A good story. The characters are tough men and interesting women. This is anew to me author, but I"ll be checking out more.

This was an okay book, wasn't really what I was expecting but I enjoyed the characters and the storyline.

Vivienne is determined to leave the rough lifestyle behind but Jace wants to drag her back from the moment he see Viv, he knows that she is meant to be his. Jace was a pretty jealous and possessive guy, which can be good, but at times I felt like he went a bit far with it. Which for me detracted from the story a bit, but I enjoyed reading the story and I would be interested in trying the next on in the series out.

This was a DNF for me. Rhenna Morgan's writing was as good as always, I just couldn't get into the story. I tried several times, but considering my backlog, I've had to give up.

3 Stars!

Source: eARC for Honest Review Courtesy of Carina via NetGalley
Genre: Adult Romance
Part 1 of an ongoing series

This is my first Rhenna Morgan book and I'm a bit confused with this brotherhood. It's not an MC but its also not all on the up and up.

Vivenne is always taking care of her sister and that doesn't always work in her favor. This time it does but it takes her awhile to see the good in the situation.

As Jace sees a woman who doesn't fit into the bar, he's instantly curious. Now he just has to learn more about that woman.

"How do you know all that?"

"How doesn't matter. What does is I'm not gonna let you color how you view me, or my life, with you past. I'm my own man, with my own history, and I damn sure won't let it own me the way it's owned you."

These boys don't see things as right and wrong but its a lot harder getting Viv on board with this. When sometimes you have to do wrong to get right.

"What you did was wrong. How am I supposed to trust you?"

Vivienne is a tough nut to crack for Jace but he's up for the challenge.

"I've got no problem earning back what I've lost, but you barely let me close enough to win it the first time. You pushed me away and kept the ruffian at a distance."


"You could hurt me,"

"Won't ever be with intent, and if I do, I'll busy my ass to fix it. Not sure you get it yet, but you will eventually. You're mine."


"My home's with you. I choose you."

I did like it but I'm still a bit confused. However, I'm hooked enough to read more from this series and this author.

I voluntarily read an advanced reviewers copy of the book and I loved it!

Rhenna did a great job with this new series. It was edgy, funny and super sexy!!! I loved the whole premise of this book and that sense of family. I also loved Vivienne and Jace because Jace was man enough to help Vivienne release her inner bad girl and Vivienne was amazing when she finally held people accountable for their actions.

Overall, I loved this book!

This was one of the hottest novels I have ever read! I absolutely loved the hero and the heroine and will read more from this author in the future.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this novel!

Unfortunately I was unable to get into this book; the cover and description grabbed me, and I've heard some good buzz from other readers, but I stopped within a few chapters and didn't feel a pressing need to continue.. It's quite possible it's more of my current mood than it is the actual writing/story.

The author Rhenna Morgan starts this new Haven Brotherhood series with a dramatic opening exciting this reader with the introduction of the very hot and sexy Jace Kennedy along with his equally sexy brothers. Not to leave the women out she created a strong memorable leading lady who though very strong willed has a hidden soft heart.

Vivienne starts off as a power house in a suit and I enjoyed Jace's influence on loosening her up as the story advances. How the author creates this scenario is priceless and I know the readers will enjoy this book as much as I did. There are times in the book that I felt the author needed to expand on Vivienne's tough facade in certain situations but it doesn't distract from the storyline.

Jace's character felt just about right in his toughness, mystic and his vulnerability. He added the push needed to open up Vivienne's personality and the strength for her to deal with her sister.

The storyline for me has a feeling of a MC genre but more complex and exciting. There is still some hidden mystery for me as to what these men are truly involved in but I love how close their family is and how they fight to keep it sacred. I look forward to the author expanding this series and allowing the reader to feel the richness of these men and the women they come to love. I also hope that a book on redemption for Vivienne's sister Callie will be part of this series. I think there is a worthy story behind her screw ups.

I give this 4 STARS and look forward to more books to this series.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Viv and Jace are a strange couple. This is an insta-love story and despite my not liking insta-love stories, this one wasn't too bad. I liked the "other" aspects of the book.

Jace is trying to help Viv jump start her career – she is running her own party planning business. What she doesn't know is that Jace has several businesses and connections and once he's seen her, he will do anything he can to break her tough exterior and get her to come and play with him.

Viv has had a difficult life. She has created this illusion and doesn't let people see past her facade. Then you have her sister – who I despised right from the beginning. She is this simpering, helpless, drug addicted slob. Viv is constantly picking up after her sister's messes and when Jace sees that, he fixes the problem.

This book has plenty of mystery because you don't ever really know who's after them. There is a somewhat satisfactory ending, but I do hope that the other players in this book receive their own story too.


Kris – ☆☆☆☆
First book in a new-to-me series called Haven Brotherhood. I really enjoyed this story, the Haven boys are interesting and complicated alpha males. This story is about Jace Kennedy, one of the founding and first members of the Haven Brotherhood. It doesn't seem as if the guys are an MC, although Jace does own a motorcycle. These guys in the brotherhood just have each other’s backs like a family. And family is something Vivienne doesn't know much about. Only having her flaky, drunken sister who needs Vivienne more every day to bail her out of tight spots, Viv doesn't have anyone but herself to rely on. She's stuffed her wild child way down deep and is trying to be the responsible person for her sister, Callie. Another midnight call from Callie to pick her up from a bar and Viv runs into Jace, the owner of the crazy nightclub, Crossroads. Jace is a bad boy to the n'th degree, a nightclub owner who has scars earned from a life lived hard. Not what Viv needs in her little world of responsible. But the chemistry can’t be denied. The two really do spark on the page and Jace is a perfect, dirty talking, sexy alpha man. Overpowering, overbearing, overprotective, and hot as hades, I enjoyed his character a little too much. Jace pulls Vivienne out of her protective shell and the two really light it up. I really liked the rest of the Haven crew and will definitely be wanting to hear their stories. Happy to find a new series of hot men to melt the cold winter blues away.


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆
The Haven Brotherhood, at first glance, is made up of less than desirable members of society. They are infamous rather than famous, and yet are slowly making inroads into legitimate society.

Neither Jace or Viv has had an easy life, both growing up fast and hard in different ways. Jace has taken what he learned in the school of hard knocks and has parlayed that into a business empire, with his Brothers, that if were widely known, would cement their legitimacy in Dallas society. Viv, on the other hand, has decided that the only way to succeed in this life is to tamp down any wayward or wild thoughts and live a staid life. The only crinkle in Viv's life is her drugged addled sister, Callie.

There were lots of things I loved about this book and some that I didn't. I would have loved to have learned more about Viv's backstory, how Callie wound up in Dallas with Viv, and why she decided to hide her true colors behind a wall of beige.

The insta-lust that Jace has for Viv seems natural, but the exceeding patience he has with her does not. Jace seems like a man who goes after what he wants and Viv was portrayed as being very needy and dependent with sudden bursts of vitality.

The Haven Brotherhood is off to a good start and I'm hoping that a little more backstory will be explained in book two.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is the first book of a new series, and I am really pleased to think that there will be at least five more to come! Inevitably there has to be a degree of world building in a new series, but this does it in a very fluent and natural way.

The beauty of this book is that the leads are both string-willed, intelligent, and interesting people. Jace is a man who has made his family and values that above all standard laws. He and his brothers live by their ethics, and are incredibly successful in their endeavours. Privacy is highly valued, and their loyalty is to each other before all else.

So, when Jace first sees Vivienne collecting her drunk sister from one of the Haven clubs, he cannot believe the affect that she has on him. Never one to even consider chasing a woman before, he cannot let her walk away. When he discovers her 'secret' room, he has no chance of ever forgetting her.

Vivienne has reinvented herself and achieved much more than one would have ever expected, but she is in need of more event contracts. When a very generous offer comes, with the big alpha string attached that she first saw at a club, she has to decide how much she wants her dream. Experiencing Jace taking her apart, she isn't really sure she made the right choice.

These two have so much delicious chemistry that smoulders along waiting for the fuse to light. The mix of verbal sparring, stubbornness, and the realisation of being able to trust someone are revealed as the story develops. I loved it all.

Cannot wait for the next one to come along – I do hope Ms. Morgan is busy writing it!


Mary – ☆☆☆☆☆
I have to say I fell in love with Jace and Viv, they are both strong and strong willed, but will protect family until the end. This story will pull you in and keep you there until the end and leave you wanting more. Good thing there is more to come from the other brothers of the Haven.

Vivienne Moore has tried to be more than her past and live her life in the here and now and the proper way. And yet again she has to rescue her drunken sister, Callie, from another bar or party. This time it’s at a club where she sees a man, no a god without his shirt on, he is what fantasies are made of. She just wants to get her sister, no trouble and be gone. But that would be too easy.

Jace Kennedy looks the part of the bad boy and he is. He fights for what is his, what he wants, and he protects his family. When he sees the beauty across the hall rescuing the drunk girl, she is all he thinks about. And it is more than just for a hookup. He has to learn more about her.

Viv and Jace will go through a lot to be together, her insecurities just might be the biggest problem. Can he show her his real self without scaring her off? Will she accept the Haven as part of her own? Will the Haven accept her as part of the family?

This is a first for me from Rhenna Morgan and I have to say that I have found a new favorite author with this series. And Zeke's story will be out in April, I can't wait.


Sarah – ☆☆☆
3.5 stars

This is an exciting story about two people who have chosen to leave their pasts behind while building better futures for themselves. Event planner Vivienne is determined to make her business work, but her sister’s drug problems make her life very difficult. Jace has made a better life for his chosen family, but his history with a corrupt politician has put them all in danger.

The connection between Jace and Vivienne is slow and full of angst. The attraction is instant but she doesn’t trust easily and he only trusts his Haven family. Vivienne learns to trust Jace when he comes to her rescue (and even to her sister’s rescue). In turn, Jace supports Vivienne and her career.

I liked the brotherhood element of this story and the slightly greyish morals held by the brothers. The action and suspense is exciting and I enjoyed unravelling the layers of secrecy that surround Jace’s life and the motivations for his actions. At times this is a sexy read but the focus of the story is more on the drama, romance, and action than on the sex.

My concern with this book is the sexual politics. It’s a simple romance and I probably shouldn’t look at it too carefully but I’m getting really tired of female romance writers who normalise misogyny. Initially, Jace’s attentions feel more than a little stalkerish (breaks into her home, checks her computer history, sits outside her home watching her…). Jace is good looking and wealthy, but he’s also that scary sort of alpha male – fun to read about in fiction but I’d hope any woman would call the police if he pulled any of his surveillance/kidnapping/stalking behaviour in real life. I find it easier to appreciate this type of leading man in shifter and vampire stories but the secret brotherhood with the secret compound where the women are kept out of sight (usually in the kitchen) is more than a little bit creepy – especially without any sort of supernatural explanation. Women in this story are quickly divided into the usual two groups – good girls and whores. The men can play with the whores without damaging their own reputations but the whores will never be good enough for them to date. Or marry. Or meet their mothers. Urgh. Please.

If you ignore the sexual politics, this is an exciting story with some great action scenes and a sweet romance. It is well written and the characters are well crafted. I just couldn’t quite overlook the antiquated gender roles or the underlying misogyny in this story.


Shannan – ☆☆☆☆☆
The men within the Haven Brotherhood don't always follow the rules. They do what needs to be done in order to get results. They all put their brothers and family above all else. Jace has never been a man to chase a woman, but after seeing the way Viv came to rescue her drunken sister, he can't get her off his mind.

Viv has never let anyone see who she really was. She's kept that part hidden until she meets Jace. He wants to see all her scars, but she doesn't know if she's ready to open up.

The chemistry is combustible between Jace and Viv. They are sexy and sweet and just a touch of dirty.

Ms. Morgan is a new-to-me author and I absolutely can't wait for more from her. I fell in love with the world she created. I'm dying to see where she takes these characters within this series.


Lee’Anne – ☆☆☆☆
This is an enjoyable read!

Vivienne spends her days working her butt off to get her event planning business off the ground and her night dragging her sister out of one bar after the other. Enter Jace Kennedy and his Haven brothers. Jace is an alpha male billionaire who will do anything to protect his family. Jace has an enemy in Paul Reener, a local politician who uses the bulk of his airtime to trash talk Jace and his many businesses. When Jace realizes that he wants Viv in his life, he hires her to help him clean up his public image… and the two are undeniably perfect for one another.

This book is filled with angst and sexual frustration, it makes for a very fast-paced read. I love all the “Haven Brothers” and I look forward to seeing where Rhenna Morgan takes this series next! I was marginally disappointed at the beginning to discover this isn’t really an MC romance, but it’s an awesome read nonetheless!

*** I voluntarily reviewed this book, for the Publisher, I gained no monetary incentives nor was I specifically requested to review the book, these are my honest ramblings and I hope you enjoy reading them - kat***



Jace Kennedy on the surface is the type of guy you tell your daughters to stay well away from, he is bright and dedicated and he gets what he wants, lives by his own code even if it's not quite within the law.

Vivienne Moore's determined to break the mould of her upbringing, even if that means hiding her true personality. I felt for her, with her only family being either a mother who left for a better meal ticket or the drunk sister on a mission to destroy herself, she is just holding onto the fledgling business she has set up doing event management.

When she rescues Callie from Jace's nightclub, Jace decides he wants to know more about the uptight woman in the suit... who still dresses in work gear on New Year's Eve.

Vivienne knows Jace is dangerous because he makes her feel... will she risk it all to live for herself?
Jace will not let her say no - so she ends up having no choice but to look at why she is hiding in suburbia when if she spread her wings she could fly and let her creativity soar.

Although Jace was walking a fine line from being an all out biker gangster, Ms. Morgan has created his character and his 'Brotherhood' with more of an old-fashioned code of the wild west cowboys or maybe robin hood... Men that stood against the corrupt town elite rather than robbing and pillaging the poor locals.

I liked that about the Haven Brotherhood, The two Matriarchs were also a bright spot for me, you saw where their morality came from, yes these boys grew up on the streets, but they'd dragged themselves above the gutter and tried to better themselves and their family... whether blood or chosen brother.

Jace slowly and carefully showed Vivienne that she was not doing herself or Callie any favours by enabling her partying ways. He was a bit of a control freak at times, but then this is an Alpha male we are talking about so it was not a surprise.

The adorable Ruger made me want a dog, he was a cute side character that showed Jace and Vivienne's softer side.

Vivienne was no wilting damsel in distress either, which I was grateful for, I like my MH/FH to have an equal footing in a relationship.

I enjoyed Ms. Morgan's writing style, the story flows, drawing you into the relationships between the characters which will hopefully get their own books, and I think I will be adding the series to my Series Read list.

I was honestly a little bit weary of starting this book, but it took me by surprise and I really enjoyed it. It's an easy story, kind of predictable, but the characters are compelling and not in the least bit annoying. Alpha male Jace, isn't so over the top demanding or aggressive as some tend to be. Oh, he's got the whole Alpha thing down pat, but he's quick to recognize how to play it with Viv. And Viv, she's full on class. I really dug her a lot, thankfully.

While I felt some of the world building for this group lacked smooth and seamless understanding, I'm engaged enough to want to continue the series and see where all the other brothers go on their journeys. I'm hoping the author dives more into this brotherhood of men, what they're really about, and expands on the close relationship they have.

Fun reading.

I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if I had not read it right after Rock Chick Reawakening. The stark difference between Daisy (RCR) and Vivi was disconcerting. Daisy, despite an extremely rough and neglected upbringing, embraced who she was and didn’t give one care to what others thought about her, just doing the best she could to make the world better for those around her. Viv completely rejected who she was, denying her true self and hiding beneath what she thought was a “safe” persona. For me, it just screamed weak and fake.

Jace, the hero was a little better, but again not by much. He seemed inordinately worried about how the public saw him, constantly upset that he had to hide all his good deeds and charities behind shell corporations because he had such a bad reputation. I like my alpha’s to not care about what everyone thinks of them, much less worried about people not knowing how much they’ve donated to things. I do have to say he could grovel and apologized when he was a jerk which was a nice change.

My problem was because Vivi and Jace were so busy trying to be other people, there was no way I could understand any kind of connection between them, especially as to why Jace would want Vivi. I mean, if you don’t even like yourself and twist yourself into this fake plastic mannequin type of a person why would someone even want to go there?

The book was long, slow, and frustrating, but it did make me think about similar circumstances and how people handled their upbringing. I probably swung towards all these deep, introspective thoughts because of the agonizingly slow pace, so I’m not sure this was necessarily a plus.

Maybe if there had been more of the backstory of Haven and how it came to be, and less of Jace and Viv spinning their wheels worried about what everyone thought about them, this would have been a much more interesting book.

I was sitting at a 2.5 star rating for Rough and Tumble . It was okay but I really wanted to like it more than I actually did, and then the ending happened. What a disappointment that was, but it cemented my opinion that Jace was in no way, shape, or form an alpha badass. View Spoiler » Bad guys who put a hit out on you and end up getting your woman shot need to be put down. A loss of their inheritance and bad publicity in no way, shape or form are enough punishment for that « Hide Spoiler There went that 1/2 star.

Rating: 2 Turn In Your Alpha Badass Card Stars

Well hello there new-to-me-author and super-fun-book! Nice to meet you!

When I was first hitting my stride reading romance books, I found myself gobbling up everything and anything written by Kristen Ashley. I loved her grunting macho men and the women who tamed them. When I finished everything on her backlist, I wanted something that had that same feel. But when I asked for recommendations, they never seemed to fit her...vibe.

This book, Rough and Tumble, felt very Kristen Ashley'esque in the best ways.

Our heroine, Viv, is tough in her own way. She's loyal to a fault to her sister. And she's the caretaker, the problem solver, trying to make something of herself. I loved her. She's strong, but vulnerable. She's determined, but when she opens herself up to love, she really opens herself up fully.

And then there's Jace. Oh Jace...*swoon*. He's tough, but his capacity to love is HUGE. He's successful, but wants to be respected above all else. And he's so honorable. And he's a BAMF! :)

Viv and Jace have a combustable chemistry and that had me fanning myself with my kindle. I felt giddy as I was reading this because it the story and the characters absolutely sucked me in and I found myself not wanting this book to end.

Just like when I read those addictive KA books!

What's to Like:
There is an entire cast of characters introduced in this book and I am a sucker for a series laying itself out to be written and read. Oh the possibilities!

What's to Love:
Chemistry, chemistry, chemistry! Viv and Jace have it in spades. I loved every moment they were on page together.

Beware of:
The power-play that I really liked with Jace, some may find brutish or manipulative. Mileage may vary.

This Book is For:
Definitely for Kristen Ashley fans. You'll find a likeness in the storytelling.

This book had all the workings to be a cracky read – over the top hero who is dripping with alpha sweat, a do-gooder heroine and a brotherhood of men who have reputations of being from the wrong side of the tracks, but are actually really good dudes. But by the end of this one I felt like it was too over the top. These guys are not ones to be found in the real world. And I hear you say, Mandi – you love other heroes who are not real-wordly (aka JR Ward or some or Kristen Ashley’s heroes) and I say, yes…yes. But these heroes just didn’t do it for me like some of the others. Let me set-up the book.

Jace and his five best buddies – Axel, Zeke, Trevor, Beckett and Knox – are part of the Haven Brotherhood – these six guys are family. They will do anything for the other, and they don’t let people from the outside in without extreme vetting. They are all huge and burly. A good description the guys is one of Axel:

A giant of a man stood just inside the velvet rope. His hair hung loose to his shoulders with enough waves to rival her own, and a beard that made her think of Scottish warlords. He’d pulled the top of his hair into a partial ponytail, but it didn’t ease his rugged edge. In fact, the only things that made him look civilized were his tailored pants and a long-sleeved cashmere sweater.

“Heard a lot about you, but now that I’m getting an eyeful, I’m beginning to see why.” He ambled closer and held out his hand. “I’m Axel McKee. Good to meet you.”

The barely there brogue she’d picked up on the phone was harder to detect tonight, but the whole sophisticated Braveheart image was more than sufficient to jack with her head.

They are club owners, and make a lot of money – but also draw in drug people and other sketchy clientele to their very popular clubs, causing some drama in this book.

Jace had a hard childhood and people look at him and think he reeks of being a thug. He is cast in an unfavorable – almost dangerous light to the public, but he is nothing like that. He donates huge amounts of money to charities that he works closely with. He takes care of his family. He often has to use a shell company to do business, because his real name would put a frown on many people’s faces.

He meets Viv when she comes into his club to gather up her very drunk sister. Getting her drunk and high sister out of jams has become a consistent in Viv’s life and she is tired of it. But it’s her sister, so she can’t give her up. Viv ends up falling over with her sister in tow, and Jace drags her back to get medical care. Viv is an event planner who really needs clients and is running out of money. Jace is very attracted to Viv, who appears more buttoned up and serious than the women he is used to. He decides she will be his, and he pursues her with all of his alpha glory.

I love brotherly camaraderie, and this one has the groundwork for it with the Haven brotherhood. They aren’t blood related but are closer than any family. But as I mentioned earlier, it was just too over the top for me. Some examples that made me roll my eyes:

–Jace won’t let Viv (or anyone) into the brotherhood, or near the brotherhood unless they are thoroughly vetted. This means he secretly goes into her house and goes through ALL her things (even her underwear) to make sure she is “safe.” It was a real violation of her privacy.

–Jace decides to give Viv several events to plan for his clubs, which would give her some steady income for once – but only if she goes on two or three dates with him. I didn’t love that he forces her to date him for her to get work. And yes, she was attracted to him and he wouldn’t do anything to her she didn’t want. But it rubbed me the wrong way.

–Just his overall general attitude that she is HIS and there is no other way, and she must live by the brotherhood rules etc…. it was too much.

“One other thing. That easygoing routine I’ve been servin’ up to keep from spooking you? It’s done. You’d be wise to batten down the hatches and heal up quick because you’re about to find out what it’s like to belong to a man like me.”

Maybe I was just not in the right mood for this one – I wanted it to be cracky fun but I just wasn’t totally on board. I thought Viv’s drunk sister was much more intriguing than Viv.

The suspense part didn’t play out that well for me either.

There are some fun parts! I won’t be a total debbie downer. I didn’t dislike it – I just wanted to like it more

Grade: C+

This is the first book I have read from this author.

I thought the story had an interesting plot. I wish the characters had some more background information intead of it just being told. I think the story could have been a great deal better with some flashbacks so we could live the history. There was insta-love. Wham one look and they were forever for him.

Viv, well I wasn't all thrilled with her. I never truly understood why she made herself so reserved. I mean if you explain that your dad got shot in a bar but you weren't really emotionally involved with him as your dad...kinda contradictory. I just didn't get her at all.

Jace was hot and I liked him. I still wished we had more background and less telling about his past. I really think that stopped me from really connecting with the characters. The sex was hot though.

It just needed more. It would have been really great with how Axel and Jace started Haven and even how all the boys met up. Arghhh it could have been spectacular!

Received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.

I have been wanting to try this author since I got to hang out with her a little last year at the RT Convention (FYI - she is cool people)... but I just haven't been able to get a lot of personal reading on the calendar in the past year. Being more of a urban fantasy and paranormal fan, I expected to start with the Eden series, I even went on a one-clicking spree buying up the series with grand intentions to start ASAP. As my plans fell through in that regard, I was excited to see this new series, even though I don't read as much contemporary these days. Now I am just kicking myself for not reading her work sooner.

"There's the family you''re given by birth, and there's the family you choose for yourself."

So let's start with the Haven Brotherhood. Five brothers (and two mothers) that are family, not by blood but by loyalty and obligation. They are not just rough and tumble bikers, but each brother seems to have hidden depths that the reader will love to discover as they fall in love (and lust) with these swoonworthy men.
It's not where a man comes from, or what he wears, that matters. It's what he does with his life that counts.
Jace Kennedy is the first brother offered up for our reading pleasure, and he is an alpha male, intelligent businessman and co-founder of the Haven Brotherhood. He is also charitable and active in his community with at-risk youth, his philanthropic side being inspired by his childhood. But for all his alpha maleness, Jace has a vulnerable side that draws the reader in and, for me, created a strong emotional connection to his character. I was drawn to his character from the get-go and felt myself getting offended on his behalf when business deals tanked or were sabotaged by petty and ignorant people more worried about appearances than the good he provided for the community and his business partners.

"The sooner you figure out who the hell you are on the inside, the happier you'll be."

Vivienne Moore is outwardly a straight-laced buttoned-up event planner, dressing in prim and proper business suits and living in a sterile environment. Viv didn't have the easiest childhood with an uppity mother, a drunk father, and a sister following in his footsteps. So she thinks that by suppressing her nature (and wild curly hair), she will go through life safe and bored out of her mind. Needless to say, Viv was in dire need of someone to come and mess up her perfectly boring existence. I found her to be a tolerable heroine... I usually have such a hard time with heroines in contemporary romance, they tend to get on my nerves by being overly dramatic or running away from adult situations/responsibilities, etc. However, I commend Viv on her mostly reasonable ability to stick it out with Jace even when she wasn't absolutely sure what she was doing. I think any negative feelings I had toward her were out of jealousy because I would have scooped up that man in a heartbeat so I didn't identify with her hesitance.

The relationship was definitely the main focus of this story, so it got going pretty fast from the start. Jace is a man that knows what he wants and goes after it... but it was nice to see that he respected Viv and reined in his alpha nature so he wouldn't spook her and send her running the opposite direction. But O-M-G, the sexual tension between these two! It was off the charts. Rhenna did a great job with the build up and wrote some exceedingly steamy sexytime that is sure to satisfy any smut lover. (You know who you are!) These two interacted and communicated like mature adults, which made me happy. I hate seeing unnecessary drama these days - my drama llama tolerance is quite low.

"Never underestimate a high-caliber wingman, let alone a trio."

But back to this brotherhood... man these are some yummy dudes. I think Jace may be my favorite, but he is going to have some strong competition with Axel and his playful nature and Scots brogue. Next up is Zeke's story in Wild & Sweet.

This story reminded me a lot of the early works of Kristen Ashley and I mean this as a compliment. Still, I think this book takes things a bit too far and bot the hero and heroine come across as over the top for me. I do like an alpha hero but found Jace far too possessing and controlling, taking over Viv's life completely. I liked how he wanted to help her free her wild side though. I have more issues with Viv, she was far too weak for my liking, I saw her as a doormat for her sister and this really annoyed it. She needed a man (like Jace) to save her and I resented this idea so much.
Their chemistry was amazing, and there were some tender, intimate moments between them but they were not enough to make this more than an OK read for me.

***4.5 “You Make Me Feel” Stars***

~ 4 Stars for Jace & Viv. .5 Stars for the Brotherhood and their girls ~

I’ve been a huge fan of Rhenna Morgan’s since reading Unexpected Eden and have made sure to get my hands on each book she comes out with as soon as possible. So when it was announced that she was kicking off a new series I pretty much stalked her SM sites for when it was coming out and I can say I wasn’t disappointed! Rough & Tumble a fun and sexy romp that gets the Haven Brotherhood series off to a great start with characters you will find yourself needing to know more about!

Jace grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and will admit that he’s done some things that aren’t necessarily legal, but he got himself on a path where he was able to make something of himself and take care of the people who mean the most to him and extend a helping hand when he can. I want my own Jace. The man is all kinds of dominate scary smexy alpha male who could give a caveman a run for his money with his protective/possessive nature but has a heart of gold that will make you swoon. He gets a wee bit hot headed, but is man enough to own up to it.

Vivienne wants desperately to live in a beige colored world based on her past. She wants a regimented existence and coloring outside the lines, much less in them, with vibrant colors is definitely not allowed. Total honesty here, I didn’t find Viv at all interesting until about the 62% mark. I liked her and found her drive to stand on her own two feet and make her business thrive, and hell even her determination to be boring highly commendable, but she didn’t hit a cord with me until her true nature started to show itself. Her past was rough and there are parts of her present that are as well, but I never got a true connect on why she went to such an extreme. Thankfully, she comes to see that she is leashing herself unnecessarily and when she finally takes the leash off a sassy, witty and confident woman emerges.

Now with my full on adoration of Jace and my like of Viv one could believe that I had issues with their journey to their HEA, and there were some moments where I wanted to Gibbs smack both of them, but overall I liked them together, really liked them together. They complimented each other and through their interactions had them growing without compromising who they were at their core. I loved how Jace pursued Viv and even though he exerted his indomitable will on her, he did his best to always make sure she knew she had a choice in what was going on. There were some instances where that line was blurry, but considering the situations when it happened, one can’t fully be upset about it. The sexual chemistry between them was intense and when the walls finally came down, they were smoking hot. My one issue, that can be put on the ‘it’s not you, it’s me shelf’, is that I wish they’d opened up more about their pasts to each other. They find out things, but it’s from outside sources and I really wanted them to have a full on here are my wounds talk. But I did like that while it was full on insta-lust, time was taken for them to get to know each other in the present.

This was a fun read and I like the concept behind the Haven Brotherhood, it does take a bit of time for it to be explained, but when it finally comes out, it makes perfect sense. There is a bit of a suspense storyline tossed into the mix, but at it’s heart this is a character driven story and was done very well. And as most know, I’m a sucker for well written secondary/supporting characters, and this book has them in spades. From the Brotherhood to their girls, I want to hang out with them and get to know all about their pasts and how it shaped them. Sylvie and Ninette are amazing and Axel is probably my favorite, mostly because he had the most page time of the brother, but I’m totally looking forward to diving into Zeke’s book and seeing what’s in store for him.

My first read by Rheanna Morgan, and I feel like o must have been living under a rock! She absolutely blew me away and I can't wait to devour her other works! (Bring on Dr McHottie Zeke)

Rough & Tumble was the PERFECT title for this book. We get a H and h with warring good and bad sides being hidden and dyeing to get out. Jace's persistence with Viv warmed my heart from the very first pages. We definitely tumbled throughout the novel with climactic events that had me turning pages in lightning speed.

In the end we learned about family, love, and trust and the bonds that connect people. Jace and Viv's story and the Haven brotherhood are a total knockout!

I wasn’t sure about this one at first, but the more I read the harder it was to put down.

Rough & Tumble had the ‘feel’ of a motorcycle club novel, but it wasn’t. Yes, there were motorcycles, and the males were about as alpha as you can get, but they were much more. They were ‘brothers’ who ran and helped run more than a few businesses, supported charities, skirted the law and got a bad rap no matter what they did. They would do anything for family and had firm rules about who was let into their inner circle, no exceptions. Jace wasn’t one to play by the rules… even though he made most of them.

I gotta admit, I skimmed a couple of reviews before I read Rough & Tumble and I noticed that more than a few didn’t really like Vivienne. In the beginning, I kind of agreed with them. Once I got to know her though, I really sympathized with her. It’s a good thing Jace was as stubborn as he was or their relationship wouldn’t have stood a chance. The thing was that Vivienne had no real sense of family or what it meant to be a part of one. Jace’s life revolved around family and he was determined to show her what she was missing by closing herself off and not being true to herself. He had his work cut out for him.

Besides a strong sense of family, there was plenty of smexiness, suspense, interesting twists and humor shared between these witty, smart characters. I think I’m going to enjoy getting to know the rest of the Haven Brotherhood. The next book in the series is Wild & Sweet and it’s Zeke’s book. I really liked his character. Of course there weren’t any of the Brotherhood that I didn’t like 😉