Tattooed Band of Brothers

  

  

Genre

New Adult Contemporary Romance

Publisher

Night Shift Publishing

Pages

343 // 128 // 228 // 316 // 234 // 231

Publication Date

June 17, 2013 // August 23, 2013 // November 25, 2013 // April 30, 2014 // July 3, 2014 // December 2, 2014

Source

Bought
Maybe Matt's Miracle provided by publisher via NetGalley

Find on Goodreads

Tall, Tatted, and Tempting

"You don't get to pick who you fall in love with."

*sigh* This is one of those instances where I need to urge you all not to judge a book by it’s cover…but mores specifically it’s title. I love alliteration but this is too much. It makes it sound like a joke of a book and it is SO NOT that at all! I saw this on another blogger’s Facebook and it was free on Amazon so I was like, well okay. And I really, really liked it! The Reed brothers are a force (of sexy) to be reckoned with. Logan is the object *cough* hero of our story after he meets Emily. Logan is deaf and Emily is homeless for all intent and purposes. Logan takes her home and their romance from there is a struggle for Emily to open up and let Logan in. She’s extremely secretive about where she came from and Logan does whatever he can, within respectful reason, to get her to trust him. He is so totally swoony and add to that is he starts to verbalize after YEARS of never saying anything. *hearts in eyes* And don’t even get me started on the Reed brothers as a unit because they are so adorable and loving and just on another level! Their love for one another warms your heart and makes your panties melt. The way they all took Emily in and loved her in their own way…*siiiiiigh*…I can’t even talk about them because we’ll be here for another hour and they each get their own book. Know this…I want to be part of the family.

Rating: Reserved Seating

Smart, Sexy, and Secretive

"Loved you then. Love you now."

Again…with the title…moving on. To be honest, the first book ended on such an amazing note that I was way too ready to get the conclusion of this story. However, I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I wanted to. Emily’s father is a special kind of asshole and while their feelings for each other remained consistent and won out, the climax of the conflict was way too melodramatic and out there for me to believe. It was also very short. I think this could have been a novella with a less dramatic and more believable climax to get the same effect. I enjoyed it but had some issues with it. BUT, that also means I could jump into the next book—PETE!!!—which takes place a few years later because I NEED to know what his story is!

Rating: Standing in Line Outside

Calmly, Carefully, Completely

"When a woman grows up, she accepts the love she thinks she deserves." 

After a few months away from the Reed brothers, it was like a small homecoming whenI started Pete’s book. Tammy Falkner’s writing really is so delicious. I was almost immediately invested in the story especially when we learn how Reagan and Pete first met. Tragic circumstances especially when you add in that Pete went to prison shortly after and has been inside for 2 years. Their reunion and interactions are all kinds of sweet and endearing because Reagan is completely closed off—to everyone except Pete—and Pete hasn’t had any female interactions for 2 years and he sure as hell doesn’t want to screw up his change with Reagan. The way he is with her is so respectful and adorabel that you will be grinning like an idiot from ear to ear. I loved their banter and their dynamic. She gives him shit as much as he gives it to her. I just LOOOOVED watching Reagan open herself up to love after what she’s been through. Her parents being added to the story just upped its level of awesome. Her mom and dad are so loving and kind and FUNNY! I loved them! Overall, this was a quick read and I loved getting invested in their love story.

Rating: Reserved Seating

Maybe Matt's Miracle

"I’m not usually this emotional,” I say. He shrugs. “All women say that. It usually precedes an episode of batshit craziness." 

You guys, I think this has been my favorite book so far of the series!! OMG MATT AND SKY BROKE MY HEART IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE! Best best best kinds of feels!!! Matt and Skylar’s characterization was on another level in this book. I completely felt in tune with their emotions and feelings especially Skylar. She is a phenomenal heroine and strong in so many ways. She’s smart, independent, and she goes balls to the walls when she ends up saddles with 3 kids after her half-sister passes away. She never knew her half-sister so the kids don’t warm to her immediately. She works her ass off to be the best new mom she can be to these kids and what I loved about this storyline and how Faulkner does it, is that there is minimal self-wallowing. She sees the big picture. She sees these children need her and she goes at it like they were her own children. I found this so beautiful about Sky because similar story lines focus on the ‘woe is me’ type drama and I can’t stand that. I love children so I loved reading about somebody loving children.

Matt…MAAAAAATT!! He was so amazing!! I feel like we get a sense of who Matt is in previous books but only the sick then healthy man. I didn’t get a vibe more than he was a good person who was grateful for every moment of life. This book makes him into so much more. He is kind and smart and thoughtful but a hundred kinds of sexy. He is…vocal in his affections and *cough* other things. He’s also endearing as all hell. I loved his banter with Skylar and how he teases her. But most of all I loved him with the kids. Seeing Matt be a pseudo-father and talk about his feelings about never being able to have kids of his own not only tugged at my heart strings, they broke them in half. My heart went out to him and it made me love him so, so much. That sexy long blonde hair don’t hurt either but I digress.

The dynamic and relationship between Matt and Skylar is on another level. The moments of conflict—Matt meeting Sky’s ex, the wedding, the kid drama—all felt so organic to the story and real life and I LOVED how Faulkner handled it. It was realistic drama and conflict without being annoying or melodramatic. It felt right and needed to happen for their relationship to get where it needed to go. Like I said before, the moments of parenthood they share are the absolute highlight of the book for me. This was hands down my favorite book of the series so far.

Rating: Backstage Pass

Proving Paul's Promise

"I want a family, Friday. Not just a fuck. Tail is easy to come by. You, on the other hand…” He lets his voice trail off. “You’re one of a fucking kind, and I want you to be mine so badly I can taste it. And I’ll still be tasting it next week, next year, and every day following that."

I won’t lie. Paul has intrigued me from the beginning. Book one—I wanted to know more about this hot and huge man who also had an adorable daughter. But unfortunately, this book disappointed me compared to my expectations. Was it still good? Yes. But it didn’t have me dying to read or fully engaged. Paul was amazing. He’s loyal and upfront and when he goes all in for something, he’s all in. Friday…I just didn’t like that much. I empathized with her and her struggles but to be honest I also didn’t find myself caring that much. Harsh but true. I found her characterization lacking when I think of the other amazing females the Reeds surround themselves with. And I usually like the heroine! I am a girl’s girl so I usually always find something to love about the heroine and Friday was just meh to me. And that makes me SO sad because I loooooove Paul! *sigh* I don’t think it was my expectations that made this book subpar, it was the lack of connection I felt and the constant back and forth that seemed gratuitous and unnecessary.

Rating: General Admission

Zip, Zero, Zilch

"But she had finally discovered that life could be even more wonderful than a fantasy. And that love could fill the real world with magic." 

The final Reed brother is falling in love! It's finally Sam's turn to meet his match and I adored reading his and Peck's story just as much as the others. Sam has a bigger heart than his shoulders are broad--and that's saying a lot seeing as he is professional football player. Peck is the drummer in the all-girls band Fallen from Zero and while having dated Sam in the past, her own insecurities are her own worst enemy in really opening up to him. After a near fatal accident, Peck runs to Sam trying to change their situation. It doesn't go smoothly but what fun would that be? Peck has a debilitating stammer that she has grown up with and does not open up to people well after the upbringing she had. It broke my heart to think of this shy little girl who was afraid to talk because she couldn't get her words out. My heart ached for her and I completely understood her hangups and her fear of letting go and opening up. Sam was a DOLL! He was so understanding and protective and I LOVED how patient he was with her and how he gave her space to allow him in. I felt like the final conflict of drama was unnecessary and really silly. I felt like it was unrealistic to believe that type of miscommunication would be escalated to where it went but...it is fiction and it is what it is. I didn't think I would read further after the final Reed brother but...I definitely will be picking up the next book to learn more about the rest of the women from Fallen From Zero. 

Rating: Reserved Seating

Overall, this series is one to read if you love New Adult. While there are some eyebrow raising moments of melodrama, the series has not only tugged at my heart strings but firmly pushed it's way in and made a place for itself. The Reed brothers kept me thinking about them long after I turned the final page...of each book. I'm not kidding you. I thought about them after I finished reading, couldn't wait to read the next one, and wondered what would happen next. Somebody please tell me that there is a long-lost brother somewhere for me to punch in the face and marry. Sound weird? Read the series, you won't regret it. 

Backstage Pass/Reserved Seating