I'm really surprised how much I enjoyed and really liked this book especially since this wasn't particularly an intense and angst read that I enjoy from my romances, but it worked in this situation. The big thing for me wasn't necessarily the storyline but the couple. I really liked them together and enjoyed seeing them interact in the book almost from moment one. They had this pull and connection that I really liked seeing play out in the pages. They just worked. They were the pull of this book more than anything.
I know I have said this in other book reviews, I am really not a fan of one night stand tropes and prefer to stay away from these types of stories, though I have become more accepting of them than I was in the past, it's all about the execution and believability. With this book in particular what stood out for me was the fact that they were two virgins that had this instant connection. That just blew my mind and just added a different flair to the story. It's so rare that romances have innocent heroes, and though I understand why that doesn't occur a lot in stories it was a nice refreshing change and totally believable. I think the fact that they were both virgins in the story and they in fact engaged in their first real, intense attraction for one another that lead to the one night together made it feel special because they hadn't given into anyone else. Yes, they were strangers, but they had that connection and it wasn't just about the lust between them. They were just given in to their passions, which felt natural. It was just how the scene was written that I wasn't bothered by the one stand aspect. Again a big part of them was the fact that they were each other's first. That just took the cake.
I will say that I was kind of torn though too because the love scene wasn't really shown and it was more a fade to black scene. On the one hand, and while I was reading it at the time, I was okay with it and understood why it wasn't shown and was another reason that the one night scene didn't bother me. I knew that there would be a bigger payoff in the end, and I was looking forward to that. On the other hand, once it was confirmed that it was his first time too than my perspective kind of changed because I wanted to see their first time scene in both of their eyes and not just the aftermath. It so rare to have a virgin hero that it would have been nice to see his reaction to his first time and live that experience through his eyes or even hers. They had such a great connection early on that I wanted to see that through the experience of their first time together. I was kind of back and forth in my feelings on that.
Though the other two love scenes came way later than I expected, they were satisfying. It was nice to see that renewal of their physical connection after ten years being apart. It was still as sensual, hot and sexy as it had been in the past. But there was more than the physical just like their first time. And those two scenes were at the point where they were finally at the meeting of minds and ready to renew their connection. It just showed them come together and get closer.
As for the emotional components of the story, I thought was good, but I felt it could have been pushed a little further to create more tension between the pair. Though it didn't bother me as much in this story like I would have expected, but I think if it went that step further I think it would have put it over the top for me. Don't get me wrong there were some moments that were filled with longing and hurt, but it didn't last quite as long as I would have liked. Things just seemed to be gotten over too quickly.
An example of that was the end scene, which felt a tad abrupt and ended the story was too quickly. It was almost a "that's it" type of feeling. There needed to be more there than there actually was. Like I thought she forgave him way too easily without him having to grovel. He needed to grovel especially in the way he rejected her. He really needed to make up for actions just a little bit more. He needed to work for it and make a grand gesture but he just didn't.
Overall I really enjoyed this story. It was the palatable connection that really got to me and made me be absorbed in their story. Just the they had something special from the moment they met, and it was a real nice moment. I really liked them together. I don't know what it was but I just got them as a couple. They worked for me. Plus the fact that they were each other's first put an extra special spin on the story. I loved that because it made it unique and fresh from other romances. I liked their innocence that the shared and that the experience that together. I just liked them together and just see it all play out in their story. Could it have been more intense and angst especially with the premise of him trying to get her to marry him so they could legitimize their son so he could later rule? Yes. Things were kind of just brushed the surface and didn't dig deeper, which would have put the story over the top for me, but that didn't mean I didn't enjoy this story. In fact I enjoyed it more than I expected with the lack of angst in the story. It was good. Suddenly I am really digging the writing styles of Kate Hewitt with her nice flow, great development and build up with great characters and sexy scenes. And this one was much of the same.