ACE is the second stand-alone book in the Men of Rapture series. Ace Carmichael owns a custom repair shop that’s been in his family for years. His business life is good. He’s at the point where he can pick and choose his clients based on which creations inspire him, but that’s where his inspiration ends. Riding into his thirties, he’s gotten tired of one-night stands and meaningless hookups. If … meaningless hookups. If his troubled friend Rush can settle down with a girl, finding the right one must not be as hard as it seems—except it is.
One day, a blast from his past makes a sudden appearance, reigniting an old flame and making him think he can have it all.
Rowan Shaw is the beautiful adult version of the shy, sweet girl he spent a summer with fifteen years ago. She’s talented and focused and moving back to town after leaving him just before the start of the school year. Things kick off with a bang, and Ace can’t wait to see her again with visions of a future already dancing in his mind.
Things aren’t always as they seem, though, and the secret she’s hiding will destroy him—them.
Can he move past his anger and forgive her, or will it be too much to overcome?
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Ok, I have to add men in coveralls to my list of Sexy Men in Uniform!!!
The cover to this book is sexy as hell!!
With that being said, the story is beautiful and breathtaking.
Emotionally draining… but worth it.
***I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.***
Ace and Rowan were together for a short time about fifteen years ago. Years later they meet again and the sparks are still there. Rowan has a secret that will change everything. Can the two make things work this time around? A steamy sexy read about a second chance for two lonely people.
I received a copy of this book and am leaving a review.
I’ve actually decided after reading ACE that Ms Byrd likes to torture not only her characters, but her readers too! Ace is a man that has an easy, unpretentious presence, and I liked him immediately when he was first introduced in book 1 – RUSH. A supportive friend, conscientious businessman, and a loyal and protective son, everything about him said “nice, stable guy”. So when a blast from the past walks into Rapture and Ace is catapulted back in time to a place and a girl he never forgot, it’s understandable the emotions run high, and their undeniable physical attraction has certainly not been diminished by time or distance. But secrets and deception have a way of coming back to haunt you, and while Rowan may start out with the best of intentions, her reasons for keeping a 14 year secret and her motives for reappearing in Ace’s life are questionable.
Here is where I explain my comment about the author’s tendency to torture her readers. In book 1 we needed to be open-minded enough to push past the reprehensible behaviour of Rush to discover the man beneath the sordid life and emotional pain, while in Ace’s story readers are asked to understand the reasoning behind Rowan’s decade plus deception and her selfish and self-serving actions. I for one could not. I disliked Rowan once the lies were revealed and my feelings for this unreasonable woman never changed. I found her reasons for the not seeking out Ace during the first 8 years, somewhat acceptable, but after this point in time, her continued excuse of being scared felt hollow and fake.
I love Ace as a character and Carmen was a sweetheart and totally believable in her role; Rowan however was a shallow character who I felt absolutely no empathy towards and found her willingness to use sex to get what she wanted, both deplorable and manipulative. Ace deserved better and I wish he had of kicked her to the curb. The storyline for ACE was heartfelt and his emotional struggle was well-documented throughout; so he definitely didn’t make his decisions lightly. A good story overall, I just disliked Rowan with a passion, so my 4 Stars are all for Ace and Carmen. I’m now addicted to the Men od Rapture and certainly excited to read Niko and Elle’s story next!