Troy BrennanEvery Southie in Boston knows that name. The son of a dead mobster. The heart-throb with steel-blue eyes. “The Fixer” who can make or break you in this city. Oh, and my new husband. Sparrow Raynes That’s me. No one seemed to remember my name up until he barged into my life. But then he caged me. Kidnapped me. And killed every chance I had to run away from the place where we grew up. … every chance I had to run away from the place where we grew up.
Put simply, Troy Brennan clipped my wings.
I have dreams, big ones, but I doubt he’ll ever let me chase them. I have no idea why he decided to take me as his wife. But I do know this: pissing off this man will not do me any good. At all.
Sparrow is an Amazon international bestseller.
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Angsty. Cold. Deadly. Hot. Numbing. Sexy.
Everything I could possibly need. This story shattered and pulverized my heart. Troy and Sparrow…phew. Heartrate-tripping and panty-melting. Tear-inducing and rage intensifying.
I’ve read other books from Leigh, and for some reason had this book sitting on my kindle for years. I don’t even fucking know why, either. Troy though? He infiltrated my heart and soul, over Celian and Vicious….and that’s WOW.
On to The Hunter now 😉
Troy and Sparrow’s story is one that had me flipping pages as fast as I could to get through the slow burn! I love Sparrow’s independence and how she doesn’t change who she fundamentally is for anyone or anything. Her fire, passion, tenacity, and free spirit are everything I love in a heroine. Troy…. oh man! I was NOT a fan of his for a little bit. He was definitely slow to realize what was happening, although when he did…. he certainly came through.
Definitely a book I can see myself re-reading.
Who doesn’t love an arranged marriage story, especially by one of the best contemporary romance writers to do it? Sparrow was a win for me. Sparrow Raynes is also my favorite heroine of L.J. Shen’s, next to Rosie LeBlanc.
This book has been on my TBR shelf since January 2017 and I have now finally read it. I don’t know what has taken me so long especially since I know a lot of people that have read it and enjoyed it but there you have it, three years it’s taken three years. Oh, and it’s my first book by L.J. Shen as well, and yes I do have more of her book on my shelf as well….guess I’ll be moving those closer to the top of the list now.
I enjoyed quite a few things about this book but most of all I LOVED the narration done by Michael Pauley, he could read the phone book to me and I would enjoy it…he has a very nice voice 😉
Troy and Sparrow’s love story doesn’t quite start off that way, first we are all gathered for their wedding only to find out that it was an arranged marriage and the bride isn’t happy about it at all. Then we find out more…..the cheating, the lies, the killings, the lies, the….. everything. Yes this story is filled with tons of angst. Yes this is a dark read but for me it’s on the lighter side of it because I have read many book that were seriously darker.
This story has me feeling a wide range of emotions and I enjoyed the read. I look forward to reading more book by L.J. Shen in the near future. If you enjoy stories about organized crime, romantic suspense, or the bad boy/good girl trope I recommend this book to you.
Happy Reading!!!
I’ve read several books by LJ Shen and Sparrow is definitely one of my favorite books by her. Sparrow is a mafia love story and I have to say that I am not the biggest fan of mafia stories, but this book is just incredibly good!
Sparrow is about Troy Brennan, the son of a dead mobster. He is a very powerful, mysterious & dark man and controls pretty much everything. And of course he is a very hot & sexy.
Sparrow Raynes grew up in the same neighbourhood as him and is ten years younger than Troy. She pretty much get kidnapped to get married to him, but the big question is why?
Even if her husband is a powerful & controlling man, she holds her head up high and masters situations with such a strength. That’s a woman you can look up to.
I loved the development of their relationship. They have a special connection even though you might not see it at first … and their chemistry? It’s off the freaking charts!
I was totally hooked by the story and I highly recommend this story to everyone.
Troy Brennan is a true antihero and although he is someone you should hate there is no way you won’t fall in love with him! In the beginning of this story we find Sparrow thrown into a marriage to Troy. A marriage neither wanted but one that had to happen. What unfurls is years of secrets and deceit and how an innocent girl fell in love with a villain. Sparrow is dark and beautiful and I loved every word!
“Troy Brennan was the devil, but sometimes, even good girls wanted a healthy dose of evil in their lives.”
I freaking LOVE this book. It is a great story that you won’t be able to put down, it’s very well written with great characters and story line.
Sparrow was amazing she’s feisty, sassy and strong than won’t let anyone take her down.
Troy well lets see in exactly Sparrow words :
“A cheater, a criminal and perhaps even a murderer, my husband wasn’t exactly a catch in my book. And sadly, I still wanted him around.”
And yes… You will want him around too, it’s hard not to fall for him.
The banter and chemistry between Sparrow and Troy is everything, the way she infuriates him and all the push and pull and the sparks flew around them.
“I wanted to kill and kiss the shit out of her in the same breath. It pissed me off and delighted me all at the same time.”
L.J Shen writing is amazing she creates something really amazing with the exact amount of everything that will leave you wanting for more.
I first read Sparrow 3 years ago after I had read Blood to Dust and decided I needed to read more by this author, L.J. Shen, and see what her books were all about. At the time, I felt like I was discovering a new gem in my book world and I knew, even after reading only 2 books, that I was going to be reading a lot more of her books in the future. Fast forward to 2020 and now I’ve read nearly ever book she’s written. Sparrow is still an excellent book the second time around and I think I appreciate it more now that I’ve had some time pass between reads. Troy and Sparrow are both wonderful characters and I enjoy their development as the storyline progresses. Their give and take is such fun to read. The Mafia Enemies to lovers trope has been done to death over the years, but this book is one of the best around and I think it always will be. Maybe I’ll read it again in 3 more years. 5 Fantastic Stars
Sparrow had been sitting in my Kindle cloud for ages. Yeap, only four years says she with her head bowed! And then a book buddy gave me a teaser of encouragement and I dived into it. Clearly, I’d been missing out on all the action! What. A. Read! I’m accustomed to LJ’s writing so should I have been surprised by her penmanship? Well…in this case, yes! The unexpected and gritty scenarios kept me stuck to the pages, but more importantly, the fastmoving plot was really well-thought-out.
Are you like me and want to hate the hero but as hard as you try, you can’t? Troy Brennan is the epitome of disastrously controlled actions. He knows it; he owns all of them without a blink of an eye and I loved him even more for it. Worse, he’s future was neatly tied up, sealed and literally delivered on a bottom line. But how could he say no to someone that he respected so much? Yeap, this guy does have a moral compass even if its a tad wayless in regards to him doing business.
Sparrow is my kind of heroine. Falling head over heels with her was easy-peasy. Her backchat sold me big time and I found myself urging her on in scenes which made me want to give someone a serious Kindle bashing or three! Although she’s quite a bit younger than her adversary, she’s strong, won’t be easily convinced and rubbing up Troy the wrong way added to this vengefully twisted love-to-hate romance perfectly.
A couple of the characters irritated me no-end but saying that, Sparrow’s besties are the bee’s knees. And despite family issues saddening me, the banter between all was perfectly constructed! It’s nonstop, more than often witty and has its contrasts. The whole story boils down to a list of retribution…so if you love who done it novels, this one is for you. The outcome took me by surprise. Never in a million years could I have imagined who was the culprit. Narrated from a dual point of view helped me get inside the protagonists’ thoughts and all in all, I couldn’t recommend this standalone more. Bravo, Shen.
Not sure why it took me so long to read this book…
I LOOOOVED IT!!
Troy was the biggest ASS (and he was that way for 80-90% of the book) but that made me love him even more!! LJ sure knows how to write a$$holes that you love to hate and hate to love..
Sparrow is amazing!!! I loved her!! What what she is forced into.. she does not hold back!!! She gives as good as she gets!!! Troy definitely has his hands full with her!!!
I completely devoured this book in the span of a couple hours!!! I could not put it down!!!! Amazing job !!!
Sparrow
Let me just say, I’ve yet to read a book by LJ Shen that I haven’t loved…Having said that, I loved Sparrow….big shock…
Troy Brennan is a mob fixer, and and a bit of an ass-ole…Sparrow is 10 years younger and forced into an arranged marriage with “the fixer”…..So many twists and turns in this book….Lots of good stuff….
Hook line and sinker – I was captured
I really enjoyed this book!!! From the start I was not sure where the story was going to go. We are introduced to Troy in a brutal way , he’s seeking revenge for the death of his father. And we are introduced to sparrow (or red as Troy calls her ) shortly after as his arranged marriage – wife.
Sparrow is 22 and is thrown into a marriage with Troy suddenly one day with no explanation , but she does it because Troy is known to be a dangerous man and she fears for her safety if she doesn’t do what she’s told .
As the story progresses we are given little clues about why sparrow and Troy got married , and who Troy is under his beastly exterior and image.
Troy is an asshole , but he does have a heart and he and sparrow have chemistry together which they discover over time.
I Loved that sparrow finds her back bone very quickly and once she does doesn’t take shit from anyone.
Troy is well connected (but isn’t mafia or mob related) , he’s reputation and job is not clean by any means but he protects and stands up for those he cares about .
I was deeply enthralled in the story and didn’t want to stop reading it ! I loved the moment is suspense and I loved how it all ended ! This was a really great read !
In true LJ Shen fashion, this book was gritty, dark, and steam. The push and pull between the characters pulled me in but LJ’s artistic writing did the rest. This is my 3rd book of hers I’ve read and its definitely a must read/recommend.
Sigh.
Not sure why, I was a little reluctant to read this book and kept pushing it back on my tbr list. But this book is everything. I literally couldn’t put it down once I started reading, and here we are 7 hours later.
Shen’s writing is just so captivating it pulls you in. The characters have so much depth and spunk and life.
I swear she could write the phone book and make it feel like a heartbreaking, angsty masterpiece.
5 stars and a blueberry pancake .
I think almost everything has said about this book but anyway, here I go: WOW. What a book hangover! This is my first book by LJ Shen and won’t be the last. Amazing writer. She’s a master of the words and language.
Arrange marriage, mobsters and aged gap are my favorite themes and this books is a masterpiece. Absolutely everything. The characters, the plot, the world building, the pace, the dialogues, the inner monologues,… wonderfully written.
I love Sparrow and Troy story. They are both strangers and with opposed personalities. They don’t like each other but find some things in the other that make them alive. Their indifference and relationship is evolving during the book and they’re forced to face hard events and difficulties beyond their minds.
This is a thrilling story. It keeps the tension and the interest during the whole book. I absolutely LOVED everything about “Sparrow”. The fights, the dark alpha male H, the fierce and innocent h, the steamy scenes, their chemistry, the love, the hate, the angst, the witty comments and the awesome plot.
Outstanding work!
This book is the reason L.J. Shen is one of my favorite authors,and the first one I’ve read by her. If it’s possible I think I love it even more now after reading it for the second time. I just love Troy and Sparrow so much. Their relationship and that connection they share is so real and beautiful. I loved them as individuals and I loved them even more together.
I read this book because a friend recommended it to me. I am so glad she did because I didn’t want to put the book down, but of course life gets int the way so I did. This book was angsty, raw, and gave me all the feels. Troy is that alpha you love to hate, but can’t help but fall in love with in the end and Sparrow is a sassy, smart-mouthed, strong-willed young woman who pushed back when she was pushed. The chemistry they had was off the charts. There was so much mystery and those plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat especially toward the end. This may have been my first book by LJ Shen, but it most certainly won’t be my last.
Just finished this beauty and OMFG!! Don’t tell Vic or Bane, but Troy freaking Brennan owns my ass! Michael Pauley did such a fabulous job narrating too!
What a great book!! I purchased this book when it came out but somehow it got lost in the TBR world and now I am so mad at myself for waiting this long.
This is another one of those cocky, self assured, sexy as sin L. J. Shen men. Boy can she create the assholes we all love to hate. So, yes, Troy was such an irritating shit at the beginning but damn if he got me. Slowly I started to fall.
Sparrow she is a different bird. lol. I adore her character. It’s strange how she ok’d the marriage in the first place but I was here for it. Her character was amazing and strong and perfect.
I love how the author takes you through Boston and to this fancy restaurant, or a dinner, or a cabin. It’s all so clear. She makes you fall even harder. You want to root for these two.
The story has secrets and twists. The tension between the two is flammable. Oh how I loved it. This is a read you don’t want to miss out on!!
For all the books of L.J Shen this is the first time that I didn’t love the characters and the story.
I didn’t lose sleep or food for reading. It was ok but not amazing.