Anytime Darlin, from Two Lips Reviews

Paramedic Jake McKenna responds to an ambulance call and finds Devlin Barre emaciated, raped, and beaten to near death. He instantly feels a connection to her and becomes a constant support during her stay at the hospital while she recovers from her trauma. However, he’s 24 and she’s only 17, so he knows they cannot have a relationship and decides to put some distance between them.

When Jake doesn’t call on her 18^th birthday, Devlin realizes that she needs to get over Jake and learn to take care of herself. Although her uncle, who raped and beat her, got away, she knows she can’t live in fear forever. She has no family left, but she leaves her new friends and heads back home to go to school and find out what she really wants in life.

Four years later when Jake and Devlin reunite at a friend’s wedding, the sparks fly. They realize that the feelings they had for each other never went away, only this time there’s no reason to deny it. But Jake isn’t the only one hoping to reunite with Devlin; her uncle is still looking for revenge. Can Jake and Devlin forge a life together or will it be too late?

I would have liked to see the relationship between Devlin and Jake develop more slowly. It was love at first sight and I never got a feel for why they were so in love with each other so quickly. Although if you can get past that, the relationship between the two is so sweet and endearing that it really doesn’t matter why they got together in the first place. Plus, the sizzling hot sex scenes burn up the pages and you can definitely feel the attraction between them.

I almost didn’t read Anytime Darlin’ because of the rape of the main character, but I’m so glad I did. I thought Julia Rachel Barrett did an excellent job of touching on this sensitive subject but not making it the central focus. Devlin is a memorable main character who has a series of tragic events happen in her life that she overcomes with strength and grace. Jake is the perfect hero for this story because although he knows he could be with Devlin when he first meets her, he does the honorable thing and lets her go.

This book has it all, suspense, real life characters, and a heart-warming love story. It will make you think and will stay with you long after reading it. Definitely a recommended read!

Anytime Darlin' - two great reviews

My favorite romance/suspense!

From Fangs, Wands and Fairy Dust:
http://fangswandsandfairydust.blogspot.com/

OOOOH, I have got to tell you about this great new book, Anytime Darlin'. Yes, it is by my friend Julia and she sent me an e-copy as a gift with no expectation of anything since she knows the scope of my blog. But it was so good, so H.O.T. that I told her I am plugging this on the blog on Friday.

There are two main characters, Jake, a cowboy/emt with parents who own a super profitable cattle-ranch. The girl he happens to get a call on is Devlin, found half-naked, starved, beaten and raped. Something in her eyes bonds them together more deeply than super-glue. Jake is 24, but Devlin is 17, a victim of her uncle's psychopathic rage. Jake knows he is too old for her and spends a few years away. She has no family, some close family friends help her but when she turns 18 she takes off to heal herself. It is a few years before they can get back together.

When I began reading this I thought the writing was outstanding. Super natural; nothing rang untrue or out of character. The story is really quite unusual, sad and sweet with loss and triumph. The heat level is up there past Scotch Bonnet, to Habañero. You know the hottest of the hot peppers. The sex in this made my toes curl.

But really what made me like this the most was the writing, the story and the development of the characters. There is a story with the sex; it is not just sex. Even the supporting characters are well developed. The villainy is complex and interwoven.

I know, I know, this might be hot but it's not paranormal. But the writing is super an it is natural, and it is about love and what is more magical than that?

Anytime Darlin' is available from Bookstrand.com

and from Book Wenches: http://www.bookwenches.com/august10reviews.htm

ISBN: 1-60601-352-1
Length: Novel
Format: Electronic
Genre: Contemporary
Source: P
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 5.0

Reviewed by: Teagan S. Boyd

A girl beaten within an inch of her life is found in the backroom of Kmart, and no one knows who she is. With the girl barely clinging to life, a paramedic holds her hand, and she refuses to let go. Aquamarine eyes drag him into her pain and suffering, and he can't resist being there for her.

This is how Devlin and Jake meet. Two people who form a bond one fateful day. When the terrible secret of Devlin's life the last two years comes out, Jake wants nothing more than to see the monster that did this to her dea, and to take care of her forever. But Devlin is young, and Jake realizes he must walk away and let her heal. When they meet four years later, has their love withstood time? The man of her nightmares has never been caught . . . will Devlin ever be safe?

********

Wow. This book blew me away. I expected romance, and I received so much more. This is a story with true heart and grit, and the spectacular romance just puts icing on the cake. I was drawn in immediately within the first few words and found that I was not able to put it down for a minute. The characters will be impossible to forget, and I wouldn't even want to.

I truly enjoyed that this story had so much "meat" to it. I got a bit of some of my favorite things: romance, suspense, and superbly written characters. The romance is sweet as well as spicy. The suspense kept me wondering what would happen, and my emotions were in full drive throughout the book due to the evilness of the villain. The characters are simply wonderful.

Devlin has a strength we all wish we had. She is a victim, yet we also see that she embraces her strength in order to overcome being a victim. I enjoyed her both as a teenager as well as a woman. Ms. Barrett brought her to life.

Jake is any woman's dream man. He is hardworking, sexy, and his compassion is almost as welcoming as his passion. I felt like cheering him on at times for his chivalry, yet he wasn't a softy pushover. The combination worked extremely well.

I must also mention the secondary characters. While they were very important, they didn't overshadow the main characters, they added superior depth to an already outstanding story.

Ms. Barrett has an uncanny ability to get my emotions in high gear, and her descriptions and stories come to life. As I have said before, she has a fan in me, and I will be waiting impatiently for more of her wonderful stories.

Thanks ladies!

I'm as bad as Tessie!

Last minute post before I head out of town. I won't be back next week...sorry! I'll miss you!

Anytime Darlin' is available for pre-sale on the Siren site: http://www.bookstrand.com/anytime-darlin

The official release date is August 26th, but I won't be here.

Okay...gtg! julia

Good Gawd I'm bad!

Remember this oldie but goodie?

This sweet, smart cowboy romance is coming back after a tune-up. It's sweeter, smarter, sharper and the cover is smokin' hot! I love it!

Anytime Darlin' is the first romance I ever wrote. I am so happy it's being re-released by Siren this month!

Stay tuned for the date. Here's a teaser:

Devlin Barre lies near death, her family destroyed, her hopes for the future, dashed. Jake McKenna saves her life. Worried she's becoming dependent on him, Devlin runs off without a word. Years later, Jake and Devlin meet again. Has their deep connection survived? What of the murderer who still hunts her?

The Early Bird...

remembers to post!

My Everything, my romance suspense with Cobblestone, is showing up in a few new places. Reader and reviewer response to this book interests me. This book was so easy to write...it sort of wrote itself - yet it resonates with readers.

The theme of lovers parted, suffering tragic losses, and then reunited seems to be universally appealing. It certainly appeals to me. This is the second book I've written about two soul mates who met at the wrong time but are given the once in a lifetime opportunity to be together again. The first, Anytime Darlin', will be re-released with Siren in August.

I suppose one reason I gravitate to this theme is that my husband and I share it. We were together as young teens. We parted under tragic circumstances, suffered...well, I suffered, he dated models...but then reunited in the most romantic of ways.
Here's my dedication to him in my book, Beauty and the Feast:

"I believe in love at first sight. I’m convinced each of us does indeed have a soul mate. We may not always be so lucky as to find them in our lifetime, but that doesn’t negate my belief in them. My husband and I knew each other for fourteen years before we married. During those fourteen years, we spent perhaps a total of five weeks in each others company. There were two extended periods of time, one period that lasted for three years and another for six years, during which we had no contact whatsoever. Yet, when I received a phone call at 2 a.m. and the man I loved but hadn’t seen or heard from in six years asked if he could come see me, I answered yes without hesitation.
"Eight hundred miles later, he emerged from his vehicle, took me in his arms and carried me off to bed. That same day, he asked me to marry him. It’s been twenty-six years and we’ve never looked back. Still in love, still soul mates."

If you want to pick up a copy of My Everything, it's available at Cobblestone Press and on Fictionwise.

http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/myeverything.htm

http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b110090/My-Everything/Julia-Barrett/?si=0