***ARC Provided by the Author***
Nick and Natalia meet in a club. It's hot, it's sexy, it's forbidden (well, a little bit as it's in public and she has an image to protect). And, Nick is quite a bit younger, so Natalia decides their encounter is also quickly forgotten.
Except. he keeps showing up. At coffee shops and charity events, everywhere she goes...there he is. And, he's young, and sexy, and seriously...how much willpower is a woman expected to have?
Well, when the man is written by Laurelin Paige, the answer is none. She has no ability to resist him, and neither did I.
I've said it before, and I am going to say it again here, Laurelin writes the absolute BEST men. Ever. Authors usually have something they do well. Comedy, suspense, dirty talk...and, Laurelin is THE best at writing men you want to get to know, and who are interesting and compelling and draw you to them in such a way that you can't put the book down. It also gives stunning credibility to the stories as the reader is as drawn to the character as the heroine, so even if they have questionable morals (I am looking at you, Reeve, here) you can't help but be drawn to them.
With all of these strong men hanging out in her books, you would think that she wouldn't write women who are as strong...but, you would be wrong. Her women match the men, they give as good as they get and they hold their own.
We live in a changing world, one in which the man needs to be "alpha" for a lot of romance to work, while balancing that we just aren't ok anymore with the woman being put on a pedestal and doing nothing but looking pretty. The amazing thing about Laurelin's books is that she is not moving with the times, her characters were here years ago.
I loved the struggle Natalia has with her image, with needing to be "good" to atone for how she was seen in the past, and that the events in this book not only allow her to find herself, but allow her to be ok with letting others see her for herself as well.
If you have never read her, starting here is a great place...but, set aside some time, as you are going to want to read everything she has written.
I, obviously, recommend this title.