Jeeves Reads Romance's Reviews > I Knead You Tonight

Quick and easy

Light, quick, and sexy, this had the exact vibe I've come to expect from Hunter's work, and it hit the spot without being overly memorable. It's a great mix of tropes, featuring a single mom of a brand new baby, her best friend's obnoxious stoner brother, a temporary roommates situation, and some enemies to lovers tension. The most interesting part to me was that the hero wasn't the usual type - he smokes weed to manage his pain and doesn't hold down a steady job, so from the outside looking in, he's not the type that you'd expect to be good with a newborn baby. Add in the tension from their past, and these two weren't overly excited to be living together. That forced proximity was a win, as was the slow reveal behind our hero's motivations. It's a lighthearted, easygoing story and one that is significantly shorter than most books out there these days (250 pages), so I had no trouble bingeing it in one sitting.

The story follows Drew, a new mom who has been struggling since the birth of her baby. It was an unexpected pregnancy and the father turned out to be a loser, so she's still dealing with the weight of her new financial obligations. When her best friend's brother, Winston, sees Drew struggling one night, he insists that she move in to his place until she gets back on her feet. Though the two have never seemed to get along and Drew is unsure of having a slacker who is constantly high around her baby, the situation turns out better than either could've anticipated. And while Drew is repulsed by certain aspects of Winston's personality, sharing a space with him ratchets up the sexual tension between them. If she's going to be temporarily living with the guy, then temporarily sleeping with him might not be the worst idea, but getting to know a different side of Winston complicates that.

Will I remember the plot of this book a few months from now? No. Did I enjoy it as I was reading? Yes. The story itself is pretty straightforward, other than peeling back the layers of Winston. Drew wasn't the nicest to him when she moved in, but I could see why she'd act that way. He doesn't give a great first impression, and I'm sure witnessing years of his slacker side didn't help. For that reason, things are definitely "just" sex (at least for her) when they do cross that line. Winston made for an interesting character, and I liked getting to know him better. The story probably would've benefited from a longer page count, though it's fascinating to see how trends have changed in just the last few years - this was a pretty normal page count back then. It also made for a good palette cleanser read in between longer and heavier books, with a light, sexy storyline that absolutely flew by.

Audio note: So I actually bought the audiobook because I love Alex Kydd's voice, but he's clearly been working on his skills in the four years since this was produced, because he was the worst part about it, lol. Not terrible, but he plays up Winston's stoner vibes with a nasally voice that was probably right for the character but not overly appealing. That took some getting used to, but it smoothed out somewhere along the way as Winston's character showed some growth. So maybe he was doing it right? If you want a fantastic Kydd performance, check out Becka Mack's books - he's got a smokin' hot, "tortured playboy" voice in those. As for Emma Wilder, no complaints there. She does an excellent job and gives a consistent performance whenever I hear her. The audio was perfect for bingeing, with a runtime of under 7 hours. I think it definitely enhanced my reading experience, and I'm glad that I listened to the audio.