Release Date: August 25, 2014
Book 1 of the Underground Kings Series
Synopsis:
as·sump·tion:
a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof
They say when you assume that you make an ass out of you and me. Kenton Mayson learned this lesson firsthand when he made assumptions about Autumn Freeman and the kind of woman she is based on what little information he had. What he finds out is she’s not only beautiful, but also smart, funny, a fighter, and exactly the kind of woman he wants to share his life with. Autumn made assumptions of her own about Kenton, and now he needs to prove her wrong in order to protect her and their future.
3.5 stars
I am honestly torn on how to rate this book. I really wanted to love it but only half of me wants to give it a higher rating (thanks to the general story and the writing, which I liked). The other half doesn't allow me to because there were certain parts that felt rushed and glossed over, and those stood out to me like a sore thumb.
Let's begin with my positives.
The general arc of the story is tried and tested. I don't hold it against the author for using the same formula because I still do enjoy reading these things (I always thought the execution mattered more. Of course, if the storyline is practically a carbon copy of another book, then that's another story.). So we have Autumn, a nurse by day and stripper by night who finds herself in a very dangerous situation one night. For her protection she is sent by a friend to live with Kenton Mayson, a man who specializes with security and protection.
At the beginning both of them form assumptions about each other. He thought she is nothing more than a stripper and she thought he was a judgmental bastard (although honestly both are right to an extent). Regardless of that both Autumn and Kenton are immediately attracted to each other. The initial friction only served to heighten their awareness of each other, so by the time the attraction is acknowledged, there's already a potent chemistry between these two characters.
I liked that Kenton forced Autumn to own up to their mutual attraction very early in the story. It gave more time for other things to be spotlighted such as Kenton's amazing family, Autumn's past and her ongoing emotional struggle, brief mentions of the men Kenton works with (possibly the heroes of the next books in this series), figuring out who were the people who wanted Autumn dead, and meting out justice to those who deserved it in the end.
It is always important for me for the hero and heroine to have chemistry, and Autumn and Kenton have loads of it! Kenton is alpha through and through. He is a lover, provider, caretaker and protector. He will do anything and everything to keep Autumn safe. She in turn is a very likable heroine. Although she's in distress, she wasn't the typical meek damsel who's too terrified to walk outside the protective shell of the hero. She has goals in life and nothing can stop her from achieving them (not even serious threats to her life!) and I admire her for that.
Now here are the things I didn't particularly like about the story and the writing:
- The book takes a very dark and violent turn in the last quarter of the story. Sure there was a shooting at the beginning, but for me the level of cold-blooded violence near the end was still pretty surprising. It suddenly felt like a different book.
- There were plenty of scenes that were just glossed over. For example, I'd have loved it more if there was an actual scene when Autumn woke up in the hospital. After such a harrowing and terrifying event, I wanted to actually "be there" when she finally woke up and eased Kenton's worries. That would have been a good scene. Instead, I was left hanging as one moment I was waiting to see what would happen to Autumn but on the next page it's suddenly a week later and she's already awake. Transitions like that just don't feel smooth.
- I loved many parts of the book more than I liked the book as a whole.
- The subplots and backstories are really very good, and they were placed to add more meat and character to Autumn and Kenton. However, they also felt random and a bit all over the place.
- SPOILER: Autumn's mom and son backstory… I felt that we got so little of it. It was the first thing we're told about her, so I was expecting to read more about them, and not just in the intro and epilogue. Mentions of them in the middle are, again, very random.
ASSUMPTION is therefore an okay book for me. The negatives pulled heavily at my scales though, almost equal in weight to the things I liked hence my rating. So for my recommendation, you can pick this book if you're looking for a seriously hot hero and a heroine you won't want to strangle; if you're looking for steamy sex scenes; and if you don't mind a bit of blood and nitty-gritty mixed in your romance.
Aurora Rose Reynolds is a navy brat who's husband served in the United States Navy. She has lived all over the country but now resides in New York City with her Husband and pet fish. She's married to an alpha male that loves her as much as the men in her books love their women. He gives her over the top inspiration everyday. In her free time she reads, writes and enjoys going to the movies with her husband and cookie. She also enjoys taking mini weekend vacations to nowhere, or spends time at home with friends and family. Last but not least she appreciates everyday and admires it's beauty.
**This review was supposed to be part of the blog tour organized by The Rockstars of Romance. You can read the Prologue & Chapter 1 plus see some steamy graphic teasers at their blog.
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