NOW A TOP TWENTY AMAZON BESTSELLERRosieThey say that life is a beautiful lie and death a painful truth. They’re right.No one has ever made me feel more alive than the guy who serves as a constant reminder that my clock is ticking.He is my forbidden, shiny apple.The striking fallacy to my blunt, raw, truth.He is also my sister’s ex-boyfriend.One thing you should know before you judge me;I saw him … thing you should know before you judge me;
I saw him first. I craved him first. I loved him first.
Eleven years later, he waltzed into my life, demanding a second chance.
Dean Cole wants to be my bronze horseman. My white knight has finally arrived. Hopefully, he isn’t too late.
Dean
They say the brightest stars burn out the fastest. They’re right.
She sets my mind on fire.
All smart mouth, snarky attitude and a huge heart.
In a world where everything is dull, she shines like Sirius.
Eleven years ago, fate tore us apart.
This time, I dare it to try.
Getting to her is a battlefield, but man, that’s why they call me Ruckus.
Rosie LeBlanc is about to find out how hard I can fight.
And conquering her will be the sweetest victory.
Ruckus is a complete standalone and a part of the Sinners of Saint series
more
I loved Dean, our hothole #2 just a tad bit more than I did Vicious. By all appearances, Dean “Ruckus” Cole is the clown, the joker, the life of the party. But we all know that Leigh’s men have dark hidden secrets that they only let come out to the women they love.
Christian Rummel and Savannah Peachwood give outstanding performances in the audio version.
I knew going into this book that it was going to be tough and I really didn’t know what to expect but Jesus of everything good I did not expect what I got. LJ Shen wrote the perfect book and this is another fav for 2017 and I think that this will be one of my fav series.
Dean was not a nice guy but in a way you just couldn’t help to root for the guy, he stuffed up so many times and pretty much made crap decisions but in the back of my mind I knew he would be a good guy I had a lot of faith in him. Dean was broken, I felt half the time he thought his life was a lie and he had so many secrets and demons he just needed to learn how to fight them the right way.
Rosie was broken but in a different way, she lived life to fullest as she knew she was expected to live to an older age, having cystic fibrosis she needed to look after herself and she needed to be treated like a human, not a baby, not someone who was sick and Dean helped her feel a lot of different emotions but it helped her live. Rosie was such a beautiful character and I loved her spunk, her sass and her over all attitude she was a pleasure to read.
Whilst reading this book I really thought I had everything figured out, I thought I could guess Deans secrets and who was supposed to be in his life and this is what Leigh did she made you think one thing and BOOM out of nowhere you were schooled on being so wrong and I didn’t see any of the mysterys unfold the way they did and that to me is bloody exciting and had me ohhhhing out loud.
This was a fantastic book I loved absolutely everything it, I felt sadness, triumph, anger and happiness. I cried and I laughed and at times I just couldn’t put it down.
Loved loved loved this book and deserves so much more than 5 stars great job LJ and a great job with the first 2 books in this series being freaking awesome. Thank you for letting me read an early copy
This is my favorite of the series so far. I really loved their story and I laughed and cried along with them. This book I could not put down.
I never liked Dean I thought he was a self-righteous asshole and after reading his story he still is but I like him. He’s actually a better person than I thought he was.
I love how he is with Rosie, his constant hitting on her in his sweet dirty way would have melted anyone’s else panties it did Rosie as well but she was determined not to falter and she had her sassy retorts.
As I was reading about the other hotholes, I have missed them other may not understand their relationship but it is what it is.
I cry a few times, knowing Rosie’s fears for her life was heartbreaking due to her illness and Dean’s situation I did not see that coming that was a shocking revelation.
This series gets more amazing as it goes along. Absolutely loved it
Loved All the ups and downs and just how Real Life can smack you in the Face!! REAL LOVE CAN CONCUR ANYTHING
Dean “Ruckus” Cole blew my mind!!! Was he a manwhore? HELL YES. Did he drink and smoke way too much? Definitely. Was he a cocky asshole? Most definitely. Did he love with his whole heart? Absolutely! But the most important question…. Did he truly LOVE Rosie?? More than HIS next breath!!! This read was epic! It truly pulls you in and definitely extracts so many emotions and feels with all the twists and turns you will keep thinking just one more chapter. Ruckus will leave you breathless and begging for more of the HotHoles!
I’m learning very quickly that L.J. Shen pulls zero punches and that her characters, at least in this series, are unapologetically downright unlikeable and destructive and weirdly… I find myself liking them. I didn’t want to like Vicious, and I did. Jamie was actually pretty easy to like, in retrospect. Dean is no Vicious, but similarly just an asshole out for only himself and I wanted to continue hating him for who he is and how he acts… but somehow he grew on me. Rosie on the other hand is a hero of mine. She’s badass and snarky and just been dealt a shitty hand and deserves more. This whole world is rapidly becoming a favorite and I’ll be sad when the ride is over. For some raw, gritty love mixed in with hate and reality, give this series a read!
Dene and Rosie
As in Dene and Baby LeBlanc
As in Emily’s ex boyfriend Dene and Emily’s baby sister
First tought? Dirty filthy sexy (you can’t not think this with THAT cover, right!) and unbelievable
Known as playboy and sweet girl, these two are like water and oil. They can not be together. But yet, this author found a way to make it happen. And it is a filthy yet sweet way
Amazing book! The story of Dean and Baby LeBlanc is a captivating story of romance in good times and the bad times and sickness.
I’ll be honest – I think Dean is my favorite of the HotHoles. He is caring towards those around him.
I also love Baby LeBlanc (sorry, the nickname is awesome and I just love using it). She is such a strong and interesting character! She lives and enjoys life despite her condition and that’s inspiring as hell!
The story is fabulously amazing – definitely a 5 star reading!
Oh Man, this book. I read these books way out of order. I read Vicious just before Scandalous came out, then read that. I FINALLY got back to Ruckus. These books have all wrecked me in one way or another, and this one was no exception. There were so many amazing twists and turns and so many things I didn’t realize reading Vicious. I had NO CLUE that Dean and Rosie had this secret thing going on, we had only seen things from Millie and Vicious’ point of view. It was so nice to get clarification!!!
I love that we got to see so many sides of the characters in this book. We got to see this “new” Vicious and Millie. They both are just so unbelievably happy, it’s adorable. Then we get to see more of the family dynamic of the guys and of the actual families. What’s best though, is that we got to see another tough guy fall, HARD. Dean wasn’t exactly the coolest cucumber in Vicious, but we I didn’t expect this. I love how hard he tried to get to Sophie. I love how they had this adorable banter via text message. I love how they used each other as an escape. I loved it all. I really don’t want this all to end. I really want more of them!
Loveee this book so much. Definitely recommend it.
It’s been over a week since I first (yes, first;) read Ruckus by the ever so beautiful and amazing LJ Shen. Have you ever read something SO fan-freaking-tastic, that you just could NOT express it? Because that was me. All I could type out was –Oh. My. God. I can’t even!! For those of you unfamiliar with Sinners of Saint, Ruckus is about a “hothole” (hot as hell asshole;) named Dean & his obsession with a sinfully fragile girl named Rosie. It is written in first person alternating POVs by these two crazy kids which makes it all the more amazing! Now, where to start? The writing-oh my God the writing!
“Soon. I knew, we would succeed. Dangerous chemistry. Our bodies were attuned in a way souls are. Faultlessly. His skin on mine was like being kissed everywhere down to the most isolated corner of my body.”
Seriously. LJ just GETS it. From hauntingly beautiful passages like the above, to the hilarious witty banter via texts by Rosie & Dean-it is all so freaking amazing you want to savor each sentence. Each paragraph. Each chapter. Yes, it’s THAT good. And the sex? Holy hell, so steamy you will be blushing & biting your lip the entire time!
Now the characters & the storyline…..Rosie…Baby LeBlanc….nothing keeps this girl down. Despite having a chronic disease that often comes with a short life, she lives to the fullest. She & Dean have a history, but it was her sister that got him first. SHE “saw him first, craved him first, loved him first”. Then quietly stepped aside for her sister’s happiness. Rosie is the kind of girl women wish to be, and men want to have. She is a tiny fierce blond pixie just trying to find happiness in the time she has left. Loved her, absolutely freaking ADORED her. This is what I enjoy about first person POV and a writer as amazingly talented as LJ-you FEEL what Rosie feels, right down to your toes you feel it all. Then there is my now favorite hothole- Dean ‘Ruckus’ Cole. Yup. Favorite. He is cocky, full of so much swagger I’m surprised he remains in an upright position-but he is everything! Hot, sexy, sarcastic, possessive –what’s not to love? He isn’t without faults, though he acknowledges them so –bonus points there. Then the chase, he’s after her at all costs but plays it oh so well…..just slipping in when she needs him most…and Rosie lets him in despite her years of trying to block him out. They ARE the moon and sun, not able to live without one another, completely complimenting each other-undeniable chemistry.
This book had me sucked IN. Everything faded away while I read, it was all that. I have read everything this beautiful talented Goddess of a woman has put out, and loved every single novel. But Ruckus? Ruckus OWNED me….maybe because I’ve been on a downward trajectory losing someone I loved…I was just so affected by the beautiful verbiage, strong realistic some-what broken characters, hilarious af witty banter, steamier than hell sex scenes….all of it. This book is it, LJ Shen is a Goddess. Read it. Love it. Savor it.
One of my favorite
I didn’t think Dean could ever get a women to make him want to give up his manwhore ways. Rosie was the perfect match for Dean. Rosie made Dean work for a relationship with her . I was gasping at the end of this novel , the author sure knows how to weave the story to make the reader keep guessing.
** spoiler alert ** I liked this book but felt it was missing more depth between Rosie and Dean. They are hot together and the sex was HOT HOT HOT but I was left wanting more talking and just being between them and not have it be about her being sick. The first couple chapters I thought she was too much of a bitch and then I liked her more and more as the book went on. You have to buy into the backstory for them and I did but I felt like Dean did like Millie and he was so angry when Vic interfered. He held onto that anger for a long time and LJ’s writing and backstory fixes all of that. I do think Emilia always belonged with Vicious so it all worked out. I loved the talks between the hotholes. I loved Vicious and Emilia getting married and having a baby and wanted more of them to be honest. Baron’s reaction to her being pregnant would have been awesome. I would have also loved more of Jamie and Mel and what is going on with them. I loved Vic and Dean talking about Dean going after Rosie and how Vic wasn’t surprised and also Deans convo with Jamie about his intentions. The board meeting between the guys was awesome and Vic had plan and it was awesome to read. I loved the stuff with Trent and Luna and can’t wait for a Trent book. The Nina thing was a good twist that I wasn’t expecting. It is a good book but for me they aren’t Vic and Emilia they are my #1 and I think Jamie and Mel feel more real to me because there was just more with them. I loved reading about the totholes it was adorable. Overall it is a must read and a wicked awesome series.
“You were always the one, Rosie. Before you even opened your goddamn mouth, I knew that I had to have you. And it took me a long time, but now that I own you — and let there be no mistakes, you’re mine, baby — nothing will come between us, get it?”
This book had the right amount of seriousness and the perfect dose of comic relief. RUCKUS was everything I had hoped for and then some. Leigh’s writing and storyline pulled on all the heartstrings in this book with Dean’s past history and Rosie’s illness…I may have shed a tear or 10 million by the end. There were several moments that left me thinking: “I did not see that coming.”which I FLOVE when authors can do that to me because so many romance’s almost seem predictable nowadays, but not with this book.
RUCKUS was about how life isn’t fair, but you still need to live in the moment because you don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Time is one thing money can not buy, so appreciate it and cherish it. It was about loving with every last breath that you have because you never know when your last one will be.
Dean “Ruckus” Cole and Rosie “Baby LaBlanc” are my new favorite “hothole couple” and I truly don’t know how LJ Shen will top them.
#Sirius2Earth
10 stars!
———————
AUDIO: I once again listened the audio while reading this book (just like I did VICIOUS). The same narrators were used and I was happy with them being the voices for Rosie and Dean.
5 stars
“I’m letting you off the hook this time, because you’re a newbie, but just so you know-it is happening, it is mine, and you are welcome. Lesson Learned.”
I learned my lesson!! I anticipate this Author’s books like my next breath, yet I find my self slowly savoring each and every word. I love allowing the feelings to sink in, the laughs prolonged, and the emotions freeze so it can last so much longer than the day it takes me to read. Each snarky encounter, every sexy moment, the forbidden cloud hanging over their heads, not to mention a much bigger cloud than you could even imagine. The love isn’t perfect, but it’s true, it’s real, and I felt it all. Ruckus slowly invaded my soul and left me speechless by the end. I thank the Author for providing a copy to review.
“I fell asleep in the arms of his demons knowing I’d wake up in the arms of a sweet man. For Dean ‘Ruckus’ Cole had many faces. And all of them were beautiful. At least to me.”
~~~Erika, Book Haven Book Blog
L.J. Shen writes rotten-to-the-core male leads impeccably. She pairs them perfectly with fiesty, strong females. In Ruckus she takes a second chance a romance theme couples with a love/hate relationship and weaves it through pages of palpable passion and heated banter to execute an entertaining, intriguing, and un-put-downable book with a taboo edge. This hails as book 2 of the contemporary and erotic Sinners of Saint series. While the leading characters are new I’d highly recommend not missing out on book one of the series, Vicious. Both of these leads have deep history rooted in the first story.
I really liked this one. The whole series is a must read!
I am a HotHole Fan for LIFE!!! This group of friends have stuck together through thick and thin, high’s and low’s, happy times and suck a$$ times. The true meaning of friendship is right here in the HotHole brigade!!
This is Dean and Rosie’s story…One that is full of Love….
What makes you feel alive? Lusting after someone. So badly your center aches, your eyesight is blurry and your morals are thrown out the window.
Coming to grips with falling in love with a HotHole….
He’s a HotHole, Rosie. They’re so bad they can’t even spell the word ‘good’, but I think you already know that. As long as you protect your heart.
And figuring out that even though you are a HotHole, you do have a heart….
Hey Sirius? Yes, Earth? Why do you shine so f-ing bright? You make it hard for me to sleep next to you.
While we learn about these two in depth, we also find out some very interesting facts that totally threw me for a curve. Indeed, it proves that… The Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Ruckus was a very strong, emotionally heartbreaking book! One that deserved to be told, the good, the bad and the ugly!!!! Hat’s off to you L.J. Shen for bringing us this story of not settling for what you think you want, but going for what you know you want!!!
#BookBistroBlogApproved