Review: Save Me by Cecy Robson

Save Me: An O'Brien Family Novel (The O'Brien Family) by Cecy Robson

Series: O'Brien Family #5
Published by Self-Published on April 25th 2018
Genres: Blue Collar, Contemporary
Pages: 349
Format: eBook

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

RT Book Reviews proclaims that the O’Brien Family series from award-winning author Cecy Robson “has the hottest brothers ever!” And in SAVE ME, it's time for Seamus, the family’s most notorious bachelor, to find true love.

Three weddings. No date. What’s a hot stud to do when all the women on his speed dial are either serving dinner to their families or serving time?

Out of all the O’Briens, Seamus is the best-looking, most creative, and, did I mention, best-looking? Single at almost forty wasn’t a big deal until every sibling in his large and loud Irish family found “the one.” Now, he’s desperate for a wedding date, one he doesn’t have to worry will make out with the limo driver or rob the bride and groom blind.

Allie Mendes is the good daughter, who’s spent her life living in her perfect sister’s shadow. But when her sister steals the man Allie was supposed to marry, that shadow she’s lived in threatens to swallow her whole. Allie wants to believe a bright future awaits. But when she begs God to save her from this disastrous twist of fate, the last person she expects Him to send her is Seamus O’Brien.

Allie needs a stand-in boyfriend to avoid appearing as lonely as she feels. Seamus needs a decent woman without an ankle bracelet or a rap sheet as long as his muscular arms. The two make a deal to pose as each other’s perfect date. But weddings mean romance and a chance at forever neither had planned.

---

 

A sweet goodbye to a wonderful series. I will miss the O’Briens greatly.

Saying goodbye to the O’Briens is like finding out your favorite cousin is moving across the country. I am going to miss them so much. The romances were sweet, the characters were delightful and the stories of their crazy childhood always made me laugh out loud.

In this final story, Seamus is taking some slack from his siblings for being thirty-seven and still spending his time with non-virtuous ladies of questionable upbringing, or as Wren would say, skanks. While his choices might be been perfect for a night of fun in his twenties, it seems a little sadder as he approaches forty.

The fact that Seamus will be attending the weddings of two of his younger siblings, and that all his siblings have found love and are settling down are causing Seamus to be a bit introspective…or as introspective as Seamus can be. No matter how handsome Seamus believes himself to be, part of his insecurity is that after their father died, it was Angus and Seamus who dropped out of school to provide for their younger siblings. Seamus doesn’t begrudge the sacrifice made for his siblings, but there still is a small part of him that doesn’t feel worthy of a better class of woman. Plus, he likes the way the skanks dress. It is while helping Wren with pre-wedding errands that Seamus stumbles into Allie and learns that he isn’t the only one with sibling issues and desperate need of a date.

Allie Mendes grew up in the same neighborhood as the O’Briens. In fact, she attempted to teach religious education to several of the younger O’Briens. Of course, Seamus only remembers Allie’s hot sister, Valentina, which makes Allie’s day all that much worse.  Her sister is the only one anyone remembers and the only one her mother seems to care about.   Valentina is the one who went on to become a successful model, the one who is an international success, and the one who stole the man Allie was going to marry.  The man Valentina is now going to marry. Allie and Andres were both awkward geeks in high school. They lived together as they finished college, and Allie worked to support Andres through his masters. After Andres sold his invention to the government and became a multi-millionaire, Valentine stepped in and seduced him away. As Valentine was also Andres dream girl it wasn’t that hard to do, and that little bit of knowledge hurt Allie even more.

Allie is a successful real estate agent, but her mother measures Allie’s every success against her sister, who is more beautiful and more beloved by all. Her mother is also forcing Allie to be part of the wedding party of her sister and her former lover, with no sympathy for Allie’s feelings.

Seamus and Allie join forces to support and shield each other against the overwhelming happiness of their siblings. And while we celebrate the happiness and love of the O’Briens and their new spouses, we also enjoy the train-wreck coming in the form of Valentina’s wedding.

Seamus helps Allie stand up to her mother and step out her sister’s shadow, and as they spend time together, Seamus remembers the deeds of the sweet, lovely woman at his side and realizes that Allie outshown her sister as a person once you strip away the shallow fascade.   If only Seamus can see beyond his own “shortcomings” and maybe they can find their own happiness.

I am really going to miss spending time with the O’Brien clan.

---

Favorite Scene:

My favorite scene was between Wren and her brothers at the wedding but you will have to read that one for yourself (bring tissues). This whole scene between Wren and Seamus was gold but I had to narrow it down.

I shut off my car because I know Wren isn’t done yet. She doesn’t disappoint.

“But then I did find someone, proving I wasn’t such a lost cause. You hear what I’m saying? If I can, by the grace of God and our dead grandmother–God rest her soul–find someone good and kind, you can too.”

“Thanks for the pep talk there, Wren. I’m glad we had this heart to heart.” I start to open my door when she stops me with her words.

“Are you trying to kill Ma?”

“Are you seriously aksing me this question, again? for someone who is trying to help, you’re not helping.”

“My point is, there is someone out there for you. You just have to find her. Forget all the skanks. Stop spending your weekends watching football at Killian’s and eating your weight in nachoes. Go to church and find someone. Someone nice. Someone who isn’t going to seal my purse.”

“It was one time,” I insist. “And I paid you back the bills she stole.”

“Seamus.”

“And the clothes.”

“Seamus.”

“And your panties.”

“Seamus! I don’t care about all that.”  She pauses. “Okay, the panties were a big deal because honestly, what the fuck? But all that aside, I care about you. What’s going to happen if you don’t find someone in the next few years? Or worse, end up with some psycho you don’t deserve?”

I slump into my seat, every curse word I know falling into my mouth like a landslide, Wren is feeling a lot of pressure. Finnie’s fiancée, Sol, is too. Ma isn’t doing too hot either.  They have weddings to plan and a long list of nightmares that I can’t possibly relate to.

I don’t get their preoccupation with me. They have better things to do. I want to yell at everyone to mind their damn business. Except that I can’t. Pains in the ass or not, in their own demented way, my family means well. I try to ease at least one worry the best way I know how. I lie.

“You’re worried over nothing. I already have someone lined up to bring to all your shit.”

Instead of shutting Wren up, she gets more nuts. “Who are you going to bring?” she asks slowly. “Seamus, it can’t be just anyone. I don’t want any drama. I want a decent meal, say hello to a few peple, and get the hell out so I can have naked time with Evan.”

“Don’t worry about it. She’s…nice.”

“What you say ‘nice’ do you mean all her tats are spelled correctly, or she won’t bust into flames if she walks into church?”

“There won’t be any flames,” I assure her. “And she’s got no tats.” I grimace. Now I’ve gone too far.

“Who is it?” she presses. “This can’t be some woman you met at a bar.”

Well, there goes Plan A.

“It has to be a decent human being,” Wren says, laying it out. “Someone you wouldn’t be afraid to tell Father Flanagan you were with the night before.”

Shit. Is she kidding? It’s bad enough I can’t pick up someone at a bar. Now she’s expecting someone with morals, too? I was just going to hit someone up on the speed dial. But by the way she’s acting, it won’t be enough to get Wren or Ma off my back.

“I’m bringing the woman I’m seeing,” I blurt out.

I know I’m screwed even before she says anything. “You’re seeing someone?”

“Sure.”

“Someone who doesn’t deflate when you’re done for the night?”

“That was one time!” It was also a joke. We blew up a bunch of adult dolls and shoved them in Curran’s patrol car. But we’re men and that’s what men to to other men at their brother’s bachelor party.

“Then who is it?”

“Who’s who?” I ask, trying to buy myself some time.

“Who is the woman you’re planning to bring to all the events I have to attend so the Four Horsemen don’t gallop across the dead remains of my wedding party?”

I look around like she’s somehow spying on me from the next building. I used to be a great liar when I was a kid. Don’t judge. If you grew up in my family you had to learn to lie to survive, to have somewhat of a social life, without your mother kicking down a door and dragging you out of an underage drinking party by the hair. But since turning legal, and Ma retiring to Florida, I haven’t really had anything to lie about.

“Ah, Georgina…Glass.” I smack myself on the forehead for being such an idiot.

“Georgina Glass,” Wren says. She’s not impressed by my Brady bunch reference. Truth be told, neither am I. “Tell me you’re screwing with me.”

“Course I am.” I scroll through my contacts as I speak to her on my phone.

Most of the women on my list are, by some miracle of God, married. Some are on their second marriages and possibly third. One is on probation, but I think she’s doing real good now, learning computers and shit. The hottest one is in prison, but the crazy psycho needs to be there for the safety of Philadelphia, and any man in the vicinity with a penis. One, I definitely can’t call because I accidentally made out with her mother. I know what it sounds like, but you ain’t perfect either.

“You’re not seeing anyone. Are you?” Wren asks, sounding disappointed and maybe a little heartbroken too. “This is all bullshit to keep Ma alive.”

Sweat gather along my crown. I start to panic but try not to let it show in my voice. “Have I ever lied to you? Scratch that. Have I ever lied to you about a woman? Never mind,” I add, realizing I’m only digging myself into a bigger hole “The thing is, I can’t really tell anyone.”

“You’re gay aren’t you? Come out of the closet, Seamus. The rest of us pretty much figured as much. God, I’ve never met a blue-collar man who obsessed over hair gel more than you do.”

“I’m not gay, Wren.” In a way I wish I was. Then I wouldn’t have to deal with psycho women. “It’s just that…I just met this girl. She’s real shy and stuff, and I didn’t want to put any pressure on her by attending all these family events. We’re just getting to know each other. I don’t want to scare her off. Hear what I’m saying? This girl is special.”

It’s a line of bullshit I don’t even buy myself. The O’Briens have this thing, a curse if you will, once we get to talking there’s no stopping us. Words fly out of our mouths before we give it much thought and next thing you know we’re in confession giving Father Flanagan an earful. For the most part it’s harmless and only adds to our rather spectacular personalities. Today all it does is bend me over a table and give my rock-hard ass a good smack.

“If this girl is so special, how come we haven’t heard about her before?”

“Did you hear me? It’s new and we’re getting to know each other.”

“Did she just get out of prison?”

I’ll give her this, it’s a fair question.

“No, she’s a nice girl. A good girl. She goes to church and helps out in soup kitchens and shit.”

Wren doesn’t believe me and neither do I. Where is such a magical creature found? Not in Philly, I’ll tell you that much.

I’m ready to take it all back. Let Wren know that this what she’s reduced me to, a lying idiot with a make-believe girlfriend.

“And she likes you?” she asks.

I should stop right where I am. But I don’t. My lies takes on a life of its own. “Why wouldn’t she? I’m a catch.”

My mouth is out of control. I didn’t sound believable at first, but now I find myself getting sensative and needing to protect my pretend girlfriend. What the hell’s wrong with me?

Stop speaking, asshole, I tell myself. But here I go, kicking myself in the balls to save Wren and my family the trouble. “I make a decent living, ” I remind her. “I’ve got some money put away and I’m the best looking one of us.”

“Seamus, I’m not saying anyone wouldn’t be lucky to have you–“

“You’re not?” Hey, that’s kind of nice.

“I’m only saying most of the women you run around with suck, leaving you with nothing but a restraining order and a new security system.” She pauses and as if it pains her asks, “So, what’s her name?”

“I’m not telling you.” Because I don’t know my own damn self and Jesus God in Heavan, make it all stop.

“Why? If this girl is so amazing, why can’t you just tell me her name or who she is? Is it someone I know?”

“I want it to be a surprise.”

“Why?”

“Because few things are anymore.” I open my glove compartent, hoping to find that roll of duct tape so I can tape my mouth shut.

Related Posts