The Hooker and The Hermit by L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid

The Hooker and the Hermit by L.H. Cosway, Penny Reid
Series: Rugby #1
Published by Cipher-Naught on February 2nd 2015
Pages: 338


Amazon

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.

Penny Reid can do no wrong in my book, and although I’ve only read one book by L.H. Cosway, I was impressed with her writing style. I thought pairing up these two intelligent and witty authors to write a book together was a smart move. It was with great anticipation that I settled in to spend an entertaining weekend reading The Hooker and the Hermit.

I do love a quirky heroine, and you don’t get much quirkier than Annie Catrel. She’s a painfully shy social recluse who only feels confident when she’s running her popular entertainment blog. When she’s blogging, she gets to express her clever personality, while dissecting the appearance and lifestyle of celebrities.

Annie’s real job is a social media expert who reforms the images of disgraced celebrities – think Robert Downey, Jr., Britney Spears, or Drew Barrymore. Her new client is Ronan Fitzpatrick, Ireland’s best hooker (a hooker is the football equivalent of a quarterback), and current bad boy of the press. If he wants to be released from his suspension from his team, he needs Annie’s help. An attraction develops between the pair, but can Annie – a woman who has only ever had virtual friendships – open herself up to a true relationship, or perhaps even love?

The book starts off strong, with lots of banter and sexual innuendo, as Ronan tries to break through Annie’s tough shell. He’s a man on a mission to win her over, and he won’t stop until he gets what he wants. The rest of the book, however, is quite slow.

Initially, I could understand Annie’s fears. However, eventually I began to feel Annie was taking advantage of Ronan’s patience, and I could no longer figure out what made her so appealing to him. There’s a lot of Ronan expressing his feelings for her, and Annie retreating and giving little in return. Given all his reassurances, I kept wondering what her problem was. Ultimately, there was too much on again, off again between the couple to hold my interest. Yes, the story is witty, and the characters are interesting, but it took me way too long to finish. Sadly, this one just didn’t live up to my expectations.

Related Posts