Title: Dirty EnglishAuthor: Ilsa Madden-Mills
Publication: October 12th 2015
Format: eBook
Links: Goodreads | Amazon
Reviewer: Crystal
Source: Blog Tour
Rating: 4 out of 5 Wine Glasses
A scarred fighter.
A girl with rules.
One night of unbridled passion.
There are three things you need to know about Elizabeth Bennett: she’s smart as a whip, always in control, and lives by a set of carefully crafted rules. She’s learned the hard way that people you love the most always hurt you in the end.
But then she meets Declan Blay, the new neighbor at her apartment complex.
A tattooed British street fighter, he’s the campus bad boy she’s supposed to avoid, but when he saves her from a frat party gone bad, all her rules about sex and love fly out the window.
She gives him one night of unbridled passion, but he longs for more.
With only a cardboard-thin wall separating their bedrooms, he dreams of possessing the vulnerable girl next door forever.
One night. Two damaged hearts. The passion of a lifetime.
Crystal's Thoughts:
Dirty English is a captivating new adult romance filled with darkness, distrust, danger and undeniable desire.
Elizabeth Bennett lives her life by a set of well-crafted rules. Don't sleep with cute or popular boys. Stay away from guys who drink or do drugs. Always stay in control. Never sleep with a guy more then once. And never, ever, fall in love. She never anticipated Declan Blay though.
Fresh out of an awful relationship, Declan is firmly focused on finishing his degree and opening his own gym, and possibly winning a MMA championship. Despite his father's wishes...When he see's Elizabeth at his twin brother's frat party though , he wastes no time calling dibs. Declan realizes right away that he wants more then one night with the elusive beauty, but one night is all Elizabeth is willing to offer.
Can Declan convince Elizabeth that some rules are worth breaking, and some risks are worth taking? Will pride goeth before the fall?
Elizabeth Bennett lives her life by a set of well-crafted rules. Don't sleep with cute or popular boys. Stay away from guys who drink or do drugs. Always stay in control. Never sleep with a guy more then once. And never, ever, fall in love. She never anticipated Declan Blay though.
Fresh out of an awful relationship, Declan is firmly focused on finishing his degree and opening his own gym, and possibly winning a MMA championship. Despite his father's wishes...When he see's Elizabeth at his twin brother's frat party though , he wastes no time calling dibs. Declan realizes right away that he wants more then one night with the elusive beauty, but one night is all Elizabeth is willing to offer.
Can Declan convince Elizabeth that some rules are worth breaking, and some risks are worth taking? Will pride goeth before the fall?
If you've read more then a few new adult romances, then you've likely read a story similar to Dirty English, but despite it's lack of originality and the cliche story elements - it worked. The story was well written, moving at a steady pace that flowed from one scene to the next. From frat parties, to quads, meager college apartments to sweat stained gyms, I was easily drawn into the story of these two characters who share dismal childhoods, deceitful relationships, and future dreams bigger then their present.
As always, it is the characters of the story that capture my full attention, and in the best cases, my heart. The characters of Dirty English were alluring. I loved Declan. He was a smart, sensitive, and a swoon-worthily protective hero. His character is one of the reasons that I can't get enough of New Adult Romances. That's not even mentioning that he's a sexy British underground MMA fighter who not only has brawn's but brains too. *dreamy sigh* Annnnndddd...he might have a twin brother and some daddy issues on top of all that. ☺ I'm not sure where Ilsa resides, as she is a new-to-me author, but she did a fine job on the British slang, it came across as realistic and not at all forced (which sometimes happens when us Americans try to use it in stories.) The female lead of the story, Elizabeth, is a survivor through and through. She has been through some rough stuff, things that not everyone would come out of on top. Her character was frustratingly stubborn at times but again, with her background, her attitude was understandable.Elizabeth and Declan together; wow, just wow. As the story starts, you think it's going to lead the all-to-common story of jumping into bed with the nearest hot guy. And despite Elizabeth's clumsy attempts, it did not go there. Thankfully! Actually, it didn't go there for quite a while. I enjoyed the building and rigid tension between these too immensely. Instead of a hit-it-and-quit-it kind of relationship that Elizabeth excels at, Declan gradually shifts their relationship from a true friendship, to something more. There were many ups and downs to keep me turning the pages. A lot of tensity and adjustment on both sides. But what is meant to be will be, and Elizabeth and Declan were definitely meant to be.
Bottom line; Dirty English is a must read for new adult romance fans everywhere. The characters were deep but still fun, the story-line captivating, and it was all very well done. On a side note; while the book is described as a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice I would no way describe it as such but the classic's theme carries throughout the book.
As always, it is the characters of the story that capture my full attention, and in the best cases, my heart. The characters of Dirty English were alluring. I loved Declan. He was a smart, sensitive, and a swoon-worthily protective hero. His character is one of the reasons that I can't get enough of New Adult Romances. That's not even mentioning that he's a sexy British underground MMA fighter who not only has brawn's but brains too. *dreamy sigh* Annnnndddd...he might have a twin brother and some daddy issues on top of all that. ☺ I'm not sure where Ilsa resides, as she is a new-to-me author, but she did a fine job on the British slang, it came across as realistic and not at all forced (which sometimes happens when us Americans try to use it in stories.) The female lead of the story, Elizabeth, is a survivor through and through. She has been through some rough stuff, things that not everyone would come out of on top. Her character was frustratingly stubborn at times but again, with her background, her attitude was understandable.Elizabeth and Declan together; wow, just wow. As the story starts, you think it's going to lead the all-to-common story of jumping into bed with the nearest hot guy. And despite Elizabeth's clumsy attempts, it did not go there. Thankfully! Actually, it didn't go there for quite a while. I enjoyed the building and rigid tension between these too immensely. Instead of a hit-it-and-quit-it kind of relationship that Elizabeth excels at, Declan gradually shifts their relationship from a true friendship, to something more. There were many ups and downs to keep me turning the pages. A lot of tensity and adjustment on both sides. But what is meant to be will be, and Elizabeth and Declan were definitely meant to be.
Bottom line; Dirty English is a must read for new adult romance fans everywhere. The characters were deep but still fun, the story-line captivating, and it was all very well done. On a side note; while the book is described as a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice I would no way describe it as such but the classic's theme carries throughout the book.
Thanks for the review. I was debating on this one but you convinced me!
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