Today we are part of the blog tour for Return to Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia. We have our review and a book trailer and don't forget to enter both giveaways! Return to Poughkeepsie is book two in the series. We loved book 1 ~ Poughkeepsie, if you haven't read it you really should!
Return to Poughkeepsie Description:
Beckett Taylor is a murderer. His calling, his craft are destruction and intimidation—whether he wants it that way now or not. He left Poughkeepsie to keep his brothers safe, to keep Eve safe. Set up with happy lives to live, they’re better off without him, right?But all his willpower crumbles when he hears his brother Blake’s frantic voice on the phone. An unknown enemy has moved in on his old territory, and Livia’s been taken. In an instant, Beckett knows it will take an attack only he and Eve can execute to bring her back. All his self-imposed embargoes are torn to shreds, perhaps along with the new man he’s struggled to become.
“Brother, call Eve. I’ll be there soon.”
In this emotional and action-packed sequel to Poughkeepsie, Debra Anastasia conjures a tale of love at its most raw and ragged. With Beckett and Eve, how could we expect anything less? But even when it’s messy, not magical, true love perseveres. Real love finds a way—for better or for worse until death does part.
Find it on Goodsreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16086479-return-to-Poughkeepsie
Our Review:
**ARC Received for honest review**
Reviewed by Donna ~ 4.5 Stars
“But if all this time between them had taught him anything, it was that they were orbiting the same fate. Together, always together, even when physically apart.”
It seems like I had waited a lifetime for this book, I totally adored Poughkeepsie, I fell in love with the brothers then and was eagerly waiting for the next instalment. I was under the impression that this was going to be Beckett’s story, it is and it isn’t, well not what you would probably be expecting. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Well, I thoroughly enjoyed it. As always, like Poughkeepsie the plot is thick and action packed, therefore I cannot really say too much without giving away too much of the story but I will say that Debra’s sense of humour is rife throughout this book and there are plenty of “laugh out loud” moments, the humour interspersed with all the drama led to a perfect balance.
We do catch up with the other brothers throughout this book, Blake and Livia and Cole and Kyle. We are introduced to a new character called Ryan, he is an undercover cop and he is adorable, even though his first goal in life was revenge against one infamous Beckett Taylor, an eye for an eye, a life for a life, or will he too see that there is more to Beckett than the legend that goes with the name.
The book starts with Beckett leaving Poughkeepsie, he wants to be a better man for Eve, be the man that she deserves. He wants to go straight but knowing what he knows and what the police know, he cannot do that in Poughkeepsie so he has to reinvent himself, elsewhere and this is what he sets off to do. He does try to put down roots, you saw the “good” Beckett and what I personally feel is the real Beckett, he takes in all waifs and strays, trying to turn their lives around and this is no different with two ladies called Chery and Vere. He even rescues a death row dog from the pound that he names Ghandi and this dog has some stellar scenes.
“His heart overflowed with good intentions but his fists felt best covered in blood.”
Eve too has also moved away, leading a new life, one that she is not totally happy with but it keeps her busy. Beckett has asked her to wait for him, but how long should she put her life on hold for…when you love someone as much as she loves Beckett, will she wait forever? Little does she know that Beckett totally feels the same and them being apart kills him inside, however he feels that it is a necessary evil.
Beckett’s departure leaves Poughkeepsie unguarded, with no claim on the turf, this leaves it an open target for takeover but with Beckett’s demise only a rumour will anyone be brave enough to make a move? We all know there are some seriously crazy people in this world and Poughkeepsie is no exception, but to what lengths will they go?
We could tell from the synopsis that Blake and Livia were going to be affected and it is this that brings back the force to be reckoned with that is Beckett and Eve. These two individually are kick ass and bad ass, but together they are formidable and make a great team. It was great to see them together again and they have not lost their touch, nor their spark. Fighting together side by side is where they soon realise they both belong and where they are happiest. Eve doesn’t need a “straight” Beckett, she just needs Beckett.
“Adrenaline flooded his heart. It beat as if it could power a hundred men. Damn it all if it didn’t feel fantastic.”
This is by no means a hearts and flowers love story, we get that part with Blake and Livia and Cole and Kyle, but Beckett and Eve are EXPLOSIVE, seriously, seriously hot together, melting the kindle kind of heat but I just wish they were together for more of the story.
“I love you, Eve. You’re the only heart I have.”
As usual this book is beautifully written, descriptive, emotive and full of humour, you feel every word. Even though Beckett and his brothers were apart, their lives were still intricately linked and you felt this throughout the book, even when the story was flipping between Beckett’s new life in Maryland and the boys back in Poughkeepsie, you felt the connection, their bond is that strong. I loved catching up with these three and as I approached the end of the book it soon became apparent that their stories are far from over. So now I have another wait…I hope it is not as long as this was but I will wait patiently as I did for this one. More Beckett, Blake and Cole…yes please!
“After his limbs twitched with complaint at the loss of her warmth, he settled into a deep nap, mouth still moving, clicking on occasion, soothing himself with the memory of feeding.” see, I can see a baby doing that, this book enables you to picture the scene.
If you have not read this series, why not? It is definitely a must read. I will say I do feel that Poughkeepsie was the better book for me but I do feel that was because it was Blake’s story, he is a totally different kettle of fish and the two cannot really be compared. This book is action packed and will keep you on your toes throughout but it is a great read, I loved it.
“But if all this time between them had taught him anything, it was that they were orbiting the same fate. Together, always together, even when physically apart.”
It seems like I had waited a lifetime for this book, I totally adored Poughkeepsie, I fell in love with the brothers then and was eagerly waiting for the next instalment. I was under the impression that this was going to be Beckett’s story, it is and it isn’t, well not what you would probably be expecting. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Well, I thoroughly enjoyed it. As always, like Poughkeepsie the plot is thick and action packed, therefore I cannot really say too much without giving away too much of the story but I will say that Debra’s sense of humour is rife throughout this book and there are plenty of “laugh out loud” moments, the humour interspersed with all the drama led to a perfect balance.
We do catch up with the other brothers throughout this book, Blake and Livia and Cole and Kyle. We are introduced to a new character called Ryan, he is an undercover cop and he is adorable, even though his first goal in life was revenge against one infamous Beckett Taylor, an eye for an eye, a life for a life, or will he too see that there is more to Beckett than the legend that goes with the name.
The book starts with Beckett leaving Poughkeepsie, he wants to be a better man for Eve, be the man that she deserves. He wants to go straight but knowing what he knows and what the police know, he cannot do that in Poughkeepsie so he has to reinvent himself, elsewhere and this is what he sets off to do. He does try to put down roots, you saw the “good” Beckett and what I personally feel is the real Beckett, he takes in all waifs and strays, trying to turn their lives around and this is no different with two ladies called Chery and Vere. He even rescues a death row dog from the pound that he names Ghandi and this dog has some stellar scenes.
“His heart overflowed with good intentions but his fists felt best covered in blood.”
Eve too has also moved away, leading a new life, one that she is not totally happy with but it keeps her busy. Beckett has asked her to wait for him, but how long should she put her life on hold for…when you love someone as much as she loves Beckett, will she wait forever? Little does she know that Beckett totally feels the same and them being apart kills him inside, however he feels that it is a necessary evil.
Beckett’s departure leaves Poughkeepsie unguarded, with no claim on the turf, this leaves it an open target for takeover but with Beckett’s demise only a rumour will anyone be brave enough to make a move? We all know there are some seriously crazy people in this world and Poughkeepsie is no exception, but to what lengths will they go?
We could tell from the synopsis that Blake and Livia were going to be affected and it is this that brings back the force to be reckoned with that is Beckett and Eve. These two individually are kick ass and bad ass, but together they are formidable and make a great team. It was great to see them together again and they have not lost their touch, nor their spark. Fighting together side by side is where they soon realise they both belong and where they are happiest. Eve doesn’t need a “straight” Beckett, she just needs Beckett.
“Adrenaline flooded his heart. It beat as if it could power a hundred men. Damn it all if it didn’t feel fantastic.”
This is by no means a hearts and flowers love story, we get that part with Blake and Livia and Cole and Kyle, but Beckett and Eve are EXPLOSIVE, seriously, seriously hot together, melting the kindle kind of heat but I just wish they were together for more of the story.
“I love you, Eve. You’re the only heart I have.”
As usual this book is beautifully written, descriptive, emotive and full of humour, you feel every word. Even though Beckett and his brothers were apart, their lives were still intricately linked and you felt this throughout the book, even when the story was flipping between Beckett’s new life in Maryland and the boys back in Poughkeepsie, you felt the connection, their bond is that strong. I loved catching up with these three and as I approached the end of the book it soon became apparent that their stories are far from over. So now I have another wait…I hope it is not as long as this was but I will wait patiently as I did for this one. More Beckett, Blake and Cole…yes please!
“After his limbs twitched with complaint at the loss of her warmth, he settled into a deep nap, mouth still moving, clicking on occasion, soothing himself with the memory of feeding.” see, I can see a baby doing that, this book enables you to picture the scene.
If you have not read this series, why not? It is definitely a must read. I will say I do feel that Poughkeepsie was the better book for me but I do feel that was because it was Blake’s story, he is a totally different kettle of fish and the two cannot really be compared. This book is action packed and will keep you on your toes throughout but it is a great read, I loved it.
Book Trailer:
About the Author:
Debra Anastasia is busy, just like every other mom. There's dinner, the dogs, the two kids, the two kids, and her ongoing battle with...ahem... digestive issues, which combined with her adolescent boy sense of humor makes for colorful and sometimes cringe-worthy social media updates. Her first love and crowning achievement is her thriving career as the weirdest mom on the block.
Her writing started a decent handful of years ago when--along with the animals and humans in her house--the voices of characters started whispering stories in Debra's ear. Insomnia was the gateway to plots that wouldn't give up, wouldn't let go. Now they stalk her everywhere. Halfway through making lunches, a twist takes hold and--fingers full of peanut butter--she finds somewhere, anywhere to write it down.
She's eternally grateful to Omnific Publishing, which has now published four of her books: two in the Seraphim Series and two in the Poughkeepsie Brotherhood Series, as well as her novella, Late Night with Andres. That one is special because 100% of the proceeds go to breast cancer research. (So go get it right now, please!) She also very much appreciates her open-minded readers, who embrace everything she has to offer, with a focus on anti-heroes and bathroom humor.
Debra lives in Maryland with her family. You can find her at DebraAnastasia.com and on Twitter @Debra_Anastasia. But be prepared.
Links:
Thank you so much for reading with an open heart. You rock.
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