Blue Lines

Assassins, Book 4

By: Toni Aleo

Narrated by: Lucy Malone

Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

The instant Piper Allen sees Erik Titov, she wants him - wants his rock-hard body, sure, but the strength and mystery that lie behind that superstar hockey jock demeanor, too. So when he sidles up to her at a bar and slinks his arm around her waist, she's lost. What follows is the wildest night of her life…followed by inevitable heartbreak the next morning. And then, a few weeks later, a very big surprise: Two blue lines on a pregnancy test.

Only a check to the head could make Erik fall for a nice girl like Piper. But since their crazy-sexy night together, he's been trying to forget about her by falling into bed with every woman in Nashville, and it's not working. So when Piper shows up at his house with a baby-bomb to drop, it doesn't take much for Erik to suggest the nuclear option: Marriage. While it's supposed to be all for show, the second they say "I do," the ice between them starts to melt into sizzling steam. Contains mature themes.

©2013 Toni Aleo (P)2014 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Sexy and riveting...the perfect combination of love and lust." (Heidi McLaughlin, USA Today bestselling author)

Blue Lines

So this was the second time I listened to this book. The first time I hated Erik soooooo much I almost didn't finish reading it. I just didn't get why he was such a pisser. Since I wanted to re-listen to the books I knew I had to re-listen to this one and you know I saw Erik in a totally different light. I get why he was pushing Piper away. He was scared of himself and of what he was feeling. I wish Piper had stood up to her sisters a bit more she seemed to let them talk down and judge her. Also loved we got to see the rest of the gang! On to the next book!

Third time listening and I have to say I am glad I re-listened the second time, this time was because I just couldn't get this story out of my head and I was procrastinating another book that wasn't grabbing my attention.

Also I like the narration because to me she is this series.

No redeeming qualities for this jerkwad

I'm having a very difficult time finishing this one. Erik has no redeeming qualities. He's such a complete ass and Piper is unexplainably moon-eyed over him, despite him treating her like trash and taking advantage of her repeatedly. His manipulation of her feelings to get what he wants is gross. And what's with Piper excusing his consistent borderline (maybe not borderline) emotionally abusive behavior and manipulation because she "loves" him (whyyyyyy though?)? She marries him because she "owes" him for not telling him about the baby? Uh, she tried to contact him several times. The rest of the series is okay, this one us just bad. I am currently at chapter 18, and will return to update if my opinion changes, but I very much doubt there can be anything that will change course on the annoyance and irritation train I'm aboard with this book.

Why are manwhores appealing?

What would have made Blue Lines better?

Less emphasis on the hero's manwhoring ways. It was pretty nauseating. And then when she finally tells him she's pregnant with his baby, he goes off on her in a really soul destroying way. Like, really bad. I didn't see any way for her to forgive him for that and not be disappointed in her for doing so. And you know these stories have HEAs so somehow she does forgive him and let him back into her life. For that, she should have her feminist card revoked. I just couldn't finish this book knowing that she'd eventually forgive him for saying the really awful things he said about her. Not a good love story.

Has Blue Lines turned you off from other books in this genre?

No. I enjoy sports books when they're written well.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

She was okay. I would've like to have had a male read the hero's part. That would've been better. She could've worked on her accent. It was pretty awful.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Nope.

Wasn’t impressed.

The author did a great job of making Erich an absolute jerk at the beginning. However, the story was way too Long, and Piper cried too much. I cannot believe a woman they thought was as strong as Piper was would allow a man to jerk her around as much as Eric did. Who wants to stay with a man who continues to say that he doesn’t think he will hang around. She should have dumped his butt way earlier in the story. Actually, it was insanely crazy that she agreed to marry him. That was so totally far-fetched considering that she signed a prenup.

very good

Loved it !! this story. the narrator is so fantastic it's like your really there!! After listening to this story,. I totally enjoyed reading this book. It’s well written and the characters were uniquely fantastic. I would suggest this book to my friends that like this sort of genera. this was a good book. The narrator was great.

Story was great!

I loved this book. I love Toni Also. The narrator was good. There were instances where the main character's accent lost me in authenticity. But, I understand that narrating a man's voice isn't easy(for female narrator,add a male with an accent). I still enjoyed this very much!

Loved it!!

Loved this book!! Love how Piper stood up for what she wanted. Love how strong she was and how she tried to make Erik see his worth.

I'd read it.

it was a good story... the narrator at times made the book hard to listen to at times.

Great

Great book i love the series. It is a great one and one of my favorites.

An unrequited love and a baby.

As we learned in Empty Net, Piper has had a thing for Erik since meeting him. After finally having a night with him and then him breaking her heart, she is left with a piece of him: his baby. Erik has spent the past several months having sex with anything with breasts and legs. He's garnered significant media coverage and is at risk of being kicked off the team. When he learns of Piper's pregnancy, he sees an opening to keep in the good graces of the team's owner, Elli Adler. Considering he blames Piper for his predicament, he feels that the least she owes him is to marry him and lie to all of their friends and family in order to save his career. Then, once the baby is born, he can leave and go back to his preferred lifestyle of booze and babes. Against what is possibly her better judgement, Piper agrees to the arrangement. Though it kills her to lie to her loved ones, there's a part of her that hopes that while they're married, Erik will actually fall for her and want to be a family. Unfortunately, Erik is determined to never fall in love with anybody. He has never told anyone he loves them and has no intention of doing so in the future. But in spending so much time with Piper and really getting to know her, his walls start to come down. And it scares the living daylights out of him. For fear of turning into his biological father, he, predictably, freaks out and leaves Piper. The two do find their HEA and the book ends with no cliffhanger. I have loved reading this series so far and I can't wait to continue with Reese and Phillip's story in Breaking Away.