What to say about this book. It's beyond gritty. It's raw. I've never, or least never that I can remember, liking a character so much despite his horrific actions and associations. Brick's job and the things he's been forced to do at the job are some of the most horrendous imaginable. Most villains in novels aren't as dark as Brick. And yet, he's likable. Davis has given us more than enough insight into his personality and motivation to explain his life choices. I never thought I could care for a murderer like I came to care for Brick. Or perhaps I should call him Jonathan. I normally would have been very disappointed in Liv for falling for him but this time I was actually anxiously awaiting their happily ever after.

Davis has given us a story that's far from formulaic. She's created a world that despite being despicable can't bring down Brick, Liv and Liv's siblings. They are so good that they can save themselves from being sucked into the darkness.

I actually, despite being pretty cynical in general, found myself believing Jonathan and Liv could have a relationship and children and find their normal life.

Wow, Ms. Davis - you gave me hope in humanity at the same time showing me the worst people are capable of.

This book is dark and full of characters I would not want to meet in the daylight hours. The construction crew is full of big guys who know how to throw their muscle around, at work and outside of the job. Brick is trapped in this awful situation and the only light in his life is Liv. It is a dark and scary journey these two go on. I had a hard time finishing this book because it was such a dark storyline.

I’m impressed this dark and gritty book is the author’s first outside of YA/NA (under another name). Beyond being dark, it also became violent and graphic at times. Blackmailed to being the mafia’s lead enforcer, Brick was a multi-dimensional and vulnerable character. My only complaint is the book was too long and dragged at times. Brick’s coworker, Kane, is the 2nd in the series and involved with an MC.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Mobster Romance
Triggers: Murder

Brick is a tough nut. While he's working his day job, Brick feels that he can be himself. At his night job, he's the tough, ruthless man that everyone knows and fears. Despite his night job, Brick knows that he isn't worthy of finding someone to love and to love him back. It's hard for him to step back when he sees the sister of one of his coworkers though. Instant attraction is something that he can't help. The more he tries to stay away from her, the more she pushes to get closer to him.

Olivia is used to her quiet life. Being a teacher isn't super exciting, but when she sees that there is a student who is not living up to his potential, she tries to help him. What she doesn't expect is to be caught in the crosshairs of a crazy and deadly enforcer for the local "boss." However, when she finds herself squarely in the path of the crazy enforcer, Tre, she will turn to Brick to save her.

The two have a great chemistry. I really enjoyed watching Olivia bring out Brick's softer side. Despite his past, she saw past his facade and saw the real Brick – she saw Johnathan.

The action in this story is somewhat disturbing at times, but also keeps the book moving. It was nice that the alpha male was not sleeping around and nice that the woman was the one doing the chasing. I am looking forward to more from this series.

I really didn't love this. I wanted to and I tried, but I didn't agree with a lot of things that happened through the book. The characters were flat , the plot was overdone and not realistic.

"She was light and everything soft and good. He was a stain on the darkest part of humanity."

It was the cover that caught my attention, but it was the new-to-me author that kept it, cover to cover. I was later intrigued to learn that she started as a book blogger and eventually decided to write her own books. I'm amazed that she killed it right out of the gate, Brick blew me away. I'm also very thrilled to be slightly late to the party so I can immediately start reading Kane. He's one of the support characters that I loved, and he's a biker...sigh. ♥

The chemistry between Brick and Liv is instant and intense. But, in spite of Brick's dark world, and even though he would argue about this, he does still have a heart. The very reason he was pulled into the darkness, to begin with, was to keep his family safe. He's been a prisoner to a life he never wanted, but he's damn good at it. He'd resigned himself to just getting by, doing what he had to do, until the angel in the white dress walked onto his construction job site and made him wish for more than just surviving.

Liv has been through some hell herself so she's not judgemental. She knows how to read between the lines and come up with more than is on the page. She knows Brick has secrets. He keeps pushing her away, but she sees the lust in his eyes. He feels the same way she does. What will it take for him to act on it?

Blood and bullets, lies and betrayal, pain and passion. It's all there. One-click and get you some!

Brick works construction by day and is an enforcer for a loan shark to keep is family safe. He meets Olivia and knows he must stay away to keep her safe, but will Olivia just walk away? Fast-paced read with loads of drama and suspense. This is a raw and gritty read that will draw you in from beginning to end. I really liked it.

WOOOOOWWW What a dark yet brilliant storyline! Books like Brick can go two ways one is not a good way but thank goodness for me Jen Davis took it the other way.
Brick is caught in a world that he shouldn't be but there is really no way out....well there is one but who wants to die?!?!
If you are looking for a new dark thriller with a good dash of romance (and steam) pick up Brick NOW!

I had a hard time finishing this book. But, I received an ARC and I always give honest reviews. I had a extremely hard time connecting to both H/h. Sometimes I like the female character and not the male and vice versa. In this book I didn't like either. Unfortunately it is the same ole' story line. Good Girl meets bad boy, shit happens. Happy ending!

Well developed characters and plot
I received this book via Netgalley for an honest review.
From the first chapter I was drawn into this story and held until the very end. It gave me some serious Kristen Ashley Rock Chick vibes and im here for it. Romance, action, bad boy with a heart of gold what more could you even ask for? I am extremely excited to carry on with Kanes story and cant wait to follow the whole construction crew.

This book was interesting to read about

The characters were perfect and amazing together

Loved the ending
5 star rating

BRICK is the first instalment in Jen Davis’ contemporary, adult COOPER CONSTRUTION erotic, romance series focusing on the men who work for Cooper Construction. This is twenty-six year old, high school teacher Olivia ‘Liv’ Turner, and construction worker /enforcer Jonathan ‘Brick’ Barlow’s story line.

NOTE: BRICK contains scenes of graphic violence, and implied sexual abuse/torture that may not be suitable for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Brick and Liv) with a chapter from Sucre, BRICK follows the forbidden and dangerous relationship between twenty-six year old, high school teacher Olivia ‘Liv’ Turner, and construction worker /enforcer Jonathan ‘Brick’ Barlow. Brick Barlow is an owned man without the ability to walk away fearing threats against the people he loves. Years earlier, our anti-hero, found himself the property of Sucre de la Cruz, property to be used, abused and commanded to perform on demand. Meeting high school teacher Liv Turner, fellow construction worker Will Turner’s sister, gave Brick hopes for the future but a future dashed when Liv is targeted as collateral for future control. What ensues is the building relationship and romance between Brick and Liv, and the potential fall-out as Brick struggles with his direction in life, and the repercussions against the people he loves.

Jonathan ‘Brick’ Barlow knows that to get involved with Liv Turner means placing Liv in the direct line of fire. Enslaved by sins of the past, Brick battles between head and heart, right and wrong as a reluctant enforcer for a man whose evil knows no boundaries. Olivia ‘Liv’ Turner fell for the dark and dangerous man who called to her heart; a man whose life experiences all but control every aspect of his broken life.

The relationship between Liv and Brick is one of immediate attraction but an attraction tempered by Brick’s need to protect Liv from the life he now leads. Unable to keep away from the woman with whom he is falling in love, Brick’s need for Olivia threatens any sense of control for a man whose life has been destroyed by someone else. The $ex scenes are intimate and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text…but saying that, the graphic violence and abuse surrounding Brick Barlow may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters including construction foreman Xander Karras; Liv’s brother Will Turner, and their sister Izzy; embattled student Devon; Liv’s best friend Carol; fellow construction crew members Kane Hale, Matt, Cyrus and Robby. The requisite evil has several faces including Sucre de la Cruz and Trevaughn Lowry.

BRICK is a story of betrayal, vengeance, retribution and love; a story of struggle, power and control; of one man’s journey into the dark. The premise is raw and gritty; the characters are energetic, broken and strong; the romance is seductive and fated.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

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B&N (Sandy_thereadingcafe) posted

A promising start to the Cooper Construction series, Brick is a fast paced engaging story. Dark, gritty and intense this story is not for the feint of heart. I enjoyed the character and the story and look forward to reading more.

Dark and dirty is the quick of it!

I voluntarily received a copy from NetGalley for and honest review!

I’ve always been a fan of the MC vibes books, but this goes beyond that. Jonathan “Brick” Barlow, got caught up in something he had no idea how to get out of...planning and planning only goes so far. Especially when your frightened to try. And you have to admit after reading this that’s all he was, scared. Something always being held against him so he has no way out of the mess that was made, but never realizing how deep it is.

Olivia always lived life under the watchful eyes of her sister and brother. Surviving Cancer should be enough to wake you up....but as I know it can also shut you down. Brick or as she refuses to him Jonathan wakes her up.

This dark tail will show you if love can overcome all the demons in your past or present.

I thought Brick was well done! I loved the romance between the two, and enjoyed the ending. After finishing this one, I immediately looked up the next one in the series!

Brick works with Olivia’s brother on a construction site. She is drawn to him from the start. Olivia is a teacher and a cancer survivor. Brick works in the evening for a crime lord, who threatens his grandmother. Their attraction is unlikely but smoldering. Olivia mistakenly puts herself as risk and it takes a joined effort to keep her safe. This book has a very dark side but, the good in friends and family shines through brightly.

Liv has been living with sickness and death for years. All she wants is to grab onto life with both hands.
Brick has been living in darkness since he was a kid, doing things that he hates in order to survive. All he wants is light, he just doesn’t believe that he deserves it, or that he deserves to even be in the vicinity of Liv.

While this particular addition to the Cooper Construction novels was a little “too” dark for me, it still laid a very strong foundation for a group of fascinating, handsome, troubled, alpha men that I’m happy to get to know.
I am already intrigued by the men of Cooper Construction. Hot mafia enforcer? Hot biker? Hot ex-soldier? Hot mystery man? Super adorable gay assistant completely infatuated wth hit mystery men? I have to admit that that is the story that I’m waiting for.

I may have had to skip through some of the gorier parts, but I’m intrigued enough to come back for more. Luckily Kane, aka part 2, is also due out this month

This is quite a dark romance story, or perhaps that should be romance series as book 2 is also already available. There's something about a bad boy in romance stories and Brick is certainly one bad boy. Used and abused by local crime boss since his teenage years, Brick hates that life that he leads. He can see no way out, while his boss holds the threat of what might happen to his grandmother over his head, so finds himself being the kind of man that would have other people running scared. Olivia, who has just recovered from cancer, is perhaps the ideal woman to take on Brick, as she is all about living life to the full.
The two main characters work really well together. Despite his very dark lifestyle and actions, there is something that is immensely likeable about Brick. The idea of he and Olivia falling in love doesn't seem to be completely impossible and the two of them together work. He worries about how his life might impact on Olivia and how she might be used to control him even further.
Despite the really horrible things that Brick has done and continues to do throughout this book, he is written in such a way that you can't help feel for him and really want he and Olivia to get together. It's easy to have sympathy for his situation and that made this a really satisfying read. I'm looking forward to getting stuck into the next book in the series straight away.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Enforcer For Crime Boss

Brick has the job title as enforcer for a local crime boss and he does that job well. He just needs to make sure that he has no attachment that they can use to keep him in line any more than they already are. That worked until Liv came along. Brick works as a construction worker during the day to put more of an even keel to his life…if that is even possible.

This is a dark romance full of twists and turns which will keep you turning pages right until the very end.

This book was such a pleasant surprise! Well, maybe not pleasant. It is a rather dark tale filled with violence and gore, but I found myself captivated by the very first page.

We follow the story of Brick, a drug lord’s enforcer struggling with moral dilemmas that come with the job and slowly losing the grip on his humanity. Until he meets Liv.

Brick and Liv where such compelling characters. They definitely come from different worlds and have their own individual baggage. But their connection was so pure and strong. We get to see their relationship grow and put to the test multiple times. Their chemistry and tension was top notch and it had me constantly turning the page.

The pacing of this book was flawless. I don’t think it dragged whatsoever. There was plenty of plot and action that showed the dark side of Brick’s job, mixed with the tender moments of a growing relationship.

I only had a few issues but they were pretty minor. I would highly recommend if you are interested in darker romances. I cannot wait to explore more of the characters that were introduced in this novel.