Review // Chalk Dirty To Me by Lani Lynn Vale

I reached forward and threw myself into his arms, wrapping my own around his neck, and place a very thorough kiss on his lips.
He returned the kiss, being careful not to pen me in with his arms, and instead rested his hands just over the tops of my hip bones.
He may not know what happened to me, but I suspected he had a hunch something had happened to explain why I was skittish.

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Chalk Dirty To Me by Lani Lynn Vale

Standalone - Madd CrossFit #3
Release - October 5, 2021
Genre - Contemporary Romance / instant connection
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat Level - 4 out of 5 / slower burn / a few scenes
Format/Source - eARC provided by the author
Page Count - 262
Publisher Indie

Two years ago, Cannel Crow experienced the worst day of her life. She was taken from a supermarket, and forced to spend a year with a man that treated her worse than a neglected, chained up dog.

One year later, she’s saved by a shadow organization that believes the law is a joke, and the only person you can count on is you.

After another year, she finally realizes the law’s limitation firsthand when the man that bought her from human traffickers, and then forced her to comply to his every whim for a year, is given a plea bargain for names of others in the operation.

Knowing that her abuser will spend the rest of his life in the lap of luxury under an assumed name, Cannel spirals.

At least, she begins to.

Then Wilhelm Schultz, call me Will, walks into her narrow world, larger than life, and changes her reality between one breath and the next.

The abrasive, larger, gruff police detective sees the world in black and white. There is right, and there is wrong.
Until he falls for a woman that needs him to see shades of gray.

The second he sees the world like she needs him to, there’s not a single thing on the planet that’ll stop him from fighting for her.

Not even the oath he swore to protect and do no harm.

Purchase Links

Amazon ⮞ https://amzn.to/2ZIcmFv
iBooks ⮞ https://apple.co/2U3JwMY
Nook ⮞ https://bit.ly/3CRybAI
Kobo ⮞ https://bit.ly/3gxlzX7

My Two Cents

After the brief glimpse I got of Cannel in Conjugal Visits, I knew I wanted to know more about her story. Who took her? How was she treated? Was she healing? And would she ever forgive Toot?

I wish I could say that what happened to Cannel wasn't pretty, but I can't. Here I am again, hoping that LLV would dip a toe in the dark side. However, the author did give enough of a hint to make me feel for the girl. Whatever she experienced had traumatized her. She was a changed woman who wished to erase the abuses she suffered. She didn't even believe she would ever find happiness again... and then she met Will.

It only took a moment for Will to know that something bad had happened to Cannel. In that same moment, he knew that he would stand in the way of anything and anyone who even thought about hurting her. He wanted to be her hero and I've gotta admit, he most definitely was. He was patient and understanding and gave her everything she could possibly wish for. He became her happy place.

"I need slow."

His eyes shifted to something between interest and regret. "I can do slow."

Aside from some drama (I see you, Brianna) and an unexpected suspenseful element (I can't be the only one who thought it was weird, right?), the romance that developed between Cannel and Will was smooth and breezy. I loved their banter, their natural ease with one another, their love. These stories are like chocolate cake to me — I CAN'T RESIST!!

Check out the previous books:

About the Author

Lani Lynn Vale is married to the love of her life that she met in high school. She fell in love with him because he was wearing baseball pants. Ten years later they have three perfectly crazy children and a cat named Demon who likes to wake her up at ungodly times in the night. They live in the greatest state in the world, Texas. She writes contemporary and romantic suspense, and has a love for all things romance. You can find Lani in front of her computer writing away in her fictional characters world...that is until her husband and kids demand sustenance in the form of food and drink.

Visit https://lanilynnvale.com/ for more information!