The Cold Fury series keeps getting better! I loved most of them, three of them were outstanding for me, those being Alex, Max and *drum roll*, now VAN! Yes. I would even argue that this new installment in the series is the best of yet.
I had crazy fun with the main characters of the book. We met Van and Simone in Lucas, which was Simone and Max Fournier's brother. It was obvious that there was something going on between the vivacious Simone and the taciturn Van.
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Simone was a hoot. She is sexually very forward, has no issue saying what she wants and is relentless in pursuing it. She has a thick skin and doesn't take it personally when Van keeps saying no to her, no, it spurs her on. Simone isn't a doormat or easy, when she draws a line she won't cross it. As stubborn as she is in her pursuit of Van, she doesn't let him walk all over her. And then we get the side of her with the big heart, the depth that shows the love for her family, the compassion she feels for Van's past, her sorrow for having disappointed her family and her own confusion about her future.
Van?” I whisper. “Am I still shiny?” He chuckles, pulls me in tighter, and squeezes the breath out of me. “Yes, Simone. So fucking shiny you make everything else in the world seem a little dull by comparison.”
Van is one cranky dude. His walls are miles high and in the beginning Simone is nothing else but a pebble in his shoe. She annoys the hell out of him but the girl has a way of getting under his skin and soon he finds himself doing and thinking uncharacteristic things. Simone comes into his life with a wrecking ball and tears down his walls. Little by little he lets her in. Van isn't easy to love in the beginning but gradually with each comical exchange between those two and his obvious confusion about Simone you can't help but fall in love with him.
He gives a ragged moan that sounds fulfilled and defeated all at the same time.
There is a fine line when it comes to cranky alphaholes. It's hard to not overdo the crankiness and a-holery and make the hero redeemable, even lovable. Sawyer Bennett's Van is perfection. She really nailed him. Even when Simone has his love he is still himself. He isn't a soft and sweet pussycat, at least not for everyone else but Simone in the end.
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And can I say that they were really hot in bed? I know that this author writes some of the hottest sexy times but damn. DAMN! Simone's sass is a special kind, it's the self-assured one we usually see in cocky heroes. She was hilarious!
Van’s lips press tight and anger flashes in his eyes. He enunciates his words clearly, leaning slightly toward me. “I’m. Not. Interested. In. You. Simone.” I wrinkle my nose and shake my head. “Nah . . . you see, that wasn’t really convincing. But I do love the way my name sounds coming out of your mouth. Try it again, though, if you want.” For a brief moment, I’m afraid Van might stroke out.
I loved Van's background story, it was unusual and captivating and a little bit heartbreaking. I also love that Sawyer Bennett never drags out the angst, the drama is never over the top and quickly resolved.
Well, you were my first everything, Simone. My first love. First devotion. My first heartbreak. My one and only relationship with a woman. You were my first confidant and companion. Simone . . . you were my first friend ever. My first . . . everything.”
Swoon!
Sawyer Bennett knocked Van out of the park and of all the Cold Fury books VAN has become my favorite in the series. Next up is REED and you bet your ass that I'll be reading it.
Ladies (and gents) - this made the list of my 2017 favorites. I knew after the first couple of pages that this book would be special but the more I advanced the more it became obvious what a wonderful story Tessa Dare has created with The Duchess Deal.
For once I'll forgo the summary because the blurb says it all...
Emma is a spirited young woman with a huge capacity for love and compassion. When she arrives at the Duke's house all she wants is to be paid for her labor that went into the creation of the wedding gown for Ash's former fiancée. She is facing a man covered in burn scars who proposes to marry her because he needs an heir.
He had to be joking. “You can’t be asking me to marry you.” He sighed with annoyance. “I am a duke. I’m not asking you to marry me. I am offering to marry you. It’s a different thing entirely.”
Ash can't stomach the hunt for a bride - he can't even stomach his own face and body in the mirror. When the young seamstress enters his house he knows she is the solution to his problems. He doesn't want this cousin to inherit the title and all that it entails so he needs an heir of his own. It is supposed to be a marriage of convenience and as soon as Emma is with child she is to live in a house in the country. Neither of them anticipated how their mutual attraction would change the course of their lives.
These two characters were made for each other. Both of them have ulterior motives for the marriage, both of them try to stay detached. And of course both of them fail. Emma is a wonderful heroine who does what the thinks is right. She isn't intimidated by the duke which Ash finds rather curious and his admiration for the young woman grows. Emma finds beauty in everything, and especially in the bitter, cynical young duke. I loved how she accepted him, how there was never a question that she desired him for the man he was with all his flaws, physical and character-related. With her selfless, kind and sweet mind I was completely charmed by her. Her sass, the endearments she found for Ash were comical.
“Would you like more sauce, sweeting?” His fingers strangled the stem of his wineglass. She could practically hear the grapes calling for help. She hoped that was a good sign. “If you don’t cease that nonsense,” he said, “you will regret it.” “Is that so, my heart?”
“What about ‘precious’?” she suggested. “No.” “‘Angel’?” “God, no.” “‘Muffin’?” In response to that, he hit the shuttlecock so hard, it sailed all the way to the back wall and thwacked one of his ancestors right in the powdered wig. She cheered. “Well done, my precious angel muffin.” “This stops,” he said. “Now.”
Ash...can I say that he is probably one of my all-time favorite HR characters ever? The retorts he volleys back at Emma had me laughing out loud so many times, I stopped counting at some point. Life wasn't kind to him until the sweet little seamstress entered his life. He suffered horrific injuries during war and the scars make women and children run from him terrified so it's only natural that he keeps people at arms' length. But when Emma comes into his life she shows him that he is desirable and good and soon he knows that if he lets her go his life will become darker again. He wants to protect her and hold her close.
“You are wet, and you are cold. You don’t like being cold. Therefore, I despise you being cold. I would go about murdering raindrops and setting fire to the clouds, but that would take slightly more than an hour. Perhaps even two. So we’re here, and you will cease complaining about it.”
Emma tries so hard to make him believe her that he is more than his scars and it was incredibly sweet to see the ice wall around his heart thaw. His indignation, arrogance and snark but also his big heart, deep hurt and vulnerability make him one of my most favorite and swooniest heroes in Historical Romance.
“You’re here,”he repeated, taking her hand and drawing it against his chest, right above his pounding heartbeat. “In my heart. Somehow you crashed your way into it when I wasn’t looking. The same way you barged into my library, I suppose. But you’re here now, inside. Emma, you’re the very life of me.”
One thing I need to mention that was incorrect (and I do that because of my Viennese ancestry) - Wienerbrød isn't an Austrian pastry, it's Danish. However, that's no biggie, I just wanted to mention it for the sake of authenticity.
Tessa Dare really brought these characters to life. I could feel the whole range of emotions these two went through in every word and it's a testament to this author's writing abilities. I have read some of Ms. Dare's books before but I think this is my favorite so far. The smart banter was one of my highlights. There is a whole range of potential future heroines, all of them with their own quirks and I am already salivating for the next book in this series!
When one of your favorite authors writes a new book, as a blogger and fan you drop everything and free up time to read and review. I almost didn't read this one, bad blogger and fan, bad. True story. But I came to my senses and I'm not above begging for an ARC, so that's what I did.
We met Darlene in The Butterfly Project when she was at her lowest - an overdose that almost killed her forced her to take a hard look at her life, get clean and take charge of herself again. Two years without drugs, a boyfriend who doesn't even have the cojones to dump her face to face and Darlene is ready for a fresh start in a city where nobody knows about her past.
"You’ll always be an addict. You’ll always fight that battle. But fight it with your best, most honest self, if you want a chance to win.” - Max
Darlene is a warm, sweet heroine with a super-soft heart. She is always friendly and tries to stay upbeat. Her new neighbor, Sawyer, is a jerk but she senses his exhaustion, the daily stress of providing for his daughter, studying for his finals and bar exam leave him on edge. So she does something that's so inherently Darlene : she kills him with kindness, gentleness and care. She's an absolutely endearing heroine who is constantly facing her demons but never lets them pull her under. It was incredibly sweet to watch her fall in love not only with the hero but also with his sweet, bright daughter Livvie.
Sawyer is a grump - that's what stress does to him and it's pretty understandable seeing how he cares for his daughter, who was just dumped in his lap by the mother, and trying to finish law school to give his girl a better life. But when Sawyer has to face his worst fears he becomes stoic and builds a wall of ice around him. Only those who know him well enough see it for what it is. He may act like a jerk and idiot sometimes but when all that falls off of him he is a beautiful man with a heart the size of Texas. The love for his daughter, how he handles her with utmost care and reverence, is so incredibly touching. And it wouldn't be Emma Scott if Sawyer didn't have a heart-breaking past.
"Law doesn’t have feelings. It has direction. It tells you where to go and what comes next.” - Sawyer
The first half of the story was not as angsty as I expected from Emma Scott but that's not necessarily a bad thing because once you're past that she cranks up the anxiety-slider and I got the familiar delicious squeeze in my chest, the one that has your heart beating in your throat. She builds up the chemistry between the characters at a steady pace but doesn't give us the release we crave, no, she keeps on going, letting the sexual tension crackle until we are just about to blow. But that was fine with me - these characters really had to sort through a lot of baggage before they could focus on their relationship.
God, Sawyer, the way you’re looking at me… If I could have just one moment, one feeling, and live in it forever, I would choose this one.” - Darlene
"
Emma is a masterful emotion conjurer. She has this way of tying you to her characters and making you care deeply about them. Those are big personalities with depth and layers. And that doesn't just go for the main cast, the side characters all have a story to tell as well, so you wonder if they'll be happy in the future, what life has in store for them. Max and Jax shine almost as bright as Darlene and Sawyer. And don't get me started on the adorable Livvie, who took off with my heart and didn't let go. Also, if you loved Zelda and Beck from TBP a much as I did you'll be happy to hear that we get to catch up with them! And then...then there is the twist that will make you fall in love with Sawyer even harder.
Again, Ms. Scott weaves a gorgeous story that shows her own heart beautifully. It is charged with emotion, kindness and sweetness. It's true that we always measure authors against their best work and the Full Tilt Duet and The Butterfly Project still remain my favorite by Emma Scott - they play in a league of their own - but do not underestimate the power of this story and the punch it packs. This author isn't one of my favorites for nothing and she made me fall in love with one of her stories yet again.
“A tornado, Darlene,” he whispered. “I’m swept up.”- Sawyer
“The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just have to find the ones worth suffering for." Bob Marley
PLOT INTRO
It is one of those bad summers that seems to bring out the dirt. Charleston Police have their hands full to keep the city's crime under control. It is a thankless job and cop Randall Owen Day, or how his friends call him, Rowdy, has the night shift. What keeps him going on a daily basis are his best friend, his dispatchers and guilt.
"Are you going to worry about me tonight?"
Michelle has been carrying a torch for Rowdy for two years. The guy is so hard to crack she has almost given up on him when she is invited to a bachelor party. Michelle is having a dry spell so she is more than ready for a tumble between the sheets.
Rowdy feels Michelle's pull, and he isn't blind to her beauty but not only does he not mix job and pleasure he also isn't boyfriend material and that's what she deserves.
Michelle was a 5'7'' list of things I couldn't have.
However, when she offers a night without strings he can't resist any longer. In no uncertain times he tells her that this will be a one time thing, something he doesn't intend to repeat. Unfortunately your heart doesn't always listen to your logic and Sergeant Day keeps indulging in the sexy fruit that was actually off limits.
And looking at Michelle caused me to want and that would lead to need.
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Michelle is one of those heroines I won't forget. She is beyond strong and resilient, a survivor with enough steel to overcome life's deepest and darkest places. Her past that had her fleeing her home in California has shaped her. But she also has a softness about her, a tenderness and kindness that makes you fall in love with her. Always a comeback and the F-word on her lips she is smart and funny. Her beauty isn't only a facade, she carries a light that made me root for her throughout the story.
Rowdy is what you expect from a hot cop - pure male, bossy, super alpha and happily single. He has grace and despite his alpha-hole ways an integrity about him. Rowdy is no stranger to loss so his motifs for keeping things impersonal with women are comprehensible. From the beginning to the point when he cracks it was tangible how he kept Michelle at arm's length. The whole time I was wondering what it would take for him to move past his own hang-ups. And when the tables turned it was beautiful to see him grovel. And just as gratifying to watch Michelle putting herself first.
"One day you'll forgive me. One day. I'll wait for that day. Because I waited for you so long that I forgot what I was waiting for."
Rowdy's and Michelle's chemistry is AH-mazing. They are beyond combustible.
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We were arms, legs, hips and sensation. He burned through me, yet I was insatiable for him. I would never get enough.
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This story was an emotional roller coaster and I am a fiend for those. I was captivated and it had me engaged in the character's journey from beginning to the end. There is a lot of snark and some angst. The back stories of both characters are revealed later on and my heart broke for both Michelle and Rowdy. The only thing I would have liked to see more of is the epilogue - while we do get one I'd have loved to see them further in the future. However, that's probably just me being addicted to these two. At any rate it gets the #allthefeels #allthestars tags.
Kate Stewart rocked my world with this story. I have had some of her books on my Kindle forever and never got around reading them. Time to lay low on the ARCs and focus on my TBR, right? I love this author's writing style, it is effortless, witty, with small doses of somberness that fit the atmosphere. I have found a new author to obsess about.
She’s the best thing I’ve ever felt in my entire fucking life. For a second, I think I might actually have been forgiven by God for all my sins since I’ve been given the most perfect gift I’ll ever receive.
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Confession: I have never given a Sawyer Bennett book a clean 5 star review. There was always something keeping me from doing it. This time however, I can wholeheartedly say it was perfect for me.
We have met Kyle previously. He was the undercover agent who saved Maggie in Wicked Bond. He was also mentioned and had cameos in other Wicked Horse books. So we know that Mayhem Mission, the one percenter MC, was brought down by him and mostly by him. He went deep undercover and to be convincing he had to do heinous things for the greater good.
But in order to do it, I had to let go of every bit of my humanity, and I had to embrace a life bankrupt of any morals, decency, or kindness.
As the FBI is waiting for the trial, which would also put a senator behind bars and expose his role in the downfall of the motorcycle club, Kyle is hiding away in Maine - everybody thinks he is dead. He isn't made for a life of leisure though so soon the walls start to close in on him and he stars feeling restless. He also keeps to himself, he can't afford attachment and after all the devastation that was caused with his help he doesn't easily connect with people.
Jane's new neighbor is hot. She can't help but ogle him but somehow that's not enough. She keeps trying to get to know him, yet the grumpy guy resists. It takes a busted pipe and a jerk of an ex-boyfriend for him to open up a bit but once he does he is utterly charmed by this art teacher who cites movie quotes with a mischievous smile on her face.
“Pipe,” I gasp out, realizing how out of breath I am not only from the adrenaline coursing through me, but also from the mad dash over here. “Burst. Water everywhere.” His eyes snap back up to mine. “What?” And then, complete lunacy bursts forth from my lips as I hold out the red valve for him to see. “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope. Star Wars, 1977.”
Jane was such a wonderful surprise. She was quirky, sweet and refreshingly artless, bright and real. I loved how she quoted movies at the oddest times (one time in front of a mirror...you can take an educated guess what they were doing in front of a mirror). Jane doesn't give up, she pursues Kyle relentlessly with so much charm and wit that I'm in awe that it took him so long to give in. She was a dork, cute and adorable, yet understanding and she didn't push Kyle knowing he'd only clam up.
I see a man who wants something for himself but is too afraid to take it. He’s afraid of failure. So I throw my shoulders back, determination forging my spine into steel, and I vow to myself I’m going to get through those walls he just put up around himself, no matter what it takes.
Kyle keeps Jane at arms length for her own good and because his self hatred and shame for the things he did goes deep. It was amazing to see how this sweet woman cracked his veneer, one day at time. I totally understood their connection. Kyle was mysterious in the beginning, really grumpy and dark but with Jane his resolution to keep his distance soon crumbles and turns to dust. He soaks up Jane's light and almost feels normal.
I couldn’t imagine doing something like this… all normal and romantic. It’s a completely foreign concept, and yet I’m drawn even harder to these things with Jane. My curiosity about this laid-back, normal way of life is piquing, and perhaps I’m even remembering a bit how to live this way.
Finding Kyle has Sawyer Bennett's reliable low angst formula and little drama. With this book we also get an adorable heroine and a troubled hero and together they create something magical and electric. And holy moly, the steamy scenes were out of this world.
I loved the main characters' connection. The way Jane sneaked under Kyle's skin was hilarious. This is my favorite Sawyer Bennett book. I loved every minute I got to spend with these two. And I'll never look at paintbrushes the same way again.
Kate Meader is fast becoming a favorite of mine. This is the second book I've read by this author and I'm completely captivated by her easy humorous writing style. I wish I had more time, I'd lock myself up and go on a Kate Meader reading spree.
Five years ago a man and a woman had one week of anonymous sexual bliss that left both of them with a whole lot of regret that it didn't go any further...but they both had places to be, things to do and the stars just didn't align so they both thought of the other as the one that got away.
She wore that dress, was the barometer by which he had measured every woman in the last five years, and she had the 411 on cars? Someone up there hated his guts.
Molly Cade's star rose fast in Hollywood when she met her now ex-husband. And it fell just as fast after nude pics of her leaked and caused a scandal. With this new movie about a woman in a male dominated profession she wants to rise back up into the elite of Tinseltown. The one thing that would make her movie perfect is having Alexandra Dempsey's point of view since she is the person it is actually about. Having done her research she knows she has to go through the Dempseys from Chicago who have a reputation of being fiercely protective of their family.
Former Marine, now firefighter Wyatt Fox, the silent and broody Dempsey, has received an assignment by his cap which he doesn't look forward to. His expertise is needed for a Hollywood movie about a female firefighter in Chicago. He'd rather be doing his job but his last gig left him with a sore shoulder. That this movie is supposed to be based on his sister's story doesn't really entice him either. At least that's what he is telling himself.
That was the problem with magnets. Attraction wasn't a choice.
When Molly is introduced to the hunky, beautiful guy who is supposed to be her tech consultant on set she immediately recognizes the hot Marine she met five years ago and had a week of sexual bliss with.
"Hey, do you guys...know each other?" "Depends on your definition of know." "We had some mutual interests once," Wyatt said, a pagan gleam in those blue gray eyes. "Bars. Shakespeare." Sexy pause. "Elevators."
Molly stands for everything Wyatt tries to avoid. He is a loner and the Dempsey who stays in the shadows, protecting what's his, and fiercely so, from the sidelines. He is deeply private, a straight shooter and bossy. He has always felt he didn't belong, like the odd one in the boisterous Dempsey bunch. This feeling of inadequacy comes from his family history and is the reason for him to give the stage to his siblings. Even though he doesn't show it he cares deeply and it was a pleasure to see how Molly enabled him to bring his feelings to the forefront. The flirty side of him and his dry wit are delicious because they often come out unexpectedly.
"You planning to glare me into orgasm, Marine?" "I don't glare. I smolder."
Molly is a sassy, smart young actress, burned by the media and her ex. She knows that her and Wyatt's lives don't mix. The reality of it and the constant reminder by the media make her regret a little that she can't be the private person he would need and deserve. Wyatt knows exactly what Molly needs as long as his caveman doesn't surface. Then all bets are off.
The banter between these two is hilarious and delicious - I have marked so many quotes on my Kindle. It's a trademark of Kate Meader that she knows how to write amazingly witty and clever dialogues. She also puts her stamp on the chemistry between her main protagonists, which is explosive and will leave your ovaries in a tangle. Molly and Wyatt's love story is a slow burn but once they ignite...holy sh...
"Babe, you deserve better than a quick fumble. "She scoffed. "Quick? Ha! You are slower than a snail on top of a turtle. I've never met a guy who takes his time like you do"
I loved Molly and Wyatt together, they completed each other, loved how they tore each other's walls down, little by little. The diva 'tude doesn't faze this hunk of a firefighter and since it isn't over the top it didn't keep me from liking Molly. But the star of this book? Definitely Wyatt.
All the characters, main and secondary, are really well fleshed out. The side cast is pretty amazing and I'm going to read Ms. Meader's backlist as soon as I have room for it. Gage is my favorite and it doesn't hurt that he is gay!
There is no question that this author can write. I'm a huge fan.
"Falling in love with you was the easiest thing I've ever done. Falling is easy. Staying that way is hard. but I've been choosing hard all my life, so why the hell would the life I make with the woman who completes me be any different? I love you like a madman. You're the air I breathe, my next heartbeat, and I'm never letting go."
Noah, Noah, Noah. My notes about you read like this:
- jerk - grumpy bastard - wow, what an asshole - prick
I found more colorful words for him but let's not get carried away.
Before I started this I thought it would be connected to Blurred Lines, the first installment of the Love Unexpectedly series. It is not. You can read it as a standalone, it is not connected in any way. This story is told in dual-POV which makes the experience always more multi-layered, I find.
Jenny Dawson is a good girl. She is also a singer and songwriter and the darling of the country music scene. She tries to stay out of the tabloids - the worst that has been written about her up until now is that she has a baby belly, courtesy of a burrito, unbeknownst to the author of the article. When a fellow singer claims that he and Jenny had an affair outside of his marriage and she is painted as a homewrecker she loses it and takes a break from LA. She seeks out the loneliness of the Louisiana Bayous.
Noah Maxwell is a Southern boy with the sexy drawl to go with. He is also the illegitimate spare because the heir to his father died when Noah was fourteen. Dirt-poor and living in a trailer until then he all of a sudden was a rich kid, bending his will to his father's. Noah owns a fixer-upper in the Bayous he didn't know of until a short while ago. When a famous country singer wants to rent it he starts to reconstruct, renovate and fixing it. He finds he is good at it, working with his hands gives him peace.
"...there's something about it that calms me. It's one of those places where you hear your thoughts louder and more clearly than anywhere else."
Jenny arrives a day early and Noah, not wanting to reveal that he is famous in his own right claims to be the caretaker. Noah hates everything Jenny stands for and knowing she is a homewrecker doesn't really endear her to him. But damn, she is hot and makes him feel all kinds of things he has no business feeling.
"Playing dumb won't change the fact that you'll be thinking about me all night, princess. Your fingers will be a poor stand-in for my tongue, I can promise you that."
Jenny is a sweet heroine with spunk. She can't hold a grudge for long - not once while reading did I think it was because she was weak. I think she doesn't because she is inherently nice and sweet. She has that fresh-faced spirit of a down-to-earth country girl. I loved that.
"You know, we've done this a couple times now You're a jerk - and I mean real, grade A asshole stuff - and then you apologize. And I say OK. But then you do it again, and I think..."
Noah, what a complicated guy. A grade A asshole who I can only forgive because he has an appendage I don't have. Yeeeaaaah, I'm cheap like that and love a-holes in books. He doesn't pull any punches and becomes outright mean when he feels cornered. It took a while for him to get his sh*t together but when he did it was amazingly sweet.
"The hope in his eyes gets to me. Please, his eyes say. Stay. And damn it, now I feel like crying again, only for a different reason. No matter how much this complicated guy thinks he doesn't need anyone or anything, there's a coarse vulnerability there that nearly undoes me.
The side characters were awesome too. Finn and Vaughn are Noah's most loyal and best friends and they are hilarious! I hope we get to see their story too.
Lauren Layne has a talent. She made me love someone who I started out hating in the span of 220 pages. There is little angst which is a Lauren Layne trademark. Not a surprise that she is my go-to author when I need to shake up things. If you dig a-holes like I do and a sweet heroine who can take it and gives it back as good, this definitely is for you.
**ARC provided by Loveswept via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**...more
Holy crap...what did I just read? I have been asking myself over the last couple of days why I haven't read this series sooner. No idea, something always came in between. I tell you what though. This author? WICKED talent. Nashoda Rose's Perfect Chaos reminds me a bit of the time when Kristen Ashley was still new to me, only with a lot more suspense.
This story packs a one-two punch right at the beginning. Georgie is 16 when she receives a message nobody wants to get. Her brother, who is an army soldier, died on a deployment abroad. The person delivering the message is her brother's best friend Deck. Georgie's demons were born the day she learned about her brother's death.
Deck has to go back to his team and the next two years he is pretty much out of the picture. He keeps tabs on Georgie though and isn't happy with reports about her reckless behaviour. Booze, partying hard and the occasional hook up seem to be her choice of drugs to kill the emotional pain. Deck and his men have their hands full to keep Georgie out of the worst trouble. But something doesn't sit right with him, his gut tells him that things aren't what they seem. He is done watching the girl he promised to protect destroying herself, and he is done with the lies she keeps telling him.
But there was a small part of me that wanted him to see me. Instead, he believed in the lie I'd become. How could he think I was that drunk girl who wasted her life away?
These two are perfection. Deck is a super-alpha, bossy, demanding, controlling, obsessively possessive and sex-on-legs. He is unrelenting when it comes to protect what he considers his and even though Georgie is a wildcard to him at the best of times she belongs to him. Georgie is off limits to him and he is unrelenting in this regard as well. Until he isn't any longer. When he makes up his mind to act on his feelings he doesn't f*ck around. And from here on we get to see the gentle and sweet Deck. His flavor of sweet still isn't soft though, he is a badass even in his love for Georgie. I loved this side of him. I also loved how Deck and Georgie just knew that they were IT for each other. No doubt, not a second.
Then he kissed me and I was lost to the most soul-touching kiss a woman could ever have. It was filled with years of need and want and never being able to take. It was him and me finding our peace together. It was our demons being joined and burned to ash.
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Georgie is a hot mess. Or so she wants us to think. She holds on to her secrets, protecting what's hers with her life and yes, she considers Deck hers and has done so since she met him. Her sass with Deck is hilarious although the feeling that her wild side is a facade arises very soon. She also has a sweet and vulnerable side to her which she covers up with snark. Georgie shows strength and intelligence throughout the story, the depth and danger of her secrets are surprising.
The plot twists in this story gave me whiplash. There is a lot of betrayal, darkness, secrets, lies and heartbreak. I had one small niggle I don't want to divulge since that would be a major spoiler. It is, however, the reason it's only almost a 5 star read. The steam was hot as hell and Georgie and Deck are like bunnies on speed. There is no holding back once they get their hands on each other.
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"Going to fuck you now" I smiled. "Okay." "Wasn't asking"
A couple of words about the secondary characters? Kai. Oh.My.God. He is a mystery I can't wait to uncover. Delicious, cocky, charming. Tristan is another one of those enigmas that leave you wanting more. Deck's guys? Hilarious and crazy. Despite the side characters not being the focus of the story you get a very good idea about their respective traits, they are pretty well fleshed out for not having the spotlight.
This story draws you in and drags you through every emotion on the spectrum. Grief, love, fun, heartbreak, anger, insecurity...you name it, it's there. I LOVED every word in it.
I wouldn't yield to anyone. But I did. I yielded to Georgie. I'd let her seep into my veins and take hold, and no matter how many men I killed or women I fucked. I couldn't get her out of me.
Astrid - The Bookish Sweet Tooth
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