One night of complete surrender is all it takes. Gareth Harris is Manchester United’s reclusive star defender. He has control over all aspects of his life. But a lifetime of supporting his siblings and filling in for an emotionally absent father has taken its toll. Sloan Montgomery is a clothing stylist whose world was turned upside down when she found herself pregnant and moving to Manchester … moving to Manchester with a man who was never supposed to be her forever. Now recently divorced and struggling with shared custody of her daughter, control is a fleeting concept for this American living in England.
Both Gareth and Sloan are in need of a release.
A moment in time where they can forget about their pasts and family pressures…and just…
…surrender.
No one could predict what happens when both of their defences are down.
Surrender is part one of the Final Harris Brother Duet and concludes with Dominate. This duet reads great on it’s own, but to maximize enjoyment, check out the first three brothers’ books in Challenge, Endurance, and Keeper
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“How do you know he’s a wanker?”
Gareth runs his thumb across my lower lip. “Because he didn’t see you the way I see you.”
My mouth falls open as tears prick the back of my eyes. “How do you see me?” I ask, my voice thick with fear.
He sighs heavily like he’s been sitting on his answer for ages. “Like a lioness. And any rightful king would be a fool not to bow to his queen.”
Oh. My. Gosh. Gareth!
Gareth, being the eldest of the Harris brothers, was a difficult man to decipher throughout the other books. Since he was out on his own, and keeping a distance from the clan, it wasn’t often that we would get a glimpse into his space and especially not into him. When I began, I expected a character similar to the other Harris brothers, but what I got was someone entirely removed.
This review is extremely difficult to write, because what I found most admirable about Gareth I can’t go into detail regarding. Let me just say that I believe he is definitely the most powerful member of the Harris men and he has a strength within him that seems to contradict some of the things I learned about him. There is so much more to Gareth than anyone sees, even his family.
I have to say that I love the way Sloan entered his life. As his fashion guru, she simply caters to his clothing needs, but in doing that I saw much more to her. She not only had clear talent with fashion, but she was intuitive beyond simple needs or wants. Entering into the personal side of her, I saw a woman who had truly lost herself. There is SO MUCH to Sloan. She is definitely a woman to admire, but she became this shadow of what she could be.
I have to say that this is definitely going to be my favorite story of the brothers because of the complexity that lies within the characters. Not only is there much more below the surface, but I think that even what I’ve seen so far isn’t everything. They both have so much to work through and so far to go, that I’m nervous to even begin the second part of the duet. I do have to say that Gareth is even more than I anticipated him to be, and I am beyond excited for this story.
As a fan of the Harris brothers, I knew Gareth would be the one to watch. And the one to wreck me. Seeing the family dynamic from his perspective, especially the childhood flashbacks, took my breath away. Those emotionally devastating snippets are the perfect counterpoint to the stalwart man he’s become. We finally get a sense of what Gareth witnessed as a boy, the eldest child in a family falling apart.
I loved watching the strong and silent Gareth attempt an unconventional relationship with the skittish Sloan, they are exactly what the other needs. But do they recognize that fact at first? Of course not! Sloan herself has nearly nothing figured out in her life, and she’s the first to acknowledge that fact. She knows what she doesn’t want, though, and that’s the life her ex-husband was born to. She also knows how Gareth makes her feel. Any kind of relationship is uncharted territory for both Sloan and Gareth, and it was so interesting getting inside their heads and hearts! I loved their intense dynamic, and I loved this book!
4 “Freedom” “Trecale” “not just one thing” Kisses
Gahhhhhhhhhhhh…I just knew Surrender was going to do some amazing things to me and I REALLY love it when I’m right! I have been dying to get my hot little hands on Gareth Harris from the get go…it’s impossible not to want to crawl around in his delicious brain but W-O-W! I had no idea…it was way more than I ever expected, and I mean that in the best ways possible. I truly loved every second of his and Sloan’s story…I never knew what was coming and that’s not something that happens to me often. So…Surrender is the fourth book in the Harris Brothers Series (Challenge, Endurance, Keeper) – each book is about a different brother and they can be read as complete standalones…but…I highly recommend reading this series in order. The characters and events are building off each previous book and right now I’m so insanely in love with this family I cannot even tell you. Everything is clearly explained so it wouldn’t be a bad thing if they were read out of order…but trust me – this is a series that needs to be read!
Gareth Harris…I think if you look up the definition of tall, dark and brooding there is a picture of Gareth. He has the silent and stoic role down to a freakin’ T – he could probably teach classes, but this isn’t an act for him. There are very good, solid reasons for all of Gareth’s behaviors and every single one of them cracked my heart wide open. What happened with his mom changed all of his siblings, clearly – I’ve been able to experience how her death changed every single brother leading up to Gareth’s, but no one knew her like Gareth did and holy tissue alert…I was not ready!!! I cannot even begin to count the number of times this man stole my heart…he was beyond all my expectations and dreams.
“I miss you, Sloan. We used to be friends.”
Her eyes are practically hooded when she licks her lips and replies, “We were never friends.”
I smirk. “We were friendly.”
She smirks back. “Too friendly I seem to recall.”
I lose the humour on my face and pin her with a sincere look. I do miss her. I miss her face and the effect she has on me. She makes me feel lighter, even if she’s twitching nervously. “Well, I don’t have many friends, but I counted you as one.”
Sloan Montgomery…well, it would truly take a very unique and special woman to capture the interest of Gareth Harris and I don’t think anyone could have fit the bill better than this woman. I don’t even know what I was truly expecting…but she’s exactly what I didn’t know I wanted for Gareth. She’s captivating in the most unexpected ways…she’s kind and gentle, funny and sweet – it’s impossible to deny her charm. I loved her intuitiveness…I loved her passion for her job…and I loved how absolutely genuine she was. Sloan has a lot of inner strength…it’s something that I think she has had to develop over time with her past, and as much as I hate some of the things that she has had to get through, I love that it has made her such a strong, reliable character.
‘Gone is the insecure, hostile woman from outside. The woman standing before me, sliding the short black scarf around her neck back and forth, is a bloody siren calling in ships from the sea. It’s enchanting. On the surface, she’s peaches and cream with a sweet, pleasing sort of nature. But there’s a fire beneath the surface of her that cannot be denied.’
GAH! These two slayed me…and I loved every second of it. Honestly, after seeing the brief interaction between Gareth and Sloan that we get a glimpse of in Endurance, I was intrigued to get the rest of the story…and I was so not disappointed! The reality was actually better than the story I had concocted in my head, and that’s saying something cause my imagination has had two books to run away with itself. I honestly had no clue what might be facing these two…but I knew it wouldn’t be easy…but damn, I didn’t know it was going to be this hard. It’s amazing to see both of them work through their issues…especially because it’s a breakthrough on so many levels for Gareth – every time he opened up to Sloan I thought my heart was going to melt from the feels. Nothing about them is ordinary or expected but every second is beautiful and breathtaking.
‘More than anything, I want to be free. From my mind. From my thoughts. From my past and my future. I want this.
“Let’s do this, Treacle.”’
Amy Daws…I fall more and more in love with this chicks brain with every word I read of this series – and after reading the first part of Gareth’s story, I want to hug her and strangle her…and then beg her for more. I am so loving every second of where she is taking this story, these characters – there are so many options and she has surprised me with every twist and turn. The growth that she has shown with Sloan and Gareth blows me away with every page, the journey their relationship is taking them makes me want to explode from happiness because this is everything that Gareth deserves. There are a lot of different ways that she can take this next book and I haven’t a clue what she is going to do…but the only thing I do hope there is resolution on (FINALLY) is with Gareth and his dad. What happened between them in Surrender tore me up and I really hope Gareth can have a breakthrough like the other brothers have. Something that did catch my eye with Surrender – all of the other books, for the most part, have been written in UK English – since the book is based in England, obviously it makes sense. There might have been a couple of things that snuck by, but for the most part it has worked really well. The snafu with Surrender is Sloan is American…yet her POV is still written with a lot of UK English spelling – it probably wouldn’t have stuck out to me except there is a running joke about Sloan and Gareth correcting each other on football/soccer and other UK/US terms and stuff – it’s super cute, but it made me question why her POV was written more Americanized.
‘He sinks his teeth onto my lower lip, sucking it between his lips so hard, it’s like he’s draining every last part of me. All those bits I’ve been holding back. All those feelings I’ve denied for weeks, for days, for minutes, for seconds. I’ve kept this part of me away from him because I knew deep down what would happen if I didn’t.
This.
This would happen.
Gareth Harris would claim me.’
Alright…*deep sigh* the ending…wow. Lots of things I loved – so many things…all the things I didn’t see coming, the way they were orchestrated, the way they made me feel, all of it was fantastic. A LOT happens in the last two or three chapters…I can’t really say it felt rushed but it was a lot to keep up with and I would have kind of liked a tiny bit more time to process…get ahold of emotions and check in with the characters. Especially at almost the very end, there was an element of surprise with Sloan’s actions…which I did like…but at the same time, I felt like I missed out on a little bit of seeing some of her thought process – but it was totally worth it given the pay off with what happened, so I got over that quickly. But…now we must discuss…the cliffhanger *dum dum dummmmmmmm* Yes…it’s a cliffhanger – and this one is a dooooozy! Here’s the thing though…I am one of those rare readers…I love cliffhangers. I preface that by saying, I love them if done right…a lot has to come together to make an effective and good cliffhanger and this one had a lot of those elements – I liked it, it definitely achieved its goal, cause I’m D-Y-I-N-G for Dominate but…I can’t say that I completely loved it until I see how it plays out in the next book. I can’t say more without spoiling it but I was really surprised with the direction…but I have questions…so I’m intrigued to see where Amy takes it. Regardless, I looooove Sloan and Gareth and I have to know what’s going to happen next. #HarrisAddict
The man you all have been waiting for is here and let me tell you I need Gareth in my life. Wow what a great book. You finally get to read all abut this amazing man. Amy you truly have a great gift in writing books that just make you almost fall of your chair you are so enthralled with them. I can not wait to read the next one and see how this story ends. LOVE LOVE LOVE it.
Surrender (Harris Brothers Book 4) What an amazing twist of a story of a strong willed man and a woman who needs to find her strength again. I was floored when I read this story. Love the sibling rivalry and bond this book also shares. Cannot wait to read book 2 of this amazing couple!
Gareth Harris has my heart he is bloody amazing.
This book was so much different from the other Harris Brothers it has a roller coaster of emotions throughout the book.
I was laughing like crazy at one point and then I was just crying my eyes out and my heart was aching so much, and then… The “end” that cliffhanger left me staring blankly at nothing in particular just trying to grasp what just happened and why?
Reading its felt like coming home seeing all the characters from the other books, characters that I love so much.
The book is really well written that you won’t be able to put it down once you start reading it.
Honestly, and don’t hit me for saying this, I wasn’t sure if I really cared about Gareth. I mean, from all the other books in the series he is such a grumpy ass that I never really liked him that much. To steal from another author’s book (Jay Crownover’s Rome), I’d have called him Captain No-Fun. However, I was still interested in reading his story, and finding out just why he was the way he was.
Well, let me tell you, Gareth is a different kind of guy than his brothers! But in this story, I grew to like him and understand him. While I knew the background of the Harris family from all the other books in the series, getting Gareth’s point of view was really eye-opening. Especially since he was the oldest and had the most knowledge and time with their mother before she died.
And then we have Sloan. I cannot tell you how much I hate her ex-husband! He is such a jerk! It totally makes sense why Sloan is the way she is. Now, when she and Gareth get together for the first time, let’s say it is hot! And sooooooooo different than you’d expect. Or at least than I expected. But I love the way it played out. I love the research that Sloan did, and how what their relationship actually turned out to be.
Be warned, there is a big shock at the end of this first part of Gareth’s story. I won’t tell you what it is. But I will tell you that I did NOT see it coming! Not even with what I look back on now and see were clues that the author sprinkled throughout the story early on. I’m now sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting for the second book so that I can see what is going to happen after that. I promise you will not be let down with this book.
I have to say that I wasn’t sure what to think. While I love Gareth and Sloan, their dynamics were weird for me in the beginning.
The writing as easy to get into (although I do sometimes have trouble with the English words, but luckily Amy Daws manages easily to make you understand what people talk about) and it was a fast read even while it wasn’t a short book. I haven’t read the ones before and while I’ll definitely pick them all up, I can’t say that I felt as if I was missing out. Granted, you can’t help but fall in love with the Harris-brothers, but again, Book one of the duet was perfectly fine to get into.
For a long time I was sure I’d have to rate this as an okay read, but toward the end it got much better again. Gareth being Gareth was just too fucking sexy.
What I do have to give the author props for are those scenes where the strong, handsome man surrenders all control to Sloan. The way they are described you can see him kneeling right there. Holy shit, well done on those scenes. Seriously.
As it is now, I’m ready for book two.
Audio Review from 2018
I screwed up and read this one second so it was more of a clarity book than a surprise book with the details BUT that didn’t stop me from enjoying the book any less.
The narrator team was amazing.
There was a scene between a young Gareth and his mom that Narrator Will Watt NAILED! It was so powerful and so REAL!!
This is not your typical boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love book. (Like any of Amy’s stories).
But the way they fall is beautiful and fun.
I can’t say enough good things about this story.
This book takes you one hell of a heavy rollercoaster ride. This book is full of angst, scorching hot chemistry, humor, lots of steam, and SO. MUCH. PAIN. Just when I thought I had it all figured out…BOOM…the unexpected happens. I had highs, lows, laughter, tears, rejoicing, cringing, love and disgust. Then, Daws twisted the knife a little bit further…with that damn mother of all cliffhangers!! Thank God I don’t have to wait for the next book to be released…I honestly wouldn’t be able to handle the wait!! You don’t want to miss out on Sloan & Gareth’s story! Do yourself a favor & read this series. Piper Goodeve, Charlotte Cole and Will Watt do an amazing job portraying the characters, bringing them to life and humanizing them with their emotions, attitude and personality. They do more than giving their characters their voices, they fall into the roles and become the character.
Loving this series, each one better than the last.
Wow, what a story and what an ending! I am ready for the next book in this series. I am truly enjoying this series. I definitely recommend this book.
Loved Gareth. And o can totally understand his need to have to relinquish control. Always having to make decisions and be responsible is a lot to handle all the time. Not having to choose is relaxing every once in awhile. I like the semi sub/Dom aspects but idk it’s hard to picture with him. Sometimes. I definitely hated how much she closed her self off and essentially lied about her life to him but then expected him to answer all manners of questions she had about his life. Love Gareth and can’t wait for next book to see what happens.
Gareth had me intrigued from the start and boy, did he have a story! Surrender was the 4th book in Amy’s Harris Brothers series. It was simply amazing, I loved every second of it. It was sexy, swoony, and the ending had me on the edge of my seat! Be warned…there was a cliffhanger and it was a big one! Luckily the next book was already out so I didn’t have to wait long!!
Gareth was a very private person for a major sports star. Raising his siblings from a young age took a lot out of him. He needed the space for his own well being, but after such a long time away, could he fit back in?
Sloan was struggling after getting divorced. It was a marriage that she should never had been a part of, but that didn’t make it any easier. Adjusting to a life where she only had her daughter part of the time and trying to make ends meet was starting to wear on her.
After knowing Gareth for years, could she trust him to be more than a client? Could they be each other’s missing piece?
Even with the cliffhanger, this was my favorite of the series! It was such a slow burn that just tugged at all of my heart strings! Pure perfection! Now, to go devour the second part!!
4.5 for Gareth!
I wanted to read this book so fast but also savor it. I know there is the next book for Gareth’s duet but I enjoyed how this book was different than the previous ones in the series.
Gareth Harris has been a mystery from the beginning. I was so excited to dive into his mind and learn more about what made him tick, and learn more about his past, present and future. The next book will definitely lead us into his future, since this one left on a (suspenseful) cliffhanger!
I absolutely love and adore this series. That being said, It was hard to like Sloan. But I enjoyed this story .
Surrender is my first book reading Amy Daws and I am blown away! Loved it and moving on to Harris book #5. How I started at the end of this series I don’t know but will have to read quick so I can go back to the beginning. Highly recommend!
A new author to me and I’ve already downloaded Dominate the second book of the duet. I really enjoyed the authors writing style, the storyline and the varied colourful characters. The Harris family children are a tight knit group, although they love throwing banter around.
Imagine feeling trapped in a loveless marriage, with a mother in law who looks down her pompous nose at you. Sloane has left her old life in the US behind to make a new one with her British husband. Working as a stylist, she meets the captain of Manchester United. A friendship develops and he is the only light during her dark weeks.
Gareth has spent most of his life looking after his family. At eight years old he was put in a position that made him stand up and take charge. As an adult he faces daily challenges from his brothers and sister. At times he wants to give up the control and not have to think about everyone else. After meeting Sloane he decides to give into temptation.
Wow, I just read this book in under a day (while also doing my job and giving food to my child) 🙂
Gareth is the eldest of the Harris siblings and in the other books he was always a bit mysterious and brooding. So here he is! And I totally loved him. Sloan is American and has moved to England at request of her husband; raising their daughter and being close to her horrid Mother-in-law. The books starts when Sloan is divorcing her husband and needs to blow off steam. And Gareth – a longtime client of her personal shopping-business – gives her what she needs and takes what he needs as well. Their friends-with-hot-benefits thing won’t last forever though, as both seem to want and need more.
The book is the first part of a duet and after the cliffhanger ending I was happy to dive straight into book 2. (2018)
Another Goal!
Oh my word, Amy Daws is amazing! That’s all she’s just amazing and talented and funny. Gareth was the dreamy broody older brother that we all learned to love throughout the Harris Family stories. I can’t wait to see what comes next!