ARC Review & Giveaway: ONE NIGHT OF TROUBLE by Elle Kennedy

Title: One Night of Trouble (After Hours #3)
Author: Elle Kennedy
Release Date: January 5, 2015 (Entangled Publishing)
Genre: Contemporary, romance, adult fiction
Source: eARC provided by the publisher
Buy Links: Amazon US | B & N | Entangled

A sexy category romance from Entangled’s Brazen imprint…

No More Mr. Nice Guy…

The moment AJ Walsh sees the sexy, tattooed pixie walk up to his bar, it’s lust at first sight. He’s always been labeled the “nice” guy―opening doors, buying flowers, and never, ever having one-night stands. But with this wicked little angel with red lips and unfathomably dark eyes? Oh, yeah. Tonight, “nice” has nothing to do with it…

Brett Conlon is trying to convince her family that she’s put away her reckless wild girl side for good. Nothing―and no one―could be better for her reputation than golden boy AJ Walsh. So they make a deal: if he plays The Good Boyfriend for her family, he can be a very, very bad boy with her. Now their one naughty night is about to turn into a whole lot of trouble…

Why did I want to read this book?

I’ve read and loved the first two books in the series so I can’t wait to round up the guys’ stories. We finally get to AJ, the third in the trio of owners and best friends who own club Sin.

What worked for me?

As a little warning, this will be longer than my usual review because I just had so much to gush about this book, starting with Elle Kennedy’s ability to turn the mundane into extraordinary. I’ve read this trope before, I’ve read some of the elements before but she has that uncanny ability to turn these into something unique and fresh.

AJ just broke my heart, with his guilt-ridden conscience that forces him to become something apart from who he truly is; it was a little heartbreaking watching him always putting on a show and hiding his true self and I love how Brett sees right through him and how AJ lets himself be himself whenever he’s with her. The connection right there is just off the charts.

Brett on the other hand is equally challenged by the expectations as well as the limitations set by her overprotective father and older brothers. She’s made some pretty bad choices in the past but she’s made peace with herself that living that kind of life would take her nowhere safe and healthy so she’s on the quest to prove to her family that she’s turned into a responsible adult.

I really enjoyed the different family dynamics that we get to see in the story: you have the three best friends and co-owners of Club Sin, you have Brett’s father and older brothers, whose protectiveness really do come from a good place, and then you have AJ parents.

I also love the conflict resolutions. They felt organic and are ones that I think promote a healthy relationship, being independent at the same time that you are dependable in a way on another person. There’s strength of character there and a love-filled life as well.

I love how AJ and Brett can be just themselves when they were together, no lies, no pretensions, bluntness if need be but there’s always, always honesty. And it was a great foundation to their friendship and subsequent relationship.

What did not work for me?

Did you just not hear me spout all kinds of love for this book? lol 🙂

My over-all take on it?

Reading AJ and Brett’s story was an amazing experience. You can always, always count on Elle Kennedy to bring such amazing characters to life in a story. The chemistry was off the charts, their connection so real and so endearing. It was a great closer to the story of the Sin Club owners. Pick this one up, you guys.

My rating:

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. Yes, these are my honest and personal thoughts on this book.

A USA Today bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a BA in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

Elle loves to hear from her readers. Visit her website http://www.ellekennedy.com or sign up for her newsletter to receive updates about upcoming books and exclusive excerpts. You can also find her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter (@ElleKennedy).

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