Review: Crank by Adriana Locke (Gibson Boys #1)

Note: This ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I never know what to expect from this girl, the girl that I can't shake.

The much-awaited first book in the spin-off series to the Landry Family novels has been set forth into the world, and let me tell you, Crank was everything I could have hoped for in Sienna Landry's story and then some. The Gibson Boys is about a group of close-knit cousins in a small town in Illinois called Linton--the first set of brothers are composed of Lance, Walker, and Machlan (they also happen to have an older sister named Blaire who lives in Chicago) and the second has Patrick (aka Peck) and Vincent (who is only mentioned once here but whose story is up next in the series via a novella, Cross, which also happens to be the name of Machlan's best friend who owns a gym...aaand now my mind is racing as to the direction that book may go to, but this could be wishful thinking on my part, plus I'm digressing). It's Walker that kicks this series off, and if you're a fan of the Landry Family series and have been itching to find out who the youngest Landry was going to end up with, lo and behold!

With her parents, four brothers, and older twin sister all in Savannah, Georgia, there's no denying just how much Sienna Landry misses them. However, she also relishes in the freedom that distance has provided her. She went to college in California, and now, she's in Illinois, working on a business she started with her close friend, but now that her friend is moving back to her parents' place to help them out, Sienna is unsure as to what her next move will be. She hates the idea of falling short of any expectations her family may have, what with every single one of her siblings being successes in their respective fields. She doesn't have much reason to stay in Illinois, not with a business that allows her to work from anywhere. But maybe Walker Gibson is reason enough, though whether it's a temporary thing or more is still unknown. There's something about the way he pushes and pulls when it comes to her that leaves her far more curious than she thought possible. If only she knew how much she yanks his crank...

Gah! How I absolutely adored this series starter! Walker was such an enigma, with Sienna barely breaking the surface to this often stoic man who stifled his smiles and who seemed to both want to pull Sienna in and push her away. She chipped and prodded and I guess her perseverance paid off, because Walker was a hell of a guy to fall in love with. Was he perfect? Nope, but there was just something about him that was so damned appealing that I got why Sienna couldn't really bring herself to walk away from him, even when she should have time and again. Speaking of the rebel Landry, she was such a revelation her. She was different from her twin Camilla, although she proved to also have a bit of that rebellious streak within her in Swink, the fifth and final Landry Family novel, but she still had that innate goodness and desire to make the lives of people better and easier within her that the rest of her family had, no matter how much she saw herself as being somewhat of the odd duck in their close-knit clan.

I love how this first book not only gave readers an absolutely wonderful love story that had both angst and humor, but that it also introduced us to other characters that will be recurring as the series moves forward. My curiosity was piqued several times by Walker's two brothers plus his protective sister. Then there was his cousin and Peck more than embraced the spotlight, not that he was an attention hog. It had more to do with his being a genuinely good guy who, at times, did the silliest things. Yet, even with a stellar supporting cast of quirky characters, this was still Sienna and Walker's story to tell, and it was one that had me smiling most of the time, but also managed to have my heart clenching painfully in my chest when they had to confront Walker's past (and that was a doozy of a past!). Coming from as well loved a series as the Landry Family, this spin-off had HUGE shoes to fill; Adriana Locke, however, equipped her Gibson Boys with their own kickass boots, allowing them to stand on their own, and proudly so. I'm highly recommending you check out Crank, which is one of my 2017 favorite reads. Five-plus stars. ♥

Release Date: 10 November 2017 09 November 2017 (early release)

Date Read: 06 November 2017

Learn more about Adriana Locke.

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