Sara's Review: Sparrow by L.J. Shen
Author Provided Copy
Publisher:
Released: March 8, 2016
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Length: 305 pages
Format: ebook, paperback
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Blurb
Troy Brennan Every Southie in Boston knows that name. The son of a dead mobster. The heart-throb with steel-blue eyes. "The Fixer" who can make or break you in this city. Oh, and my new husband. Sparrow Raynes That's me. No one seemed to remember my name up until he barged into my life. But then he caged me. Kidnapped me. And killed every chance I had to run away from the place where we grew up. Put simply, Troy Brennan clipped my wings. I have dreams, big ones, but I doubt he'll ever let me chase them. I have no idea why he decided to take me as his wife. But I do know this: pissing off this man will not do me any good. At all. Sparrow is a standalone, full-length novel. It contains graphic violence and adult situations some may find offensive.
Five Boundless Stars
I was provided a copy of Sparrow in exchange for an honest review. Where to begin? Where to begin? That is the question of how to start this review. You see, Sparrow isn’t a light romance. The male protagonist, Troy, is not likable; yet his darkness and danger are such an aphrodisiac to Sparrow, our Female protagonist, that the story leaves you reeling.
“Troy Brennan was the devil, but sometimes, even good girls wanted a healthy dose of evil in their lives.”
Troy, the epitome of the antihero is also known as the “The Fixer”. Basically the wealthy came to him to fix their problems. If you need someone to disappear, someone punished, a message sent with violence, he is your man. He also has political connections, and is virtually untouchable.
“I was a monster, out for blood. I was vengeance and hate, fury and wrath.”
He steals Sparrow from her life, sticks her in a penthouse, and tells her they are getting married. She knows who he is by reputations and around the neighborhood, but has no idea why he wants to marry her. She is terrified; yet at the same time, she doesn’t cower to him. Despite her situation, she has a backbone, and gives him sass every chance she can. Her father works for Troy, so she is stuck and can’t just leave. She can’t call the cops, he owns them. She has nowhere to turn. Sparrow, the girl least likely to be Troy’s wife, ends up just that.
It was clear from the start Troy didn’t want to marry Sparrow, so it was baffling why he did it; we learn as Sparrow does. Sparrow tries to hate him, and protests as best she can to a man she is scared to death of; yet their attraction to each other was off the charts. Troy has the allure of a black panther; deadly, yet you still want to reach out and pet its beautiful fur.
“He was a cheater. A criminal. A murdered. And I was…fascinated.”
Sparrow kept me guessing from the beginning, and I never knew the direction the story was going, or what to expect. I was surprised with the direction we wound up, and I loved the changes in Troy; but my favorite character is Sparrow, she never changed. She took on a tough challenge with dignity, strength and a sharp mind, which I love in a female lead. Sparrow is excellent from beginning to end.