Blog Tour Stop and Review: Taut by J.A. Huss

Book & Author details:

TAUT: The Ford Book by JA Huss

(Rook and Ronin Spin-off)

Published January 20, 2014

Contemporary, Erotic Romance, New-ish Adult

Synopsis:

TAUT IS A STANDALONE NOVEL - you do NOT have to read any of the Rook and Ronin books first.

Ford Aston is known for many things. Being an emotionless, messed up bastard, a freakishly smart social outcast, and a cold, domineering master who keeps "pets" instead of girlfriends.

And after Rook broke his heart, he plans to keep it that way.

Ashleigh is known for nothing, and that's exactly what she's got going for her. She's broke, stranded in the mountains with a three month old baby, and Ford Aston is screwing with her head.

Big. Time.

And she plans to mess with his right back.

It's a coy game at first, filled with flirting, and innuendo--but Ford soon realizes something is not quite right with Ashleigh. In fact, something is seriously, seriously wrong and the closer they get to their final destination, the closer Ford gets to the truth.

One night of devastation, self-loathing, and emptiness turns into the best thing that ever happened to Ford Aston. But one day of in-your-face reality threatens Ashleigh's whole existence.

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Since A LOT of people have been asking here is the scoop on how this book fits in with my Rook & Ronin series: 

Ford first appears in Rook and Ronin #2, Manic. He has a bigger role in Panic, R&R #3, and then he has a novella, called SLACK. This TAUT book is only FORD. It's not really part of the R&R series, as that plot has all been sidelined for this one romance book.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18807831-taut

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/TAUT-Ford-Book-Ronin-Spinoff/dp/1936413353

Tour Schedule: http://xpressobooktours.com/2013/11/18/tour-sign-up-taut-the-ford-book-by-j-a-huss

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AUTHOR BIO

J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label). 

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

My Review:

Holy mother, this was one hell of a book! My love for Ford began during Manic, but Taut took that love to a whole different level. I was nervous going into the novel because my heart was still broken over Ford and Rook not ending up together in Panic. However, Taut is a testament to Huss’s amazing ability as an author since I grew to love newcomer Ashleigh just as much as Rook.

Ford came off at times as a weird guy in the Rook and Ronin series, so I thought it was great to have this book told from his POV. Seeing inside of his head made a lot of his actions understandable. Although Ford states he was diagnosed as Asperger’s as a child, I was glad Huss didn’t use a textbook definition as part of his characterization. It was also nice to learn a lot about his background and how it shaped the man he came to be.

Ashleigh was definitely a loose cannon and I wasn’t sure if she was a good match at first for Ford. I was glad the story progressed the way it did because I had serious concerns about what kind of mother would risk the welfare of her baby the way she did. However the more I learned about how hard Ashleigh had it, I was able to empathize. I also think Ford needed to be challenged by someone like Ashleigh to fully develop as a character.

The plot was character driven and I particularly enjoyed the scenes with Ford, Ashleigh and Kate stuck at his family’s cabin during a blizzard. Ford could’ve easily unraveled as he ran away from his problems in Denver, but instead he comes to care for this damaged girl and her newborn. He thinks of himself as an *sshole and it was great to see his actions prove him wrong.

I highly recommend Taut and although it can be read as a standalone, I think it would be better to read the Rook and Ronin series first. The sex scenes are super racy in Taut but I wouldn’t expect anything less from Ford’s book.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

I received a copy of this book as part of the Taut blog tour.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway