Also in this series: Grayson's Vow, Seek
on June 19, 2016
Goodreads
Lydia De Havilland is shocked when Brogan Ramsay suddenly reappears in her life. Several years before, Brogan was the son of her family's gardener, and the boy she hurt and betrayed. But Brogan is no longer the quiet, sensitive boy she remembers. Now he's a man—gorgeous, powerful . . . and seeking vengeance.
Brogan Ramsay can't let go of the memory of Lydia tricking him cruelly, leaving his heart shattered and his family penniless. And now he's back to destroy her family the way his was destroyed. There's only one problem . . . the girl who wounded him so badly years ago is now a woman who still has the power to render him breathless.
Ramsay is the story of betrayal and wrath, of the strength of regret and the power of forgiveness. It is the story of the thin veil between love and hate, and how more often than not, when we seek to inflict pain on others, the heart we wound is our own.
THIS IS A STAND-ALONE SIGN OF LOVE NOVEL, INSPIRED BY ARIES. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
I was provided a review copy; this did not influence my opinion of the book.
❝ Forgiveness isn’t an emotion. Forgiveness is a choice. And sometimes it’s one you have to choose again and again.❞
Sheridan starts Ramsay off with a bang. That prologue was FANTASTIC! I was sucked in and invested from the start.
There’s something special about Mia Sheridan’s writing, characters and stories. They are uniquely her own. There is no formula. Her brilliantly creative mind lets her explore situations which plague everyday people. Whether it be social issues or personal trauma, her stories are always captivating and compelling.
Ramsay was no exception. Brogan Ramsay was born unto a working-class family. His father brought him and his younger sister to the US from Ireland after his mother died. Unfortunately, his father dealt with the trauma of her death by finding comfort in alcohol. This left Ramsay, at the age of 17, to take on his father’s role as the Gardner to the De Havilland’s estate and as the parent to his sister Eileen.
Ramsay was a hard worker. And, he was smart. Edward De Havilland recognized and valued these traits in him, and offered him a job at his company after he graduated high school. See, this didn’t sit well with Edward’s son, Stuart. He was riddled with jealousy. Because he knew Brogan was everything he wasn’t.
Brogan liked Lydia De Havilland, the only daughter of his boss, Edward. As teenage crushes go, his was pretty intense. He knew he needed to stay away from her being the Gardner and the one responsible for the livelihood of his family. He couldn’t do anything to mess that up. But also, he was the gardener she was the little princess.
❝ Yes, Lydia was a princess, but when she smiled at me, my heart did somersaults in my chest. When she laughed, it sounded like the sweetest music, soft and pitched in a way that was nothing except pleasing to my ears … She was everything soft and beautiful and feminine, and she made me want in a way I both loved and hated. And despite her princess status, she never looked at me in the way her friends did.❞
As the only daughter of Edward De Havilland. She had everything she could possibly want. Except her mother, who died when Lydia was young and Brogan. One, she could never get back and the other, she practiced her flirting game. She didn’t care that he was a worker, in fact, she loved watching him work.
❝ I imagined how you might taste, how your skin might smell–like boy sweat and grass.❞
One fateful day, in the De Havilland’s stables, changed the course of history for both families.
❝ I promised I’d never beg again, never be brought to my knees.❞
Years later, set on revenge, Brogan is determined to ruin the De Havilland’s and dismantle their business and lives. The problem? Not all was what it seemed and first love doesn’t always die.
❝ I would ruin her, humiliate her, and then there’d be nothing left except peace.❞
I loved the Gaelic, the banter and the hint of suspense.
What didn’t work for me, and what kept this from being a 5 star read, was I had a problem with why Lydia believed others over Brogan. Especially since she had all of the information in front of her telling her why she shouldn’t. Those involved had proven time and time again not to be trustworthy. (I am not going to be more specific by giving details because that would spoil the book.) I can’t let Brogan off the hook either. Because he was guilty of the same. I can’t call it miscommunication as much of lack of communication, or refusal of. View Spoiler »
I would love to get Fionn’s story, he was such an amazing character. As well, I want to know more about Eileen, she was strong beyond measure.
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