This book was not for me. From the starting itself, it rubbed me the wrong way. There were a lot of things that I didn't like:

1. Hero was a Mary Sue. He is a Mafia boss, a soccer player and the head of a NGO. Each by itself is a full time job. And somehow, he manages to do all this, while being strong handsome, family man who romances his employee Christian Grey style.

2. Heroine was immature whose life changing trauma lasted for less than 3 years (Right!). At 18, she is becomes an introvert due to unimaginable trauma and swears off dating forever, at 21, she is dating her boss. She is showed to be smart, socially awkward nerd who is also sassy. Or I should say, tried to be shown as such. Her prose is just awkward, insincere and unbelievable. Her dialogues are just stilted.

3. Romance. What romance? It really shocks me what passes as romance today. First of all, it is inappropriate. She is young (barely-able-to-buy-her-own-wine young) and she is his employee. He is her boss, has Mafia connection (Ooo! That makes him a bad boy!) and keeps insulting her. She wears clothes at her work place that shows her ni**les tightening and he ogles her and has a b**er at work. And he propositions his employee. Sexual harassment at work place! Ladies and gentlemen, it is a real thing!

4. The writing. The sentences were fragmented, makes no sense at many places and words at some places are used inappropriately.

In my opinion, the book was a propaganda for sexism and male chauvinism. It was unreal, unbelievable and not at all what I was expecting. It didn't work for me.

Although well written, this book just didn't quite do it for me. Not sure why, perhaps that the characters were just a bit too intense for me.

3.5 Stars

There’s a lot going on in this one. You’ve got a fiery red headed Scottish MIT bioengineering student and an Irish-Italian pro soccer player who is also in the mafia. It has a little bit of sports, a little science, and a little mafia without being overwhelmingly one or the other. Honestly, this is my first mafia romance and that aspect confused me a bit, but I was still able to enjoy the book.

I loved that the characters in this book are well rounded. So many times you can describe a character in 1-2 words and you just can’t do that with Zed and Nairne. They each have so many different pieces of their personality and backgrounds that make up who they are. I especially love that there was a certain aspect of Nairne that wasn’t revealed right away. It’s part of her without being the main focus and I think if she had only been defined by that one trait that I wouldn’t have enjoyed the story as much.

This book didn’t grab my attention right away and I didn’t have a problem putting it down for other things, but by the end I was rooting for Zed and Nairne. Their chemistry is hot!

He’s a Brute is available on KU right now and the two other books in the triology will release this summer

Thanks to Chloe Liese for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review!

Ow Ow with a twist. I loved this book, to the point that I was wanting to flip the page straight over to the second one as soon as I finished. The character build.. and unexpected twist was just fantastic and it added such a great, honest dynamic to the story. Nairne, is who I want to be when I grow up. She is strong, she is fierce, she is kind, and she pushes everyone around her to be better. And Zed... well Zed is who I want to HAVE when I grow up. Man oh man. I just.. I loved it. And his life, the choices he makes, he is strong and fierce in his own ways and you can see his heart shining through the second you meet him.. even if its guided by his wiener at first.

“Disability was isolating. And some days you just couldn’t shake yourself out of that feeling that shit was hard, and you were on your own with it.”

This was a ‘fifty shades of grey-esk’ romance, filled with similar themes and plot devices.

Zed meets Narine through work, the two butt heads, attraction ensues. Zed wants a specific type of relationship with Narine, battle of the wills ensued. Basically, it was a lot of little battles ensuing between the characters, so make sure you enjoy characters arguing before you pick this one up.

In this book, the hero, Zed, seemed to be a mashup of all the popular troupes in romance—like the author couldn’t decide on just one. He was a soccer playing (and athlete level, not just a fan of sports) mafia boss, who also worked as a corporation/business/charity head and organiser. With a control kink on the side.

I mean seriously?! Too much, there was just too much going on. He was unrealistic to the max, and not in an enjoyable way. He came off as an impossible combination of soft and gentle, and a man with some anger issues. He frequently lost his cool when debating with Narine, storming off and throwing little tantrums. And for me, that personality didn’t jive well with his ‘dominant’ personality; to read about this kind of hero in books, they need to have some semblance of control on their emotions. I felt like the author tried to play with so many different personality traits and it only made the characters seem unrealistic. Zed also suffered through painful (to read) jealous internal fits, getting pissed at Nairne’s interactions with her physiotherapist and his own best friend. Jealousy is just a pet peeve of mine in romance, useless and unneeded angst.

There was also not enough character development for me to relate and really care for the characters. The mafia plotline felt out of place with the normalcy of the other plot points, and whenever it popped back up, it just served to pull me out of the story. This is also only the first book in the series, and all these plot points end on a cliff-hanger, nothing was accomplished or resolved in this book.

My biggest confusion throughout this book was that Nairne was in a wheelchair. That discovery in itself had me dancing around because disability rep IN ROMANCE! My confusion stemmed from the fact that this fact was not promoted at all, not even mentioned in the blurb. Romance is sorely lacking disability rep, so a kickass scientist who happens to be in a wheelchair and takes part in a sexy, consensual, kinky relationship is such a cool part of this book.

I think the author did an amazing job discussing and describing Nairne’s challenges/struggles and showed that people with disabilities can live an absolutely normal life. Zed was responsible and researched everything to make sure he wouldn’t hurt her as her dominant, and never blinked or thought anything negative about her differences. It was inclusive and awesome, so I truly don’t understand why people aren’t talking more about this part! It is what we need in romance!

Unfortunately for me, not even the amazing rep could make up for the awkward and lacklustre romance and plot (what plot?). The sex scenes and conversations were honestly cringy, and I think shock value was prioritised over making these conversations realistic and enjoyable to read. I felt the book picked up character and relationship wise in the last 20%, but that wasn’t enough to make up for the first 80%.

Certain things ceased to be mentioned halfway through, like the job at which they met. It was in maybe the first 50% of the book and then was never mentioned again? I am confused.

It all felt very repetitive (argue, have sex, argue, have sex, etc) and cliché. Heavily influenced by Fifty Shades of Grey, and the rest was a mashup of other popular romance tropes and clichés. I don’t think I will be following on with this series, which is disappointing because I loved the representation in this book.

I received a copy via netgalley in exchange for a review.

I enjoyed this story, it was definitely more than I expected to read and I definitely appreciated some aspects and twists I didn't see coming. However, there were some things that didn't make sense to me and I had some issues. I don't know if it's because it's been a while since I read an alpha hero or a BDSM kind of book. Although, I don't think this was my main problem. I really liked the characters as individuals, but together I didn't feel much of a chemistry or a connection, so maybe that's that. I did like how smart, fiesty and independent the heroine was and I also loved how loyal and sweet he could also be. I will be reading the next one, to see how their story is going to develop and hopefully it will be even more enjoyable for me. Not a bad start for a debut novel :)

The author gives us lots of hot goodness in this captivating story!
A biochemist with a superior IQ, Nairne has strength and determination unlike any other. For someone who is only 21 she’s already lived a life of experiences most won’t get in their life-times. After suffering a debilitating injury during her professional soccer days Nairne works diligently to become a success in the science world working to help provide medical aid to those less fortunate. While she works with a foundation to do just that, she meets the board CEO Zed Salvatore.

“Zed was trouble wrapped in six feet of impressive muscle, stunning features, and absolute pomposity. A mafia prince, bad boy, arrogant jock. He was despicable and he was making me wet.”

Zed brought back to life parts of her long ago extinguished. He made her feel things no other was able to do. And boy oh boy are they erotically HOT! These two might butt heads outside the bedroom, but inside they are on FIRE! Together they’re the perfect match stroking all the right flames.

“His presence was elementally dangerous-each gasp of stuttered air I took fueled my reaction to him. One by one, old zones of my body caught fire and brightened.”

For Nairne, everything Zed was asking brought back memories for her that she worked so hard to bury. A relationship with Zed would be her demise.
For Zed, everything about Nairne gave a promise of a life he wasn’t deserving of having. He was trapped between two worlds with no safe exit.

To give each other what they needed, they had to end what had barely gotten started.

Unable to stay apart and knowing their time was limited they agreed to keep it casual and not fall in love. But it was too late? Had they unknowingly wormed their way into each other’s heart? These two put each other to the test intellectually, physically, and emotionally. It is an intriguing journey!

I found this to be an enjoyable suspense-filled erotic story. I had to reread the first few pages to get my bearings, but I quickly fell into the story thereafter. The characters were well developed. The writing was done in a way that made me feel as though I was actually there watching the scenes unfold. The story moved at a good clip and the plot kept me entertained and enthralled. I was surprised to discover that this is a debuting author. To me the writing portrayed the qualities of an established writer. Her writing captivated me with a good balance between drama, and steam expertly playing with the reader’s emotions. I look forward to reading part two!

In this first installment of Chloe Liese's new "Tough Love" series, two exceptional and headstrong young adults share an immediate and combustible attraction and then gradually come to terms with the fact that their romance is far more than a limited term sexual arrangement, She's a senior at MIT and he's a professional soccer player, Harvard grad, philanthropist and secret mob boss! Throughout, Nairne and Zed face extreme threats to their lives and their blossoming relationship, mainly as a result of Zed's underworld ties. It's all a bit over the top and silly but fun. One of the most notable aspects of both this book and its sequel is that it portrays a desirable, highly capable heroine living with reduced mobility and other health challenges resulting from a spinal chord injury. The author handles Nairne's physical limitations with care, knowledge and respect, neither downplaying nor catastrophizing what it means for her romantically and sexually. This enriches the character and the romantic relationship significantly and is one of book's greatest strengths. Another point in its favor is that the story is predictably steamy in the style of a lot of contemporary new adult romance, but in a credible and thoughtful way that reflects a healthy exploration of consent, boundaries and preferences.

The main issue that keeps this novel from being great, however, is that it often suffers under the weight of its own ambitions. Both Nairne and Zed are supposed to be exceptionally gifted both physically and intellectually, and highly accomplished at a young age. Intelligence and quick wittedness are their defining characteristics and an essential part of their mutual attraction. That intellect, however, is not successfully reflected in the writing. Their internal dialogue and conversations are strangely formal at times. The characters express themselves in ways that don't ring true, often reaching for a five-dollar word (and misusing it) when a simpler one would work far better. I got the impression that this is supposed to reflect their elite educations, but this is not how MIT students and Harvard grads speak. Rather than worldly and erudite, they sometimes seem like teenagers trying on an adult pose. For readers not put off by those awkward choices, however, the romantic narrative is sweetly engaging and the relationships between the two main characters and their family and friends are refreshingly healthy.

One overbearing hero and one feisty heroine makes for one incredibly hot story! With her debut book, Chloe Liese has quickly put herself on my must-read list!

Zed was an insanely hot Italian-American playboy soccer player who possessed hidden depths. Chapter by chapter, the many layers that made up his personality became clear. He was intense, loyal, considerate, intelligent, compassionate, moral, and incredibly sexy. He carried the weight of the world on his shoulders and pain was just another moment to live in. He lived by a set of rules and his relationships had to follow them. So why is he so wildly attracted to a woman who was so different? She didn't bow, submit or surrender. Her fiery temper matched her red hair and he couldn't get enough. She pushed, he pulled, and together they made magic. I LOVED Zed!!

Nairne was a passionate Scottish lass with extraordinary acuity. Honestly, her brain was fascinating. Despite her disability, she was larger than life and I admired the heck out of her. A dark past gave her the reason to reinforce her walls. Never again would she be at the mercy of a man. And most definitely not the cocky, arrogant, ridiculously attractive man who was Zed. No matter how irresistible he is or how enticing his offer may be. Nope. Not doing it. But she could only hold out for so long. Pretty soon, she too sees the stunning and fascinating man we've come to know. And then it's beautiful chaos.

Mafia trouble was mentioned here and there, and though it obviously weighed heavily on Zed, this story was about two people who couldn't be more incompatible coming together to give each other exquisite pleasure. While this was supposed to be a fling, the heart can't help but muck things up. I enjoyed the journey of this story from beginning to end. Whether it was the banter, the internal thoughts of the character, or how this story flowed so fluidly that I didn't miss a step, I really liked this book. I may not be the biggest fan of the D/s relationship being explored in books (I usually pass on these types of books), the author made it almost seem natural. Despite Nairne's initial instinct to fight it, which was a realistic response, it did work for her and Zed and I'm looking forward to seeing more of these characters in the books to come.

Zed really is a brute! If you like your heroes a bit OTT with a heavy side of kink, you'll love him just as much as I do!!

5/5 I loved this book! The dynamic between the main characters kept me flipping through the pages! Nairne was a spitfire and wasn’t going to sit back and take anything. Zed is also quite the character, and seemingly a match for Nairne’s stubbornness, riveting watching the back and forth! I admire their resilience and I love the representation of an individual with a physical disability in this novel. Neither character allows this to take away from any of their experiences!

I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!

I liked this book but did not love it. I liked the characters and look forward to the next instalment.

My thanks to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Yes, I liked it but all in all it is only an okayish book which entertained me for a while. The first few pages made me laugh and I knew I would love this. It reminds me a bit of "Can't Beat the Chemistry".
After this the protagonists hormones got activated and all they could think about is sex. Every second sentence has in one way or another a sexual hint. This isn't my cup of tea, especially when it becomes so explicit. On top of that: the only creative thing about the sex scenes is the change of scenery. If you need some 50 Shades of Grey vibes with more intelligent characters, this is your book.
But there is a lot of other stuff going on which is very good. Nairne is an independent woman and doesn't want to make unecassary compromises. She fights for her equalitiy in every single way. Her disability makes her an even more powerful character. If she isn't thinking about sex, she analyses her surroundings. Therefor there is not a stupid and unecassary misunderstanding or conflict. The small amount of drama that is going on is realistic. She and Zed try to communicate as best they can and remind each other to do it. I like that a lot!
I thought because of some reviews that the ending would be a big cliffhanger. Thank god this isn't the case. There is a little surprise but tbh if you want you can see that coming. Which makes me more excited about the second book is the mafia indication. Especially with Nairne this could become a really clever plotline.

The book is exciting. I love how the author built the character and the backstory.

Even though the plot is quite cliche, arrogant yet sexy manly man with a nerdy women with troubled past, but the author manage to add her unique touch. Our hero has his weakness and our heroine is not a damsel in distress but quite vocal and opinionated.

It's really fun to read and I can't put it down.

HE'S A BRUTE was a cover love, blurb appealing arc click. There's a lot going on in this contemporary romance with a slice of the erotic. It's a tale of two very strong MC's who were multi-talented. Zed is a background mafia boss-second, professional footballer (soccer, you American guys!) and lead of an ethically sound organisation; he was something of a contradiction to himself. Nairne was an ex-pro footballer, a scientist and she battling some pretty heavy baggage. I felt like there was almost a bit too much going on with these characters.

The two clashed with strong personalities and there was a tangible attraction between them but despite this, I didn't always feel their connection. What ensues between these two was a contract, some dominance and submission which really isn't my bag, but it was fairly mild. I didn't always buy Nairne's ability to submit to Zeb. I found Zeb's desire to care of Nairne controlling despite his arguments to Nairne about this actual issue and so I didn't feel that attached to them as a couple.

This book has the most amazing disability rep, truly fabulous. I loved the way the sexuality of this character was written with this in mind. Their sexual relationship wasn't hindered by the disability but it was totally interwoven into what they did and how they did it. Total kudos to the author for this. This aspect of the book is part of why I am still interested in reading more from this series.

I didn't always love the writing style of this book and I found the intimate scenes weren't that interesting. HE'S A BRUTE was a debut and the story of Zeb and Nairne will continue across two more books. This isn't an abrupt end but I do find I want to know more about these two and I will probably read on with these characters. Book two is out now, with book three to come.

The book was just an ok read for me. I found the heroine to be feisty and I enjoyed her commentary. The hero just was a no for me. I'm sure other people will enjoy this book but it wasn't for me.

You shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Or, in this case, you shouldn't expect a certain kind of book based on the cover. But, I have to admit, that with this one, I did. I was wrong but pleasantly wrong. What I expected was a light-hearted, almost rom-com style of read, before I got into this. Now I have to admit that on the whole, I prefer something a little meatier to that, although I don't mind them from time to time. As it was, I got something a with a whole lot more going for it than I expected with He's a Brute.
This is a trilogy, so much of this book sets up what I assume will be the ongoing story for the next two books. Even so, I don't want to give too much away, there were a couple of things that were revealed, fairly early on, that I didn't really see coming, so I'll keep quiet on those.
Although Nairne is quite dominating and feisty herself, her relationship with Zed, on a sexual level at least is with him being the dominant partner. I'm not always into these dynamics, but I actually enjoyed this one. It didn't seem overdone or something that was introduced just because every flipping erotic romance seems to have the same kind of kink in it at the moment.
Nairne is supposed to be Scottish, I say supposed to be as there were a couple of glaring errors that stood out to me and threw me out of the story momentarily. Firstly that she is forever drinking Scotch whiskEy. This isn't a spelling difference, it's always whisky when from Scotland. Also, at one point Zed puts something in the bonnet of his car. This part is told from Narine's point of view and while I'm sure that she would use the UK terms rather than trunk and hood, the bonnet of the car is the front, while the bit at the back that you store things in is called the boot. Of course, these things don't really matter and there are probably 101 things that were right it's the little things that stand out. It didn't ruin the story at all though, just irritated me for a minute or two.
As I mentioned before, this book is number one in a trilogy. I'm not sure where it's going to go next, but I do have book two ready to go and find out. I'll be getting straight into that one. Either way, I'd recommend you get stuck into book one right away and follow Zed and Nairne's story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

First things first: There’s a major point in He’s a brute that you won’t find anywhere. The heroine’s “phisicality” (I’m not going into specifics, because the way it’s thrown at the reader is actually clever, imho, glimpsed but not revealed until the hero finds out) is something I’ll praise forever, because I’ve never seen it in any romance. It means being inclusive, diverse, and open-minded all in one place, and I’m all for it.
⚽️
Step back. Nairne is an MIT researcher, feisty, no-nonsense kind of woman, former
Footballer, but in Europe where football actually means something, with a heavy past. Zed is her temporary boss, soccer player, a Mafia prince and a real Dom.
🍓
Now, being Italian, I was pleasantly stunned by the amount of Italian words (some were not exactly right in the structure, but a few and I didn’t mind), but mainly I couldn’t really buy the Mafia stuff, it looked more like a Soprano episode than real.
⚽️
I loved their banter, the way Nairne thinks and speaks, all technical and scientific, how resilient and outspoken she is, and ready to get her pleasure no matter what. Although it’s very much steamy, for some reason the relationship between these 2 felt a bit cold. Maybe because they’re both uptight, and don’t give in to emotions easily, but i couldn’t really connect.
🍓
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Characters: ⚽️⚽️⚽️
Story: 🇮🇹🇺🇸
Trope: enemies to lovers
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (because of Nairne mainly)

The blurb sounded fantastic and I thought I’d give this author a try.

It was a weird beginning, but then slowly we read about the two main characters and how they meet.
***A bit of a spoiler ahead***

We find out that Nairne, from Australia, used to be a pro soccer player in Europe before her accident that leaves her partly paralyzed and bound to a wheelchair.
Zed is the spokesperson for his late mother’s Charity, a pro soccer player and in the Mafia.

I did not like Zed and his demanding ways to be honest. There was some chemistry, but no real character development.
I don’t know yet if I will read the conclusion anytime soon. I have too many standalone books on my tbr pile that seem more interesting right now.

I received this ebook copy from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

HE’S A BRUTE – Chloe Liese

A moody Italian pro athlete/mafia boss and a fiery, insanely intelligent and beautiful spitfire of a woman. Does THAT alone not make you want to pick this book up asap?!

The fire starts from chapter one. Oh no, there is no easing you into this one, it’s all systems go from chapter one. It gets your heart and blood pumping and before you know it, its past 12 am and you have to do the school run in the morning. Clever Chloe, very clever.

I read this book in one sitting. It played havoc with my emotions. One chapter he is a brute and in another a kind and caring dude with deadly ties to the Chicago underground.

I keep hearing/reading similarities to 50 Shades of Grey. Erm, where please? This book was in a league of its own. There was a play for power between two equally strong headed main characters. One wasn’t more dominant then the other. Chloe breaks convention with her female lead by not adhering to a stereotypical heroine. Nairne is a bioengineer, she was a pro former athlete and she has a disability caused by an injury and she can no longer use her legs. This was a breath of fresh air and my heart was so happy that I was not reading a cliched romcom. She was fiercely independent and I really digged that. No damsel in distress here please!
Oh, and if you weren’t already aware intelligence, geeky and smart is the new sexy (wink)

I absolutely loved the couple's chemistry and this book was an absolute delight to read. I loved the characters, the story, the humour and the romance. This book is exactly what you need in order to rekindle your interest in the romance genre. It is just the right amount of steamy and funny to grasp your attention.

A huge thank you to author for a copy of book two ‘She’s A Spitfire’. I cannot wait to lose myself in Zen and Nairne’s antics one more time.

2.5 Stars

This was...ok. Not quite as steamy as some people were saying and it could have done with a couple more chapters in order to develop the characters a little better, but I liked that our main female character, Nairne, was in a wheelchair and had overcome some things. Zed was all alpha male stereotypes rolled into one (minus being a part of an MC- but he was mafia, so close enough). Again, I just wished for a little more character development and moments where they got to know each other better. I feel that could have pushed this from being an ok romance to a good one.