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A Singular Obsession #1
Making Her His
For almost five years, Alex has had one obsession. Her name is Elynn.
Alex Hanas couldn’t believe that after so many years as a widower, his father was getting remarried. To make matters worse, the American gold digger had a kid—a daughter named Elynn. After months of avoiding it, Alex goes to brunch with every intention of giving his father’s new family the deep freeze. But he can’t pull it off with Elynn’s anxious green-grey eyes locked on him.
That was the day his life changed.
Four years later, Alex is as close to Elynn as a stepbrother can be. But that’s not enough for him. He wants more…and he’s done waiting.
Alex Hanas couldn’t believe that after so many years as a widower, his father was getting remarried. To make matters worse, the American gold digger had a kid—a daughter named Elynn. After months of avoiding it, Alex goes to brunch with every intention of giving his father’s new family the deep freeze. But he can’t pull it off with Elynn’s anxious green-grey eyes locked on him.
That was the day his life changed.
Four years later, Alex is as close to Elynn as a stepbrother can be. But that’s not enough for him. He wants more…and he’s done waiting.
262 pages, ebook
First published November 30, 2014
About the author
Lucy Leroux
33 books1,024 followersA 7-time Readers' Favorite Medal Winner. USA Today Bestselling Author. Mom to a half-feral princess. WOC. Former scientist. Recovering geek.
Lucy Leroux is the steamy pen name for author L.B. Gilbert. Ten years ago Lucy moved to France for a one-year research contract. Six months later she was living with a handsome Frenchman and is now married with an adorable half-french 5yo who won't go to bed on time.
When her last contract ended Lucy turned to writing. Frustrated by a particularly bad romance novel she decided to write her own. Her family lives in Southern California.
Lucy loves all genres of romance and intends to write as many of them as possible. To date she has published twenty novels and novellas. These includes paranormal, urban fantasy, gothic regency, and contemporary romances with more on the way.
Follow her on twitter @lucythenovelist or http://www.facebook.com/lucythenovelist or visit www.authorlucyleroux.com/newsletter for special offers and free reads.
*For fans of paranormal romance and adventure check out the author's award-winning Elementals series under her maiden name L.B. Gilbert.
Lucy Leroux is the steamy pen name for author L.B. Gilbert. Ten years ago Lucy moved to France for a one-year research contract. Six months later she was living with a handsome Frenchman and is now married with an adorable half-french 5yo who won't go to bed on time.
When her last contract ended Lucy turned to writing. Frustrated by a particularly bad romance novel she decided to write her own. Her family lives in Southern California.
Lucy loves all genres of romance and intends to write as many of them as possible. To date she has published twenty novels and novellas. These includes paranormal, urban fantasy, gothic regency, and contemporary romances with more on the way.
Follow her on twitter @lucythenovelist or http://www.facebook.com/lucythenovelist or visit www.authorlucyleroux.com/newsletter for special offers and free reads.
*For fans of paranormal romance and adventure check out the author's award-winning Elementals series under her maiden name L.B. Gilbert.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 423 reviews
February 10, 2017
2 CELIBACY ISN'T FOR ME STARS
I must admit, I was disappointed with this hero. He said he has been in love with her for 4 years, but I say NOT!
And why you may ask?
He was still having sex with all those other girls!
Hey guys, he tried here but guess what? Celibacy wasn't his thing.
Really!?
Does anyone with a brain cell buy this bullshit?
I am not going to say it's easy not to have sex once you've had it but the fact of the matter remains, if you love someone you stay true to them.
Therefore, I don't think he loved her at all.
I think he just wanted to keep his Virgin prize on the side while he f*cked around with all the women he wanted.
The whole idea was an insult to the intellectual reader who understand that intercourse is not the only way a man can relieve himself.
Doing this is an insulting to the love he said he felt for the heroine.
However, if you let this issue go, then he was not a bad man because he looked out for her and tried to do what was right.
He was just a two faced hypocrite in my opinion.
I think she would have been much better off truly punching him in the nuts then hitting him with a pillow!!!
Seriously, my husband would at least find inching powder in his underwear or waxing off all his body hair!!!
Something!
Oh well, it's not a bad book just not great.
If you can over look this issue, then this book wasn't bad. Sadly, I couldn't because of the way it was written.
It felt wrong and like he was cheating!
Those are my thoughts!
I must admit, I was disappointed with this hero. He said he has been in love with her for 4 years, but I say NOT!
And why you may ask?
He was still having sex with all those other girls!
Hey guys, he tried here but guess what? Celibacy wasn't his thing.
Really!?
Does anyone with a brain cell buy this bullshit?
I am not going to say it's easy not to have sex once you've had it but the fact of the matter remains, if you love someone you stay true to them.
Therefore, I don't think he loved her at all.
I think he just wanted to keep his Virgin prize on the side while he f*cked around with all the women he wanted.
The whole idea was an insult to the intellectual reader who understand that intercourse is not the only way a man can relieve himself.
Doing this is an insulting to the love he said he felt for the heroine.
However, if you let this issue go, then he was not a bad man because he looked out for her and tried to do what was right.
He was just a two faced hypocrite in my opinion.
I think she would have been much better off truly punching him in the nuts then hitting him with a pillow!!!
Seriously, my husband would at least find inching powder in his underwear or waxing off all his body hair!!!
Something!
Oh well, it's not a bad book just not great.
If you can over look this issue, then this book wasn't bad. Sadly, I couldn't because of the way it was written.
It felt wrong and like he was cheating!
Those are my thoughts!
October 14, 2019
This is hands down my favorite story with a step-brother trope. Everything about how it was handled to the actual characters themselves was done very well. It doesn’t hurt that the hero is one of my favorite types.
Alexandros and his father, Costas, are rich and powerful and Greek. Alexandros lost his mother at the age of 11 and assumed his father would never remarry. When Costas is well into his 20's his father falls in love with an American woman with a teenage daughter. Alexandros assumes she is a gold digger and protests the marriage causing trouble between him and his father.
After some time, Costas convinces Alexandros to attend a family brunch where he is forced to socialize with his new step mom and sister. What he wasn't expecting was to be intrigued with Elynn, his step sister who is 17. He notices she is shy and wears bagging clothing but is extremely smart and beautiful and later learns she has suffered a traumatic event in her life.
I loved how the author cultivated the relationship over a span of years and how respectful Alexandros was of her age. He knew he needed to wait for her to grow up before making a move while also still be an important person in her life. He earned her trust and protected her so that when it was time, she would already have the bases of a strong relationship with him as well as time to heal from her past trauma.
Once he decided she was ready for that relationship, boy did the story heat up. Alexandros is a very dominant man but he always held a part of himself back with her. Once he decided she was ready, he charged full speed ahead.
Not everyone is a fan of an OTT alpha male, but if you are this is the story for you. What I also loved was that since Alexandros gave her so much time to build their trust in each other, Elynn became a more confident woman. While for the most part Alexandros would take complete control of their relationship, she always stood up to him when he pushed her past her comfort zone.
Despite the years it took for them to get together as a couple, I did not feel this story dragged on. In fact, I pretty much read this book straight through, and this is going on my top favorites list. Great story!
Alexandros and his father, Costas, are rich and powerful and Greek. Alexandros lost his mother at the age of 11 and assumed his father would never remarry. When Costas is well into his 20's his father falls in love with an American woman with a teenage daughter. Alexandros assumes she is a gold digger and protests the marriage causing trouble between him and his father.
After some time, Costas convinces Alexandros to attend a family brunch where he is forced to socialize with his new step mom and sister. What he wasn't expecting was to be intrigued with Elynn, his step sister who is 17. He notices she is shy and wears bagging clothing but is extremely smart and beautiful and later learns she has suffered a traumatic event in her life.
I loved how the author cultivated the relationship over a span of years and how respectful Alexandros was of her age. He knew he needed to wait for her to grow up before making a move while also still be an important person in her life. He earned her trust and protected her so that when it was time, she would already have the bases of a strong relationship with him as well as time to heal from her past trauma.
Once he decided she was ready for that relationship, boy did the story heat up. Alexandros is a very dominant man but he always held a part of himself back with her. Once he decided she was ready, he charged full speed ahead.
Not everyone is a fan of an OTT alpha male, but if you are this is the story for you. What I also loved was that since Alexandros gave her so much time to build their trust in each other, Elynn became a more confident woman. While for the most part Alexandros would take complete control of their relationship, she always stood up to him when he pushed her past her comfort zone.
Despite the years it took for them to get together as a couple, I did not feel this story dragged on. In fact, I pretty much read this book straight through, and this is going on my top favorites list. Great story!
January 22, 2015
I found this to be really poorly written...too much dull, repetitive sentence structure, so that I couldn't lose myself in the story or even feel for the heroine's past suffering. Just very simplistic and childish in terms of the writing, and too much was told rather than shown. I get the comparison to Lynda Chance, but I think her writing is a bit more mature and developed. It also repulsed me that hero had feelings for the heroine but sleeps with other women until he sees a sign that heroine is having a romance...then suddenly he is going to make the relationship happen, to be sure he gets her virginity. It's not that he's cheating because they aren't in a relationship, but he's still a jerk for selfishly stealing her youth and not making any sacrifice of his own to allow her some experience. He wasn't really waiting for her because he was with other women. He was really just waiting to pounce and manipulate her into losing her chance to find a better man. If he can be with other women,and it was for her benefit that he waited, then he should wait for her to find a better man whose feelings for her would keep him from sleeping with another woman. I think she deserved better and hero was scum for thinking he was entitled to her. His sleeping with other women wasn't some selfless plan about letting heroine have freedom and other experiences...he is just with another women but then sees heroine with a man so decides to lock her down. it was a plan to keep having his cake while he gets ready to eat hers too. My least favorite kind of guy. If he can sleep with other women while "loving" and being possessive of the heroine, he will likely do it down the road...I know that I'm pretty tough on men who sleep with other women while planning to take a heroine's virginity, but that is a huge sin in my book. I hated him.
February 9, 2017
I received an eARC, from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
This is book one in the "A Singular Obsession" series by Lucy Leroux. This is also my first book by this author. I not sure how I can put into words how good this book was! This has the alpha male wanted to protect 'his women', hot sex scenes, and you just get emotional drawn in! Once I put this book down I started reach for the next in the series. Since yesterday I have read the 1.5 book 'Confiscating Charlie' the second book 'Calen's Captive ' and moved on to the third book 'Stolen Angel' and will finish it up today. You just can't get enough of this author and her books!
Alex Hanas has been upset that his father as went and married after being a widow for years. Alex thinks his new step-mom is a gold digger and that her daughter is fat and ugly. Alex's father makes him come to a Sunday Brunch to try to build on being a family. Alex after several months breaks down and goes to his father's house to try to do this brunch thing. When their he notices Elynn his suppose step-sister that he thought was fat and ugly. But Alex gets a good look at her and finds that his first impression of her was wrong. She is in fact beautiful but chooses to wear really loose clothes to hide her body. They start a friendship that has Alex falling in love with her but he knows she is still to young for him and also she has something in her past that is an issue for her being around men. So Alex settles to be her friend until he thinks she is older and is no longer scared and would except a relationship with him.
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This is book one in the "A Singular Obsession" series by Lucy Leroux. This is also my first book by this author. I not sure how I can put into words how good this book was! This has the alpha male wanted to protect 'his women', hot sex scenes, and you just get emotional drawn in! Once I put this book down I started reach for the next in the series. Since yesterday I have read the 1.5 book 'Confiscating Charlie' the second book 'Calen's Captive ' and moved on to the third book 'Stolen Angel' and will finish it up today. You just can't get enough of this author and her books!
Alex Hanas has been upset that his father as went and married after being a widow for years. Alex thinks his new step-mom is a gold digger and that her daughter is fat and ugly. Alex's father makes him come to a Sunday Brunch to try to build on being a family. Alex after several months breaks down and goes to his father's house to try to do this brunch thing. When their he notices Elynn his suppose step-sister that he thought was fat and ugly. But Alex gets a good look at her and finds that his first impression of her was wrong. She is in fact beautiful but chooses to wear really loose clothes to hide her body. They start a friendship that has Alex falling in love with her but he knows she is still to young for him and also she has something in her past that is an issue for her being around men. So Alex settles to be her friend until he thinks she is older and is no longer scared and would except a relationship with him.
Please follow more reviews at the below sites:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1... http://sissymaereads.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/sally.mae.39...
http://booklikes.com/
https://romancebookreviewforyou.wordp...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/17091...
https://twitter.com/soapsrus68
https://www.pinterest.com/u2soapsrus/
January 11, 2015
ATTENTION fans of OTT obsessive, possessive, and protective ALPHA MALE heroes!!! This is the book for you. The H is AMAZING!!! There were moments where he demanded that the h say she loved him. He was so desperate to hear it from her. I LOVED THAT!!! There was a moment where he thought the h had left him and he had to hold onto the dresser bc his legs gave out. He was also insanely jealous. This was a fabulous read and I can't wait to stalk this author from now on.
Shelved as 'no-just-no'
June 5, 2015So I was reading this book's blurb since the title really caught my eye until I came across with a review that made me doubt picking up this one. Maybe I need to stop reading spoilers but I couldn't help it. I really couldn't handle cheating in romance novels. Well in this book, it turns out that Nope, just no. I feel like a villain for judging this book without even reading the entire story but no, I ain't putting my hands on this one.
November 15, 2021
3.5 Stars
Alex isn't happy about his father remarrying and is more than a little put out that he has to have dinner with his stepmother and her daughter, that is until he meets Elynn. Innocent and smart he finds himself drawn to her and eager to spend time with her.
Alex may have known Elynn was it for him but he isn't . Alex is a bit of a manwhore.
Enjoyed how OTT Alex was when it came to Elynn. Good heat level.
Potential Triggers:
Alex isn't happy about his father remarrying and is more than a little put out that he has to have dinner with his stepmother and her daughter, that is until he meets Elynn. Innocent and smart he finds himself drawn to her and eager to spend time with her.
Alex may have known Elynn was it for him but he isn't . Alex is a bit of a manwhore.
Enjoyed how OTT Alex was when it came to Elynn. Good heat level.
Potential Triggers:
July 14, 2017
2.25- 2.50 STARS
I totally forgot I read this book years ago, I did a quick skim and this would have been a solid 4 stars, if the hero had been celibate when he was "in love" with the heroine over the years. Heck, I would have even accepted if he had been celibate after the h turned legal, sadly "frustration" (his words not mine) beats being celibate for the woman you love.. :/
I totally forgot I read this book years ago, I did a quick skim and this would have been a solid 4 stars, if the hero had been celibate when he was "in love" with the heroine over the years. Heck, I would have even accepted if he had been celibate after the h turned legal, sadly "frustration" (his words not mine) beats being celibate for the woman you love.. :/
January 13, 2015
I quite enjoyed this contemporary romance with a possessive alpha male who treated the heroine wonderfully. I will be checked out more of the author's work when she publishes more books.
October 21, 2019
Audiobook: Narrator – Ainslie Caswell
Nice narration although there was a bit of a noise that bled through occasionally. Some of the characterizations was a bit overly dramatic, but the story is absolute perfection!
This has an awesome over the top alpha hero who fits the bill for my favorite jealous/possessive heroes. His behavior and reactions toward her are what made this story. He was highly protective even if he needed to protect her from him. The heroine is a totally science geek, shy and a bit withdrawn but over the course of the story she begins to grow into her own.
Absolutely loved it!
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
Nice narration although there was a bit of a noise that bled through occasionally. Some of the characterizations was a bit overly dramatic, but the story is absolute perfection!
This has an awesome over the top alpha hero who fits the bill for my favorite jealous/possessive heroes. His behavior and reactions toward her are what made this story. He was highly protective even if he needed to protect her from him. The heroine is a totally science geek, shy and a bit withdrawn but over the course of the story she begins to grow into her own.
Absolutely loved it!
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
January 13, 2015
Really enjoyed this OTT alpha male. I read a couple of reviews that said there was cheating here but there really wasn't. So he had a very few short relationships while he waited for her to grow up. Not cheating since they had no romantic relationship at the time nor had one been promised or implied. So if you like Lynda Chance you'll probably like this. It was well written and flowed smoothly. Can't wait for more from this author.
October 5, 2021
I'm gonna knock off a star. I just don't revisit this one. I enjoyed it but every time I consider reading it again I get annoyed when remembering the double standard (him f*ing others while supposedly waiting for her, but at the same time making sure he never has any competition)...
original review":
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I liked this more than I thought I would. I expected to have to skim read, but it was actually pretty entertaining. It reads kinda like a harlequin with that kind of cheesy plot and the evil OW. Elynn is young but still very much her own woman. She is just a late bloomer romance-wise due to a traumatic attack when she was younger. She's super smart and has strength of character so no wishy washy waffling whiney heroine here. She definitely holds her own against Alex. Alex's taste in women before Elynn was pretty pi** poor. He has known he wants to end up with Elynn for years, but is waiting for when she is ready. Of course he isn't going to let anyone else be her first because he's your usual alpha male dude. In the meantime he'd toned down his playboy ways but not become a monk because he doesn't know how many years she will need. Frankly that is understandable except that his taste in women leans towards the skanky side. Contrary to the usual harlequin formula, Elynn wasn't secretly lusting after him through her teenage years. So the unfolding of their romance is a bit less predictable and not fraught with doubt. All in all it was a fun read and I look forward to reading the next.
original review":
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I liked this more than I thought I would. I expected to have to skim read, but it was actually pretty entertaining. It reads kinda like a harlequin with that kind of cheesy plot and the evil OW. Elynn is young but still very much her own woman. She is just a late bloomer romance-wise due to a traumatic attack when she was younger. She's super smart and has strength of character so no wishy washy waffling whiney heroine here. She definitely holds her own against Alex. Alex's taste in women before Elynn was pretty pi** poor. He has known he wants to end up with Elynn for years, but is waiting for when she is ready. Of course he isn't going to let anyone else be her first because he's your usual alpha male dude. In the meantime he'd toned down his playboy ways but not become a monk because he doesn't know how many years she will need. Frankly that is understandable except that his taste in women leans towards the skanky side. Contrary to the usual harlequin formula, Elynn wasn't secretly lusting after him through her teenage years. So the unfolding of their romance is a bit less predictable and not fraught with doubt. All in all it was a fun read and I look forward to reading the next.
October 7, 2022
Three stepbro stars! ☆☆☆
I loved this book. Why the low rating, you ask? Alex has been in love with his stepsister for nearly five years, bought her an engagement ring two years ago, and he's still whoring around.
What I liked: The forbidden aspect. The forehead kisses. The size difference between the main characters. The fact that he flew 20 hours from China to London solely so he could go to her 18th birthday party. The jealous/possessive H. The gentle way Alex cares for Elynn.
What I didn't like: Alex whoring around while he was supposedly in love. There's a ten year age difference between them-- yet even after she turns 18 until she turns 21 he's sleeping around. The petty arguments between them. The OW drama.
I loved the premise, but didn't like how it played out.
safety:
virgin heroine
age gap (21h, 31H)
OW/OM drama
no cheating
HEA ♡
I loved this book. Why the low rating, you ask? Alex has been in love with his stepsister for nearly five years, bought her an engagement ring two years ago, and he's still whoring around.
What I liked: The forbidden aspect. The forehead kisses. The size difference between the main characters. The fact that he flew 20 hours from China to London solely so he could go to her 18th birthday party. The jealous/possessive H. The gentle way Alex cares for Elynn.
What I didn't like: Alex whoring around while he was supposedly in love. There's a ten year age difference between them-- yet even after she turns 18 until she turns 21 he's sleeping around. The petty arguments between them. The OW drama.
I loved the premise, but didn't like how it played out.
safety:
virgin heroine
age gap (21h, 31H)
OW/OM drama
no cheating
HEA ♡
November 30, 2017
This reminded me of Harlequin Presents, only kinkier with the stepsibling angle, more explicit sex, a much longer story, and a jealous-possessive Hero who does not need a skillet to his head too often. These are all good things and that’s why I’m giving this book 5 stars.
Not safe though as hero was not celibate while waiting for the heroine to ‘grow up’. Not too much of a manwhore though.
Not safe though as hero was not celibate while waiting for the heroine to ‘grow up’. Not too much of a manwhore though.
December 31, 2014
SPOILERS
This book wasn't too bad.. it was a taboo subject.. step siblings in a relationship - which doesn't bother me as long as their is no blood relation I'm okay.
i liked both the hero and heroine.
I rolled my eyes quite a few times when things about how rich the hero were mentioned. For example at one point he flew in a doctor because the heroine gets bitten by wasps.. Yes he flew him in!! His many homes and how big they were!! oh and at the end when he has the heroine's ring made out of a meteor and purchases the remaining meteor!! REALLY?? that definitely annoyed me.. if i were to read the next book I do hope it isn't mentioned over and over again that the hero has money or what he does with his money.
This book wasn't too bad.. it was a taboo subject.. step siblings in a relationship - which doesn't bother me as long as their is no blood relation I'm okay.
i liked both the hero and heroine.
I rolled my eyes quite a few times when things about how rich the hero were mentioned. For example at one point he flew in a doctor because the heroine gets bitten by wasps.. Yes he flew him in!! His many homes and how big they were!! oh and at the end when he has the heroine's ring made out of a meteor and purchases the remaining meteor!! REALLY?? that definitely annoyed me.. if i were to read the next book I do hope it isn't mentioned over and over again that the hero has money or what he does with his money.
January 15, 2015
What is it with Brothers lately! Yeesh! LOL
So the H in this book was EXTREMELY Alpha. Almost too much. *Gasp* WHAT???!! ***Sigh, I know, I know, but - it's how I feel.
I did enjoy the story. I loved how it showed the progression of his obsession over the years. It wasn't too much of the "insta-love" thing, but definitely "insta-intrigued".
The h is about 10 years younger than the H, requiring him to wait for her to "come of age".
The H makes dramatic actions to show the h how he feels for her. The h has very low self esteem. When she was 16, she was stalked and attacked by a boy that wanted her badly.
Since then, she's been very intimidated and shy around men.
The hook up of these two and continued luv'n throughout the book is definitely hot and the chemistry works well between these two.
I didn't like that the H continued his man whoring until he was ready to take his h. I think he stopped a few months before they got together, although his "love" was spread for over 4 years. I get that he had to wait, but it still stunk. Especially for how OBSESSED he was. I also thought the add in of the famous starlet was OTT. For the reader it seemed like an annoying, useless add in.
I recommend this for anyone looking for something quick, steamy and a sure thing. The OTT Alpha doesn't hurt either ;)
So the H in this book was EXTREMELY Alpha. Almost too much. *Gasp* WHAT???!! ***Sigh, I know, I know, but - it's how I feel.
I did enjoy the story. I loved how it showed the progression of his obsession over the years. It wasn't too much of the "insta-love" thing, but definitely "insta-intrigued".
The h is about 10 years younger than the H, requiring him to wait for her to "come of age".
The H makes dramatic actions to show the h how he feels for her. The h has very low self esteem. When she was 16, she was stalked and attacked by a boy that wanted her badly.
Since then, she's been very intimidated and shy around men.
The hook up of these two and continued luv'n throughout the book is definitely hot and the chemistry works well between these two.
I didn't like that the H continued his man whoring until he was ready to take his h. I think he stopped a few months before they got together, although his "love" was spread for over 4 years. I get that he had to wait, but it still stunk. Especially for how OBSESSED he was. I also thought the add in of the famous starlet was OTT. For the reader it seemed like an annoying, useless add in.
I recommend this for anyone looking for something quick, steamy and a sure thing. The OTT Alpha doesn't hurt either ;)
June 17, 2016
3 stars!
ARC kindly provided by Xpresso Book Tours via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
This is the story of Elynn and Alex, a step-brother romance.
Unfortunately this romance didn't work for me at all. The writing was ok but the plot was moving slowly at some points. There were a lot of information about events that were not important in the story and lots of anticipation was built for something big to happen without ever happening. The idea of the story was fantastic, but I think that the book could have been better worked.
Elynn is an amazing character. She is shy and kind of nerdy but she is honest and strong. The only part that I didn't like about her was her reaction to the declaration of love of Alex.
Alex is not my piece of cake. I like a controlling guy when he knows what he is doing. Alex didn't feel like he knew what he was doing...he had his plan and his hopes that it will work out as he wished but he didn't give the vibe that he had everything under control. He also had too many secrets from Elynn, secrets that concerned her, in the name of protection that really annoyed me.
The worse part for me in this book was the lack of connection. I felt their friendship but I didn't feel their relationship. I didn't feel their chemistry. That was actually the deal-breaker for me.
The end of the book was nice. I loved the epilogue! I am crazy about them and this epilogue was a nice closure for this book.
ARC kindly provided by Xpresso Book Tours via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
This is the story of Elynn and Alex, a step-brother romance.
Unfortunately this romance didn't work for me at all. The writing was ok but the plot was moving slowly at some points. There were a lot of information about events that were not important in the story and lots of anticipation was built for something big to happen without ever happening. The idea of the story was fantastic, but I think that the book could have been better worked.
Elynn is an amazing character. She is shy and kind of nerdy but she is honest and strong. The only part that I didn't like about her was her reaction to the declaration of love of Alex.
Alex is not my piece of cake. I like a controlling guy when he knows what he is doing. Alex didn't feel like he knew what he was doing...he had his plan and his hopes that it will work out as he wished but he didn't give the vibe that he had everything under control. He also had too many secrets from Elynn, secrets that concerned her, in the name of protection that really annoyed me.
The worse part for me in this book was the lack of connection. I felt their friendship but I didn't feel their relationship. I didn't feel their chemistry. That was actually the deal-breaker for me.
The end of the book was nice. I loved the epilogue! I am crazy about them and this epilogue was a nice closure for this book.
January 5, 2016
In the day where instant gratification is what everyone including myself look for in books these days, I have to give credit to this author for taking her time to tell an engaging story. I'm afraid the art of building layers a little at a time is dying out. Don't get me wrong, I'm not in with people writing boring stories where hardly anything happens, and so you know, this story was nowhere near boring. What I'm saying is that you don't read four pages in and the hero has the girl and is shooting off his load in her right away. This story builds up to the excitement.
I liked it. That's all.
I liked it. That's all.
March 31, 2016
I thought I would like this. Older man in love with younger woman waits for her and they fall deeply in love... But NO! I could not finish when you say you are in love with a woman and you go around and sleep with other woman while you are soooo deeply in love with her is WRONG. I can' stand that and especially when the hero says well boys will be boys... NOT. Sorry not for me. DNF
received a free copy from NetGalley for a honest review.
received a free copy from NetGalley for a honest review.
January 27, 2015
3 1/2 stars (rounded down to 3 stars, because Ms. Leroux's writing had too much telling and not enough showing sometimes)
August 21, 2016
****ARC was provided by Xpresso Book Tours via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.****
Story of a son (Alex Hanas) who didn't care for his father (Costas) marrying a woman (Mary) he thought was a gold digger. He attends a family brunch to try to get along and ends up starting to fall for his very geeky new stepsister (Elynn) who is only seventeen. They end up becoming good friends, but Alex has been keeping Elynn at arms length because he is waiting for her to grow up and be ready for an adult relationship. However he is aware that she may never be ready because of a tragic thing that happened in her past.
Initially I thought the beginning was super slow. I was just impatient to get to the good stuff. But once I got past that I did appreciate that buildup in the beginning. We see just how patient Alex is in waiting for Elynn and how they grow their friendship, though it feels a bit distant, but we realize that is all a facade on Alex's part because he fallen in love with his little stepsister and has become obsessed with her.
I love this book because I'm a sucker for over the top alpha males who are utterly possessive of their woman. I loved the geeky quirkiness of Elynn along with the hints of the sensitive Alex underneath all his bluster. There were some parts that made me laugh a bit, especially after they both went to visit their parents in Venice because of something Alex did (or actually didn't do) while they were having brunch with them. Afterwards Alex hops on their speedboat taking them away from the city so that Elynn could yell at him in private. Elynn thinks something is going to happen, but Alex does something completely different making Elynn forget why she is mad at him. I don't want to give it away, but that is one of my favorite parts in the book.
I've decided to stalk the author and have found the rest of the books in this series. The next book Confiscating Charlie (#1.5) is actually free on Amazon right now and The Singular Obsession Collection: Books 1-3 (#1-3) is on Kindle Unlimited now. Also, it looks like the 4th book will be coming out this spring. This is an author that I'm definitely going to start stalking like I do with Jordan Silver, Alexa Riley and C.M. Steele because no one can write over the top alpha men like they do!
December 30, 2014
This was entertaining and enjoyable. The hero, Alex Hanas, is a man who knows what he wants but waits for her to be ready first. The heroine, Elynn, is mature for her age but is still ten years Alex's junior. I felt that the relationship may have been on more even footing if he was closer to her age but that was only a minor issue. Then we have the plot which was good but you knew who the "bad guy" was the whole time. The marriage seemed a little rushed since they seemingly just declared their feelings for one another. Overall, I really liked it.
February 22, 2018
That was a fun smutastic treat 😁
I love all that ott-alpha craziness in my romance from time to time, and this book had just what I needed. I'll be reading more work by this author.
I love all that ott-alpha craziness in my romance from time to time, and this book had just what I needed. I'll be reading more work by this author.
July 29, 2019
I randomly found this book while scrolling Amazon one night. I ended up LOVING this book.
This is one of those rare books that is pretty much perfect.
It's a stepbrother romance but I loved how much of foundation was built between Alex & Elynn.
Alex didn't rush her. Once he realized he had feelings for her, he built a solid foundation and waited until Elynn was ready for a relationship. And I loved that.
And once he set out to really woo her...HOLY HOTNESS.
I also loved that Elynn stood up to Alex. He's the alpha type that gave orders and expected them to be followed. Elynn was ok with him issuing her orders in the bedroom, but she wanted to be consulted about things outside of it. For example, he wasn't above setting out clothes for her for the next day. Or going over her head and telling her boss she was taking some time off. Elynn put him in his place and told him that they had to talk about those things, and that she could pick out her own clothes. And he actually listened.
One of the best things about this book was the fact that there was no unnecessary drama. There wasn't a time when there was a stupid misunderstanding leading to an unnecessary breakup. Once Alex and Elynn were together, they were together.
As I was reading, I was talking to a friend about this book and she looked up other reviews. Apparently in some other reviews, there's mention of Alex being with other women in the book. There are two instances where he is with other women, one he did sleep with her (we don't see it) and the other, he didn't. Here's why I didn't have an issue with that: In both cases, while Alex did have feelings for Elynn, they weren't together and there was nothing to indicate that Alex and Elynn were going to get together anytime soon. Since nothing had happened between Alex and Elynn at either point, I was ok with both scenes.
This was such a good book, that I can't wait to check out other books by the author.
This is one of those rare books that is pretty much perfect.
It's a stepbrother romance but I loved how much of foundation was built between Alex & Elynn.
Alex didn't rush her. Once he realized he had feelings for her, he built a solid foundation and waited until Elynn was ready for a relationship. And I loved that.
And once he set out to really woo her...HOLY HOTNESS.
I also loved that Elynn stood up to Alex. He's the alpha type that gave orders and expected them to be followed. Elynn was ok with him issuing her orders in the bedroom, but she wanted to be consulted about things outside of it. For example, he wasn't above setting out clothes for her for the next day. Or going over her head and telling her boss she was taking some time off. Elynn put him in his place and told him that they had to talk about those things, and that she could pick out her own clothes. And he actually listened.
One of the best things about this book was the fact that there was no unnecessary drama. There wasn't a time when there was a stupid misunderstanding leading to an unnecessary breakup. Once Alex and Elynn were together, they were together.
As I was reading, I was talking to a friend about this book and she looked up other reviews. Apparently in some other reviews, there's mention of Alex being with other women in the book. There are two instances where he is with other women, one he did sleep with her (we don't see it) and the other, he didn't. Here's why I didn't have an issue with that: In both cases, while Alex did have feelings for Elynn, they weren't together and there was nothing to indicate that Alex and Elynn were going to get together anytime soon. Since nothing had happened between Alex and Elynn at either point, I was ok with both scenes.
This was such a good book, that I can't wait to check out other books by the author.
September 27, 2023
Talented writing, but not for me.
This is straight up contemporary romance.
While it has a [predictable] action moment at the end, the book was otherwise entirely focused on the couple, with little to no conflict.
Most notable points:
- Extremely dominant MMC, at times controlling, but willing to compromise when cornered [for the FMC only].
- Jealous, loving, OTT.
- 10yrs older, met the FMC when she was 17, him 27 [step-siblings].
- Womaniser, despite supposedly being in love with FMC.
- Initially is a spoilt rich brat, but grows on you with the story.
- FMC is a virgin. 😖
- Physical and sexual assault history.
- A bit of a doormat, but eventually develops a quiet strength [too passive for my tastes].
If this was real, there would be some serious red flag issues. As it was, some parts made me uncomfortable, but I’m well aware, that for other readers this will easily pass acceptance.
I didn’t like the MMC to start with, but didn’t dis-like him by the end. Too controlling and spoilt to be book-boyfriend material for me however.
The FMC was too submissive for me to get behind, but I never dis-liked her, or felt angry with her decisions.
The writing was excellent. Even with the lack of conflict, the pacing flowed easily, and I had no trouble completing this. While I skimmed a couple of small areas, it was a matter of preference and not quality.
The dialogue was fully conversational, no awkward, or false sentences. Even with the character profiles, there was no noticeable cringe or cheesy moments.
Plenty of steamy moments, both before and during.
Apart from a couple of tropes I personally hate, my main issue with this was one of personal preference.
The main motivation behind reading it was because of a later book I was interested in, listing this as having connecting characters.
I suspect that it will work better if I just go straight to that book, and that it really isn’t necessary to read in order, based on this.
If the aforementioned tropes and personalities don’t bother you, I highly recommend this. It’s very well written.
This is straight up contemporary romance.
While it has a [predictable] action moment at the end, the book was otherwise entirely focused on the couple, with little to no conflict.
Most notable points:
- Extremely dominant MMC, at times controlling, but willing to compromise when cornered [for the FMC only].
- Jealous, loving, OTT.
- 10yrs older, met the FMC when she was 17, him 27 [step-siblings].
- Womaniser, despite supposedly being in love with FMC.
- Initially is a spoilt rich brat, but grows on you with the story.
- FMC is a virgin. 😖
- Physical and sexual assault history.
- A bit of a doormat, but eventually develops a quiet strength [too passive for my tastes].
If this was real, there would be some serious red flag issues. As it was, some parts made me uncomfortable, but I’m well aware, that for other readers this will easily pass acceptance.
I didn’t like the MMC to start with, but didn’t dis-like him by the end. Too controlling and spoilt to be book-boyfriend material for me however.
The FMC was too submissive for me to get behind, but I never dis-liked her, or felt angry with her decisions.
The writing was excellent. Even with the lack of conflict, the pacing flowed easily, and I had no trouble completing this. While I skimmed a couple of small areas, it was a matter of preference and not quality.
The dialogue was fully conversational, no awkward, or false sentences. Even with the character profiles, there was no noticeable cringe or cheesy moments.
Plenty of steamy moments, both before and during.
Apart from a couple of tropes I personally hate, my main issue with this was one of personal preference.
The main motivation behind reading it was because of a later book I was interested in, listing this as having connecting characters.
I suspect that it will work better if I just go straight to that book, and that it really isn’t necessary to read in order, based on this.
If the aforementioned tropes and personalities don’t bother you, I highly recommend this. It’s very well written.
April 24, 2021
Another book I had to take a month break in the middle before I could finish it. I did like Elynn and her smart, awkward self and her unwillingness to be controlled by Alex. I did not like Alex because he still slept with other women even though he knew he loved Elynn. Honestly, it made me really frustrated and made undermine his feelings for her.
December 16, 2014
I want to start my review off by saying that I didn't expect to love this story as much as I did. I was kinda thrown off by the idea of two step-siblings being together in anything other than a sibling way, but I must expect, this book isn't what I expected. First off, I focused too much on the fact that they were step-siblings and didn't focus on the fact that they were meant to be together.
Honestly, after a few chapters I forgot they were even step-siblings because it didn't matter anymore. They aren't blood related, so I'm mystified at why I was hesitate to read it, I guess when we're used to thinking a certain way about a certain topic, we judge things, judging a book by it's cover, in a way, that we forget about the whole picture. I'm so thrilled that I read this book because it was wonderful and one of my top favorite books I have read this year! Trust me, this book is great!
Alex has been in love with his stepsister, Elynn, since she was seventeen. She was always different than other woman he dated, but she also faced a awful ordeal before she met him which made her nervous and cautious of men. So he waited for the day that she would be ready for a relationship with him and loved her from afar.
Elynn loves her step-brother, Alex. He is always there for her and she trusts him with her life, which isn't easy, considering her past. She knows Alex is affectionate towards her, but she has no idea Alex has feelings that go deeper than brotherly love. When she's twenty-one, she finally sees a new side of Alex only women he's been with see. And he wants her. Apparently he's always wanted her, but she just never realized it.
Together, Alex and Elynn with find eternal happiness and discover love for the first time. But issues from Alex and Elynn's past will stand in the way of their happiness. Do they have a chance at a happily ever after together? Or is their love not meant to be.
I really enjoyed this book and think that more people sound read it. It talks about a topic most people wouldn't read, which is weird, considering the topic isn't bad at all. As a person who thought this topic would be hard for me to read, I must admit, I was wrong and praise the author for writing such an amazing book! You definitely opened up my eyes to a lot of things!
Alex, one of the main characters in the book, is amazing! Seriously, I love hearing what the guy in the book is thinking and love to see their reasoning for everything. It adds so much to the book. And the fact that the other main character, Elynn, is a bit of a nerd is awesome! I'm a nerd myself and I think more authors should write about female, and man, characters that have something unique and interesting about themselves that hasn't been done before. I found it neat that Elynn studied mushrooms as a hobby and as a career.
All-in-all, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel! I can't wait to read more books from this author and I'm so happy I gave this book a chance! I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a great romance novel!
My favorite quotes:
"Never say 'we need to talk' again. Those are the worst words you could ever say to a guy."
"No wonder you didn't want to introduce any of them," Elynn teased when Alex pointed out his friends as they arrived. "You were afraid of the competition." she said.
He growled. "None of those ugly bastards compares to me, and you know it." he said, reaching to hug me from behind.
Honestly, after a few chapters I forgot they were even step-siblings because it didn't matter anymore. They aren't blood related, so I'm mystified at why I was hesitate to read it, I guess when we're used to thinking a certain way about a certain topic, we judge things, judging a book by it's cover, in a way, that we forget about the whole picture. I'm so thrilled that I read this book because it was wonderful and one of my top favorite books I have read this year! Trust me, this book is great!
Alex has been in love with his stepsister, Elynn, since she was seventeen. She was always different than other woman he dated, but she also faced a awful ordeal before she met him which made her nervous and cautious of men. So he waited for the day that she would be ready for a relationship with him and loved her from afar.
Elynn loves her step-brother, Alex. He is always there for her and she trusts him with her life, which isn't easy, considering her past. She knows Alex is affectionate towards her, but she has no idea Alex has feelings that go deeper than brotherly love. When she's twenty-one, she finally sees a new side of Alex only women he's been with see. And he wants her. Apparently he's always wanted her, but she just never realized it.
Together, Alex and Elynn with find eternal happiness and discover love for the first time. But issues from Alex and Elynn's past will stand in the way of their happiness. Do they have a chance at a happily ever after together? Or is their love not meant to be.
I really enjoyed this book and think that more people sound read it. It talks about a topic most people wouldn't read, which is weird, considering the topic isn't bad at all. As a person who thought this topic would be hard for me to read, I must admit, I was wrong and praise the author for writing such an amazing book! You definitely opened up my eyes to a lot of things!
Alex, one of the main characters in the book, is amazing! Seriously, I love hearing what the guy in the book is thinking and love to see their reasoning for everything. It adds so much to the book. And the fact that the other main character, Elynn, is a bit of a nerd is awesome! I'm a nerd myself and I think more authors should write about female, and man, characters that have something unique and interesting about themselves that hasn't been done before. I found it neat that Elynn studied mushrooms as a hobby and as a career.
All-in-all, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel! I can't wait to read more books from this author and I'm so happy I gave this book a chance! I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a great romance novel!
My favorite quotes:
"Never say 'we need to talk' again. Those are the worst words you could ever say to a guy."
"No wonder you didn't want to introduce any of them," Elynn teased when Alex pointed out his friends as they arrived. "You were afraid of the competition." she said.
He growled. "None of those ugly bastards compares to me, and you know it." he said, reaching to hug me from behind.
March 8, 2021
”Once she knew she was his, everything would fall into place. For both of them.”
I adored this book! It was sweet and sexy. I love a hero that’s head over heels for the heroine before she even knows it and Alex certainly falls into that category. Alex fell in love with Elynn when she was his seventeen year old stepsister and he was a rich and powerful 27 year old. Elynn had a horrible experience with a boy in high school so Alex waited for her for years waiting for her to be ready to have a relationship. He planed his life around the day she would finally be his and he was so in love with her he knew it would happen. Completely swoon worthy. I loved them together! This book is absolutely going on my re-read shelf and I’ll definitely be continuing to read this series. I love a man obsessed!
I adored this book! It was sweet and sexy. I love a hero that’s head over heels for the heroine before she even knows it and Alex certainly falls into that category. Alex fell in love with Elynn when she was his seventeen year old stepsister and he was a rich and powerful 27 year old. Elynn had a horrible experience with a boy in high school so Alex waited for her for years waiting for her to be ready to have a relationship. He planed his life around the day she would finally be his and he was so in love with her he knew it would happen. Completely swoon worthy. I loved them together! This book is absolutely going on my re-read shelf and I’ll definitely be continuing to read this series. I love a man obsessed!
September 20, 2019
Beyond AMAZING!!!!! 10 stars
Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!!!!! This book was truly a powerhouse of emotion and intensity, the restraint and passion Alex had for Elynn. The way he claimed her, his dominance leashed with tenderness. Just sooo heart-wrenchingly good.
I fell in love with Alex—his possessiveness and devotion, his laser-focus on pleasing elynn and protecting her. Even when he got carried away, it was sweet. And I LOOOOOVED that elynn ONLY belonged to him, no slogging thru scumrats, spreading her legs for meaningless losers, letting other men into her body to become jaded and steal the bond that only comes from being initiated by your one and only. Her innocence was absolutely a beautiful, irreplaceable and priceless gift that made their connection and love all the more powerful and deeper.
An awesome amazing story and I wish I could give it 10 stars.
Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!!!!! This book was truly a powerhouse of emotion and intensity, the restraint and passion Alex had for Elynn. The way he claimed her, his dominance leashed with tenderness. Just sooo heart-wrenchingly good.
I fell in love with Alex—his possessiveness and devotion, his laser-focus on pleasing elynn and protecting her. Even when he got carried away, it was sweet. And I LOOOOOVED that elynn ONLY belonged to him, no slogging thru scumrats, spreading her legs for meaningless losers, letting other men into her body to become jaded and steal the bond that only comes from being initiated by your one and only. Her innocence was absolutely a beautiful, irreplaceable and priceless gift that made their connection and love all the more powerful and deeper.
An awesome amazing story and I wish I could give it 10 stars.
December 28, 2014
I went into reading this book blindly as not being familiar with the author. At first I didn't know what to expect and didn't know how to feel about step siblings but once I started reading it, I loved Alex. The step siblings did not bother me since it didn't happen while in the same household. Alex was a bit of an alpha (which I love) but not overpowering. I'm looking forward to reading more from Lucy Leroux.
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