The RSVP is the first book in Lauren Blakely's latest series, the Virgin Society. Her writing, as always, is on point, witty, and engaging. In RSVP, you will be introduced to Harlow Granger, a newly minted 21-year-old virgin and college graduate, who is wise beyond her years. She has been pining for her father's business partner, Bridger James, and makes it her mission to seduce him; to make him see that she is all grown up.
I do adore Lauren's work, but am personally not a fan of age gap stories, especially when the heroine is only 21. I do understand that Harlow is an adult, and if you love forbidden age gap story lines as many readers do, then I highly recommend this book.
I am always fascinated by the author's vast knowledge and thorough research on so many careers. In RSVP, Bridger, who is just about perfect, and Harlow's father, who is a slimy cantankerous curmudgeon, co-own a production company. I loved exploring this world and all that goes into selecting and developing scripts, seeking talent, peaking behind the scenes, and feeling the pressure and realities of the industry. I admired Bridger how business savvy and moral he was, and how he tried his best to resist Harlow. But the little temptress was not only sexy, she was smart and shared similar interests with Bridger such as their love of art, theater, and music. He genuinely enjoyed being with her and it was often very sweet.
This was a slow burn, which was necessary because of her age and his relationship with her father, and I did enjoy how they got to know each other as adults, and could truly feel their desire and longing. Bridger was so very charming, classy, and swoony, and the two of them together were explosive. He had admitted he never felt a connection in his past relationships, and when these two were together it just made me smile because they got along so well, in and out of the bedroom.
I admired Harlow's determination and how she was able to navigate and find the perfect career in the art world which was always her passion. She valued him, his work dilemma and his feelings, and did what she felt was right for the sake of their relationship. I also admired how she held her ground and told her father how she felt about his philandering ways.
Bridger put Harlow first as well and made a difficult decision regarding his own career, which turned out to be the best decision he ever made. Kudos to this author for crafting a couple who isn't afraid to put in the work to make their relationship a priority and defy the odds.