@IndieSagePromo Review: The Hooker and the Hermit by L.H. Cosway & Penny Reid

The Hooker and the Hermit

Rugby, #1
L.H. Cosway & Penny Reid

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Caped Publishing
Date of Publication: February 2, 2015
Number of pages: 369
Word Count: 123,380

Available at the following retailers:
Amazon     BN     Kobo     Smashwords

New York’s Finest
Blogging as *The Socialmedialite*
April 22
LADIES AND GENTS! I have an announcement!

You know that guy I featured on my blog a few months ago? The really, really hot Irish rugby player who plays the position of ‘hooker’ in the RLI (Rugby League International)? The one with the anger management issues, the body of a gladiator and the face of a movie star? The one with the questionable fashion choices leading me to ask whether he was the lovechild of a leprechaun and a hobbit? Ronan Fitzpatrick? Yeah, that guy.

Well, I have a confession to make…

THE HERMIT

Annie Catrel, social media expert extraordinaire at Davidson & Croft Media and clandestine celebrity blogger, can make anyone shine in the court of public opinion. She is the Socialmedialite, anonymous creator of New York’s Finest and the internet’s darling. Virtual reality is Annie’s forte, but actual reality? Not so much.

THE HOOKER

Ronan Fitzpatrick, aka the best hooker the world of rugby has seen in decades, despises the media—social or otherwise. The press has spun a web of lies depicting him as rugby’s wild and reckless bad boy. Suspended from his team, Ronan has come to Manhattan to escape the drama, lay low, fly under the radar. Only, Ronan isn’t easy to overlook, and he can’t escape the notice of the Socialmedialite…

THE PLAN

When Ronan is sent to Davidson & Croft Media to reshape his public image, he never expects to cross paths with shy but beautiful Annie, nor does he expect his fierce attraction to her. He couldn’t be happier when her boss suggests pairing them together.
What lengths will Annie take to keep her virtual identity concealed? And what happens when the hooker discovers who the hermit really is?

The Hooker and the Hermit is a collaboration between authors L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid, is a full length 100k word novel, and is a standalone.

Excerpt: 

New York’s Finest
Blogging as *The Socialmedialite*
March 8
If Sporty Spice married a hobbit, had a three-way with a leprechaun, and then gave birth to a sexy, bizarre baby (paternity unknown).

Guess who was spotted this week looking equal parts hot and ridiculous in every kind of synthetic fabric currently manufactured by the miracle of chemical engineering? None other than Colin Farrell (or his doppelgänger) down near the Village. Obviously, no one loves him. Friends don’t let friends dress like this (unless it’s cosplay or part of a bedroom role-play fantasy). If you take a look at the pictures above, you’ll certainly understand my horror at finding anyone willing to wear lime green Lycra and Speedo running shorts. The only explanation I can think of is that he was drunk (you know how those Irish enjoy their whiskey…and beer…and any and all alcohol).

I could have forgiven the spandex, but I can’t forgive the freaky feet. Toe-shoes are never okay. They’re weird and disturbing and really, really pretentious. And, as an aside, for those of you who are interested in looking like a hobbit, this particular brand of toe-shoe will set you back $635. That’s right! You too can look like a weird little man for the very low price of six hundred and thirty-five dollars!!! WTF?

Also, for the record, Colin needs to invest in a cup. Yes, I enjoy the occasional bulge, but this bulge was verging on concealed weapon status. If he continues to run around in these spandex shorts, he will only have himself to blame for the gropings. Goodness, if I’d been within arm’s reach, I definitely would have copped a feel. Amiright, ladies? You all know how I like my bangers and mash, and there’s nothing more Irish than sausage!

Booyah!

The Socialmedialite

Review: 
Rugby players are my sexy new vice. Especially when they are being paired with a snarky, blogging introvert with a bit of a geek streak. Honestly, I added this book to my list because of Penny Reid.  I am so enjoying her Knitting in the City series that I when I saw she was co-penning a book with a rugby player, I was very interested. I had no clue who L.H. Cosway was, but worth a shot, right?

OMG. I could definitely see Ms. Reid's influence in the story. The witty snark from an just off center female that keeps me coming back for more, was readily available. However, she also had a much softer, much more fragile side than I have seen before that I can't help but attribute to Ms. Cosway's influence. The combination of Annie's bold online persona with her more shy and reserved live personality made her such an intriguing character. Even when I wanted to giver her a smack in the back of the head.

Then we have the Rugby playing Irish bad boy - Ronan. (And you know that I was hearing the brogue in my head!) He was all the very best parts of a true Alpha male. Bold, brash, dominant, loyal and so very loving. He was so patient with Anna and her issues. And he had quite the dirty mouth too. There was just so much about him that I liked. I do wish we had gotten more actual rugby play. That part was very much skimmed over and I missed it.

My biggest issue with the book, and I admit, it's probably all on me, is that I was reading this when all the FSoG movie hoopla was going on and it tainted the book - just a bit.  There is a scene where it comes out that Ronan likes to tie his women up, and I became fearful that an author I had enjoyed was about to join the ranks of the FSoG carbon copiers and be lost to me forever. That didn't happen, and I went on to really enjoy the book, but the timing just took a bit of the shine off overall.  I still ended up giving the book 4 stars.

Thanks to the IndieSagePromo and the authors for the opportunity to read and review the book.

Giveaway: 
Enter to win signed books from: Mia Sheridan, April White, Daisy Prescott, Tara Sivec, Penny Reid, LH Cosway AND a signed Tote from Wicked Book Weekend and has a ton of author signatures, including Kristen Ashley, Tara Sivec, Chelle Bliss, etc.

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Author Bios:

L.H. Cosway:
L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favourite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.

She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories.

To connect with the author online:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads


Penny Reid:
SEX! It all started with sex, between my parents. Personally I don’t like

thinking about it, but whatever works for you is a-ok with me. No judgment. The sex happened in California and much of my life also occurred in that state until I moved from the land of nuts (almonds), wine, silicon… boobs, and heavy traffic to the southeast US. Like most writers I like to write, but let’s get back to sex. Eventually I married and gave birth to 2 small people-children (boy-6, girl-4 as of this writing).

By day I’m a biomedical researcher with focus on rare diseases. By night I’m a knitter, sewer, lino block carver, fabric printer, soap maker, and general crafter. By the wee hours of the morning or when I’m intoxicated I love to listen to the voices in my head and let them tell me stories. I hope you enjoy their stories.

To connect with the author online:

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Goodreads