Simon
The only thing that stands in the way of my revenge is her.
The lying scheming daughter of the man who killed my parents. She has the secrets I need to bring down her father.
And I’ll do anything to get them. I will lie to her. Steal from her. Use her.
Ruin her.
It helps that our chemistry is explosive.
What I’m not expecting is for her to be so sweet. And so strong.
… chemistry is explosive.
What I’m not expecting is for her to be so sweet. And so strong.
So…irresistible.
Penny
After so many years of lying and hiding, I finally have a place to call home. With people I can call a family. The Paintbrush Inn is my life now, and I won’t let anyone ruin it.
When sexy and world-weary Simon checks in to the Inn, I never expect him to glance my way. I’ve spent my whole life blending into the background. Being overlooked and ignored. It’s been helpful, even though it’s lonely. And he’s way out of my league.
But our attraction is powerful. Undeniable.
Dangerous.
Because I can’t let anyone close. If the secrets I keep were to be revealed, my whole life would be destroyed. But something about Simon makes me break all my own rules. I’m letting him in to my home, my body, my life, never expecting he has his own secrets.
His own lies.
When the truth comes out, we’ll both be ruined.
more
After enduring a troubling childhood Simon has grown to be a broken and vulnerable man riddled with many questions and an unwavering obsession for getting revenge… but something stands in his way… a very beautiful and unexpected something. The moment he comes face to face with Penny he can’t help but fall for her a little, the chemistry they share is unmistakable, but she also represents a part of his past that causes him so much anger, and inviting her into his world could be dangerous and reckless. But she has the answers he needs, so he will surrender a little to get whatever he needs from her to bury her father and put an end to the past that has been haunting him all his life…
The moment Penny’s eyes land on Simon she feels the pull between them, and it scares the hell out of her, she has spent so many years trying to put her horrible past behind her, and blend into the new world she has created, but the pull between them tugs her out of the shadows and into the light. He is unlike any other man she has met, he makes her feels things she never knew were possible, but there is an air of mystery about him too. She has always been so guarded, out of necessity, but with him she feels like she can tell him anything, but doing so could cost her so much…
Ruin You is an emotionally charged read that will have you hooked the moment your eyes land on the first page, it’s such an amazing story. Between the pages of this read you will find moments that will break your heart, moments that will fill your heart with hope, and moments that will have your heart overflowing with love. This well crafted couple will take you on a unforgettable journey filled with many bumps, and unexpected pleasures, but somewhere along the way you will also see a rebirth of sorts, a time when they are finally able to let their pasts go and rediscover a life they never knew existed, and it is a really beautiful thing to witness. This was my first visit to this series, and after devouring this one, I am determined to make a return trip and meet the other characters I missed in the first two installments, if their stories are anything like this one, then I know I will absolutely love them! Highly recommend you get your hands on this read, it will wreck you in the best possible way!!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.
RUIN YOU is the third full-length instalment in Molly O’Keefe’s contemporary, adult THE DEBT dark, romance series focusing on a group of former teens thrown together in the foster/ juvenile system of San Francisco, California (more specifically the St. Jude’s Home for Court Place Juveniles) -Tommy, Beth, Simon, Rosa and Carissa. This is journalist Simon Malik, and chef Penny McConnell’s story line. RUIN YOU can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary with the inclusion of a prologue that reveals some of the background and events leading to the debt owed by Tommy, Simon and Carissa to the mysterious Mr. Bates.
There is a FREE short story prologue available -THE DEBT. The same short story prologue is also contained at the beginning of Tommy and Beth’s story-Lost Without You.
NOTE: RUIN YOU, like book one-Lost Without You- begins seven to eight years earlier in which we are witness to the horrific acts of violence perpetrated on five young souls who will be beaten and broken for any number of offenses deemed inappropriate or wrong. The introduction reveals five ‘young offenders’ destroyed by a sexually and physically abusive foster family, only to discover that freedom came at a cost- all debts must be repaid; anytime, anywhere, without question or fail.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Simon and Penny) RUIN YOU begins eight years earlier as the reader is given a glimpse into Simon’s past and his first encounter with our story line heroine: the events leading to his incarceration in the juvenile offender’s system, and the fall out when Simon and his best friend Tommy (LOST WITHOUT YOU) took measures to ensure their foster family was no longer a threat to their safety and health. Fast forward to present day wherein Simon’s debt-the cost of his freedom-must be repaid. Enter Penny McConnell aka Tina Andreas, Simon’s target and the woman with whom our hero will fall in love. What ensues is the building relationship between Penny and Simon, and the fall out when Tina’s (Penny) father discovers the whereabouts of his long, lost daughter, and the truth about Simon’s mission is finally revealed.
RUIN YOU is a story of second chances; of lies and betrayal; of romance and love. Penny McConnell is not who she professes to be but neither is Simon Malik who sets out to seduce the woman who may or may not have access to the information he so desperately wants. The relationship between Simon and Penny is one of immediate attraction and insta-lust but our heroine knows that to get involved would mean having to reveal the real person behind her professional façade. Simon’s undercover assignment follows a two-step plan in which retribution and revenge are a by-product of a debt repaid. The $ex scenes are limited but intimate, erotic and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
RUIN YOU is a slow paced story; a sweet burn romance;with a conflict resolution that was over too quickly. Tommy and Beth (Lost Without You) make a cameo appearance, as well as the mysterious Mr. Bates, Carissa, Penny’s business partner Megan, and Tina’s father Dale Simpson. I suspect there is some history between Carissa and Bates; we learn a little more about Mr. Bates’ connection to the group home survivors. Rosa’s whereabouts have finally been uncovered, and our story line hero is about to embark on a mission to find their missing friend. The premise is entertaining and engaging; the characters are charismatic and determined; the romance is fated and captivating.