Book Review: Between Love and Loyalty by Shannyn Schroeder

Between Love and Loyalty
By: Shannyn Schroeder
Releasing October 18, 2016
Self-Published
Link to follow tour: Tasty Book Tours
Goodreads

Blurb

When at war, aim for the heart…
Connor Duffy is desperate. His tell-all book on corrupt Chicago alderman Brady Cavanagh isn’t telling enough to get publisher interest, and in order to get the hot dirt, he must find a way to get closer to the man who let Connor go to prison to cover for his own son’s misdeeds. So when fate puts Cavanagh’s lively, artsy daughter across Connor’s path, he decides to take advantage of the first bit of good luck he’s had in a long while.

… but don’t forget to keep your own under guard.

Fiona Cavanagh needs a break. Between assisting with her father’s political campaign, trying to please her unpleasable mother, and dealing with an ex who won’t go away, she has no time for a life of her own. One night she meets sexy and mysterious Connor and everything looks like it’s about to finally turn around… until she discovers that the one man she thought she could love was using her to get to her father. As dark family secrets unravel around her, Fiona finds herself caught between love… and loyalty.

Fiona just wants to be Fiona. She’d love to forget about her last name which ties her to a troublesome family. And that’s exactly what she gets when she’s with Connor – a chance to just be Fiona, the artist, not the daughter of the alderman.

Connor has good reason to want dirt on the Cavanagh family, and it has nothing to do with just wanting to make a quick buck – or million – thanks to celebrity gossip. He’d been wronged, and he planned to make it right…in his own way. The problem with his plan is his inability to keep his heart out of it.

What can I say?

This book has plenty of sex; but unfortunately, that abundance doesn’t wash over to the emotional relationship. Fiona and Connor have their reasons for remaining secretive, but the way the story is written, it puts a damper on the actual romance. It’s difficult to buy that they fell in love considering they reached this milestone knowing very little about each other. Fiona made it known that sex was all she wanted, and she bent over backwards (pun intended) to make sure Connor understood that’s all he’d get. That, of course, didn’t last, but every problem was resolved with sex instead of any real or emotional need to be good to each other, although this desire (to do right by each other) was sometimes expressed in subtle ways.

Although sex was the main focus of a majority of their time together (either having sex or thinking about having sex), the secret between Connor and Fiona’s brother, as well as wondering how they’d both come clean, were enough to keep the pages turning.

Rating system: Cups of Coffee (the less the better)

0: You won’t need any coffee to stay up for this one. It’s intriguing enough all on its own.
1: You’ll stay up late, but not all night. Brew one cup.
2: You’ll read as long as you’re not tired. If you are, two cups should do the trick.
3: I hope you got plenty of rest; you’ll need it, or at least 3 cups.
4: If the cable goes out, read the book. It’s better than nothing, I guess. Oh, don’t forget your brew!
5: Find anything else to do- it doesn’t matter what it is. Don’t waste your coffee. Too much caffeine is bad for you.

My rating: 2 1/2 cups of coffee

Author Info
Shannyn Schroeder is the author of the O’Leary series, contemporary romances centered around a large Irish-American family in Chicago and the Hot & Nerdy series about 3 nerdy friends finding love. Her new series (For Your Love) will release this summer with the first title Under Your Skin. When she’s not wrangling her three kids or writing, she watches a ton of TV and loves to bake cookies.

Author Links Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

An hour later, Connor lie awake in bed, trying to figure out the words to say to convince Fiona to stay, at least for a while. He enjoyed the feel of her warm body curled next to him. No. This wasn’t supposed to be about enjoying her, which he was. He needed to get information on her father. He stroked his fingers down her back and she sighed. Her light breath skimmed across his chest. They were both relaxed and comfortable.
As if on cue, she sat up and pushed her hair away from her face. He loved to watch her body in the soft glow of the bedside lamp. Shadows played across her pale skin, making him want to explore all over.
She turned and leaned her body across his chest. She gave him a hungry kiss and said, “I’m starving. Do you have anything to eat, or are you one of those guys who only has beer and condiments in his fridge?”
He rose up and kissed her neck. He knew exactly what he’d like to eat. “Depends on what you’re looking for.”
She shivered and pulled away. “I’ve already had a helping of that. And although I completely enjoyed it, I’d love some breakfast.” She crawled backwards off the bed. “And then we can have seconds up here.”
She pulled his T-shirt over her head. “Maybe even thirds. It’s not good to go to sleep on a full stomach.”
He liked it when she toyed with him, and he enjoyed the idea of her staying even more. “I can make breakfast.”
He climbed out of bed and put on underwear. Food sounded good. Connor knew just what he’d cook for Fiona. He lucked out when she’d asked for breakfast. No woman could resist his chocolate chip pancakes.
In the kitchen, Fiona sat on a chair and propped a foot next to her ass, the T-shirt barely covering anything. He groaned as he pulled ingredients from the cabinet. “If you actually want to eat food, I suggest you put your foot down, or I’ll take you right here on the table.”
“Sorry,” she said without a bit of remorse. She stood and walked around the small kitchen.
When he turned to get a bowl and measuring cups he almost ran into her—twice. He set the items on the counter and spun back to her. “Here,” he said, grabbing her waist. He set her on the counter beside the ingredients. “You can watch and tell me about yourself while I cook.”
She swung her legs out behind him and he was keenly aware of the nakedness they led to, but he focused on mixing pancake batter.
“What do you want to know?”
This was what he’d been looking for. Time with Fiona to sneak under her defenses. “Whatever you want to tell me. I don’t want to ask about something off-limits, so you choose. Although it might be nice to at least know your last name. We’ve been naked together a few times, but I only know you as Fiona.” He whisked eggs and milk together and waited for a response.
“I wish I could just be Fiona everywhere I went,” she mumbled, then quickly covered as if he shouldn’t have heard the admission. “Wells. Fiona Wells.”
He tried not to let the lie get under his skin as he mixed the remaining ingredients and turned the flame on under the griddle. He should’ve expected the lie. “Tell me, Wells, Fiona Wells, do you like chocolate?”
“Doesn’t everyone?”
He smiled and leaned over to kiss her. “You’re supposed to be telling about yourself.”
“My life’s not exciting. I’ve lived in Chicago my whole life except for a year in high school when I studied abroad in Paris. Went to college and majored in art, much to my mother’s dismay. Art is such a useless degree. It wasn’t until her friends started buying my jewelry that she accepted I was never going to be a lawyer or an accountant. I make my jewelry when I’m inspired, usually late at night, and a few days a week I teach at the youth outreach. That’s the extent of my life. See, not exciting.”
He scooped the first pancakes onto the griddle and looked at her from the corner of his eye. “Paris sounds pretty exciting.” That had been the year he and Aiden had gotten into so much trouble. It also explained why she didn’t know who Connor was.
“It was. I had a great time, but I was too young to appreciate it. I want to go back someday.”
He flipped the pancakes and grabbed a couple of plates from the cabinet above Fiona’s head. The action caused him to lean over her and she took the opportunity to kiss his chest. He caged his arms around her on the counter. “I wasn’t kidding when I said you better watch yourself if you want food.”
She smiled and pointed. “My pancakes are burning. You don’t want to have to start over.”
He pulled the first pancakes off the pan and poured more. “What do you do for fun?”
“I don’t know. I don’t go out much. I’m kind of a homebody. I like to watch cheesy horror movies. I’ve never had many hobbies because I have my art. I love it and I’m lucky enough to get paid to do it.”
Connor plopped pancakes onto the other plate. She had no political aspirations. Homebody was an understatement. Where most of the Cavanaghs clamored for the spotlight, Fiona clung to the shadows.

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