This book does not disappoint! Beautiful Lawman by Sophie Jordan Book Review

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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. [spoiler]Hale in the club dancing with Piper and Hale rescuing Piper and taking her in his car then kissing while working.[/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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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?