Hector (5th Street #3) by Elizabeth Reyes

Hector (5th Street #3) 
By: Elizabeth Reyes 
Kindle Edition, 365 pages 
Published: February 7, 2013 
Source: From Author For Review 
Mature Content: 17 and Up

Goodreads Summary: Just released! Womanizer—check. Cocky—check. Dangerous—checkmate. Staying away from him was indisputably the sensible thing to do. The problem? She wasn’t just drawn to him; she was utterly mesmerized... Charlotte Brennan is no stranger to heartache and mortification. Her past is full of both. So when amazing and incredibly intense Hector Ayala, literally jumps into Charlee’s life, her walls are immediately up. Letting her guard down and sharing her past and deepest secret is not happening. Charlee is not looking to get her heart crushed once again. However, her willpower proves to be no match for Hector’s mesmerizing pull. Guilt is a profound emotion to deal with and no one knows this better than Hector. So when he gets the chance to make up for a past indiscretion that’s been gnawing away at him for months, he takes it. Doing so means he’ll also have to pass up pursuing Charlee, the only girl he’s ever been so fascinated by. But his inability to explain why they could never be has him dealing with a new kind of guilt—the guilt of knowing he is unwillingly breaking her heart.

Lindy's Thoughts: 

To say Elizabeth Reyes is one of my favorite authors, would be a clear understatement! Hector (5th Street #3) has been a long anticipated book on my wish list. I've been reading Elizabeth Reyes' Teaser Tuesdays on her website where she gave her fans/readers little excerpts from Hector, and wanted this book in my hands immediately! You could say that I'd developed high expectations of Hector prior to its release, and ladies this book has exceeded every one of my expectations! In fact, Hector is now my current favorite in the 5th Street Series. 

 I loved many aspects of Hector. The relationships between characters, and the connection that the reader feels towards these characters was brilliant. My absolute favorite was the slow build of the relationship of Hector and Charlee. It was the perfect balance of attraction, desire, chemistry, sexual tension, along with the building of a friendship, common interests, and a budding romance. I grew to love many of the secondary characters as well. I enjoyed how Hector matured and developed a friendship with Walter, the geeky, and nerdy gentle giant with a huge heart. I loved reading about Drew, Charlee's best friend. She claimed to have a "sixth sense," when it came to picking up on the attraction that Hector felt for Charlee. Drew was a thinker and a planner. She was always developing a strategy to get Hector to prove her theory right, and admit his feelings for Charlee. Drew was an awesome best friend who was Charlee's polar opposite. She was outgoing, assertive, talkative, and comfortable with guys. She was Charlee's biggest supporter, and wanted Charlee to step out of her comfort zone, have fun, and take more chances. She was a bit meddlesome, but always had Charlee's best interests at heart. As a reader, I came to care about each and every one of the characters in Hector. 

Charlee (short for Charlotte) wasn't the typical female leading lady in a romance novel. She was intelligent, shy, and pretty in a non-traditional sense. She had bright red hair, very pale white skin, and freckles. She wasn't the most popular or sought after girl in her high school years. In fact, she had been awkward, introverted, and a social outcast. It was refreshing to read about such a unique, yet realistic character. I'm tired of reading about drop dead gorgeous, outgoing, popular girls that are desired by every male they encounter, and always end up with the lead character. Kudos to Ms Reyes' for giving us a strong and intelligent protagonist that excels at Math, and is an olimpyiad for the U.S. chess team. I loved how Charlee steadily grew into herself. She had self-respect, ambition, determination, and realized her worth. She confronted and dealt with the pain from her past, and pursued her new beginning with Hector. 

Hector was a wonderfully well-rounded character. He was gorgeous, sexy, self-assured, and fit. Yet, he was also intelligent, family oriented, learned from his mistakes, and transformed himself into a much more considerate, selfless, and likable character. Hector had to learn that the best things in life are worth risking your heart for. Hector was a very sexy and sensual character. He had a special way about him that had me totally engrossed whenever he was in a scene. He was so protective, loyal, and fierce, yet so caring, gentle, and compassionate with Charlee. 

The storyline was well-developed and authentic. It had me completely engrossed and glued to every page that I read. The plot was realistic, and kept me guessing what would happen next, and there was a pretty big surprise that was revealed at the end of the story that I would have never guessed! We also got to learn a little bit more about what was going on in the lives of some of our other favorite 5th Street characters, Noah and Roni, Gio and Bianca, and Abel and Nellie. 

My Rating: 
5.0 Sensually Steamy Swoon-Worthy Stars!!! If you have not read any of Elizabeth Reyes' books, you must place one of her series next on your TBR list! She has a series talent when it comes to writing salivating worthy male characters, and don't get me started on the sensual and steamy love scenes she writes! If you enjoy being swooned and falling in love with a gorgeous, and sexy male character that will make your heart beat faster and make you sigh dreamily after each page read, Hector is the story for you. He is sure to become one of your book boyfriends, and the moment you begin his story, you will not be able to put it down! One point of caution-Hector might ruin it for regular males out there, when you go in search of our very own Hector! 

My Favorite Quotes: 

"But let's put a timer on this one, he added, still smiling and looking right at her. I heard your the resident tactician. I don't have all night, his eyelids went a little heavy and he smirked, not tonight, anyway." (Kindle Loc. 1232) 

"Out of nowhere, she felt suddenly enlightened. Sitting so close to him now, he didn't seem so elusive-so bewildering. He was human just like her, albeit a very sexy, nearly perfect human, who made her tingle without the need to even touch her. Still, this guy didn't posses superpowers or walk on water-although she'd hardly be surprised if he did." (Kindle Loc. 1293) 

"What's your problem? Abel said, frowning right back at him then glanced in Charlee's direction. Who is she, and why do you look ready to kill that guy she's with?" (Kindle Loc. 2013) 

"Not to worry, Hector. Your party wasn't the only one I went to last weekend. I'd already forgotten about that. That sparked something in those unfeeling eyes, and the smirk he'd worn earlier was wiped clean. She could tell she'd stunned him into silence. Yeah, take that." (Kindle, Loc. 2840) 

"I love you, he whispered, and she smiled, her big blue eyes immediately flooding with tears." (Kindle Loc. 5384)

Ro's Take on this Journey: 

Okay, well, let me start by saying that Elizabeth Reyes is definitely one of my favorite authors. All of her series' will keep you riveted to the storyline. That being said, I must admit, that while reading Noah, and Gio was a thrill for me, I didn't expect to enjoy Hector as much. Of course, I knew Ms. Reyes would not disappoint, but Hector was one of my least favorite characters in the other two novels. I felt that he was a big mouth punk, who always stuck his foot in his mouth, and got everyone in trouble by spilling the beans over and over again. Of course, that was a ploy by Ms. Reyes to reel in her readers in this 3rd novel, because let me tell you fans, he did a complete 360 in this book!!! Hector turned into quite the swoon worthy, 6-pack, passionate, loving, crazed, mad, confused, masterpiece I've ever encountered. 

In this book, the reader is introduced to the other side of Hector. The compassionate, self-sacrificing side. You see his conscience at work, trying to be an upstanding friend, and right the wrongs that happen around him. Hector befriends Walter, an overweight, shy, self-conscious guy who can't get a girl no matter how hard he tries.  However, Hector whips him into shape and helps him become a strong character. Charlee is a very shy girl, unlike any girl Hector has ever gone after.   Yet, her charms win him over, while he doesn't even realize what is happening to him. 

This was an incredible journey, filled with the hurtful things that happen to young kids in life, things that can affect and shape the delicate psyche that can't be reversed. The knowledge that people have in their hands, and the responsibility for what they do with that knowledge, that makes or breaks another's heart and spirit. I thought this novel had a lot of life lessons. It made me mad, sad, mortified, happy, excited, thrilled, and elated. I loved this couple and their journey. They had to jump through a lot of hoops to get through to the other side, but every bit of it was worth it. Charlee found her mate, (in more ways than one.) Through all the chaos, misunderstandings, and the long, slow, tension-filled, sexually energizing attraction, that these two shared for one another, this book released climax after climax, by the time these two finally got together! 

Again, I will have to tell Ms. Reyes's fans out there to get your Kleenex ready, because this is yet another hell of a whirl-wind ride your going to go on. It's almost as if you are blindfolded, not knowing where you've been, where you are going, or where you'll end up. Don't miss out on this ride of a lifetime. You won't regret it!  Happy reading!!!  I give this novel 5 out of 5 long, slow, passion filled, kissed stars!

Charlee & Hector met at a Chess Tournament

Hector as Reyes Pictures Him

About the Author: 

 "I write because I must. It's not a choice or a pastime, it's an unyielding calling and my passion." 

 ~Elizabeth Reyes~

About me? Well, I was born and raised and continue to live in sunny southern California. I'm married and have two wonderful teens. My love for writing began when I was just a kid though, I never really had any dreams or aspirations of doing it for a living. Then along came the age of eReaders and I saw an opportunity to get my writing out for the world to read without jumping through hoops and getting past the red tape of trying to get traditionally published. The Moreno Brothers series has literally changed my life. I now wake up to go to work a few yards from my bed. 5th Street is my second series with 2 out Noah and Gio and two more to come. 

    Ms. Reyes':  Website/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

   Purchase At:  Amazon/Nook/Smashwords