TENDERFOOT
Series: Avenging Angels #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kristen Ashley
Release Date: June 17, 2025
Harlow O’Neill is waiting for Javier Montoya to make his move. She has it bad for the gorgeous new investigator at Nightingale Investigations and Security. She’s sure he knows it. She’s also sure he’s just as into her.
And she’s read the Rock Chick books. She knows how those Hottie Squad men are supposed to win their women.
Javi is just not trying to win her.
Then one evening Harlow is undercover on a mission for the Avenging Angels, and Javi blows her cover. She’s not happy about it. They share words and some of the ones Javi uses aren’t all that great.
Harlow retreats. Javi goes on the advance.
And the man Harlow was investigating winds up dead.
The Angels go all in to discover what’s happening with a dating app scam that ended up with a dead guy. The Nightingale men aren’t fans of the women wading in on such a dangerous case, and they’re doing something about it.
It’s a race between the Angels and the Hottie Squad as to who’s going to solve the mystery.
While all of that happens, Javi’s not taking any chances with Harlow’s safety. He moves her into his place and Harlow learns firsthand what it means to be in the romantic crosshairs of a member of the Hottie Squad…and the heartbreaking reasons why Javi kept her at arm’s length.
His gaze grew intent on me, so much so, I felt like I’d suddenly been engulfed in an inferno. “I want you so fucking much,” he growled.
Oh the way this book hit the spot for me. Heck, it hit spots I didn’t even know I had. I binge read it in a giddy fever and swear to you, if I was in a position to kick my feet as I did it, I would have.
Now Rock Chick Regret is one of my all time favorite Rock Chick books. If you haven’t met Hector OMG Chavez, you haven’t lived. And dare I say I now have a favorite from the Rock Chick spin off with Javier “Javi” Montoya. This man was everything. All the ovary tingling things. ALL OF THEM.
“Mine’s with hers,” Javi repeated. “And I’m paying.”
Register guy looked to Javi. Javi pushed me out of his way, pulling out his wallet. “I can get my own dinner,” I told him.
He looked down at me. “I know you can. That doesn’t mean you are.”
“Okay then, I don’t want you to buy my dinner,” I returned.
Javi switched his attention to register guy. “She’s full of it because we’re fighting. This is a date and I’m buying her dinner.”
Do you SEE what I mean? THE SWOON.
Now if you’ve read this series then you’re already in love with this girl gang and I don’t have to convince you of their awesome. And if you haven’t, then you need to get on this immediately.
Harlow was impossible not to love with her sweet and caring nature and penchant for self soothing with Taylor Swift. She’s been lusting after Javier for as long as she’s known him, but he never gave signs that he wants to go there. And then he epically puts his foot in his mouth with his assumption of Harlow being the quintessential rich girl who is essentially slumming it with her friends. And while Harlow definitely comes from money, she still yearns for the one thing she never had; love and acceptance. I loved all of her vulnerable layers. But what I loved the most was the way that Javi immediately realized his mistake and pursues her relentlessly. And you don’t know woo until you read a KA alpha woo his woman. SWOON.
Of course it wouldn’t be this series without the fun suspense subplot that runs parallel to the romance and I loved the way that both of those things seamlessly wove into the other.
This is the kind of romance book that made me fall in love with KA’s writing to begin with and it was pure nostalgia. I loved these two together so much. The story was emotional and the characters multilayered. My heart absolutely broke for Javi and everything he survived to be the man that he is. And I hope we continue some more development with that in the future books. I don’t want to spoil it and say with what, but you’ll see what I mean when you read it.
The romance was sheer perfection. No extra drama, no third act breakup. Just a man who gives his all for a woman who deserves it all. And mad oh man did I gobble it up. 
For more information on Kristen Ashley, visit: https://www.kristenashley.net/
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