Against All Odds is a unique book. There is a thriller at the core – a jilted lover, brutal violence, mental illness, mystery and suspense. The violence was certainly more thriller than horror, however, so it is not difficult to read - although early on I did think maybe a certain big-name film director had a hand in the storytelling.
The book is co-written by three very good writers. I thought at one point each writer would take one POV, but if so I am sorry for the lady who got Bradley. Regardless, the storytelling works well, and the chapters flow nicely. The overall writing is excellent. I liked following the villain’s descent into madness, and the heroes growing attraction to each other. The romance was paced just right, it was believable although unlikely, and there was the right amount of drama.
Overall an enjoyable read. 4-and-a-half stars. Recommended.

‘Against All Odds’ is a heart-achingly beautiful loves story. Peyton and Tory meet under tragic circumstances and have to deal with so much together in the aftermath. The connection between them was intense and true and felt completely natural. It was also unbelievably sexy and the intimate moments captured the feelings they had for each other so well. I liked getting to know them through their individual chapters. Each of the three authors wrote a character and it really worked. Their styles intertwined seamlessly and I hope they may consider doing another book together in this way. The appalling situation that brings them together is full of tension and suspense. It introduces us to Bradley, a class A creep and psycho. Weaving his thoughts through the story was chilling but highly effective. An excellent novel that had me gripped till the very end.

I was given this ARC by Netgalley and Bold Strokes for review.

This book totally surprised me. It was absolutely flawless.

Peyton and Tory happen to be in the same boutique trying on bridesmaids dresses when Bradley Cooper opens fire, seeking revenge on an ex-girlfriend. He kills everyone in the store, except Peyton and Tory, before he escapes. Peyton and Tory gravitate to each other, as the only two people who can really understand what its like to survive something like that. Their relationship deepens, the two women unaware that Bradley is still out there, devastated and angry that he didn't kill everyone like he wanted to, and plotting to finish the job.

I don't know who wrote form the perspective of the killer but it was terrifyingly real. So well done. Amazing. I loved how each POV and each character had a distinct voice, but the writing style flowed flawlessly though the book. Brilliantly, brilliantly, done.

I loved how the characters surprised me. Peyton was a little on the shyer, softer side, while Tory was a little more confident and stronger personality. I would expect that Peyton, as a cop, would be the character with a little more fire, but it was Tory who could take care of her. It worked so well and added an extra layer of depth and perfection to this marvellous book.

I feel like if you've ever survived something like that this book could be super triggering.

But even with all this terror going on, the love story between Peyton and Tory was the absolute sweetest thing. It really shows you how good can come from even the darkest of places. Its a beautiful reminder.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book intrigued me, especially as it is one story told by three authors. I don’t know if they each took a POV, I’ve read a lot of Bryant’s books, but haven’t read enough of Ulrich or Cummings to be able to decide who wrote what. In all honesty I only read the Tory and Peyton POV sections and either didn’t read or just skimmed over any of “Bradley’s” scenes because, to quote a line Tory says in the book “I don’t care. I don’t care what his issues are or why he did it.”

Peyton and Tory are both great characters, the connection between them at the start of the book carries through and their entire relationship was sweet and organic. It helped that they talked to each other and there were no stupid dramas and unnecessary breakups to endure. The side characters aren’t really too fleshed out, but I didn’t care because I was more interested in the leads and their relationship anyway. I did enjoy all scenes with Peyton’s family and Jake, but felt that Tory wasn’t as well explored in who was in her life, other than her cat.

As noted before, I did not care about Bradley, and would have preferred that his POV wasn’t included at all, and the follow up subplot after the shooting was also unnecessary. Less of him would have allowed for more time with the side characters, and Peyton and Tory’s recoveries, which I’d have enjoyed more.

Still this was a lovely romance built on the premise that good things can come from terrible situations, which quite frankly, is something to cling to in the current climate. 4 stars.

Really enjoyed this read. Impressive seamless effort by three authors collaborating on one story of an active shooter event leaving two survivors to pick up the pieces of their lives. Bradley is creepy and crazy enough to ensure the reader fears for the welfare of Tory and Peyton throughout the novel. I liked the added tension to what would have been another lovely romance. I also thought the human toll, survivors guilt and post traumatic emotions rang true for both women.

Nicely done.

ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.

I really enjoyed this book. This book had it all: mystery, suspense and romance. The main characters, Peyton and Tory, are well fleshed out and the plot of the book flows well. I would not recommend this book to someone who is a survivor of a shooting. This might hit a little too close to home.
If you want a book that will hold your interest from beginning to end and you enjoy mystery, suspense and romance, this definitely is the book for you! Highly recommend this!
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars, I enjoyed this book. This was about two women, Peyton and Tory, who survived a shooting at a bridal shop. Peyton was shot and Tory had saved her by taking care of her until the police and ambulance arrived. Although, the shooter gets away and it is on the run. Peyton and Tory had flirted during their time at the bridal shop but afterwards they felt connected. They start dating as they go back to their daily lives, Peyton as a cop, and Tory as a real estate agent.

I enjoyed reading this book, you could feel the connection between Peyton and Tory. Their relationship feels developed and the characters develop as the book goes on. Peyton and Tory's relationship has enough build up and does not go too quickly. The only complaint I have is that the book drags a little towards the end, as their some storyline with the shooter. Otherwise, this is a solid novel and I may recommend it, it was not my favorite, but it was not terrible.

When Police officer Peyton Clarke and real estate agent Tory Stevens meet by chance at a bridal shop trying bridemaids' dresses, their attraction is instant but it's interrupted by a mass murderer attacking the shop customers. As the only survivals of the shooting, Tory and Peyton see their initial bond grow stronger. But with the attacker on the loose, taking their relationship for granted could be a fatal mistake.

Lately in lesfic we've seen a series of two authors joining forces to pen books together, we've even seen three authors writing as many books as part of a series. But, as far as I know, this is the first collaboration of three authors writing a single novel. As I normally read (and love) books by these three authors, for me it was a no-brainer to give it a try. I'm glad I did.

'Against all odds' is equal parts thriller and romance, the balance between action and love, fast and slow pace makes this novel a very entertaining read. The authors managed to weave the plot consistently and make it flow without issues. It is written in first person from the point of view of Tory, Peyton and mass shooter Bradley, each one a chapter at a time. However, this doesn't affect the flow as each scene is told by only one character and the book is always moving forward. My only criticism is that I found Bradley's voice very distinctive (for obvious reasons, him being the villain and the only man), but, Tory and Peyton's voices were not that easy to tell apart. They sounded pretty much the same to me and I found myself several times going to the start of the chapter to check the point of view.

Having said that, the romance part is very sweet, Tory and Peyton have great chemistry and the intimate scenes are well written. Bradley is also a very well rounded character and adds a great creepy factor to the thriller part of the story. Once the action scenes are set out, it's a page turner impossible to put down.

Overall, a very well written book by an unusual collaboration, it's entertaining, gripping and will appeal both romance and action fans. 4.5 stars.

ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com

This was such a page turner. I only put it down because I had to sleep. I enjoyed every aspect of this book and you couldn’t even tell it was written by three different people. First the two main characters were phenomenally written. You felt every bit of their trashed, angst, and sadness. The male character or villain was also written so wel. You could feel his unraveling and how he was extremely crazy and totally played it off. I lime the settings, the lovemaking scenes and ultimately how they didn’t just fall into insta love. I like that it was a bit of a slower burn. It made me appreciate the love story more. Overall this was a very good book and I enjoyed every single bit of it.

This's been an interesting romance with a bit of police plot that makes the story original, because of that and to the interesting way in which it is constructed. There are three POV, both MC and the mass shooter that is a very important part of the relationship between both MC.

The mass shooter is the epitome of a disturbed that does not accept his ailed relationship and looses his mind completely. A character pretty well defined and without inconsistences in my opinion.

Peyton is a police officer and Tory a realtor, not much about their past is explained in the story, it isn't necessary to know either. Both are scheduled the same day to try on their dresses in a bridal boutique. The day that Bradley decide to wake his ex's senses by eliminating every single person that put in her head bad things about him. And all those persons are in said bridal boutique and at that same hour.

After the tragedy, only Peyton and Tory survive, but with some PTSD, specially Tory, since she regrets her incapacity to prevent what happened. But both feel so strong atraction that overcomes every other fact that could keep them apart.

For me, the story has been very easy to read, super romantic and well developed, even with the difficulty of the three POV. A highly recommended book.

Stalker/sociopath Bradley is convinced his ex is making a huge mistake, egged on by her friends, marrying someone else. He knows where to find her and how to stop her. Peyton and Tory are both trying on bridesmaid dresses for the respective weddings they’re attending at a bridal salon when all hell breaks loose.

It can’t be easy for three people to write a novel together, end up with a good read and remain friends. This is a good read and I hope they’re all still friends. I enjoy both Bryant and Ullrich’s novels but I haven’t read a book by Cumming’s yet so there was at least a 60% chance that I would enjoy read this one.

This is written in third person with points of view alternating between Bradley, Peyton and Tory. A riveting suspense is keep up through Bradley’s disturbing thoughts and behaviour. While I liked the development of Peyton and Tory’s relationship I found I felt a distance between me, the reader, and them. Their voices were also pretty similar and on a few occasions I had to flip back a page or two to see whose head I was in. The strength of the thriller aspect to the story meant that this didn’t bother me quite as much as it could have.

I also found that the narrative overshadowed the dialogue and as a fan of stories being told through dialogue, I felt a little let down.
Overall it was a great thriller and a good romance. Three and a half stars rounded up.

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

I have been through active shooter training myself, and so I sort of understand where this novel came from (see book's acknowledgements).

It was sometimes an intense book, and then sometimes it seemed like a happy go lucky sorta book. And that's most of the reason why I gave it only three stars.

It's about Peyton and Tory. Tory is a realtor and Peyton a police officer. But,they meet when they're both being fitted for bridesmaid dresses and then their lives change forever when a gunman comes into the store.

I did very much like that the two women met before everything went all to hell and made a connection (although a small one). It made them getting closer seem realer than it may have seemed if they were introduced during or after the incident.

I didn't really like too much the stuff from the shooter's point of view. I know why it was there, but, every time I saw his name at the top of a chapter I was like, 'ugh'.

It was a thrilling book, I wondered if he'd be caught at all, or what else would happen after the big event at the beginning. There were just a couple of things I didn't enjoy as much.

I received this book via Netgalley thanks to Bold Strokes Books.

4.25 Stars. This was a good read. I really enjoy when two or more authors collaborate on a book together. I can only imagine it’s not easy, but I think that hard work of trying to blend the story together seamlessly, can actually up the quality of a book. I think that was the case here. I believe all three authors were on their game because this was a well written book.

I actually thought this would be a police procedural type of book, but it’s not. This is a story about survival and finding love after the darkest of times. The two main characters are Tory a real estate agent and Peyton a police officer. I’m actually not going to go into a summary this time. I feel the book’s blurb gives a bit too much away about what actually happens. I have actually read every full length book Bryant, Cummings, and Ullrich have written. So when I saw they wrote this together, I grabbed this without really reading the summary. My point, if you have not really read the blurb yet, you might want to just skim it. I was happy not knowing too much of what was to come.

I don’t know how the writing was divided up, but the flow seemed seamless. I think the authors blended so well I couldn’t really pick up their individual writing styles. A few times I thought “this sounds like Ullrich” or “this is so Bryant”, but I honestly could not tell. It was very well done for a collaborative book.

What I enjoyed the most was the romance. I thought it felt very well written. The pace was good, not insta anything. It felt honest and absolutely believable. It just felt real. I actually found myself talking to the characters saying “you can say I love you now”. That happens rarely for me, usually the characters are faster than I find believable. I totally believed in these two as a couple. Both women are wonderful characters too.

While the heart of the story is a well written romance, there were also some pretty heart-pounding moments. I was into the book for the romance, but I liked the danger and excitement. I had to read this book in one sitting; no way was I putting it down.

I absolutely recommend this. I think any romance fans will enjoy this, but this will be a treat for people that like some excitement in their books. I’m very impressed by the collaboration and I’d love to see these ladies write together again.

This book is pure indulgence. Three talented authors teaming up to write a suspenseful romance is a treat indeed. Tory and Peyton meet under the most dire and unusual circumstances, and that survival bond intensifies their already smoldering attraction. The story progresses through first person POV and jumps between Peyton, Tory, and Brad. Despite the head jumping the plot meanders easily and builds even more suspense when we are stuck in Brad’s head. The character development is superb but focuses more on their present than their past, and it was fun getting to know each woman’s thoughts and desires as their romance progressed. And Brad, ugh, that guy was a creeper. There was no way to decipher which character would tell the next chapter so when you see his name pop up for another chapter I guarantee you will cringe knowing you’ll be spending some uncomfortable time in a psychopath’s head. The suspense his chapters built would usually shatter the tranquility of the romantic chapters that were Peyton’s or Tory’s. A rollerocoaster of emotions indeed that will keep you glued to the pages to the last word.

I have anxiously awaited this book for months. These are three of my favorite authors and I couldn’t wait to see how they would logistically write one book together. I obsessed about who wrote what the entire time, and soon figured out that each of the authors wrote one of the three characters from start to finish. What a fantastic concept. Then as the story developed I was on the edge of my seat until the very end. I literally could not put this book down, including during my second day of a new job. The intricacies of the plot are one thing but to have three writers involved? Crazy. I love this concept but can’t imagine any other three writers making it work. The cohesiveness just floored me. Do not miss this book.

Against All Odds takes on a journey of finding love in the aftermath of a disaster. A mass shooting takes place at a local bridal boutique and through that carnage, two amazing women find love in its aftermath. Bryant, Ullrich, and Cummings come together to weave a fabulous story or strength, love, and survival. 

Peyton Clarke is an off-duty police officer who is finally getting her dress fitted for her sister's upcoming wedding. A bit hungover after a night out with friends Peyton is struggling with a pounding head. Another customer also in the boutique for a bridesmaid dress fitting takes pity on her and offers her water and some friendly banter. Tory Stevens, a real-estate agent is immediately taken by Peyton. She cannot help but flirt with the gorgeous stranger. Minutes away from asking each other out these two ladies encounter a worst-case scenario. 

Bradley Richter is going to steal away his ex-fiancée. She left him, destroyed his life and now is planning to marry another. Bradley is going to steal her back and make everyone pay for ripping them apart. He is a nutcase in every sense of the word. Bradley arrives at the bridal boutique and opens gunfire on everyone, killing eleven and leaving Peyton fighting for her life. 

The three authors take the voice of Peyton, Tory, and Bradley and weave a story full of love, survival and well, in Bradley's case disturbed. Our two leading ladies have an adorable chemistry and a sweet love story. This isn't as heavy as a story as it could have been. Which I liked. The main focus is on their romance and coming together in the aftermath of a disaster. A lovely story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

This story was told from three different perspectives: Tory, a real estate agent, Peyton, a cop, and Bradley, the deranged murderer who took the lives of eleven innocent women in a bridal shop, including his ex-fiancee. Before Bradley’s deadly carnage began, Tory and Peyton had exchanged friendly banter and phone numbers. They were the only survivors. As the women dealt with the emotional aftermath of the shooting, Bradley, who escaped capture, schemed to make Tory his next love interest.

I liked how the authors showcased the truth about how easy it was to purchase illegal arms through the internet and the dangers of social media where posting too much information made it easy for stalkers to target their location. The authors also gave Tory a realistic and positive outlook about life after her harrowing ordeal and was not going to let Bradley’s actions dictate how she lived her life. She was going to embrace and enjoy life.

This was a fast pace and well written collaboration that flowed very smoothly. It was written by three accomplished authors whose voices blended nicely together. I hope they combine their talents again in the near future. It was well done and highly recommended!

Against All Odds was amazing. I have never read a book written by 3 people before. I was however, familiar with these writers so I had high hopes. They didn't disappoint. Granted ,at 1st I was obsessed with who wrote what. I was totally wrong until the end. Against All Odds starts out as a murder mystery, turns into a survivor story, then a love story, takes on a surprising twist and all hell breaks loose in the end. My favorite book of 2018.