Dare to Stay by Jen McLaughlin – Review, Interview & Giveaway

 

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Description:
Bruised and bloodied on Boston’s mean streets, Chris O’Brien is reeling from the loss of his childhood best friend. But after barely escaping a hit placed on his head, Chris is desperate to live. A safe haven comes to mind – the home of the perfect girl from his childhood, Molly Lachlan. Before he has fully considered what it would mean to involve her in his mess, he finds himself on her doorstep.

When Molly agrees to let Chris inside her home, she realizes she’s also letting him into her life. Danger and desperation are coming off him like steam, and yet she can’t bring herself to turn him away. His bad boy charm always had a hold on her, but now there’s a soulfulness and sorrow in him that she’s never seen before. And despite the heart-stopping risk of helping him, she hopes against all reason that he’ll stay…

 

Review:

Dare to Stay by Jen McLaughlin is the 2^nd book in her The Sons of Steel Row series. Dare to Stay picks up after the first book, Dare to Run leaves off.  I was surprised to find out the McLaughlin used Chris O’Brien as this books hero, as he was the bad guy in the previous book.  Once I found out he was the hero, I was prepared to dislike him, since I felt what he did was unforgivable.  Of course, authors do have a way to win you over.  🙂

Molly Lachlan is our heroine, and I liked her from the start.  Molly lives alone, and keeps mostly to herself, though her friends at work keep trying to get her to go out.  Since her father’s murder at the hands of a gang, Molly tries to keep her distance.   Then one night she sees Chris lying in an alley way having been shot and bleeding profusely.  Molly knows Chris from her teenage days, and privately had a crush on him.  She does not know that Chris is a member of the Sons of Steel Row  gang. She helps Chris and brings him to her place to heal him, and learns quickly about his dangerous and violent lifestyle.

Chris, while he lies there thinking he will die, regrets his actions in betraying his best friend, Lucas.  He plans to help Lucas’s brother to make up for all the bad things he knows were so wrong.  Chris wants to leave Molly’s house, so not to put her in danger, but he knows he cannot leave until he becomes stronger. 

What follows is a sweet romance of two people living completely different lives. Chris’s father was abusive; he is a gang member, and knows nothing of killing rival gang members.   Molly was sweet, smart, a kindergarten teacher and lived a comfortable life.  Molly finds herself falling for Chris, despite his determination not to stay.  Dare to Stay is also an exciting story, with Chris pulled into fights with the rival gang often, and in a short time, Molly will also get pulled into the danger.  We get to see Scott, as he will play a big part of this story, working with Chris and eventually helping him.  So many times throughout the story, Molly has doubts if her relationship with Chris is worth all the worry; especially with Chris always in the middle of all that danger, and his willingness to give his life up to save Scott, in penance for betraying Lucas.  Despite her begging him to step away, Chris refuses to leave the gang and Scott.  He knows he has fallen in love with her, but does not believe he is worthy of her.  Will they ever be able to stay together?  With the war ongoing with the rival gang, will Chris even survive?

Jen McLaughlin has written another wonderful story of two opposites, one being an anti-hero, whose chances at love and happiness were unlikely.  I surprised myself by liking Chris by the time I was half way through, and I loved Molly, the perfect heroine. Dare to Stay was an exciting, emotional, sexy and violent story. I loved every moment of it. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Hi Jen.  Thank you for taking the time today, to answer some questions for our members at The Reading Café.  We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book.

Jen:  Thank you so much for having me here!

TRC:  Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Jen:  I’m pretty boring! I write books, and sit on the sidelines at basketball practice and cheerleading practice in my “spare” time, haha. But right now, I’m on a road trip with my family, driving through the desert of California as I type!

TRC:  Did you always have an interest in writing?  When and how did you first start writing?

Jen:  Yes, always! Even when I was in grad school, I competed (and got chosen to go to) for the Young Writer’s Association in elementary school. I got to talk to an author back then, and I knew immediately that this was my dream job. And I’m lucky enough to be able to do it for a living!!!

I always wanted to write, but after I had my youngest daughter, I finally did it. I had a dream about a guy on a cliff, and I decided I needed to write that guy’s story. So…I did. It was published in 2012, and I haven’t stopped since!

TRC:  Dare To Stay was released on Tuesday, which is the 2^nd book in you’re the Sons of Steel Row series.  For our members who have not read this series, can you tell us the premise of the The Sons of Steel Row?

Jen:  So all of the heroes are actually antiheros, and they are members of a gang that run guns illegally. The heroes are very gritty, and the hero in the second book is actually even harder to like at first than the first one…for reasons I can’t divulge in case someone reading this hasn’t read the first book yet! I’ve enjoyed writing this book a lot because it goes to dark places that I haven’t gotten to go previously, but it’s still a romance book with that glimmer of hope that all is well in the world.

TRC:  How did you come up with the idea of this series and how many books are you planning for the The Sons of Steel Row series?

Jen:  My agent, myself, and my editor (at the time of signing the contract) actually kind of brainstormed together, and once we had a general idea of where we wanted to go, I started the outline and it all rolled downhill from there!

I’d love to write six (or more!) books in the series, but as of now, there are only three completed ones! 🙂

TRC:  Can you please give us a brief description of Dare to Stay?

Jen:  Chris is on the run (can’t tell you why, because spoilers!) and Molly, a kindergarten teacher who has nothing to do with his way of life, finds him. They have a bit of history, but not of the romantic sort. She helps him, and gets dragged into his world because of it. We learn lots of secrets along the way, as they literally fight for their lives.

TRC:  You write Contemporary & Sexy Romances.  Have you thought about writing in other genres?

Jen:  YES. I am working on a Young Adult synopsis right now, and I also have a historical romance I’m dying to polish up and submit so it can hit the shelves.

TRC:  You also write under the pen name of Diane Alberts. Can you please tell us the difference between Jen McLaughlin and Diane Alberts books?

Jen:  Diane writes in the third person POV and Jen writes first. That’s about it! Same voice and style otherwise!

TRC:  Can you please tell us what you are working on now, and what you have upcoming in 2017?

Jen:  A Young Adult proposal, edits on a Diane book, and edits on a Jen book!

TRC:  What is your writing process?  Do you like to outline your story before you start? Do you have a specific place you like to write?  Is there a special time of day that works best for you?

Jen:  I used to be a panster, but now I HAVE to outline. If I don’t I feel lost throughout the book. It breaks my heart, but I’m a total outliner now. * sighs dramatically *

And daytime, right on my couch. I don’t like writing at night. My brain protests!

TRC:  What books, authors or people in your life have influenced your writing? 

Jen:  As a kid, I grew up reading Johanna Lindsay, Jude Devereaux, Julie Garwood, and Christina Dodd. They’re my heroes. I still LOVE their books. 

TRC:  When you are not writing, what other interests or hobbies do you have?

Jen:  I like to knit, but don’t get a lot of time to do so in between writing, editing, and taking my four kids to their various activities!!

TRC:  Would you like to add anything else?

Jen:  Thank you SO much for having me here today!!

 

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Homemade ravioli

Favorite Dessert: Warm apple pie!

Favorite TV Show:  The Walking Dead
  TRC:  We are also a big fan of this show.

Favorite Movie or TV Celebrity: BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH. I love love love love love him!

Favorite Fictional Character (not your own):  Daemon from Jennifer Armentrout’s Lux series.

 Milk or Dark Chocolate:  Dark all the way, baby!

Dog or Cat:  CATS. I have five (and one dog).

TRC:  Thank you Jen, for taking the time to answer our questions.  We wish you the best of luck with Dare to Stay. 

Jen:  Thank you so much!!!! 🙂

 

Diane Alberts is a USA TODAY bestselling Contemporary Romance author with Entangled Publishing. Under the name Jen McLaughlin, she also writes New York Times, USA TODAY, and Wall Street Journal bestselling books with Penguin Random House. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. Diane is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.nk you so much!!!! 🙂

 

 

Jen’s publisher is offering a paper copy of DARE TO STAY to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

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8. Giveaway is open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from August 3 to August 7, 2016

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