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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
For Cassie Storms and Derek West, the past means different things. For Derek, there is humiliation. For Cassie, there is embarrassment and shame. But what they share is the desire to rise above their pasts and succeed, to make a different life and to right past wrongs.
Derek is truly a self-made man. He's risen from a past that left him always wanting more for himself and those he loved to become one of the three creators and owners of Blink, a hugely successful app. He is in a position of making a difference for himself and his family. He's driven in large part by revenge, and it's aimed at Cassie and her family. He's determined to make them know what it feels like to lose everything that they love, and he has the means to do it.
Cassie is so much more than Derek expected. She's far from the princess that he believed her to be. Cassie wants nothing more than to take the business started by her beloved grandfather and make it great, to use it for the good. And she's willing to eat crow and take the step to engage Derek, the first step in her plan for success.
Carly Phillips has the magic touch when giving us a second-chance love with a twist. She's a mistress of taking a relationship that ended badly and allowing the characters to find each other again, to work through the trials of their pasts, and to move forward to their HEA. She also knows how to bring the serious heat, because her reads are nothing short of sizzling.
I've enjoyed all of the books in Carly's Billionaire Bad Boys series, and was looking forward to Derek's story. It's a bit of a Cinderella story, but, rather than seem like something that I've seen too many times before, Carly's take is fresh and entertaining, and one that I savored from start to finish. I sometimes have issue with the whole idea of insta-love, and things did heat up quickly for these two, but I consider their an extension, if you will, because their interest in each other was interrupted by life way back when.
Strong women, the men that love them, and plenty of love to go around. What's not to love? GOING DOWN HARD is an easy 4.5 stars for me, and a great addition to this series, which I highly recommend. Need something for your TBR? You've found it. Happy reading!
***ARC generously provided for an honest review.***
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Did anyone else find it impossible NOT to fall for Derek West? He was such an amazing character! Cassie Storm wasn't half bad either.
Cassie and Derek share history. Her family was rich and he was their gardener and maid's son. The people and the environment gave Derek a skewed opinion on all rich people. Not to mention a scandal that helped to destroy his family.
Once away at college on a scholarship, Derek buckled down and worked hard with his two best friends, Kaden and Lucas, to create an app that catapulted his career and made him into a successful billionaire. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to interview the mysterious Derek brings Cassie back into his life. It doesn't take him long to realize that she's nothing like he imagine. He gets more than a glimpse of her innate goodness. But is what they share enough to conquer the deep scars created by the past?
The author did an amazing job of detailing the growth of the characters as individuals and the development of their relationship with each other. and those intimate scenes were definitely steamy! Although I would have liked more of a conclusion to Derek and Cassie's story, I did like how it alluded to what may take place in the next book with Kendall and Julian.
Release Date: February 21, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: Dual - 3rd person
Steam: 4 out of 5
Book Type: Standalone with character crossover
Did anyone else find it impossible NOT to fall for Derek West? He was such an amazing character! Cassie Storm wasn't half bad either.
Cassie and Derek share history. Her family was rich and he was their gardener and maid's son. The people and the environment gave Derek a skewed opinion on all rich people. Not to mention a scandal that helped to destroy his family.
Once away at college on a scholarship, Derek buckled down and worked hard with his two best friends, Kaden and Lucas, to create an app that catapulted his career and made him into a successful billionaire. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to interview the mysterious Derek brings Cassie back into his life. It doesn't take him long to realize that she's nothing like he imagine. He gets more than a glimpse of her innate goodness. But is what they share enough to conquer the deep scars created by the past?
The author did an amazing job of detailing the growth of the characters as individuals and the development of their relationship with each other. and those intimate scenes were definitely steamy! Although I would have liked more of a conclusion to Derek and Cassie's story, I did like how it alluded to what may take place in the next book with Kendall and Julian.
Release Date: February 21, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: Dual - 3rd person
Steam: 4 out of 5
Book Type: Standalone with character crossover
I enjoyed this one for the most part. It was well-written. Had a nice pace to it. The sex scenes were hot (not smokin' hot). It was fairly low angst and had no OW/OM drama. It also had some interesting side characters (I am especially interested in Julian and Kendall's book.) A VERY lovable heroine and if I was to rate it on Cassie alone the book would have been 5 stars.
Unfortunately, I didn't particularly like Derek. He is one of those heroes that carries a chip on his shoulder over what life has dished out to him. I understood to a point, but Cassie was such a sweet person, and even knowing this he still planned on using her to destroy the company that she loved so much. Oh, sure he eventually comes around and fesses up and stops blaming her for things every other member of her family did. But honestly, by that point, I was just sort of over him.
Overall it wasn't a bad book. Like I said the heroine was one of the sweetest most genuine ones I have even come across and while I was left feeling happy for her. I couldn't help but feel just a tiny bit like she deserved someone better than Derek.
As soon as a book by Carly Phillips hits my kindle, I know I'll stop reading any other books until I've devoured her new book. Going Down Hard was no different. I literally stopped reading everything else to read Cassie and Derek's story and I'm so glad I did.
Derek and Cassie knew each other as teens, as Derek's parents worked for Cassie's parents. I'll be honest and say after an interaction between Cassie and her friends when she was in high school; I was a little worried about liking her. I didn't like how she acted when talking with her rich friends about Derek. However, my fears were quickly dispelled when Cassie was absolutely up front with Derek and apologized the very first time they saw each other again for how she acted. Her actions showed me Cassie was truly sorry for her actions all those years ago and gave me hope Derek and Cassie could have a real relationship. I did worry some about Derek letting go of some of the past regarding Cassie's parents and his parents. Honestly I completely understood his anger at Cassie's dad, but worried in the long run it would be too big of an obstacle for them to have in their relationship.
I loved that there was amazing chemistry between Derek and Cassie from the moment they saw one another again. Seriously their lovemaking steamed up the screen on my kindle it was so hot. I found myself loving how protective Derek was of Cassie and actually felt like she was pretty protective of him as well as she continued to learn more and more about his past. I love that Derek stepped up to help Cassie out each time her dad and brother were totally tools. I seriously hated both Cassie's dad and her brother so much as I saw how they both treated Cassie much of the time. I will say I felt like her father finally stepped up for his daughter by the end of the book.
Derek and Cassie both had to work to get past everything that had happened in the past. I loved that Cassie wasn't willing to accept the story she had always been told about Derek's parents leaving once she heard his side of the story. Honestly, I figured out what had really happened long before it was discovered, but have to say I loved how Cassie's parent responded to the truth. I think their response was part of why I knew that Derek and Cassie could make it despite their past. I found myself loving them more and more as a couple as they dealt with all that had happened in the past and move forward with their future.
While I feel like Going Down Hard can completely be read as a stand alone book, as it focuses on Cassie and Derek's story, I did love we got to spend time with all the characters from the first two books. I believe you understand the dynamics of all the characters better by reading all the books in order. I love we will finally get Kendall and Julian's story with Going In Deep. I've loved the first 3 books in the series and have a feeling that Kendall and Julian's story will destroy me in the best way possible.
Rating: 5 Stars (A)
Review copy provided by publisher
Derek and Cassie knew each other as teens, as Derek's parents worked for Cassie's parents. I'll be honest and say after an interaction between Cassie and her friends when she was in high school; I was a little worried about liking her. I didn't like how she acted when talking with her rich friends about Derek. However, my fears were quickly dispelled when Cassie was absolutely up front with Derek and apologized the very first time they saw each other again for how she acted. Her actions showed me Cassie was truly sorry for her actions all those years ago and gave me hope Derek and Cassie could have a real relationship. I did worry some about Derek letting go of some of the past regarding Cassie's parents and his parents. Honestly I completely understood his anger at Cassie's dad, but worried in the long run it would be too big of an obstacle for them to have in their relationship.
I loved that there was amazing chemistry between Derek and Cassie from the moment they saw one another again. Seriously their lovemaking steamed up the screen on my kindle it was so hot. I found myself loving how protective Derek was of Cassie and actually felt like she was pretty protective of him as well as she continued to learn more and more about his past. I love that Derek stepped up to help Cassie out each time her dad and brother were totally tools. I seriously hated both Cassie's dad and her brother so much as I saw how they both treated Cassie much of the time. I will say I felt like her father finally stepped up for his daughter by the end of the book.
Derek and Cassie both had to work to get past everything that had happened in the past. I loved that Cassie wasn't willing to accept the story she had always been told about Derek's parents leaving once she heard his side of the story. Honestly, I figured out what had really happened long before it was discovered, but have to say I loved how Cassie's parent responded to the truth. I think their response was part of why I knew that Derek and Cassie could make it despite their past. I found myself loving them more and more as a couple as they dealt with all that had happened in the past and move forward with their future.
While I feel like Going Down Hard can completely be read as a stand alone book, as it focuses on Cassie and Derek's story, I did love we got to spend time with all the characters from the first two books. I believe you understand the dynamics of all the characters better by reading all the books in order. I love we will finally get Kendall and Julian's story with Going In Deep. I've loved the first 3 books in the series and have a feeling that Kendall and Julian's story will destroy me in the best way possible.
Rating: 5 Stars (A)
Review copy provided by publisher