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Reluctant
Alexandra Cummings learned at an early age how to take care of herself. She had no choice. It was either learn or become homeless. With years of hard lessons and determination, Alexandra sees a light at the end of the tunnel. Then she meets Garret Lock.
Garret Lock has always gotten what he wants—and he wants Alexandra Cummings in his bed. All his life, women have been after his money and strived to have his last name. Alexandra isn’t the exception. She is going about it in an unconventional way, but in the end he will have her on his terms.
Garret is ripping Alexandra’s well-ordered life to shreds. She is fighting to keep her job and life together, but Garret thwarts her at every turn. When her past and present collide, Alexandra reluctantly turns to Garret. Will he restore her belief that other people can be trusted or reinforce that she can’t count on anyone but herself?
Authors Reluctant is a 77,000-word, contemporary virgin romance with a HEA. No cliffhanger.
*Reluctant was originally published in 2016. The story is the same, but the cover has been updated.*
Garret Lock has always gotten what he wants—and he wants Alexandra Cummings in his bed. All his life, women have been after his money and strived to have his last name. Alexandra isn’t the exception. She is going about it in an unconventional way, but in the end he will have her on his terms.
Garret is ripping Alexandra’s well-ordered life to shreds. She is fighting to keep her job and life together, but Garret thwarts her at every turn. When her past and present collide, Alexandra reluctantly turns to Garret. Will he restore her belief that other people can be trusted or reinforce that she can’t count on anyone but herself?
Authors Reluctant is a 77,000-word, contemporary virgin romance with a HEA. No cliffhanger.
*Reluctant was originally published in 2016. The story is the same, but the cover has been updated.*
- GenresRomance
257 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2022
26 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
T. Christensen
8 books253 followersT. Christensen has been addicted to reading ever since she read her first romance book in middle school. When different characters and scenes started invading her brain she would write them down and put it away.
Gradually she took the steps to give them a beginning, middle, and a happily ever after. It has been a long-time dream to have her stories published.
T. has been a lifelong resident of South Dakota. Occasionally she ventures out, but being at home, with her family, is always the best place to be. Reading a romance novel is still the best reward at the end of the day.
Reach out!
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Gradually she took the steps to give them a beginning, middle, and a happily ever after. It has been a long-time dream to have her stories published.
T. has been a lifelong resident of South Dakota. Occasionally she ventures out, but being at home, with her family, is always the best place to be. Reading a romance novel is still the best reward at the end of the day.
Reach out!
facebook.com/TChristensenAuthor
pinterest.com/tchristensenauthor/boards/
bookbub.com/authors/t-christensen
Receive Updates and Talk about Romance
https://t-christensen-romance-author....
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 13, 2022
I went on a T Christensen bender this weekend. 🙈🙈 I’ve been struggling to find books that are my flavor, so I stuck with a good thing. 🤷🏼♀️
Not bad for a debut novel (2016)! 3.5 stars!
There's loads of good ideas here:
💗 h is sweet and selfless and shy - she has a sad backstory
💗 bulldozer jealous/possessive/protective dominant H - he's super bossy 😍😍😍🤡
💗 the h is traumatized by events from highschool and an alcoholic father so she's prone to anxiety att@cks #imadramahoooaar 🤷🏼♀️
💗 the H likes to carry her around and makes her sit in his lap to talk
💗 I loved how calm and cool he was. He’s calmly fierce. He just states how things are gonna be…. And makes it so. Gawd I loved it. 😅
💗 this is very "daddy" without being a daddy book. She is desperately craving for someone to take care of her (although she isn't aware of it) and he is so here for it. 😍😍 (she does not call him "daddy" and she doesn’t act like a child... it's just a vibe - calm down 🤡)
💗 surprise v*rg*n - discovered The Old Fashioned Way 🔥
💗 stalker drama
💗 he takes over and makes everything in her life better 🥰
.
The drawbacks:
- the h is clueless about the H. He is pretty obviously all-in, but she remains convinced that he only wants her for a casual hookup. 🙄 Literally nothing this man does says "casual" by any stretch of the imagination. He is all up in her business. She pushes him away AD NAUSEAM.
- this book takes place 7 years after the "traumatizing" event in HS. That's a long time to move past what seemed like an embarrassing situation. But she seems way more traumatized than she should be at this point. I mean, I'm here for the resulting drama and damsel in distress moments, but it didn't make a lot of sense to me. Either the time leap needed to be shorter or the trauma should have been more extreme.
- she hides the stalker stuff from the H - even though he's rich and powerful and makes it clear he wants to keep her safe. She is constantly running headlong into danger, even though she knows she has a stalker. 🤦🏼♀️ That was frustrating.
- While there was some good stuff in the sex scenes, sometimes they were abrupt and awkward and hard to follow. Some were better written than others. 🤷🏼♀️
- some of the dialogue and overall writing was awkward in places, as expected in a first try.
.
💗Bottom Line? Even with all the awkwardness of a debut novel, I really enjoyed the story overall. The H totally made this book. He was fun to read. I loved how into the h he was, while still remaining very alpha. I appreciated the straightforward story without any unnecessary twists. It reads very much like a Harlequin. 3.5 stars!
.
.
.
.
.
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating and sharing
- no OW drama
- OM drama - a guy from h's past is making passes at the h and it makes the H r@gey
- no dubcon - he's pretty pushy but she's pretty into it
- h (25) is a v*rg*n
- H (late 20s? early 30s? I can't find an age) - not a v, but his sexual past isn't discussed
- No separation
- c0ndoms not used - no safety discussion of any kind
- h's father is a vi0len+ drunk
Not bad for a debut novel (2016)! 3.5 stars!
There's loads of good ideas here:
💗 h is sweet and selfless and shy - she has a sad backstory
💗 bulldozer jealous/possessive/protective dominant H - he's super bossy 😍😍😍🤡
💗 the h is traumatized by events from highschool and an alcoholic father so she's prone to anxiety att@cks #imadramahoooaar 🤷🏼♀️
💗 the H likes to carry her around and makes her sit in his lap to talk
💗 I loved how calm and cool he was. He’s calmly fierce. He just states how things are gonna be…. And makes it so. Gawd I loved it. 😅
💗 this is very "daddy" without being a daddy book. She is desperately craving for someone to take care of her (although she isn't aware of it) and he is so here for it. 😍😍 (she does not call him "daddy" and she doesn’t act like a child... it's just a vibe - calm down 🤡)
💗 surprise v*rg*n - discovered The Old Fashioned Way 🔥
💗 stalker drama
💗 he takes over and makes everything in her life better 🥰
.
The drawbacks:
- the h is clueless about the H. He is pretty obviously all-in, but she remains convinced that he only wants her for a casual hookup. 🙄 Literally nothing this man does says "casual" by any stretch of the imagination. He is all up in her business. She pushes him away AD NAUSEAM.
- this book takes place 7 years after the "traumatizing" event in HS. That's a long time to move past what seemed like an embarrassing situation. But she seems way more traumatized than she should be at this point. I mean, I'm here for the resulting drama and damsel in distress moments, but it didn't make a lot of sense to me. Either the time leap needed to be shorter or the trauma should have been more extreme.
- she hides the stalker stuff from the H - even though he's rich and powerful and makes it clear he wants to keep her safe. She is constantly running headlong into danger, even though she knows she has a stalker. 🤦🏼♀️ That was frustrating.
- While there was some good stuff in the sex scenes, sometimes they were abrupt and awkward and hard to follow. Some were better written than others. 🤷🏼♀️
- some of the dialogue and overall writing was awkward in places, as expected in a first try.
.
💗Bottom Line? Even with all the awkwardness of a debut novel, I really enjoyed the story overall. The H totally made this book. He was fun to read. I loved how into the h he was, while still remaining very alpha. I appreciated the straightforward story without any unnecessary twists. It reads very much like a Harlequin. 3.5 stars!
.
.
.
.
.
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating and sharing
- no OW drama
- OM drama - a guy from h's past is making passes at the h and it makes the H r@gey
- no dubcon - he's pretty pushy but she's pretty into it
- h (25) is a v*rg*n
- H (late 20s? early 30s? I can't find an age) - not a v, but his sexual past isn't discussed
- No separation
- c0ndoms not used - no safety discussion of any kind
- h's father is a vi0len+ drunk
June 28, 2022
Another great book by T. Christensen! I love her writing style, and the romance is super cute. I love sweet heroines with tragic backstories, and this book definitely delivers! 4 stars.
April 11, 2022
3.6!? A simple explanation that his exs were after his money in the past would have been enough but the mention of a particular ex that he thought was “the one” really lowered the rating for me. I don’t like to see MCs in love like emotions with others.
Other than that the book was enjoyable.
Other than that the book was enjoyable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2018
I had been a hooker for love stories in my teenage years and my favorites were Mills N Boons series and Barbara Cartland romances. Reluctant took me back in the nostalgia lane and presented me with a steamy hot romance that enveloped me in a warm and soothing cocoon. In fact the story also appeared like a modern version of Barbara Cartland romance for the hero was rich, dominant, and handsome and took care of the frail, vulnerable, pretty, and pure heroine. There was the traditional villain who tried to bring distrust between the couple with his evil ways, plus the protagonists' own insecurities. However, the book was deliciously romantic that works in arousing all the right emotions in you. It had its adult moments and the dark ones. The writing is smooth and the story progresses through the eyes of the heroine Alexandra. On the whole the book is meant to linger over a hot cup of coffee and feel good and cozy with not much brain activity or negative feelings.
January 1, 2024
a one time nice read.
October 13, 2019
I liked this story and enjoyed the j/p hero, but I also felt it dragged in places. I did grow somewhat annoyed with the heroine by the end of the story, so that detracted some from my rating, too. Overall 3.5 stars.
August 2, 2018
“I, I just can’t believe someone like you loves me.”
South Dakota author T. Christensen has published two novels – HUMILIATING REVENGE and RELUCTANT. Her genre is contemporary romance – that popular field of books admiringly referred to as Chick Lit.
In a Prologue that takes place seven years before the novel’s tale begins we are introduced in a hauntingly sad picture of Alexandra: ‘An hour after arriving at her high school prom, Alexandra Cummings was ready to go home. She was lonely and depressed. There was a ringing in her ears from the loud music and there was a buzz of conversation going on around her, but no one included her, not even her date. A couple of times she tried to join in, but quickly got the message it didn’t concern her. Now she had to figure out how to get out of there. Tim Chapman, her date, had been drinking. Her stomach was in a tense knot and she was watching him closely to see if he would become belligerent or violent. Her Dad was passed out drunk on his bed when she left home, so she was well aware of the personality changes that could happen. Just as Alexandra leaned over to tell Tim she was going to the bathroom, aka call a cab, a slow song came on and Tim asked her to dance. She slowly nodded and apprehensively followed Tim to the dance floor. She put her arms on his shoulders and felt his hands on her hips. Tim leaned in to talk in her ear. “Have I told you how hot you look?” Alexandra stiffened when she smelled the whisky on his breath. She forced her muscles to relax. “Yes. Thank you.” She thought back to when Tim had picked her up and his eyes widened when she opened the door. After scouring secondhand stores in Seattle she hadn’t been able to find a dress. By the time she entered the last store she was nearly in tears. When she saw the black cocktail dress she held her breath, letting it out when it was her size. Not only did it fit, but it looked good on her. The neck was rounded in front and dipped in the back. The dip was a little daring; it went half way down her back. It was sleeveless with wide straps and fit her hips to perfection before it flared out, stopping right above her knees. It was a miracle when Tim, the most popular boy in her high school, asked her to Prom…’ And it goes downhill from there.
Jump to present day and the synopsis outlines the plot well – ‘Alexandra Cummings learned at an early age how to take care of herself. She had no choice. It was either learn or become homeless. With years of hard lessons and determination, Alexandra sees a light at the end of the tunnel. Then she meets Garret Lock. Garret Lock has always gotten what he wants—and he wants Alexandra Cummings in his bed. All his life, women have been after his money and strived to have his last name. Alexandra isn’t the exception. She is going about it in an unconventional way, but in the end he will have her on his terms. Garret is ripping Alexandra’s well-ordered life to shreds. She is fighting to keep her job and life together, but Garret thwarts her at every turn. When her past and present collide, Alexandra reluctantly turns to Garret. Will he restore her belief that other people can be trusted or reinforce that she can’t count on anyone but herself?’
Christensen develops her characters well and despite the forces that work against Alexandra’s life, she is given a happy ending. Young adult romance devotees will find this a satisfying novel.
South Dakota author T. Christensen has published two novels – HUMILIATING REVENGE and RELUCTANT. Her genre is contemporary romance – that popular field of books admiringly referred to as Chick Lit.
In a Prologue that takes place seven years before the novel’s tale begins we are introduced in a hauntingly sad picture of Alexandra: ‘An hour after arriving at her high school prom, Alexandra Cummings was ready to go home. She was lonely and depressed. There was a ringing in her ears from the loud music and there was a buzz of conversation going on around her, but no one included her, not even her date. A couple of times she tried to join in, but quickly got the message it didn’t concern her. Now she had to figure out how to get out of there. Tim Chapman, her date, had been drinking. Her stomach was in a tense knot and she was watching him closely to see if he would become belligerent or violent. Her Dad was passed out drunk on his bed when she left home, so she was well aware of the personality changes that could happen. Just as Alexandra leaned over to tell Tim she was going to the bathroom, aka call a cab, a slow song came on and Tim asked her to dance. She slowly nodded and apprehensively followed Tim to the dance floor. She put her arms on his shoulders and felt his hands on her hips. Tim leaned in to talk in her ear. “Have I told you how hot you look?” Alexandra stiffened when she smelled the whisky on his breath. She forced her muscles to relax. “Yes. Thank you.” She thought back to when Tim had picked her up and his eyes widened when she opened the door. After scouring secondhand stores in Seattle she hadn’t been able to find a dress. By the time she entered the last store she was nearly in tears. When she saw the black cocktail dress she held her breath, letting it out when it was her size. Not only did it fit, but it looked good on her. The neck was rounded in front and dipped in the back. The dip was a little daring; it went half way down her back. It was sleeveless with wide straps and fit her hips to perfection before it flared out, stopping right above her knees. It was a miracle when Tim, the most popular boy in her high school, asked her to Prom…’ And it goes downhill from there.
Jump to present day and the synopsis outlines the plot well – ‘Alexandra Cummings learned at an early age how to take care of herself. She had no choice. It was either learn or become homeless. With years of hard lessons and determination, Alexandra sees a light at the end of the tunnel. Then she meets Garret Lock. Garret Lock has always gotten what he wants—and he wants Alexandra Cummings in his bed. All his life, women have been after his money and strived to have his last name. Alexandra isn’t the exception. She is going about it in an unconventional way, but in the end he will have her on his terms. Garret is ripping Alexandra’s well-ordered life to shreds. She is fighting to keep her job and life together, but Garret thwarts her at every turn. When her past and present collide, Alexandra reluctantly turns to Garret. Will he restore her belief that other people can be trusted or reinforce that she can’t count on anyone but herself?’
Christensen develops her characters well and despite the forces that work against Alexandra’s life, she is given a happy ending. Young adult romance devotees will find this a satisfying novel.
September 10, 2018
In terms of genre and plot, this book can easily come across as a very cookie-cutter off-the-shelf story, with an “ordinary” female protagonist ordinary in so many ways as to maximise how easily a reader can imprint their own personality onto her instead since she doesn’t have much of her own, seduced by a very rich, attractive, attentive and protective man who can be too passionate for his own good.
Where this book excels is that it is far, far better written than most of its kind, and certainly a world better than the regretfully most well-known examples of the genre.
One thing I strongly disliked was clearly a matter of personal taste; I cannot condone a book romanticising an abusive relationship, insofar as “attentive and protective” can amount to “stifling and controlling”, robbing the protagonist of agency at any opportunity and forcing his way into her life uninvited, and I don’t feel that her being attracted to him, as we the reader know, is an excuse for him walking over any effort on her part to say no to this thing or that along the way.
That said, even for readers who don’t see this as romantic or desirable qualities in a person, the book will make for engaging reading (as it did for me), and for those who do think that such aggressive disregard for consent and autonomy are appealing qualities in a man, then you will certainly love the book.
Where this book excels is that it is far, far better written than most of its kind, and certainly a world better than the regretfully most well-known examples of the genre.
One thing I strongly disliked was clearly a matter of personal taste; I cannot condone a book romanticising an abusive relationship, insofar as “attentive and protective” can amount to “stifling and controlling”, robbing the protagonist of agency at any opportunity and forcing his way into her life uninvited, and I don’t feel that her being attracted to him, as we the reader know, is an excuse for him walking over any effort on her part to say no to this thing or that along the way.
That said, even for readers who don’t see this as romantic or desirable qualities in a person, the book will make for engaging reading (as it did for me), and for those who do think that such aggressive disregard for consent and autonomy are appealing qualities in a man, then you will certainly love the book.
August 3, 2018
Alexandra never really had any luck with guys and decided to concentrate on her work and career. When a big break finally appears, she is flummoxed that her client is a gorgeous and wealthy Garrett Lock who seems to be interested in her. To her horror, Tim a man she went o prom with is also working with her client’s group. Things get ugly when he starts to pursue Alexandra at the same time Garrett is.
The chemistry between Alex and Garrett is steamy and they are believable in their portrayals and the world that author has built around them. One thing I was disturbed by is that Alexandra on multiple occasions told Garrett no which he ignored. It seemed as if he never really took her opinion into account, regardless of how she felt about him. He was also a bit hypocritical regarding some things I felt. This is what ultimately led me to reduce my rating.
The book is at its core a tale of a broken, submissive woman who is rescued and cherished by a dominant male. If you like your men to be thoughtful, passionate, sexy along with demanding, possessive and tough, then this is a book for you.
The chemistry between Alex and Garrett is steamy and they are believable in their portrayals and the world that author has built around them. One thing I was disturbed by is that Alexandra on multiple occasions told Garrett no which he ignored. It seemed as if he never really took her opinion into account, regardless of how she felt about him. He was also a bit hypocritical regarding some things I felt. This is what ultimately led me to reduce my rating.
The book is at its core a tale of a broken, submissive woman who is rescued and cherished by a dominant male. If you like your men to be thoughtful, passionate, sexy along with demanding, possessive and tough, then this is a book for you.
October 10, 2017
It went down hill
It went downhill after the 4th chapter. I was interested into see how Alexandra would turn out after her mother died when she was 10 and her father became an alcoholic. She had a tough childhood and high school was no better. Garret was a millionaire from his company and from his family. He was rough around the edges. He felt like an dominant male looking for a submissive. After learning who the characters were the story just went downhill from there. They both was so insecure and had thoughts about each other that wasn't true. But you would have thought their communication would be great with Garret always wanting to talk to her and reading her face expressions. But no, the insecurities on both characters messed it up.
Storyline: 2 Heat: 2 Overall: 2 Recommend: No
It went downhill after the 4th chapter. I was interested into see how Alexandra would turn out after her mother died when she was 10 and her father became an alcoholic. She had a tough childhood and high school was no better. Garret was a millionaire from his company and from his family. He was rough around the edges. He felt like an dominant male looking for a submissive. After learning who the characters were the story just went downhill from there. They both was so insecure and had thoughts about each other that wasn't true. But you would have thought their communication would be great with Garret always wanting to talk to her and reading her face expressions. But no, the insecurities on both characters messed it up.
Storyline: 2 Heat: 2 Overall: 2 Recommend: No
August 2, 2018
Reluctant by T. Christensen is an enjoyable book that features Alexandra, a graphic artist who wants to make her mark on the world. Relegated to a cubicle in her company, and working long, tedious hours, she never thinks she will have any new opportunities or excitement. After all, her childhood was tough with an alcoholic father, and a difficult time in high school. However, that all changes one day during a meeting at work when she meets Garrret Lock, who is not only handsome, but will be involved in Alexandra's company's next big venture. This is a quick read, written with a touch of wit and whimsy, with fun characters, and a sexy story line. These two characters connect in a major way, and that makes this the perfect beach read, or just a fun, escape kind of book. Recommended if you a looking for a light, romantic story.
May 9, 2024
🚩Absolutely not.
🚩The Hero is J/P and very protective, he is the leader of a project with the h working under him, one of the team members sexually harrases the h and this mf just warns him instead of firing his ass or unaliving him.
🚩The Hero is J/P and very protective, he is the leader of a project with the h working under him, one of the team members sexually harrases the h and this mf just warns him instead of firing his ass or unaliving him.
June 11, 2024
Re-read June 2024: I’m on a re-read binge and decided to give this one another go. Even though I enjoyed it, I did downgrade it from 5 to 4 stars. In the beginning the H is a real jerk (due to his last experiences but still). Plus they meet several times, they kiss and more and then every time don’t see or speak to each other for weeks? That is not an obsession…weird time jumps. So, I did finish this bad boy in less than a day, it wasn’t as great as I remembered (or my reading tastes have changed 😅)
Original review:
I really enjoyed this book! Mainly because of Garret. He was wonderfully alpha, completely OTT possessive and experienced some instalust / love for his Alexandra. Both characters had some issues to work through, but they came together beautifully. I enjoyed the suspense part woven throughout the story! The spice was hot and Garett could be very caring and sweet at times (especially considering his normal assholeness ;-) ). I would’ve liked a few chapters in Garret’s POV and could have done without him telling about his college sweetheart and thinking she was the one. A kind of 50 shades story, l enjoyed it a lot! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Safety: no cheating, no OW drama (yasss!) a little OM drama (stalker), h gets slapped by father, some violence, mentions death of a parent.
Original review:
I really enjoyed this book! Mainly because of Garret. He was wonderfully alpha, completely OTT possessive and experienced some instalust / love for his Alexandra. Both characters had some issues to work through, but they came together beautifully. I enjoyed the suspense part woven throughout the story! The spice was hot and Garett could be very caring and sweet at times (especially considering his normal assholeness ;-) ). I would’ve liked a few chapters in Garret’s POV and could have done without him telling about his college sweetheart and thinking she was the one. A kind of 50 shades story, l enjoyed it a lot! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Safety: no cheating, no OW drama (yasss!) a little OM drama (stalker), h gets slapped by father, some violence, mentions death of a parent.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews