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

Rugby, Book 1

Synopsis: 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?

Review: I confess that I have the heart of an artichoke when it is about books… It is enough for me to have a hero with an advantageous physique, with a certain nobility of soul and poufff, my little heart starts to shudder. An artichoke heart, I tell you…

If I chose this book, it is not for the title, nor for the cover, but for the author. I love her “Knitting in the city” series (long sigh for Quinn and Nico), and I jumped at the chance to read this one.

Artichoke Heart, I tell you! But with taste!

All opposes the protagonists: Annie does not like to interact with people, to evolve in society. She does not know how to do it, the codes of human relationships escape her. She stammers, blushes, has only one desire and it is to dive into a mouse hole and stay there. On the other hand, in the articles she publishes on her blog, her language is sharp. Celebrities are scrutinized, shelled, and she dares to say what everyone is thinking. It’s the only space where she feels like herself.

Ronan is sure of himself, impulsive and very determined. The world ? He doesn’t give a fuck … (Oops, sorry for this flowery vocabulary!) He does what he wants, such as breaking the face of one of his teammates because he slept with his girlfriend. Ok, he had his reasons, but it taints the image of his club. Because Ronan is a rugby star, and if the society loves bad boys, they do not like violent bad boys.

So here, he is obliged to improve his image, and that’s good, Annie is a genius for that. Except that normally, she operates in the shadows. But as soon as he meets her, he knows that she is not like the others. And he is determined to bring her into light.

Classic schema – the manly dude, the shy girl – but that works damn well. The humor is at the rendezvous (as always in Penny Reid’s novels), the exchanges are effective and well done and Annie is touching and endearing.

In short, I loved it!

And there’s Ronan … one more name on my list of favorite heroes. Yes, I know, it grows up … But I’m not responsible, it’s in my genes.

Artichoke heart one day, artichoke heart always!

Céline

8 thoughts on “The Hooker and the Hermit by L.H. Cosway & Penny Reid

  1. I have the in my tbr and I keep passing over it when I pick a book to read. But 5 stars! I need to move it up closer to the top of my tbr for sure! Great review!

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