Evander Lennox doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to do. At least, that is, until he’s sent to prison. The four years he’s incarcerated, he’s had no choice but to do the things he’s asked to do, when he’s asked to do them. And now, if he doesn’t, it will mean a one-way ticket straight back to hell.Once he’s free, it takes him twenty-four hours to get his old job back, his dog at home where he … where he belongs, and an understanding that people aren’t as forgiving as he once thought them to be. He’s just about given up hope of ever integrating back into society when a woman slams into his heart, literally and figuratively.
Kennedy Swallow just wants to belong somewhere.
When she was younger, her parents divorced, and chose to separate her from her twin. Fast forward fifteen years, and she’s finally getting to meet the family she’s always wanted to be a part of. To make that happen, she uproots her life and moves to the tiny town of Hostel, Texas—giving her almost everything she’s ever wanted.
Just when she thinks she’s making progress in winning her family over, she finds out that her twin is ill, and the only reason her family tolerates her is due to the convenience of having a free caretaker whenever they might be in need of one.
After a few eye-opening experiences, she quickly realizes that she’s being used. Vowing to herself that she’ll make the best of the situation, she begins to steel her heart. What she doesn’t prepare for is a man named Evander who sees that barrier as a challenge.
It takes Evander all of ten seconds while watching the woman on the floor, bleeding from her jaw, to realize that maybe life isn’t as bad as it could be.
This woman with her thrill for life, a crazy obsession with chickens, and a desire to be wanted, changes everything he thinks he knows.
But it doesn’t take long for him to realize that just by being around her, the people of the town have judged her guilty by association.
Her business suffers, and soon after, she realizes what it will mean to have him by her side—the loss of everything she’s worked so hard for.
Kennedy knows that Evander is worth it. Evander, however, decides that he’s not letting another person get hurt because he was stupid enough to care.
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Kennedy had me wanting to grab her and make her see that she needs to stop letting people take advantage of her. Evander had his reasons for having a chip on his shoulder. but, now he has a chance to be happy if he doesn’t do anything to ruin it. that includes trying to push the woman he loves away, even if he thinks he’s doing it for her own good.
this one had many of the characters from the previous books helping when needed. this including the badass Silas and the Freebirds. Rafe even made himself known again, which makes even more questions about him pop up. i can’t wait to read more of this series. and also still impatiently waiting to see if Rafe will be getting his own book.
I liked this book a lot. It gave us a little back story into the town of Hostel and the Hail boys.
This first book in this new series is about Evander and Kennedy. We start off by Evander being released from prison and him set out on fighting the wrong that was done to him. Kennedy is having her own struggles with her family and her farm. These two start off with an odd friendship because Evander feels he isn’t good enough for her but eventually Kennedy wiggles her way into his heart.
There’s some crazy drama that goes down but nothing sad, just shock. So go read this new series you won’t be disappointed
It’s hard to get to the romance when this is just so SAD, nauseatingly sad. The heroine lost one sister and her mother to cancer in her teens, her father is paralyzed, her off page brother has issues, and in current story she loses her twin she only recently connected with to cancer.
SPOILER:
It gets worse. The sister decides not to get treatment and essentially kills herself within 36 hours of the diagnosis in a tractor accident that must have been horrifically painful. The h is denied access to her nieces and nephews. It was sad and gross, and the miasma of sick sadness never left for me. Not to mention the big time issues of a future H in this book who has lost ALL his family as well as the hero’s dog getting killed. The dog he lived with in Afghanistan. Geez.
Oh yeah, and the heroine loses no less than 50 chickens she’s fond of because they are slaughtered. Give it a break please!!!!! END spoiler)]
The writing was engaging so will continue with the story, but praying for a few less deaths and that means the animals too.
So my new years plan to clean up the 1000+ books on my kindle that I have yet to read is off to a great start. Well kind of. If you don’t count the fact that I’ve read 6 books and added the four next books in each of their series to my kindle :/ ok so maybe it’s not worked out quite how I planned but I have read some great books.
Lani Lynne Vale has been on my radar for years but I always put it off. Initially because she has a load of MC books and I tend to avoid those for being a little hit or miss for me. But for some reason this one registered with me and I one clicked it, then didn’t read it.
And now I am hooked. There’s something about a big, muscled, bike riding alpha who’s been misunderstood by everyone that works. And Evander was just such a great hero. I loved him from the minute his first question was where are my horses and dog. Because there is seriously nothing hotter than a man who loves his dog.
Kennedy was as completely perfect as Evander. She was so sweet and soft and caring about everyone around her but she wasn’t a doormat. She stood up for herself but she did it without disregarding anyone else’s feelings or needs and without being an idiot.
The two of them together was hot and I was surprised by the full range of emotions I went through. And the introduction to Hannah and Travis has me hoping Hannah kicks him to the curb and shacks up with Rafe 😉
What a fantastic start to a new series for Lani Lynn Vale. This book is a little different from her others but just as good. Evander and Kennedy were complicated but cute. This book is emotional, and entertaining. Can’t wait to read more. Great story!
Evander Lennox is out of prison for a crime he did not commit. No one in his small town cares he was innocent they all see him as a thug, but he is used to it. As soon as he gets back he heads to his home and to get his dog. He doesn’t need distractions, just work, his dog and his home.
Kennedy Swallow moved to be closer to her father and twin sister. Kennedy was split from her family left in her mothers and older sisters care and had not heard from the rest of the family since she was young. Losing everyone she was close with she desperately wants to be accepted as family even if they just walk over her. Now in Hostel, Texas she is beginning to realize that the relationships she was building were a facade the only person who seems to be interested in getting to know her is Evander.
Evander knows he should stay away from Kennedy but she draws him in. With Kennedy, Evander feels peace she doesn’t judge him and accepts him for who he is. With a plan that doesn’t involve Kennedy in place, Evander has to decide what is really important to him revenge or Kennedy?
Exceptional beginning or the first in the Hail Raisers series. I liked Evander, he was intense, gruff, and you wanted to know his story. Kennedy I felt for, she tries so hard and is treated like dirt repeatedly. Have some hankies close by for this fantastic story.
Evander gets out of prison and goes home knowing that there were only a few things waiting for him, his house and his dog. After his friends prove they always have his back by making sure he has his truck and his job back, he starts the process of getting back to his life. Running into Kennedy, numerous times, was not in his plans. Wanting Kennedy, was definitely not in his plans, but there is something about her that just keeps calling to him.
Kennedy has moved to this small town in hopes to connect with the family she didn’t know she even had, but there some major snags with that. She knows exactly who Evander is, what his story is, what shoe size he wears ETC.. in a town this small nothing is a secret for long. When her world starts to implode, Evander somehow seems to be there at every turn helping in some way. When things start to get a bit out of hand, Evander has to decide; does he drag Kennedy along for his drama or is it best to let her loose and spare her and himself anymore unneeded pain?
The first book of this new series was amazing, and had me going through all the feels. There were moments where my heart broke for Kennedy & Evander! Giving us some fresh faces, but also a few familiar ones, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for this series! I give this 5 stars.
What can I say? I can’t get enough of Vale’s books and Hail No is no different. Vale has a way of making me love all of her characters and Evander and Kennedy is no different. I loved how Evander didn’t care about how much the town talked about and judged him. He was in no way a bad person and I loved how Kennedy just got under his skin and how much he ended up caring about her. Kennedy is silly and awkward at times, but she was so caring and stood up for Evander when she didn’t like the way people treated him. These two together was kinds of swoony and I enjoyed reading this book so much.
Great start to a new series.
Evander and Kennedy are great. Another great start to new series. I can’t wait for more in the Hail Raisers Series.
Hail No is an absolute YES!!
Book one in the new series from Lani Lynn Vale is without a doubt a must read.
Kennedy & Evander are absolutely perfect for each other.
Both coming from similar backgrounds, both with hearts of gold but different situations bringing them together.
A man with history the small town refuses to forget and a woman who wants nothing more than to be a part of something, of a family and the town who knows everyone and everything leaves the one person she wants to be close to trying to push her away for her own good. And the dog, woman, you broke my heart with him.
I’ve read books before where secondary characters piqued my interest, but in this case I absolutely NEED books on a few of them!
I was hooked by chapter two and could not put this book down.
Hail No is an intriguing start to this new series, I’m addicted already and eagerly await book two.
Evander and Kennedy
Ms Vale does it again.I have to say that this is a fairly new author to me that I started reading this past year and we started with her MC series that we absolutely love and we enjoyed her current Romantic Suspense just as much.
We really loved the story from cover to cover.The story had so much going on that it just kept you turning the pages to the very end.This was just such a sweet romance read with a great cast of leading characters from the onset of the story and I have to say that I loved them both.
I love it when you connect with the characters that you read about and Kennedy and Evander made it very easy to do just that.I loved when that happens because when that happens I know I am going to love the story to come and I did just that.
I always pick a favorite character in the story I am currently reading and I have to say I was just a little bit in love with Evander so I picked him.
What an awesome guy he was sweet ,kind ,patient, protective,generous,sexy and an amazing caring lover.I loved his interactions with Kennedy they were super sweet and how they were together as a couple and their sex together was super hot.An alpha for sure but kept himself in check.My heart broke a little bit for all the betrayals he endured like him going to jail for a crime he did not commit and have a brother who took part in his downfall.My heart broke for him and the shitty family he had and how they treated him yet he never gave up on them even knowing he should have.
Kennedy was a lover,spitfire,one who defies convention,sweet ,kind and and all around super sweet gal.My heart broke for her as well as her family treated her horrible to and I think for that reason it was easy to form a bond with Evander as they already has so much in common.
My favorite scenes in the story for me were the scene in the grocery store and her digging that hole in her backyard.One scene showed just how protective she was of her man and how she had know problem standing up for the man she loved and the other was just showed you how much she loved him and the lengths she went to in order to lessen the pain he was feeling.
A great read with tons of twists and turns and betrayals but , also about how an unlikely pair of lovers who found solace in one another and one who was willing to see into the heart of her man and believe him when others thought him to be nothing but a criminal and ex con.When Kennedy sat down in that diner across from Evander even after he warned her away saying he was a bad bet had me cheering and saying go girl ! This sweet and quiet girl had fire in her!What a surprise and I liked it !
A recommended read to all!
5 stars from us
@https://angelswithattitudebookreviews-joelle.blogspot.com/2017/09/book-review-for-hail-no-by-lani-lynn.html
I really adore Evander & Kennedy! They are both strong, solid characters, and the friendship & attraction they share is done SO WELL! The vibe of this story – and maybe this series – is different, or feels different, than this author’s other series. I can’t pinpoint a specific what or how, however!
I want to smack just about everyone in this town, tho! Good gravy! LOL I’m pretty sure I’d want to just say screw it & leave for a better town once all the drama was finally over! : )
Lani Lynn Vale has done it again with Hail No being the first in a new series and I can’t wait to see more of the Hail Raisers and by this author , if you haven’t read anything by this author you are in for one hell of a treat . The hero and heroine as always are lovable with such a strong connection , the secondary characters has you wanting to read their stories that are to come , one of my favorite couples are mentioned , farm animals , dogs , and villains that wish they never messed with the hero . Kennedy and Evander meet in some random moments that had me swooning , laughing , cheering , a bit sad , and are moths to the flame, share alot of things in common are made for one another and meet at just the right time . My heart went out to Evander being in prison for a crime he didn’t do on top of that the towns people are just plain mean you should never judge a book by their cover because the hero is such a teddy bear and the love he has for his dog just made swoon even more . Kennedy is like finding a unicorn she is so selfless and after all the loss she has been faced with still put’s herself out there for the ones who don’t really deserve it , and the way she is the hero just showed how kindhearted she can be and when she brought out her sassyness just had me saying ”you go girl ” . Can’t wait to see whats to come by this author you really need to read her books if you haven’t yet .
copy provided for honest review
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hero = 10 heroine = 10 secondary characters = 10
Chemistry = 10 steam = 9 romance = 9 humor = 7
darkness level = 6 enjoyment = 10 angst = 4
action = 4 mystery = 4 story line = 10 Story ending = 10
character development = 10 pacing = 10 Plot = 10
cover = 10 stars = 5 author = 10
would I recommend this book = yes
would I re read this book = yes
would I read future books by this author = yes
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of the book.
I enjoyed this book SO MUCH!!!!! It was sweet, but not too sweet. It was gritty, but not to dark. There was action and angst and feeling and sex and I just loved it. Evander lost four years of his life in jail for a crime he didn’t commit, only to come home to a POS town and family that don’t deserve him. The only bright spot are his friends and co-workers at Hail Auto Recovery and Kennedy, a woman who is new enough in town to not be tainted by their misguided and misinformed (not to mention totally false) opinion of him. She too has a POS family and the universe seems to be conspiring to make her life as difficult as possible. In their mutual struggle, they find each other, and it is a beautiful thing. Now even though this is the first book in the series, it seems as if there are perhaps some characters whose stories were already told in previous books, so I’m thinking that this maybe overlaps with some of Lani Lynn Vale’s previous books – and I will definitely be looking in to that. There were also a lot of bits left open for exploration and I can’t wait to see where the series goes. I LOATHED both Evander and Kennedy’s families and I wish we had been given more insight as to why they were so AWFUL, but I suppose I’m ok without it. Evander – ugh! I just loved him and Gertie (sob!), but Kennedy really stole my heart. She is the epitome of a ride or die chick and just the type of woman I would want to associate with in real life. I really adored everything about this book and really look forward to not only continuing on with the Hail Raisers series, but also reading some of her other series – in the name of research, of course! I give Hail No 4 out of 5 wine glasses.
The Hail Raisers is the newest series by my all time favourite author Lani Lynn Vale. The title of this book might be Hail No, but this book is definitely a Hail YES. Absolutely a five star if not a ten star read. This is Evander and Kennedy’s story, two people who are outcasts by their family for no good reason. Kennedy is the crazy chicken lady, yes I said chicken not cat who sees the absolute good in Evander and doesn’t judge him like everyone else seems to. Evander is the man with a heart the size of Texas who was wrongly jailed. Their story is full of drama, grit, sexy alpha men, appearances by some of our favourites from other series, some sad moments and steamy scenes that had my glasses all fogged up. To say I was a little in love with this pair is an understatement. This might be the first book in this series by I am already Hail addicted.
First of all, round of applause for this sexy as hell cover. Hot damn that is one drool worthy cover that I must have grace my shelves! In fact, it may find a place of honor for sure.
Anyways, sorry about all that drooling but in all seriousness there was no question in my mind that I had to read this. So far I have yet to find a book by Lani Lynn Vale that I haven’t loved yet and this was ABSOLUTELY not an exception. This book is about a man set out for revenge for the wrongs committed against him and a woman who just wants to find some who doesn’t find that she is second best but never expecting to find it. Neither are looking for someone but these things happen when you least expect it. He isn’t going to make it easy to even be friends. He knows everyone in town hates him and doesn’t want Kennedy to be affected by any of their hate for associating with him. She isn’t the type to let anyone tell her what she can do. She can tell the type of man he is and there is no way he is the man the town portrays him as.
I experienced so many emotions while reading this book. I was intrigued about finding out about Evander’s past, curious to get Kennedy’s, I was laughing at the craziness that is Kennedy, anger at the town’s people and at the choices some of the characters choose, heartbreak, a bit of suspense, anger and some serious sexy times. I was flipping these pages absolutely hooked. I could not put this book down until all my answers were answered and the things that happen left my jaw hanging. The choices people make left me shocked and seriously wanting to jump in and commit acts of violence.
Lani once again delivered another stellar book and I can’t tell you how excited I am to read this new series. Tow truck drivers never seemed so sexy before until the Hail Raisers let me tell you.
If you haven’t read a book by Lani I highly recommend that you change that A.S.A.P. but be prepared because you will have found a new obsession. If I even hear a hint of a new book I’m all over that shit because her books are so freaking good!!! You will be addicted and be prepared to lose out on some sleep because these books are hard to put down. If you have read her books then you know damn well that I’m gonna say “What are you waiting for and one click this book. You know its worth it!!” Anyways, another job well done Lani and I can’t wait for Travis and Hannah’s story, seriously I’m dying over here waiting to find out more.