No Kind of Hero (Portland Devils Book 2)

Another beautiful story from Rosalind James. Wonderful characters and a heartfelt theme, that makes you feel that you don’t want the book to end. I definitely recommend this book, and all books that she has written.
Bernice F.

This a book that will make you look into your
Heart to find out what is important.
It is well written. It is a different type of book
Than the New Zealand group but it brings across any important message R ead find out

An old romance, separate lives, separate towns, a whole lot of love still in their hearts. Beth and Evan are in completely different places when Beth comes back to town. It doesn't take long for them to pick up where they left off...years ago.

Another great love story by talented author Rosalind James. Beth and Ryan were young lovers torn apart by youth and family pressure. They find a way back to each other but is their love written in the stars? Loved this book - highly recommend.

I really liked the first book in the series (Dakota and Blake) and was so interested in reading Evan's story that I pre-ordered it. But, I was disappointed. I loved Evan even when he made mistakes. And I adored the baby. I did not like Beth at all. She is just - odd. She is this straight - laced lawyer that works 80 hours a week - which is what she always wanted to do and admits she likes her job. But, she is having a nervous breakdown and decides to take a break from her job by coming home to her parents (she is 29). When you first meet her, she has dark circles under her eyes and is very skinny. Then, after being around her old flame for a few days she suddenly becomes this wild woman who cuts and dyes her hair silver and wears see through clothes. And she often talks like a teenager. We are told that she did not know Dakota very well in high school - in fact she knew so little about Dakota and Evan that she thought they were dating in high school. But, now that she is back in Wild Horse on her nervous breakdown break, she decides she should not be living with her parents and has a few conversations with Dakota and then moves in to Dakota's old house and wears Dakota's clothes. She also gets into a real argument where she tells off a bit**y girl who insults Dakota. I understand that she has met Dakota and likes her, but what is all this? It is over the top. And, of course, she leaves Evan again to go back to her big time lawyer job in Portland. Why would she do that? She could easily just be a lawyer in Wild Horse. Beth is a juvenile in so many ways and the attempt to make her a very uptight professional woman in one scene and a wild woman doing wild things with Evan in the next scene just makes her come off as very mixed up and ... odd. I waited and waited for this book and I was so unhappy with it.

I waited before I ventured into this series. Wow, now that I have I am hooked. I love Rosalind James writing and fall in love with her characters. I highly recommend this book as well as Silver Tongued Devil.

Evan and Beth. Two people falling in love just like normal every day people do. Refreshing and wonderful, relatable characters. Hard working people with family struggles we can all relate to. They could be your neighbors or coworkers. I love Rosalind James writing style and hungry for more.

I’m a big fan of everything Rosalind James writes. She crafts interesting storylines with appealing characters and nice mix of romance and eroticism. This novel is no kind of exception. The hero, Evan O’Donnell, is especially appealing. He’s just a good and decent man trying to make a living with his paint contracting business. He had returned to Wild Horse, Idaho to help his friend who was the heroine of the prior book in this series. And now he’s trying to hold things together so make a good life for his baby girl after her mother abandoned her just weeks after her birth.

Beth Schaefer has suffered a breakdown from working so intensively trying to make partner in her Portland law firm. She’s an estate lawyer who just suffered a big loss. (I would have liked some hint of what issue could have been a nine-month long case involving estate law that she lost.) She has been working 80-hour weeks and just has nothing left. She takes off to go home to Idaho to try to recover her equanimity and figure out her priorities in her life. It turns out that Evan was her boyfriend a decade ago the summer before she went to law school. However, her parents had looked down at their “princess” giving up law school for a guy who paints houses and they’d broken off their romance.

Now she’s back and after a bit of antagonism from Evan, they pick up where they’d left off ten years earlier. Their growing relationship in the short time that she has in Idaho is very quick, but she’s not going to be in town long enough for Evan to resist having a fling-turned-romance with Beth.

There is a bit of a mean-girls feel as Beth’s mom’s best friend and her daughter act all snobby toward Evan who comes from a poor family compared to Beth’s affluent background. I found myself wondering how much class snobbery there is in small towns in Idaho, but I haven’t been there so I just suspended disbelief.

The real star of the novel is Evan’s adorable baby daughter, Grace. She is a sweetheart and there is little that is more appealing than a hunky man taking care of a beloved baby girl.

This is an endearing second-chance romance with enough of a zip from their romance to keep the reader speeding through the book. It’s the second book in James’ Portland Devils series, and the characters from the first one, Silver-Tongued Devil, make brief appearances in this one, but you don’t have to read that book to enjoy this one. However, that was also a fun read so indulge yourself.

If you enjoy other Rosalind James books with North American settings, you may enjoy this book. I find that the magic of her NZ books does not carry over to her other series for some reason and I will probably be sticking to only her rugby books in the future. The heroine didn't resonate with me - poor little rich girl who is so awful to her ex before she suddenly warmed up to him again that it hurt to read. The hero ought to have been a recipe for swooning but the chemistry wasn't there for me. The heroine goes from barely paying attention to his daughter to suddenly being the ideal surrogate mom, and her own mother - rich snob to the max - does a complete 180 near the end. I would give the plot and characters 2 stars, the writing 3-4 stars. This book did not "click" with me but it might for you.

I've recently come across Rosalind James' books; this is the third I've read. It doesn't seem to be as easy to fall into as the others, which I'm a bit disappointed in. After reading Dakota's story, Evan's was a natural sequel. It seems he doesn't talk much because he's thinking of everything physical that he can do with Beth - charming, sexy, but not enough to sustain a book.

The first half seemed a slow read, not as engaging as the author's other works. The second half felt too rushed, too much happening in comparison. While the writing style is still solid, this couple's tale didn't do as much for me.

I couldn't muster enough enthusiasm or sympathy for Beth to care about her, or think she was right for Evan. Affection for Evan was residual from the first book, continued here more by his actions than his words. I think I liked him better in the first book as the chemistry between him and Dakota as friends seemed truer than between him and Beth. Secondary characters, other than Dakota, Blake and Henry, seemed one dimensional other than when it advanced the plot.

I'll still continue reading from this author. We can't all be rock stars all of the time, but she normally is!

No Kind of Hero is a second chance, opposites attract romance with a sexy single dad and burnt out lawyer. The book is fast paced with a mix of sexiness, tensions, and a build up to a rather dramatic and surprising climax before we get to a HEA.

Told from dual perspective, Beth and Evan have an instant attraction from the moment their paths cross again after nine years apart. Being from opposite backgrounds, their relationship is seen as a little off-limits (to others) but it’s quickly clear that Beth and Evan are far from stereotypical. While Evan is a charming guy with a hero and rescuing complex he thinks could be to his detriment, Beth is a woman burnt out by trying to reach the top and make partner, although deep down she is a little rebellious of how she should be perceived. At times, I felt a bit frustrated with Beth as she was a little contradictory (although I can see it was part of her re-emerging feelings and changing attitude). However, the relationship between Evan and his daughter, Gracie, will steal your heart and Beth’s relationship with the little girl shows her softer side in character.

While this is the second book in the series, it can be read as a standalone with characters from the previous book popping up for those who have read the first book. The book is a fairly hearty read and I’ll admit at times, I found myself skimming but overall, I enjoyed this.

If you are looking for a well written second chance romance and love a single dad romance, definitely give this small town standalone romance a read.

I've now read every book written by Rosalind James, and I can't say I've been disappointed with any of them. I was excited about this new series, but was on the fence with this book, since I wasn't sure about Evan and Beth. I'm so glad I took a chance. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

If writing a book was easy, everyone would do it, but Rosalind James has a way of telling a story that makes it look effortless! Everyone at some point in their life has felt like they weren't good enough,more at least made to feel that way. Beth and Evan's story is special, but to carry that kind of weight around for 10 years is hard on everyone. Evan, the consummate White Knight continues to slay dragons for both Dakota, Beth, and even his baby girl Gracie.

He's a lovable guy, and you have to give Beth credit for trying to "right" the wrongs of the past that have been committed against Evan. There's always a point where Rosalind makes you take a look at yourself in her books. In retrospect, it teaches me something new about myself I didn't know. I love that about her writing, and I think she'll grow on you too.

The eagerly awaited second book in the new Portland Devils series, although strangely it doesn't really feature one of the Portland Devils. This book is all about Evan O'Donnell, Dakota Savage's business partner in the painting and decorating business she took over from her step-father Russell. Evan's girlfriend April left him and their baby daughter Gracie when she was just a few weeks old and hasn't been since in the months since but he gets by with the help of his mother.

Beth Schaefer was Evan's girlfriend eight years ago. She was the daughter of one of Wild Horse Idaho's wealthy elite but they burned hot and fierce until she bowed to parental pressure. Marriage between a wealthy socialite and the guy who painted her parent's house was never going to work. Beth has been away in Portland climbing the corporate ladder as an estate lawyer but a recent lost court case has left her questioning everything and on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Too stressed to even choose a destination for her breakdown she returns home to Wild Horse only to run into her one true love.

Rosalind James has stated that this is her homage to Jane Austen's Persuasion and, if you've read that book, the plot outline is the same,. after that of course it diverges. Eight years older and wiser, can Beth stand up to the snobbery of her parents and their friends and make her own choices? Does she want to be a partner in a Portland law firm working 60-80 hour weeks? Is spending time with Evan and Gracie more enjoyable than with her so-called friends or "suitable" boyfriends?

I just loved this. I loved Evan, Beth and Gracie when we saw them in Silver-Tongued Devil (for some reason my URL links aren't working) and I was excited to read their story of second-chance love. This was, in my opinion, less gritty than the first book, some of which was heart-wrenching to read. I can't wait to find out who is the 'star' of the next book.

Once again Rosalind James gives us epic storytelling at its finest. The characters are completely developed and the story has a great beginning, an exciting middle and an exquisite HEA at the end. I had so many things to do today, but I couldn't do them until I finished this book. I HAD to know how it was going to end. Thank you so much for this most excellent book.

OK Rosalind James, now you're just showing off! this book is so good... maybe your best? Loved the characters and the story line. The emotion felt so raw and real. I've read all of Rosalind's books and this is definitely at the top of my list of favorites. Well done! Thank you...........

I love everything that Rosalind James writes.
From beginning to end, I am totally involved in the story and the characters.
The journey to happily ever after is never smooth, just like real life and that is why her stories are so good.

Thank you-I love this writer and her humor! This is a really nice feel good romance, interesting to learn a little about Idaho. Well handled compassion towards April, Gracie's birth mom. Just another great book by Ms. James!

No Kind of Hero is a wonderfully written story about second chance love. I am loving this Portland Devils series something fierce. We are back in Wild Horse, Idaho and learning Evan’s story. He is Dakota’s best friend who we met in book one. No worries though, because No Kind of Hero can be read as a standalone. I strongly encourage you to begin with Silver-Tongued Devil just so you can enjoy the family that Ms. James creates in her novels.

Beth Schaefer is pursuing her dreams. She is destined to follow in her father’s footsteps and have a career that is expected of her. Pleasing her parents is what matters and therefore is looking forward to the reward of becoming partner after working nonstop for the past six years. In following her dreams, she gave up the one man who she hasn’t forgotten back home in Wild Horse, Idaho. Their secret love affair all those years ago was filled with so many memories and love. He cherished her and made her feel protected. She always felt like she was home in the arms of Evan O’Donnell.

Evan O’Donnell takes his responsibilities seriously. He promised his best friend he would always take care of his little sister Dakota when he passed away. He took on the responsibility of dad when he found out his girlfriend was pregnant. But he didn’t expect to be a mom and dad to his baby girl when his girlfriend walked away from them. His life is now filled with running a successful painting company and raising his daughter. He doesn’t need any complications but when Beth Schaefer comes back home for eighteen point five days, he’s not sure he heart can handle letting her back in.

I love the buildup and anticipation Rosalind James creates in her characters and stories. Each character is well developed and have beautiful souls. Another wonderful creation!

An old romance, separate lives, separate towns, a whole lot of love still in their hearts. Beth and Evan are in completely different places when Beth comes back to town. It doesn't take long for them to pick up where they left off...years ago.

Evan and Beth. Two people falling in love just like normal every day people do. Refreshing and wonderful, relatable characters. Hard working people with family struggles we can all relate to. They could be your neighbors or coworkers. I love Rosalind James writing style and hungry for more.

I've recently come across Rosalind James' books; this is the third I've read. It doesn't seem to be as easy to fall into as the others, which I'm a bit disappointed in. After reading Dakota's story, Evan's was a natural sequel. It seems he doesn't talk much because he's thinking of everything physical that he can do with Beth - charming, sexy, but not enough to sustain a book.

The first half seemed a slow read, not as engaging as the author's other works. The second half felt too rushed, too much happening in comparison. While the writing style is still solid, this couple's tale didn't do as much for me.

I couldn't muster enough enthusiasm or sympathy for Beth to care about her, or think she was right for Evan. Affection for Evan was residual from the first book, continued here more by his actions than his words. I think I liked him better in the first book as the chemistry between him and Dakota as friends seemed truer than between him and Beth. Secondary characters, other than Dakota, Blake and Henry, seemed one dimensional other than when it advanced the plot.

I'll still continue reading from this author. We can't all be rock stars all of the time, but she normally is!

The eagerly awaited second book in the new Portland Devils series, although strangely it doesn't really feature one of the Portland Devils. This book is all about Evan O'Donnell, Dakota Savage's business partner in the painting and decorating business she took over from her step-father Russell. Evan's girlfriend April left him and their baby daughter Gracie when she was just a few weeks old and hasn't been since in the months since but he gets by with the help of his mother.

Beth Schaefer was Evan's girlfriend eight years ago. She was the daughter of one of Wild Horse Idaho's wealthy elite but they burned hot and fierce until she bowed to parental pressure. Marriage between a wealthy socialite and the guy who painted her parent's house was never going to work. Beth has been away in Portland climbing the corporate ladder as an estate lawyer but a recent lost court case has left her questioning everything and on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Too stressed to even choose a destination for her breakdown she returns home to Wild Horse only to run into her one true love.

Rosalind James has stated that this is her homage to Jane Austen's Persuasion and, if you've read that book, the plot outline is the same,. after that of course it diverges. Eight years older and wiser, can Beth stand up to the snobbery of her parents and their friends and make her own choices? Does she want to be a partner in a Portland law firm working 60-80 hour weeks? Is spending time with Evan and Gracie more enjoyable than with her so-called friends or "suitable" boyfriends?

I just loved this. I loved Evan, Beth and Gracie when we saw them in Silver-Tongued Devil (for some reason my URL links aren't working) and I was excited to read their story of second-chance love. This was, in my opinion, less gritty than the first book, some of which was heart-wrenching to read. I can't wait to find out who is the 'star' of the next book.