Many thanks to Jessa Jacobs, who provided me a free copy of Bothered in exchange for my honest review.
Following up on the rousing success of Jessa’s previous serial, Full Tilt Billionaire, comes a new serial: Irrationally His. This is a stepbrother romance, and also a five part serial.
One disclaimer, for those who may be squicked by the term “stepbrother romance”: these are not children who were raised together from a young age. There is virtually no familial relationship between them, other than the fact that her mom married his dad back when they both were teenagers. They spent one summer living in the same house, and have not seen each other since. So there is no squick to be had here, unless you’re just looking for a reason to squick.
Chelsea is a down on her luck artist, not long out of college. She has travelled to Montana to her mom and stepdad’s ranch, because they are having a huge week long celebration for their 10th anniversary. Chelsea is hoping that she can stay with them for awhile, as she has lost her job, and therefore her apartment because she couldn’t pay the rent. The book opens with her sunbathing topless in a peaceful, sun drenched field. She’s fallen asleep in the field when she is awakened by Travis, her stepbrother. He recognized her, after having spent several minutes admiring her chest. She doesn’t recognize him until he tells her who he is. She’s humiliated and enraged, of course, but also immediately attracted to him, despite her brain screaming at her that he’s her stepbrother, and therefore off limits. For his part, Travis is interested as well, amused at her anger and attracted to the woman she has matured into when all he remembered of her was an annoying teenager. He gives her a lift on his horse back to the ranch, because the other ranch hands were driving cattle to that field . When she returns to the house she calls her BFF Cosy (Cosette) and tells her all about it, and how embarrassed/turned on she was. Cosy tells her to make like Meg White, and bang that boy like a drum. Chelsea is hung up on the the whole “Ew, no, he’s my stepbrother” thing. Travis has no qualms about that at all - “taboo” is not a problem for him.
They snark at each other in each successive meeting, the tension building to a fever pitch. They both worry about what impact an affair between them would have on their parents, each in their own head. Jessa does a great job of emphasising that these two people are really complete strangers to each other, despite the small detail of them sharing a stepparent. The feeling of “I really shouldn’t be doing this” is strong as well, which only adds the the build up for Chelsea and Travis. When they finally boil over, it’s mind blowing for both of them.
But where do they go from there? Will they risk the possible repercussions to continue their affair? Suddenly Chelsea is inspired to pick up her painting again, and I don’t think it’s because of the beautiful Montana landscape….