Tuesday, December 6, 2016

BLOG TOUR: O'Gallagher Nights Series by Mignon Mykel

Publication Date: November 30, 2016

Genres: Adult, New Adult, Contemporary Romance

~Synopsis~

The three O'Gallagher siblings, all in one set.
Includes bonus material such as slightly expanded stories & a Christmas novella not otherwise available!

🍺O’Gallaghers has been a long-lasting establishment in San Diego, known for its Irish brews and fare. When the next generation of O’Gallaghers take over though, it becomes known for a little bit more…🍻

GOODREADS

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**THE STORIES INCLUDED IN THE O'GALLAGHER NIGHTS: THE SERIES BOXED SET:**

**ONE NIGHT STAND (O'Gallagher Nights #1)**

~Synopsis~

🍺Conor O’Gallagher
Thirty-two, six-foot, and all muscle. Flashes of dimples behind his black beard, quick winks for the lady patrons, and a tattoo sleeve that leaves the ladies begging to be his nightly conquest. Because one of them will be. Every night at close, Conor brings one, two, sometimes more, up to his apartment and has his merry way with them. The women always leave satisfied, and always know he’s a one and done kind of guy, no repeat performances. But what happens when one of his one night stands comes back into his life five months later, and pregnant no less? What happens when one night gives you more than you bargained for? Conor’s about to find out…

GOODREADS

~Book Review~

1 Star

This first book is Conor O’Gallagher and Mia Hampton’s story. While the story wasn’t exactly boring and it mostly kept me engaged (like watching a trainwreck), I could not honestly give it a higher rating based off the fact that this is supposed to be a romance, and the hero is about as far from romantic as you could possibly be. Even my first impression of Conor wasn’t all that favorable. A thirty-two year old dude who plays a “nightly game of eenie, meenie, miney, ‘ho,” and has inner monologues like, “But pussy was pussy. Tits were tits,” was a huge turn-off. Sorry, but this guy did not seem like a catch, unless of course you were looking to catch something, which I felt like you would the more I read about him.

Told via Conor and Mia’s alternating first person POV, Connor is a self admitted “asshole” who only does one night stands and has one night each week devoted to sleeping with multiple women at the same time. Women are nothing more to him than “another hole on another night,” and he’s no stranger to broken condoms. I can’t even begin to describe how much that makes my skin crawl. The fact that most of this didn’t bother Mia made me lose respect for her too.

The story, novella in length, isn’t sufficiently developed to explain why Mia had such a crush on him since childhood. I’m still scratching my head trying to figure that one out. Conor espouses that women think his cock is his best asset, and I’d actually believe that since his personality isn’t winning any awards. Plain and simple, this story is for readers looking for casual sex rather than romance and a cocky Neanderthal rather than a book boyfriend.

There is no romance to this. It’s just a sad (as in pathetic) tale of a girl who’s hung up on the wrong guy and gets pregnant her first time to the jerk who goes right back to screwing countless women right after being with her. His response to figuring out she’s caring his child: “Send her away and I’ll deal with her later.” And when he does start to get his head out of his ass, the story skips over all the important parts of a relationship, like getting to know each other, and jumps right to more sex and some OW drama. It was clear that Conor would have never given Mia a chance if he hadn’t knocked her up, and it was also clear that they were two totally different types of people and not the opposites attract kind.

Everything else that follows is literally either too little (as in no story development), too little too late (this man couldn’t begin to make up for the utter assholishness that he exhibited), or outright ridiculous (the abandoned breastfeeding and miracle conception.)

All in all, a real douchebag hero and a doormat heroine alongside a plot that favors summing up critical scenes rather than showing or developing. Put that together and you get an erotic melodrama rather than romance.

**ABOUT LAST NIGHT (O'Gallagher Nights #2)**

~Synopsis~

🍺Rory O'Gallagher
Thirty, five-ten, and long, lean muscle. The middle O'Gallagher is as known for his prowess in the bedroom as the oldest is, and for so much more. Women have always been attracted to him. People have always flocked to him. But then there was Emily Winters. With her white blonde hair, icy blue eyes, and cold demeanor toward him, Rory shouldn't want anything to do with her. But so help him, he does.

GOODREADS

~Book Review~

2.5 Stars

This is the second story in the O’Gallagher Series. It focuses on O’Gallagher brother Rory, 29, and one of the waitresses at the bar, Emily, 24. Frankly I didn’t have high hopes for Rory going into this story. In the first book, it’s established that while Conor has the integrity (the only integrity mind you) to at least finish out his shift each night before taking a woman to bed, Rory has a tendency to cut out in the middle of his shift. Then this story opens with Rory seeing Emily in a new light just hours after he’s been with a ONS and I thought it might be time to just DNF this whole series. None the less, despite details of his room still smelling like sex and my uncertainly over whether he ever had a shower, I did find the push/pull between Rory and Emily more appealing than I did with the couple in book one.

Told via their alternating first person POV, Emily and Rory had quite a bit of potential. Rory wasn’t as repulsive as Connor, and Emily wasn’t a lack-of-self-respecting doormat like Mia. Rory and Emily were kinda cute together when given a chance. Too bad the story wasn’t actually developed. The initial set up was shaky (Hello she could have called a locksmith, her building super, or simply banged on Rory’s door to interrupt his ONS); it’s never fully explained what went wrong in Emily’s early college days that landed her in the situation she’s in; and I don’t believe Emily’s last name is even divulged. There’s only one sexual encounter between them, and it leaves the readers as disappointed and yearning for more as Emily. There was so much potential for Rory to make that up to her, but it never happens. What also never happens is any kind of relationship between them after one failed date. While it was a relief that this O’Gallagher actually stays celibate after being with the heroine, the story most definitely needs more to be finished! The ending felt like what should have been the beginning of their journey to becoming an actual couple.

“‘You don’t need a man, hell, you’ll probably tell me you don’t have time for a man, but I want to be there for you. I want to show I’ve changed. I want to hold your hand. I want to make you dinner on those nights you’re scrambling to figure out how you’re going to juggle food and work and studying and walking the dog.’”

I wanted to read about all those things!!! I just had to wait for the Christmas bonus so keep reading! 😉

**ALL NIGHT LONG (O'Gallagher Nights #3)**

~Synopsis~

🍺Brenna O'Gallagher
The baby sister of those sexy O'Gallagher boys has her own story to tell. Her brothers think she's something she's not... but the truth is most of the rumors had always been true. At twenty, she decided she needed a change. Then her brothers hired him. He makes her feel like she's spiraling backward, but is she really? Has she found the one person she can confide in, the one person who will not judge her? And just how long can she keep it from her brothers before the repercussions settle in and she not only loses him, but the respect of her brothers? Her road hasn't been easy--and it's not about to start smoothing out now.

GOODREADS

~Book Review~

2.75 Stars

The third story in this novella series features Breena O’Gallagher and bartender Greyson Stone. The biggest shocker—unlike the men in this series before him, Grey is not a manwhore! He’s actually a very patient, supportive, caring, and committed guy. As for Breena, well it would be easier to understand Breena’s character if the back-story with this family had been developed. For instance…

Why does Breena worry so much about what her two womanizing brothers think about her to the point she’s lived so much of her life in secret? How did they get that way in the first place? And where the hell have their parents been while they were growing up? Is this supposed to be an adult version of the Max & Ruby show???

In all seriousness though, I really felt bad for Breena having to grow up in the shadow of her promiscuous brothers, seeking attention from her peers through less than healthy and desirable behaviors, and without the guidance and support of her parents. The O’Gallagher parents do finally show up and make appearances in the present, but it’s not to engage in any meaningful conversations or revelations with their daughter. All in all, I had a very hard time understanding how a 17 year old could go through what Breena went through and her parents not notice.

In contrast to the previous novellas, there is romance this time around. Told via Breena and Grey’s alternating first person point a view, readers actually get to experience the tender moments between the couple; there is no OW/OM drama, and the love scenes—love making this time around— are touching. Unfortunately, the story development with Breena and Grey is limited, instead of expanding on their characters, the plot favors shoving more of Connor and Mia down the readers’ throats while still failing to depict Rory and Emily’s love story until...

Saving the best for last...

HOT HOLIDAY NIGHTS (Bonus story!!!)

~Book Review~

4.5 Won Me Over Stars

“‘What had we been doing the last four months? Playing glorified house? Friends with not-so-many benefits?’”

If you read novella #2 in the O’Gallagher Nights series, About Last Night, then you probably wondered these things about Rory and Emily. It’s no secret that I was underwhelmed with this series, struggling with things from characterization to plot development. And when it came to Rory and Emily’s story, the shortest and least developed of them all …well I felt a little cheated. Then author Mignon Mykel approached me about this bonus novella, releasing in this box set, featuring Rory and Emily, and I am pleasantly surprised to say this one is miles above all the ones that came before it! If you are looking for romance, this is where you’ll find it in an upbeat and festive way.

At this point, I think About Last Night should just be considered an extended prologue to Emily and Rory’s real story. I lamented in my review that it ended just when it should have begun, but thankfully Hot Holiday Nights picks up soon after where About Last Night left off. And it’s the hidden gem of this series.

Turns out, once Rory left his self-involved man-whoring days behind and took a deep look at himself, he cleaned up quite nicely. Hell, he’s a total prince!

“I enjoyed cooking her dinner and cleaning up the house, so she wouldn’t have to worry about it later.”

25 months celibate, the boy wasn’t even complaining; he vowed he’d go sexless all over again to get his woman. Not only that, he goes grocery shopping, does the laundry (hand wash bras included), and remembers to put the toilet seat down! *Be still my heart.*

So what Hot Holiday Nights has to offer is a swoon-worthy sweet and sexy holiday romance story, utterly redeeming Rory and answering many of the missing pieces from their previous novella. Told via their dual first person POV, it’s strictly Emily and Rory’s HEA wrapped into a holiday love story about proving his commitment and finding out which one of them makes the first (technically second) sexual move. Thankfully sexist, repulsive Conor only makes one appearance and shockingly his scene was actually quite cute and made me laugh.

“‘Fucking A, Emy girl. That’s it. Milk my cock. Keep…Right there, Emy. Right…there!’”

Oh yeah, Rory totally makes up for that first less than stellar performance. ;-)

Mignon Mykel is the author of the Prescott Family series, as well as the short-novella erotic romance series, O'Gallagher Nights. When not sitting at Starbucks writing whatever her characters tell her to, you can find her hiking in the mountains of her new home in Arizona.