Flirting with Disaster by Ava Catori

Flirting With Curves #1

by Ava Catori

Barbara Johnson dreaded going home. It was a simple job to close a factory. She’d done it several times before. What made this time different was being forced back to the very town she’d fled years ago hoping never to return. Ryder Bishop was strong and sexy. A ladies' man who reserved his loyalty to Ocean Crest, New Jersey. The last thing he expected was to fall for the plentiful figure of the enemy. So when Barbara’s curves called to him he realized it meant trouble. Were they both flirting with disaster?

Genres: Romance, Amazon

Paperback

First published July 1, 2015

About the author

I have a passion for storytelling. I write in a conversational tone that is often described as fun and easy. I love my characters to be easy to identify with and feel down to earth. Most of my characters have a girl-next-door feel.

This Jersey girl is happily married to a patient man who has the ability to sustain long hours of rambling thoughts spilling from me non-stop. With the company of my two dogs, I set my writing schedule around their inability to coordinate their potty breaks. :)

Reviews

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[BooksandBeyondFiftyShades · Rating 5 out of 5]

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✰✰✰ 5 STAR REVIEW ✰✰✰

Barbara Johnson is back in her hometown. She had left and and didn't wanted to come back but now that she is here it will not be a pleasant visit. She is there to closed down the only thing that is keeping this town a live, the old factory. The same factory she had sad memories thanks to her alcoholic mother.
She was back and the reality settled in, small town and Ryder Bishop was all around it. He was the last person she wanted to interact with of course he wouldn't remember her since she was invisible back in school.

Ryder Bishop knew loyalty, he had stick around this small town but he was realistic that it was sinking and the rumors that the factory was closing down he knew it was a matter of time this town was over. When his father tells him he was recommended to work on a project with the same person it had the town's future in her hands he was not happy but money was money.

Barbara and Ryder have this incredible chemistry but like always everything was working against them but will they be able to make it work and give Ocean Crest a bright new future?

This is a great story, the suspense and steamy chemistry between this two is incredible. This plot is full of so many emotions it has just the perfect combination for a best seller.

I loved this story and will recommend for everyone to read it too. You will not be disappointed.


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[Tonya Boutwell Hauser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky and got an ARC copy. Barbara Johnson (Bobby-Jean) worked very hard to over coming being raised poor and by the town drunk. She goes into companies and closes them. She is sent back to her home town to close the last factory in town. She hopes no one remembers her.

Ryder Bishop is Barbara's high school crush. He is still struggling in the home town. Barbara hires him to fix up her house. They have lots of sparks and people trying to keep them apart.

[Michelle Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this ARC in return for an honest review. I loved this story. It was a real romance. We get to know the characters...see this relationship grow and experience the hardships they go through. The chemical between this is scorching too! 5 stars!

[Lisa White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story. A moderate pace read. Chemistry was great, dealing with insurities, past and the future.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars I enjoyed the story but felt that Ryder was too hot and cold. One minute he can't get enough of her and the next he's angry and says mean/rude things. I understand that she's insecure but I think most women would call him on his behavior. And I don't believe she would really just let him leave after he completely misunderstands something she said. The story was good and I liked the characters, I just felt these things kept me from giving it 5 stars.

[Kathleen Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I really liked this story about a very quiet rundown beach town due to the economy and how the try survive day to day then get news the factory that houses most the jobs being closed. Which brings violent drama and romance that keeps you hooked from beginning to end.

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

Loved this romance! The conflict and emotions were so real that they pulled you along with them. You truly feel a part of the story.

[April Symes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very interesting story with different perspectives playing out. It is told in both MC POV and that is hard to do but it came off flawless. And the setting, which was Ocean Crest, NJ as a small town was great. I felt like I was completely there and could feel the small town feel. This is a small town slowly dying out , and everyone into everybody’s business.

Barbara Johnson had lived here years ago, as BJ and things were not good for her when she was living in this small town. She made it her business to get out when she could. Now she is back and in her line of work, she comes in and makes decisions that her lot of people; she makes the hard decisions that end up hurting people-- Some might say she is known as the “Terminator” . Now she is back in her old town of Ocean Crest and is here to do a very hard thing. Nobody would put together Barbara now- the beautiful, voluptuous woman to the girl she was then-the invisible kid who had the drunk mother and no father. Nope no one would put one plus one to equal two.

Ryder Bishop is the town hunk and owns Speed Demon's Bike Repair. He has a younger brother who left Ocean Crest as soon as he got legal but for Ryder, he stayed and built his shop up. He also takes care of his dad. He is loyal to his dad and to his town. He was a player in his younger days but now, not so much. When he went into the café in town, he sees Barbara , something about her makes him wonder how he knows her but he can’t place her. He knows he wouldn’t be attracted to her voluptuousness so he writes her off but then his father refers her to him so he can do some work at her place while she is in town. Then as he is around her , he finds her more approachable.

Barbara has always been attracted to Ryder-years ago when she was in school and lived in town and now. But she is afraid that when Ryder finds out she will be the one to close the only factory left in Ocean Crest-the one his father manages, she will be run out of town, personally by Ryder and the easy going feeling between them will be gone. She tries to put distance but it’s so hard.
Then there is some sabotage going on. Little things. Barbara notices and it happened while she tries to bring in new blood to the town in the form of a friend of hers. There are twists and turns that becomes almost deadly. Will Barbara lose her life? Will Ryder realize that he does have deeper feelings for her? Will they get their HEA? Oh I cant tell you, only you will find out if you read this book.

What I can tell you is the passion; the chemistry is off the wall between the MC. The action is fantastic –I found myself enjoying Barbara and Ryder—they really made this book. They both were spunky and passionate. Barbara came from a sad background with her family and all she wanted was to be LOVED. I think when she came back to Ocean Crest, she finally found what she needed. With Ryder, he never found someone who loved him for him-he was always loved for his looks or for who his father was ..With Barbara, she accepted him for just him. The only minor compliant on is that I would have liked to know who Barbara’s father was—that never was resolved for me. I mean, he paid for her mom’s house yet he left her was taxes owed and he knew when her mom died but why did he never come to her …Dunno, I would have liked for that to have been resolved. That is something I would have liked , as a reader, to have known. Otherwise, this was such a great book. I hope we get to read Hunter, Ryder’s brother’s story and also Brad, Barbara’s friend story.

My rating: 4.5 stars ****

[Anita Byars · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved that this story was from both their POV. They were great characters and I had a good feel for both of them from the beginning with an excellent introduction to each of them. The story had good flow throughout and an excellent build with drama and intensity throughout as well. Loved the chemistry and the passion that these two characters unexpectedly find with each other.
Ryder Bishop has lived in Ocean Crest his entire life, high school sport jock that all the girls were in love with, and in the popular crowd in school. He now owns a motorcycle shop called Speed Demons Bike Repair, but lately with more shops in town closing and people moving away, he will take any jobs that come his way to help pay the rent. His father is the manager of Ocean Crest Factory the main employer of the people in town and as the company has slowly decreased production at the factory more people have lost their jobs.
Barbara Johnson aka " Bobby Jean" grew up in Ocean Crest, she always felt like she was invisible to everybody and left town to go to college and to get away from her alcoholic mother. Now she is the reorganization guru for DCD subsidiaries and she has been sent back to her home town to shut the factory down and sell it. Barbara still owns her mother's small jersey shore bungalow and since she is going to be in town for awhile as she closes the plant down she has decided to spruce it up.
When Barbara enquires at the factory about a handyman to help do things for her, Ryder's father gives her Ryder's phone number. Barbara keeps her real I'd entity a secret, so when Ryder shows up to discuss her plans, he thinks she looks familiar but can't figure out why. Barbara has difficulty talking at first in Ryder's presence she is so taken by his good looks and muscular physique. Ryder is also captivated by Barbara's curves something that he has never been attracted to in other women he has dated before. As these two begin to work together to spruce up her house their sizzling chemistry draws them together, and although Barbara is the enemy, Ryder is surprisingly attracted to her. There are twists and turns that you will not expect as well as some suspense and acts of revenge that will add some intensity to this story. Loved the passion and real life situations. It kept me reading to the wee hours of the morning I could not put it down. Will Barbara Johnson close the factory and leave? Will they get their HEA? You will have to read this to find out.
Received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dnf. Could not connect with the book or the characters

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally! A book that I could really get into, and did! Unfortunately, I had been on a bit of a reading hiatus as I had gone through a few books that were more irritating to me as a reader rather than entertaining. Finally, a book that pulled me out of the hiatus. Therefore, I would like to personally thank the author(s) for writing this fantastic book. It has a little bit of everything in this book: transformation, loyalty, intimacy, misunderstanding, stereotyping, suspense, and family drama. I have read books in the past where the amount of topics were overwhelming in one book, however, they blend beautifully in this one. The main character, Barbara transformed from a practically invisible small-town nobody with an embarrassing drunk mother into a powerful, smart business woman (shout out to feminism-you go girl!) that is in town on business from New York City. The love interest in the book, Ryder, has been a playboy since high school who originally overlooked Barbara in high school but is now taking a job renovating her house. The very place that her drunk mother was let go from for her drunken episodes, Barbara has been sent to shut down. Something she has had to do in several towns as part of her job, but this time it gets personal. Not just for Barbara, but for Ryder, and someone else who demands to cause damage. In general, I don't particularly mind cursing. But for those readers who do, you should know that the foul language is rather minimal, only a time or two. There is a lot of steamy scenes in which those readers who are not comfortable with adult situations may want to be wary. Without giving any more away, I'll just wrap this up with it's a great summer read. There's romance, grilling out, suspense, a beach, and warm summer sun. I loved this book and highly recommend it to any reader looking for a fun, sizzling, beach read!
Please note: an ARC was generously provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Crazy Dance Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really lucky to get an advanced readers copy of this book. So glad too. It was a great read that had me so hooked I finished it in one sitting. I love the character development and (without giving too much away) there is some miscommunication that breaks them up for a while. The story is written from both his POV and hers, which is difficult to write. But the author does a pretty good job of keeping you up to speed with the events while giving a taste for what both are thinking. It's kind of neat to see how male and female react to something said and how it can be interpreted so differently based on something as simple as gender and insecurities.

I've been asked for an honest review, so here's the bad....I thought this would be a book about disaster of some kind based on the title. It's not. Barbara comes to town to shut down the factory that keeps a struggling community alive. And while Ryder comes to terms with her job and why she's there, we never see the rest of the community come to accept her until the very last chapter where we see that Ryder's dad came around and his brother is helping out with the business. I would have rated the character development higher if not for this nuance that just left me a little confused as to why she would want to stick around town. She's a smart and successful woman, so it just doesn't make sense to me that she would do so only for a guy. One more chapter that would explain how they all started to come around, or if there was more explanation on how she came to see the light and did something to help the community, anything would work.

Otherwise, I loved the book. Downloaded and finished in a single sitting. Loved the story and the tension. And lots of steam and tension - which I LOVE. This is definately a book you won't want to miss.

[Anto · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Leído/Read:
02-10/07/15

This story takes place in a small town on the coast of New Jersey, Ocean Crest.
Ryder Bishop have lived all his life there, and his loyalty to the town runs really deep.

Whatever life threw at me, I was ready to tackle it.

But things start to change when the town's factory, the main source of job, is in danger of being shut down. And the one sent to do it is Barbara Johnson, a woman that escaped that same town long time ago.
Barbara's and Ryder's paths crossed and though their first encounters are tense, the chemistry between them is palpable.

She was the enemy, the one that was here to tear us apart. She should be the last thing I'm thinking about. The harder I tried to push her out of my mind, the stronger she came back, taunting me.

So now Ryder and Barbara have to figure out their feelings, with the big elephant on the room that is the factory's closing. And that procedure starts to have its complications, too.
***
I really liked the story, it has a good plot, it's easy to read and it catches you from the very beginning. Also, it's written with dual POV, not just taking the chapter from where the other one ended but a little before, so you ended having a same scene from the perspective of the both characters (Totally loved that!)
The only thing I didn't like so much, was the speed of the relationship of Ryder and Barbara since the middle of the book forward, it let me feeling that something was off. Still, is a great and sweet story with a touch of mistery and really hot scenes! 4 stars

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Barbara Johnson and Ryder Bishop were classmates in high school. Barbara was the studious nerd and Ryder was the popular, handsome, 'love 'em & leave 'em' heartthrob.

Barbara's job has her returning home to Ocean Crest, a small coastal town not far from New York. She left 18 years ago after a miserable childhood. Barbara is in town to determine the fate of the small town's major job source. If it closes it will likely destroy the little coastal town. Barbara is also looking forward to visiting her childhood home that was left to her after her Mother died.
Ryder is a loyal Ocean Crest resident, has his own auto repair business and is there to help and support his father.

Barbara hires Ryder to do repairs and painting. Ryder can't figure out why Barbara is familiar but can't place how he would know her. Barbara knows being in close proximity to Ryder could be risky, he's handsome and charming and in her house and working on her bedroom.

Chemistry is hard to fight and even though they try to ignore it, they fall into an uneasy relationship with some steamy loving, a little mystery and an uncertain future.

This story is narrated by the heroine, Barbara Johnson and our hero, Ryder Bishop in alternating chapters. At first I was confused, but quickly fell into the rhythm of the story and looked forward to the change of perspective.
I hope there will be another Ocean Crest book, as I would like to know more about the supporting cast of characters.

[Racy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting story. I am one that comes from a small town so I know what small towns can be like and what means to keep businesses going in that small town. Ocean Crest was a small town where everyone knew everyone.

Barbara Johnson had a job to do. Her job was not pretty and could hurt a lot of people. How strange it had to be for her to return to the small town of Ocean Crest. She was wondering how long it would take people to know who she was. Barbara was a beautiful plus size woman. Growing up she was the invisible kid and suffered thru a drunk mother. Now here she was years later and before she left people would hate her and remember who she was.

Ryder Bishop was know as the playboy in his younger days. He was loyal and loved the town of Ocean Crest. Looking at Barbara Johnson he could not place who she was, but something was familiar about her. He was never attracted to a plus size woman, but how he loved her curves. He knew it would be bad getting involved with the enemy, after all Barbara was her to not only take his father’s job but close the factory this town so desperately needed. She would destroy a lot of people. He could lose his sanity, his friends, and family. Was she worth the risk?

Can Ryder stay way from his attraction to Barbara? What happens when the woman you love has a brush of death, will that change things? Can the playboy ever settle down? I loved this story and found it very heart warming. Had a great ending as well.

[Jenny Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC for an honest review.

In this book we meet Barbara and Ryder. Barbara is the girl that everyone never saw, she is the daughter of the town drunk, and the one that always came to her mother's rescue. However what she really wanted was for someone to want her for her, to really see her. When Barbara is given the job to come and evaluate and possibly close the towns factory she knows this could be the nail in the town coffin and for once doing this job really gets to her. What Barbara never saw coming was Ryder to finally see her.

Ryder was the towns golden boy and has stayed when many others have gone on to found better jobs in other towns. Ryder also stays for his only living parent his father which is also the foreman of the factory. They both know it is a matter of time before Ocean Crest becomes just another small town to fold up but neither are willing to give up that easily. A few run ins with Barbara (who Ryder thinks is familiar but just can't quite place her) Ryder knows this is one woman who is different from any of the others he has met.

Over all this story is really good it is about love, acceptance, and finding the real you even in tragedy. The problem I have with this story is though it feels like the are rushed. The story is good I just wish there was a little more time between how their feelings are and where they end up. I will let you readers decide for yourselves though so I will not give away any of the story.

[Sandi Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I really really liked this book.I got it on my Kindle and thought I would start it and see if how it was...I ended up reading it from front to back in one sitting all night. Really, really good. It has everything you want in a great book. It has a touch of romance, looking back, some mystery and oh yes lots of good oh sexy heat!

Curvy Barbara Johnson comes back to the town she grew up in as an adult to close the factory down. No one recognizes her and that is the way she wants it. She owns her property there and needs to have it updated.

She runs into the high school "Romeo" Ryder Bishop. Seems he is still as handsome and sexy as ever. He owns his own bike repair shop in Ocean Crest and also does odd jobs. His dad is the manager of the factory Barbara is sent to close down. You can already see what is going to happen right....
Bad boy hired to work on her house and Bad boy biker seems to love the curves of Barbara.

The only part of the book that was confusing to me is the part about the new business I did not understand this Business Incubator. Maybe when the next book comes out and I hope we get Hunter's story, that will be explained.
If you like Happy Ending and a book with Mystery and lots of heat, This is the book for you.

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Review of Flirting With Disaster by Ava Catori & Olivia Rigal

Great storyline - 3 stars

Barbara Johnson dreaded going home. It was a simple job to close a factory. She'd done it several times before. What made this time different was being forced back to the very town she'd fled years ago hoping never to return.

Ryder Bishop was strong and sexy. A lady's man who reserved his loyalty to Ocean Crest, New Jersey. The last thing he expected was to fall for the plentiful figure of the enemy. So when Barbara's curves called to him he realized it meant trouble.

Were they both flirting with disaster?

Overall, I liked the storyline, but I really did not care for the choppy writing. I'm not sure if that was simply due to having two writers or what, but it was very hard to follow at times. It seemed that every time the POV changed, a lot of what had already happened was repeated, which is not at all like dual POV's that I've read before.

I only gave this 3 stars because of the huge amount of grammatical errors I found and the poor flow from the different POV's. I'm hoping these errors will be fixed in a future update, then I would be more comfortable about recommending it.
**********
**Complimentary Copy provided by Author for an honest review.**

[Jennifer Schultheis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flirting with Disaster is a quick read that was entertaining at times. I enjoyed the storyline and the dual point of views provided a great insight into the characters heads and their hearts.

Barbara comes back to her hometown a changed person. She’s successful and she’s made something of herself. She uses a different name, so no one recognizes her. The reason Barbara is in town, makes her an enemy to most of the town, especially Ryder and his family. Barbara and Ryder’s relationship isn’t smooth much of the time, but when they realize how much the other means to them, there is no stopping them. The love they have for each other trumps anything else going on at the moment.

The only thing in the story that bothered me was Ryder in the beginning. He kept concentrating on Barbara’s looks a little too much, especially about her jiggly butt. We hear all about how he’s used to small women with firm butts and how he doesn’t understand why he’s getting turned on by Barbara. He gets better though and I love how he falls hard for her, jiggly butt included.

The drama in the story will keep you interested and readers will be invested in the outcome of Barbara and Ryder’s relationship.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading "Flirting With Disaster" by Ava Catori & Olivia Rigal. These two authors really made an impact on the subject of the demise of small towns. I had no problem relating to these characters. While Ryder seems at first to be the town Ladies Man it soon becomes clear that he is much more than that. Normally attracted to a leaner "fit" woman, he finds himself intrigued by this voluptuous female who has come to town to close the factory. Barbara knows who he is immediately, the town heartthrob from yesteryear. Barb has some lingering self confidence issues due to her youth as she was never one of the "in crowd". She has overcome these feelings for the most part after years of living a very different life. Back in her hometown, however, things are a bit disquieting.

The budding relationship between Ryder and Barbara is constantly in peril due to the reason she is there. Misunderstandings abound. Can they work through these? I had a wonderful time discovering just that.

This is a very very believable romance with some descriptive bedroom scenes that in no way overwhelmed the story. Super wrap up at the end as well.. :) I look forward to reading more of these talented authors.

“I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review”.

[Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoilers are in this review!!!!! When I opened up this book and started to read it, I feel in love with how the story starts off with Ryder's point of view of being already in the act of doing something. As I read on more seeing the book written in both Ryder's and Barbara's point of views. Learning that the readers get to hear the thoughts of both on what is going on in the story is something that I fell in love with!!!
One of my favorite lines in this book so far is one of Ryder's "I stroked my coco a few times and ended with a grunt." a very nice way of putting it ;)
This book was soo much a good read that I went back and read it again :) I love that the book shows that you don't have to be a super model to get a good guy, that just being who your are is enough. The struggles that Barbara and Ryder had went through, with finding out who each other was, having the town think she was the enemy, to the fire of the factory and so much more with inside each other that many people can relate to this story. And after all that happened they stayed together and helped their home town become whole once again.

[Kathy Heare Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY

I enjoyed this story, it keeps the pages turning with the twist and turns as the mystery unfolds. Ryder Bishop is sexy hot but has a reputation of "love them and leave them" with no strings attached. He loves his father and even though the town is slowly dying, lack of business, he has remained in Ocean Crest, NJ. Ryder's mother died when he was young and his younger brother has moved away to California. Bobby Jean Johnson left Ocean Crest and is now returning as Barbara Johnson to close down the last big employer, a factory that is obsolete and not feasible to their parent company to keep running. What she thought would be a quick job, and payback to those who treated her bad because of her mother isn't so cut and dry. The plot kept me captivated and has its ups and downs as emotions run high, town people are hanging by a thread for survival and business is business. Throw Ryder, the playboy, and Barbara the hatched lady together and there will definitely be angst and misunderstandings. The chapters switch back and forth between Ryder's POV and Barbara's POV.

[Niki Driscoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting story about something that is all to common in the world today. Big business wants to make a profit and if they are not they send someone in to access the situation and eventually shut it down. Through out history this has been the cause of several ghost towns as it was impossible to survive without the closed business. Our male and female main characters were written to face over powering obstacles. Barbara has a chip on her shoulder due to her personal history with the town but still struggles to do the right thing even when the town folks are mean and nasty. Ryder is torn between his attraction to Barbara and his loyalty to the town he loves. This was a well written storyline with only a few minor plot issues. Not a cliffhanger but we are still left feeling unsettled as we jump from a very dark dangerous situation to almost Happyville with out any indication how we moved from point "A" to point "C". I felt the missing information would have rounded out the storyline better and made the transition from A to C more realistic and believable. Even my issue , I still found it to be a good read and would rate it 3.5 stars.

[Sue Zawisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review for FLIRTING WITH DISASTER BY AVA CATORI
I received this as an ARC for an honest review

Barbara Johnson never thought her return to Ocean Crest would be as the harbinger of doom…but that’s exactly what she is. She is there to close down the factory that is the small town’s life blood. She also never expected to run into Ryder Bishop…the hottest guy in school when she was a teen. Of course, since she was the smart, chubby girl, he never noticed her. When she hires him to do some work in her home…without telling him who she is…they start to develop something between them….but what exactly is it ?? Even after she reveals her identity to him, it doesn’t seem to make a difference. As the attraction grows between them, so do the problems. When it becomes obvious that she will not be able to save the factory, feelings and loyalties start to shift….and not for the better. When a fire hits the factory and danger comes for Barbara, where will Ryder’s loyalties lie ?? Will he walk away from her to let his friends and family know that he knows that he won’t turn his back on them, or will he defend and protect Barbara ???

[Lynn Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received and ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.



Barbara Johnson returns to Ocean Crest to shut down the factory. After years away she doesn't have to many fond memories of living there. She is there to do a job.. When she needs someone to do repairs on her house she hires Ryder Bishop. Ryder finds himself attracted to Barbara. He isn't usually attracted to plus sized women. He is to much into fitness and taking care of your body. He knows he should remember her but can't quite place her.

Loved the chemistry between the characters. Ryder is loyal to the town and his father. When he finds what Barbara is up to, he has to decide if he should follow through on this attraction or walk away. Barbara grew up not knowing her father and with a drunk mother. Ryder never paid any attention to her back then. Is it worth getting involved with Ryder when she is here to do a job and leave. When a fire breaks out of the factory. Things start changing for the both of them. Lots of suspense, romance and some heated arguments. Wonderful romance

[Danny Jeffery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall this was an ok read for me. I really liked the premise of the plot and felt that the storyline regarding the factory was original.

This was told in dual POV which is always my favourite as I feel you get a better feel for characters. My only issue with this in this book was at the beginning each alternating chapter was told in dual POV but it went over the scene from each other which made it feel like there was some repetition.

There was some pretty steamy scenes throughout, however, the author's eluded to Ryder being more of a Dom and I felt this just confused matters as it never went into any depth - I would have just preferred for him to have been written as an over the top ALPHA.

There was certainly plenty of action and a real twist towards the end, however, again, without spoiling the plot, there was a scene towards the end with Barbara that took place in the factory that just seemed rushed through.

All in all, it was a nicely paced read and held my attention throughout.

I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Lynn Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received and ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.



Barbara Johnson returns to Ocean Crest to shut down the factory. After years away she doesn't have to many fond memories of living there. She is there to do a job.. When she needs someone to do repairs on her house she hires Ryder Bishop. Ryder finds himself attracted to Barbara. He isn't usually attracted to plus sized women. He is to much into fitness and taking care of your body. He knows he should remember her but can't quite place her.

Loved the chemistry between the characters. Ryder is loyal to the town and his father. When he finds what Barbara is up to, he has to decide if he should follow through on this attraction or walk away. Barbara grew up not knowing her father and with a drunk mother. Ryder never paid any attention to her back then. Is it worth getting involved with Ryder when she is here to do a job and leave. When a fire breaks out of the factory. Things start changing for the both of them. Lots of suspense, romance and some heated arguments. Wonderful romance

[Jessica McSwain · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is about Barbara and Ryder finally finding discovering what could be.. Ryder is the heart throb of her high years. The guy who everyone wanted but curvy unpopular girls like her never ever got noticed. She got out of town because people including her loved ones judging her for her mothers actions. Now after years she is back in town because her job brought her back . And she is moving into her old home but it needs work and who does the handy work, well none other than Ryder. What's funny and sad is that he doesn't recognize her because well she was a no one to him. But one day he finally puts the pieces together and figures who she is. She is charming beautiful and just down right sweet and he can't help but fall for her. She has always had it hard for him and he has always owned her heart now he is owning her body. Will this finally be a new beginning for them? Or will history tear them apart? I was given this book in exchange for an honest review and like I said it was great from the beginning to the end, I just hope the story continues with others in the story...

[Mary Mooney · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Barbara Johnson goes back home after 10 years, she is there for a job. And that job is to close the only factory left in Ocean Crest New Jersey. When she sees Ryder Bishop, one of the guys from school that all the girls drooled over, he is even sexier than he was back then. But he never noticed her because she was way out of his league. With her alcoholic mother working at the factory that Ryder's father was the manager. Now Barbara is there to do her job and others will hate her. Does she tell them who she is or will it matter that she grew up in this small town? Ryder has never went for the curvy women but something about Barbara is pulling him in. Will he still be around when he finds out who she is and why she is back in town? This is a great story with a little suspense thrown in. I enjoyed it and hope there will be more, maybe with Ryder's brother Hunter or even his best friend, Tony.
**A copy as provided by the authors in exchange for my honest review**