Review: Crashed by Sherilee Gray
Crashed
Book One
232 Pages
Release Date: 07/14/2015
Publisher: Entangled Publishing | Imprint: Indulgence
Genre: Contemporary Romance | Series: Axle Alley Vipers
Heat Level: Blazing Hot
She swore never to trust him again…
Fiery mechanic Alexandra Franco should have known better. Years ago, her best friends’ older brother took her virginity and broke her heart-or rather, doused it with gasoline, lit a match, and then walked away. And Alex definitely should not have indulged in another hot night with him after the fact. He’s not the same boy she fell for, and she sure as hell doesn’t want anything to do with the wealthy, ruthless man he’s become.
Walking away from Alex was the biggest mistake of Deacon West’s life. She belongs with him, and if getting her back means playing dirty, so be it. If she’ll grant him a three-month, no-strings affair, he won’t sell the building Alex and his sisters use for their auto repair business. Hell, he’ll even sign it over to them. But will Alex ever entrust her heart to him again, or are they destined to crash and burn?
*ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review *
First impression: Excellent opening. Fantastic characterization. Right away there’s the sense that the heroine, Alex Franco, is a larger than life character who is headstrong, feisty, and rebellious, and yet, there are also real glimpses of vulnerability behind that tough girl mask.
I love stories that immediately pull me in and allow me to connect with the characters. Crashed is one of those stories for me. It’s a well-written, fast-paced read that draws you into the story events right away and brings the characters and the world they inhabit to life. Sherilee Gray is a new to me author, but it is clear from this book, she is a skilled writer and an excellent storyteller.
Alex Franco is one of those dynamic characters that pulls readers in and holds on tight. The author’s grasp of deep POV keeps Alex’s character real while also allowing readers to get a good sense of who she is and why we should root for her. I loved her character a lot, and did so from the very first page.
From the onset, we are aware that Deacon and Alex have been circling each other for years, and that they share a passionate history with their own emotional scars to show for it. They are fire and ice, temptation and salvation, enemies and lovers. They are so much to each other, and yet, they can’t seem to get things right between them. It doesn’t help that Alex is scared of becoming attached again, or that Deacon has continually behaved like ass to her, either. But even as badly as Deacon behaved, readers are shown right from the start how he truly feels about Alex, and throughout the tale, his feelings for her only grow deeper, stronger.
I seriously loved this book. It was hot and passionate, and the characters carried a lot of deep emotions inside of them and between them, which in turn made them feel real, human, and flawed. They crashed and collided throughout this book, and I loved that about them because it felt natural to who they are as story people. It worked for them, and it made their romance wicked-hot and their story immensely entertaining to read.
Crashed is a fantastic love story filled with hot, sexy, steamy moments between two potent and emotionally volatile characters. Alex and Deacon are standouts in the genre because they are not cookie-cutter creations. I loved them, and I loved their story. This was an excellent start to the Axle Alley Vipers series, and I’m already counting down to the next book. So, so good.
Sherilee Gray lives in beautiful New Zealand with her husband and their two children. When she isn’t writing, she spends her time reading, hoarding books, and eating copious amounts of chocolate.
Love that this immediately pulled you in and you were able to connect so quickly with the characters, I do love it when that happens as well. Wonderful review!