Army medic Ben Rockwell is in Ellery to work with the Veterans Center creating a new specialist unit for post trauma care. Desperate to make amends for battlefield decisions he regrets, he is focused on the unit and nothing else. Until some stranger moves in next door and throws him a curveball. He’s no hero, even though everyone says he is, and the lies burn inside him.Leaving drama and chaos in … and chaos in his wake, Nicholas Merrick fled London and is hiding out in his friend Jason’s house, until everything back home dies a death. The choices he made in his life were to keep his best friend safe, but as a result everyone sees him as the bad guy.
When these two meet, the attraction is instant. Can they ever be their true selves, and find love as a result?
Word Count: 42,500
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4 out of 5 stars
Ben and Nick meet in unusual circumstances – Nick’s just out of the shower without even a towel and Ben is protecting his friend’s house which he thinks Nick is an unwelcome guest in. Needless to say, they aren’t great friends, but they are attracted to each other…will the instant sparks lead to more than desire?
I enjoyed this story as I have all of the Ellery Mountain stories. There isn’t a great deal of angst and the characters were both easy to fall for. I hated how they thought they could just do sex and be okay with that, but I enjoyed watching them realize it was more than that – and pretty quickly, too.
RJ Scott has a way of creating a world that I want to crawl into and forget the real one I live in. All of the characters in Ellery Mountain make my heart happy and I look forward to more!
*** I voluntarily read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ***
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Ruthie –
This is a real treat for any Ellery Mountain fan… a new story, with some lovely catching up along the way. I have read the whole series over the last few weeks and would recommend that you do the same, as it makes for a really rich experience, which this new book just tops off perfectly.
Somehow, we get to meet back up with everyone, but also enjoy a feisty new romance. The first two occasions that these two men meet are hardly auspicious, but as time goes on things change. As we are party to both their thoughts, we know that they are attracted to each other, but neither is ready for anything serious. Ben is determined that he does not deserve to have a loving relationship, whilst Nick is trying to protect his best friend and decide what his next career move will be.
I love the conversations in this book, there is a wonderful mix of humour – the ancient tea bag comment had me chuckling out loud (a Brit thing!) – as well as some very passionate and intense moments. Hot, sexy, and fun, perfect reading material!
Thank you, Ms. Scott, for bringing these guys back to us again!
Sarah –
The first time British ‘It Boy’ Nick meets Ben, he’s wet, naked, and about to be arrested. The relationship does get better, but it takes a while for the aristocratic actor and the military doctor to find their feet.
Both Nick and Ben are pretty typical romance novel leading men. Ben is a veteran with PTSD working to set up a clinic to treat wounded servicemen. He is selfless and just a little bit lonely. I loved Ben, but Nick is a bit harder to like. Running from the press after a high-profile break-up, I kept muttering ‘first world problems’ every time he sulked about things like having too much money or having no focus in his life. He’s a prince from central casting but he does grow up some during the story.
The hook-up to happily ever after storyline is one I like but I know it isn’t for everyone. The sex is crazy hot from the start but the emotional connection between Nick and Ben is a satisfying slow burn.
This is the eighth book in the series and there were lots of references to characters from earlier books. I haven’t read the previous books but this one does work as a standalone and I didn’t feel like I was missing much from the earlier stories.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Sinner & the Saint (Ellery Mountain #8) by RJ Scott to read and review for Wicked Reads.
Great storyline, beliveable and kept me interested. I’m looking to reading more books by this author.
I’m joining this party late but fortunately, when reading a series, you can always go back to the beginning and that is what I will most certainly do because this story was scrumptious. The beginning was smoking hot and the story really never cools off.
We have the doctor, former Army medic and the British actor from a conservative family who feel that they have the right to plan his life and direct the show. Ben, the Army medic, is considered a hero by the townspeople as he saved the life, during battle, of a town favored son. He considers himself far from heroic and is suffering survivor’s guilt about decisions he maid while in the Middle East and those that he didn’t save.
Nicholas has had enough of his family’s control and criticism. He became an actor like his grandfather, the black sheep of the family, more than likely because that is the one thing that his parents forbid him to do. He was engaged to his best friend to protect her from her abusive father but when she found the love of her life and became pregnant, Nick broke the engagement and orchestrated the situation to take on the blame and remove the focus from his lifelong bestie, Heather by coming out and hinting that there might be sex tapes. Nick would do most anything for Heather and he did.
Clearly, the anxious doctor with his post-military service peculiarities and the British actor avoiding the paparazzi don’t have much in common, or do they?
Rating 4.25 Sensuality rating 4 flames – toe curling yummy!
This was another one of my favs. These are quick, easy to read, a little sexy novellas set in small town Ellery Mountain. I like that Scott opted to introduce two totally new characters – but Ben & Nick fit really well into the world she’s had going and stories that span almost 10 years.
I really enjoyed Nick & Ben as individuals, their initial antagonism, and growth as a couple. While the book is short & set in just a few weeks – I felt like I knew them and they had time to get to know each other. The pacing of the story was well done.
Side note: Zach count is 5. It’s funny how many times she’s used this name for a secondary or background character in the series and none of them are the same person.