Contemporary Romance Review: The Hooker and The Hermit by L.H. Cosway & Penny Reid
The Hooker and The Hermit by L.H. Cosway & Penny Reid
Egalley thanks to the authors
Synopsis from Goodreads
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?
The Hooker and the Hermit is a collaboration between authors L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid, is a full length 100k word novel, and is a standalone.
Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | Smashwords
8.5/10
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The Hooker and The Hermit is a mixed bag of sweets, ladies and gents. There are your favorite candies, then the ones that are okay, and at last the ones you'd eat only when there is no other choice left.I love Penny on her own, but I am unfamiliar with L.H. Cosway so for me this book started unevenly.
Annie was a sweetheart, an intensely likable and very relatable character which was an easily recognisable trademark of Penny - an adorable, geeky klutz with a sharp mind and eccentric behaviour.
On the other hand, I had problems accepting Ronan at the beginning. He was too pushy, too aggressive, too rough, blunt and growly, and while Annie seemed to like that, it took me awhile to warm up to him and see that he was all bark without a bite, just a big, soft teddy bear.
Annie as The Socialmedialite rocked my socks with her delicious posts, Ronan's tweets were also scattered here and there like little gems.
Secondary characters shone brightly as well - Joan, Tom, @WriteALoveSong, Lucy, Ronan's mother and even Brona started caricaturish but then this or that situation suddenly brought them to light and made them relatable. They were grey, not just black or white.
I also had a feeling that the book hit its stride once Annie and Ronan got to Dublin. The writing just flowed much easier from that point onwards. I applauded to how Annie and Joan dealt with Ronan's "dark secret" but the condom issue made me lower my rating as it's one of my pet peeves.
I accept throwing caution to the wind in the heat of the moment, but there has to be a follow up, a discussion of possible repercussions, a check up with your doctor, something! And it wasn't addressed.
Otherwise it's a lovely read. Very much recommended.
* * *
Хукер и Отшельница - это смешанный мешочек сладостей. Здесь есть ваши любимые конфеты, есть те, что так себе и те, что сойдут, если больше ничего не осталось.Я люблю творчество Пенни, но с Козвэй была незнакома, поэтому повествование с самого начала казалось мне неровным. Например, в персонаже Анни узнаётся трэйдмарка мисс Рид. Необычайно талантливая и очень привлекательная блоггерша с острым умом и грязным чувством юмора, Анни в то же время не умеет вести себя лицом к лицу с людьми, боится толп и очень неуклюжа.
С другой стороны, Ронана мне было полюбить тяжело. Он кажетс неотёсанным мужланом, агрессивным, напористым, ревнивым, пока его не узнаёшь получше и не понимаешь, что он больше лает, чем кусается, что он - милашка и плюшевый мишка!
Второстепенные персонажи тоже хороши. Джоан, Том, Бродерик, Люси, мама Ронана и даже Брона вначале карикатурны, однако небольшие фразы, мимолётные повороты сюжета внезапно превращают их в понятных нам, обычных людей.
Я лично считаю, что авторы нашли свой ритм во второй половине книги, так как читаться она стала гораздо легче когда герои приземлились в Дублине. Я аплодировала Анни с её феерическими постами, её и Джоан реакции на "тёмный секрет" Ронана... Однако пол оценки мне пришлось снять из-за сцены с отсутствующим кондомом.
Я понимаю, что в пылу момента можно отбросить осторожность и произнести банальное " я тебе доверяю"... Однако, ребята! Чтобы не было никакого обсуждения о возможных последствиях, в том числе венерических заболеваниях? Никакой проверки у доктора или предоставления бумажки о том, что ты чист? В такое разгильдяйство поверить мне сложно.
В остальном, превосходно! Читайте!
