What About Us by Sidney Halston - ARC Review

Irresistible beats and tantalizing bodies heat up the night at South Beach’s most scandalous new club.

Alex: I hate doing business in clubs. Especially one like Duality. I’m here to seal a deal, not indulge in whatever hedonistic illusion they’re selling. Until, through all the skin and sex on display, I see her. Helen Blackwood. The girl who once filled my youthful fantasies, whose name is now synonymous with pain. Her father’s lies destroyed my family, leaving me with nothing to lose. And yet I can’t deny my electric response to her touch . . . or my urge to protect her when I see the bruise on her face.

Helen: Growing up, life prepared me for society galas and powerful men, not minimum-wage jobs or drunk exes with anger issues. But I’m a survivor. So here I am, practically naked, serving drinks at a Miami nightclub. I don’t mind the stares. Apparently, Alex Archer does. After twelve years, we aren’t exactly friends, but money is something we both understand. Something he knows I need. I’ll be his personal assistant, even if it means working with the man I hate . . . and the man I still want. 

No cheating. No cliffhangers. And no dress code.

KISS KISS BANG BY SIDNEY HALSTON - ARC REVIEW

Six-foot-two and ripped...with superior computer skills, Josef “Joey” Clad is not your typical ex-Marine. The co-owner of Iron-Clad securities is 100% Alpha male, but under his muscular physique, he's the best hacker in Miami who specializes in running Iron-Clad's cyber ops. The perfect skill set for their new client who is getting threatening emails, a client who he definitely wants to get to know better. Much better.

Single mom, widow, Olivia Monroe has exceptional dreams that she refuses to let go of. Fifteen years ago, she left her broken home in New York City and never looked back. Now a dark horse candidate for Florida governor, she's not looking for a relationship. Even with the hot guy who sweeps in and saves her computer the night before a big speech. Her hero has trouble written all over him. Joey is too handsome, too funny, too confident, and way too hard to resist.

Too bad he's now her bodyguard.

Sidney Halston books are almost always a fun ride, and this was no exception.  Joey is the "Clad" in iron-Clad securities and he is the perfect Alpha Male, the man who is all man and who also takes the time to be kind to a woman who is clearly at the end of her rope in an electronics store (and, let's face it, if I am going to have a come apart, it's going to be in an electronics store. I was able to totally relate).

I liked Olivia a lot, even though there were times I thought she was incredibly naive, although the plot did give some explanation for this, so I was mostly able to let that go.  I liked that she was attracted to Joey but also a strong woman who was not willing to make her entire life about a man.  I appreciate the romance novel where the woman is capable and still wants the romance, although in this one, she was the one fighting the relationship much more than Joey did.

The plot was mostly believable.  There were a couple of places where I did a bit of a side-eye at some of the actions of the characters, but it was mostly reasonable.  I did think it was incredibly obvious who was threatening Olivia...but by the way the book was constructed and the way the plot unfolded, I actually think this was intentional, to allow the reader to have the suspense while balancing it with the romantic narrative.

I did enjoy this title and I am looking forward to the next book by the author.

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MAKE ME STAY BY SIDNEY HALSTON-VIRTUAL TOUR

Secret identities, second chances, drama, desire: 

It’s all going down in Miami Beach

MAKE ME STAY

Panic #2

Sidney Halston

Releasing June 27th, 2017

Loveswept

Secret identities, second chances, drama, desire: It’s all going down in Miami Beach in this tantalizing novel from the bestselling author of Pull Me Close, which was hailed by Aurora Rose Reynolds as “a heart-gripping story about . . . the power of love.” 

April: Walking away from Matt Moreno was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Lying to him was a close second, but for his safety, I had no other choice. I was undercover, working to put some nasty people behind bars. But when Matt nearly recognizes me on Lincoln Road a year later, all those very real feelings come rushing back. Now that my assignment’s almost over, will he understand why I lied? Why I had to leave? Most important, can he ever forgive me?

Matt: I was madly in love with June Simpson . . . or, at least, with the woman I thought was June. Then she just disappeared while my family’s nightclub went through hell. And after months of searching, when I think I’ve finally found that sexy, raspy voice and those exquisite blue eyes, she slips away once more. Turns out, “June” is actually Detective April White. She’s been playing me the whole time. And she’s about to rock my world all over again.

Don't miss the first Panic Series Romance

PULL ME CLOSE

USA Today bestselling author, Sidney Halston lives her life with one simple rule: "Just Do It"--Nike. And that's exactly what she did.

After working hard as an attorney, Sidney picked up a pen for the first time at thirty years old to begin her dream of writing. Having never written anything other than very exciting legal briefs, she found an outlet for her imaginative, romantic side and wrote Seeing Red. That first pen stroke sealed the deal, and she fell in love with writing. Sidney lives in South Florida with her husband and children. She loves her family above all else, and reading follows a close second. When she's not writing, you can find her reading and reading and reading. She's a reader first and a writer second. When she's not writing or reading, her life is complete and utter chaos, trying to balance family life with work and writing (and reading). But she wouldn't have it any other way.

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KISS MARRY KILL BY SIDNEY HALSTON-BLOG TOUR

He's been chasing a memory . . .

KISS, MARRY, KILL

Iron Clad Security #1

Sidney Halston

Releasing March 28th, 2017

Swerve

He's been chasing a memory . . .

It was just supposed to be a regular Thursday afternoon…and then he saw her. Sitting in seat L214, one seat over from his at the baseball game, right next to her douche of a soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend. An impromptu kiss for the kiss cam, and Jax knew his life would never be the same. Five years and a tour in Afghanistan later, Jax is back stateside running his own private security firm, Iron-Clad, with his best friend. He isn't the man he used to be... but Megan isn't the sexy and sweet, though sheltered, twenty-two-year-old he left behind, either. And she's in trouble.

...but now they're on the run.

Megan Cruz has made something of herself. She’s turned her dreams of pop stardom into a reality. But when a deadly stalker breaks into her home claiming to be her number-one fan, the only person she can turn to is the boy who got away. But Jax isn’t the same carefree charmer who stole her heart, then broke it when he joined the military. This man is seductive, hard, guarded. And he'll do anything to protect what's his.

I ended up liking this story a lot, more than I thought I was going to, actually.  And, I credit the author with this, as I usually really like Ms. Halston's writing and stories.

The idea of a celebrity who is being stalked falling for the bodyguard is, honestly, not new.  It was freshened up, a little, by the second chance romance aspect.  But, it was the way the second chance was handled, the slight difference in the way it played out years ago, that resulted in this one feeling more new and different than I was expecting.

Jax and Megan were both interesting and well written.  I was able to engage with both of them, and to understand what they were thinking.  This definitely matters in a second chance, as you need to be able to see why they made the decision to split and also why they were willing to make it work a second time, 5 years later.

I thought the resolution of the stalker thing was a little obvious, but not enough that it took away from the story, as that was really there to give Jax and Megan a reason to be together than for any real major suspense in their story.


I recommend this book overall and I am looking forward to the next ones in the series.

USA Today bestselling author, Sidney Halston lives her life with one simple rule: "Just Do It"--Nike. And that's exactly what she did.

After working hard as an attorney, Sidney picked up a pen for the first time at thirty years old to begin her dream of writing. Having never written anything other than very exciting legal briefs, she found an outlet for her imaginative, romantic side and wrote Seeing Red. That first pen stroke sealed the deal, and she fell in love with writing. Sidney lives in South Florida with her husband and children. She loves her family above all else, and reading follows a close second. When she's not writing, you can find her reading and reading and reading. She's a reader first and a writer second. When she's not writing or reading, her life is complete and utter chaos, trying to balance family life with work and writing (and reading). But she wouldn't have it any other way. 

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