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The Men of West Beach #2
Unbound
Do opposites really attract?
Emerson Monroe McLean is a true Texan through and through. But she's never wanted to be like the other girls she grew up with, the ones who view debutante balls and sororities as stepping-stones to landing the perfect husband.
Yet everyone underestimates Em. When they look at the leggy blonde, all they see is a serial-dater who leaves a string of broken hearts in her wake. What people don’t realize is that keeping guys at arms length is more than just about having a good time; it’s a deep-rooted defense mechanism.
Lucas Harper is California born and bred. The product of his wealthy upbringing and an overbearing mother, Lucas has always been told where to be and when to be there. But after his older brother’s death, Lucas is tired of being a puppet.
Taking a break to figure out what he wants out of life, he moves to West Beach to spend the summer surfing. It’s there that he meets Emerson McLean, the free-spirited beauty who lures him into her bed. Refusing to be tied down, she’s unlike any girl he’s every known.
Can they find common ground...or will their differences tear them apart?
Their chemistry is undeniable. There’s only one hitch: Lucas already has a fiancée. And when she lands on his doorstep, Emerson realizes that for the first time in her life, she has genuine feelings for a guy.
With her heart on the line, Emerson discovers that, win or lose, she isn’t the kind of girl to play by the rules.
Emerson Monroe McLean is a true Texan through and through. But she's never wanted to be like the other girls she grew up with, the ones who view debutante balls and sororities as stepping-stones to landing the perfect husband.
Yet everyone underestimates Em. When they look at the leggy blonde, all they see is a serial-dater who leaves a string of broken hearts in her wake. What people don’t realize is that keeping guys at arms length is more than just about having a good time; it’s a deep-rooted defense mechanism.
Lucas Harper is California born and bred. The product of his wealthy upbringing and an overbearing mother, Lucas has always been told where to be and when to be there. But after his older brother’s death, Lucas is tired of being a puppet.
Taking a break to figure out what he wants out of life, he moves to West Beach to spend the summer surfing. It’s there that he meets Emerson McLean, the free-spirited beauty who lures him into her bed. Refusing to be tied down, she’s unlike any girl he’s every known.
Can they find common ground...or will their differences tear them apart?
Their chemistry is undeniable. There’s only one hitch: Lucas already has a fiancée. And when she lands on his doorstep, Emerson realizes that for the first time in her life, she has genuine feelings for a guy.
With her heart on the line, Emerson discovers that, win or lose, she isn’t the kind of girl to play by the rules.
389 pages, Paperback
First published February 11, 2018
1 person is currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
Kimberly Derting
43 books5,014 followersKimberly Derting once wanted to be a “foxy lady trucker” but changed her mind when she took 7th-grade journalism and discovered writing. She hasn’t looked back since.
She’s the author of award-winning young adult novels, including The Body Finder series, The Pledge trilogy, and The Taking trilogy. She’s also co-written many popular picture books, including the Loves Science series, the Farm Friends series, and Penny: The Engineering Tail of The Fourth Little Pig. Her first solo picture book is Baby Steps: A Picture Book For New Siblings.
Her young adult books have been translated into over 15 languages, and both THE BODY FINDER and THE PLEDGE were YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults selections. Her picture books have received starred reviews, been Amazon book-of-the-month picks, and were featured in Good Housekeeping.
These days, Kimberly lives in the Pacific Northwest, where she watches WAY too much Netflix, orders 20-pound boxes of Nerds gumballs from Amazon, and loves to complain about the rain even though she lives in Seattle, where it rains ALL of the time! You can find her online at www.kimberlyderting.com
Note: I'm the worst about checking my Goodreads email...I apologize if I don't get back to you! If you need to reach me, try emailing me at kim(at)kimberlyderting(dot)com
She’s the author of award-winning young adult novels, including The Body Finder series, The Pledge trilogy, and The Taking trilogy. She’s also co-written many popular picture books, including the Loves Science series, the Farm Friends series, and Penny: The Engineering Tail of The Fourth Little Pig. Her first solo picture book is Baby Steps: A Picture Book For New Siblings.
Her young adult books have been translated into over 15 languages, and both THE BODY FINDER and THE PLEDGE were YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults selections. Her picture books have received starred reviews, been Amazon book-of-the-month picks, and were featured in Good Housekeeping.
These days, Kimberly lives in the Pacific Northwest, where she watches WAY too much Netflix, orders 20-pound boxes of Nerds gumballs from Amazon, and loves to complain about the rain even though she lives in Seattle, where it rains ALL of the time! You can find her online at www.kimberlyderting.com
Note: I'm the worst about checking my Goodreads email...I apologize if I don't get back to you! If you need to reach me, try emailing me at kim(at)kimberlyderting(dot)com
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 31, 2018
2.5 Stars
Well, this wasn't better than the first one. And for awhile, I was going to rate this 2 stars but the last quarter of the book seemed to get a little better. This is the story of Emerson and Lucas - two liars, for lack of a better word. Both from rich, uppity families and both wanting to get away from that life.
I think my main issue with this book was the character of the characters - their moral compass, so to speak. Emerson and Lucas meet and begin what starts as a summer fling but as all romance goes, it soon becomes something more. But then the bomb of Lucas's fiance drops and shatters their romantic illusion. So obviously, I was turned off on Lucas for lying about this other woman - even if that engagement wasn't real and only for show. But what bothered me more was Emerson.
Here is a woman who saw infidelity within her own home but still decided to pursue a man she knew to be engaged. But what about the fact that the engagement wasn't real on Lucas's end? Well, honestly, in Emerson's mind she thought Lucas was engaged and still set out to win him - regardless of a fiance. That too me, just didn't sit right. It doesn't matter that the relationship was over, Emerson didn't know.
And then there's Lucas - who basically was stringing along one woman and wanting another. Dude, grow some balls and make sure your fiance knows she's no longer your fiance. This whole book was just two adults hiding behind their parents choices.
Ugh
The ending was a little better as some sweet moments happened - not romantically, but friendship wise. Overall, it was an ok take on NA romance, but nothing that would bring me back for more.
Well, this wasn't better than the first one. And for awhile, I was going to rate this 2 stars but the last quarter of the book seemed to get a little better. This is the story of Emerson and Lucas - two liars, for lack of a better word. Both from rich, uppity families and both wanting to get away from that life.
I think my main issue with this book was the character of the characters - their moral compass, so to speak. Emerson and Lucas meet and begin what starts as a summer fling but as all romance goes, it soon becomes something more. But then the bomb of Lucas's fiance drops and shatters their romantic illusion. So obviously, I was turned off on Lucas for lying about this other woman - even if that engagement wasn't real and only for show. But what bothered me more was Emerson.
Here is a woman who saw infidelity within her own home but still decided to pursue a man she knew to be engaged. But what about the fact that the engagement wasn't real on Lucas's end? Well, honestly, in Emerson's mind she thought Lucas was engaged and still set out to win him - regardless of a fiance. That too me, just didn't sit right. It doesn't matter that the relationship was over, Emerson didn't know.
And then there's Lucas - who basically was stringing along one woman and wanting another. Dude, grow some balls and make sure your fiance knows she's no longer your fiance. This whole book was just two adults hiding behind their parents choices.
Ugh
The ending was a little better as some sweet moments happened - not romantically, but friendship wise. Overall, it was an ok take on NA romance, but nothing that would bring me back for more.
January 2, 2019
A fun read to see whether and how Emerson and Lucas would find their way back to each other. Don't usually get to jump into a book where the two characters have already been seeing each other, but everything falls apart quite quickly when Lucas' fiancee shows up. I loved watching Emerson and Lucas discover things about each other than made them each more human, more relatable, and more desirable to the other. Nice ending, nothing left me hanging. I think I liked this one even more than Undressed, and I think it is fine to read this as a stand-alone.
March 28, 2018
I loved this one just about as much as I loved the first one in the series, Undressed. In a way, this one was more light-hearted. We didn't have quite the seriousness of past issues as in the first book. But we did still have the experiences in both characters' pasts that made them wary to move their relationship anywhere near something serious. Even though both of them really did like each other enough that it was serious in its own way, neither wanted to admit it. I have to say that I totally understood when Emerson would get really upset about the things that Lucas did, I mean he was kind of a jerk for what he'd done. But towards the end I was after her to stop and give him another chance. And as we see from Emerson's past experience with her own family, she doesn't always stick around to get the whole story. Although, to be fair, her family didn't really 'fess up the things she needed to know that might have made her outlook on love and life so much different. As much as you had to hate Aster for what she did to Emerson, and how annoying she was, when she was around Emerson's brother Seth, that was funny. This was a story that I was flipping pages and sped through. Just like the first one. I'm hopeful that we will get more books in this series as I look forward to reading more of these fun romantic stories from one of my favorite authors.
February 9, 2018
After reading Undressed I couldn't wait to get my hands on Unbound, and I wasn't disappointed - it was absolutely superb! I got so lost in the book and it's characters, I didn't want it to end!
Emerson McLean has been spending the Summer in a rented beach house in California. She arrived eight weeks ago, with her best friend Lauren. During that whole time Emerson has been seeing the very hot, very gorgeous, Lucas Harper who lives right next door! With Lauren leaving earlier than expected Emerson has a few weeks left to go, and figures she'll spend all her remaining time with Lucas. That is until someone from Lucas’ past makes an appearance and instantly breaks Emerson's heart.
I loved everything about this book - especially the style of the author's writing. Be warned though, once you start reading, you won't be able to stop!
Although Unbound is a companion to the first book in The Men of West Beach series – Undressed - it can be read as a standalone.
Five big fat stars!
Emerson McLean has been spending the Summer in a rented beach house in California. She arrived eight weeks ago, with her best friend Lauren. During that whole time Emerson has been seeing the very hot, very gorgeous, Lucas Harper who lives right next door! With Lauren leaving earlier than expected Emerson has a few weeks left to go, and figures she'll spend all her remaining time with Lucas. That is until someone from Lucas’ past makes an appearance and instantly breaks Emerson's heart.
I loved everything about this book - especially the style of the author's writing. Be warned though, once you start reading, you won't be able to stop!
Although Unbound is a companion to the first book in The Men of West Beach series – Undressed - it can be read as a standalone.
Five big fat stars!
March 26, 2018
* I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own *
This is the story of Emerson McLean who doesn’t want to be tied down with a husband and going to debutant balls, so she decides to spend the summer in a rented beach house in California, where she meets her sexy neighbour Lucas Harper and they start to spend every moment together.
Lucas Harper needed a break from his interfearing mother and after his brother died, enough was enough and he moves into the beach house for the summer to figure some things out, and here he meets up with Emerson.
Things just spark between them but when someone from Lucas past turns up on his doorstep can the feelings they both have for each other survive, will Emerson finally fight to get her man.
This was a great story in The Men of West Beach series by Kimberly Derting and look forward to the next instalment.
This is the story of Emerson McLean who doesn’t want to be tied down with a husband and going to debutant balls, so she decides to spend the summer in a rented beach house in California, where she meets her sexy neighbour Lucas Harper and they start to spend every moment together.
Lucas Harper needed a break from his interfearing mother and after his brother died, enough was enough and he moves into the beach house for the summer to figure some things out, and here he meets up with Emerson.
Things just spark between them but when someone from Lucas past turns up on his doorstep can the feelings they both have for each other survive, will Emerson finally fight to get her man.
This was a great story in The Men of West Beach series by Kimberly Derting and look forward to the next instalment.
February 21, 2018
Not as good as her past books
This was a typical romance. I found the conflict contrived and there wasn't much plot. Pretty boring, I almost dnf'd.
This was a typical romance. I found the conflict contrived and there wasn't much plot. Pretty boring, I almost dnf'd.
March 5, 2018
A fun read
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews