If you’ve been following the blog, you know that LJ Evans is one of my favorite authors. She’s written quite a few books and Avenged by Love is the next book in her Anchor Novels. I’ve really enjoyed Guarded Dreams and Forged by Sacrifice. I’ve been looking forward to the next book quite some time. Today I’m going to tell you all about it!
A big thanks to the author for providing me with an ARC to read and review.
Title: Avenged by Love
Author: LJ Evans
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Date: April 29, 2020
Genre: Contemporary romance, military romance, fake marriage
ASIN: B084DHJRBH
ISBN: 979-8607529789
Format: Print and digital
Tag Line: โLove is the only real superpower.โ
“๐๐ค๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐จ๐ช๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ง.”
๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐จ, ๐.๐ .๐. ๐๐ง๐ช๐๐ , ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ค๐ฃ is focused on two things: settling into his position at the Coast Guard Academy and helping his younger brother stay out of trouble. So even though the beautiful, fandom loving ๐ ๐๐ง๐จ๐๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐ง is tugging at his chest in funny ways, he doesnโt intend on acting on those emotions. Not when heโll eventually be moving on, and sheโll be staying behind.
But when Jersey suddenly finds herself in desperate need of medical care that she canโt afford, Truck does the only thing he can think of to helpโฆ he marries her.
Jersey has been struggling to keep her and her sister afloat ever since their dad was sent to jail. The pain she feels on a regular basis isnโt anything she can stop to think about until she ends up at the E.R. in the protective arms of the one man who makes her pulse beat faster than the superheroes she worships.
When chaos invades their lives, their temporary deal starts to crumble, leaving hearts and souls twined together in such a way that thereโs little chance of escape without permanent damage. Unless they just surrender to it all and let love heal them both.
From award-winning author, LJ Evans, comes a novel inspired by Lady Antebellumโs โOceanโ about resilience and love. You donโt want to miss this slow burn, military romance.
๐ผ๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐งโ๐จ ๐๐ค๐ฉ๐: ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐, ๐ฃ๐ค๐๐ก๐ ๐พ๐ค๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐๐ง๐. ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฎ, ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ค๐ข ๐ก๐ค๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ค๐๐ฃ๐. ๐๐๐๐ง๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ช๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐ก๐ค๐ฌ, ๐จ๐๐ข๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ. ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐๐ง๐ง๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ง๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐ข๐๐จ๐๐จ, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ชโ๐ก๐ก ๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ฃ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐จ.
Avenged by Love Links:
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/31ma5fZ
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2GIOuVJ
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2uXkYZn
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2UiNLT0
Avenged on Spotify https://spoti.fi/2uBGKBO
Avenged Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/CiJ3KjwN-Ng
Review
This review has been on my mind for the past few weeks! Sometimes a book just connects with you and I find that the books I love are always hard to review. There’s just so much I want to say, but it’s not always easy to put into words and make sure new readers don’t know everything about the book when you’re done, haha.
So far Guarded Dreams and Forged by Sacrifice has made me love the characters and their story! I keep saying that every story gets better and it’s so hard to pick just one favorite. It’s just not possible. And then Avenged by Love came along and made that choice even harder. Truck and Jersey’s story was just everything I wanted and more!
Truck is a character we already met in Guarded Dreams and has had me excited to finally get to his. He hasn’t had the easiest of time and with the way he grew up, that’s so understandable. His career is going well now and he’s determined to keep an eye on his brother. I love how protective Truck is of those he loves. He’ll do anything if they’ll be happy. And in many ways he’s just a typical guy. Truck had me laughing and in awe of his character! I could easily read so many books about him.
Jersey was also a special one. She was her own superhero and didn’t even realize it. So much happened in her life and she’s so strong! Jersey is a fighter and her sister is everything. It was hard to read about Jersey at times though. For such a strong woman who went through so much, she had such a hard time depending on others and opening up to them. Even though she deserves all the happiness in the world.
And then, Truck and Jersey come together and it was everything I wanted. I’m a big fan of the fake marriage trope and LJ didn’t disappoint. I loved everything about the set up and it had me laughing so much. There romance is the definition of slow burn, but it’s perfect. Just when you think you’re going to be left hanging or you think it’s going to head a certain way, LJ delivers with the emotions and conversations you need! There haven’t been two characters that deserve love as much as these do. I loved reading about Jersey slowly letting down her walls and letting herself feel.
Also, don’t even get me started on the side characters. The cast of side characters was just amazing. Of course, we hear about the characters we’ve come to love, but Violet and Dawson definitely took a piece of my heart. As soon as I got to the end of this book, I knew I needed them to have a story (thankfully that’s happening). Add a playlist that fits these characters and the story and I was one happy bookworm. Especially with Jersey loving comics and superheros!
Avenged by Love had me laughing, swooning, crying and just wanting to reach out and make everything okay for Truck and Jersey. It really hit me in all the feels. And then I got to the author’s note and that really hit home! I think it’s amazing this author shared her story and I think it definitely needs more attention. After reading that, I could tell even more than beforehand that this author really put everything into Avenged by Love. I won’t be forgetting this book anytime soon!
About the Anchor Novels
The Anchor Novels from award-winning author, LJ Evans, are all standalone HEA stories about true friends, real “family”, and the dreams that we reshape as we go through this crazy thing called life. With vivid, endearing characters who will almost certainly carve out a special little spot in your heart, they are books you wonโt want to miss.
โฌ “๐ฒ๐ฝ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐พ๐ธ & ๐๐๐๐๐พ๐๐ ๐ธ๐๐๐๐พ๐น๐.” โฌ
Other books in the Anchor Novels:
Guarded Dreams โ Eli & Ava, May 2019; https://amzn.to/2VAoNj1
Forged by Sacrifice โ Mac & Georgie, October 2019; https://amzn.to/2oU2NAY
Avenged by Love โ Truck & Jersey, April 2020; links above
Damaged Desires โ Dani & Nash, October 2020; https://amzn.to/2Ikz8HC
โ Brady OโNeil, coming in 2021;
โ Violet & Dawson, coming in 2021;
About the Author
Award winning author, LJ Evans, lives in the California Central Valley with her husband, daughter, and the terrors called cats. She’s been writing, almost as a compulsion, since she was a little girl and will often pull the car over to write when a song lyric strikes her. While she currently spends her days teaching 1st grade in a local public school, she spends her free time reading and writing, as well as binge-watching original shows like The Crown, Victoria, Veronica Mars, and Stranger Things.
If you ask her the one thing she wonโt do, itโs pretty much anything that involves dirtโsports, gardening, or otherwise. But she loves to write about all of those things, and her first published heroine was pretty much involved with dirt on a daily basis, which is exactly why LJ loves fiction novelsโthe characters can be everything youโre not and still make their way into your heart.
Her debut novel, MY LIFE AS A COUNTRY ALBUM, was the Independent Author Network’s 2017 YA Book of the Year. For more information about LJ and her books, check out her website www.ljevansbooks.com.
LJ Evans Books : https://www.ljevansbooks.com/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lj-evans
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/ljevans
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16738629.L_J_Evans
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ljevansbooks
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ljsmusicandstories
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LJ Evans definitely did it again with Avenged by Love! I can’t wait for the next book and I’ll definitely be giving these books another read before the next one is published! And listening to the playlists! The songs always fit the stories so well. Also, I interviewed LJ last month, click here to read this interview. I definitely suggest checking it out, she’s such a sweet person!