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Review

Sweet, sexy and oh-so-swoony!

This is not the kind of read that I expect when I pick up a Karina Halle book, but she has delivered a beautifully sweet romance that is both sexy and swoony, with a hero that will sweep you off your feet. An older man / younger woman forbidden office romance, this book crosses a lot of tropes, but it’s done really well, and this is a really sweet story.

Will McAlister’s world shifted when he found out that his wife was not only having an affair, but that she was pregnant with another man’s child. They continued working together running the LA office of his business, but he eventually decided to return home to Vancouver, working side by side again with his good friend and partner, Ted.

Jackie is Ted’s daughter, and she has recently returned home after leaving as a rebellious teen. She has survived an abusive relationship and has moved in with her parents with her young son, Tyler, and has accepted a job at her Dad’s company – as Will’s new assistant. Jackie knows Will as her father’s good friend, and he is even more gorgeous than she remembers, but she knows she can’t go there.

Will doesn’t want an Assistant, especially one that tempts him the way Jackie does. He knows she’s off limits – she’s the daughter of his partner, he is her boss, and she is only 25 to his 41, but he can’t resist her. And his feelings only grow as they get to know each other.

There’s still so much about her I don’t know – her hopes, her dreams, her fears – but I’m determined to do whatever I can to learn more.
I’m fucking obsessed with her.
Plain and simple.

I enjoyed Will and Jackie’s relationship. Their attraction is evident from the very beginning and they both try their hardest to resist it, but the sexual tension only builds as their relationship shifts from boss/employee to friends and then more. Jackie has been hurt by all that she’s been through, but Will proves to be an unstoppable force, and the man is absolutely irresistible.

His expression softens, his hand running through my hair, over my shoulder, down my arm. “Stop pretending I’m not what you need.”

Will is just gorgeous. He’s a man who knows what he wants, and he goes for it. And what he wants is Jackie, and he doesn’t hold anything back from her, and I love how he put his heart right out there for her.

“It’s okay to need me. I need you. I need you more than I can possibly tell you, Jackie. There’s no shame in it. It’s part of loving someone. You need their heart to help complete yours.”
“You love me?” I whisper, the emotions rising up my throat, choking me.
The room seems to pause with my breath.
“Of course I love you. I’ve only loved you. There was no before or in-between for me,” he says softly as he holds onto my hand. “All in. I’ve always been all in with you.”

*dreamy sigh*

He is also gorgeous with Jackie’s son, Ty, and I loved the relationship that they developed. But I confess I did have a moment that made me all squinty-eyed…

There’s a bit of angst as it takes some time for Will and Jackie to get on the same page romantically, but there’s no denying their physical attraction, and the sexy time is super hot.

“I swear I’ll fuck you for hours, if you let me,” he whispers into my ear.

But as swoony as it all is, there was something that held me back from falling in mad love with this book.  I wanted to love it, but it just didn’t feel it as much as I wanted to.  But there were parts that I loved – the dynamics between the characters, the dialogue was quick and witty, and there’s no denying the beautiful swoon.

“Dream girl,” he whispers. “Tell me I have your heart. I won’t let it go, not for any moment, not for any reason. Tell me I have your heart and I’ll keep it next to my own.”

The story ends really well (if a little cheesy) and there’s a gorgeous epilogue which finishes everything off beautifully. There is no denying that Karina can write a beautifully sweet romance.

3.5 stars.

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Continue on with Alyssa’s story in After All

Review
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