Trouble Walks In (The McGuire Brothers 2) by Sara Humphreys-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

TROUBLE WALKS IN (The McGuire Brothers #2) by Sara Humphreys-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

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TROUBLE WALKS IN
The McGuire Brothers #2
by Sara Humphreys
Release Date: August 2, 2016
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

Trouble Walks In

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / BAM /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 2, 2016

Big city K-9 cop Ronan McGuire loves women, loves his dog, loves his job – but when old flame Maddy Morgan moves into his jurisdiction, he can’t think about anyone else.

Ronan knows she’s way out of his league, but he’s determined to help Maddy live life to the fullest.

Maddy has immersed herself in work and swiftly made a name for herself in the hot New York City real estate market. She’s looking for safety, not love, but Ronan McGuire is as persistent as he is sexy, and his crooked smile is hard to resist. But all other concerns are wiped away when Maddy goes missing and Ronan and his bloodhound K-9 partner are tasked with finding her and bringing her home.

•••••••••••••••

REVIEW: TROUBLE WALKS IN is the second installment in Sara Humphreys’s contemporary, adult THE MCGUIRE BROTHERS romance series. This is K-9 unit police officer Ronan McGuire, and real estate agent Maddy Morgan’s story line TROUBLE WALKS IN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary although for backstory I recommend reading the series in order.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Ronan and Maddy) TROUBLE WALKS IN is a friends to lovers trope that focuses on the building relationship between real estate agent Maddy Morgan, and police officer Ronan McGuire. One year earlier Maddy’s long-time boyfriend Rick was killed on the job (Brave the Heat), so our heroine took off for New York hoping to leave the memories and grief behind only to find herself getting reacquainted with Ronan McGuire-a friend from back home and a man who has loved Maddy from afar. What ensues is the slow build of a relationship between friends, and the investigation into a serial killer targeting high-end real estate agents.

For months the relationship between Maddy and Ronan has never gone beyond their weekly run and coffee but Ronan wants something more with Maddy as he has pined after our heroine for a number of years. Maddy believes to enter into a romantic relationship is a slap in the face to Rick, and isn’t willing to cross the ‘invisible’ line from friendship to love. As the holidays approach, Ronan convinces Maddy that to spend time alone is tragic, and makes plans to take the next step in their building relationship. Maddy Morgan is a successful, independent woman who struggles with the continuous mixed signals from the man with whom she is falling in love. Ronan’s love for Maddy never waivers in the face of her ongoing grief and inability to let go of the past. The $ex scenes are intimate and romantic without the over the top graphic sexual imagery.

TROUBLE WALKS IN has a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Gavin and Jordan (Brave The Heat #1), parents Carolyn and Charles McGuire, as well as the remaining McGuire siblings-Tristan, Dillon and Finn. We are introduced to several of Maddy’s co-workers and boss; Ronan’s K-9 partner Bowser, and his superior officer who is determined to help Ronan find a relationship interest.

The world building continues to focus on family and friendship as well as the search for a serial killer who is targeting real estate employees. Throughout the story, several suspects begin to emerge and Maddy’s self-imposed isolation makes her a perfect target. The perpetrator is easily deduced early in the story line.

TROUBLE WALKS IN is a story with a little bit of romance, intrigue, suspense and fun. The premise is entertaining, amusing and dramatic; the characters are passionate and confident; the romance is sensual and passionate. TROUBLE WALKS IN is an entertaining read with great family dynamics and palpable sexual energy.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one-BRAVE THE HEAT

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Excerpt

“If you don’t behave and stay off this ankle, you won’t get your ice cream. As fate would have it, you just happen to have my favorite flavor, and I might go in there and eat it all up.”
“Lots of people like mint chip,” Maddy said quickly. “Besides, you’re not the boss of me. It’s my life, Officer McGuire, and I’ll have ice cream for dinner if I want to. So there.”
“Your life, huh?” Ronan arched one eyebrow and loosened his hold on her calf, lightly trailing his fingers over the exposed flesh. “If you ask me, you haven’t been doing much living since you moved here.”
“What are you talking about?” Maddy stilled, and her cheeks turned pink.
“This apartment is more like a showroom than a home.” Ronan adjusted the bag of peas and leaned his elbows on the edge of the couch. He shrugged. “It looks like you’re never here, but I know that’s not true. If you aren’t working or out jogging with me on a Saturday morning, you’re holed up in here like a hermit. You’ve been here for over a year, but this place barely looks lived in.”
“Hey!” That feisty spirit was back, and fire burned in those blue eyes. “I am not a hermit. I am the top-performing real estate agent in the most successful real estate agency in this city despite having to deal with a staff of people who sometimes act more like children than functioning adults. Take last night, for example. I was supposed to be training one of our newest hires on how to run an open house, and the little blond dingbat never showed. No text. No phone call. Nothing. I have a full plate, McGuire.”
Ronan stilled. Blond? The girl they had found in the park this morning was blond. She had no ID on her, but she was likely in her early to midtwenties, and based on the clothing she had left on her body, she was corporate. Not a pro or party girl, but a woman who had been at work or planning to go to work.
A knot of dread curled in his gut. The detectives had said the crime scene looked eerily similar to Lucille Bowman’s. He must have been looking at Maddy funny because she had stopped talking and was staring at him with a puzzled expression.
“Hello?” She snapped her fingers in front of his face. “Are you listening to me? If you’re going to insult me, the least you could do is let me rant at you a little.”
“I’m sorry.” Ronan shook his head. “I was thinking about work.”
Damn it. He’d deliberately been avoiding any discussion of the woman in the park, but the topic was the undeniable elephant in the room. Silence settled between them, and Maddy folded her arms. Ronan let out a frustrated breath and looked past her to Bowser who was oblivious to it all, having fallen asleep on the floor in front of the door.
So much for guard-dog duty.
“Is that why you’re giving me a hard time about living? Because of the girl in the park?” Maddy’s voice shook. “Because don’t think for one second that I don’t know how fragile life is, okay? Believe me, I know. Life can change in an instant. One minute everything is normal and you’re arguing about what to watch on television or what to make for breakfast in the morning…and the next…”
When he turned his attention back to Maddy and saw one tear fall down her cheek, he cursed under his breath. Without thinking about it, Ronan reached out and cradled her face with one hand, then swiped the tear away. Her eyes were closed, a fan of dark lashes resting on fair skin beneath them, and those full pink lips quivered.
“Ah, Maddy,” Ronan whispered. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. His voice was gruff and strained, full of emotions he didn’t quite have a name for yet. “I’m sorry. Look, sometimes I can be an insensitive asshole. Chalk it up to growing up in a house full of boys. But I’m worried about you. It’s like you’re hiding from the whole world…but please, don’t hide from me.”
When Maddy didn’t open her eyes, Ronan settled his forehead against hers. She sucked in a shuddering breath and curled her hands around his wrists. For a second he thought she was going to push him away, but she didn’t; she held him closer instead. He wasn’t sure how long they stayed that way, nose to nose, heart to heart. No words were spoken, and yet he felt more connected to her than to anyone else in recent memory.
He flicked his tongue over his suddenly dry lips before brushing them over hers. A breathy sigh mingled with a needy whimper escaped her luscious mouth and the sound drove him wild. But Ronan fought for restraint. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her off.
Her lips reminded him of plums, soft and sweet, and he reveled in the sensation as they melded with his. Maddy tangled her fingers in his hair, and he groaned when her tongue sought entrance, pushing into his mouth gently but eagerly. Ronan tilted her head, taking control of the kiss, and dove deep. She sat up and he moved with her, wanting to savor every bit of contact while still being mindful of her ankle.
Maddy sighed into his mouth as her hands slipped beneath his jacket and shirt. When her fingers splayed over the flesh of his lower back and dipped beneath the band of his running pants, all of the blood rushed from his head to other parts of his anatomy. His body started screaming for more—more of her touch, more of her taste—but his brain told him to slow the hell down. Emotions were running high for both of them. If they took this too far too fast, whatever this thing was between them could get snuffed out before they had a chance to explore it.
She was vulnerable, so taking it any further right now would be a shitty move. Ronan broke the kiss and pulled back, her face cradled between his hands. Her heavily lidded eyes were glazed with the unmistakable air of lust, and her lips were swollen from his kisses. Maddy tried to kiss him again, but he held her mouth a mere inch from his.
Her brow furrowed and confusion flickered across her face.
“What’s wrong?” she said through heavy breaths. “I thought this was what you wanted.”
“It is,” he rasped. “But I don’t think—”
The shrill ring of the cell phone in her pocket cut him off. Even if it hadn’t, the annoyed look in Maddy’s eyes would have put an end to things. She let out a curt laugh and removed the phone from her jacket before pulling away from him.
“You surprise me, McGuire. I never thought that you, the big stud I’ve heard about all these years, wouldn’t close the deal.” She pressed her phone to her ear and leaned against the cushions. “Maddy Morgan speaking. How can I help you?”
Ronan rocked onto his heels before rising to his feet. She avoided looking at him, but he couldn’t miss the irritated expression on her face. Great. He was screwing things up at every turn.
He ran both of his hands over his face and strode to the windows while Maddy took her call. Something about an appointment tomorrow and scheduling or rescheduling. The woman even worked on Sundays. Did she ever stop and breathe, or even take a moment to enjoy in the view from her own apartment? He pulled aside the drapes with one hand and looked out. The city was beautiful from up here. The windows overlooked the West Side and gave a partial view of Central Park.
Yup. It was easy as hell for her to hide up here, and why wouldn’t she? Had anyone tried to stop her? Ronan glanced over his shoulder at her. The flush from their encounter still lingered on her cheeks, and in that moment, he decided enough was enough. She’d had the opportunity to grieve and regroup—plenty of it—but it was time to change things up.

About The author

FOLLOW: Website /Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads/ TSU

Sara HumphreysSara is a graduate of Marist College, with a B.A. Degree in English Literature & Theater. Her initial career path after college was as a professional actress. Some of her television credits include, A&E Biography, Guiding Light, Another World, As the World Turns and Rescue Me.

In 2013 Sara’s novel UNTAMED won two PRISM awards–Dark Paranormal and Best of the Best. Sara has been a lover of both the paranormal and romance novels for years. Her sci-fi/fantasy/romance obsession began years ago with the TV Series STAR TREK and an enormous crush on Captain Kirk. That sci-fi obsession soon evolved into the love of all types of fantasy/paranormal; vampires, ghosts, werewolves, and of course shape shifters.

Sara is married to her college sweetheart, Will. They live in New York with their 4 boys. For a full list of Sara’s books and reading order, please visit her Website.

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Trouble Walks In by Sara Humphreys-Promotion and Giveaway

Trouble Walks In by Sara Humphreys-Promotion and Giveaway

Trouble Walks In promo

TROUBLE WALKS IN
The McGuire Brothers #2
by Sara Humphreys
Release Date: August 2, 2016
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance

Trouble Walks In

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / BAM

Big city K-9 cop Ronan McGuire loves women, loves his dog, loves his job – but when old flame Maddy Morgan moves into his jurisdiction, he can’t think about anyone else.
Ronan knows she’s way out of his league, but he’s determined to help Maddy live life to the fullest.

Maddy has immersed herself in work and swiftly made a name for herself in the hot New York City real estate market. She’s looking for safety, not love, but Ronan McGuire is as persistent as he is sexy, and his crooked smile is hard to resist. But all other concerns are wiped away when Maddy goes missing and Ronan and his bloodhound K-9 partner are tasked with finding her and bringing her home.

Trouble Walks In trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUZVuXZovYQ&feature=youtu.be

Excerpt

 

“I told you that I’d be there and I meant it.” Maddy Morgan pressed the iPhone harder against her ear. She attempted to block out the sounds outside her office door while her best friend pestered her to within an inch of her life. “I’m your maid of honor, for heaven’s sake. What? You think I’m gonna bail after everything you and Gavin have been through? Hell, no!”
“Okay, well you can’t blame me for double checking, can you?” Jordan hesitated, her voice on the other end of the line with concern. “We’ve hardly spoken and, I mean, you haven’t been home since…It’s been over a year and…”
Maddy stared out the window that overlooked the hustle and bustle of Manhattan and sucked in a deep breath, her friend’s unfinished thought hanging in the air. She nibbled her lower lip and fought the sudden unexpected swell of emotion. It had been fifteen months since Rick died, and a full year since she had been back to the town she had always called home.
At least she had until recently.
“I know,” Maddy said quietly.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and refused to cry. She’d cried enough at Rick’s funeral and the weeks following. No more tears. If Rick were here, he would tell her to put on her big girl panties and get on with life.
“I’m not missing your wedding,” she said firmly. “Jeez, Jordan. You and Gavin have waited sixteen years to finally get hitched. Hell, you two would have gotten married last Christmas if it weren’t for me.”
“That’s not true,” Jordan said firmly.
“Bull,” Maddy laughed.
“Okay, well it wasn’t the only reason,” Jordan laughed. “Gavin’s parents wanted to throw us a huge Christmas wedding and four months wouldn’t have been enough time to pull it all together. Deciding to wait a year has been a win-win. My future mother in law had plenty of time to do her thing and we all had time to properly grieve for Rick. But I’m still worried about you…”
“I’m fine, Jordan and I promise—I’m gonna be there to witness your dream coming true.”
“Okay, but—”
“No buts.”
“Yo, Maddy.” The increasingly irritating voice of Chris Drummond shot into the room as he barged in. “That blonde, the Brenda chick—are you gonna to take her out to an Open House this weekend or should I? And what about those newlyweds? I know you’ve been slammed. I could take them out to see the new listings if you want.”
“Hang on, Jordan,” Maddy said tightly.
She covered the phone with her hand and leveled an irritated gaze at her colleague. She knew that Terrence, the owner of the realty house, had hired Drummond because he had an amazing reputation for selling and one of the best portfolios in the business, but he was a letch. A letch that thought anyone with boobs wanted him. Maddy had learned a long time ago that big talent usually meant even bigger egos.
Unfortunately, this talent was also turning out to be an asshole. She had already reported him once to Terrence for inappropriate advances on the young women in the office. Big talent or not, she was getting tired of him and his misogynistic bullshit. And lately there had been attempts to steal her clients.
“Did you happen to notice that my door was closed?”
“Yeah.”
He leaned in the doorway with his casual arrogance. Tall, slim, well dressed, and always perfectly coiffed, he was considered good looking by most. But the air of entitlement he wore like a cloak was a turn-off as far as Maddy was concerned. Besides, she would never date a colleague.
“I’m on a call.”
“Right.” He jutted his thumb over his shoulder. “Anyway, should I take that Brenda chick out and uh…show her the ropes? We could take the newlyweds, the uh…”
“The Bartholemews,” Maddy finished for him. “No. I can handle my client list. Thank you.”
“Fine, then let me take Brenda out.”
The smarmy smile on his face gave Maddy pause. He’d been hitting on the assistants, who were savvy New Yorkers and more than capable of handling themselves, but now he was moving on to the young realtor. Brenda was a recent college grad from the mid-west. She was pretty, smart, and naive.
A prime target for a guy like Drummond.
“No,” Maddy said firmly. “Terrence asked me to handle her training. Thank you and please close the door on your way out.”
His smile faded and a hard cold look settled in his eyes. Maddy had moved up the ranks quickly since joining Cosmopolitan Realty House and her rise didn’t go unnoticed by Drummond. He hated not being number one but she suspected that being second to a woman was a bigger insult.
“Sure thing,” he murmured.
Drummond left but neglected to shut the door. Maddy crossed the room, pausing only to tell Sharon, her assistant, to hold her other calls before she closed her door once more.
“Sorry about that, Jordan.” She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the window and grimaced before running one hand through her unruly brown curls. “I’m coming into town a week before the wedding so I can help you with whatever you need. Y’know…all that bridesmaidy kind of stuff. I mean, I’m not a real girly girl, but it’ll be fun to hang out. And tell Gavin he better not try to horn in on our girl’s night out. It might only be the two of us, but there’s a no-boys-allowed rule in effect for that event.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Jordan said through a chuckle. “All four of his brothers are coming in early as well. From what I hear, Ronan has quite the bachelor party planned. Speaking of Ronan, why don’t you two ride back to Old Brookfield together? I mean, you’re both in the city and he is the best man.”
“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen. I’ll take my own car, thank you very much. I’m staying at the Old Brookfield Inn and Ronan will be at his parents’ house, obviously.” Maddy’s eyes narrowed and the smile on her face grew. “Your matchmaking scheme hasn’t worked, Jordan. But I’ll give you and Gavin an ‘A’ for effort.”
“What are you talking about?” Jordan asked with feigned innocence. “When you moved to the city last year, Gavin merely suggested that Ronan should look out for you. He’s been a cop there for over a decade. Besides. I heard through the McGuire brother grapevine that you two have been going running on the weekends, so Ronan can’t be all bad.”
Nope. That was half the problem. He was exactly the right kind of bad.
They had been going jogging in Central Park almost every weekend for the past several months but Maddy had made it clear from the start: she wasn’t interested in dating. Not him, nor anyone else. Friends? Sure? Romance? No way.
Her heart couldn’t take another turn through the shredder. Dating a cop, just because he also happened to be one of the sexiest men God ever put on this earth, would not be a smart move.
Besides, Ronan had a reputation as a total ladies’ man.
Not that she could blame any woman for taking a ride on that handsome train. When he flashed that lopsided grin and his bluish-green eyes crinkled at the corners, it took superwoman strength for Maddy to not drop her panties. He was a combination of mischievous little boy and irresistible alpha male—a deadly pairing.
Ronan McGuire was wickedly sexy. The worst part was, he knew it.
“Well, yeah,” Maddy said quickly. She sat at her desk and spun the chair so she could see the rest of the world. Living and working in this city made her feel like a rat in a cage sometimes. “Running around, getting sweaty and panting in the cold is not exactly dating, Jordan.”
“Sweaty and panting sounds promising,” Jordan teased.
Maddy’s face flushed. “That’s not what I meant.” She quickly added, “I was talking about Bowser.”
“Sure,” her friend said slowly. “Sure you were.”
“You know Ronan doesn’t go anywhere without that dog. Speaking of which, are you prepared to have a drooling animal at your wedding?”
“Oh fine, change the subject,” Jordan sighed. “Any chance I can talk you into coming for Thanksgiving?”
“Sorry, babe. I’m slammed.”
“Then how about staying for Christmas? The wedding is on the 23rd. Come on. Please? The girls would love it,” she said, referring to her two adorable daughters. “You’re going to be here for a week, so what’s a couple more days? You said they were closing your office between Christmas and New Year’s anyway.”
Maddy had never been part of big family holidays and that had been fine by her, but the pleading tone in Jordan’s voice was starting to make her rethink her decision.
“You know the holidays were never a big deal for me, Jordan. My mom hated celebrating it after my dad died and then once she was gone, I didn’t really want to. And besides,” she added quickly, “Rick and I never even got a tree or anything. He was always working and so was I.”
“I know but I hate to think of you alone in that big city on Christmas. Again. It’s bad enough you wouldn’t come last year. Please think about it?”
“I’m hosting a huge New Year’s Eve party for my clients—it’s at my apartment.”
“You could leave on the twenty sixth and still be back in plenty of time to be party ready,” Jordan persisted. “I’m sorry but I’ll have to call bullshit on that reason. You and I both know your assistant has got the whole shindig already tied up and ready to go.”
Jordan was right. The party was a lame excuse not to spend the holiday with them. Besides, it was all being catered and the invitations had been sent. What did Maddy really have to do other than show up and schmooze? And what was here for her on Christmas? She didn’t even have a cat or a fish to feed.
Ugh. She felt more pathetic by the second.
“Okay,” she said with a dramatic sigh. “I’ll think about it. Jeez. When did you become such a nudge?”
“Since I had two children and learned that being a nudge can sometimes be quite effective.”
A knock on Maddy’s door sent a flicker of irritation up her back. But when she spun around, Sharon’s tear-stained face stopped her cold.
“Girl, I have to go.” A knot of dread curled in her gut. “I’ll see you in a few weeks. Give Gracie and Lilly a kiss from Aunt Maddy.”
Maddy hit end and set the phone on her desk. Her legs felt like Jell-O as she rose to her feet. Sharon was still weeping while she closed the door behind her, and before it shut Maddy saw two of the other agents in the office crying.
“Sharon, what is it?”
“Th-they found her.”
“Who?” Maddy asked shakily, her fingertips pressing into the mahogany desk. But she knew the answer before Sharon said it.
“Lucille Bowman.” The young woman swiped at her eyes and let out a shuddering sob. “She’s dead.”

 

 

About the Author

FOLLOW: Website /Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads/ TSU

Sara HumphreysSara Humphreys is the award-winning author of the Amoveo Legend series. The third book in the series, Untamed, won two PRISM awards: Dark Paranormal and Best of the Best. The first two novels from her Dead in the City series have been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award. Sara was also a professional actress. Some of her television credits include A&E Biography, Guiding Light, Another World, As the World Turns and Rescue Me. She loves writing hot heroes and heroines with moxie, but above all, Sara adores a satisfying happily-ever-after. She lives in New York with Mr. H., their four amazing sons, and two adorable pups. When she’s not writing or hanging out with the men in her life, she can be found working out with Shaun T in her living room or chatting with readers on Facebook. For a full list of Sara’s books and reading order, please visit her Website.

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