Ian – Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

The consequences of a moment can last a lifetime.

Gabriella Ross suffered every bride’s worst nightmare: a no-show groom. Now summer stretches before her with nowhere to go but home, at least until it’s time to go back to medical school.

Determined to prove she might be down but definitely not out, she chucks all her old plans in favor of having a good time—starting with giving herself a pair of wings. Tattooed wings, that is, in the form of a phoenix on her back.

When everyone else at Dermamania chickens out at the prospect of putting the gorgeous, perfect skin of the boss’s big sister under the needle, Ian Rhodes finds himself stepping up. Then unexpectedly connecting with her through tears that have nothing to do with the pain of getting inked.

Attraction flares into one hot night that was supposed to stay that way—single, and secret. But best laid plans have a way of getting blown out of the water. Now two perfect strangers must plan for a very different future…beginning with whether there’s enough common ground to spend it together.

Warning: Contains explicit sex, graphic language, Ross family drama, reuniting with beloved old friends…and a hot tattooed, Harley-riding hero who doesn’t mind being robbed from the cradle.

4 out of 5 stars!

My review of Unleashed #1
My review of Rock Me #2
My review of Breathe Me In #2.5
My review of Leave Me Breathless #3

——————————————————————-

My Review

I adore this series so much and have been waiting (im)patiently for Gabriella’s book to be out so i can get to know her and learn all about her. Since Evan’s book, i have been hooked on all of these characters, wanting to know about them, about their lives, watching them fall in love, deal with shit, and find their happy endings….doesnt hurt that the sex is smooooooking hot either.

Take Me On is about the eldest Ross sibling, Gabriella. She is a nurse but she is studying at Med school to become a Doctor. She lives three hours away from Brian and her parents, but after being left at the alter by her arsehole fiancé, she is back living at her parents for the summer whilst she sorts everything out for the next school year.

Fed up of being in a funk, and with everyone thinking she is spiralling, she decides on getting a tattoo. After both Brian and Ghost chicken out of tattooing her, the new guy, Ian steps up to the plate. What starts off as just a tattoo, becomes so much more for both of them and now they have to figure out what they are going to do, if they can have a future together.

This review will be short and sweet. What happens in the story is a massive spoiler so there is no way I can do that to you guys at all. I would totally recommend reading the other four books too, just to get a gist of who the other characters are because they do make appearances and have a small storyline on the sides too.

As I’ve mentioned, Gabby has her whole life planned out in front of her. She’s going to marry Mark, have children before she is 40, become a Doctor but all that turns to pot when Mark doesnt turn up at the church. Devastated and completely humiliated she returns to live at her parents for the summer. Gabby is someone who likes to be in control – of everything. She likes to know exactly what is going to happen and when this happens, she is most definitely not in control. So she decides to get a tattoo, of a Phoenix on her back. It represents strength and moving on and that is what Gabby wants. What starts off as a tattoo, ends up with her in bed with Ian…and that night changes everything.

I took a while to warm up to Gabby, mainly because I adore Candace, Macy and Kelsey, but I learned to understand Gabby more in her book. We see her tough side, she is blunt, takes what she wants yet she has a vulnerable side too. One that makes her more human I suppose. But even with her vulnerable side, we see her take charge of her life, even if she has to take it day by day and that was admirable when she never does that.

I did like her banter with Brian. You always have that with a sibling and calling each other ‘Little Shit’ and ‘Big shit’ was hilarious. I did grow to like Gabby. Her choices at times were a little bit of a headbang, especially near the end and I was so annoyed at her but I got it, I got how alone she was feeling, how she didn’t know what to do and she just wanted someone, so really you can and cant blame her for what she did and was thinking.

Ian is the new guy, and volunteers to tattoo Gabby after the others chicken out. He’s heard about The Wedding That Wasn’t and heard about her from Brian. He gets the impression she is uptight but holy hell, he thinks she is gorgeous and after a little moment in the tattoo room, they get on great, so great they end up in bed together after a bet at the bar that night.

Ian is funny, he’s artistic, he has a dirty mouth, dirty bedroom moves, drives a motorbike but underneath his carefree vibes is someone who is hiding a bad childhood. He moved from Dallas to make a fresh start and to forget about the pain back home. One look at Gabby and he knows he’d like to get to know her, but she’s off limits as she is the boss’ sister but after that night he is now in it for the long run, there is no getting rid of him.

I adored Gabby and Ian together. They definitely had the connection, the banter, and sexual connection too. Despite the circumstances, you could really see how much they wanted each other, but would they get together if it didn’t happen? Both their lives are changing, alone and together and they have a lot to think about, to mull over…but as Ian said ‘take it day by day’ and that is what they did.

Now, we should all know by now that Cherrie definitely knows how to write a sex scene and HOLY SHIT Take Me On’s sex scenes are no different. They are steamy and sexy and frigging hot. You can see how compatible Ian and Gabby are in the bedroom and they certainly know how to turn it up a notch. Being 8 years younger than Gabby, Ian knows how to pleasure a woman and Gabby knows a thing or two too. I loved reading about these two and how they learnt what they other liked, how to please one another. Age meant nothing to them at all and I loved that!

Cherrie sucks you in in this series. From book 1 to book 4, I have avidly been waiting and reading from the start. You all need to get the Ross Siblings in your life. Watch them all grow with the series, delve into their life’s, watch them overcome drama and watch they fall in love. I love this series and would love another book but if not, I am more than content to re-read again and again and keep these characters in my heart.

Synopsis

Sparrow Fisher is transforming. No longer dressed up in antiquated clothes and ideals, she is finally trying on her freedom.

Before she moves to New York City, she meets Ian Sterling, a musician Sparrow has dreamed about since she first saw him. The attraction is instant, but their relationship isn’t so simple.

Over a five year span, Sparrow and Ian run into each other in unusual places. Each time, Sparrow has to decide if she can trust him, if he feels the same for her, and finally, if love is really enough.

————————————————————————————————————————-

My Review

True Love Story begins with Sparrow bumping into her ex-boyfriend Ian at the airport. You instantly find out that she is still reeling from their break-up and she also tells you how long it’s been since they met, been in and out of each other’s lives and how long since they broke up.

But now she has to spend time on a plane, sitting right next to the only person she has and will ever love. The only person who has broken her heart so badly she can’t get over him. And the only person she wants to be with, but can’t.

We then go back to the time they met for the first time and that is when the story truly begins. We get to find out what Ian did to hurt Sparrow so badly. Throughout the years, we see them both flutter in and out of each other’s lives, but every time they do, they both leave a bit of one another with the other person. They start off as friends, with an instant physical and sexual attraction to one another and over the years it flairs into something more. Something that never of them really expected, but welcomed no less as it meant they got to be together one way or another.

I loved the journey that both Sparrow and Ian had throughout the five years they had known each other. They both had a lot of growing up to do (Even if Ian was 28 when they first met and Sparrow 18). They grew up in the sense of love. They grew up in themselves and what they wanted. Their friendship / relationship was raw. It had passion and you could really see the love they had for one another. Age meant and means nothing and it was really nice to see them just being together. Their playfulness together, their smoking hot sex, their need for one another. It was intoxicating.

Their journey was a long one. Five years is a big time span to go through everything these two did. Everything they did was playful, it was raw, it was overwhelming and you could see that Sparrow and Ian really did belong together. They changed one another for the best; that is until Ian made the biggest mistake of his life and lost Sparrow. He then dedicates his months to trying to get her back with notes. Love letters; pouring his heart out to Sparrow, who in turn, doesn’t reply, but they do really get to her. She’s more than upset about the incident but although she loves him, she can’t forgive him or trust him anymore. It kills them both.

I do have to say, and to be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever said this, but I really didn’t like Ian throughout the book. Controversial I know but there was just something about the way he acted with and without Sparrow that just didn’t sit right with me. I know he wanted Sparrow is enjoy her youth and enjoy college and NYC but it just annoyed me how he’d go months without taking to her, whereas she was going crazy because he was all she could think about. And when they did see each other, he would just go back to how they were months ago, pretending that they hadn’t just gone months without speaking or seeing each other. Hell no buddy. That would not sit pretty with me. Yes, I know he had to tour (He’s a musician), but it doesn’t take 2 seconds just to ring and ask how someone is. (I know at the start they weren’t officially together and maybe I can see why he wouldn’t call, but the things he said to her, you’d expect him to make an effort.)

But when they do get together, sure he makes an effort but I couldn’t see past everything and especially what he does to Sparrow. I was say thinking “Good on you for ignoring him all these months.” I just got angry at him for everything he did. And although he proves just how much he needs Sparrow, how much he does love her and how much he would do anything to have her back, I just thought it was too late. He’d done the deed, now he can pay the time for breaking her heart.

True Love Story is a story about true love. That much is true. It’s about a journey finding love throughout the obstacles thrown your way, about trusting the person you love, staying in love for years to come even when you’re not with that person. It’s about loving that person forever even when they have hurt you. And it’s about doing whatever you can to hold on to that love, to get it back and to prove that love can conquer all throughout everything.

I would definitely recommend True Love Story, but if you’re like me and get easily annoyed by the ‘hero’s’ stupid actions throughout a book and then holds a grudge even when they redeem themselves, then maybe don’t read it? Or better yet, do read it and tell me about it. We can have a right old chatter over Ian and his ways.

The story is a nice one; it takes you on a journey with Ian and Sparrow, but also the parents and the friends. You see the characters grow up over the five year span, but also love and go through heartbreak and agony. You see that age gaps are not an issue when you love that person with everything.

I hope this review doesn’t put you off, because really, I did like this book to some extent but it wasn’t the greatest book I’ve read. I did have high hopes for it given that so many people have rated it 5 stars. But to me it was more 2.5/3 stars.