Kennedy
I stayed away.
I stayed away for years, even though it crushed me.
Because that’s what everyone said was best.
I distanced myself from the man I love.
I moved on, or so I told the world.
Went through the motions, and smiled when I wanted to cry.
But one look at the scars he hides so well, and everything crumbles.
Tragedy won’t leave either of us alone… not for long.
I can’t do it … either of us alone… not for long.
I can’t do it anymore.
I’m not strong enough to stay away.
Then chaos flashes into my life, destroying everything in its path.
It’s time to face facts.
I’m forced to accept the truth I’ve been railing against for so long.
Lincoln Hayes is the only one I trust.
The only one who keeps the nightmares at bay.
Linc
I love her. That’s never once been in question.
Thoughts of her came with every bullet that flew past my head overseas.
Every night, I dream about her and what we could have had.
She’s the only reason I came home.
The reason I stay, even though the very sight of her is torture.
I want her kiss. Crave her smile. Need her touch.
But after I watched my brother die in my arms, everything changed.
I may have survived, but I’m not the same man she knew.
I’m damaged. Broken.
Kennedy Townsend deserves so much more than I could ever be.
That doesn’t mean that I won’t watch her six.
Keep her safe, even from herself.
To do that, I just have to keep my distance.
Until she knocks on my door in the pouring rain.
Scared.
And every instinct I’ve got after years in the military comes roaring back.
Boots on the ground, active and ready.
I’ll take out any threat she faces.
Especially when she offers the second chance I want more than life itself.
There’s just one thing I haven’t taken into account.
The worst is yet to come, and I’m not strong enough to lose her again.
more
I received an ARC from the author thru Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my review. Kennedy and Linc have had a hard road to find their happiness together. They belong together but lose their way because Linc believes he knows best for them both. Kennedy lost the man she loves and ended up with a bad one. He gave up the woman he loves and decides he deserves hell, not realizing how that really effects her. They both have issues to work thru. It is only when they start working thru them together that things start to change. Love wins over all.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Amazing read. This series just gets better and better. I loved the characters especially little Nox. He was just adorable and wise beyond his years. This story revolves around Linc and Kennedy who love each other but let the other go. They never truely forgot about each other and when Kennedy needs Linc he is there. Will they get back together? Will he be able to help with the ex? Great story with tons of emotions running through. Will definitely keep you hanging on until the end.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Both Lincoln and Kennedy have past trauma that affects their present. One of hers still lives nearby and enjoys taunting her. Linc is worried about hurting Kennedy so he has avoided her for years, but is losing the ability to keep away. Nox is a little genius. Remy is a great brother. I love watching the families interacting. I like that the Balls to the Wall and Kismet stories continue here.
I received a free copy of this book.
The addition starts with the book covers….yeah…yeah…yeah don’t judge a book by its cover they say ….well we all do it and this one here it is the scratch to your itch or better yet the filling to your oreos! Speaking of filling…..wait, that’s for later. Within the first chapters you get the panoramic view of whom you’re dealing with!
By the time you’ve figured out who is who you’re already hooked, and you may as well give up the fight and prepare yourself for an all-nighter! You will start it and You will not put it down until the last page has been turned.
Can’t say I didn’t warn you.
Lincoln and Kennedy met right before Lincoln was sent on his first deployment with the Marines and they promised to get together, but the death of Lincoln’s twin throws him for a loop. Dealing with the death of a twin is hard enough to accept, come to terms with his death and in his misery, he pushes Kennedy away through his pain. Guilt has taken root in Lincoln’s heart he feels it is his fault that his twin is dead because he left for the military and Danny followed him. Kennedy tried her best to forget Lincoln, to move past him by dating the wrong type of men and ended up with a jerk …total mean, crazy jerk. Lincoln always loves Kennedy and will continue to love, watching out for her especially after her ex beats her so badly. Kennedy calls off the engagement due to the beating getting worse the closer the wedding date approaches, and this is where Lincoln steps in, but he has ghost that he needs to put to bed and so does Kennedy has to accept her part in being with such a jerk. Do Lincoln love her enough to deal with his ghost, do Kennedy have the strength to accept her situation and will they find happiness?
Another beautiful emotional story. This is Lincoln and Kennedy’s story. Before Lincoln was deployed he and Kennedy had a night and they not only slept together but they talked about a future, then when he lost his twin brother he suffered severe PTSD and breaks things off with Kennedy thinking she deserves better. Kennedy gets tired of waiting and tried to move on but found her self in a toxic relationship that she barely got out. Loved the storyline and the characters. Love how this police family comes together to protect their own and I especially love how even though these women have these men who would do anything for them, they are strong survivors who overcome their demons. Kennedy is one of my favorite characters she is one bada$$ with a machete. Love this series and can’t wait to read more.
I received an ARC and volunteered to leave a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I think Boots on the Ground is darker than Balls to the Wall (Kennedy’s brother Remy’s book and the 1st book in this series). Kennedy and Linc have a long history together. Both sweethearts until Linc lost his brother – Danny whilst serving in the military together. All of which leads to him bringing home a lot of emotional baggage & PTSD. Which he blocks Kennedy out of his life because of but he still watches over her. Whereas Kennedy gets engaged to a full of himself lawyer which hides an underlining abusive, possessive and obsessive man. What he puts her through might be hard for some folks to read. Its easy to see from the very beginning of this book that Kennedy and Linc should be together but with so many outside factors its difficult for them to do so. I loved the surrounding characters to them too. Nox was just way too cute for his own good. Remy & Parker’s wise cracks and dry wit had me laughing. I just loved this book and all the characters too. I cant wait for the next book
This series are great.
Relationship between couple, friends or family gives you hope.
All of them have heavy baggage from past but at the end every one get second chance. Even if they need little push from six years old or bash from father.
Enjoy
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The author pulls you into the lives of Linc and Kennedy and never lets go. They have a connection that is undeniable but each has baggage that they do not want to share with the other. Will their love be enough or are they destined to be alone?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Boots on the Ground is the second book in the Birch Police Department series. Kennedy once used to believe in happily ever after, but with the love of her life ignoring her and feeling broken inside, happily ever after just seems like something from fairy tales. Lincoln has always loved Kennedy, but after the death of his brother and his time in the military, he doesn’t trust himself. But when Kennedy is being targeted, Lincoln can’t help but need to be part of her life. Will these two find a way to let their love shine through, or will the darkness swallow them both up?
Oh my goodness, here was another book from Ms. Canavan that I expected just to read a few chapters, but nope! I finished the whole book in one sitting because I could not put it down! While I don’t feel like as emotionally wrecked like I did from the first book in the series, I was still placed through an emotional rollercoaster of highs and lows while Kennedy and Lincoln navigated their love and what that meant to both of them. Kennedy is a survivor, facing so much pain during her dating life, but always pushing through, trying to find the silver linings and I loved her inner strength. Lincoln was perfect for her, once he got his head out of his butt. He does a lot of pushing Kennedy away, thinking he’s trying to save her, not realizing how badly they both need each other. I loved his vulnerable moments, the moments when he opened up and talked to Kennedy, and I loved the way he became a fierce protector, too! They made an amazing team, full of steam and connection and it felt so real. There’s good and bad things that happen to them both, they both make some good and bad decisions, but they kept coming back to each other. The danger in this book is in your face, you don’t need to guess, but I was still on the edge of my seat to see what would happen next with this couple and how they would respond to the danger that stalked them and how everything was going to play out in the end! I loved this book! I am loving this series and I am already so excited to see what will happen next!
Triggers-abuse, nearly murdered and mention of rape
After I remembered from Parker and Remy’s story about Linc and his stubbornness to let a certain woman back into his life. Well he finally did but it wasn’t with its ups and downs. He suffers from PTSD, reliving the day his brother Danny was killed and standing on the sidelines of watching Kennedy live a life without him. But he doesn’t know Kennedy’s past while she was with the ex and what he did to her daily.
These two will have to battle everyday to find a new peace on life, get their backbones strengthened and make the other see what their souls are missing…
4.5*
So though I haven’t read any of this authors works before, I had heard really good things about the linked Birch County Blue series and they were on my TBR list.
Well wow, I’m all in now and can’t wait to do a catch up read of the other book in this series, as well as the linked series of 3 books.
Well written with emotionally fraught characters, the story has you cycling through all the feels. I genuinely laughed out loud on so many occasions, and was close to tears at others as well as everything in between.
Linc and Kennedy were so broken, with no real idea of how much – just resentful of each other in lots of ways that kind of made sense but weren’t right. Linc felt he couldn’t have her but was mad she’d moved on. Kennedy was mad he had walked away and never given her a reason, yet was her constant protector. She, out of them both was fairly sure it would come right in the end and seemed to be in a position where she was happy to wait for him to come to his senses in a lot of ways – her patience was rewarded but the journey was a tough one to read at times, though when Linc went all in he never backed down once which was unexpected as I had thought he would run away again given any opportunity. It was interesting how the dynamic changed over who was actually the more messed up of the two, and actually Kennedy helped Linc move on from some of his PTSD by just being there, whereas he had to work harder to help her recover from hers.
The book is full of big characters, but they don’t distract from the story, in fact they add a new layer to this world the author has built and bring so much personality to the book it’s fantastic. The same can be said for characters that have had their own stories already as well as those whose time will come. The family links are fun, varied but confusing at times, but no less enjoyable. Nox was the worlds most adorable kid and was the utter star of the show.
One frustration for me is that the author doesn’t say on the blurb how intertwined the book is with the previous one (I’m assuming – I haven’t read that one yet) and there are lots of things referred to and half explained that I think would make more sense and enhance my enjoyment if I knew the backstory a little more.
Also (spoiler…)
I didn’t really embrace the Cassie/Danny thing – it felt a little weird and random and if it wasn’t in the book I wouldn’t miss it at all, however it’s also fair to say this could be an ongoing plot theme for the series with bigger meaning in a later book, perhaps it also happens in book 1 and so it would make more sense to me in that case.
Also – I struggled with Kennedy just throwing out what happened to her when she was 19 to her mum, it was just this thing that got said, a few tears were shed then they got over it never to be said again, even when her mum referred to it in front of the entire family. Again – perhaps this was covered in a previous book but if it was, then in isolation it felt cold in this book alone.
Having said that…..these were just minor niggles that overall didn’t impact my overall enjoyment of this book and will absolutely not stop me reading more, in fact I’m kind of glad I have at least 4 books to go read to catch up by this fab author who has absolutely made it onto my “must read” list
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This series just gets better and better!! This has it all!! Second chance love, redemption for mistakes made when young and dumb, and navigating though it all years later. Linc gave up Kennedy because he thought she would be better without him, Kennedy has always loved Linc even when he wasnt there. Can these two get past their past and make a future. I love this series and always look forward to the next one!! Well done!!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a well written story with strong characters in Lincoln and Kennedy ,two broken people and an emotional romance. The author brings all the feels in this one and paints her scenes beautifully. She captured me right from the start and had me glued to the pages up to the last page. The story moves fluidly and I loved reading it. Well done!!
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
Linc had been a part of her life for as long as she could remember. He was her everything. His dog tags still hung around her neck as a bleak reminder of things gained and lost. She had moved on from him, only to find an even darker place than lonliness and despair, and thy name was “Royal”. She shuttered to think of how eveything could have gone so wrong. More importantly WHY??
There was never anyone but Kennedy for him. He had tried to avoid her for years, but his boots always came back to her doorstep. She was back in his life and now more than ever she needed to know why and if he could be the man he had promised so many years ago. It was time to step up, get his head in gear, life in order, and complete his ultimate mission, happiness with the woman that would always be home, Kennedy.
Canavan does a phenomenal job of drawing you in right from the very first words. If you are looking for raw, human, real characters that will make you unable to put down a book, look no further. Boots on the Ground is a must read.
I’d been itching to get my hands on this book since I finished Balls to the Wall and I loved it!!
I loved both Lincoln and Kennedy. This story and characters felt so real to me. The story deals with ptsd and domestic abuse and both were written really well. Both those issues deserve attention and Linc and Kennedy were perfect in bringing them to light!
I loved how strong Kennedy was after all she’d been through. She’s a true survivor. Linc pretty much stole my heart! He was so sweet and knew exactly what Kennedy needed. I loved that he never pushed her but was always there to support her.
I’m so hooked on this series! I love that we get to see how things progressed between Parker and Remy! I can’t wait to see what happens with Dom and Emma!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A well written story with great characters. Full of emotions, action and suspense. With 6 yr old Nox breaking the tension with his all seeing little self.
I couldn’t put it down and I would definitely recommend reading this book.
I was given an advanced reader copy and I voluntarily leave this review.
Sexy former military guy now policeman and a gorgeous redhead he should still be with but won’t allow himself. Mix in an abusive ex- fiancé and you have an exciting story!
If I could give this more than five stars I would. This is the second book in the Birch Police Department Series. It can be read as a standalone but you will see characters from the previous books since they’re all friends and family I’ve been waiting on Kennedy and Lincolns story since I read the prequel. These two broke my heart. You can tell they were meant for each other. You need this book in your life, its steamy and entertaining. The author has a way of writing that pulls you into the story making it hard to walk away. These are books that I will re-read when the series is done. I can’t wait for book three!
Lincoln and Kennedy got together before Lincoln left for his first deployment with the Marines, you’ll get more background on this if you read the prequel Whiskey Tango although its not necessary to enjoy this book. Promises and plans were made before he left. After Lincoln’s twin died during their first deployment Lincoln had a hard time dealing with it and pushed Kennedy away. He blames himself for Danny’s death because he followed Lincoln into the Marines. Lincoln felt he was too broken to subject Kennedy to all of his issues. She tried to move on but ended updating the wrong man and ended up with a nightmare of an ex. Lincoln has stayed on the outskirts of Kennedy’s life always watching out for her. Will he be able to get the help he needs so he can have a life with Kennedy?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A new to me author, have not read book one but I need to. Linc and Kennedy, wow the attraction, chemistry was intense. The story itself was very well written and flowed.
Y’all I wasn’t ready for Linc and Kennedy are my favorites. These two both have struggles but there chemistry is everything and they want each other so bad. Linc is fighting it but when Kennedy gets her he finally let’s his guard down and we see what Kennedy always saw. This book definitely had my feels all over the place and it was worth every one of them.