Steele: An Arizona Vengeance Novel

This is book #9, in the Arizona Vengeance series. This book can be read as a standalone novel. For reader understanding, and to avoid spoilers, I recommend reading this sexy series in order. Steele wants to win his woman back. He thought his marriage was over until he sees her our in public..... with another man. Now he knows what he has to do. Ella is afraid to be hurt again. Feeling like your own husband cannot see you when he is in the same room made her feel devastated. Can they repair the rift, or will they just stay friends? Steele was so very hot, yet awesomely cool. I found the story to be real, and at a good pace. I loved the characters, and their daughter was a hoot! There was some sizzling scenes, family drama, and even some puppy love. I recommend this story since it was really good. ***This ARC copy was given in exchange for an honest review only.

All Ella Steele wanted, was to be seen. After years of settling for second best, Ella asks Jim to move out. As far as she’s concerned, the separation is one step closer to divorce. They share a child together, a lot of happy memories, and their chemistry is off the charts....but that’s no longer enough. Ella feels “invisible”. While she knows Jim’s job is important to him, she wants to come first every once in awhile. In an effort to move on with her life, Ella starts dating “Mr. Ordinary”. Jim Steele dreamed of making it big as a NHL hockey player. He’s made a good life playing professional hockey, but somewhere along the way he lost what was truly important to him—his wife. It’s not until Jim sees her moving on with her life by dating “Mr. Ordinary”, that he realizes he may have lost what mattered the most to him. In efforts to win Ella back, Jim does a lot of soul searching and realizes just how selfish and neglectful he’s been over the last several years. He also realizes that Ella tried to tell him how unhappy she was, but he just wasn’t listening. So, he comes up with a plan to win back the love of his life. While this wasn’t the most suspenseful book in the series, it was a great second chance read. I loved how Ella didn’t just give in and actually made Jim work at fixing their marriage. Marriage is hard! I liked how neither spoke badly about the other in front of their daughter. I also liked how they didn’t make her choose sides. I enjoyed the glimpses into their past and Jim’s work into bringing the romance back in their marriage. Mistakes were made, but nothing that wasn’t fixable. Awesome story! I read a gifted copy and all opinions stated are my own.

***4.5 Stars*** After that little tease at the end of Kane’s book with Steele trying to be sneaky and spy on Ella’s date, I was all in to see just what he would do to get his relationship with her, and with Lucy, back on track and I gotta say, I was not disappointed in any way. It was sweet, swoon worthy, smexy and simply an all around fun read. I loved Steele and Ella. Steele is a good man with a good heart who’s been a little oblivious to what his marriage has become. Ella is strong, sweet and knows what she wants, even if it may break her heart. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed watching them reconnect. Things didn’t become angsty and they acted like the friends, lovers and parents they were. They listened to each other and both stepped up to the plate to get their relationship, and family, back on track. Steele is a great addition to the series. I like that this was about a couple who were already a couple, but who’s relationship had gone sideways and they needed to reconnect. The fact that they had a teenager definitely made things more interesting. Lucy was a lot of fun and I loved what she brought to the story. But as I’ve said in practically every review, I simply love getting to spend time with the Vengeance crew. They are family, even when some of them don’t want to be “family” and I love catching up with everyone. Now, while I’m looking forward to Jett’s book ~ because I really want to see that man brought to his knees…I cannot deny that I really want to know more about Baden and Riggs. Baden because how can I not considering all that he is going through. Riggs, well, I do have a thing for the broody, gruff, stand-offish ones (Tacker anyone??) so I am doing my best to practice patience and crossing my toes hard in hopes that we’ll be getting one or both of their books sooner rather than later. ~ Copy provided by the author & voluntarily reviewed ~