I really, really enjoyed this hot little romance between a bad boy Hollywood movie star and the sassy, work-a-holic New York waitress/ social worker-in-training who rocks his world. I'll admit a Hollywood movie star wouldn't be my first choice for a romance hero, but this guy, Ben Barrett, was just so deep-down sweet and charming, despite his bad-boy image and sometimes arrogant ways, that I totally fell for him. And I love when that happens. It makes the story so much easier to read when you have a rapport with the characters, and I grew to love the heroine, Maggie Reilly too, even though at times she was a little stubborn and inflexible and I just wanted to give her a little push towards Ben.
Maggie Reilly's working as a waitress while trying to balance her college classes in social work and volunteering her time at her local community center. Every minute of her busy day is accounted for, leaving her no time for TV, movies, or even sex. She makes the time for sex with an equally busy man two or three times a year. Tony's a travel writer on the go constantly, but whenever he's in New York he hooks up with Maggie so they each can scratch their itch. This works for Maggie because she has no time for a relationship, nor does she want one. She doesn't want a special someone in her life (that would be a distraction), and because of her tragic and lonely past in foster care, figures the only one she needs and can count on is herself. Her whole life is geared towards getting her college degree and starting her career, and that's about as far into the future she's willing to look. But when Ben Barrett enters her life and won't go quietly away, all her plans go up in smoke.
Ben Barrett's a hot movie star with a bad boy reputation, living large and fast but not enjoying it as much as he once did. He's tired of being pigeon-holed as an action star, getting tired of the easy women who he never has to chase, and is ready for something a little more challenging. When a beautiful redhead mistakenly comes to his hotel room while he's sleeping thinking she was meeting someone else, gets embarrassed after having her hands all over him and realizing he's not the man she was supposed to meet, and practically runs away without even recognizing him, he's intrigued. He tracks her down to her work at a bar, major sparks fly, and he's impressed that she's not impressed with his movie star career. She lays it on the line for him and lets him know that she has no room in her life for a distraction, and Ben Barrett is one big hunk of distraction. Ben weasels his way into getting Maggie to let him stay with her (he's hiding from paparazzi and a big scandal) by convincing her that he will be her "boy toy" for a whole week. Maggie finds this offer hard to resist, but insists that Ben not mess with her work or her career. But he can mess with her (and she with him) all he wants! But what starts out as a sex-only fling soon becomes much, much more, as Ben pulls out all the stops to woo Maggie. As Maggie feels all her emotional walls come tumbling down, she starts to regret ever getting involved with Ben, because he's coming between all her plans. Soon it comes down to what is more important to her, her job or the man she loves? Is it even possible for her to have both?
This was such a fast read, it was over in no time, yet I wanted more! I loved Ben, and didn't care that he was a little cocky, because Maggie always put him in his place. And boy did he have to work for her! I loved the way he tried to take care of her, breaking down Maggie's emotional walls bit by bit. I loved how he pushed her to have a life outside of work and school, and loved how he made her feel special when he whisked her off to the Bahamas for some much needed R&R. I loved how they were able to move beyond just being bedmates, and really start to reveal things about their pasts and connect emotionally. And yes, their sex scenes were white hot and happened everywhere imaginable (the shower, the kitchen floor, a private jet), but what got to me the most was when they were in bed and started to connect emotionally--these were the scenes that brought tears to my eyes. I was just hoping and praying that Maggie had the guts to grab onto the best thing that could possibly happen to her and realize that her life didn't have to be one thing or the other. She could have it all if she was willing to work at it.
The story built to a sweet conclusion, with a short HEA epilogue, but darn if I didn't want just a little more! I guess that's a good sign, and I truly enjoyed Maggie and Ben's love story of two opposites who turned out to have a lot in common after all. Elle Kennedy's beginning to be one of my new favorites, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else she comes up with. If you're looking for a steamy hot, sometimes funny, sometimes very romantic read with two very charming and likable characters, look no further than 'Midnight Encounters'. 4 1/2 stars