Ares saw him for the first time at a Kilgore Police Department benefit dinner. She’d gone with her dad as his plus one. Hayes Romine had gone by himself and brooded silently across the same table as her, drinking whiskey and not saying a word.
It only took that one time for her to become interested.
The next time she saw him, he was doing another benefit—but this one requiring a whole lot fewer … a whole lot fewer clothes. And that was when she knew. She wanted him. Badly. But the morose Hayes was too busy thinking about his sins to see what was right in front of his face—Ares.
Hayes Romine knew the moment that he saw the feisty Ares Downy again that he should’ve stayed away. Maybe if he hadn’t done the stupid calendar, he wouldn’t be questioning every single woman’s intentions.
Maybe if he’d listened to that niggling feeling telling him to stay away, he would’ve been able to do his job a little better. But seeing her with a knife to her throat, in the middle of a building set to blow, made his usually well-wired brain start to malfunction.
Because nobody was allowed to touch her like that—only him. Nobody was allowed to scare her, either. Not and live to tell the tale.
more
WOW!!! AMAZING READ!!! Well, all of Lani Lynn Vale’s books are amazing reads!!! Hayes and Ares story was fabulous!! Steamy, Funny, and Intense!!
I’ve found another extraordinary hero to add to my harem!
Hayes and Ares met at a police charity event that neither of them wanted to be at. They were seated across from each other with her ex, who also happened to be Hayes’ step-brother, seated at the same table with his new fiancée. They couldn’t keep their eyes off of each other and didn’t stay far from the other’s mind in the months that followed.
Background info:
Hayes, along with Luca and Malachi, was a prisoner of war and suffers from PTSD
His father is a renowned profiler and his step-brother is Ares’ ex and a famous (arrogant) baseball player
Ares is a Downy, sister to Locke
she’s a guidance counselor who actually cares about the students she sees
the serial killer subpot that was introduced is still very present in this story. Remember, the killer targets and kills teenage girls.
While Hayes couldn’t get enough of Ares and realized that she was everything he could ever want, he knew he had issues and that maybe he wasn’t enough for her. Did that stop them from pursuing each other? Could they really resist such scrumptious temptation? No and nope. It was easy to see how happy they made each other and neither wanted that to end. Their journey was sexy and cute and funny with a bit of danger to spice things up.
What gave this story that extra push to five stars was the ending. Holy guacamole! LLV gave me an ending that left me swoooooning! If I wasn’t already in love with Hayes and Ares, that epilogue would have sealed the deal. A sweet alpha, sassy heroine, check-ins with other characters, intriguing (and hopefully they’ll get their own book) side characters, and heartwarming romance with an edge made Ask Me If I Care a must-read!!
I love Ares and Hayes together. They meet at a banquet that she goes to with her dad. Meanwhile the hot cop across from her staring her down is her ex boyfriends step brother. Little did she know that she was about to be claimed as his. They go threw some ups and downs due to the things he has been threw. But she brings him out of his shell and makes him feel peace. Some mysteries get solved in this story, so you definitely have to go read it to find out.
Ohhh, another great amazing read by author lani Lynn vale. Love how Ares just get Hayes, they’re do right for each other you can see it a mile away, she gives him his space when he needs it, she doesn’t push, she let him be himself. Both of them claim each other in a weird kind of way, but I like it, this is a must read and a re-read for me.
Lots of mystery, swoon & A-HA! moments in this book. Loved all the cameos from my familiar favorites & all of the angst brewing for their offspring!
*****SLIGHTLY SPOILER-ISH*****
Ares & Hayes made for a great couple.
Ares… She was fun, relatable & determined. The passion she had for her students’ well-being, the way she comforted Hayes during the fireworks show, her setting him up with Trigger… Man, it’s easy to have a #girlcrush on this woman. The interactions with her family were awesome & I loved that her bff was Calloway.
Hayes… Seeing him struggle with his PTSD on an almost daily basis… My heart went out to this guy. Loved the fact that he didn’t really do the pushing-away thing with Ares. He welcomed her into his inner circle & accepted her support when she offered it. Him gifting her that jacket was super cute & when he slid that ring on her finger… Be still my heart. **SIDE NOTE** Might be considered greedy here but I wanted to know even more about him. Definitely felt like we only touched the surface where his character was concerned.
Happy to see the serial killer get taken down. What an a**hat. But that untimely death of a young student… the whole situation that the student was involved in… so sad.
I’m already beyond fascinated with how the whole Booth/Delanie/Bourne/Dillan thing is gonna play out. I can’t even imagine… #awkward
Very much looking forward to the next book in the series, May Contain Wine, featuring Calloway & Louis. Can’t wait to how their second chance with one another plays out!
April – This is the 4th of the SWAT 2.0 Generation. Most of the men on the SWAT team have history with SWAT, as in their parents were the original SWAT.
There is soo much that I don’t like about this book.
Hayes is a member of SWAT, but he has PTSD. He is around guns, bombs, etc and has to have the backs of his team members, but he freaks out during a sports game when they shoot those T-shirt cannons? And Fireworks? No way.
Ares dated Hayes step-brother, and they didn’t know about each other?
And the Serial Killer? No real answers about it?
Just too much that I didn’t like, I was hoping for better.
Another fantastic addition to the SWAT Generation 2.0. This as an intriguing, suspenseful, thrilling, and entertaining story. Hayes and Ares are perfectly matched. I absolutely enjoyed and loved this book.
Loved this book! I loved Hayes and Ares together! It grabbed my attention from the very beginning! I didnt want to put it down! I wish her books were longer! The only reason Its not a five star is that sometimes the book felt a bit rushed! Then again if there was a 700 page Lani book Im sure Id say it wasnt long enough! I just get sucked into her worlds and never want to leave!
Received and arc for an honest review
Ares has an ex who likes to point out how great he has done since he broke her heart. Having to go to a banquet and sit at the same table is enough to have her want to pull her eyelashes out but she finds herself intrigued by the broody man sitting at her table instead. Hayes Greer is a man who is still haunted by his time in the military. His interest is peaked when he meets Ares, but he knows he needs to work on himself before he can move forward with Ares. Ares though has other ideas…will she be the one that Hayes lets in?
I loved this, made me teary eyed in a few places. Ares is fantastic, I knew I liked her from the previous book but she exceeded all expectations. Hayes is intense, one of the best characters in the series thus far. Excellent reading for a warm sunny day.
I absolutely loved Ares and Hayes, they were just perfect for one another. Ares was a no nonsense kind of girl and told it like it was. Hayes was the same but he was also very sweet. I also love just how real these characters are, there is nothing fake about them and it comes through. The surprise at the end was not who I was thinking, but loved it all the same. I look forward to the next one.
Love Hayes and Ares. Can’t wait for more of this series. These characters are so entertaining.
Lani certainly does know how to write a compelling story while weaving in a bit of suspense! Ares and Hayes were exactly what I needed in this crazy time! They are sexy, fun, adorable and so in love it’s not even funny. Do they always show they are in love to each other? Nope! Are they worth every bit of heartache and suspense? Absolutely! Go read and fall in love with Hayes!
By Laura
This author always knows how to grab my attention and never disappoints to deliver a great book, the characters are amazing and blends perfectly with the story, she knows how to make us fall for them, the story line was interesting and kept you thinking what was going to happen next and at the end was worth it. Great book for a lazy Sunday.
I loved this book! It grabbed me me from the blurb and I stayed up all night devouring this yummy book until the last page. I’m going to be reading this again many times. Ares and Hayes have chemistry that’s off the charts. Hayes is one brooding hot sexy alpha that is drawn to Ares the sexy daughter of his boss who works in the school. He’s part of SWAT team that we our loving. He starts to feel things for Ares 6 months before they start to seeing each other. He’s really swoony with his protecting of Ares. There wasn’t a page in this book that was slow or boring. Each page kept me reading until I finished. Who need sleep when I could enjoy this hot sexy romance. Lani Lynn Vale writing has me wanting all her books in this series and all other series books too. I CANNOT wait for the other books in this series to come out. I’m definitely going to be pre-ordering everything to make sure I don’t miss any books by this amazing talented author. This author knows romance and action and her books seem to have a direct connect with my romantic little heart. I absolutely loved this book and series!! Go grab your copy today and find out for yourself how spectacular this author really is. Happy reading everyone!!
Ask Me if I Care was a fabulous slow burn with amazing emotional intensity.
From the moment they met, they were both intrigued. But, it’s Hayes who pretty much just announces to Ares that they are official . . .and it just kind of worked for them. It’s not a traditional courtship, but what Lani Lynn Vale couple is ever traditional? Hayes is so darn intense, and with good reason. And, Ares is so passionate about her job as a guidance counselor and the students who depend on her. They really do make an amazing couple.
Another reason I really loved this couple and book, other than just how intense everything about them was, was the portrayal of Hayes’ PTSD and how both he and Ares deal with it. As a military spouse, I always appreciate when this topic is handled with care, but also shows a true portrayal about what these men and women deal with. Kudos to the author for giving readers a realistic glimpse.
The drama and suspense in Ask Me if I Care were off the hook. Readers finally find out who the Highway to Haughton killer is and holy moly!!!! You’ll never see it coming. This reveal was shocking and unexpected and just ahhhh!!!!!
This was definitely one of my favorites of the series so far . . . I’m loving these SWAT Team calendar men! 5 stars.
*4.5 stars*
Sweet, funny, steamy plus all the feels…
I think I say that about every book I read by this author but it’s true. Never more so than with Hayes and Ares story…
Hayes has a boatload of history and things to deal with, things he didn’t want to share or explain. When Ares and he exchanged glances he knew there could be more but he didn’t want it. He didn’t want to want it. And so it was… Until circumstances changed and one small thing turned into another. And another. Whether it was laughter (mostly with each other) or coming together to solve a problem, they fit together. They just worked as Ares refused to be anything but supportive. Silently, loudly – it didn’t matter. She had his back whether he wanted her there or not. And it turned out, he really did…
This second generation isn’t taking a secondary seat to the first one, not at all. Instead they are paving the way with them. And each story, each couple, grows this already loved world into something even more…
If you haven’t read this author you are missing out!
*Reviewed for Nerdy Dirty & Flirty
Ask Me If I Care is a prime example of why I love Lani Lynn Vale’s books so much. She always fills her books with just enough suspense, steam and humor to keep me turning the page and never wanting it to end. I really liked Hayes as a secondary character in the other KPD SWAT Generation 2.0 books but I absolutely loved him and Ares in this book. I can not recommend Ask Me If I Care enough! This may be the fourth book in this series but can definitely be read as a standalone even though I think you should read the entire series just because it is so good.
I think I need an organigram of all the people in LLV’s books. There are more sons and daughters coming up, siblings with former characters I’ve read about and I’m beginning to lose track of who is who. They are all great characters, and these stories are entertaining and charming.
As with all LLV’s books, there’s a chockful of friends and family involved here, some old and some new. In this book, we’re reading about Ares (Lock’s sister, Saylor’s sister in law, Downy’s daughter ) and Hayes, of the Kilgore Swat team. And by the way, he’s Mr. April in the Kilgore Police infamous calendar. Ares liked his photo so much, she cut up all the other images, so his photo is the only one you see as you pass the months in the calendar.
Ares is flirty and fun. She’s also the guidance counselor of the local high school. She’s dedicated to her job and highly frustrated with the bullying that’s happening there and the inaction from the principal, Mr. Bailey. Hayes helps her with frequent visits that also have an ulterior motive. And that’s to have frequent encounters with Ares.
As with all other’s, theirs is a cute and sassy love story, speckled with lots of school issues. Hayes suffers from PTSD and is not very easy to manage. He’s quiet and withdrawn. He was a POV for a long time, tortured same as Malaki, and his memories sometimes get the best of him. He disappears for days at a time and doesn’t call or visit. This ended up with Ares getting him a PTSD dog called Trigger that unlike the name suggests, is a Poodle. Even so, it made Hayes realize that this is the woman for him. It wasn’t so difficult for Ares, though, she was a goner from the moment she first saw him.
The love story is fantastic, with many fun moments, hilarious anecdotes and sexy times. There is a whopper of a plot twist at the end and a finger-biting moment of suspense. This book ties in with a previous book and completes the story arc and you will have to read it to find out which. Meantime, prepare for a very entertaining read, with lots of heartwarming family and loving times.
Loving this series, this one is my favourite so far.
I loved the characters and the story line, moving and tragic along with some humour.
Another re-read.
4 Sweetness Stars!!
Having read the other books in the SWAT Generation 2.0 Series I’ve been so excited for this fourth book! I’ve been looking so forward to Hayes’ story. I had to pick it up right away and I was so happy to be back in this world! I really enjoyed it!
From the sweet moments to the ones that kept my eyes glued to my kindle, Ares and Hayes’ journey was quite the addictive one! I loved how I felt everything that they did and more.
From Ares big heart to how I wanted to hug Hayes through the screen, and all the things in between, I so enjoyed falling for these two with every page turn!
With Ask Me If I Care, Ms.Vale has created another awesome read that’ll make you feel it all and not want to turn away from your kindle until the end! With every installment this series steals my heart all over again and that’s one of the reasons why it’s becoming one of my all time favorites! I’m so excited for the next book May Contain Wine!
*I volunteered to read and review a copy of this book from Wildfire Marketing Solutions / the author*