Review:Absolution Road by Rachel Blaufeld

For Jake Wrigley, the future is bleak. Some people are survivors, but he’s getting by on his bad-boy looks and charming smile. He owns a gym, gets into bar fights, and wrestles his demons with rough workouts—both in and out of the bedroom.

For Alyson Road, the future is bright. Life can only improve from where she grew up. She graduated at the top of her law class, cares for her ailing mom, and in her job, she defends those who can’t afford anyone else. Her work is thankless but honest.

Jake’s twin brother has been covering his ass for as long as they’ve been alive, but that all changes when Jake finds himself in front of the fiery public defender, his future in her hands. For the first time ever, he doesn’t want to involve his brother, finally realizing he needs to stand alone, be his own man.

Even if Jake’s never absolved of his past wrongdoings or his heart is never scrubbed of the blackness that resides there, he can do one good deed—protect the beautiful lawyer who touched his soul—until helping her nearly becomes his own undoing.

Release Date: September 28, 2015

Series: Crossroads, Book 2

Genre: Contemporary Romance

 

Buy Links

 

Amazon  ||  Barnes & Noble  || Kobo  || iBooks 

 

 

What I thought about Absolution Road

 

Jake Wrigley has some issues.  Well, lots of issues.  He's got a dark past and lots of guilt.  He thinks he's only good for one night stands and no relationships beyond his twin brother and his sister-in-law.  Even though he's got a successful chain of fitness centers, and it looks like he's got everything going for him, he doesn't believe it.

 

Alyson Road is a public defender that meets Jake on Christmas Eve. Her perfect exterior hides some of her own issues.  But there's a spark between these two from the start, and after a few more chance meetings, Jake eventually wears Alyson down and they start dating.

 

When Alyson gets involved with a legal case with a connection to Jake, things get very serious for Alyson, and their happily ever after is threatened.

 

This book started out a bit slow for me.  The "Alyson Road" bit was a bit hokey and Jake's insta-erection reaction to Alyson and his internal narration about her was a bit off-putting. But not having read the first book in the series, I was curious about Jake's past and where this story was going to go.

 

The story picked up somewhat toward the middle and when Alyson gets herself into some trouble, there's some nice tension to the story. But overall, I thought the writing could be better.  There was a lot of telling and awkward-type sentences, the kind that jump out and make you take notice. I liked the story and the characters, but I thought there was untapped potential for making this much better. 

ARC provided for review. 

 

About the Author

 

 

 

Rachel Blaufeld is a social worker/entrepreneur/blogger turned author. Fearless about sharing her opinion, Rachel captured the ear of stay-at-home and working moms on her blog, BacknGrooveMom, chronicling her adventures in parenting tweens and inventing a product, often at the same time. She has also blogged for The Huffington Post, Modern Mom, and StartupNation.

Turning her focus on her sometimes wild-and-crazy creative side, it only took Rachel two decades to do exactly what she wanted to do—write a fiction novel. Now she spends way too many hours in local coffee shops plotting her ideas. Her tales may all come with a side of angst and naughtiness, but end lusciously.
Rachel lives around the corner from her childhood home in Pennsylvania with her family and two dogs. Her obsessions include running, coffee, icing-filled doughnuts, antiheroes, and mighty fine epilogues.

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