(Boys of Bishop #2)
by Molly O'Keefe
ARC Review
Released: July 1, 2014
My rating: 4.5 of 5 ⭐️
As the daughter of a wealthy politician, Ashley Montgomery has had enough of her parents’ expectations for her future and is going her own way, volunteering to work at a refugee camp in Africa. But her act of charity turns dangerous when she takes a boat trip and is abducted by Somali pirates. Enter Brody Baxter, who was a bodyguard for the Montgomery family ten years ago and doesn’t think twice about coming to Ashley’s rescue. Handsome and tough, Brody has always done what needed to be done. So he swoops in, saves Ashley, and brings her to a place where she can rest and recuperate without the glare of the press and her demanding family: Brody’s small hometown of Bishop, Arkansas. But Ashley soon realizes that she’s not the only one in need of healing.
As the daughter of a wealthy politician, Ashley Montgomery has had enough of her parents’ expectations for her future and is going her own way, volunteering to work at a refugee camp in Africa. But her act of charity turns dangerous when she takes a boat trip and is abducted by Somali pirates. Enter Brody Baxter, who was a bodyguard for the Montgomery family ten years ago and doesn’t think twice about coming to Ashley’s rescue. Handsome and tough, Brody has always done what needed to be done. So he swoops in, saves Ashley, and brings her to a place where she can rest and recuperate without the glare of the press and her demanding family: Brody’s small hometown of Bishop, Arkansas. But Ashley soon realizes that she’s not the only one in need of healing.
Holed up with Ashley in a tiny apartment over his brother’s bar in Bishop, Brody is tempted and torn in ways he never anticipated. Beautiful Ashley, vibrant despite her ordeal, fearless enough to love him beyond his wall of self-punishment, is now determined to save him. But with a little faith and a lot of love, they just may find happiness in each others’ arms."
******
DO NOT let the cover fool you!!! This is not some cutesy little love story. This is way more involved than something as simple as that. It is broody and emotionally complex, gut-wrenching and breathtakingly tender. It is going to challenge your capacity for insight and understanding into the hearts and minds of characters, who all have found their own dysfunctional ways of dealing with life the best they know how.
Molly O'Keefe tackles not just two main characters with issues, but the two entire families behind them, who shaped them into who they are today. Revealing layer by layer, the context needed to get a good grasp on the emotional barriers each protagonist has in place. And if you haven't developed a certain empathy for all of the characters (except perhaps one) by the end of the book, you weren't paying attention.
Brody has never asked anything for himself. At a young age he has taught himself to be satisfied with fulfilling the role of protector to those he cared about. No more than that. Any more would be making himself vulnerable and that was something he wasn't used to feeling. Firmly believing that as long as he simply remained on the perifery of his loved ones' lives, he would be able to control their well-being. But never once had he considered that his unavailability would hold them back too. When faced with Ashley after ten years, another he 'abandoned' supposedly with her best interests at heart, he slowly started facing the potential error in his ways.
Ashley grew up in the public eye, with ideals as big as the rest of her family, but objectives much more direct. Where they would talk about chance, Ashley preferred to roll up her sleeves and simply implement it. Not something that 'fit' into the family plan, which is why she ended up in Third World countries where a set of sturdy shoulders and a good head was exactly what was needed. Sure, she was hiding, avoiding claiming her own life back home. It wasn't until her experience in captivity and Brody's quiet presence, that she felt bolstered enough to claim her own spot, on her own terms. And that included claiming her place in Brody's life.
There is at least one sub-plot that involves Brody's brother, and is at least as intriguing as the main story. The variety of relationship dynamics that are examined is amazing and the psychological and emotional insight displayed by Molly O'Keefe in these is nothing short of impressive.
The half mark I deducted from the rating should truly not be counted against the author, but against the publisher, for not providing a more appropriate cover to reflect the quality of work inside. I wonder if the person choosing or designing the cover, even had an inkling that Brody is half African American. I would have expected much better homework from them!! This author and others like her, are not served by angry readers who buy based on the cover, only to find something completely different underneath.
With that little rant off my chest, I am so excited to have both books #3 AND #4 in the Boys Of Bishop series on my Kindle, awaiting my reading AND review, for their upcoming releases end of July and end of September of this year, respectively. If they are anything close to NEVER BEEN KISSED, I will be thrilled!!
✨A richly layered, full-bodied, all-out emotional and devilishly sexy novel!!✨
**Copy provided in return for an honest review**
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