Hot Mess

Hot Aussie Knights, Book 1

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Pub Date 22 May 2017 | Archive Date 06 Jun 2017

Description

“I never thought I’d get a second chance at a first time with you.”

Firefighter Logan Knight thinks it’s fate when he meets Arabella Tucker again, nine years after their brief, intense relationship ended. Until he realizes that Bella doesn’t recognize him and all of their memories together are completely erased from her memory.

Bella may be oblivious to their history but she can’t deny their scorching chemistry and the possibility of a future with the mystery man from her past. Logan wants a future too, but he can’t go there until Bella knows everything they shared. Her parents, though, want to protect her from the emotional cost of old memories and so Logan is reluctantly persuaded to let the past lie.

But when Bella starts to uncover the truth, she is shocked by the revelations. Can she move beyond the hurt of her shared history with Logan and begin their new story?

“I never thought I’d get a second chance at a first time with you.”

Firefighter Logan Knight thinks it’s fate when he meets Arabella Tucker again, nine years after their brief, intense relationship...


A Note From the Publisher

Multi-award winning and USA Today bestselling author Amy Andrews is an Aussie who has written fifty romances from novellas to category to single-title in both the traditional and digital markets for a variety of publishers. Her first love is steamy contemporary romance that makes her readers tingle, laugh and sigh. At the age of 16, she met a guy she instantly knew she was going to marry so she just smiles when people tell her insta-love books are unrealistic because she did marry that man and, twenty odd years later, they’re still living out their happily ever after.

Amy works part-time as a PICU nurse and spent six years on the national executive of Romance Writers of Australia where she organized two national conferences and undertook a two year term as president. She loves good books, fab food, great wine and frequent travel – preferably all four together. She lives on acreage on the outskirts of Brisbane with a gorgeous mountain view but secretly wishes it was the hillsides of Tuscany.

Multi-award winning and USA Today bestselling author Amy Andrews is an Aussie who has written fifty romances from novellas to category to single-title in both the traditional and digital markets for...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9781946772473
PRICE $2.99 (USD)

Average rating from 45 members


Featured Reviews

Logan Knight is the son and the grandson of firefighters and he and his cousins are all firefighters in Brisbane, Australia. On the day of his grandfather's funeral he sees a young woman sitting outside the fire-station, imagine his surprise when it turns out to be Arabella Tucker, the girl he loved nine years ago.

Arabella has no recollection of Logan, she was in an accident and has amnesia. She doesn't remember that they moved in together or that after a tragedy she sunk into a deep depression and left him. But she does find the mysterious stranger very attractive and soon they embark on a hot and steamy love affair. But Logan hasn't been completely honest about their past, and it's gonna come back to bite him!

Grrrrh, all I seem to be writing today is "I liked it, but I didn't love it". I've skirted around what happened in the past, although it is revealed fairly early in the novel, to avoid spoiling but really that is all that happens. And they have lots of sex. All their talking seems to happen off-stage as it were, I have no idea whether they see anything in each other except animal attraction because there doesn't seem to be much connection. I didn't really connect to either Arabella or Logan, I was more interested in whether Logan's cousin Duncan and Ruth, the female firefighter will get together.

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Amy Andrews’s take on the second-chance trope is by far, one of the most angsty and the most intense one I’ve read in this genre.

‘Hot Mess’ is a story of heartbreak and rediscovery(with a huge twist written into this trope), and while not entirely unpredictable, does have the elements of deception (even though executed with the best of intentions) and misplaced hope that form the main conflict of the narrative. The coincidental meeting of Logan and Belle starts it all off when Logan gets the biggest shock of his life to learn that Belle has no recollection of their tumultuous past at all after a traumatic accident that stole 9 years of her memories from her. As they reconnect, Logan is desperate for their past to resurface, but it never does and that alone, strains their newfound relationship.

Andrews articulates the process of grief eloquently enough that I could empathise with both Logan and Belle. The former had never stopped hoping for a miracle that never came, leaving him alone to shoulder the burden of their difficult past and that made me feel for him, caught as he was between Belle's parents and his desire to move onwards with her. Belle on the other hand, had gone through so much on her own and faced a different kind of pressure in her inability to make herself remember, then condemning herself when she couldn’t.

But there isn’t a medical miracle here by any stretch and that alone makes the journey ahead so much harder for both of them. Andrews definitely paints a realistic portrait of what happens when memories are lost forever, and with them, how the pain and the heartbreak that will now stay irretrievably lost because one party cannot remember anything of that time period at all. Both Logan and Belle had been so brave, though it was harder for me to accept Belle walking away so quickly after vowing to fight for Logan this time around. That it was up to Logan to grovel in the end made me wish that Belle had a bit more courage in her to move forward and stick with that decision instead of running when she couldn’t handle things, especially since it actually had to take an accident for her to change her mind about them. Their HEA, after they finally hit rock-bottom the second time around, is a bittersweet one and you do feel as though the characters have sweated blood and tears to get where they needed to be, whether by fate or by coincidence.

‘Hot Mess’ by and large, did surprise me and it’s mostly because I’ve never quite read a second-chance romance like this. But it’s a hard book to ‘like’ because of the subject matter and as morose as I felt at the end, that’s in no way a judgement on Andrews’s deft writing at all.

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Ms. Andrews writes such compelling stories that I always find myself getting hooked by from the very first page and this story was no different. Seriously, Hot Mess is a captivating read encompassing the second chance romance trope, where the characters have a lot to overcome. Not only because of Bella's amnesia, but because of her parents, Logan's job as a firefighter and the secret the hero is keeping. Will Logan win Bella back? Will she be able to forgive everyone that's keeping one of the most important secrets of her past from her? The way this story started with the prologue made me sympathize with Logan and the rest of his family. They've lost someone important and they're dissatisfied with the proceedings they're having to sit through.

As for the dialogue, it was intense, well-written and had me flipping the pages determined to learn more about Logan and his family. They're quite close and I liked that they could tease each other the way they do. It breaks the tension and stress they're under while on the job and shows that they'll do anything for each other, which is proven by what one of Logan's relatives do to bring the hero and heroine together when it seems all hope is lost for their second chance.

With the main characters, Logan was a marvelous hero and I could understand why he thought them spending time together might help Bella recover her memories. Will it happen? Will showing her various things that he kept from their time together help her? Also, I liked that he was supportive, even though it was hard to handle the fact that she doesn't remember their time together nine years ago. A time when they were so in love and there were so many fond memories including the one he's keeping secret that ended in heartbreak. The one that could rob them of a second chance if she ever learns the truth before he's ready to tell her.

While Bella, she's been through a lot in her past and has overcome so much to get to where she is. After her and Logan went their separate ways, it wasn't easy for either of them and I couldn't help but be affected by the heroine's emotions. She's a survivor and a fighter, which is proven by all that she's done since her accident to get to where she is. I also liked that she was willing to give Logan a chance, because they have so much chemistry that shouldn't be denied. Chemistry which was strong in the past and only seems stronger as they start over in the present and get to know each other again. But what I liked most of all is that Bella was willing to fight for her relationship with Logan this time, and didn't allow others to influence her decision.

Overall, Ms. Andrews has penned a fabulous read in this book where the dialogue, both the main and secondary characters, and the gratifying ending has me looking forward to more of this series. The way this story ended had me concerned for one of the secondary characters, but I liked how things turned out for Bella and Logan in the end. Someone in Logan's family wants him to be happy, and it's palpable that the heroine being back in his life makes him that way. But what I liked most about the ending was Logan's surprise for the heroine. No way was he going to let her go this time. I would recommend Hot Mess by Amy Andrews, if you enjoy the second chance romance trope or books by authors Sinclair Jayne, Trish Morey or Victoria Purman.

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Hot Mess had me in tears. Amy Andrews really knows how to find a sensitive topic and exploit it to the nth degree. In this book she has written a heroine with amnesia and boy does she make you sit up and think about the consequences that particular condition might have. I cried for Bella who had lost years of her life and I cried for Logan who had lost his love and so much more. Then I cried for the hope of a future for these two. Such a compelling story!

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I found this book to be ok. But saying that I'm interested to get Logan's brothers story. I'm not sure why I want his story, but I do.

Logan is a firefighter like other members of his family. But when he sees Bella sitting outside staring at the firehouse he's determined to make it to her. What he doesn't expect is the woman he loved and shared something special with to totally not know him.

Bella lost her memory to amnesia from a accident years ago. And as frustrating as it is Bella can't seem to remember the sexy man standing in front of her. She also can't believe a man like him would be interested in a woman like her. So Bella is intrigued by Logan and decides to get to know him. With any luck she may be able to get some of her memory back or at least learn about the years she can't remember..

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This book was fantastic. It's about a woman with a tragic that happened four yrs ago and during this time she lost her memory. But for some reason she made it back to her old town where she fell in love with her ex all over again but there is a huge secret that her family is keeping will this make things worse or better?

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I liked the second chance storyline that author Amy Andrews creates in Hot Mess for Bella and Logan's characters. Hot Mess is the latest novel, in a series that is sure to be scorching! Logan from the start had his heart on his sleeve, along with the obvious smexiness that the author effortlessly rouses, sure to grab readers attentions. Arrabella's character strength was a stand out as her character's amnesia challenges brought further emotions to the forefront of the story. So much baggage to overcome by both characters in a much liked read.
Review copy received from Tule Publishing via Netgalley

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Two people cross paths again... only for our gal... she cannot remember the past so it feels like the the first time.

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Although this is part of a bigger series, this book completely stands alone – it *does not* end on a cliffhanger. There is both cursing and sex in this book, so if that's a turn off for you, you should skip this one.

I decided to request this book through NetGalley after reading a blogger's early review on it, and I am so glad that I did because this book was fabulous. The premise of a amnesiac character made me hesitant because I've read a couple that were – frankly – awful, but this story is an amnesia storyline done right.

***SPOILERS*** So many spoilers.

I cannot explain how much I appreciate the fact that Ms. Andrews did not write a book where a hot man with a mythical gigantic (ahem) “magic wand” seduces the amnesiac and POOF the magic sex cures the woman's amnesia. This story *actually deals with* the topic of a character living with amnesia, and the repercussions of that affliction rather than using it as a cheap plot device. Because of that, putting this book down to do “real life” things was difficult, I just really needed to know if Logan would find a way to meet Bella where she was rather than hoping she'd be magically fixed, and if Bella could forgive Logan for his transgressions.

Although I started out unsure of whether I was going to like Logan (the sexist and crude first scene at the firehouse set my teeth on edge), he absolutely was not the pig that I thought he would turn out be. The way that he loved Bella, the way that he craved having her in his life, was beautiful. Although he made mistakes along the way, his devotion to her was swoon-worthy and he was everything I wanted in a romance novel hero. And Bella was just as likable. She was incredibly strong considering her situation, and even when things get so inexplicably horrible, she was strong and self-sufficient. She didn't NEED Logan to make her whole, she was going to be fine on her own and I loved that. I do hope we will be reading more about Duncan in the future.

If you're looking for a read that will make you smile and then push you to the brink of tears, and that will make you fall in love with the main characters, you should definitely read this book. I am so glad to have found this author and look forward to reading more of Ms. Andrews' books in the future.

I requested and was generously granted an ARC of this book via NetGalley. I was under no obligation to write this review, I did so because the book was really great.

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Hot Mess was an interesting take on the second chance romance trope. Normally, both characters remember their time together and what drove them apart. In Hot Mess, Bella’s memories are gone. She doesn’t remember ever knowing Logan or anything about their year long affair. It was heartbreaking to watch Logan excited to see Bella after years apart only to find out that she wasn’t quite the same woman that he once fell in love with.

I enjoyed these characters and the story. There were some moments in the beginning that made me kind of cringe and I wasn’t quite sure I’d like Logan and his fellow firefighters. Eventually though Logan became the kind of man I was hoping he’d be. He still loved Bella and it didn’t matter to him that she no longer remembered him, he wanted to be with her anyway. Bella was a very strong character. After everything she’d been through she stood tall and didn’t let the fact that she lost so much of her life hold her back.

I definitely recommend this book. I’m not sure if I’ll read the other books in the series since they are by different authors, but I’ll put them on my TBR and see if I can get to them.

Arc provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review

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This was a quick read and very heartwarming. A lost love rekindled but has some major obstacles to overcome was a fantastic story line. Of course the hot sex was a bonus!

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