Connor Crais

When I first read the description of Bright Light Dark Thunder by author and narrator Connor Crais - “. . . a pulse-pounding military romantic suspense adventure filled with passion, spice, and a hard-won HEA.” – I thought that might be a tall order to fill. A lot of approaches to tell this story and the need to make it plausible and believable without allowing any of the parts to become awkward. Well, Connor Crais nailed it. Not many authors find that balance: a heart-pounding show more thriller ends up with spicy scenes that are cringey rather than sexy, the danger in a romance feels more cozy than frightening, heroes become cartoonish. But all the parts in BLDT are well blended and work together. You get the Orphan X/Reacher feel (which is a very good thing), Walker isn’t Iron Man but his remarkable abilities are satisfactorily explained by his science-fiction-like genetic modification and account for his strength, speed and enhanced healing, and the romance is tender and sweet with steamy scenes that feel natural. I was a little worried about the promise of an HEA because the action was non-stop and the suspense kept building until the very end but Crais delivered on that, too.

When the story opens we don’t know any more about Walker Cole than Naomi Barrett does. His guilt and the feeling he doesn’t belong in society are evident, but how quickly or skillfully or capably he did something kind of creeps up on you and you suddenly realize he is not an ordinary man. His backstory is fed to us bit by bit and he becomes more and more interesting – and more tragic. We don’t know much about Naomi Barrett at the start, either. An obviously escaped prisoner with a gun. She managed to take Walker by surprise, so just how dangerous is she?

By this point we’re already hooked: who is this guy, what is Naomi escaping from, why doesn’t he just overpower her as he so easily could? Why on earth does he decide to help and protect her? This is where the mutual attraction and the romance start to creep in, and they build as much as the suspense and the fear of the unknown.

Bright Light Dark Thunder is a roller coaster ride of non-stop action, deadly encounters and narrow escapes, laced with drugs, trafficking, betrayal, secrets, conspiracy, cover-up, ruthlessness. Government involvement that just could be real. And just enough well-written spicy, steamy, swoony stuff to make Walker and Naomi human, vulnerable and in need of love and someone to rely on and trust.

I both read and listened to the story and I was drawn in and captivated from the start. The writing is solid, the plot smooth-flowing and the characters have depth and maintain your interest. I would like to know more about them. And the narration? Well, it is Connor Crais, after all. He voices all the characters and that works wonderfully well. I was expecting the rumbling deep emotion, but the Southern twang was a sexy, surprising treat. I received an advance reading copy of BLDT and purchased the audiobook. I thoroughly enjoyed it, recommend it without hesitation and hope there really is going to be a sequel. I was completely satisfied with the ending but would like to check in on Walker and Naomi and their family. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. show less

Sassy, sarcastic and sweet
5 stars

I’m a huge fan of Kayley Loring so I was very much looking forward to reading this book, her first joint venture with narrator and first time author, Connor Crais. And holy crap - did this one exceed all my expectations and I hope for many more books from this duo.

For this book - which I’m hoping will be the start of a new series - we’re into the world of American Football and specifically the Boston Tomcats. Decker is the hero quarterback of the team show more while Hannah is the new owner who just happens to know absolutely nothing about football. If that wasn’t a recipe for the perfect enemies-to-lovers romance, you’ve also got the fact that Decker is an arrogant, cocky yet charming former playboy while Hannah is a nerdy, uptight control freak with a sassy mouth. When you put the pair together, they combust and it’s so much fun I can’t even stand it!

Hannah is a great heroine and has the sassy, sarcastic wit you’d expect from a Kayley Loring heroine. She’s also a girl boss and 100% in charge - but with a vulnerability that is so endearing. I loved that she was determined to learn about American football, and determined to do a good job in her new role….but kept on messing up. It was both hilarious and adorable.

I have to say that Decker is probably the perfect hero in my eyes. He was all things cocky and arrogant and was definitely a fan of the ladies when he was younger - and I loved how he just adored needling Hannah to get a reaction. I definitely saw Connor Crais’ influence on Decker’s character as he felt so real. The way he found himself falling for Hannah and was so sweet with his thoughts and feelings - I wanted to snuggle into his hard muscles and squeeze him so bloomin’ hard. Gah!

As much as I loved the pair individually, together is where Hannah and Decker shine. Or, where they burst into a bright, blinding flame. Oooft - the chemistry! So delicious. Not only did that provide some ah-may-zingly hot sex but it really gave them a connection that was undeniable. I believed in their story and their love. The fact that they kept overcoming all the obstacles those pesky authors put in their way made me think they could overcome anything. Until the BIG obstacle which shocked me as much as it did the characters. Of course they get through it but what a fun and wild ride to get there.

I really loved this story, the characters, the heat and the heart. I felt hugely connected and enjoyed every page that I read. The writing style was fun and fresh so I’m all-in for more books from the Kayley and Connor pairing. Hopefully we’ll return to the Tomcats to see more characters and also revisit Hannah and Decker who I’m assuming will still be bantering, bickering and loving hard. This book can get no less than 5 stars from me. Wonderful. show less

This is one of those second-chance brother's best friend trope romances that should follow a format, but this writing duo gives it a fresh take with wonderful characters, so many puns, and a lot of tension. I wasn't sure how the ending would be resolved, even if I knew it should be a HEA.
Claire is the little sister who stayed in Beacon Harbor, Maine, to run her bakery. Grady couldn't leave fast enough, set on becoming wealthy and running his conglomerate. When he returns home because of a show more family issue, Claire is one of the first people he runs into. Before, he thought she was too young for him besides being his best friend's little sister, but twelve years have passed, and maybe things have changed. Claire has always loved Grady but now is more immersed in financial woes with the bakery. But guess who has the best business knowledge?
I love Kayley Loring's books, and the addition of Connor Crais to the writing team only adds to the fun. There's a lot of quirkiness, and did I mention the puns? Also, I live in Maine, and they managed to capture the setting perfectly (I mean, Boston's More Than a Feeling was a mainstay on Portland radios for years).
I can't wait for the next book in the series. Either Jake or Damien works for me, but anyone in Beacon Harbor will do, even Crabby Crawford. show less

Funny, romantic and hot!
4 stars

I’m a huge fan of Kayley Loring’s and since pairing up to write with Connor Crais, I’m becoming a big fan of his - and of them together. This book is the third in the Very Holiday series started by just Ms Loring but after the success of the authors’ first collaboration (Decker) the series now belongs to both. Nolan did appear as a very minor character in one or both of the first 2 books in the series (A Very Bossy Christmas and A Very Friendly show more Valentine's Day) but Cora is new to the series and this book, and the love story of Nolan and Cora, stands completely alone. Having said that, characters from the previous books do pop up and you’ll definitely miss out on in-jokes if you haven’t read the first 2 books. And you totally should, by the way, as they’re awesome!

The book kicks off right in the heat of the action. And that heat is HOT! Cora and Nolan have already met - and married - and are very committed to consummating their union. I’m not really sure I have the words to describe how blisteringly delicious this part of the book was. I have been known to skim through sex scenes if they’re overly long but with this I read. Every. Single. Word. And yes - this book will either make or ruin strawberries for you!

So with that being the start, we then go back in time - but it’s not as linear as all that and by the time we got back to where we started I’d forgotten we weren’t in the present until that time. After that, it’s a straight forward present day story.

Cora was a really lovely lead character and I enjoyed that she started being able to compartmentalise different parts of her life but really saw it all merging after she met and fell for Nolan. Her relationship with Ashton was a delight and, of course, her partnership with Nolan was chock full of sexual chemistry, friendship and love.

Nolan was pretty much my ideal kind of hero - funny but hella smart with it. And he’s cheeky, cocky and definitely a silver-tongued devil. Loved him to pieces. His relationship with Ashton was great - even when they were at odds with each other. And he was the perfect foil for Cora. Buuuut, he was also the reason I had to deduct a star from this book. I admit I’m always wary when a book has a Scottish or Irish character as it could get seriously cringey, seriously fast. Nolan didn’t, thankfully, fall into that category for me (but then I’m not Irish) but there were definite ‘moments’ that didn’t ring true and despite Nolan actually coming from Ireland - he was definitely more American “Irish” than the real thing, IMO.

The writing in this book was full-on hilarious. I laughed so much with the banter, silly jokes and the storyline in general. It was a hoot. I think Connor Crais really complements Kayley’s style and together they are all kinds of hilarious as well as producing writing that’s really easy to read and get lost in.

Having read the first 2 stories in the series, I adored the cameos of Eddie, Declan and their entourages. And I’m seriously hoping Billy Boston is ready for his own story. While the celtic connections are always going to be a sticking point for me, it probably won’t even be a blip on the radar for most readers. I still very much enjoyed the story and I’m certainly not going to forget those opening scenes for a long time to come - and I’m beyond happy with that fact. show less