Return to Poughkeepsie
Poughkeepsie #2
Contemporary Romance
Omnific Publishing
30 December 2013
Beckett Taylor is a murderer. His calling, his craft are destruction and intimidation—whether he wants it that way now or not. He left Poughkeepsie to keep his brothers safe, to keep Eve safe. Set up with happy lives to live, they’re better off without him, right?
But all his willpower crumbles when he hears his brother Blake’s frantic voice on the phone. An unknown enemy has moved in on his old territory, and Livia’s been taken. In an instant, Beckett knows it will take an attack only he and Eve can execute to bring her back. All his self-imposed embargoes are torn to shreds, perhaps along with the new man he’s struggled to become.
“Brother, call Eve. I’ll be there soon.”
In this emotional and action-packed sequel to Poughkeepsie, Debra Anastasia conjures a tale of love at its most raw and ragged. With Beckett and Eve, how could we expect anything less? But even when it’s messy, not magical, true love perseveres. Real love finds a way—for better or for worse until death does part.
Let me just preface this review with a short message for Debra Anastasia.
This “review” will probably be long, I have so much to say. Please bear with me. *bats eyelashes* The world of the Poughkeepsie series is unlike anything I’ve read before. If you know me, you know that I loved Poughkeepsie with all of my black little heart. With unique characters and exceptional storylines, this story grips you up and doesn’t let go. Return to Poughkeepsie keeps up that tradition.
I can’t lie, the wait for this book was hard. I originally read Poughkeepsie around this time last year, and waiting a year for the sequel seemed like torture. HOWEVER. This, my friends, THIS is a prime example of why we need to get our Frankie Goes To Hollywood on and RELAX. When you get a sequel like this one, it’s worth every day of the wait.
In the first book we meet Blake, Cole, and Beckett. Three kids thrown together in the foster care system who form an unbreakable brotherhood. Without families of their own, the three men become a family, and their relationship is among the strongest I’ve ever read in a novel.
While the first book focuses on Blake, Return to Poughkeepsie is all about Beckett. I fell in love with Beckett in the first book, and my love only grew with this one. Beckett is a singular character. The oldest of the brothers, he aged out of foster care first, and was determined to make life safe for his brothers when they got out. How did he do that? He “became the baddest motherfucker who ever lived” and was running the Poughkeepsie underworld, his name a talisman for his brothers.
Whores, drugs, and murder are his bread and butter. By all accounts, Beckett is a bad dude. Except that he’s not. As Blake says, “He does life wrong for all the right reasons.” More than just a monster of a man, he’s a really a decent man that does monstrous things. He’s literally sold his soul so that his brothers might have normal, safe lives. *Pause for small blubbering break, such is my love for Beckett*
While Beckett finally found his match in Eve, Return to Poughkeepsie picks up after he has selflessly left her, so that she can have the normal life he feels she deserves. The separation is breaking him. Of course, his devotion to those he loves is so strong, so he can’t stay away forever. Finding Eve again, he vows to be a better man for her. After an intense reunion, he asks her to wait for him.
Fast forward five years. FIVE FUCKING YEARS!
I literally started paging through my Kindle because I thought I was missing pages or something. Five years later, Beckett has a new life, a different life. The kind of life I imagine he’d have if he didn’t become, well, Beckett Fucking Taylor. Complete with a new business, new associates, and the ugliest dog this side of Animal Planet. Somehow, the big, bad, Beckett is nurturing them all. Still, he doesn’t feel he’s worthy of Eve.
Eve is still a bad ass, but she’s on the QT. With a straight job, she gets drawn back into her old habits after being drafted to look into the growing crime organization in Poughkeepsie. The same organization that ends up bringing Beckett back after Livia is kidnapped.
I’m not going to detail too much of the story for you, this is something you need to experience firsthand. Suffice it to say, the brothers are reunited, their bond as strong as ever. As far as Beckett and Eve? JAYSUS. When they get together, the energy is off the charts. I’m pretty sure my Kindle fogged up once or twice.
Their connection is undeniable, and no amount of time or space can dampen their feelings for each other. They are two halves of one whole, each needing the other to truly be happy. But their relationship isn’t all hearts and flowers. It’s claws and teeth, passion and rage, heat and furor.
In Return To Poughkeepsie, Debra takes us deeper into the lives of the people we’ve grown to love, and we meet new characters, some we love, some we loathe. There is SO MUCH going on, it more legend than story, an epic tale that takes over your heart and mind.
Brimming with Debra’s signature humor (seriously, I’m hiring her to ghost write my autobiography), Return To Poughkeepsie is a tale of brotherhood, loyalty, revenge, and all-encompassing love.
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Meet Debra Anastasia
Debra Anastasia is busy, just like every other mom. There’s dinner, the dogs, the two kids, the two kids, and her ongoing battle with…ahem… digestive issues, which combined with her adolescent boy sense of humor makes for colorful and sometimes cringe-worthy social media updates. Her first love and crowning achievement is her thriving career as the weirdest mom on the block.
Her writing started a decent handful of years ago when–along with the animals and humans in her house–the voices of characters started whispering stories in Debra’s ear. Insomnia was the gateway to plots that wouldn’t give up, wouldn’t let go. Now they stalk her everywhere. Halfway through making lunches, a twist takes hold and–fingers full of peanut butter–she finds somewhere, anywhere to write it down.She’s eternally grateful to Omnific Publishing, which has now published four of her books: two in the Seraphim Series and two in the Poughkeepsie Brotherhood Series, as well as her novella, Late Night with Andres. That one is special because 100% of the proceeds go to breast cancer research. (So go get it right now, please!) She also very much appreciates her open-minded readers, who embrace everything she has to offer, with a focus on anti-heroes and bathroom humor.
Debra lives in Maryland with her family. You can find her at DebraAnastasia.com and on Twitter @Debra_Anastasia. But be prepared.
Giveaway!
are you FUCKING kidding me? This is the most adorable, amazing thing. I love you. Oh, and thanks for participating. HOLY CRAP. Come into my bosom for a snugglehump.