NO APOLOGIES
by Sybil Bartel
NO APOLOGIES
by Sybil Bartel
Published: June 2014
When I read it: June 2014
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Erotica
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Never apologize
Hard-edged rocker Graham Allen has it all. He’s flush with cash from playing bass in a band by night and restoring classic cars by day. And there are plenty of women willing to share his bed for a night, complication-free. Perfect, because if there’s anything he learned from his past, it was to never get attached—to anything. So when bartender Carly Sullivan flashes her innocent smile, Graham isn’t prepared for what happens next.
Never fall in love
Two rules, that’s all Graham has—never apologize and never fall in love. He knows Carly is everything he should avoid. Cheerful and sweet, she has “relationship” written all over her. But Graham can’t stay away from her probing questions and concerned blue eyes.
When Graham discovers Carly is hiding a crushing secret, he’s prepared to risk it all. Until in one single moment, everything changes and Graham’s past threatens to collide with his future. His life is crumbling down around him, and soon no apology in the world can save him.
He should’ve known to walk away.
91,000 words
No Apologies was not at all what I expected, and yet, everything I had hoped for. I swear it is almost like two separate books smashed into one complex and entertaining romantic rockstar-ish read. There’s a lot of emotion rolling around in this one. After reading the blurb, I just assumed that Graham Allen was a big time rock star. I wasn’t expecting a semi-famous rocker, mechanic, and club owner. Funny though, he still had that I’m-hot-shit-and-people-should-fall-at-my-feet persona…
Graham has a thing for Carly, a local bartender. She’s sweet and innocent, exactly what he doesn’t need but desperately wants. He finds himself spending time at the bar where she tends just to be closer to her. As they get to know one another his walls come down…and slam back up – repeatedly. He uses other women and alcohol to try to chase away his feelings for Carly. Naturally, it doesn’t work. It takes something life changing to bring poor Graham around, and even then he manages to screw up yet again.
“How come you never smile?
I dropped her hand. “You want me to smile?”
“I want you to want to smile.”
I’ve mostly focused on Graham so far, but Carly has her own set of secrets and skeletons. She’s strong and determined, a writer at heart. I actually really liked her character, but I didn’t like what happened to her or how she handled it. I can’t understand how the daughter of a cop could go through something so horrid and hid it so easily. It didn’t make much sense to me. Her father seemed like a bright, intelligent man. I’m surprised he didn’t pick up on behavioral changes. The fact that your 20-something year old daughter refuses to date should send up a red flag, or thirty. Regardless, I liked her – a lot – and her father, too. Good people. Her strength is evident every time she deals with Graham. Man, he fucks up a ton. I’m not sure I could have dealt with half of the ton of crap that she did.
At around 60% of the way through the book everything changes. Something EXTREME happen and it changes Graham. For a while after that we’re focused on Graham, and the love story between these two characters takes a backseat to the new *cough, cough* issue. I’m not quite sure I liked this turn of events. In a way it was necessary, I guess. It just all seemed too good to be true, too easy for Graham to suddenly “see the light” and change his ways. You don’t go from being a man whore drunk to a celibate, dry, got-it-all-together adult overnight… It’s a tough one. I can see why it would happen, yet it seemed too easy somehow. His behavior changed so quickly that it gave me whiplash. That man was bad – B.A.D, bad.
Graham is one of those guys you can’t help but love. If you’re into bad boys, this one’s for you! I’d recommend adding this to your TBR list. It’s definitely worth the rollercoaster ride.
Sybil now resides in Southern Florida and while she doesn't get to read as much as she likes, she still buries her toes in the sand. If she's not writing or fighting to contain the banana plantation in her backyard, you can find her spending time with her handsomely tattooed husband, her brilliantly practical son and a mischievous miniature boxer who stole her heart.
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2 comments
There's something about rockstar characters that I just love. I read 2-3 books that featured one and they were both great. One was the sequel to that If I Stay book. This one sounds really good, too, and I really have to meet Graham!! :) Great review, Reni!
Thank you, Giselle! I love me some rockers, too! If you choose to read NO APOLOGIES, I hope you'll find that you like it as much as I did. Let me know what you think!
xo, Reni
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