Beautiful Lawman written by Sophie Jordan
Publisher Avon
Publication Date: December 26th 2017
Series: Devil's Rock,
Pages: 368
Rating: 
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From the wrong side of the tracks and with most of her family in jail or dead, Piper Walsh is used to everyone in town thinking the worst about her. It doesn’t seem to matter that she’s worked hard to build a good life for herself. So she isn’t surprised that when she comes into contact with Sweet Hill’s wildly irresistible, arrogant sheriff, Hale Walters, they’re instant adversaries. Piper has nothing in common with the town golden-boy-turned-lawman—and she refuses to be a notch on his bedpost.
Despite rumors, Hale avoids fooling around with the women of Sweet Hill, many of whom are hoping to get him to the altar. But staying out of Piper’s path is proving near impossible. The infuriating troublemaker clearly has no respect for his badge. As she continues to push his buttons, it becomes clear to Hale that he must either arrest Piper—or claim her as his own.
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Sophie Jordan’s Devil’s Rock series has been a delightful surprise for me. And I have been looking forward to Piper and Hale’s story since we met them in the previous book, Fury on Fire.
Sophie Jordan did not disappoint. Beautiful Lawman was a stand-out read for me this year. And this is saying a lot because I don’t read a lot of contemporaries.
In Beautiful Lawman, the usual bad-boy trope is reversed and it is the heroine, Piper, who is from the wrong side of the tracks. Piper has been struggling for years, trying to overcome her families’ bad reputation, raising her younger sister by herself, and trying to make ends meet while working as a waitress at a strip club. Oh, and did I mention that her brother is in jail? This is how her brother met Knox and North Callaghan. More on this later.
Hale Walters is the town golden boy, and to top it off, he is the town Sheriff. What made me really excited about their HEA is that I felt their chemistry in Fury on Fire. If you have read it, there is one scene where Piper and Hale meet. And let’s just say I was intrigued.
I was right! Piper and Hale’s chemistry was off the charts. I am also a fan of the hate-to-love trope so this was right up my alley. But let’s not forget that Piper felt real to me. Her struggles living in a small town, with a bad reputation (although undeserved) was done really well. As someone who grew up in a fairly small city, I could relate to her struggles.
Sophie Jordan also has a way of writing very emotional and gut-wrenching scenes. She also knows how to handle cringe-worthy situations really well because I can guarantee you that there were a couple of scenes that I thought were iffy but they were really handled well. View Spoiler »
For those who love the romance extra steamy, you will not be disappointed. Sophie Jordan has increasingly upped the steam factor in her romances and I approve!
As much as I love Beautiful Lawman, I have to say that the ending felt rushed. Maybe it’s because I wanted more resolution after that big bombshell was revealed three quarters into the book? Anyway, I thought another chapter or so would have helped rather than have two chapters dedicated to setting up the next book. (I hope the next book will be Cruz’s, though!)
There also seemed to be a quick change between Piper and Hale’s relationship that I felt it went from hate to lust to love in a snap. I did appreciate the internal monologues between the characters but I would have wanted a little bit more.
Overall, Beautiful Lawman was an amazing and heart wrenching read for me and the Devil’s Rock series is still an outstanding series.
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| Overall: | 4.5 |
So, have you read Beautiful Lawman? What did you think about Piper and Walsh’s relationship? What about the big reveal in the end? Did it surprise you as much as it did to me?
Have you read any of the Devil’s Rock books before? Which one is your favorite?
About Sophie Jordan
Sophie Jordan grew up in the Texas hill country where she wove fantasies of dragons, warriors, and princesses. A former high school English teacher, she’s also the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Avon historical romances. She now lives in Houston with her family. When she’s not writing, she spends her time overloading on caffeine (lattes and Diet cherry Coke preferred), talking plotlines with anyone who will listen (including her kids), and cramming her DVR with true-crime and reality-TV shows. Sophie also writes paranormal romances under the name Sharie Kohler.
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