Gunner James is good at death. An expert. His job is to clean up the messes no one else can. But behind that tough exterior, Gunner has a few secrets of his own. Eight years ago, Gunner left his hometown and vowed to never look back. When his past collides with his present in the form of a familiar face, Gunner must return home to take care of one final mess…the woman he left behind. Reagan … mess…
the woman he left behind.
Reagan Orrick knows heartbreak.
Eight years ago, the love of her life disappeared without a trace or goodbye.
In his absence, she has fought to build a life she can be proud of.
When tragedy strikes, Reagan must go it alone or make a choice to trust the man who shattered her heart once again.
Their secrets can save or destroy them…but only the truth will allow them to be cleaned.
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4 stars for The Cleaner by Kiersten Modglin. This is book one in The Messes Series. I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is my first book from this author, and it will not be my last. I truly enjoyed her writing style.
Gunner is a cleaning meaning he cleans up crime scenes. He is accustomed to death; it is the living he has a hard time with. Everything changes for Gunner when he comes face to face with someone from his past. Someone he has not seen in eight years. Now Gunner must return to the one place he has no desire to go, home. He must confront the past he left behind eight years ago without a backwards glance. The worst of all is he must confront Reagan. “I determine who the right guy for me is…and you’re it. So, love me back. And don’t be afraid. Because love doesn’t have to be scary. I’m never going to hurt you.”
Reagan is Gunner’s past. The girl he loved with everything he had. They were from different world in high school. Gunner never felt he was good enough for Reagan. He felt she deserved better than him.
“I told you… I’m a villain. And villains don’t get the princess.”
Reagan is not ready to see Gunner again. Not only has she hid something from him, but she is still angry at the way he left her. Gunner never gave her a chance to explain anything he just left. Reagan thinks she has moved on with her life with her fiancé Jesse but will that be the case when she is face to face with Gunner again. Someone from Gunner and Reagans past is out to get them and wants to make them pay for what they did eight years ago. Now with the death of Reagans sister being a mystery and Gunner back, what is going to happen between these two.
“Why are you always saving me, Gunner James? Because your worth saving.”
I enjoyed every page of this book. I am a huge fan of romantic suspense and Kiersten Modglin knows how to write romantic suspense. I find her writing to be unique in the way her characters come together. Also, the jobs they do, like Gunner being a cleaner that is a new one for me. I don’t think I have ever read another book where the hero is a cleaner. Also, the twist and turns the story takes along the way are great. It kept me captivated from the first page. I do not want to ruin anything for you so I will not say much more about the story line. The cover of this book is simply amazing. Not only is the model hot, the way his eyes draw you in is outrageous. The model’s eyes look haunted and made me want to read the story. It intrigued me before I even read the blurb. I almost always judge a book by the cover, (I know I am not supposed to but damn I am only human) and this one did not disappoint.
Gunner is a “ cleaner “ he cleans up after someone dies. He comes home one night to a smell that he knows. He calls the police and they enter the apartment down from his. They find a woman’s body and he recognizes her. He returns back to Georgia and to his girlfriend he left eight years ago. Reagan is shocked to see Gunner on her parents porch. He’s the one who found her sister’s body. Gunner had a terrible childhood and left home without saying anything to Reagan. He saw something that wasn’t what he thought it was and broke Reagan’s heart as well as his. Can he win back the only woman he has loved or is it too late?
Great story with secrets and mystery. It goes back and forth between past and present. Each chapter has which character is telling their story. Never read this author before but enjoyed this story even if was a little disturbing.
This book was really actually quite good. Wasn’t sure at first new Author to me but I really enjoyed it. Twists and turns and romance and suspense all wrapped up in a huge misunderstanding and what happens with it all will keep you reading and wishing there was more when you get to the end.
What I expected it to be plus more. The twist of this book made it awesome.
I really liked Gunner and Reagan, and I felt their emotions throughout this often difficult and heartbreaking story. I was never bored as this couple fought against seemingly insurmountable odds. Reagan claimed Gunner’s heart as a teenager, and he never got over her. This book had darkness, and Gunner’s childhood was seriously messed up, but the love he shared with Reagan was lovely. I enjoyed this book and will happily read more from the talented author in the future.
This is my first read from this author and I really enjoyed it. I would definitely read more from this author. I highly recommend reading this author.
What an amazing book! I loved the romance and suspense. I literally read this in two days because I couldn’t put it down!
Gunner is a biomedical cleaner who discovers someone dead from his past which brings him back home where he thought he would never go back to and Raegan who he thought he would never see again. When Gunner goes back to his hometown he finds out that Raegan has been hiding a secret from him for nearly 8 years.
This book was full of twists and turns I didn’t see coming. It was a mixture of past and present but easy to follow. The drama and the mystery kept you drawn in. The connection between Gunner and Reagan was sweet. It was a once in a lifetime life and it was good to see it overcome the struggles they faced
A tragedy, a romance with a gap, and some twisted family drama. More emotion than I initially expected from this book. The end is worth the ups and downs.
This book is full of mystery. Every time I thought I had it figured out there were more twists. Eight years is a long time to love from afar. Gunner never thought he’d go home again. He never thought he’d see the one woman who could bring him to knees again. What he finds is so much more. Reagan knew Gunner was it for her. He couldn’t see himself through her eyes. There’s a lot of bumps in the road but love always wins.
My first Kiersten Modglin book was a huge hit with me! The story of Reagan and Gunner is so well written and beautifully told! I had trouble putting it down to go to sleep! Their story shows how a first love can last even when your separated for years. Events pushed them apart and events bring them back together. LIttle did they know how much had and would happen with just one event. It also shows that when you young you don’t always see events clearly right in front of you. People let you see what they want you to see and your past can truly mess you up. We also get to see how you can pick up the pieces and glue them back together.
I’ve never read Kiersten Modglin before and the blurb for this book sounded interesting, so I gave it go and boy am I glad I did! This book was much more than I expected. We meet Gunner the cleaner in present day where a stranger’s death in is building turns out to have a connection to his past that he has long since left behind. As he returns home to pay his condolences finds out that the life he left behind is not what he thought it was and he left behind more than just a broken heart. As Gunner reconnects with his high school sweetheart Reagan they uncover deeper, darker secrets that might just ruin everything. A second chance romance with some twists and turns that you don’t expect. I really enjoyed reading this and recommend adding it to your TBR list.
Gunner James is always cleaning up everyone’s messes. So it comes to no surprise that it would prove useful in his career as a crime scene cleaner. He has lived in New York for the past 8 years running from a life of abuse, torment and heartbreak. But when his past comes back to haunt him in the form of a dead body, he has no choice but to return to the place where it all began.
Reagan Orrick knows all about heartbreak. After all Gunner disappeared into the night 8 years ago. He ripped her heart right out and left a mess in his wake. But when he shows up after the passing of her sister, to pay his respects, secrets that were buried and long forgotten, begin to unravel.
Secrets never stayed buried. But when all is revealed will death claim them?
Wow! What a read this was! I was immediately drawn in and hooked. This story was deep and a bit dark. Full of suspense and twists that will have your jaw dropping. This may be a romance, but it is a drama as well. I was questioning everything. The story is written in the present tense with flash back scenes, that give you the back bone of the story. I find that most authors don’t pull off these type books well, but that is not the case with Kiersten Modglin. She pulled it off splendidly. Not once did it feel like it was choppy and missing pieces. It flowed flawlessly. Well done.
The characters of this story have a love that is deep and intense. It is like their story reaches into your soul and tries to rip it out. Classic bad boy v.s. determined good girl. An unlikely pair against the world. These characters are well-developed and very strong-willed.
Overall this book is a roller coaster ride of drama. Just when you think everything is ok, bam! Something else happens and throws you for a loop. It is full of suspense with twists and turns in every direction, that will keep you guessing till the end. So pick this book up today and enjoy a thrilling ride that will have you on the edge of your seat and white knuckling the whole way.
*ARC provided by Kiersten Modglin.
The Cleaner was an amazing read, full of mystery and suspense! I was hooked from the first page, and I was completely on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading it!! I loved it!!
This was a first read from this author and I wasn’t disappointed. I loved this story it was of full suspense with ups and downs. The moment I started reading it had me hooked. This is a must read. I’d definitely recommend this book. I look forward to reading more of Kiersten’s books.
I am still in awe of the imaginative, emotionally charged book I just read. The Cleaner by
by Kiersten Modglin What can I say, I was sucked in and held there until I turned the last page at 3 am. Even though it ended I wanted to keep reading. The characters so well are written that they felt real. This book gives you all the feels, as it pulls every emotion from you. Just when you think you have it all figured out, bam a major twist is thrown in. Regan and Gunner what a path that life has them on. That is all I am going to say as I don’t do spoilers but I will tell you this. This is a 5 ++ star book and if romantic suspense is your favorite then this book needs to be on your shelf and kindle. I would recommend this book in a heartbeat.
The Cleaner
By Kiersten Modglin
Pages: 264
Genre: Romance Suspense
Rating: 5.5
Reviewed by Mandy Barnes for Janise’s Jivin Book Blog
I cannot believe how much I thourghly enjoyed this book by Kiersten Modglin, This was a first for me in her series of books, and I have fell in love. With all the Twists and Turns that she added to this book it was like a rollercoaster of emotions and I could not put this book down. I cannot wait to see what else she has instore for these wonderfully written characters that are busting at the seam’s to come to life.
Running away from your past is ok for a while, until your past literally catches up with you or so that is the case for Gunner James
The ultimate cleaner.
Gunner James is really good at what he does, cleaning up the mess that others leave behind, the destruction and Chaos. He is who they call to come and leave no trace of the disaster behind so that life as we know it can go on.
Reagan Orrick is the light that shines in the darkness for those who feel as thou that is where they are at, or so she has been told a time or two. But when her sister was found dead in her New York apartment her world is fixing to be turned not only upside down but completely up righted where it was once destroyed by the only boy that she has ever loved.
Gunner and Reagan have always been the dark and light in each other as they were growing up in their teen years, he’s her villain and she was his princess, but one fateful night their little bubble was ripped apart and Gunner left for good or so he thought. Reagan felt her heart rip right out of her chest when he left. But when he discovered that her sister has passed away he was dead set on going back to the one place he swore he would never go back to. Once he gets there not only does he still feel the deep love he has for his beautiful princess and absolute love of his life he is wondering if it’s too late to claim what is his or has she moved on. But Reagan has a secret that she is soon to reveal to Mr. James.
“Gunner James was the dark could in her too-light sky. He was the perfect amount of shade. Dark, dangerous, and safe all at once. He’s been meant for her, and she him. Nothing would ever change her mind about that. Not ever again.”
Not only are many truths revealed about those who are supposed to be dead, and the mother he thought the world of but a deep dark side he never knew.
All is revealed inside the pages of The Cleaner by Kiersten Modglin, and in order for you to find out for yourself what this complete mystery in Dale GA but Gunner and Reagan’s life, you are just going to have to get this book and find out for yourself! Or are you too afraid to see the truth?
Such a good read. Loved Gunner! Well written story that just flowed, it was over before I was ready. The stuff these two go through to find their way back to each other will have you turning the pages!
The Cleaner is a must read, I could not put my Kindle down, thank God it was fully charged when I started. The story is original and will keep you guessing. Coming from a small town myself I grew up with people that could have easily been Gunner and Reagan.
Gunner did not feel himself worthy of anyone let alone the sweet, stubborn Reagan Orrick so he built a defensive wall around him. Reagan was able to see the true Gunner and chipped away until he came around. It was true love. Then with no explanation or goodbye he left vowing never to return killing a part of Reagan.
Eight years later he found himself back in his hometown for a funeral. However, Gunner’s plan to leave as soon as possible is delayed after his mom surprises him with shocking news and learns that everything he knew and based his life on was not exactly as it appeared. The only thing he knew for a fact was he never stopped loving Reagan, but did she feel the same?
Reagan and Gunner are so opposite of each other; yet, they complete each other at the same time. The Cleaner keeps you on the edge of your seat. You will not be able to put it down once you start. Every turn of the page leaves you wanting more. You will NOT be disappointed.