***3 Stars***
The blurb was what caught my attention, it had that Beauty and the Beast feel to it and is one of my favorite tropes so I gave it a go and though I found it to be an easy and overall enjoyable read I didn’t fall in love with it like I’d hoped I would. It really does have all the pieces of a great story and yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was lacking from Blake and Tiffany’s romance and that ‘something’ is what kept this book firmly in the ‘like’ category instead of bumping up to the ‘love’ category.
Blake is a cold SOB. He wants to protect those he considers his, but goes about it in such a manner that ensures he’s absolutely separated from the situation and won’t be touched in any way. I got why Blake felt he needed to appear cold, driven and even callous to the world, but I couldn’t empathize with him over it because instead of rising above all the B.S. he willingly wallowed in it and used it as an excuse for his behaviour. That didn’t show me a man, it instead showed me a little boy trying to play at being a man. Thankfully he does have a “Come to Jesus” moment and I can say that I liked seeing the man he could become if he let go of the reins.
Tiffany’s first true act of teenage rebellion hit her like a Mack truck and her world has never been the same, but despite all the difficulties that one act brought her and how it’s made her wary and cynical, she still fights to give her kids all the love she can. I liked Tiffany from the start. Her fire and determination to do right by her kids were something that I admired. Some of her choices, and the reasons behind them, had me going “mmmmm.” but considering all that she went through I couldn’t outright fault her for. She’d been put through the ringer and needed to work through things to find herself once more and thought it was a struggle she does finally figure out who she wants to be.
As for Blake and Tiffany’s relationship. I had no problem with the sexual chemistry between them, because it was hot or even with how their ‘relationship’ progressed. When you have two people who are unable to trust, whether it be others or themselves, choices are made where the logic behind them is faulty at best. I just felt that there was something missing. All the right pieces were there, but they just didn’t fully click together where I had the lightbulb moment where I could envision their HEA. The good thing that comes out of what they put each other through is that the walls they’ve surrounded themselves with for so long are gone and they finally figure out who the kind of person they truly want to be.
The writing was engaging, the story well paced and the dual first person POV’s done well. I loved the kids and the heart they brought to the story. The other characters were fun and liked how they rounded things out. This was my first read by the author and though the romance part of it didn’t really do it for me, I still found the story to be an enjoyable one and will be checking out other books by the author in the future.
~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley ~
In a blistering novel of raw emotion and desire, a tormented woman teaches an alpha male that money can’t fix everything . . . but love can.
Tiffany : After fighting for a new life, I don’t want to play the victim anymore. However, with three kids to raise, I’m getting desperate enough to make a deal with the devil. My estranged brother-in-law, Blake, says he just wants to help, but he’s been trouble since I met him. I don’t know if I can believe this kinder, gentler Blake, and there’s a friction between us that has turned into the sweetest chemistry. He could be my salvation . . . or my downfall.
Blake : I haven’t always had Tiffany’s best interests at heart but I’m ready to make up for my sins. Besides, I can’t help admiring her: The girl’s a genuine survivor, tough and lean, with eyes of steel. But the more I get to know Tiffany, the more I want her. Every inch of her. Which means I’m about to make a bad situation a hell of a lot worse
Book Summary
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published By: Random House/LoveSwept
Release Date: February 28th, 2017
Pages: 272
Series: Everything I Left Unsaid #4
ISBN13 9780399593956
Molly O'Keefe has always known she wanted to be a writer (except when she wanted to be a florist or a chef and the brief period of time when she considered being a cowgirl). And once she got her hands on some romances, she knew exactly what she wanted to write.
She published her first Harlequin romance at age 25 and hasn't looked back. She loves exploring every character's road towards happily ever after.
Originally from a small town outside of Chicago, she went to university in St. Louis where she met and fell in love with the editor of her school newspaper. They followed each other around the world for several years and finally got married and settled down in Toronto, Ontario. They welcomed their son into their family in 2006, and their daughter in 2008. When she's not at the park or cleaning up the toy room, Molly is working hard on her next novel, trying to exercise, stalking Tina Fey on the internet and dreaming of the day she can finish a cup of coffee without interruption.
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