Title: Give Me Hell
Series: Give Me #4
Author: Kate McCarthy
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: July 6, 2017
OUR REVIEW:
Shel: I didn't realize how much I'd missed the Badass Brigade and their hot mamas until I started reading Give Me Hell and within one paragraph I was completely entrenched in their world and simultaneously trying to speed up my reading to see how everything would be resolved, and slow down because I knew I'd be sad when it was over. Unfortunately? Fortunately?, my desire to see what would happen with Jake and Mac superseded everything and I COULD NOT STOP READING until I was finished. And guess what?! I loved every second of this read and am, in fact, really fucking sad that it's over. Seriously sad, y'all. Court: I KNOW! This is like...our series. We started our blog with a review of the first book of this series, and we've been in love with Kate ever since. And honestly, how could I forget how awesome her writing is? HOW! Shelley! It had been a few minutes without her, and then she sucked us back into this wonderful world with these wonderful characters and we loved every freaking second.
Shel: Kate McCarthy has created a family of characters I just adore and I love that we got to catch up with all of them while getting to the bottom of Mac and Jake's story and all of the sneaky fuckery that they'd been up to all along during the other three books in this series. We all knew that something was up between these two, little did we know the depth and breadth of their history. These two have been through some things, y'all, and the most messed up part of it is that even though Mac and Jake made plenty of their own stupid mistakes, most of their problems weren't created by them, they were created by others. So between well meaning and some not so well meaning others, and Mac and Jake's inability to always express what they really wanted, they were fucked. It felt like even though they had such an intense and fierce love for each other, they were rarely on solid ground in their relationship. And while all of this sounds super angsty (and it definitely had some angst), I swear I haven't laughed as hard or as frequently in a long time. Kate McCarthy is one of my all time favorite romantic comedy writers and she always, ALWAYS brings her A-game when it comes to writing humor --and Mac, her brothers, and the band provided so many hysterical laugh out loud moments that I absolutely know that when I need a funny read to take me away from the daily stress of life, Give Me Hell will be a book I come back to. Court: Right, Shel, we had no idea what was going on between these two even though it had been hinted at for every single book. Something was afoot, and I wanted to know every single detail and I think we really should appreciate the wait we had to find out what was going on with these two because it was divine living through their story from waayyyy back earlier than I ever expected. Mac is hardened by expectations of her family to be the pretty princess, and I really love her character and her take no crap attitude. Sometimes, to her own detriment of course, as Shel said they never really express their feelings well to each other so that makes things so difficult. Travis, Mitch and Jared have plenty of air time as do the rest of our favorites, but I really love the Badass Brigade ya'll! LOVE THEM! Wish they were real. Want to live in this world of characters, take me please! Haha!
Shel: Let me end by saying that I realize I haven't written paragraphs and paragraphs breaking down various parts of the novel and I think that's because I enjoyed going into this novel knowing only 2 things: 1) that it'd feature Mac and 2) I'd love it. I want everyone else to have that same sense of discovery that I did without spoilers and hints so that you can read it and delight in it like I did. Court: Amen. This series is not to be missed, so I could just literally say that to you over and over. No matter where you start in it....you should do so immediately because the writing is stellar, the characters are well plotted, and the setting is beautiful. Remember? Female led band, merry band of badasses? Hard fought love story? It is like the trifecta and we could not turn away!
Shel: For months now, I've been anticipating the release of this novel and it was well worth the wait and am now dying for more with these characters (and I cannot wait to see what she does with Merrick). Court: ME TOO! Read this book! You won't regret it!
Blurb
Mackenzie
Valentine is wilful, fiery, and determined to prove she doesn’t need anyone. Desperate
to break free from the over-protective parents and three older brothers who
dictate her every move, she runs away at the age of seventeen to hunt down the
only boy who makes her feel alive.
Jake Romero
has no choice but to leave the best thing that ever happened to him, taking him
down a path that leads to notorious gang, the King Street Boys. When fate
throws Mackenzie back in his life, he turns her away in her time of need,
knowing he now lives a life in which she doesn’t belong. Except his decision
has shattering consequences, leading to secrets, lies, and the ultimate
betrayal.
Years
later, their lives continue to entwine, and when his past returns demanding
retribution, Mackenzie intervenes and gets caught in the crossfire, leaving
behind a devastation that no one sees coming. Can their relationship withstand
the hell it’s endured, or is it too late for love?
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Excerpt
With a low
chuckle I roll over on my bed to eyeball the stolen file that I’d slapped on my
bedside table last night before crashing. I’m feeling rather pleased with
myself until my gaze encounters Jake. My gleeful chortle dies a quick death.
He’s
leaning against my bedroom wall, bare-chested, arms folded, and wearing nothing
but a pair of black boxer-briefs and a furious glare.
My gaze
drops to the bed where Jake has laid out the black beanie used to cover my pale
hair, and the black leather gloves that kept my fingerprints from any surface I
came in contact with.
Fuck. The sun is streaming in through the blinds and
I know it must be late morning already. Clearly I’d forgotten to set the
morning alarm. A rookie mistake. And now I need to get past the gauntlet that
is Jake and somehow get the file to Casey before he enacts his own plan to
retrieve it.
My eyes
flick up, meeting his. “Morning,” I say coolly.
His jaw
ticks. “Care to explain?”
Jake’s car
keys rest on top of the report file and I know he’s seen them. Not only had I
performed a break and enter last
night, I had also added car theft to
my criminal repertoire. Explaining that will
likely cause my untimely death. I pretend to consider his question for a
moment. “Not really.”
Jake pushes
off from the wall and moves toward the bed, bringing him closer. “Well you’re
going to.”
“No,” I
say, casually sliding across the mattress and away from Jake. “Not today. I
have things to—”
Putting one
knee on the bed, Jake leans across and grabs the back of my long-sleeved shirt
in his fist. He yanks and the distinct sound of a riiipppppp renders the air.
“My shirt,”
I gasp as I fly through the air, landing on my back on the mattress with a hard
bounce.
“I don’t
give a rat’s fucking ass about your shirt,” he growls, straddling my body.
His hard
thighs trap me in place and his hands pin mine to the bed. Moving will likely
end with a cracked rib.
Jake leans
his face down until I can’t look anywhere but in his eyes. “You can start with
why you’re dressed like a thieving little bandit.”
“Because I
stole your car.”
“Why did
you steal my car?”
“Because I
couldn’t get a cab.”
I actually
considered calling for a taxi but then my movements would be on public record,
easily placing me at the scene. I’d had to rule it out.
“Stop
leading me in circles, Princess, and spit it the fuck out. What did you do?”
I huff
deeply, letting my frustration out. Jake isn’t going to just let this go. It
leaves me with two choices. Lie or be honest. I chose door number two, because
while I sometimes keep things from Jake, he doesn’t deserve outright deceit.
I spill out
my early hours adventure, rethinking my choice of honesty as he sits back on
the bed, his fury a slow-building thunderstorm.
There’s
silence for a tense moment when I finish speaking.
“You
committed a felony,” he says in a soft voice. I’m not fooled by the tone. His
anger is a barely leashed lion. “And you used my car to do it.”
My lips
press in a thin line. I hadn’t thought that particular implication through, and
now I’m angry at myself. “I’m sorry.”
His
expression narrows to one of vengeful retribution. “Oh you’ll be sorry.”
“I will?”
“When I
paddle your fucking ass.”
“Jake—”
“Shut it,”
he growls, his voice rising. “You broke into a detective’s house. You stole her
property. You—”
“Casey’s
property,” I mutter.
“Don’t
interrupt me when I’m explaining your stupidity to you.”
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Kate McCarthy is an Australian, living in the pretty sunshine state of
Queensland with her two kids and two dogs, Rufus and Pete.
She
loves to bake sweet stuff and eat it too. With an exciting degree in business,
she works as an accountant by day, and an author by night. In between family
life, she is most often found in bed reading, or at the beach, still reading.
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