Tag Archives: Checkmate Duet

ARC Review: Checkmate: This is Dangerous by Kennedy Fox

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Checkmate: This is Dangerous by Kennedy Fox
Series: Checkmate Duet #5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 6th 2017
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Introducing book 1 in the Logan & Kayla saga of the Checkmate series from a secret duo of romance authors who teamed up under the USA Today Bestselling pseudonym, Kennedy Fox!

This second-chance romance will have you gasping and cheering this two on from the first to the last page! Are you ready to play the final game?

***

Logan Knight is a real life knight in shining armor. 
A detective godsend in a sleek black suit has me thinking less than secretive thoughts. Brooding and mysterious, he’s the kind of guy every girl instantly notices. Between his seductive smirk and charming good looks, it’s no wonder I can’t help the way he makes me feel whenever I’m near him. 
Too bad he’s unavailable–or so he says.

He thinks I’m a do-gooder who shouldn’t get involved with a guy like him. His past is messy and relationships just add to that. He insists the timing is all wrong and he’s devoted to his career, but I don’t buy that excuse for a second. I see the way his body tenses and his jaw ticks every time another guy is around me. He just won’t admit it, but I’m more determined than ever to show him what he’s missing.

I’m a devoted animal rescuer and I’ll risk everything to save them, but when a dramatic turn of events puts both our lives at risk, I’m positive Logan will write me off for good. But when he asks for my help with a personal crisis, I know it’s my last chance to finally show him I can handle anything he throws my way–messy past and all.

He might think he has me all figured out, but I’ll prove him wrong no matter what he thinks. This game of push and pull has me running in circles. One wrong move and we could both lose.

Checkmate, Knight.

The first book in Logan and Kayla’s series wasn’t quite my favorite of the Checkmate Duet series, but I enjoyed their story nonetheless. It’s a fast, easy read with some over-the-top drama, and an AWFUL cliffhanger. I have to say that this cliffhanger was the WORST out of all three series – KF killed me with it, and I applaud them for it. So to say I’m excited for the next (and final!) book in the series would be an understatement.

Checkmate: This is Dangerous is a blend of friends-to-lovers and second-chance-romance, two of my favorite tropes. Kayla has had a crush on Logan since she first met him, but the mysterious man with a messy past has kept her firmly in the friend-zone… never mind the one or two kisses they shared. Logan’s life has no room for a woman, and despite how much he wants and cares for Kayla, he won’t make her settle for a guy who doesn’t deserve the wonder that she is.

I love love love dogs, so Kayla being an animal rescuer was perfect for me. Her character is adorable and sweet, if a little too sweet at times. She’s just so GOOD that it was sometimes unbelievable. Logan’s character grew frustrating after a while too, because of how slowly he revealed things to Kayla and him not making the effort to be with her sooner, damn the consequences. I do love a good man in uniform though, and Logan and Kayla together were on fire.

If you love the Checkmate Duet series, you will no doubt love Kayla and Logan. It’s just as crazy dramatic and intense as the previous reads. Just be prepared for that doozy of a cliffhanger, because it will have you DYING for the next book!


lacey

Reading Order: Checkmate Duet series

 
 
 

#1 ~ This is War (Travis & Viola #1): Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ This is Love (Travis & Viola #1): Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ This is Reckless (Drew & Courtney #2): My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ This is Effortless (Drew & Courtney #2): My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#5 ~ This is Dangerous (Logan & Kayla #1): Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#6 ~ This is Beautiful (Logan & Kayla #2): Ebook • Goodreads (Sept. 19, 2017)

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Release Day Review: Checkmate: This is Effortless by Kennedy Fox

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Checkmate: This is Effortless by Kennedy Fox
Series: Checkmate Duet #4 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 25th 2017
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Courtney Bishop is as sugary sweet as her famous blueberry muffins.
Southern belle at heart, Cali girl by choice.
She barged into my life and easily became my best friend.
All was great as roommates and just friends, but then I fell for the girl who could chop firewood, deliver baby calves, and bail hay without breaking a sweat.
She’s the perfect mixture of sugar and spice, and I love her.

Being more than friends and trying to build our future isn’t as easy as it sounds.
Moving forward and creating memories is all I want for us, but when the past continues to come back and haunt me, I’m not so sure she’ll stay for the ride.

Loving her is easy, but losing her will break me. Burning passion combined with an undeniable chemistry constantly pushes and pulls us together. In the end, I’ll prove we’re worth the fight, even when the game is far from over.

Checkmate, sweetheart.

Checkmate: This is Effortless was a highly anticipated read of mine ever since I read that god-awful cliffhanger from This is Reckless. I needed to see how Drew and Courtney would deal with the bitch drama that is Mia. While I didn’t quite enjoy this one as much as I did Drewtney’s first book because of all the hectic, filler drama, I was still glad to have read this and finally get to see how Drewtney ended up. If you were a fan of the Checkmate Duet series, you will most likely love Drew and Courtney’s conclusion!

Mia has gone off her rails and is determined to ruin what Courtney and Drew have. This woman is CRAZY, thinking she and Drew still belong together. But Drewtney is as strong as ever, despite Mia’s antics to scare Courtney off. Courtney does get scared, but Drew, mister Deputy, is working hard to make her feel as safe as possible. Drew is as sweet as ever – I really enjoyed how he was trying to handle Mia all the while making sure Courtney knew how much he loved her. Courtney is relatable with her fears and struggles with Mia, although I did get frustrated at how she relied on Drew a little too much.

The main reason why I didn’t love this book was because of how the drama with Mia seemed to drag on forever. I felt like Drew and Courtney could have dealt with Mia so much sooner than they did, which would have cut down the book length. And when Drewtney weren’t worried about Mia, they were having sex. I love a good steamy scene, but all the sex seemed to hinder the story progression.

Still, the ending of the book was definitely my favorite part. I was happy to see how Drewtney’s relationship concluded, and I’m excited for more in the series! I love the girl group that is Viola, Courtney, and Kayla and can’t wait for the dog-lover of the group to get a book with her uniformed man!


lacey

Reading Order: Checkmate Duet series

   

#1 ~ This is War: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ This is Love: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ This is Reckless: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ This is Effortless: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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Release Blitz + ARC Review & Giveaway: Checkmate: This is Reckless by Kennedy Fox

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Happy release day to Kennedy Fox – Checkmate: This is Reckless is live!

Checkmate: This is Reckless by Kennedy Fox
Series: Checkmate Duet #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 28th 2017
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Drew Fisher is the type of guy every girl wants.
Noble police officer by day, charming prince by night.
He has no idea the effect he has on women, especially me–his little sister’s best friend.
I’m the blonde Southern belle who lives up to the cliché, except I have my own quirks. I’m smart as a whip, can change my own oil, and recite The Pledge of Allegiance backward, but he doesn’t see that girl.

It’d be easier to forget him if he wasn’t my roommate and if the first thing I saw in the morning wasn’t his shirtless body covered in tattoos. I’ve crushed on him since the day we met, but he’s made it perfectly clear where we stand. Just friends.

I know I need to move on and accept that his feelings will never be mutual, but every day he smiles at me, I’m left dreaming of what if.
He has girl issues, and I’ve got a crush I can’t deny.
We’re friends, but I want more.

One drunken hookup leaves us with much more than a platonic friendship. Pretending it never happened proves to be more difficult than anticipated.

A crazy ex-girlfriend, a dangerous war of stolen glances, and passionate kisses leads to the most reckless battle yet. I won’t be a pawn in his game, but I’ll play by his rules if it will show him I’m the one worth breaking them for.

Checkmate, Prince Charming.

Buy Links:
Amazon • iTunes • Kobo

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It seems as if I love every single trope, but seriously, friends-to-lovers gets me every time. There’s always something so genuine and sweet about these kinds of romances! So Drew and Courtney’s story in this new Checkmate Duet was totally my thing – I definitely enjoyed it more than the previous duet about Viola and Travis. It was a lot less cheesy dramatic and thankfully we don’t have a manwhore hero this time… just an annoying, manipulating ex. Fans of Kennedy Fox will most likely enjoy Drewtney as much as Traviola, only instead of enemies-to-lovers, we have friends-to-lovers!

Courtney is Drew’s little sister’s best friend, they’re roommates, she has a tiny crush on him, he has a girlfriend who’s a major bitch… but it’s all good, right? For the past few years, Courtney has been totally fine with being one of Drew’s best friends. She wouldn’t mind if he ended his toxic relationship with his awful girlfriend, but for now she’s been waiting on the sidelines for her chance with him, which finally comes when Drew sees Mia exactly for the lying, cheating, manipulating person that she is.

“God, Court…where have you been all of my life?”
She pulls back and looks up at me. I run my fingers through her wet hair and rest my palm against her cheek. Moving in closer, she speaks against my lips before I can kiss her. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

Drew and Courtney are fun and sweet together – Drew finally realizes how perfect they are once Mia is out of the picture. They’re flirty, have great chemistry, and fall fast and hard for each other. But what happens when Mia doesn’t stay out of the picture and is out to ruin Drew’s newfound love?

I loved Courtney. She’s my favorite kind of heroine – tough, feisty, able to hold her own, and unapologetic. She’s the perfect balance for Drew, who is more calm and steady. I enjoyed the way their relationship grew in this first part of their story – it gets cheesy and predictable, but the romance itself is still enjoyable. I’m not the biggest fan of Kennedy Fox’s writing in this series – it’s a little too simple and boring for my taste, but it’s nothing unbearable and I do feel like the author duo improved since their first book. This might not be the best friends-to-lovers romance I’ve ever read, but it’s an easy story to get sucked into. I’m excited to see what happens in Drewtney’s sequel – after that slightly predictable cliffhanger, I need more!

“I’ll never stop wanting you, Courtney. You’ve completely stolen my heart, and for the first time, I don’t want it back. It’s yours.”

3.5 hearts
lacey

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Reading Order: Checkmate Duet series

   

#1 ~ This is War: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ This is Love: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ This is Reckless: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ This is Effortless: Ebook • Goodreads (April 25, 2017)

about the author button

Kennedy Fox is a duo of bestselling authors who share a love of You’ve Got Mail and The Holiday. When they aren’t bonding over romantic comedies, they like to brainstorm new book ideas. One day, they decided to collaborate together under a pseudonym and have some fun creating new characters that’ll make your lady bits tingle and your heart melt. If you enjoy romance stories with sexy, tattooed alpha males and smart, independent women, then a Kennedy Fox book is for you!

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$25 amazon gift card + signed paperback of Checkmate: This is Reckless

ENTER HERE

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