4 stars -- I loved the first half of this book, it just hit all of my reading buttons, you know?  There's something about a damaged man and a strange friendship that develops without seeing one another that just...it's a guilty pleasure.  I will admit that it got a bit slow for a bit, but it picked up in the end.

Even though I had an old NetGalley ARC of this one, I decided to listen to the audio.  I enjoy both Mr. Hamilton and Ms. Vine, and they made this book both fun and emotional.  I enjoyed Ms. Vine's accent especially.  Though, maybe it's just me, but neither of them nailed Ricky's Australian accent...*cringe*

I'm not sure how much I have to say honestly.  Pat was damaged and gruff and scared and all of the things that I was expecting.  I honestly don't think I expected how much damage he had, and we got to see a bit of him struggling with his anxiety and trying to overcome it.  I really appreciated that he eventually talked to someone.  His journey and growth and setbacks were believable for the most part, though sometimes it felt I wanted something a bit more than just Lena as his touchstone...but then when I really think about it, he truly did have a lot more going on, he just didn't emphasize it in his own growth.

I loved the way Lena gave him crap and brought him out of his shell -- how she knew when to push and when to pull back.  I kinda wanted her to figure her own shit out a bit faster than she did, but she got there eventually.  I appreciated getting to see her struggle with her art, and even if the ending was a bit too good to be true, it made my romance reading heart happy for her.

They were pretty great together, though I honestly loved the parts before they were face to face the most.  It was when we were able to see them really make a connection with one another.  After they "met", I loved their first steamy scene...but after awhile it kind of took over the story for a bit there and I got bored.  But things got more balanced again near the end.

The star of this story for me was the large and varied secondary cast.  I get the impression that some of them are from other books (and not just the Mayhem City boys, which I already knew about), but it didn't take over and leave me floundering -- just would be great fan service for those who have read a lot of Ms. Castile's books.  I LOVED Scarlett and Kaylee, and how they both supported Pat.  I enjoyed seeing Ricky and the boys again (though, was Ricky Australian before?  I don't remember that from Stripped).  I loved that Lena developed some great girl friendships, with Scarlett and Kaylee, but also with River and Marie.  I loved her relationship with her little sister too.

All in all it was a solid satisfying romance.  I can definitely see this author being a goto for #ownvoices books.

I was supposed to post this last week and I just? Couldn’t? Because I loved it SO MUCH and have SO MANY FEELINGS that I needed a week away from my blog to process it. Does that sound pathetic? It feels a little pathetic, but LISTEN, I am who I am. Let’s just. Let’s get into it.

In Flashed, Patrick Halloran is eight months out from a terrible car accident that almost killed his brother and left him permanently scarred. He’d been on a high after his first Hollywood role and was being reckless, and now… now he’s unrecognizable. He has PTSD and anxiety and can no longer leave his home. He doesn’t cook. He doesn’t see the sunlight. He literally stays in bed and works out and eats frozen meals when forced. It’s not a life anyone would ever want. So his neighbor and longtime friend hires him a housekeeper for the summer – someone to cook him real food and unpack all the boxes in his apartment. There are two rules – the housekeeper can only be in the house during designated hours so they don’t see Pat, and they can’t go upstairs. Should be easy enough, since living space and grocery money is provided.

Magdalena Martel is a born and bred New Yorker in Bozeman, Montana for art school. Except her home life is a mess and she’s not sure she’s going to be able to afford to continue school, since her stepmom took out credit cards in her name and maxed them out. Finding this summer job unpacking boxes and cooking for a rich recluse is a godsend – she can send money home to her sister and pay her tuition for the fall. She wasn’t expecting the grumpy Patrick to start to mean something to her. She wasn’t expecting to hear him moaning her name while he talked in his sleep. And she definitely wasn’t expecting to fall for someone she hasn’t even seen in person. But she does.

Patrick is a broken person, and Lena is broken in her own ways. Can they put each other back together, or are they only meant to tear each other apart?


3 Things I Loved
Lena. Lena was so REAL to me. She had scars and she just wanted to protect her sister. She was flawed but out there with it. I loved her. What a well-rounded character, beautiful inside and out, someone who I truly wanted the world for. ❤ ❤ ❤
RIVER AND HUTCH. LONG LIVE RIVER AND HUTCH!! I was SO HAPPY that they made a reappearance in this book! If you don’t know about River and Hutch, read my review of Life on the Level!
Patrick. I liked Patrick a lot and I think he has very good intentions. But there were times in this book where he was MEAN to Lena and the other people he loves, and that was hard to read. I still wanted him in this category, but there were parts where his PTSD and anger were almost too real.
Dislikes/Problematic Content
I have a couple content warnings for this book that I want to talk about right up front. PTSD. Anxiety. Fear of leaving the house. Verbal abuse by a parental figure. And a lot of anger that gets pointed at people who don’t necessarily deserve it.

This was diverse and fun and there isn’t a lot to complain about. There’s really only one thing, honestly, and it’s a tiny detail that many probably wouldn’t have caught.

UMM, WHAT HAPPENED TO SKY AND HAYDEN??? There’s one line in the epilogue where Sky says she recently ended an ENGAGEMENT?? And Lucky is married at this point, which means the engagement ending was with HAYDEN and WHAT WHAT WHAT ZORAIDA, I NEED ANSWERS. (I’m talking about Love on the Ledge, by the way.)

Rating
A reminder of the rating scale:

Red = DNF, I hated everything
Orange = Ugh, no thank you
Yellow = I mean, I’ve read worse, but there were problems
Green = This was good!
Blue = Oh my gosh, I loved this book!
Purple = This is the unicorn of books and I will be rereading it until the binding falls apart and EVERYONE should be reading it!
This was my favorite in the series. I don’t think I can give it the unicorn of ratings because Patrick was really frustrating to read at times. But I thought the counseling and mental illness was handled really well and I can’t WAIT for whatever Castile writes next. I’m giving Flashed a BLUE rating! MORE PLEASE!

Happy reading!

4 1/2 STARS!

Ooh, this one hit all my buttons. Beauty and the Beast style goodness? Yes, please! Sexy and fun, I didn't want it to end.

I am always in for a Beauty and the Beast archetype and this one was really good. Pat just took my breath away (I really do like the hero with scars - physical and emotional, apparently). And Lena is one of those characters that you won't easily forget. Although she hasn't had it easy, I loved how focused she was on making a better life for herself. Loved this one!

Let me start by saying that this book is by far my favourite in the series. After reading the synopsis for this book, I couldn’t wait to read it and boy I wasn’t disappointed! I really enjoyed this story so much. I loved the pace of the story which kept me hooked from the first page to the last. Lena and Patrick’s romance just tugged on my heartstrings. Their story was almost like a retelling of Beauty and the Beast with Patrick being the quintessential grumpy, scarred hero who has isolated himself from the outside world. But seeing his personal growth and relationship with Lena was my favourite part of this story. The chemistry and sexual tension between these two were irresistible! I couldn’t get enough of their story and I only wish this story was longer. This book had the perfect mix of angst, heartbreak, and steaminess. It’s a definite must-read that you don’t want to miss!

This was a pretty straightforward, enjoyable Beauty and the Beast retelling. I was a bit sad to be out of the city compared to the last two books but I loved the vivid descriptions of the desert setting and the small town meets celebrity vibe worked well here.

I LOVED this Beauty and the Beast retelling. I liked this whole series but this was my fave in it. I thought that the hero's journey was really intricately done and made me care about him and why he was so anxious. I loved that the heroine just wouldn't give up on him.

I really enjoyed a great many things about this book. Characters were fleshed out and the plot was well spaced. Some of the secondary storylines could've used a bit more page space but all in all an enjoyable read!

A sweet, redemptive tale of a bad-boy movie star/stripper/model and a kind, hard-working artist who find what they need in each other.

The Happy Endings Series has been great! Flashed is my favorite, it's got the sexy grump, Patrick that doesn't know how great he is. Lena is also my favorite from the series, I liked how proactive she was with all the things that came her way...Patrick included, no pun intended. Ultimate blush. I love Zoey Castile's writing style and storylines, they are so relatable. I can't wait to read more from her!

4.5/5 Stars

I've absolutely been loving Zoey Castile's Happy Endings series and Flashed was no exception though this third book was decidedly more emotional. Leaving the big city for more rustic roots, this story takes place in a secluded Montana where the hero has hidden away and the heroine has to thaw his heart. Pat and Lena were an interesting pairing and getting to know each of them and their slow burn romance was wonderful. There's some definite Beauty and the Beast vibes and their chemistry is off the charts. Castile has sexy times down to an art form and the culmination of this novel was nothing short of beautiful. Absolutely recommend this series!

I am a total sucker for the Beauty & the Beast trope, so my expectations were super-high. My fascination with the trope kept me pushing through the book, but both characters made some colossally weird choices at times and that always took me out of the plot. That said, I'd definitely read more by this author.

ARC received for review

Patrick and Lena... They start out not liking each other, lots of phone sex, and finally hook up. I was shocked when half-way thru we meet his friends, the boys. I didn't make the connection between him and the previous book. I take a couple of the boys. Lots of family drama and angst. A little side hook-up between his friends that I wonder if it will stick or get it's own book.

5 AMAZING STARS for Flashed by Zoey Castile

ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own & have not been influenced in any way.

This book was SO GOOD & I was hooked immediately ...

Patrick & Lena are amazingly flawed characters and yet so totally relatable - defying the odds by sticking together when the going gets really tough. These characters do not even initially like each other and yet their chemistry is pretty immediate ...

What did it for me :

Sizzling off the charts chemistry
Great plot & storyline
Very interesting secondary characters
Patrick really - really needs to work for their HEA after several screw ups on his part ...

This story had me thoroughly engaged from beginning to end - loved it !! I would highly recommend Flashed as well as the other 2 previous books in the series Stripped & Hired

This author writes fantastic easy to read romance about amazing relationships !!

I really enjoyed the slow burn between Patrick and Lena.

Castile created a village of people to bring Patrick back to life and Lena was not afraid of pushing him. I had some issues with the second book in this series but I was so very happy with this book. I was not one bit disappointed in it and I loved Patrick and Lena's HEA!

Flashed is part of a series, but stood alone quite well. I found the secondary characters intriguing enough to look into the rest of the books. The premise of the reclusive hero and the determined heroine worked well for me. I appreciated that the primary couple didnt come face to face until halfway through the book. Ms Castile built the tension and suspense while establishing layered character profiles. Once the couple meets face to face, the action heats up, and the pacing speeds as well. The journey to happily ever after wasnt easy, and the future isnt painted as all roses, which rang true. All in all, I found Flashed to be a well written, sexy read, and I was quite entertained. 3.5
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

Meh this one was just ok. The writing wasn’t great and there wasn’t a lot of substance and point to it. I did finish it so it wasn’t the worst just not a favorite of mine. Thank you for the free read though NetGalley.

Patrick Hollran is a former soccer star, stripper, and model and after getting a leading part that he was looking for a top-notched partier. That is until it all came down in a crash. His car crash which left his brother injured and getting back to walking and him scared. Now holed up in his home in Montana he does not want anyone to see him. He has gone through many housekeepers and the last one is a college art student from Queens. Magdalena “Lena” Martel is facing a rough patch as well and really needs this job. Once hired her music and taste in food besides her spice adds to his grumpiness at first but he begins to come around. The story is similar to beauty and the beast but the author does a good job with the characters and bringing everything together. I liked the music she had and wish she would have had some of the recipes for the food she made for all of it added to this story. Overall a very good book.

I have been waiting for this book for what seems like FOREVER and I was NOT disappointed. I am a huge Beauty and the Beast fan and any retelling makes my grabby hands itch! Zoey Castile killed this story.

It was equal parts witty & rom-com'y and angsty and heart-tugg'y. To do this well is a win and this book touched all my emotions. I loved Patrick, but Lena held her own and that strength along with his surprising tenderness made my heart happy.

Highly recommended.

Flashed by Zoey Castile is book Three in the Happy Endings Series. This is the story of Patrick "Pat" Halloran and Magdalena "Lena" Martel. I haven't yet read the previous book, so for me This was a standalone book.
Pat once was a great soccer player, stripper and even a model so most of everything he knows is related to his body and looks. So when accident happens it changes his life to someone outing going and having fun to a recluse where he doesn't want anyone to see him. So he leaves for a secluded Montana Ranch to get away from everyone but he does need help.
Lena can't take her abusive step-mother anymore so when she see an ad for a personal assistant on a off location it sound like what she needs. There she can be away from her step-mother, earn a living and continue her art school. But what is unexpected is not seeing her boss and talking to him through some form or another. But Pat has seen her and he is so taken with that it is become all he can think about.
Loved their story and hope to read more from this author.