REVIEW: FRIES BEFORE GUYS by Lani Lynn Vale

FRIES BEFORE GUYS

SWAT Generation 2.0, Book 2

By Lani Lynn Vale

Release Date: February 11th

Sometimes people come into a person’s life and make their heart skip a beat.Those people are called cops.

Well, one cop in particular.

A SWAT officer for the Kilgore Police Department, to be specific.

The first time Avery Flynn saw Derek Roberts, she was photographing him for the first annual Kilgore Police Department SWAT calendar. He was leaned back in his squad car, shirtless, and giving her a smile that was completely between them. A smile that hinted at what he wanted to do to her later.

When she scrounges up the courage to ask him out after the photoshoot, he laughs in her face.

Well, screw you, too, Mr. February.

***

Derek Roberts never really paid attention to the photographer.

She was a mousy girl who dressed like a twelve-year-old girl. Her tight leggings, extra baggy Star Trek t-shirt denoting her a Klingon captain, and her surprisingly clean Chucks didn’t leave much of an impression.

Now, the outfit that she was in weeks after he rebuffed her? Yeah, now that caught his attention.

Too bad that happens when he’s trying to save her from what’s sure to be death thanks to an unhinged native Texan who’s convinced she was the reason he lost his last chance at a million dollars.

When he tries to save her, she tells him she’d rather take a cattle prod to the forehead than go anywhere with him.

Challenge. Accepted.

My Review

When I read the blurb for Fries Over Guys, I really didn’t know how the obstacles, especially the heroine’s age and their initial interaction, would make a relationship between Avery Flynn and Derek Roberts work and I don’t just mean if they would have the chemistry and a solid enough connection to be together…what I mean is, I didn’t know if they would see past everything standing in their way and realize that their age difference didn’t matter, that their first encounter didn’t define what they would always be, that Avery’s past wouldn’t continue to make things difficult for her present and perhaps even her future.

And I’ll be honest, Derek’s initial behavior and mistreatment of Avery did not sit well with me and I’m sure that other readers will feel the same way, and while as their story continues, Vale shows us who Derek truly is…I still struggled to focus on the here and now and how protective he was and how he worked to prove himself to not only Avery but to readers as well. I guess, for me, Derek didn’t seem like a typical Lani Lynn Vale, and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, my perception of Derek was skewed about because I wanted him to take charge, to be a bit more alpha, and I just didn’t feel like that happened enough to make up for how he treated Avery early on and how he couldn’t see past their age difference for quite some time.

Avery’s drive…her commitment to weather the shitshow that surrounds her and come out victorious is more than admirable, especially at her age. Avery is a mature 19 year-old – one who has already dealt with a litany of messed up events and horrible mistreatment at the hands of others, so the fact that she perseveres and has the strength to still fight…to still make something of herself illustrates the kind of woman she is. Her past is absolutely heartbreaking and readers can’t help but worry about her and hope that this girl doesn’t have to endure much more because it doesn’t seem possible that she would survive it regardless of how strong she is.

Derek and Avery’s story is an emotional one that demonstrates just how much strength is sometimes needed to keep moving forward as well as the fact that everyone needs help at different times in their lives and there’s nothing wrong with letting someone in, even if that person didn’t treat you well in the beginning…second chances are worth the risk.

4 Poison Apples

About the Author

Lani Lynn Vale is married to the love of her life that she met in high school. She fell in love with him because he was wearing baseball pants. Ten years later they have three perfectly crazy children and a cat named Demon who likes to wake her up at ungodly times in the night. They live in the greatest state in the world, Texas. She writes contemporary and romantic suspense, and has a love for all things romance.

You can find Lani in front of her computer writing away in her fictional characters world…that is until her husband and kids demand sustenance in the form of food and drink.

Author Links

Facebook: http://bit.ly/LLVfacebook
Instagram: http://bit.ly/LLVinsta
Website: http://www.lanilynnvale.com
Newsletter: https://www.facebook.com/LaniLynnVale/app/100265896690345/
Twitter: http://bit.ly/LLVtwitter
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/LLVgoodreads
BookBub: http://bit.ly/LLVbb

 

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