Heidi Rice

First of all, I should confess that I’m not really much of a romance reader. It isn’t that I don’t enjoy a good romance story, but I like it when the romance is just one part of a much larger story. When I read a romance novel, it feels a little bit like somebody extracted the romance parts out of a book and threw the actual story away.

So, why did I read this book? Way back when I first got my Kindle, I would snap up nearly any free book I could find even if it wasn’t my usual show more genre. I figured, why not broaden my horizons? I’m now much choosier, but I still have this large backlog of random books. I can’t help but feel like I need to read them, so every now and then I decide to knock a few out. Nevertheless, even though I might not be in the target audience for a romance novel, I read this one, I have opinions, and I want to express them.

Both of the main characters in this novel, Louisa and Luke, were seriously messed up. Luke physically forced Louisa into a car with him. By “forced” I mean he actually picked her up, put her in the car, and locked the door. He used physical force numerous times when she was trying to get away from him. He often ignored her when she said she didn’t want to do something. He took her somewhere she had explicitly stated she didn’t want to go while she was asleep in his car. This guy had serious issues and he didn’t know how to take “no” for an answer. I don’t care how hot a guy is, this kind of behavior is a complete turn off. I would stay the heck away from anybody who treated me like this.

Not Louisa, however. Every time Luke touched her, even if it was to force her to do something she said she didn’t want to do, she just got turned on by him. This girl is messed up! We’re told that she’s a strong women who hates to be bullied. Telling us this doesn’t make it true. Her actions said otherwise. If she were a strong woman, when he started manhandling her at the gas station she would have screamed and made a scene and done whatever she had to do to get away from him. And then she would have gotten a restraining order.

One could argue that perhaps Louisa had really wanted to do some of the things she claimed she didn’t want to do, and that’s why she let him bully her into doing them. But the fact remains that she said “No”, and he should have respected that. Forcing you to do something you secretly want to do is still forcing. Why would anybody want to be with a guy who does that? What happens when you really do mean “No” and he won’t listen? I think, if a sequel were written to this book, we would find Louisa in an abusive relationship that she doesn’t know how to get out of.

The book held my interest, and I read it through to the end without any trouble, which is why I’m giving it two stars instead of only one. However, the “romance” between these two characters held no appeal for me and I actually found it to be quite disturbing. show less

This Goldilocks found Ms. Rice's book not too cold, not too hot - but juuuust right! The worn backstory of the characters melts away quickly. They are relatably self-aware and humble, not arrogantly broken. Charlie and Logan are truly good to each other, sexing in a refreshingly healthy, real-life and loving way. We like these intelligent people and there is no confusion about whether it's OK to root for their HEA. After all of the envelope-pushing erotica in romance, this book offers a show more weld-worthy hot alternative. You won't even f*king realize the F-word is MIA, in this story. show less

This is like the 3rd time I've read anything by Heidi Rice. And wow what a storyteller she is. I simply LOVED THIS BOOK. The story is fairly simple but the characters reach right in and grab you by the heart. I loved the vulnerability of Cal and Rosie, two people with seemingly nothing in common but so perfect together. I look forward to reading more from this author.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review

Very good book. I really liked both Iona and Zane. Iona had followed her ex from Scotland to try to recover the money he had conned out of her father. Zane stops her just before she ruins the investigation he's been working on for six months. She fights back, not caring about his investigation only her attempt to make amends to her father. I loved the way that she stands up to "Detective Sexy" when he tries to overrule her on things. Her attraction to him is intense and he uses that show more attraction to overcome the insecurities caused by her ex. I loved that those insecurities would show in ways that would confound Zane. Meanwhile she tries to understand why he always seems to hold himself apart from his family even though it is obvious how much they love him. Her faith in his goodness is something he doesn't understand and she doesn't know how to convince him.

Zane is a great blend of sexy and sweet. He is a man who loves women. He knows how to please them, he protects them, but he won't allow them to get close to him. He is afraid of losing control and becoming like his father. His fears have caused him to only allow himself the most superficial of relationships. When he meets Iona there is something about her that makes him forget all his rules. She meets his family, he moves her into his home, and she distracts him from his work. I love watching him as he fights his feelings. When she gets to the root of his issues he is stunned when she tells him he is being an idiot and to talk to his mother about the truth, and then disappears. I loved the way it was all finally resolved. show less