The Hooker and the Hermit

 

 

de Penny Reid et L.H. Cosway (2015).

Présentation de l'éditeur : New York’s Finest - February 14, 2015

LADIES AND GENTS! I have an announcement!You know that guy I featured on my blog a few months ago? The really, really hot Irish rugby player who plays the position of ‘hooker’ in the RLI (Rugby League International)? The one with the questionable fashion choices leading me to ask whether he was the lovechild of a leprechaun and a hobbit? The one with the anger management issues and the body of a gladiator and the face of a movie star? Ronan Fitzpatrick? Yeah, that guy. Well, I have a confession to make…

THE HERMIT : Annie Catrel, social media expert extraordinaire at Davidson & Croft Media and clandestine celebrity blogger, can make anyone shine in the court of public opinion. She is the Socialmedialite, anonymous creator of New York’s Finest and the internet’s darling. Virtual reality is Annie’s forte, but actual reality? Not so much.

THE HOOKER : Ronan Fitzpatrick, aka the best hooker the world of rugby has seen in decades, despises the media—social or otherwise. The press has spun a web of lies depicting him as rugby’s wild and reckless bad boy. Suspended from his team, Ronan has come to Manhattan to escape the drama, lay low, fly under the radar. Only, Ronan isn’t easy to overlook, and he can’t escape the notice of the Socialmedialite…

THE PLAN : When Ronan is sent to Davidson & Croft Media to reshape his public image, he never expects to cross paths with shy but beautiful Annie, nor does he expect his fierce attraction to her. He couldn’t be happier when her boss suggests pairing them together. What lengths will Annie take to keep her virtual identity concealed? And what happens when the hooker discovers who the hermit really is?

 

 

Me voilà avec un ARC -encore- pour un livre de Penny Reid -encore- mais il a été coécrit avec L.H. Cosway (dont je n'ai lu que Six of Heart pour le moment) donc ça change -un peu- de d'habitude xD

Nos deux auteurs nous racontent ici comment Annie, grande introvertie à la limite de l'agoraphobie va peut à peut sortir de sa bulle et faire confiance au monde grâce à Ronan. Etant joueur de rugby, il l'habitude de fracasser tout ce qui est sur sa route, là il va mettre à point d'honneur à démolir le mur qu'Annie a construit autour d'elle.

C'est un jeu du chat et de la souris, avec les avantages et inconvénients de la vie 2.0 : les blogs, Twitter, Instagram, FB etc. c'est bien, la sécurité du pseudonyme encore mieux, mais au bout d'un moment il faudra jouer franc jeu... Ce qui était un échappatoire pour Annie va remettre en cause sa relation avec Ronan. Tous deux vont se poser des questions sur ce qu'ils seraient prêts à abandonner pour l'autre, quitte à changer totalement de vie.

Mettons les pieds dans le plat : les scènes de sex sont hot et bien différentes de Knitting in the City, ça commence light évidemment, mais ça va vite devenir débridé et ça ne peut peut-être pas plaire à tout le monde dans le sens "dominant/dominé". J'avoue, il y a une scène c'était pas mon truc (surtout en parallèle avec tout le matraque médiatique de l'autre daube là, j'ai eu peur pour ce livre), mais j'ai pas détesté pour autant, parce que 1 c'était bien écrit, 2 il y a une inversion des rôles un peu plus tard et 3 "oh la la mais le consentement, en fait ça exiiiiiiiiste en vrai !!!!!".

Enfin quand on prend le livre dans son ensemble et qu'on regarde comment Annie et Ronan s'apprivoisent mutuellement, je me dis que ok c'est pas forcément le truc que je préfère mais au moins ces personnes ne renvoient pas d'image négative.

Vous êtes prévenues, bonne lecture !

 

---♥--- In english (sorry the weird translation...) ---♥---

 

Here I am with an new ARC -again- of a Penny Reid's book -again- but it was also written with LH Cosway (from which I only read Six of Heart for now) so it changes a bit xD

Our two authors tell us how Annie, very introverted and on the edge of agoraphobia, will learn to get out of her own bubble and trust the world thanks to Ronan. As rugby player, he's used to smash everything in his path, and he will be very determined to demolish the wall that Annie has built around herself.

It's a game of cat and mouse, with the advantages and disadvantages of Internet : blogs, Twitter, Instagram, FB etc. are great, an alias is even better, but at some point she will have to come clean... What was a way-out for Annie will jeopardize her relationship with Ronan. Both are going to ask themselve questions about what they would be willing to give up for the other, even completely change their lives.

Let's put our foot in it : the sex scenes are hot and very different from Knitting in the City, it starts light of course, but it will quickly become unbridled and it may not appeal to everyone in the sense "dominant/dominated". I admit, there was a scene I didn't really like (mostly beacause in parallel we had all the media bludgeon over that crappy movie, I was afraid for this book), but I did not hate it 1 because it was well written, 2 there is a role reversal later and 3 "oh but consent, in fact, it' reaaaaal !!!!!".

Finally when we take the book as a whole and look at how Annie and Ronan tame each other, I think that it's not necessarily the thing that I like but at least these people don't give a negative image.

You've been warned, happy reading !

 

 

---♥--- Links Blitz ---♥---

 

Penny Reid : Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

L.H. Cosway : Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

Jamie Day