Rating: 4.5/5

Take the daughter of of one of the most dangerous drug lords, add in a turf war between the mobsters, put her in the middle of it and add an ex-Navy SEAL who wants to protect her. Life is never going to be easy in the middle of this drama but will they survive the perils to give their love a chance?

Preach is the nickname of a fantastic ex-preacher who has befriended and acted as a true caring father figure for many youngsters struggling to cope with life on the streets of San Clemente. He and his wife have helped turn around so many young lives, they’re inspirational, treating the youngsters as beloved offspring even when their grown up, helping them where necessary and always having their backs.

One of those helped by Preach is Heath Connelly - Con. Despite Con's traumatic upbringing, Preach helped him turn his life around. Con is now back in town after three stints in the Middle East with the Navy SEALs. He’s been chilling, surfing, when he bumps into his teenage dream girl, Mia Santos. Mia was always out of reach as far as Con was concerned, a princess daughter of one of the most feared drug lords, but there’s definitely an attraction between them. Now he’s spotted that she’s been beaten up and that is like a red rag to a bull for Con. He’s determined to protect her but they haven’t seen each other for many years and both have secrets that could easily tear them apart.

This is a powerful story of gangland disagreements, danger, gun fights, people getting beaten up, surfing and romance. It is fast paced with a complete range of complex characters and scenarios making it an enthralling, difficult to put down, read. The tumultuous up bringing of both Con and Mia, their battles to escape the past and move on to a more secure future all add to the fantastic saga. The camaraderie of the young people created into a family by the love and care of Preach and his wife is crucial to the outcome of the turf wars and demonstrates the impact of inspirational folk like them on communities which may otherwise be at war with each other.

This is another sizzling story from Katherine Grabera with a feisty frightened heroine, a hot heroic male lead and a magnificent team working together to protect themselves and other vulnerable folk from the machinations of mobsters. A brilliant start to the new series, I’m looking forward to reading subsequent stories in future!

Thanks to the publishers for kindly sending me a paperback ARC of this fantastic book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an awesome read! Filled with a wonderful romance between Con and Mia, danger, and the love of a great group of friends proving family isn't always determined by blood. Con is back in San Clemente after leaving the SEAL's. When he runs into Mia, the girl he's always wanted but was never worthy of, he's enraged by the fact that someone has been hitting her. Whether she wants his help or not he's there and he's not going anywhere.

I definitely recommend this one!

Before I get to my review of Crushed by Katherine Garbera – I just wanted to say that I am constantly amazed by the wide variety of novels that Tule Publishing offers to its readers. From exotic locations of the rich and famous, to down home country living or simply ripped from tomorrow’s headlines we are never ever left with just one type of romance from Tule. *tip of the reader’s hat* and a Thanks to Tule Publishing.

San Clemente, California is far from simply a beautiful oceanfront location with waves that surfers dream of hitting the shore daily. There is wealth and poverty – and all of those spaces in between the extremes of this city. It’s a place where edges can so easily blur, and what is right isn’t always a clear glass to look through. Life happens. Choices are made. And people live or die by those choices… just like almost any other city in the world.

Mia and Con’s story is one of those blurred edges. Both have a history from way back in their childhood. Neither is a product of their environment but they have been influenced by it. Con found his way out when Preach came along and took him under his wing at a very young age. His time in the military has honed his abilities like a slick machine. But the man within still has unspeakable rage within him. He and his brothers of the heart all have one defrocked priest and the love of his life to thank for the home they know. Any of them would do anything for family.

Mia is paying for the mistakes she’s made. Paying in such a heart wrenching way. When her father took off for Mexico and her mother for Miami, her pampered life changed and it was time to face reality. For Mia facing it came with the strength from a Tequila bottle – false strength rarely takes you in a good direction. She made mistakes. Big ones. And a chance run in with Con on the beach, where he sees her wounds and bruises from a recent beating will propel her deeper into Con’s family and life forever.

Crushed is an intense, almost raw story of choices, circumstances and overcoming them all. All of the characters have an edge, well earned from life. Con doesn’t hold anything back from Mia, except perhaps words but his actions speak real loud. Mia sees herself as damaged and tries to spar the man she’s come to love from the trouble that is following her – but true love doesn’t walk away when the one you love is in trouble.

I enjoyed Crushed very much and I’m looking forward to the rest of this series. I would recommend this story for anyone who enjoys a story on the edgier side, a strong couple and amazing secondary characters who will be sure to have their own story told soon.

*I received an e-ARC of Crushed from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

I had a hard time putting this book down. It was one intense scene after the next. It's a love story and a story about fighting for what is yours.

Former juvenile delinquent turned Navy SEAL, Heath "Con" Connelly is finished with the Navy and back in San Clemente. He is living over Preacher's bar, surfing during the day and bartending when he is needed at night. Preacher is a former preacher who has helped many troubled kids in the past and got them on the right track in life. He is loved and respected by everyone.

One day after surfing, Con runs into Mia Santos, a beautiful girl he knew from school, on the beach. Mia has bruises on her body and a black eye. Con is very upset about this and wants to take care of whoever did it to her. Little did Con know, trouble was to soon follow and Preach's bar is attacked.

Mia has worked hard to get away from her past and being known as a drug kingpin's daughter. She wants revenge on the drug dealer who is after her and trying to take over her father's old turf. Con insists on taking matters into his own hands after the attack at Preacher's bar. How far will Con go to protect his woman and the people he considers family?

This very sexy story has a well scripted plot and characters you'll find yourself cheering on as you turn each page. With very detailed sex scenes, intense fight scenes and an emotional ending, be prepared for a wide range of emotions while reading this one.

Con has recently left the Navy and his years as a SEAL. He is figuring out what to do with his life as he surfs and tends bar in San Clemente when he sees battered Mia, a friend from high school. He wants to find out what is going on in her life and also deal with a protective streak that raises its head. In addition to Con and Mia the cast of characters include Preach, a defrocked priest with a bar and his woman, Dulcie, at his side. Preach and Dulcie have brought in four young boys over the past years and created a “family” of street smart tough men who can hold their own. This family will work together to try and get Mia out of a sticky situation that is really a turf drug war over areas once controlled by Mia’s father. I liked Range, Mac, Timmy, Preach, Dulcie and wondered as I read whether or not their stories will be told later in this series or by the author in a different series since it seems that book 2 in the Sons of San Clemente series is by another author and does not have any of the interesting characters mentioned in this book in it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tule Publishing – Holiday Books for the copy of this book to read and review

loved this book

Katherine Garbera is one of my favorite Authors, and this book did not disappoint !

The dark, dangerous, and edgy tone of the story is rather addictive.
The life at the beach is rough and rocky. The turf wars between drug lords and families has come a personal matter, and brings out the primitive side of life - it's a matter of life and death, and the law seems to have very little influence in the matter.
There are several bloody, cruel, detailed confrontations between the brothers and the gang, while Con is trying to protect those he considered his family. Mia and Con live every moment as it could be the last, not knowing how the fight will end. The desperation and anxiety is evident. The intensity of the story, the gory fights, the fear, the frantic sex, it all underlines the violent inflection of the story. But in the midst of all the darkness, there's a hope for a better future, wish to control and balance in life, a promise of love and companionship, and a three legged rescue dog named Buttercup. Cause sometimes family is not formed by blood, but by those people you can trust.
~ Four Spoons

Great book!! Had a hard time starting the book of but I'm glad I read the whole thing through, it was worth it!!

A page turner from the very beginning, packed full of romance, danger and the true brotherhood of friends. Con has returned to San Clemente after leaving the Navy Seals when he runs into Mia. Con has always liked Mia. but felt he was never good enough for her. Mia is dealing with her own enemies, abuse and a history of alcohol. Mia needs protection and Con steps up. The romance between them is hot, but is it enough to make it a lasting relationship.

Great characters, well developed. Plenty of action in and out of bed. Looking forward to more San Clemente stories. I received this book from netgalley for an honest review.

Heath "Con" Connelly has returned to San Clemente after doing 3 tours of duty. He is happy to be back with "his family", the guys he grew up with like brothers and Preach, the man who took them all in and considered them sons.

One day he happened to see Mia Santos, the woman he always wanted but never felt like he could never have. He can see she has been beaten. He wants her to tell him what is going on but she won't.

Mia's father is a drug lord but has returned to Mexico. Someone else wants to take over his territory and isn't above a little violence. Mia is a recovering alcoholic and has worked hard to stay sober. She just doesn't know if she can survive this planned takeover.

Con takes it upon himself to protect Mia, he doesn't care what she says. All she knows is that there are sparks between them. She tries to play it off as "just sex" but neither Con nor anyone else that sees them together believes that.

Cons biggest fear is that she will see the anger he hides and make her turn away from him. Can they get through this is one piece and together?

Nice story.....they both thought they weren't good enough for one another. Mia tries not to let him get involved in her issues but he can't let her deal with all this on her own. She doesn't deserve this. He wants her in his life for years to come.

What I did love was how Preach brought all those young men in basically off the streets and made them good men, his sons. And as Con and Mia get involved, she is happily brought into the family.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

My reviews will be posted on Goodreads and Amazon.

Navy SEAL Heath "Con" Connelly came back to San Clemente after his last tour and settled in above Preach's bar. He enjoys surfing with his three legged dog Butta. He meets his high school crush Mia again on the beach. he sees her bruises all over her body and he tries to find out what had happen to her. That's where the story takes off. Mia and Brody had difficult childhood growing up. Brody grew up in foster home and Mia's father was a big drug king in San Clemente. When Mia's father fled to Mexico and Nico who wanted to take over his turf and her shop for money laundering but when she fights back that's when everything went down quick. Mia was physically abused by Nico and she was being targeted by his crew. When Brody finds out she was in danger, he and his friends are there to rescue. Story moved fast but it was missing some details of their early years. it would have been nice and it felt Brody and Mia's story felt rushed. I wish it had more of their love story. Nonetheless it was interesting and I finished it in couple days.

Crushed is a standalone romantic suspense thriller by author Katherine Garbera and is the first novella in the multi-authored Sons of San Clemente series from Tule Publishing. I'm feeling a bit torn about the book because while it was something different from what I'm used to when it comes to the author's books, I didn't really feel any actual connection between Con Connelly and Mia Santos, plus the storytelling came off as choppy. Mia initially came off as a sympathetic character, but as the story went on, it was becoming more difficult to like her. There was a passive aggressiveness to her that made me wonder how the heck she and Con could have developed feelings for one another (and in such a short span of time). The best thing about the book was Buttercup, aka Butta, Con's three-legged rescue dog. Crushed gets three stars. ♥

Actual rating: 3.5 Stars

Heath 'Con' Connelly is back to San Clemente after his time in the SEAL's with not a clue what to do with his life. He surfs all day and bartends at night but still doesn't know where to go from there. Life sends him in a direction he never thought he would go in when he see's Mia Santos again.

Mia was Con's high school crush and one of the only classmates that saw more than the juvenile delinquent. Seeing her bruised and beat up brings out the protective instinct inside of him and he will do anything to get the guy hurting Mia. But what he stumbles into is a turf war between drug lords that's going to take more than just himself to settle.

This story was dark and dangerous with a side of sexy. I loved Con and how tough badass he was but how he had a cute side to. Seriously guys, he had a three legged dog named Butta - it was adorable. Mia's life had gone downhill after her father left her and her mother but with the help of Preach she was able to get her life back on track. I really liked how she owned up to the mistakes in her past and tried to fix them.

There were a lot of things going on with this story but it all flowed really well together. I did have an issue because it seemed like we missed a lot of the backstory in the beginning. I wanted Mia's past explained a little more, I guess, so that we could get a better understanding of what was now happening.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I will definitely be reading more from the series. We were introduced to a lot of secondary characters so I'm hoping that they will all get their own stories.

Copy courtesy of Netgalley Short read- HEA Con and Mia knew each other growing up. She was the daughter of the drug kingpin in the area. He was the bad boy who stayed in trouble. He is now a retired Navy Seal. She is caught in the middle of a drug turf war. The story is short but full of action. Mia was tough and ready to fight. Con and his band of brothers are ready to handle anything. Good action scenes. The story was kind of like a TV crime drama. The romance kind of took a back seat to me.

Crushed is probably the best written Katherine Garbera book that I've read. Fast paced and packed with action, it will suit readers who enjoy watching damaged heroes (and heroines for that matter) heal themselves and learn to trust. Set in San Clemente, Crushed tells the story of former navy SEAL Heath Connelly, Con to his friends, and Mia Santos. Both Con and Mia have had tough backgrounds. Con, the son of a crack-addicted mother, has spent his early years being moved from one unfavourable foster home to the next with stints in juvenile detention in between. It isn't until he meets Preach, a former Catholic priest, that he starts to turn his life around, though now he's back in San Clemente he's still got demons to deal with. Trust is something that he struggles to give to anybody.
Mia has also had a less than normal childhood. The daughter of a Mexican drug baron, she has grown up in a big expensive house, being treated like a princess but not loved like a daughter. Throw these two together and sparks do fly! The sex is steamy, at times rough and very frequent, but entirely appropriate in this setting.
I have to say the setting does nothing for me. I'm a small town country girl and San Clemente seems to be a town full of gangs, drugs, shoot-outs and violence, but set on the southern Californian coast, there is the appeal of the surf, which is apparently plentiful. If that's your thing, you'll feel right at home.
The plot is well developed and while I struggled to like the characters, I couldn't put the book down, and had it finished in a matter of hours. Katherine Garbera has done a good job with this one and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Mia's in trouble and Con is just the man to help her out. This tale of drug lords and crime, sprinkled with a little surfing on the side is just what you need to unwind. It's well put together and action packed so you don't get bored. :) Did I mention that Mia and Con are smokin' together? They are. Read this!

**ARC received in exchange for honest review**

Crushed the first book in Tule Publishing’s new series titled Sons of San Clemente is a hit with me. Katherine Garbera has written an interesting book concerning good people who are rough around the edges. All of the characters, main and supporting, have had their challenges in life. The fact that they continue to make positive strides is inspirational.

I fell for Con as soon as I read of him taking his dog surfing with him. Anyone that attached to a dog is a keeper as far as I’m concerned. Mia is admirable since she has straighten out her life but bad decisions continue to haunt her. Lesson learned here. They make a strong stubborn couple which are even stronger when they pull together. I like this kind of pairing especially when the characterization is so well played.

The story setting is another feature that is well done. Sunny California with the opportunity to surf every day is so far away from my reality. Thanks to Ms. Garbera, I was able experienced it. The plot is developed and not as predictable as I thought it would be. It is an all-around entertaining read. Very good introduction to the new series.

The publisher through Net Galley provided a copy.

Cute romantic read with suspense and of course a bad boy. Great character development despite the shortness of this book.

"Crushed", was a quick paced read focusing on Heath Connoley and Mia Santos. Heath has just returned from the middle east were he served as a Navy Seal, now retired. And not really needing to rush into a career since he saved pretty much all of his pay from when he was in the service. So Heath surfs by day and bar tends at night. At Preach's bar, Preach aptly named since he was a former priest , who took in and looked out for most of the trouble youth of San Clemente ; Heath and his friends among them.
However this morning his routine is a bit interrupted after surfing with his dog, one of his old nemesis , now a police officer chooses to give him a ticket for having a dog on the beach, and though Heath points out that e dog surfed with him and then was carried to the boardwalk. Gets him nowhere, already a little wound up from that seeing the girl of his teenage dream Mia Santos sporting bruises and a damaged wrist just sends it to the gutter, not that Mia will give an inch when he tries to pry the info out of her.
Mia Santos is a strong young women Left behind by her drug lord father when he returned to Mexico, then left alone when her mom picked up and moved to Miami, she is stuck trying to protect her father's turf and trying not to go back to drinking, little does she know that Heath protects his family. And because he still has feeling for her she just got a determined self appointed body guard.
These two fall Into each other's arm the first evening, after a second attack on her , unfortunately for Roco and his crew they chose to try that on Heath and his boys turf, Preach's place.
Action packed storyline follows. Fast paced read with an Hea.
Why only three stars, well I just have that connection with the characters, weather it was the pace of the story or the story subject that did not resonate with me I can not be sure.
Overall an enjoyable story and quick read.

Dark and brooding Heath “Con” Connelly has returned to San Clemente after 3 tours with the Navy SEALS. And he walks right into a turf war between Mexican drug cartels. And right in the middle of this war is Mia Santos, the woman he's wanted all his life. So he pretty much has no choice in the matter and is determined to protect her. But she is determined to keep him out of it. So what follows is a battle of wills and egos. But to find out who wins, you are going to have to read the book. I'm not giving you any spoilers ;oD

Fantastic plot but that was it.

There was no character development, things just fell from the sky with no explanation, couldn't feel the chemistry between the main couple (because there was no character development), and last, but not least, the end was so rushed that it left me thinking there were pages missing.

It would have been a negative review if it not for the fantastic plot and this could easily be an amazing book, if given more thought and time.

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

Hey you guys – I’m eating junk and reading pornos. You better come out and stop me . . . . ‘Cause y a’ll know this doesn’t end well.

Former Navy Seal now turned sunkissed surfer smexytimes, you say????? SCHA-WING! However, it was me reading it, sooooooooo 2.5 Stars it is! This is the second book in the “Sons of San Clemente” series that I couldn’t help but one-clicking on NetGalley. Sadly neither of them worked for me (but this one was better than Wrecked). The main problem with this one was the abbreviated timeline.

Crushed read like it was on fast-forward. Con and Mia had ZERO relationship in high school (except thinking the other was hot). They go from running into each other on the beach 10 years after graduation, to running in to each other at a bar, to Mia declaring Con's simple touch on her arm as being “something to live for.”

I’d like to be able to say I think these women who get all fired up over something as stupid as someone brushing their thumb across their hand are idiots, but I’m pretty sure if Paul Walker did that to me I’d be a giant sploosh factory as well . . . Well, I mean not if he did that now, you know since he’s a corpse and all – buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut if he were a zombie????? Perchance. Anywho, I still don’t grasp the idea of sounding all fatal attraction and instalovey about FOR.EV.ER. just because you wanna do the dirty.

Okay, back on track. Said convo with the “inner goddess” about potential soulmatery is followed up by Mia shoving a “slut” aside and getting dry-humped on the wall outside a bar. You seriously gonna say the other chick who was just talking to dude is a slut???? Uhhhh, no bitch.

Unfortunately, the clothes-on-sex is soon interrupted by a bad guy from Mia’s past. Now, I know I always opt to forget about the freaking DRUG LORD who is probably going to kill me if there’s a chance I can get banged real good. But dontcha know it, right when they’re getting – uhhhhhhhhh, sexy????

“You know I want to be buried deep inside of you, Mia. You can feel my dick trying to get through both our jeans.”

(in a storage room – even though dude literally lives UPSTAIRS) - KABOOOOOOOM!

But the baddies get away (*wah waaaaaaaah*), so the two have to occupy themselves until morning with some - dirty dancing????? Alrighty then. Luckily that doesn’t last long and we finally get down to bidness. After that? It’s on like bingbong and time to take back the streets . . .

“Girls wished for things to be different. Women made them happen.”

Followed by some more shebangity bangity sans rubber. I guess once you’ve had protected sex one time it’s totally cool to bareback it from then on. Thank god, right? Those things are totes inconvenient when you want to have bathtub sex.

And then stuff and things happen and yada yada yada. This gets 2.5 Stars because the action scenes were pretty on point – it just needed more pages in order to properly develop the relationship between the MCs and I probably would have gone up to 3. I’m really not good at these types of books so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

Before I go I need to ask a serious question: Does moisture really “bead up” for anyone????? Sounds like there should be a pill for that.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

I am Crushed to the core for loving this book it is beyond awesome.

Katherine Garbera is one of the most stunning writers ever, anytime she writes a new book i am completely hooked from the beginning to the very end.

This book is not only tantalising and romantic but outstanding.

Fast and fun read. I hope there are plenty more books in this series!