Ball Peen Hammer by Lauren Rowe

Standalone - Morgan Brothers #3
Release - July 25, 2016
Genre - Romantic Comedy/friends-to-lovers
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat Level - 4 out of 5
Format/Source - ebook borrowed through KU
Length - 384 pages
Publisher - SoCoRo Publishing

Keane Morgan wouldn’t return any of my calls or texts, and I was pissed as hell about it. I didn’t want to drive from Seattle to L.A. with the guy any more than he wanted to drive with me, but I had no frickin’ choice in the matter--at least, not if I wanted to use his brother Dax’s coveted parking spot at UCLA.

Okay, so it turned out Keane was objectively gorgeous, and, fine, pretty funny, too. But did he have to be so damned in love with himself? I mean, jeez, the cocky way he flashed those dimples was just so orchestrated. And, honestly, what kind of guy uses the phrase “baby doll” with a straight face? Oh, that’s right: the kind of guy who’s a male stripper.

Yup, the cocky jerk turned out to be Seattle’s answer to Magic Mike, a stripper known as “Ball Peen Hammer”--which meant Keane Morgan was emphatically not the kind of guy I’d ever fall for.

Not. At. All.

No freakin’ way.

Well, until Keane convinced me to fall for him, that is.

Which I did.

Hard.

I went into this story with some pretty high expectations. I was prepared to laugh and laugh and laugh until my belly hurt... and that's exactly what I got! Keane Morgan is ridonkulous!! His ways, his attitude, his wit, his charm, his looks, his everything made me giggle, snort and swoon.

Maddie is starting over in a new city. Moving in with her sister is going to help her accomplish all of her goals. She just has to survive the road trip with Keane to get there. As hilarious as Keane was, I loved how, for the most part, Maddie was able to keep up with his antics. They were able to click so fast (thanks to the author for that) and there was barely any wasted moments.

The romance was a slow build but I think it was better for it. The author did a wonderful job of developing the characters and their connection to each other. I do wish more time was spent on these two as a couple, but I can't always get what I want. There were times that the hilarity overshadowed what was being created, but I was so busy chuckling that all was forgiven.

"... my left ovary just popped out an egg, and I'm not even mid-cycle."

Ball Peen Hammer is a hysterically funny romance featuring a beautiful, oblivious girl and a gorgeous, arrogant, class clown of a boy. He's hilarious, she's adorbsicles. He's not her type. She's not his. Or so they think. One shared road trip later... If you love to laugh really hard (and a lot) while falling in love with amazing characters - can I be an honorary member of the Morgan family? - this book... no this series... is for you!

Available on Amazon and FREE with Kindle Unlimited - https://amzn.to/3qXQwq6

As they exchange information, I make my way to the end of my aisle and loop into theirs, not taking my eyes off Baby Face the whole time. Shit. This dude’s hunting Maddy so hard, it’s making my blood boil. Jesus, he’s going full-throttle rifle on Maddy’s ass right now, completely foregoing his crossbow altogether.
When I reach the two of them in the middle of their aisle, I shuffle past the dude and stand next to Maddy, shoulder to shoulder, and then, on a sudden impulse, put my arm around her shoulders and squeeze her tight, making her wobble in place at the unexpected jolt to her balance. “Hey, sis,” I say, squeezing her like a rag doll. “You totally fell down on your candy-acquiring duties.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” She subtly wiggles out of my grasp. “Brian and I got into this hilarious argument about the best candy bar of all- time, and—”
“And I’m totally right,” Brian says, cutting her off, and they both chuckle at some inside joke.
“No, I’m totally right,” Maddy corrects.
Brian smiles at her. “I’ll actually be down in L.A. in a month. How ’bout I call you then?”
“Great.”
“Nice to meet you, man,” Brian says, looking at me. He nods but doesn’t put out his hand.
I nod back.
Brian strolls away, buys a Snickers bar and a can of Red Bull, and leaves with a little wave to Maddy.
The minute he’s out the door, Maddy takes a giant step away from me, her face etched with annoyance. “What was that?” she asks.
“What?”
“That weird thing you just did?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Maddy puts on an exaggerated scowl, like she’s Hulk Hogan eying an opponent. “’Hey, Brian,’” she says in a low voice, clearly intending to imitate me but sounding more like Arnold Schwarzenegger imitating Maddy imitating me. “’I’m Maddy Milliken’s bodyguard and I’m going to beat you the hell up now,’” she adds.
“What are you talking about?” I say, chuckling.
Maddy pauses, assessing me, and finally shrugs. “Nothing. I guess I imagined it.”
“Imaged what?”
“Your weird… I dunno… vibe.”
“Oh, well, yeah. I was worried about you.”
“Worried about me? I was standing in a minimart, buying candy. Pretty low-risk activity, I’d say.”
“Uh, you absolutely were not standing in a minimart, buying candy—you totally fell down on that job, dude. You were standing in a minimart, getting picked up by a douche. And second of all—”
“What?”
Shit. What the fuck am I doing? I’ve got to stop this shit right now. “Don’t get riled up, baby doll,” I say in my most soothing voice. “All I’m saying is you took so damned long in here, I started thinking maybe the store was getting robbed or you’d fallen into the toilet or something.”
Maddy twists her mouth. “Brian didn’t seem the least bit douchey to me.”
I shrug.“What gave you the impression he’s a douche?”
“Just a figure of speech. So are you gonna do the job I hired you to do or not?” I motion to the candy rack. “‘Cause based on your performance thus far, you’re totally fired.”
“And I wasn’t getting ‘picked up,’” Maddy says, her tone full of indignation. “Brian’s brother goes to UCLA. Can’t I talk to a helpful, nice guy without it being some sort of a sleazy pick-up?”
“Sure you can. However, in this instance, you were talking to a helpful, nice guy who was picking you up so he can bone the living fuck outta ya.”
“Keane.” Maddy’s cheeks burst with color. “Don’t say that. Oh my god. You’re insane. Brian was just being helpful, that’s all.”
“Yeah, so he can bone the living fuck outta ya.”
“Stop saying that. Please. It’s offensive and absolutely not true. This topic of conversation is officially over.”

USA Today and Internationally bestselling author Lauren Rowe lives in San Diego, California, where, in addition to writing books, she performs with her dance/party band at events all over Southern California, writes songs, trains her new puppy, Ruthie and spends time with her wonderful family, and narrates audiobooks.

I genuinely don't know what the hell "acting naturally" would be around someone as glorious as Ryan Asshole Morgan."

Captain by Lauren Rowe

Standalone - Morgan Brothers #2
Release - May 14, 2017
Genre - RomCom/enemies-to-lovers
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat Level - 4 out of 5/several scenes
Format/Source - ebook borrowed from KU
Length - 360 pages
Publisher - SoCoRo Publishing

It wasn’t the way this kind of story was supposed to go . . .
Insta-love isn’t supposed to turn into insta-hate.

But that’s exactly what happened when the hot-as-hell dreamboat I met in a bar turned out to be a lying, cheating scumbag-player-douche looking for nothing but a little side action. Jerk.

And he has the nerve to call me a liar and a “sociopath”? Assh*le.

And now, three months later, through a mind-blowing series of events I couldn’t have predicted in a million years, it turns out my boss is marrying his sister in Hawaii and I’ve got to play nice with him for an entire freaking week.

Okay, sure, I’ll put on a happy face this week and act like I’ve never even met the jerk before--did I mention his sister is marrying my boss?--but that doesn’t mean I’ll like it. And it certainly doesn’t mean I’ll stop secretly hating the cocky bastard’s guts.

Because I do.
I hate him.
I really do.

I just wish my brain would explain the situation to my body . . . because every time he flashes that panty-melting smile at me, it takes all my self-restraint not to jump the bastard’s hot-as-f*ck bones.


After falling in love with Colby in Hero and then Zander in Mister Bodyguard, I knew that I had to get to know all of this characters as soon as possible. They were just too special to miss. Too awesome to be passed over. Too incredibly funny not to enjoy more and more laughs with.

Honestly, I thought that this story would be a no-brainer. Five stars like the rest of them and on to the next. And it would have been if it was about Ryan, the rest of the amazing Morgan family, and their equally phenomenal friends and family. However, I had to endure Tessa and she was a hard pill to swallow.

Burned by love, Tessa didn't need much to push her into believing that Ryan was pretty much like every other lying, cheating, scumbag of a man. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary... despite the many people who loved and respected him... despite how he carried himself... despite how obvious it was that he was a great man... she treated him like garbage. She was disrespectful, mean, and ugly to him. She went above and beyond to treat him like dirt while continuing to sleep with him.

Thankfully there were plenty of high points to this story to enjoy. Every moment with the Morgans was a delight and a half. The family (oh Peenie), the friends, the sweet and hilarious conversations and hijinks made this story amazingly entertaining. I loved Ryan so much and I look forward to seeing him again as I continue to read about his brothers.

Find your copy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/38KlhZc
FREE to read with Kindle Unlimited

USA Today and Internationally bestselling author Lauren Rowe lives in San Diego, California, where, in addition to writing books, she performs with her dance/party band at events all over Southern California, writes songs, trains her new puppy, Ruthie and spends time with her wonderful family, and narrates audiobooks.

A bodyguard, a beauty, and a bet.

“I’m hiring you to do more than guard her, Zander,” my new boss explained. “You’re gonna be her rock. Her human Valium. Her trusted friend. And she’s gonna be your mission from God.”
“So I’m her babysitter?”
“Her babysitter, her bodyguard, her f*cking service doggie. Whatever she needs or wants, that’s what you’ll be. Anything except her booty call.” The vein in my new boss’s neck bulged. “Touch her and I’ll do more than fire your ass, Zander. I’ll rip off your balls.”

My buddies laughed when I told them about my ridiculous new job. They said, “Three months on a tour with a world famous beauty, glued to her hip, catering to her every whim? A hundred bucks says you’re gonna break down and bang her within the first month.”
But I said nope. No way. Never. “I’m a professional,” I said. “Plus, she’s not even my type. And I’m just getting over a broken heart. It’s never gonna happen.”
So I put my money where my mouth was, figuring I’d laugh all the way to the bank. I never thought I’d actually fall in love with the girl. Or that she’d become my reason for breathing.

The job, the bet, the girl. It was nothing but fun and games . . . until it became dead serious.

MISTER BODYGUARD is a standalone, friends to lovers contemporary romance in the MORGAN BROTHERS SERIES from USA Today Bestselling Author Lauren Rowe. The story of Zander Shaw—Keane Morgan's devoted best friend who is an honorary Morgan Brother—and the pop star who brings him to his knees.

After getting canned from her dream job this morning and played in spectacular fashion by her boyfriend this afternoon, Savannah “Savvy” Valentine is having a truly awful day. Which is why she’s currently drowning her sorrows in whiskey and self-pity in a shabby bar along the route to Las Vegas.

In light of today’s double whammy, Savvy isn’t sure why she’s still heading in the direction of her five-year high school reunion. The only reason she’d wanted to attend the reunion in Vegas in the first place was to show the captain of the football team, the guy who took her virginity and then promptly rejected her, that the captain of the math team grew up to have all enviable hot things: hot body, hot boyfriend, and hot career. Now, the only “hot” thing about Savvy Valentine is her mess.

But when a gorgeous stranger with sandy hair, a leather jacket, and motorcycle helmet walks into the bar, Savvy’s awful day suddenly looks a whole lot brighter. The man is perfection. Sexy and mysterious. And he’s heading to Las Vegas, too.

Can one wild night with a sexy stranger in the middle of nowhere lead a girl to fall desperately and deeply in love in Las Vegas? Savvy Valentine is about to find out.

The first time I laid eyes on Lydia Decker, I couldn’t speak. Or breathe. Or string two coherent thoughts together.

And I don’t mean any of that figuratively.

I’m not talking about a guy being floored by the sight of a gorgeous woman—although, of course, Lydia is gorgeous beyond words.

No, when I first laid eyes on Lydia Decker—my physical therapist—I was lying flat on my back in the ICU, high as a kite on painkillers, breathing on a ventilator, my bones as broken and splintered as my spirit.

When I first laid eyes on Lydia Decker, she was a ray of light in the dark. Hope for the hopeless. A salve for my singed and battered soul.

She said she’d been assigned to fix me. That she was there to bring me back to life. She said helping me was her calling.

And then she touched me. Physically, emotionally, spiritually. She healed me.

And I fell in love.

But what I didn’t know... what I couldn’t possibly know... was that Lydia Decker needed fixing far more than I ever did.