning, while the predator soaked up her discomfort with glee."

_ _ _ _

I don't want to delve further into the plot because it's best read first hand. There were so many layers to this story, the reasons why Annie was a hermit and the way Ronan chose to communicate with her via email were the two things that I loved most and lets not forget to mention the chemistry that was building and building until the anticipation was just too much to handle - when it finally happened it was perfection.

The other spectacular element in this collaboration was the humour! So many times I found myself laughing and it was such a pleasant surprise.

So in summary, quirky unique loveable characters, super hot sexy chemistry, hilarious LOL moments and a brilliant intricate story that will give you butterflies. 5 Big Stars from me.


ARC received from author in exchange for an honest review

[Mysza · Rating 5 out of 5]

**** 4,5 stars ****



This book was a perfect combination of steam, humor and romance. I loved the plot and writing. It was nice to see those two very different characters connect and make their relationship work.

Annie, the Hermit, was quiet and socially awkward. She never had anyone to count on, the girl didn't have it easy growing up alone. "I wanted him to curl up on the bed and spoon me. I'd never been spooned - I'd only been forked and knifed." She was also sweet and cute in her awkwardness.

Ronan, the Hooker - rugby's reluctant bad boy, need I say more? Gah, I love rugby, no wonder he got to me. I mean who wouldn't fall head over heels for muscled, handsome and alpha male. He was just fabulous in all his Ronan-ness. The man was witty, forthright, and had a dirty little mouth. But he was also dedicated, honorable and intelligent, with a big, good heart.

I have two buts though, hence not 5 stars but 4,5.
First of all, BDSM element...



...out of fucking nowhere and if I'm to be honest, didn't really fit here.

The second thing is that it was a bit too long, from 75% mark it was dragging for me.

But except those two small objections, overall, it was a very good, funny and sexy reading. Highly recommended!



Fantastic buddy read with my girl Nikki! Thank you luv!

[Dee Montoya · Rating 5 out of 5]

*****5++++ Ultralicious Stars*****
(ARC kindly provided by author Penny Reid <3)


The Hooker and The Hermit is the love child between two amazing authors, well known for always bringing us wonderful stories. Penny Reid (Knitting in The City series) and L.H Cosway (Painted Faces, Killer Queen, Six of Hearts, among other great titles) collaborated to create a book that combines the best of both writing styles and brains. From the moment you start reading you can pick up on the fact that these two awesome chicas had a great time writing this book together and lucky for us, we get to join them in all the fun.




Definition:
Hooker is one of the positions in rugby league football. Usually wearing jersey number 9, the hooker is one of the team's forwards. During scrums the hooker plays in the front row, and the position's name comes from their role of 'hooking' or 'raking' the ball back with the foot.

Ronan Fitzpatrick is known as the best hooker in the world of rugby. He has been force to take a break from playing, after getting into a bloody fight with one of his teammates and putting the other guy in the hospital. The reason for the fight was that Ronan discovered that his mate was sleeping with his long-time girlfriend. Feeling fed-up with everything in his life, Ronan decides to escape to New York City for a while; he's looking to spend his days at the gym training and perhaps having a few one night stands with no strings attached, because the last thing he needs is to get his heart crushed by another woman. His plans are very clear until he meets a beautiful hermit...




Annie Catrel is the most successful media expert executive in New York city, she works for Davidson & Croft Media and on her own time she's also anonymously running a popular celebrity blog. Annie has a great internet persona, well known and celebrated by the public and her online friends but in real life she's shy and socially awkward. Nobody knows she is the person behind The New York's finest blog and since her boss allows her to do most of her job from home, the Annie of real life doesn't really have any friends and seldom interacts with other people. Annie runs into Ronan at a famous restaurant but even though she doesn't really know who is, she can tell his famous. She is turned on by his sexy appearance and appalled by what he is wearing, so she snaps a picture of him and features a funny article about him on her blog; little did she know that the next day she was going to be put in charge into a media campaign to help turn Ronan from bad boy, to golden boy, to advance his career and make him more known in the US. The moment Ronan meets Annie he's mesmerize by her, he can see through her baggy clothes and her anxiety, so he embarks on a mission to get into her pants but after he sees her eating a chocolate eclair the man is a goner, and his as well as Annie's worlds will become completely upside down...



I am not going to say more because this is one of those stories that will completely surprise you and the least you know the best it will be. I can only promise that this book is not just another boy meets girl, romantic story where opposites attract. You will fall in love with both characters deeply and will also laugh, blush and swoon a lot and often. I loved the back stories of both characters; I could totally relate to Annie's insecurities and unattractive snort laugh and Ronan's character was intense about everything he would do and say, I experienced him with every fiber of my being. There were so many layers to this story and as you read you find yourself craving more and more.

This book will be out February 5th and is available to pre-order now. Don't miss out on this brilliant collaboration.

Here's the link to pre-order in Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Hooker-Hermit-L...



My The Hooker and the Hermit music playlist:
*Come with Me Now by Kongos
*Long Time Coming by Saints of Valory
*Fall back Down (Acoustic) by Lights
*Say You Love Me by Jessie Ware
*Dangerous by Big Data

[Ⓐlleskelle - That ranting lady ッ · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ TOP SHELF ! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
( Brona scale is going to stay, just saying.)

Arc kindly offered by the authors in exchange for an honest review.
Review to be posted closer to release date...

This book... LH + Penny = ❤️

Here's a little casting...







PRE-ORDER ON AMZ : CLICK !

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ STARS!! ★★★★★



"All that matters is that I have you. The rest is background noise."

I've always been wary when reading a collaborative work but with this dynamic duo, all I can say is that they absolutely need to produce more babies like this in the near future! My first read from LH Cosway being Six of Hearts was an absolute huge winner for me and although I haven't read any of Penny Reid's work yet (this is an absolute blasphemy for me & shall be rectified!!), I've heard nothing but such high praises for her work. Added on with the amazing hype surrounding this read pre AND post release, inevitably I went in with high expectations and let me tell ya, that usually doesn't end so well.

But lo and behold, I've hit the jackpot with this one and got a one-way ticket to book heaven!



The Hooker and the Hermit surpassed and bulldozed all my expectations, it went far beyond that. My virtual highlighter had a fieldtrip with the witty quotes and off-the-charts sexual innuendos from this read that if anyone saw my Kindle, one would think that a unicorn had pooped rainbow all over it. A pretty massive one in fact (I kid you not).

This read in a nutshell: Bring in one dirty-talker charmer that comes in the form of a rugby player named Ronan Fitzpatrick and a socially awkward world-famous blogger who thrived behind anonymity that is one Annie Catrel...Ladies and gentlemen, be ready to be dazzled by this highly entertaining read where hunky meets geeky. Proceed with caution when reading in public as there will plenty of LOL-worthy moments.



I don't even know where to begin to express my ginormous love for this book. It literally encompasses everything I searched for in an ideal read. Brilliant wit, well-developed characters, engaging storyline, perfect amount of steam and angst. But mostly the BONUS ICING AND MY PERSONAL KRYTOPNITE: The dirty-talker hero who could melt my heart AND panties. Repeatedly. Move over all my fellow book boyfriends/husbands and make way for this lovechild of hobbit and leprechaun Mr. Irish panty-dropping Ronan.



With a collaborative piece, it's usually difficult to find one where the writing flows seamlessly between chapters but with this one, there was no telling where one started and the other ended. It's really impressive as both authors achieved a perfect sync and gave each their own character an unique individuality while still maintaining an equal level of humor and wit. Both characters so beautifully flawed in their own ways, you can't help but be completely enamoured.

"Ronan, you are worth ten thousand Fitzpatricks and their self-important douchebaggery. Their stupidity is their loss, not yours."

I cannot stress how amazingly well-written is Annie's character. Her introverted persona was something that I could relate to on a personal level which gave this read an extra edge for me and given her backstory, my heart squeezed one too many times for her. I loved that she was real and while her actions may not be the most ideal ones, it's her flawed character that stood out to me in this read. In most books, we usually get the feisty, ballsy heroine that we'd love to be but with Annie, she's perfectly imperfect being that hermit sitting at the corner of the coffee shop and being awesome in her own way. She's the one that I could hear myself saying "That sounds just like me" as opposed to the "I wish I was her".



And of course, there's Ronan who quickly swept me off my feet with his lovable charm and dirty mouth. His character was a like candy waiting to be unwrapped and oh boy, did I find a delicious layer hidden underneath coated with so much goodness! Ronan was such a multi-dimensional character; there was a certain tenderness beneath all that rugged sexy persona and his fierce loyalty to Annie made me swoon so hard.



No doubt that this read has officially become the first one to hit my Best Reads of 2015 List and earned a spot on my all-time favorite reads! There was absolutely nothing that I didn't love about this read, if it had another 500 pages, I would happily gobble them up. This was the kind of read that gave me the flutters, set my panties on fire and made me roll in a puddle of happy feels.

I cannot recommend this read enough if you're looking for a light-hearted romance read that is guarantee to put a smile on your face and yet tugged at your heartstrings as you read it. These two authors are definitely on my auto-buy list for sure. So everyone, get yourself acquainted with this read now!

The Hooker and the Hermit is a collaborative standalone romance read by LH Cosway and Penny Reid.

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[Geri Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 eclair stars!

It is no secret how much I love Penny Reid's writing. As I've said before, she writes the kind of stories and characters I want to read. LH Cosway is a new-to-me author. Meaning this is my first book from her. Don't look at me like that. I plan to rectify that oversight in near future.

The Hooker and the Hermit is the first collaboration from these two authors, and I have to say that their writing style complemented each other very well. So it's no surprise that I enjoyed this one very much.

Annie Catrel is a hermit by choice. She's very introverted and shy and doesn't do well in social situations. Despite that, she is brilliant at her job as the social media expert at one of the most prestigious media company in New York. And not only that, she is also the purveyor of a very popular celebrity blog New York's finest albeit in secret.

Ronan Fitzpatrick is hot up-and-coming rugby star who got suspended from his team after sending one of his teammates to the hospital. He's in New York to fix his image. Annie was assigned to him. But Annie's issues and double life as well as Ronan's secrets will be something that they have to overcome in order to achieve their happily ever after.

Annie have some deep-seated issues with abandonment. She's socially awkward but online, her personality shines through. This is where she ruled. Online is where she can be herself and be free from judgement. I loved reading about her quirks and her thoughts. Yes, she made some stupid decisions but I liked how she owned up to them. Most of all, I liked how her character grew.

Now Ronan on the other hand, I had a problem with at first. While I liked his fierce loyalty and protectiveness towards Annie, he was just way, way too aggressive. There were times when he was bordering on being a creepy inappropriate. Every time he opened his mouth, I would cringe. He made me very uncomfortable. I wasn't overly impressed with his innuendos towards Annie when they first met. I wanted to knee him in the balls really. But as Annie grew more comfortable with him, I softened towards him somewhat.

I loved how they both taught each other how to live. For Annie, Ronan taught her how to deal with her social awkwardness. He pushed her boundaries without abandoning her. And Annie needed to be pushed and Ronan was just the right person to push her. For Ronan, Annie taught him grace and control, not just in terms of his image but Annie had a calming effect on Ronan.

And oh, did I mention how much I adored how Ronan wooed her? Yes, it was too much but like I said, Annie needed to be pushed. Granted Ronan's moves needed a bit of a finesse but hey, he got the girl at the end.

Funny, endearing, sweet with a side of raunchy, the Hooker and the Hermit hooked me from beginning to end. I will definitely be reading more from these authors individually and as a team.

A copy was provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review.

[Wendy'sThoughts · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 When Delight Meets Joy Stars
* * * * 1/2 Holy Rugby Balls
4/12/2021-As a Newbie to Rugby, Just Saw XV: Beyond The Tryline on NetFlix-Was Worthwhile Bringing It All To Life
Spoiler Free
If you want an in-depth look at this book, please look to all the other amazing reviews out there... and I say with confidence you will find what you need in wit, charm, and graphics. My review is going to be more about the pleasure I experienced by the collaboration of the two authors, L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid.

You have Penny Reid who is the best in my book of creating brilliant, quirky people. She develops them so well; their off-centered behavior becomes endearing, fresh, and charming.... but never perfect..just human.

In this book, she creates Annie Catrel, a woman who at first glance seems too difficult to warm up to... she pushes everyone away and has panic attacks when needing to speak in front of co-workers. This woman is an expert in her field of public relations and media; those who are in need of re-branding and a clean-up rush to make sure she is working on their behalf. She is so respected, her boss has allowed her to work from home most of the time. The flip side to this socially awkward woman is her blog which is the most powerful entertainment type out there. Her Facebook and Twitter following is in the 6 figures; they click every day to see what she has spied...who has she seen in NYC and her detailed, cutting takedown of the wearer's style. Here she can be free and speak without holding back... here she can just be without the eyes judging her.

What works for me in this development is the way we learn bits and pieces of why this woman is the way she is... and when it finally is laid bare...the depth of our feelings are equal to what they would be if this character was someone we actually knew... real flesh and blood.

With my other sweet spot author, L H Cosway... we have Ronan (understand I have divided this in my head as to which author may have been the primary writer... I could be totally off base... and in some instances, I felt there was a cross-over... but to me, this was my take... right or wrong). Past reads of this amazing author have had the same type of twists and turns... the flavor, the essence of a country and character together...like these parts of him with an edgy intensity.

Ronan Fitzpatrick... this delicious Irish Rugby player who has been gifted with the talent of being the best in his sport... a David Beckham of rugby. He has been suspended due to a fight with a fellow teammate who he caught with his fiance... Forget she was the one cheating... she has been telling all sorts of lies and Ronan is in NYC to get away from all of the press overseas. Here in the US... there is very little coverage of Rugby and so he thinks it will be a good place to regroup.
His agent thinks Annie's company would be perfect to fix his image and arranges an appointment for him. As things develop. Ronan meets Annie there and the book takes off...

During the course of the read, Ronan is just so full of heart and gut... he is also 3 dimensional, with emotions and care... with jealousy and desire ...he is a man we would want as a friend and most definitely as a lover and partner. His back story is also full of pain and with the support of his Ma and Sister, he overcame every obstacle presented...you want Ronan for yourself.

These authors brought their A-game and the ride was a delight...there was an authenticity to both characters and a treasure trove of supporting ones.

The use of the Blogging/Media World as a character, the manipulation of image and campaigns to make what is seen as real... was just done perfectly. It became a critical question of what is too much of living online versus actual interaction with others. It was right on point.

They also had us thinking of what we need to risk as people... to allow ourselves to open up for love, no matter the past pain and hurts we have experienced... it is a scary thing for some... and when you have the type of history of Annie, it is understandable.

These two creators should be so proud of what they accomplished. They played off each other and brought a unique read which showcased them both.

Thank you for the experience.
The Hooker and the Hermit (Rugby, #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Player and the Pixie (Rugby, #2)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Cad and the Co-Ed (Rugby, #3)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Varlet and the Voyeur (Rugby #4)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are not enough words to show how much I truly loved this story. Hooker and the Hermit had every element I love in a story. It was smart, witty, sexy, and written beautifully. It was so easy to get lost in this world with Annie and Ronan, so much so that I never wanted the story to end.

At first glance Annie and Ronan seem completely different, but as the story progresses it’s easy to see that regardless of their differences they are perfect for each other.

Annie is a hermit. She is shy, introverted, and doesn’t see the necessity with interacting face to face. She is also extremely intelligent, kind, and successful at what she does. What does Annie do? She is a fixer, much like Olivia Pope, but she fixes celebrities and she is the best in her field. That’s not her only job, just her public one, she also blogs as The Socialmedialite. She blogs anonymously and is famous for her witty assessments of people.



Despite seeming to have it all and having it all together she actually has abandonment issues. She prefers to be alone and avoid getting hurt again. She isn't negative about her feelings and doesn’t complain, she has accepted this is her life.

Ronan Fitzpatrick…hello swoon worthy! Ronan is a hooker. No, not that kind of hooker. A hooker is actually a position in Rugby - see learn something new everyday. The hooker is the equivalent of quarterback in American football. Ronan isn’t just any hooker, no he is believed to be the best in Ireland. So why is he in the US? Because he is in trouble and has been exiled to NYC. Okay not quite, he is here to get away and clear his head after hospitalizing his teammate. No fear ladies Ronan isn’t a bad guy, but when he found out his fiancé was cheating on him with his teammate he went a little crazy.



Ronan is actually an incredibly sweet, caring guy and is completely open to finding love again. At least he is when he meets Annie. He immediately see’s something in her and wants to get to know her. He decides to make it his mission to breakdown her barriers and get to know her.



This story is hilarious from the stories about things Annie has had to fix in her job, to her assessments blogging as SML and of course her life blunders. I love reading a story that is real life funny, meaning this story is funny because I can actually see the events taking place. This story reads like watching a romantic comedy, and I mean one of the great ones! It had the perfect balance of sweet, sexy, and wit.



I won’t go any further into the plot, because I truly believe everyone should read this story. I can’t imagine the majority not loving it, too. If you enjoy a story with fun, quirky heroine, a hot sexy Rugby player who excels at dirty talk and a plot that will keep you enthralled without any unnecessary drama or angst, this story is for you.

[Rachel Reads Ravenously · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Bollocks, bitches, and Battlestar Galactica stars!

"I want you free. I want you wild. I want you brave. I want you any way I can get you."



***First off I want to clarify something, in the title Hooker does not stand for prostitution, it's a sports position in rugby! I just wanted to put that out there because when this book started blowing up Goodreads, I honestly thought it was a about a lady of the night.***

Now that that's cleared up, OMIGOSH THIS BOOK WAS SUCH A FUN READ!!! I adored Six of Hearts by LH Cosway, but I've never read anything by Penny Reid (despite her books sitting on my kindle for longer than I'd care to admit). I honestly could not tell that two people wrote this book, it was done so well! Needless to say, this book has lit a fire under my ass to start reading her books asap!

The Hooker and the Hermit is the story of Annie and Ronan. Annie is the secret blogger known as the Socialmedialite. Witty online through her writing, Annie in real life is incredibly socially awkward. She has trouble making eye contact and connecting to other people by talking. One day while out eating, Annie sees a Colin Farrell look alike and snaps a picture of him for her blog. This CF look alike is in fact a famous Irish rugby player who is taking a break from the game for personal issues. In a weird twist of fate, Annie's PR company picks up Ronan as a client, and pairs Annie and Ronan to clear up his public image.



At the beginning of the book, I have to say I didn't care for Ronan all that much. He basically agreed to go along with the PR company mostly because his end goal was to get into Annie's pants. Romantic right? Well, over time he turned out to be a pretty amazing book boyfriend. His determination to get Annie to open up to him, to give a relationship between the two of them a chance pulled at my heartstrings for the majority of the book. In fact, I love books where the man has to convince the girl to be in a relationship instead of the other way around.

Annie was so endearing. Her past led her to her social insecurities and I just wanted to give the girl a giant hug the entire book. I do think she may have overreacted a bit when it came to Ronan's actions, and she pushed him away so many times, but I still liked her as a heroine.

I feel like a lot of us who review can relate to Annie very easily. For some reason or another, we all turn to our blogs or Goodreads in order to express ourselves and our opinions on books rather than just talking to other "real life" people. Many of us love our anonymity. Others may not care. But we all know what it's like to sit in front of a computer screen and let out hearts pour out onto the keyboard.

This book was so freaking funny. There was many a moment where I smiled or laughed out loud (luckily I don't laugh like Annie or I would have gotten some seriously weird looks directed my way). Here are some of my favorite quotes:

"Thought I won't object to your calling me Daddy."
Her eyes got really big then, and I burst out laughing, "I'm joking, Annie; relax. I'm joking"
"Thank God."
"I know. I think I might have creeped myself out with that one."

"She said seals sexually assault penguins and deserved to be clubbed. That woman is nuttier than a Snickers bar."

"For the love of God, don't ever laugh in public. No one will forgive you for it. You'll be ridiculed, Ronan will go on an assault spree, and then Ian will have a mental breakdown trying to clean up the mess."

"I love him more than Sean Connery loves talking about Scottish politics while living in Southern California with a llama."

A very cute, fun book that I am so glad I read. Thanks to Suzanne (and Jasmine) for the recommendation!!!

[Christie«SHBBblogger» · Rating 5 out of 5]

**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**



Title: The Hooker and the Hermit
Series: Standalone
Author: L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid
Release date: February 5, 2015
Rating: 5 stars
Cliffhanger: No
HEA: Yes

I couldn't wait to see the dynamic that these to talented authors would create. Would their fictional offspring (so to speak) be everything I was expecting? Or a completely new creation? The answer: a little of both. Some elements were the same. The characterization was just as detailed. The plot was fresh and unpredictable. Their writing fit together flawlessly just as I'd suspected. But the light kink was definitely unexpected-you won't hear any complaints from this reader though. And the plot went deeper than a simple celebrity athlete meeting the average girl.

I'm going to start with the heroine, Annie.



Where do I even begin? She had so many lovable traits and even some flaws which some might perceive as weakness. People are quick to leap to the "weak heroine" label and there are probably going to be some that aren't happy with her flaws. She's unable to trust, her self-esteem has been hit hard in her childhood and never completely recovered. She's unable to function in society. But just as Penny always does, she made me fall for this vulnerable heroine, flaws and all. She made mistakes, (which frustrated me) but she transformed herself by the end of the book and I admired the hell out of that.

What did I love about her?

She was highly intelligent and independent.
She had a snort laugh. (That's totally a pro. Who's with me?)

I snorted again-because when I laugh, I snort like the love child of a pig and an alligator unless I hold my nose, in which case I sound like I've got a terrible case of the hiccups-which made him laugh all the harder.

She's a blogger. So, yeah. Obviously I loved that.
She's kindhearted despite being neglected and hurt growing up.
She forged an impressive career on sheer determination and smarts alone.

Ronan. He's sweet, patient, cheeky and bold, a little bit kinky and a lot adorable.



I loved Ronan's sensitivity, his love of family, and his lack of ego despite being a huge thing in the world of Rugby. There was a lot to love about him. But his quick temper landed him in a PR nightmare and forced off the team. And Annie is the person assigned to clean up his image by introducing him to the world of social media. To sway public opinion into his corner, and luckily, that's her specialty. What she didn't expect was Ronan pushing her buttons every chance he got and forcing her to take chances and risk her heart.

He was so...present. When he looked at me, I felt so entirely seen. But it was more than that, because I got the impression he wasn't just looking at me when we were together. Yes, he watched me, but he also touched me and felt me.

He was kind of perfect.

From the first meeting with Annie, he was hooked. Her complete lack of interest and awkwardness didn't hold him back. He understood Annie's vulnerabilities and protected her like no one ever had before. He had no apologies for speaking his mind and stirring up Annie's safe world. The world she created-her celebrity blog which allowed her to retreat from society and speak boldly where she was unable to in "real life".



And can we talk about this couple's chemistry for a second? Annie was self-proclaimed, sexually starved. Ronan was highly sexual and particular in his tastes. Of course, these authors are the masters of sexual tension build-up so by the time they surrendered to each other, the result was explosive. My oh, freakin' my. The car scene was crazy hot.



I rose then, unable to contain my need to fuck her senseless any longer. My hips jutted in and out almost violently, and she took it all, soaked me in and let me back out again, gave me something that I didn't ever want to forget. She absorbed me. She was everything in that moment. All I could see.

So, I don't want to give too much more away, but Annie let her fear control her and made a hugely stupid move, which did annoy me. I'm not going to lie. But her crippling fear from the beginning of the book made her actions realistic as much as they frustrated me. And by the end, I was won over. So, even though both characters had their flaws, both had an abundance strengths. And I was totally immersed inside Annie and Ronan's journey. It was a story about learning how to re-invent yourself, and finding the courage to risk your heart for the one who's worth it. And it was done in that witty, well-plotted style that I've come to love from each of them.



There are some authors that have a feel to their writing that you can connect with on a personal level each and every time even if the story itself isn't something you would not typically read. This is how I feel about both authors of this book. Their appeal is their richly layered plots and fascinating characters that are dependably "outside the box". They both have a special uniqueness to their writing. However, if I were to try to find a similar writing style to Penny Reid or vise versa, I would easily pair these two together as the perfect fit. Which set this book firmly at the top of my most anticipated books of 2015. So, to sum it up: The Hooker and the Hermit was well worth the wait.

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[Katerina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bollocks,bitches,and Battlestar Galactica, I am officially torn.

I absolutely loved the first half,I was certain I'd give it 5 glorious stars.But then the second half happened and my enthusiasm wavered and was replaced by frustration and discomfort.Ι do suspect though that it's a "not you it's me" case,so don't trust me that much!



I will explain,don't worry.But first,let's meet the characters.

“He is the brightest shining star of rugby.He has the potential to be the face of the sport all over the world-think David Beckham for soccer,just infinitely more masculine,dirtier,grittier,and with a fouler mouth.And he is on the precipice of greatness.”

Yeap,that's Ronan Fitzpatrick.Dirty mouth,dirtier thoughts,fierce loyalty and persistence,sweetness combined with sexiness.I can hear you dropping your panties,ladies!

“The only other things at which I excel in life are 1) responsible financial planning, 2) my hobby blog, and 3) eating.”

And that's Annie Catrel,the world's biggest introvert,socially awkward and clumpsy,always afraid to speak her mind or just speak,avoiding human interactions because she is scared and insecure,but she thrives as the most famous blogger and relishes her anonimity.

When Annie is forced to work with Ronan in order to fix his public image that was tarnished by his psycho ex,Annie tries to protect herself from the possibility of getting close with another human being that may hurt her,while Ronan is determined to make her his at any cost.

“Dearest Annie, Roses are red. Violets are blue. I’m using my hand But I’m thinking of you. - Ronan P.S. Just to clarify, I’m using my hand to write this note…get your mind out of the gutter.”

Ok I admit,I laughed so hard while reading The Hooker and the Hermit!There were many hilarious scenes,and then some sweet scenes that reduced me into a puddle of icky substances and finally some scorching scenes that made me feel...uncomfortable.

Totally inappropriate gif,I know.The thing is,Ronan was a kinky bastard.And I don't know whether it makes me a prude or not,but they were too much for me.And it's a little unfair that I took a star away because of this since there were also some very-hot-but-not-kinky ones I enjoyed but like I said,it's a "not you it's me" case so I'm forgiven,right?Right?

“People couldn't be trusted.Waffles,however,never let me down or dumped me the morning after.I could count on waffles.”

My other problem was Annie's attitude in the second half.At first I felt for her,and I was moved by her story and admired her for still standing,and I found her moments of insecurity kinda cute and relatable,but then she was too much.She kept hurting Ronan and running away instead of facing her fears.She was a coward,she felt betrayed when she was the one who kept breaking his heart!

The need to protect herself?I completely understand!But Ronan never gave her a reason to doubt him,he was so patient and kind,he kept fighting for her every time she pushed him away!

“I feel like I could lose myself and find myself in you”

See now why I didn't know how to rate this book?Despite my two issues,I had a great time reading it and I definitely recommend it if you're looking for a cute,funny and steamy romance!

[XxTainaxX Curvy and Nerdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, if I were rating this audiobook exclusively based on the narrators... I'd totally give it a 6 lol. I may or may not be crushing on the male narrator's sexy as hell accent (got me all melty but don't tell the hubby). My first voice crush (yay!)... Well, second if you count Patrick Stewart reading a few lines in Amy Poehler's book haha. Anyhow, I liked this story quite a bit. Ronan is a professional rugby bad boy who is trying to rebuild his image after he kicked his teammate's @$$. Annie has a secret blogging identity and is a hermit in real life. Her day job brings her in contact with Ronan after her secret identity had blasted him. Ronan really likes the shy Annie and figures out just the right things to do to bring her out of her shell. Annie has a lot of growth and a difficult upbringing to overcome but watching it all unfold is pretty darn special. The way Ronan is with her leaves no room for doubt about his feelings. There are a few instances where he acts out while trying to protect himself that frustrated me but they also gave him the ever necessary flaws to overcome. Annie is a test of patience and perserverance. The ending was very much worth it. Although there is plenty of sensual teasing throughout, they don't really come together sexually until a little over 75%. When they finally do come together it's combustible! Sexy indeed. :-p A few points I had a hard time with: How long Annie kept up her duplicity. Ronan's "cold" switch. Finally, after seeing Sean's role in this story, I'm trying to figure out how the heck he becomes redeemable enough to become the hero of the next story and even more with the heroine being who she is. I think it will prove some real talent if they can pull that off. I'll be reading that soon enough to let you know what I think about it. :) Safety: No OW/OM/Sharing. Neither are Vs. No rape/abuse.

[Flo · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 I haven't had this much fun in forever STARS

“Let's be unprofessional together, Annie.”

Reading this book was the best decision I made all week. What an amazing change from the fucked up twisty stuff I read before. I definitely need to remind myself to pick up some funny books every once in a while. In fact, if any of you have similar recs for me, that would be highly appreciated.

But let's talk about The Hooker and the Hermit. Above all it's a witty, swoon worthy and highly addictive read. Well written, gloriously entertaining and just all around fabulous. I love it! There I said it.

In a nutshell: Secret gossip blogger and the troubled star of the rugby world fall in love with each other. They just have to circumnavigate some minor obstacles first, but that's what makes life worth living.

“I'm The Socialmedialite.
I'm that girl, the most influential infotainment blogger in the world.”

Annie Catrel, a.k.a. the Hermit is living a double life. By day she is a very intelligent and highly respected PR specialist who can salvage just about any failed public opinion and her firm pays her a lot to do just that. But the most interesting part about socially awkward little Annie is her online persona. The Socialmedialite. A rather brilliant celebrity blogger who likes to go in for the kill. Always honest, most definitely hilarious, but never mean. Over a a span of three years she has managed to become one of the most successful blogs in the world.

In her capacity as ever vigilant and anonymous perv she one day spots a Colin Farrell look-alike all dressed up in spandex. The joke practically writes itself and a new blog post is born. While Annie enjoys writing a witty and slightly sarcastic entry about said male specimen's goods and questionable fashion choices she doesn't have a clue that he is in fact a famous rugby player who has a public perception problem and who will be her new client in real life.

“Holy heathen in heaven, it wasn't even his looks.
He was...overwhelming and magnetic. Sensual and in-your-face sexual. Also not helping matters, he had no concept of personal space.”

Ronan Fitzpatrick. “Body of a gladiator and the face of a movie star”, in short the most perfect man you will ever meet. Amen. And if you don't believe me just read all the other reviews who deem him as god's greatest gift. Here is a book boyfriend you have to meet.

Twenty-seven year old Ronan is an Irish rugby superstar, a hooker (that's apparently something like a quarterback - not that I know about either...I'm German, we play soccer). Unfortunately his ex-girlfriend cheated on him with one of his team mates and long story short...his quick temper and the beating he put on the guy got him suspended. Now here he is in exile, hitting up New York City in an attempt to flee his life and the media; as well as trying to polish his reputation with the help of Davidson & Croft Media - yes that's Annie's employer.

And the plot thickens...





(**little side-note: There is no beach scene, but this graphic sort of happened and I'm keeping it, damn it. Think future honeymoon and concentrate on the below mentioned backside.)

“I might have been a little mesmerized for a moment as I took in the sight of her shapely backside. It was incredible. I just wanted to spank it and bite it and worship it and completely fucking defile it.”

The most adorable thing about this book is how the main characters just clash. Annie is as the title says a hermit and she embraces that trait whole heartedly. She is socially awkward, doesn't want to be noticed, can't really look people in the eyes and even in her work life she hardly interacts with human beings. She hides behind a computer...quite literally. Only behind that screen she can be who she really is and say what she wants to say. Without fear.

But she isn't that way by accident, all of this behaviour has a deeply rooted and understandable cause - that's important for later. Of course Annie has severe abandonment issues and that in return absolutely excuses any and all commitment issues she might or might not have. *wink wink*

Ronan on the other hand is a team player with a quick temper and there is most definitely no social awkwardness involved. The only thing he can't handle is the media.

So when those two crazy kids get 'paired with each other' (yes, we are talking fake girlfriend) two extremes collide. It certainly helps that Ronan is practically in lust with her from the first moment (and that's not a bad thing - just sayin') and dear Annie has a hard time keeping her eyes off as well. And of course there is still the matter of the Socialmedialite's blog post. You don't think he would just let that stand, would you? *nudge nudge*

I absolutely love both characters together. A constant back and forth, a little cat and mouse play. But what makes this book so special is Ronan. He has a way of getting under Annie's skin and his patience and determination is absolutely heart-warming. No wonder everyone loves this guy. Just to make sure I say it again...HE IS FREAKING PERFECT!!!

“Yesterday I was comatose, heartbroken and depressed beyond measure. Now I couldn't stop grinning as I punched my fist into the air in victory,
Yeah, that's right, I just victory-punched, butt-naked in the shower.”

Fun fact. Same here...regarding that quote above. ;P

I believe the authors did a brilliant job bringing Annie and Ronan alive on page. Apparently each author was writing the POV for one character. I for one didn't feel any difference. The writing felt very homogeneous and had a lovely flow. I laughed, I screamed at my kindle, I cried a little and I'm so enamoured I could re-read it right now. What a joy!

I don't think it's premature to announce on the 10th of February that I have found my BOTM. Honestly, if some other book wants to snatch this crown it really has to dazzle me beyond imagination. Good luck other authors out there, you just found the book to beat. Let the games begin. ;D

[♥Sharon♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penny Reid and L.H. Cosway are two pretty amazing authors. Penny is that type of author that shines with each book that she writes. There is a certain sense of comfort I have come to expect in her books. She always surprises me though with her wit and sensitivity that she lends to her characters. And with L.H. her writing gives you a sense of genuineness and warmth. Her books are always so vivid and passionate that you can’t help but devour them. Her words just suck you in and you get tangled in all of her goodness.

Now when you bring these two together you get one hell of a book. With each chapter you can sense the change in the author and I thought it was such a brilliant way for the story to unfold. I also thought the social media quirks and comments were perfectly placed and paying attention to them was the perfect extra little tidbits in the book.

The Hermit and The Hooker was such a fantastic read. I loved it and I know you will too.

With both of these authors, the main characters they create are always somewhat peculiar, authentic and absolutely sexy!

Ronan Fitzpatrick was simply irresistible. He was sweet, super sexy and a bit kinky. I adored his love for his family and his protectiveness for Annie. And I loved how he would make Annie blush.



“I ached for how he touched me; his dirty, shocking words; his skilled hands; how he commanded a response from my body with just a look or a whisper.” ~ Annie

Annie Catrel made me smile. I loved her. I loved her wit, her insecurities and I loved the depth of her desire. But she made me sad too. She burrowed herself into a life of self-preservation. But I guess that is what made her feel so real to me.



“You’re very real, Annie. I like that you’re without pretense. I like that you’re both smart and sexy as hell without a lot of fuss. I like who you are.” ~ Ronan

When Ronan and Annie find themselves working together as part of a plan to rebuild Ronan’s persona, Annie finds herself in a situation she really has no control over. She has perfectly constructed her life. It is a life that even though she is smart and beautiful and has a fabulous job she is very much alone. But that is the way she needs it to be. Or at least she thinks she does. With Ronan she starts to unravel. She comes to want more, more of him, more of everything. But she struggles with her fear of abandonment.



But Ronan wants Annie to know how beautiful and desirable she and not the awkward person she hides behind. As he showers her with sweetness Annie begins to let go of her fear a little. She begins to think she deserves the life Ronan is showing her.



The sexual tension and chemistry between the two of them was crazy. My god, some of the things Ronan would say had me rather flustered. And when these two finally did the deed, HOLY SHIT it was HOT.



There was so many underlying things going on in this book and I loved that. There were emotions and real life fears being dealt with, secrets that threatened happiness and most certainly a love that was blossoming through it all. Annie and Ronan offered each other a piece of themselves that they were each missing but will they be strong enough to hold on.




**ARC Kindly provide by Ms. Penny Reid in return for an honest review.**

[*J* Too Many Books Too Little Time · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!



This book took me damn near a week to read! That is just...



...well for me anyways!

So yeah, this book was SLOW! And there was lots of inner dialogue.

But I did like the premise. Annie, the hermit who hides behind her blog and Ronan, the hooker...the king of rugby.

Let's pause for a moment and show some appreciation for this fine rugby player.



I loved Ronan! I loved how persistent he was. How he went after Annie with complete abandon....well until the end.

The banter between them was great! I loved the e-mail exchanges.

I can't say I ever really warmed to Annie!



This was probably a 5 star read for me until about the 60% mark. All of the back and forth and push and pull started to wear on me and I found a lot of the drama at the end to be a bit unnecessary!

And the BDSM element...



But I loved Ronan! He was charming and funny...sexy and sweet!

So...I shall end on a positive not and leave you with a few of my favorite Ronan quotes!

R: "You going to let me inside you tonight, love?"

A: "Isn't that more of a fourth or fifth date kind of thing?

R: "I'm Irish. We don't adhere to that shite."

"I might have been a little mesmerized for a moment as I took in the sight of her shapely backside. It was incredible. I just wanted to spank it and bite it and worship it and completely fucking defile it."

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 - "I prefer a woman who swallows, but spitting doesn't bother me much." Stars!

It is difficult to adequately put into words just how much I loved The Hooker and the Hermit. L. H. Cosway has been an author that I massively crush over for a while now, but I find myself needing to add Penny Reid to that well thumbed, slightly dog eared, but nonetheless cherished list as well after this book.



This story snuck up on me if I am honest, and it wasn’t until around the 25% mark that it actually grabbed me by the ears and thoroughly shook me up. Annie and Ronan are very different personalities on the outside, and I liked that contradiction between them, it made for some extremely funny conversations, but I think the main thing that really stands out is that once again L.H (and Penny) have managed to take someone that you would pass in the street or sit next to on the bus, and forget about after your next breath, and turn them as well as their underwhelmingness (is that even a word?) into someone you can’t help but love.



Ronan was a heart on sleeve, balls-to-the-wall, say it as he saw it guy, Annie was heart in a box, locked in a safe, buried in a concrete bunker then guarded by a Nuclear warhead, say it on the internet, behind a Firewall, under an assumed name girl. But it worked; the extremes of their personalities are what pulled you in as a reader, the obstacles Annie overcame, and the lengths Ronan went to, made their journey one, that you won’t easily forget reading.

”There are some things, some people worth fighting for. You would be worth fighting for; you would, if you wanted me like I wanted you.”

From the blog posts, to the tweets, the cards and the emails as well as the story told from both Annie and Ronan’s POV’s, nothing is left unaccounted for, the development of the characters, their backgrounds as well as the secondary characters all builds and grows as the book progresses, there are no ends left untied, nothing left loose or unfinished.

”I feel like I could lose myself and find myself in you.”

It is quite possible that I have said in every review I have ever written for one of L. H. Cosway’s books that this one is my favorite, I am at the point now, where I don’t want to offend any of them, and they are all my favorites. I am now in the enviable position, that I have also discovered a new author, Penny Reid: you and I have some serious catching up to do!



ARC generously provided by L. H. Cosway, it was, as it always is my absolute pleasure to provide the above honest review.