Friday, February 14, 2014

Review and Giveaway: Had to be You

Had to be You (Bad Boys of Red Hook - Book 3) by Robin Kaye

Publication Date: 02/04/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Signet Eclipse
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 384
ISBN-10: 0451413571
ISBN-13: 978-0451413574

(Received for an honest review from Signet Eclipse)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Robin Kaye on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series

Back to You (2012), You're the One (2013) Had to be You (2014)

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.




Excerpt from, Had to be You, courtesy of the author's website.

Synopsis:

The last place he expected to find lasting love was back in his hometown.…

Slater knew tragedy from a young age, but with the support of his foster family, he turned his life around. Now, back from a stint in the Navy, he’s packed up his motorcycle and returned to Red Hook to help to run the family restaurant—a job that comes with a tantalizing upside. Her name is Rocki.

Flirty, sweet, and outgoing, Rocki brings in crowds as the lead singer of the house band. And although she’s unable to resist the charms of this intense bad boy, she refuses to open her heart to him. Until a family crisis shatters Rocki’s easygoing demeanor, exposing something from her past she’d always hoped would stay hidden.

But Slater knows a thing or two about family secrets—and he sets out to prove to Rocki that their relationship could finally give them both a future worth believing in.


Thoughts:

Robin Kaye brings readers the final book in her Bad Boys of Red Hook series, Had to be You. Readers who have followed this series about a very special family in the heart of Brooklyn, are sure to find this book just right in every way. Kaye's attention to detail and steamy scenes are a trademark that readers have come to expect from this author and both shine in this book. When Slater Shaw returns home for a short stint running the family bar in Red Hook, he never expects to find a sexy singer who slips into his heart before he can stop her. A great final book in a well written series.

What I liked:

Out of all of the boys that Pete Calahan took into his family and into his heart, Slater is probably my favorite. Returning home after some time away in the Navy and going to school, this sexy hero is a real heart stopper. He has it all, good looks, a great personality and a ton of underlying issues that not even he is completely aware of. Robin Kaye creates a character that is suffering from PTSD without even knowing it. Slater has always been a very intense kind of character in the series, but readers never really knew why, until this book. He goes through some rough situations, but luckily he finds someone to stand by his side. 

Rocki is a very mysterious young woman. She is very happy-go-lucky. A major flirt and full of surprises, but when it comes to her past, nobody really knows a thing about her. When her brother takes a bad fall skiing she turns to the Pete and his family for help. Slater takes her North and in the process starts to build on the sparks of attraction he and Rocki have both been feeling. I liked her as character very much. Kaye fills the reader in a little bit at a time about Rocki's past and she and Slater help each other through some really tough times. I loved how well they fit together.

Slater was the kind of character who needed a strong woman and Rocki was definitely that. And when these two characters finally get together, it is a very sensual and passionate experience. Robin Kaye knows just how to write a good love scene. So hot it sizzles, but so loving and caring you can't help but fall in love with the characters, falling in love with each other. These two were definitely made for each other and really complemented each other. A very well developed story, even though it was a bit short on the time frame.

What I didn't like:

For the most part I really enjoyed this romance. The charm of this wonderful family and how they all loved and cared for each other was amazing. I loved Slater with all of his issues and Rocki with her mysterious past. But I felt like the romance between them was a bit rushed. Slater only has a month to spend at the Crow's Nest and they sparks start flying almost on the first page. Give it little time to grow on the reader, I always say. It's not a horrible thing and doesn't ruin the book, but it does make a difference.

Bottom Line:

Great final book to the series. It wrapped up a lot of questions, gave readers a satisfying place to leave the family. Slater gets his happy-ever-after and the gang from the Crow's Nest is settled and deeply loved by all. There was a hiccup or two but that not unexpected. Pick this one up. It's a good one!

Had to be You is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!




About the Author:


Robin Kaye is a Golden Heart Award–winning author of the Bad Boys of Red Hook series which includes You're the One and Back to You. Her books have been translated into five languages.


Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Had to be You by Robin Kaye.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, February 28th.

1. Please leave a comment describing your favorite hangout. Do they have a band? What it like?
2. Please fill out the FORM.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...


Hello. I used to love a bar/cafe called Mac's Place in OK. But was going with the guy I had married. Sometimes they had a band, and sometimes it was just music picked by the ones there in the Juke box. But, they had a dance floor and we loved to dance. Here, I now go to a Senior place where they have za place similar to the Grand Ole Opry. They have a regular band with dancing, and lots of really good guest singers. This is once a mo. It is the Pasadena Opry. Thanks for the give-away. And, Debbie, I am a subscriber.
Maxie mac262(at)me(dot)com

Pat L. said...

My favorite place to hang out is at home. And sometimes there is music as my husband loves music and like to play the guitar and keyboard.

CrystalGB said...

I like to hang out with friends at home. We have dinners, watch movies or listen to music.

Anonymous said...

Am loving this series and Robin's books. My days of hanging out are over. LOL.

Like to hang at family and friends' houses.

Gmapeony@yahoo.com

Natasha said...

I usually just hang out at my own home anymore. I love to listen to music, read or watch TV.
Thanks for the chance to win!

Anonymous said...

Just hanging out with my grandchild, family or friends.

Patty B,

Nancy said...

We don't have a place to hang out, don't have much time for it either.
We do play a lot of music at home tho.

Anita Yancey said...

The only place I like to hang out is at home. Thanks for having the giveaway.

ayancey1974(at)gmail(dot)com

Di said...

I hang out at home or with family - most places with bands are too loud.

bn100 said...

Don't have a fav hangout or band

Texas Book Lover said...

Hmmm...Is it sad that my favorite hangout is my house? Playing games with friends.

Anonymous said...

I seem to be going with the flow here... hanging out at home and spending time with family and friends either at my home or theirs.

Karen T.
lovesthemets@yahoo.com