Welcome to Bad@ss Builds where the motorcycles are as sexy as the brothers building them.Austin Burns:I thought she wasn’t real the first time I saw her. To be fair I was a hungover mess when I woke up and looked into her gorgeous eyes. After getting the second worst news of my life—that my father would be paroled soon—I’d escaped to my buddy’s posh cabin near Lake Tahoe. Now the maid with the … posh cabin near Lake Tahoe. Now the maid with the gorgeous eyes is snowed in with me, and I wonder if she might be a better distraction than the mountain of booze I’d planned on drinking. She’s curvy in all the right places, and the snow is falling faster.
Rachel Tannenbaum:
As a single mom, I don’t have time for men, especially irresponsible tattooed bad boys like my ex. But Austin is hot. And sexy. And stuck here in the cabin with me. I can’t say no to a fling with this bad boy, especially since Austin is so gorgeous and awkwardly sweet.
One night becomes two, and I don’t know if I can risk my heart—and my little boy’s—if Austin wants it to become more when we get through the snow and back to reality.
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What a fantastic start to a series. I really enjoyed reading Austin and Rachel’s story, how they met, how their romance played out, how issues were dealt with, and I really liked getting to meet Austin’s brothers Dylan, Ryan and Nathan and I’m looking forward to reading their stories. This is the first book by Gillian Archer that I’ve read so I didn’t know what to expect, but I love when I try a new to me author and they are so good I can’t wait to dive into the next one. I give Build 5 stars and now I’m off to read book 2: Fast.
A great start to a new series of Burns brothers. The oldest brother Austin runs in his friend cottage which Rachel has to clean. But they got snow in and spend two days together. They know eachother on more levels. So, of course, Austin persuades Rachel and they start a relationship which Austin ruins because Rachel is too afraid to trust him after his mistake. I liked the story and both characters are well developed and likable. I liked that we see so many different layers of Austin and he is a really great person. The story is full of family drama, family love and I really enjoyed reading it. I hope that the next one will be great as well.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly
I enjoyed this story, however in the end I was a bit annoyed with Rachel.
Austin Burns was a celebrity in his own. A custom build mechanic with his own tv show he shares with his 3 brothers. Austin and his brothers were raised by their aunt when their mother was killed and their father went to prison for the crime.
Now years later his father is being released and Austin just needed to escape. Things were just too much for him. So he went to a cabin in Lake Tahoe and met someone who was going to take away his sorrows. Or just someone to help him spend the weekend getting hot and steamy.
Rachel was a maid during the day and a bartender at night. She had two jobs to take care of her mother who was in a wheelchair and her little boy. She didn’t have time for fun or getting naked with a the guy she has been drooling over in magazines. She was responsible and can’t be stuck in a cabin with no way home. But that’s what happened. Now, no way home stuck in a luxury cabin with a hot guy, I mean maybe she can just forget about the responsibilities waiting for her at home.
But when the weekend is over its back to reality, or is that really what she wants. Soon things become more complicated than she wished it was and Rachel has to make a decision on if Austin is the responsible man that she needs in her life or is that too much to ask of him and all the issues that is going on his life.
A nice easy to read romance book about a guy who wasn’t out looking for a relationship and ended up with a girl and a little boy he couldn’t walk away from. I can’t wait to read the rest of this series. Hopefully its not a long wait…
Almost a 3.5 star read for me. I liked the families. Austin’s complicated relationships with his brothers made for interesting reading and I kept turning the page to read more about their turbulent dynamic. Rachel’s son and mother were great secondary characters, adding humor and depth in appropriate amounts. I liked the final conflict and resolution. It felt real for the characters and counteracted the major impediment to the relationship, which made the HEA very satisfying. Plus it expanded on the family ties and made me curious about the subsequent books in the series.
Austin’s default response to stress was running away and I just rolled my eyes at him after the third or fourth time. Rachel responded by emotionally withdrawing and/or citing her other responsibilities, which felt a bit more valid but still got a little frustrating.
Austin Burns builds motorcycles and owns Bad*ss Builds. He desperately needs to get out of town after receiving news about his father that has shaken him up and wondering what he is going to do.
Rachel Tannenbaum is a single mom whose world revolves around her son, Wyatt, and also her mother, Trish. Rachel works two jobs, one as a maid and the other at Finnegan’s to try and make ends meet.
When Rachel is working at a house where Austin is staying and a snowstorm hits will the two hit it off or will Austin remind Rachel too much of her ex? When Austin is clear he doesn’t do relationships will Rachel run for the hills knowing she has two other people counting on her?
This was a book that I really enjoyed and even though you kind of knew a few things that were going to happen there were some twists that I really wasn’t expecting which made me super happy!
I thought Austin was a good character and quite upfront about what he wanted and didn’t want from Rachel. Austin had so much guilt over what he didn’t do in the past with his mom and it was sad that he held onto that for so long. I understood his hatred for his dad and to a certain degree why he was afraid of relationships because of what had occurred in his own past.
Rachel was an amazing mom and daughter and she worked her butt off to make sure they had somewhere to live and afford what was needed. I loved that she was able to let loose while away but I also knew that she would be extremely careful of things as she had a child to think about. I completely understand the guilt of being a single mom and the worries that you have towards your kids.
There was so much sexual tension between Rachel and Austin and the two were hot and intense!! I knew things would get hot and they definitely did!
There was so much “drama” with Austin and his brothers and I must admit that I was shocked by what Dylan revealed. I totally understood why Austin was so hurt with it all as he had different memories than Dylan.
I kind of expected something to go down between Austin and Rachel that would upset Rachel and make her change her mind. I knew why Austin had to get away but I was also understanding of Rachel’s side and that Austin had to stop running.
I was not expecting one of the big things at the end but I loved how Austin and his brothers came through and proved they were ready!!
The end was super good and I am really looking forward to more in the series!
A struggling single mom and a celebrity bike builder don’t really travel in the same social circles, let alone spend days together snowed in at a luxury cabin, but that’s just how Austin and Rachel begin a tumultuous road to their own forever. Their first meeting is less-than ideal but as they share insecurities, vulnerabilities, and their bodies, they begin to build something that scares them with how much they don’t want to let go. It takes time, disappointment, re-prioritizing, and a whole lot of humility before they can hope find the road they’re meant to travel and if they wait too long, they just might miss their chance to stay on it together.
Austin impulsively escapes from the craziness of family and news of his father’s impending parole with a plan to get completely wasted and forget all of it for as long as possible. I wasn’t a fan of his at first. Not at all. His thoughts and actions were demeaning, unkind, selfish, whiny, and overly dramatic. I understood why he ended up that way, but it doesn’t mean I liked it. Yet as he softened to Rachel, started making the effort necessary to keep her and move forward, I found myself softening toward him in return. It didn’t take long for him to win me over, even with him pulling another runner. If not for that he wouldn’t have seen what his ultimate problem was with not just his relationship with Rachel, but with everyone in his life that matters.
When Rachel heads up the mountain in the beginnings of a snowstorm it takes every ounce of courage she possesses to not turn around. I admired her strength and understood her vulnerability. As for her being a single mom, I truly feel what she felt because it was described with such heart. The way she reacted to Austin’s mistake was understandable, but it was beyond frustrating how she prolonged the agony and refused to see his selfless efforts to show what he was truly made of, that he could change for the better and was worth another chance. I also got super annoyed by all the meddling, even if it eventually turned out alright, mostly because it was so constant and there was nothing really said that was poignant enough to let her think in silence about what was right in front of her. Instead it was all thrust in front of her face and even I felt myself getting defensive on her behalf despite being on the meddler’s side of things.
But when we get to their resolution I could forgive all that because it was so honest, sweet, and heartfelt. I loved where they ended up and came to terms with how they got there. Learning about Austin’s brothers all along the way and especially at the end with how connected, forgiving, and supportive they all were, even with their own brand of attitude to rough up the softer feels, went a long way to keeping me invested in what’s to come from this series.
First I have to say that I LOVED TO HATE this book because Lord have mercy the characters had me on the edge of seat yelling and screaming at my kindle. So much so my daughter asked me if the book was good or bad and I laughed and told her both. I can’t really explain it without spoiling it but I will say this that Austin could be the biggest ARSEHOLE and Rachel when she wanted to could be the biggest BIATCH!
Austin didn’t have a good life growing up. His father was locked up in prison and he was made responsible for his three younger brothers. They grow up and build this kick arse business and the boys are doing good for themselves but then one day Austin gets some bad news and his life is turned upside down. Not knowing what to do Austin decides to go to his friends cabin and relax and try to think things through. But instead he gets drunk and wakes up not knowing where he is and sees a gorgeous woman that he doesn’t know but he wants to get to know her.
Rachel is a single mother who is just trying to take care of her son and her mother who is disabled. She works as a maid to make money to support her family she does not have time for any shenanigans or bad boy guys but she takes one look at Austin and she wants him. They soon find out they are snowed in and their chemistry is off the chart and things happen but can it last or is the bad boy going to stay bad?
BUILD is the start to a new series by Gillian Archer and I think it is going to be a hit!! This is the start of the Burns brothers and wow are these some really interesting characters. Each brother is different in their own way and they are all way dysfunctional when dealing with each other. But they also band together … even if it means having to put aside personal feelings.
The storyline of this book was interesting. Rachel is a single mom raising her son and working jobs that just happen to get her snowed in with Austin Burns. Austin is a bit arrogant, but given his past and how much he has to be depended on, I can understand were some of it comes from. There were times that I really didn’t like him, but I also felt sorry for him. Doesn’t give excuses for his actions, but he pulled himself to the right under his own steam, so he did redeem himself to me. Now Rachel on the other hand is very strong, but she had a tendency to act a bit naive. But that in no way detracted from how strong her character was.
Overall, I liked the story. It was entertaining and at times very sad, but then it was amusing and had me laughing and sighing through the pages. There was some slowness at times, but then it would pick up again and really pulled me back into the story. So two thumbs up from me and happy reading!!
Interesting setup and characters
As a new to me author, I wasn’t sure quite what to expect going into this. I liked Rachel and (mostly) liked Austin—he was a bit of an a-hole at times but he always managed to redeem himself. And to be fair, Rachel had her faults, too, They both had damage from their pasts they needed to overcome and plenty of chemistry to help provide an incentive to do it.
I enjoyed the secondary characters as well; in fact I would have liked to have seen a little more of Austin’s brothers, but given the snowed in setup, it’s understandable we didn’t get more of them. I guess I’ll just have to read their individual stories to get my fix, lol.
I did sometimes feel like I was missing something, like some scenes were skipped (Rachel’s official intro to Austin’s brothers) or some details I expected to get and didn’t. Though relatively minor, it did occur several times over the course of the story. While this may just be this author’s writing style, I‘m thinking that maybe, 1) the tv special that the brothers starred in appeared in an earlier series by the author since we just get a brief recap of it as history here, and 2) some of the things I felt were skipped over in the present will appear in more detail in one of the coming stories about the other brothers.
All in all, an entertaining read with an interesting setup and characters, and I’m looking forward to Ryan’s story. 4 stars
B2B KellyLess
Austin and Rachel were great characters. I enjoyed this book. What I can say is it a good romance read, take a chance – you won’t regret it
: https://shahlas-world.blogspot.com/2019/01/i-enjoyed-this-book.html
This is the first book in a new series from this talented author, and what a fantastic introduction this is. Austin owns and runs a custom motorcycle building business with his brothers. Rachel is a single mum who cleans for a living. These two end up being snowed in at a cabin. No spoilers; this is a must read, you will not be disappointed. This is a beautifully written story, which is filled with witty banter, angst, drama, redemption, forgiveness, and is a steamy and entertaining story. I was totally enthralled throughout this page turner, and cannot wait to read the next book in this phenomenal series. I highly recommend this authors’ work for all.
Austin seems to be carrying the world on his shoulders. Or at least the protection of his brothers. He’s risen to the challenge but it wasn’t necessarily by choice. His past is dark and frightening and shadows his present. Rachel likewise carries a heavy burden as she struggles to provide for her son and her disabled mother. There is no time or money for even the simple things in life much less a relationship. Which opens her up to the possibility of spending one wild night with the man of her dreams.
This is one of those feel good romances that is laced with just enough angst to keep things interesting and then springing a large conflict that makes the characters re-evaluate their priorities. Both Rachel and Austin are damaged in some way and both have their faults that tend to lead their decision making. But when things are flowing smoothly for them they are perfect together. With a medium range of heat, a tiny tot on the peripheral of the story, and a group of brothers that define dysfunctional it kept my interest until the end.
This story actually surprised me by not going in the direction I thought it would. It is definitely not your cookie cutter romance. Although a few interactions between the characters felt a bit stilted and the chemistry a tiny bit lacking, the ending rang with sincerity along with a sweet little epilogue that I wish had been longer and a little further out. Hopefully we get more of them as this series continues. After all, there are three more brothers and they each promise an interesting read.
My first read by Gillian Archer did NOT disappoint! A broody hunk, an independent single-mom and loads of drama from both sides made for a really fun read. It’s steamy, it’s saga-ish and it’s really heartwarming. I loved the kick-off to the Burns Brothers series and cannot wait to read more!
Austin Burns is a drunken mess the first time they meet. He’s just been informed that his father was granted parole and isn’t sure how he’s going to find the strength to bring this destruction down on his brothers. Who wouldn’t run off to a buddy’s cabin to get plastered out of his mind? He wasn’t expecting company, but as soon as he gets a look at how gorgeous she is, he’s not minding one bit!
Over-worked single mom Rachel Tannenbaum just had one more cleaning job to complete before she could get out of this snowstorm and home to her little boy. She’s shocked to find someone home at what was supposed to be an empty cabin, but she plans to whip the place into shape and be on her way ASAP. Things have a way of not working out when she needs them to though, and this is no exception. She’s snowed in … with a sexy-as-all-get-out hunk of a man. She’s in big trouble! A one-night fling turns into more when they least expect it!
Stranded in a millionaires cabin with a gorgeous hottie?! Yes please!
Rachel finds herself stuck with this handsome stranger named Austin Burns. He’s not really a stranger though. She knows him from the TV show they did are his garage and family.
Austin has just received some horrible news and is planning to hide out in peace. The hot maid is a welcome surprise.
Austin is a struggle to like character. After a while with his back and forth emotions and intense temper, he kind of drains you.
When tragedy strikes he becomes the best boyfriend anyone could wants he steps up to help Rachel and her son. I absolutely fell in love with him then.
It’s a good, strong novel that slowly captures your heart.
Burns Brothers Series
A new motorcycle series? Yes please!
Build is the first in the new series by Gillian Archer. The series focuses on the brother Burns and their custom motorcycle shop.
Austin is the oldest Burns brother and this is his book. He has the heavy mantle of responsibility for his brothers and his shop on his shoulders. His backstory is horrifying and it’s a miracle he isn’t more scared (both physically and mentally) than he already is. When he gets some earth shaking news, he breaks and runs to the cabin of a friend in Tahoe to process the news in a not so healthy way.
Rachel is a single mom, struggling with everyday and keeping her little family together. For someone so young, she is forced to be mature beyond her years. She to is burdened by a heavy mantle of responsibility her past has made her bent and a bit broken as well. When weather forces her to stay with Austin in the cabin, that’s when the sparks fly.
Austin and Rachel’s chemistry is on fire! Rachel has never experienced the overwhelming feelings she has for Austin and it scares her. Austin, who has never had the word commitment in his vocabulary, struggles to be better for Rachel. Rachel struggles to trust herself and to trust Austin and it’s moving to read and feel.
There is angst, there is swooniness and there is redemption and forgiveness in this story. The perfect combination!
You get a fantastic introduction to all of the brothers in this first book and I can’t wait to read their stories soon!
“I’d always remember him and our weekend together. But Austin was a snowy fantasy. He had no place here in my real life. No matter how much I wished he did.”
So many feels!! These characters were completely adorable, the banter enjoyable, and I ate this story up quickly and with voracity. Austin, a hot alpha, with flaws and damage meets the insecure, yet strong Rachel by chance and the dominoes just fall and I was swept up in their tale. It will make you yell at your kindle, the pace keeps you engulfed, the backstory and happenings make you want to binge the series, and I had such a blast reading this one. There were a few unanswered questions that had such a huge build up in this story that kind of went unanswered, but I’m only hoping that it will come back in future books about the brothers that I’m dying to get my hands on. I loved the vulnerability, the stubborness, and transformation of both characters! I thank the Author for providing a copy to read!
“After last night, there was no way I was done with her. I needed more time. I needed more Rachel.”
~~~Erika, Book Haven Book Blog
I really loved the idea of this book and the blurb made it intriguing. I didn’t like Austin at all and the way he treats Rachel I just wanted to smack him. Both of them have to overcome their demons. Austin tries very hard to break down Rachel’s walls whilst Rachel fights to keep Austin from living in the past. I love the banter between the characters and the chemistry between Austin and Rachel is off the charts! The secondary characters make the story for me. I can’t wait for this series to continue!
What do you get when you mix a sexy, broody, alpha with a kind, loving, single mother? You get Build. Austin and Rachel have immediate sparks the second they meet and that chemistry grows to be explosive the longer they’re together. Full of some fantastic steam and a dash of sweetness to go with the drama this one is hard to put down.
This could have been easily five stars for me, but occasionally the constant fighting between Austin and his brothers felt forced and unnecessary. It took away from Austin and Rachel’s story more than added to it. Outside of the constant brawls however the romance between these two is wonderful. Austin is night and day different when it comes to not only Rachel but also her precious son. He’s gentle and sweet when it comes to those two and that’s what really made me love him.
These two have quite the emotional ride to their happiness that will have you hooked and dying for what is coming on each page.
Austin Burns is one of the four Burns brothers who own and run ‘Bad*ss Builds’, a custom motorcycle building business, it’s even had its own reality television special. They are a bit of a rag-a-muffin crew when together or as he described them..”The four of us together defined drama…And dysfunction.” This is so true but they are loveable just the same.
Rachel Tannenbaum is a twenty-five year old single mother of Wyatt, her three year old son. She cleans as a living and getting to her last job for the day finds not only the weather is horrendous but also the guest has already arrived at the cabin she has to clean. Austin Burns is someone she recognises immediately and realises he isn’t exactly sober however he isn’t in her way as she goes about cleaning the cabin. Trouble is he forgets about her and she ends up stuck on the mountain with him due to the amount of snow.
This is a fast paced and very easy to read story with a solid storyline that keeps you entertained the whole way through. The characters are all easy to like and you can relate to them and their problems. Certainly the two lead characters together are super hot but also more, they gain so much from knowing each other.
This is the first book by this author that I have read but it won’t be the last, I am already looking forward to reading Ryan’s story that’s releasing next and exploring the other books already out.
This author has been on my tbr list with finally getting my nose in one of the books. I like I also caught this at the beginning with one that does more than wet my brow. Austin is the one in this that will make you drool and wipe that brow. Liking to drool also with the ones that are on about bikes is a plus that helped the decision. Rachel is going to have quite them time in store for her especially thanks to the dilemma they are both in. Follow along to see how it transpires with it getting enough warmth to see it through.