Book Review – Disturbing His Peace: The Academy by Tessa Bailey

Disturbing His Peace: The Academy
<— Yep. Tessa and her hot cops did it again. They had me swooning and fuming, and then back again. 😉 I’d say I loved this one AS much as book #1, but for totally different reasons.

marina: Love Tessa Bailey books!! Always great dialogue, steamy, so funny…

Where Charlie, the hero in Disorderly Conduct had me giggling like crazy with his cocky, self-assured silliness (and such a pain-in-the-butt but in an endearing way – you’ll see…), his brother Greer in THIS book?  Ooooooooh now THAT is my kind of man.

No-nonsense, overly serious, brooding and the best-of-the-best at what he does.

The lieutenant might be a jerk, but he’s on the side of justice. Like a superhero who’s power is being a prize d*ckwad.

Protective, jealous and possessive, to the point of just being an ass.  LOL! But oh my my my how could I possibly ever resist him? The way he took control,

A shiver snakes up my neck. “Are you asking me or telling me?”

His jaw ticks. “You want the truth?”

“Yes.”

“I’m telling you.”

…the way he ever-so-slightly gave in and opened up when he wanted what he wanted. *swoooooooooooooooooooon* .

I have no idea if I won a victory with the lieutenant… or set myself up for more disappointment.

Oh yesssssssssss. I was right there with the heroine, hook, line and sinker. Greer runs deep. In fact, as “light and fun” as these contemporary romances are, all three have characters with, well… character.

And don’t get me wrong. These are easy reads, but fulfilling with a touch of heart-tugging angst in each one. They come full circle, and I’m always beaming by the time I hit “The End”.

Tasha: Do you have to read the other books in the series for Disturbing His Peace?

Maryse: Tasha, no you don’t (the series is about 3 roommates and they are all training to be cops – so each one is about one of them – the characters of course crossover since they’re all best friends). And in this book, you get to finally know their Lieutenant who is TOTALLY NO NONSENSE (and the older brother of one of them). He’s been in all the books in the background…

marina:  It’s been this slow tease reading about Danika and the Lieutenant and I NEED to know what happens with them!!! So excited to read. It’s been a great book roll.

Maryse: This hero is the bossiest, most obnoxious, jealous, demanding, and possessive alpha-male I’ve read in AGES. And the most convincing. I wanna hate him because… I. AM. APPALLED. Ohhhhhh THE NERVE of him!!! AND YET I AM SO INTO HIM!!!!!! Tee hee. I can’t stop highlighting!!! P.S. And yet he is so SWEEEEEEEEEEET!!!! Oh he makes me *swooooooon*

So what’s it about?

Danika (roommates with Charlie and Jack – all in the police academy together) has been struggling to hold her own against the demanding and unapologetically harsh Lieutenant Greer (Charlie’s older brother, who readily agrees with her, regarding his ass of a brother).

Charlie has been bending over backwards in the last month, trying to improve his relationship with Greer and his father, a big-time NYPD bureau chief. Their family is a law enforcement dynasty, heavy on work ethic, low on affection. Watching my roommate spin his wheels and barely get anything in return from Greer is yet another reason I’d like to deliver a right cross to his smug, all-knowing face. It’s not the main one, though.

Oh don’t get me wrong. Danika is strong and independent and can hold her own amongst any of the officers (recruit or otherwise), but Lt. Greer just ruffles her feathers in all the wrong ways. But secretly… in all the right ways too.

She’s been raised with a large and loving family, happy and loyal and now she’s the one that her family depends on. And she THRIVES on it.

I’m a certified control freak. Ask my family. I’d rather run errands, until I’m in a stupor, than delegate. I love being the person my family relies on. It’s the reason I became a cop. That satisfaction I get from others relying on me, multiplied by a whole city? That’s what I want out of life.

And she can’t fool Jack or Charlie. They see it. In fact, they see the tension and over-attention that’s been brewing between the two of them for awhile now. Greer might not realize it, in his adamant stance against ever letting go and caring for a partner (work, or otherwise) again, but no matter how hard he resists,

There’s only one thought that keeps circling around in my head.
“You were going to wear these out with someone else.”

the pull just keeps bringing him back in…

“Cancel it,” he rasps. “Now.”

little by little…

“I don’t even want you on the phone with him,” I whisper against her parted mouth, “So make it fast.”

…and WOWWWWWW!! This one is explosive!!! 😀

I know… I know. The covers are maybe a little… over-the-top cute & sexy in the potentially “formulaic contemporary romance” angle. Actually… I kind of love the covers now. A lot. 😉 They’re my book “candy” and they just fit (again, you’ll see…). And those of you that enjoy a darker, or emotionally complex read might worry that these would be forgettable.

I get it. You KNOW I love the hard-core romance angst, and the scary stuff, and I tend to shy away from traditional contemporary “pure romance”.

bev: Maryse is cracking me up with all her Tessa Bailey love recently. I know you’ve read her before, but you seemed to be veering into more psych thriller or….not chick lit but romance the romance is sprinkled on top of the heroine’s journey. And Tessa Bailey is pretty straight up romance. It’s fun how our reading interests/moods take us on these different paths.

Maryse: LOL bev!!! I am right there with you. I’m deeply into psych-thrillers, but there’s something about Tessa’s books (even if a bit formulaic) that is just… breezy. Just enough goofy fun, comedy, and angst to keep me connected to the characters.

Just LOVE her!! Plus. Cops. In. Uniform.

Like bev said, I’m more often attracted to the complete unknown, potential devastation and/or shock value, when it comes to reading.

But I assure you, my friends. This is Tessa Bailey, we’re talking about. THESE are our light guilty pleasures that we end up loving to spend an afternoon with at the beach, by the pool, or snuggled into your cozy place while it rains all around you.

These just DO IT for me. Every single time a new release in this series comes out, I do a mini-squee and immediately line it up at the top of my TBR list. I ALWAYS jump in with gusto and I’m never disappointed.

4.5 stars <— Pure romance candy, but Greer is my kind of overbearing alpha. 😉 You just have to get through his tough and crunchy exterior and then you get his deliciously sweet and gooey middle. 😛 *squee!!!*

P.S. THANK YOU to the publisher for sending me this review copy!!! I always get excited when I pull a new Tessa Bailey out of mailer!!!