Member Reviews

I received an arc of this title for an honest review. I loved this well thought out romance title with really great characters.

Was this review helpful?

This was an absolute shocking joy to read. At first, I wasn't sure if I'd like it since I hadn't really ever read anything by this author but I found myself not being able to put this book down. It was a welcome distraction.

Was this review helpful?

This was such a cute romance, i liked it a lot and it was definitely a fast read for me. I adored the characters and the story line. The main characters were developed amazingly, especially Faith, she was such a great mum and a strong character. The romance was super adorable and I felt like the book was written so so well.

Was this review helpful?

Sometimes when you read a book you get more than you expected. That was definitely the case with Storming the Castle by Arianna Hart. Storming the Castle is the third book in the Dale series and is a standalone read. This was my first time reading Arianna and I only realized this was a series as I was putting my review together. The cover is what originally caught my attention. I read an excerpt and I wanted to read the story, thinking it was going to be fun and flirty. There are parts that are fun and flirty, but Storming the Castle has some serious, heart-tugging and heart-aching moments.

Sam Castle aka Sam Castleton is a hard rock rockstar in desperate need of a break. He’s a borderline alcoholic who doesn’t remember most of his days and nights. He needs new material for a new album but he hasn’t been able to write lyrics or music for awhile. With his last tour finally over, he insists on getting away from everything. Sam finds himself in smalltown Dale, Georgia, staying at Adams’ Hunting Lodge, attempting to blend in.

Faith Adams has had to pick herself up after a heart shattering tragedy and unthinkable discovery. For six years, Faith has been running the Adams’ Hunting Lodge and single-handedly taking care of her five-year-old daughter, Piper. Her main focus has been her daughter and making a decent living to take care of the two of them. Men have not been on her radar. That is, until Sam Castleton shows up. Faith’s life is about to get complicated very fast. After six years of hibernation, her body awakens at the sight of Sam. Plus, Piper’s grandparents who previously didn’t want to acknowledge her, now want custody.

Immediately, I liked the characters of Sam, Faith, and Piper. The secondary characters who have found love in the previous books were good as well. I loved that the story wasn’t predictable. I was sure that it was going to be. Faith and Sam are two characters who needed to overcome their past demons and insecurities. I loved watching them do just that, with the help of each other. They were both stronger and braver than they gave themselves credit for.

Was this review helpful?

Storming the Castle is an enjoyable read!

You will truly come to fall in love with both Faith and Sam.
They both have past baggage, Faith still so due to family stuff that has her reeling....... but between that and everything else, they find a way to create a bond you'll enjoy to watch!

If you're looking for a wonderful romance book where the heroine who has a heart of gold could possibly fall for a jaded rock bad boy....... this is the story for you!!!

3.5 stars from me.

Recv'd a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Sam really needed some time to himself to recharge and evaluate his life.  His rocker lifestyle has started to take a toll and he’s moving ever closer to being a horrible cliché.   A cabin in the middle of nowhere, isolation, and a chance to get his head on straight is all he wants.  But he doesn’t count on his sexy landlord. 

Faith leads a very quiet life and is happy that way.  Her newest tenant may have some strange requests (and come across as a grump) but she could use the money.  Especially as things get a little heated with her in-laws.  But a she gets to know Sam a little better she realizes that there is more to him than she thought … and she’s interested in finding out even more. 

There’re troubles for both but things are relatively drama free between the two of them.  Sam is very supportive and gives of himself once he gets involved.  Faith has some problems thanks to her past but she does her best to handle them and look forward to the future.  Especially a future that includes Sam.  Storming the Castle is a lovely read of people getting to each other, taking stock of their lives, and deciding the direction they want to go.

Was this review helpful?

Storming the Castle is a quick, fun, smart, sexy “rocker in hiding” read!

Sam and Faith have such chemistry that it's palpable. From the first day, Sam’s seen the beauty and intelligence in Faith’s actions and body, and he’s fighting his desires to make her his.
Faith has put her daughter first in every aspect of her life—until she finds that she can’t hold back her feelings for Sam any longer.

I really loved these two characters individually and as a whole. Loved that they were smart in resolving issues as their fears and the “real world” and all the pressures and problems tried to break through their bubble. I loved Sam’s relationship with Piper too! So fun.

Storming the Castle is absolutely a stand-alone book. I haven’t read books 1 or 2 and I didn’t feel lost at all!

Was this review helpful?

Such a fantastic read. I loved it from start to finish.
Loved the characters too x

Was this review helpful?

Storming the Castle is a sweet read. Sam Castle is a rockstar who's had enough. Enough of his lifestyle, enough of waking up with a hangover. So he has his manager find him a place in the middle of nowhere where he can have some peace and quiet and he can dry out. He doesn't want to go to rehab, he just wants to be alone, figure out how to write music again, and be at peace. Faith is the woman who owns the bed and breakfast his manager rents out for Sam. She's got a little girl that she's put her whole into raising, pandering to a rockstar isn't on her agenda. She doesn't even recognize Sam, and Sam prefers it that way.

But, as the two start spending more time together, Sam falls for both Faith and her adorable daughter, Piper. But, can Faith ever hope to fit into his rockstar life? And can she fight off Piper's grandparents' bid for custody? I loved seeing Sam slowly open up to Faith and Piper and fall in love with them. Storming the Castle is definitely different from the normal rockstar romance, it's much sweeter, less sex, drugs and rock n roll and more sweet, small town romance.

Was this review helpful?

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story of Sam Castleton and Faith Adams. Sam is a famous singer who is going through the cliche rich guy crisis after becoming disillusioned with his rock-and-roll lifestyle. This is especially frustrating for him since he can't seem to write any new music, which means no new album for the record label. So Sam's manager arranges for him to spend a couple of months in a cabin in the woods of Dale, Georgia to re-group. The cabin being rented happens to be owned by Faith, a single mom with a lot on her plate, including running her B&B and raising her daughter, Piper. Sam spends time getting his feet back under him; exercising, not drinking, eating right, and spending some quality time with Faith and Piper. His muse thankfully returns and he comes up with some great, if different, new material, mostly based on his new feelings for Faith. But can a country girl and a rock-and-roll celebrity really make it work in the long term? 
Overall I really liked this book. Faith was a fierce heroine who was also incredibly vulnerable and I really liked the dichotomy between those aspects of her character. And Sam was dark, brooding, sensitive and steamy, everything that a hero should be in a romance novel. This book was pretty steamy, Sam and Faith lit up the pages with their chemistry and it made the book feel more emotional as well. The plot line was interesting and engaging, there was enough going on to hold the reader's interest. This book had great supporting characters and a cute/sweet ending. I would be interested to read more by this author, and I would recommend this one for a great summer read!

Was this review helpful?

Sam Castle just needs to get away and find himself again. What better place than the middle of nowhere.

Faith Adams has depended on no one for the past6 years. She is raising her daughter and doing the best that she can while running a hunting retreat in Dale, GA. The summer is always her slowest period of time, so when she is contacted by a manager to rent out one of her cabins for two months, she saw it as an opportunity to make some extra cash during the slow months.

What neither of them expected was to find the one thing they needed from each other.

I really loved Sam and Faith. Faith was strong and independent. She knew what she wanted and what she would take from her friends. Sam was a little alpha with a soft side. As each of their walls came down, their connection was electrifying.

Was this review helpful?

Storming the Castle is book 3 in the Dale series by Arianna Hart but it can be read as a standalone. This is the first book I have read by Ms. Hart and I enjoyed it. It's not what you would expect from a rocker romance and has a more down to earth feel to it.
 
Sam has basically been living out of a suitcase for the last couple of years. He is a little burnt out on the rock star life and needs some time to himself. He rents out a little bed and breakfast in Dale so that he can get some much needed alone time to clear his head and write for his album. The owner of the bed and breakfast is a single mom who enjoys the quiet life. Faith has worries of her own and tries not to worry about her surly guest.
 
Of course they have an intense chemistry that they try to ignore but in this sweet contemporary romance, there is bound to be a HEA. The characters are great and I really liked Faith's daughter. I love stories that involve a single parent and this one even had the added drama of the paternal grandparents appearing. I'd recommend to anyone wanting to read a sweet romance.

Was this review helpful?

This is the 1st time that I have read any of this authors work, and my word, it will not be the last. Sam is a rockstar who has hit rock bottom, and just need to get away and get his mojo back. Faith is a single mom who runs a B&B, and Sam is booked in there by his agent for a couple of months. I was hooked on this story from the very beginning, and with the twist, this made an intriguing read.
This is a well written storyline, and the author has done a great job in writing this entertaining story. Well done!!
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book!

Was this review helpful?

4 Stars

This was the first book I’ve read by this author and I really enjoyed it!

The book was totally different than what I was expecting as the hero is a rockstar.

First, the setting is in country Georgia in a little town called Dale. The town only has about 500 inhabitants so you can imagine the dynamics between the characters.

Sam Castle has a massive case of writer’s block and is contracted to produce another album. He’s just finished the last show of his tour and wakes to find that he can’t remember what happened or where he was. All he knows is that he needs a drink! This makes him think that he could possibly be an alcoholic. The thought scares him enough that he tells his manager that he needs a break, a real break, from everything.

Sam’s manager finds him a cottage to rent for two months at Adam’s Hunting Lodge so that he can get act together and to dry out.

The woman who runs the hunting lodge, Faith Adams, catches Sam’s eye as soon as he checks in. But he’s determined to get his act together and get the creative juices flowing once more.

Faith is a little spitfire and also a single mom after her husband tragically died in a car accident. She has a gorgeous five year-old daughter, Piper, who is just a little ball of energy.

Ms Hart’s descriptive writing truly sold me on this book. I love her writing style and her characters were awesome. Mary Ellen, who is Faith’s best friend in the book, totally cracked me up. Truly, the supporting characters in the book were just as good as the main characters. The storyline kept me intrigued throughout the entire book and it was a really well developed story. The plot twists towards the end had me dying to find out what happens next.

I definitely would recommend this book to any readers who are interested in a swoon worthy rockstar!

Was this review helpful?

Sam Castle for the last few years has lived in and out of his suitcase as a rock star. Recently though he has been feeling the effects of being burnt out and wants a break away from the spotlight. One thing leads to another and Sam Castle aka Sam Castleton finds himself in the middle of nowhere in a small town called Dale. Faith owns a small Bed and Breakfast in Dale and lives here with her five-year-old daughter Piper. The small town life is perfect for her as she had a go at being a Stepford wife and that didn't work out. Now it's just the two of them. Wanting privacy, Sam hires out the whole Bed and Breakfast and gets down to business which includes clearing his head and writing some new songs for his overdue album. As the story goes along, we have an idea of how the book will play out as this becomes one of those predictable HEA sweet romance reads. You know the type that you don't have to think much about, but you pick it up as you want one of those happy, feel-good books that cater to all those romantic notions of true love. The other thing that I did like about Storming the Castle was that for Faith, this was a second chance at romance as her first husband is no longer around and of course due to her history Sam has to work harder than his usual rock star charm to woo her. The other good thing about this book is that even though it is part of a series, you can read it as a stand-alone story.
If you are on the lookout for a sweet small town contemporary romance, then check out Arianna Hart's new release "Storming the Castle" - Book #3 in the Dale Series.

Was this review helpful?

This was a sweet story of a Rocker need to fix his life and a small town B & B owner. I enjoyed watching the story play out for Sam and Faith it had all the feels. If you are looking for an enjoyable book for a couple hours here you go. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book from publisher via NetGalley.

Was this review helpful?

This is the first one for me in reading this author. Looking at her other ones too I wonder how I missed this author but no matter I suppose now I have opened one of hers. The characters called to me with them telling me their story. Faith is one to be admired with all that she does. Sam though he wants quiet but he also will be getting others things along with that. He has issues also that time will tell the truth. I say also you get more than most books that center around music with this one. Your given a solid romance with the building of a relationship that has you interested thanks to the style and the pull of the characters. By the time you are let go you are left with knowing you had a good one.

Was this review helpful?

I really thought this book did a great job of showing how hard it is to do the right thing. Sam knew he needed time to himself to detox, both from alcohol and his stressful life. Even though he knew it would tick people off he still took two months off to get his ducks in a row, never expecting to find Faith. Faith is a single mother, who puts her daughter first and had to come to some pretty tough realizations about her husband - after he was gone.
They start out as friends and work their way up to more. Sam is drawn to her instantly and when he meets her daughter, even after the rough start, he can't walk away from either one.
They both know that their time is limited, but neither one wants to acknowledge what is developing between them.
I loved the way Sam let Faith know his true feelings. I also liked how Faith dealt with her daughters grandparents. I would definitely read more by this author.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

Was this review helpful?