Trust no one. It’s a lesson Seth Cooper lives by. So why is it that when he meets Tad Rutledge, all he wants is to be wrapped in his strong arms and forget about the world? It’s insanity and Seth knows it—every second he’s not on guard is a second he’s at risk—but the kindness in Tad’s eyes makes him want to believe happiness is possible.Only the truth is far more complex.Seth can’t let anyone … can’t let anyone love him. Not now. Not ever.
Not if he wants to survive.
Seth Cooper has secrets—the type Tad Rutledge shouldn’t mess with. They gleam in his heartbroken blue eyes and tremble in his voice. But helping people is what Tad does, so when he finds Seth lost and on the run, not even the promise of danger is enough to deter him.
Not when Seth looks at him like Tad might be the answer he’s been waiting for.
It’s up to Tad to protect him.
Keep him.
Claim him.
Because what Seth is running from is serious, and it’s about to change their lives forever.
Love Me is the first novella in the Rutledge Brothers series. Please note: this book was previously released in February 2017 under the same title, but its contents, including elements of its plot, have significantly changed.
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This is my third time reading this book, but my first time reading the updated version. Compared to the original version, this updated version is much better. However, I want to make it clear that this is an Omegaverse book with mpreg. If you don’t know what that is, I suggest looking it up before you decide to read this book. I don’t believe this book does a very good job of making it clear to the reader that this is an Omegaverse book – there is no mentions of “alpha” and “omega” is only mentioned a few times.
Love Me introduces us to the cesspit otherwise known as The White Lotus, an illegal omega brothel that specializes in providing rich Alphas access to trafficked omegas. In a moment of pure luck and courage, Seth, one of the omega victims, manages to escape. Seth’s main goal is to bring The White Lotus down and free his friends. In the process of trying to achieve this goal, Seth manages to find himself and love.
This book is the first book in The Rutledge Brothers series, and lays down the foundation for the spinoff series His Command. I enjoyed the book and the story line, but the writing and pacing of the book is not great. The updated version is definitely better than the first version, but the story structure and pacing still does not feel fully developed and falls short of its true potential. I do recommend reading this book and the rest of The Rutledge Brothers series before diving into the amazing His Command series.
4.5 stars
Heat Level: 3.5
Narration: 4.5
Short, sweet, thrilling, and surprising!
I really enjoyed this book. It has everything I like and more.
A hero with a heart of gold and a strong and firey omega that steals his heart. I loved that the omega side was sort of secondary to the story and it’s such a thrilling, intense, and somewhat devious story. So much happens and I was fully immersed from the first sentence.
A very concise story, I just wanted more, especially with the ending I’m looking forward to more in the series and hopefully, we’ll get to see more of Seth & Tad in the future!!
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Tragic in the life Seth is forced to lead, and triumphant in how that part of his life ends. The beginning and end of the story were just right, each giving the exact right feeling for where we began with Seth and where we ended up with him together with Tad. It was the middle that suffered however, from the length of the story. There wasn’t sufficient character development and with only a basic knowledge of who these men are, there wasn’t enough to connect me to them. I enjoyed both of them on a surface level and appreciated what they brought to one another. If the dramatic confrontation weren’t forced and a “flash-in-the-pan” moment it would have really been powerful with seeing Seth really win against what held him captive both in circumstance and inside him. This really needed to be reworked into a novel because I just wanted so much more.
3.5 rounded up
I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read with Insta-attraction between the two men. This bothered me a bit due to Seth’s previous circumstances, but it is what it is.
Tad runs a soup kitchen and is wanting to expand by adding a second hand store. He is ex-military and able to deal with the riff raff that happens to come in occasionally. All he aspires to do is to help others without depending on the wealth of his family, and he is doing his best to make that happen.
Seth has been a virtual prisoner to a man called Director Baylor. He and several other omegas are trapped in a sex trafficking ring, and no one has ever escaped; until now. When an emergency arises, Seth has an opportunity to grab Baylor’s phone and escape. He is able to get away, but he has never been on his own, let alone on the streets.
When Tad is closing the soup kitchen and taking out the trash, he happens to notice a small sound or movement. He is on guard, but soon realizes that the person hiding is most likely not a threat. However, the thugs coming down the alley most definitely are, so he covers for the young man until the coast is clear. Then, he brings his new stray inside to get some food into his belly.
Seth is scared, but he is also terribly tired. He asks if he can just stay the night at the kitchen, but Tad tells him that won’t work. However, he does offer for Seth to come home with him, and Seth decides that he is willing to do what he is used to doing in order to not sleep on the streets and be safe from Baylor’s goons. But when they get to Tad’s place, he is offered a bath, clean clothes, and the guest room.
Tad knows something is going on with Seth, but he isn’t going to push. But when Seth tells him his story, he reaches out to his friend on the force for help. Things progress pretty quickly between the two men, and they end up attending a party under both police protection and Tad’s wealthy mother’s private security. However, danger still lurks around corners, but this time Seth has back up.
When the unexpected happens to Seth, he fears that Tad will blame him or be angry. He is definitely not expecting the reaction with which he is met. The two men have faced danger and come out the other side to live their happily ever after.
Happy reading!
* I received an ARC of this book and I am leaving my honest review. *
Loved it! It’s pretty much insta love, but that’s no surprise since the story is short. I’m not always a fan, but it worked in this story. Seth is a total firecracker and Tad is the definition of a caregiver and I just liked them together. A sweet, organic and uncomplicated kind of love. I wish the story had been longer! I would read a full length novel in a heartbeat.
The background story is interesting. It’s not brand new information if you’ve read the related series (both of them), but I appreciated getting more of an inside view of Baylor and his operation. It really makes you feel for the victims, especially since this kind of stuff happens in real life.
And a note – Mal (one of the side characters) is my absolute favorite character written by Piper, so I’m glad he’s introduced here, but I honestly got emotional reading about his younger, vulnerable self. I need Vincent to swoop in and heal his heart now!! His story is so incredibly heartbreaking, but beautiful. If you haven’t read it, you’re missing out!
While I would have loved these to be developed a bit, so that the plot could be a bit more complex, the idea for the series and the characters were spot on.
I am not usually one to pick up novellas, but Piper Scott did an awesome job here and it was well worth the time to read it. Looking forward to triplet #2 and #3 being hitched.
Tight, concise, good plot, upbeat end: pretty perfect!
September 6, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 plusstars
I really liked this couple and the drama that brings them together in a dark back alley! A meet sinister as opposed to a meet cute.
Author Piper Scott did a great job of keeping the story focused, limiting the hand wringing and introspection. No extensive or explicit description of Seth’s work as an escort, but I did not need all of the salubrious details of Seth’s life in Baylor’s hands to understand his desperation. As a result, I enjoyed this story more than I thought I could with its shorter length. It just could have been a tad longer on describing Tad and Seth’s time together before the happy finale; maybe a bit more of the romantic times to balance out the Baylor syndicate drama.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the story; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Love Me is the first book in the Rutledge Brothers series by Piper Scott. This tell the story of omega Seth Cooper who escapes his life as a sex worker at The White Lotus and finds himself in the protective presence of Alpha Tad Rutledge. These two men immediately pulled me into their story and captured my heart. I really wanted to know more about The White Lotus boys and how it all came to an end and this gives me some of that. The story has a sense of danger, suspense, drama, and sweetness of finding a future. I cant wait for next book.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.