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jeslowe115's review
5.0
Another hot read by J Kenner. I loved this book and cannot wait to read the next book. She is one of my all time favorite authors.
Very well written. I was wowed by the story so many times. I could not put the book down once I finally was able to start reading it. Great story between Xena and Liam. So much more details and storylines that I would have never came up with. Also a great continuation of the Stark Security Series.
I love all her books. Keep up the good work.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Very well written. I was wowed by the story so many times. I could not put the book down once I finally was able to start reading it. Great story between Xena and Liam. So much more details and storylines that I would have never came up with. Also a great continuation of the Stark Security Series.
I love all her books. Keep up the good work.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
nicki_theoverflowingbookcase's review
4.0
As a former vigilante, Liam Foster knows how to get the job done. When a job from the past resurfaces it also opens up a spark between Liam and Xena. But will the baggage from her past keep Xena on the run? Or can Liam finally be able to acknowledge that you sometimes have to combine work and pleasure. In true J. Kenner style this book was filled with the perfect amount of deception, lies, action and angst. This was a perfect addition to the series and I look forward to more.
geoemily's review
5.0
***ARC PROVIDED FOR HONEST REVIEW***
What a read. I love the Stark world, and the diversity of the stories Julie writes within this world.
Xena and Liam have both been to hell and back—in different ways—but the scars left behind are eerily similar. They are drawn to each other and though they fight it, and work to strengthen the protective walls they built around themselves, it was inevitable they lost the fight.
The edge-of-your-seat plot is well paced and keeps you hooked in, so all you want to do is binge read the entire story. Which is exactly what I did!
If you only read one book this weekend/week/month/year, this Ruined With You is an excellent choice.
What a read. I love the Stark world, and the diversity of the stories Julie writes within this world.
Xena and Liam have both been to hell and back—in different ways—but the scars left behind are eerily similar. They are drawn to each other and though they fight it, and work to strengthen the protective walls they built around themselves, it was inevitable they lost the fight.
The edge-of-your-seat plot is well paced and keeps you hooked in, so all you want to do is binge read the entire story. Which is exactly what I did!
If you only read one book this weekend/week/month/year, this Ruined With You is an excellent choice.
profromance's review
5.0
Overall Grade: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you were to go back and look at all my Stark Security novel reviews, you’d probably see that I’ve rated them 4 to 4 1/2 stars. I’ve loved them all, partly because, as I’ve noted in other reviews, they are like “going home,” back to Stark and his right-hand man, Ryan Hunter. I am a sucker for what I call “extended universe” series. To a certain degree, it makes you seem like you’re watching a Marvel movie in the MCU with all of its interconnectedness. That’s a J. Kenner Stark book. And this series doesn’t just give us access to the characters of her universe, she also creates romantic suspense that drives your reading forward. J. Kenner’s newest book, Ruined with You, does this well.
I have to admit that I went into this book with a preconceived notion based on the last book in the series, Broken with You. It seemed as though Liam, one of the main security folk, might find love with the singer he’s tasked to protect. In hindsight, Kenner doesn’t really allude to it, but it seemed rational for his story. Boy, was I wrong. Yes, Ellie Love, the singer that Liam is tasked to protect, figures dramatically into this story, but she isn’t his love interest; his love interest is Xena Morgan, Ellie Love’s personal assistant. And there are three things clear from the start of the story: (1) she isn’t who she seems to be, (2) Liam and Xena are drawn deeply to each other, and (3) Liam and Xena are going to fight their attraction to the end. With a set up like that, you know that angst is on the menu with this book. And Kenner delivers. There is a reason that out of the four books thus far, this is my first 5 star review. Here goes:
The story. This is a heart-wrenching one, folks. I am not going to share Xena’s secret. It’s one of the best parts of the book as she tells her story. Just know it will break your heart.
Liam and Xena’s chemistry flies off the page. I’m not spoiling this terribly by telling you this, but know that they act on that chemistry earlier in the book than you expect. It’s the “feelings” part of a relationship that takes the entire book for them to reconcile.
This is, once again, romantic suspense. Liam and Xena, along with the other security force, are going after some bad guys, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat, literally and figuratively.
Everyone is here, even Damian and Nikki at the end. But we get more information on the other couplings we’ve read about in the other Stark Security series. We also get more Dallas and Jane. This book figures in nicely to the Kenner Stark universe.
Liam. I love him in this book, especially when Xena’s story is revealed. He’s compassionate and caring, albeit incredibly stubborn. For the most part, you’ll love him, but he will also frustrate you. He fights his connection with Xena more than she fights against his.
The message. This book is an important one because it’s difficult to love yourself, to accept yourself, after you’ve endured trauma. Yet, Kenner helps her readers see that, with love, you can fully accept yourself as you are. It’s the message that won me over to the additional star for this book. For me, Xena’s story, along with Liam’s background, push this over the edge of “better” than the other books.
If you are a J. Kenner fan, then this book will remind you why you love her Stark series so much. Ruined with You is an important story about self-love and acceptance, but also allowing yourself to love after trauma. Kenner has a way of bringing you into her world and leaving behind a little bit of you in the midst of her stories.
If you were to go back and look at all my Stark Security novel reviews, you’d probably see that I’ve rated them 4 to 4 1/2 stars. I’ve loved them all, partly because, as I’ve noted in other reviews, they are like “going home,” back to Stark and his right-hand man, Ryan Hunter. I am a sucker for what I call “extended universe” series. To a certain degree, it makes you seem like you’re watching a Marvel movie in the MCU with all of its interconnectedness. That’s a J. Kenner Stark book. And this series doesn’t just give us access to the characters of her universe, she also creates romantic suspense that drives your reading forward. J. Kenner’s newest book, Ruined with You, does this well.
I have to admit that I went into this book with a preconceived notion based on the last book in the series, Broken with You. It seemed as though Liam, one of the main security folk, might find love with the singer he’s tasked to protect. In hindsight, Kenner doesn’t really allude to it, but it seemed rational for his story. Boy, was I wrong. Yes, Ellie Love, the singer that Liam is tasked to protect, figures dramatically into this story, but she isn’t his love interest; his love interest is Xena Morgan, Ellie Love’s personal assistant. And there are three things clear from the start of the story: (1) she isn’t who she seems to be, (2) Liam and Xena are drawn deeply to each other, and (3) Liam and Xena are going to fight their attraction to the end. With a set up like that, you know that angst is on the menu with this book. And Kenner delivers. There is a reason that out of the four books thus far, this is my first 5 star review. Here goes:
The story. This is a heart-wrenching one, folks. I am not going to share Xena’s secret. It’s one of the best parts of the book as she tells her story. Just know it will break your heart.
Liam and Xena’s chemistry flies off the page. I’m not spoiling this terribly by telling you this, but know that they act on that chemistry earlier in the book than you expect. It’s the “feelings” part of a relationship that takes the entire book for them to reconcile.
This is, once again, romantic suspense. Liam and Xena, along with the other security force, are going after some bad guys, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat, literally and figuratively.
Everyone is here, even Damian and Nikki at the end. But we get more information on the other couplings we’ve read about in the other Stark Security series. We also get more Dallas and Jane. This book figures in nicely to the Kenner Stark universe.
Liam. I love him in this book, especially when Xena’s story is revealed. He’s compassionate and caring, albeit incredibly stubborn. For the most part, you’ll love him, but he will also frustrate you. He fights his connection with Xena more than she fights against his.
The message. This book is an important one because it’s difficult to love yourself, to accept yourself, after you’ve endured trauma. Yet, Kenner helps her readers see that, with love, you can fully accept yourself as you are. It’s the message that won me over to the additional star for this book. For me, Xena’s story, along with Liam’s background, push this over the edge of “better” than the other books.
If you are a J. Kenner fan, then this book will remind you why you love her Stark series so much. Ruined with You is an important story about self-love and acceptance, but also allowing yourself to love after trauma. Kenner has a way of bringing you into her world and leaving behind a little bit of you in the midst of her stories.
bookaddictreviews's review against another edition
5.0
This book was completely UNEXPECTED! Holy suspense! I was not expecting that, but it completely sucked me in. This story was addicting from start to finish.
Liam Foster doesn’t do relationships, his focus is his career so when someone from his past comes back and needs his help he goes. Xena Morgan is a mystery, there is so much to her but throughout the story you realize how truly strong and amazing of a woman she is. Total girl crush!
Liam and Xena have chemistry that is through the roof! Seriously, it’s on fire! He is a safe space for Xena. There is danger all around them, but as long as she has Liam she feels safe and protected. Liam also feels the need to protect Xena, even more so after learning about her past.
I love the Stark world and this book had a great mixture of mixing all the previous Stark world characters and getting little glimpses into their lives again.
A MUST READ!
Liam Foster doesn’t do relationships, his focus is his career so when someone from his past comes back and needs his help he goes. Xena Morgan is a mystery, there is so much to her but throughout the story you realize how truly strong and amazing of a woman she is. Total girl crush!
Liam and Xena have chemistry that is through the roof! Seriously, it’s on fire! He is a safe space for Xena. There is danger all around them, but as long as she has Liam she feels safe and protected. Liam also feels the need to protect Xena, even more so after learning about her past.
I love the Stark world and this book had a great mixture of mixing all the previous Stark world characters and getting little glimpses into their lives again.
A MUST READ!
sgarrett27's review against another edition
5.0
The Stark Security series continues to get better and better with each book that J. Kenner releases.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Ruined With You.
The story of Xena, a personal assistant to and up and coming pop star, and Liam one of the amazing Stark Security men. Liam noticed Xena while he was working to find a threat to Xena’s boss, Ellie.
Ruined with You is packed with suspense, which I absolutely love! The action scenes in this book were amazing! They definitely keep the reader on the edge of their seat through to the end.
I also loved that even though Liam is a big, tough alpha male, he also has a soft side which you see when he returns home to Manhattan to see Dallas and Jane. He’s gorgeous inside and out. He’s fierce and loyal but also has demons from his past that he is battling.
I can’t wait to read the next in this series!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Ruined With You.
The story of Xena, a personal assistant to and up and coming pop star, and Liam one of the amazing Stark Security men. Liam noticed Xena while he was working to find a threat to Xena’s boss, Ellie.
Ruined with You is packed with suspense, which I absolutely love! The action scenes in this book were amazing! They definitely keep the reader on the edge of their seat through to the end.
I also loved that even though Liam is a big, tough alpha male, he also has a soft side which you see when he returns home to Manhattan to see Dallas and Jane. He’s gorgeous inside and out. He’s fierce and loyal but also has demons from his past that he is battling.
I can’t wait to read the next in this series!
si0bhan's review against another edition
3.0
Ruined With You is the third book in J. Kenner’s Stark Security series, and like the prior books the story works as a standalone. Despite this, I will admit to certain sections of the story going over the top of my head due to the fact I have not read all J. Kenner’s books. There were so many links to other books and series, which is great for long time fans, but felt like overkill to me.
Despite the fact there were a few points where I couldn’t keep the story of every side character straight in my head, Ruined With You was another addictive read from J. Kenner. It is not my favourite read from the author, but it certainly kept me hooked throughout.
There was plenty happen throughout the story, ensuring I was happy to power through it in no time at all. The ending was a bit too easy for my liking, but it brought things together well. The characters played off each other well, but it wasn’t as intense as the romance in the prior books. It’s why I enjoyed this one but did not love it.
It’s certainly worth the read for fans, though.
Despite the fact there were a few points where I couldn’t keep the story of every side character straight in my head, Ruined With You was another addictive read from J. Kenner. It is not my favourite read from the author, but it certainly kept me hooked throughout.
There was plenty happen throughout the story, ensuring I was happy to power through it in no time at all. The ending was a bit too easy for my liking, but it brought things together well. The characters played off each other well, but it wasn’t as intense as the romance in the prior books. It’s why I enjoyed this one but did not love it.
It’s certainly worth the read for fans, though.
shell74's review against another edition
4.0
Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars
See the full review at HarlequinJunkie.com
Deliciously sexy romance. Action and intrigue. Personal demons to conquer. What more can a reader ask for of a J. Kenner novel, right?
‘He’d seen enough damaged people to know that her soul was at least as scarred as his.’
I was so excited when I found out about Liam getting his own book. He’s been a character who has appeared in several Stark Universe stories and he’s always been this cool, badass guy that you just know has some dark, hidden secrets. And boy did he ever. My heart broke over the personal loss Liam suffered. He had such strength and conviction, though, going forward and used his anger to help others by being a part of Stark Security. Read More
See the full review at HarlequinJunkie.com
Deliciously sexy romance. Action and intrigue. Personal demons to conquer. What more can a reader ask for of a J. Kenner novel, right?
‘He’d seen enough damaged people to know that her soul was at least as scarred as his.’
I was so excited when I found out about Liam getting his own book. He’s been a character who has appeared in several Stark Universe stories and he’s always been this cool, badass guy that you just know has some dark, hidden secrets. And boy did he ever. My heart broke over the personal loss Liam suffered. He had such strength and conviction, though, going forward and used his anger to help others by being a part of Stark Security. Read More
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