Short Take Reviews | Audio Edition: Everything I Never Wanted, Everything Worth Fighting For, & Healing the Broken by K. Street

 

I recently came across a new-to-me author on Hoopla and decided to binge all three titles that were available. The Jaxson Cove Duet was an unexpected surprise. With such likable characters, some twists and turns, and some sexy/swoony romance, they were perfect contemporary romance escapism. Unfortunately, Healing the Broken, which I believe was Street's debut novel, did not work as well. I was hooked on the story, but the hero's overbearing personality was a real turn-off. But two out of three ain't bad! :) Have you read anything from K. Street?


EVERYTHING I NEVER WANTED
K. Street
Series: Jaxson Cove Duet #1
4.25 stars

One phone call was all it took to bring me back to the small town I had grown up in. Everything had changed, and staying away was no longer an option.

Four and a half years later, I was a widowed single father still here, still trying to pick up the pieces. We were doing just fine on our own, my little girl and me.

At least, we were until Camryn Parker stumbled into our lives. The woman was like a tornado after a hurricane; she was the storm I never saw approaching. Behind her beauty and sarcastic wit, she was just as broken as I pretended not to be. As hard as I tried to resist, it was impossible not to fall in love with her.

In the end, it took nearly losing it all for me to realize everything I never wanted was exactly what I needed.

*****
I came across Everything I Never Wanted while browsing Hoopla. I’d never heard of author K. Street but I’m so glad I happened upon this little gem. Tucker is a single father to five-year-old daughter Shayne. With the help of his mom and his two friends who act as a surrogate aunt and uncle for Shayne, he lives a quiet, if sometimes lonely life. Camryn moves to Jaxson Cove, the (fictional) small Florida coastal town for a fresh start. Living next door to Tucker and Shayne, she is immediately drawn to the single dad and his precocious daughter. The relationship that ensues is filled with passion and care, but she knows there is more that Tucker is not telling her.

I really fell for these characters. Tucker sometimes strayed into the too-good-to-be-true realm, but I didn’t even care. I loved his devotion to his daughter. And speaking of the precocious Shayne, I’m not typically of fan of children in my romance novels, but this little girl captured my heart. She was equal parts sweet and sassy, and so incredibly loving to the small circle of adults in her life who loved her so fiercely. When it came to the conflict near the end of the book, I was a little disappointed in Tucker, even though I understood his knee-jerk reaction. Even so, it was hurtful and I shed some tears right along with Camryn. The narration by Teddy Hamilton and Callie Dalton (two of my favorites) made this sweet story even better.


EVERYTHING WORTH FIGHTING FOR
K. Street
Series: Jaxson Cove Duet #2
4 stars

Fate.
Destiny.
Whatever you wanted to call it, Macy Caldwell was mine.
She had a chance to get out of this town, but she refused to take it.
She was going to give up everything for me.
I wasn’t worth that kind of sacrifice.
In order to save her, I had to break her.

The night Nash Masters broke my heart was the catalyst for the ruin that came after.
All these years later, he was fighting for my forgiveness.
He had no idea I was the one who needed his.
The truth didn’t always set you free.
They said love conquered all, but this was war.
And everything worth having was worth fighting for.


*****

It was obvious from the first book in this standalone duet, Everything I Never Wanted, that Macy and Nash had history. Once high school sweethearts, Macy left town at 18 after Nash’s betrayal. It’s been 10 years, and Macy has since returned to town, but she has never forgiven Nash for what he did, despite his repeated apologies and attempts to put the past behind them.

I’m a sucker for a second-chance romance, but this story also featured some aspects that I’m not such a fan of – like keeping secrets, and making decisions for others because it’s “for their own good.” Grr. Even so, I was pulling hard for Macy and Nash. Despite what happened in the past, they still loved one another, and it was worth fighting for even though it took time to rebuild the trust in each other. Macy’s big secret seemed pretty obvious from early on but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment. Side note: Getting more page time with five-year-old Shayne from the first book was a real highlight. I love that precocious little kid!



HEALING THE BROKEN
K. Street
3 stars

Monsters didn’t just exist in nightmares.

They were real; they lived among us.
As the sole witness to a brutal murder, Ryann Sinclair knew that better than anyone.

He’d been burned once, and Cash Donovan swore it was the last time.

That all changed when Ryann stumbled back into his life.

She was fiercely protective of her heart, and he was hell-bent on protecting her.

Never one to back down from a challenge, Cash was determined to break her.

Just so he could be the one to put her back together. 


*****

Oh boy. After enjoying Street’s Jaxson Cove duet, I downloaded the only other title Hoopla had from the author. Unfortunately, Healing the Broken did not capture the same emotion, sweetness, and heart as the other books. At age 11, Ryann had witnessed horrific violence and lived in a household that left her scarred, physically and emotionally. Years later Ryann was working at a bar when she was reunited with her teenage crush. Cash, now a police detective, was happy to reconnect with Ryann but it was obvious there was a lot more to her past than she told him. When a stalker set his sights on Ryann, Cash was determined to keep her safe at all costs.

My main issue in this story was Cash. He was so heavy-handed, and Ryann called him on it several times, but he stayed pretty overbearing throughout the whole story. The way he gave orders and tried to lay down the law did not sit well with me. (And don’t get me started on how he called her “baby girl” in every other sentence.) I was surprised at how dark Street took the story and the graphic violence was not for the squeamish. The plot was interesting and the tension amped up throughout the story, but Cash’s heavy-handed manner was a real turn-off. Teddy Hamilton and Callie Dalton did a great job with the narration – and that’s probably why I’m not rating this one lower – but even good performances could not fix the issues I had with this one. 


HAVE YOU READ ANY OF THESE BOOKS?


18 comments

  1. Ugh, baby girl - my pet peeve! The first two do sound good, though, and it's always fun to discover a new author!

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    1. Yes! I just love discovering new (to me) authors and I'll definitely read more from Street.

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  2. Baby girl is a term that should be for the sole use of referring to a baby girl... Or maybe sweet talking a pet - not a fully grown woman. Sigh.

    I haven't heard of K Street but I've now added Everything I Never Wanted to my wishlist. I like the sound of the first two! :)

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    1. Exactly! Gah!

      The first two were real surprises in the best way. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

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  3. Ooo! A binge! I love it! I haven't read any of these books, but I have seen the first one around. It sounds like I should read them.

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  4. Well as I love single fathers I am adding that one to my huge TBR!

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    1. Same here, Sophie! I'm a sucker for the single dad trope. :)

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  5. I'm not familiar with this author but those first two books sound really good, especially those characters. I think the debut novel with its "baby girl" would have driven me crazy, lol.

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    1. Yeah, the (over)use of "baby girl" became a real sticking point for me. Ugh.

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  6. Two out of three isn't bad! I love both Teddy Hamilton and Callie Dalton as narrators! Callie narrates Mariana Zapata's books and does such a wonderful job. I usually wait until the audio is released on her books before I pick it up.

    Haven't read K Street, but I'd like to give her a shot sometime.

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    1. I didn't know Callie narrated Zapata's books! Even more reason for me to (finally!) try Zapata.

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  7. Everything I Never Wanted sounds so good! I've never heard of this author either so thanks for adding her to my radar.

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  8. I think kids in romance books get a bad rap. I have only had good experiences with them. I guess I've been lucky?

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    1. Well, for me, the kid thing is just personal preference. I never wanted kids, and have never been a kid person, so I've just never enjoyed them in my romance novels. But there are always exceptions. :)

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  9. I have a couple of Street's books on my TBR, but I haven't read any yet. Glad you enjoyed the Jaxson Cove Duet!

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