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Review

4.5 hot, banter-filled and beautifully emotional stars

“You want to fight with me?”
Graham tugged at his tie, loosening it. “I find it turns me on.”

This book really took me by surprise! I went into it expecting a rude and crude, snark-filled banter-fest. It totally was, and I was enjoying it thoroughly, and then it started to get deeper, growing in intensity with a more emotional storyline that had me absolutely captivated. It’s a beautiful story that develops so well as it goes along, and I loved it!

Our heroine is Soraya, a sassy, immediately likable heroine with a wicked sense of humour and who dyes the ends of her hair to match her mood. She’s on the train one morning, running social commentary in her head (as we all do), when she spies a sexy, gorgeous asshole of a man dressed in a suit and yelling at somebody over the phone. When she goes to leave the train, she notices that he dropped his phone on the floor and she picks it up. Being the curious and mischievous person that she is, she holds onto it for a few days, looks through his photos, sends some texts and even makes a phone call. She learns that the ‘Stuck Up Suit’ from the train is Graham Morgan, highly successful businessman, and when she makes her way across the city to return his phone to him, he not only refuses to see her, but is incredibly rude. So she storms out, leaving his phone for him… but putting some pictures on their first.

Graham is a bit of a complex character. Pain, losses and betrayal he suffered in the past have left him emotionally closed off to everybody but his beloved grandmother, and his life is now his work – and he works hard. He knows he’s an asshole, but it’s the way he is, and he has no intention of changing that. But when his phone is returned to him with some very interesting photos on it, and the phone number of the woman in said photos, he is intrigued and something sparks in him for the first time in a long time. He has to contact her.

I love the initial interactions between these two! Hot and flirty banter is phenomenal, and I love it in text form!

Soraya: I don’t send porn to strangers. You just pissed me off. I wanted to show you what you were missing refusing to step down off your throne and see me.
Graham: If that’s the result, I plan to piss you off again. Often.

Graham is super confident and a dirty talker who is well aware of his skills in the bedroom (and elsewhere), and the sexting is only the start of it. The sexual tension builds brilliantly as they chat over text, and when they actually meet, the chemistry is insane! A fantastic cat and mouse game ensues as Graham boldly pursues Soraya, and again the flirting and banter is sensational!

“You have no idea how dangerous I am when I want something. I will stop at nothing to get it. And there’s nothing more that I want right now than you.”

But as sexy as he is, there’s also a sweet side to him and I loved when it started to show.

“There’s only one end to this.”
“And what’s that?”
“Me buried deep inside of you.”
“That can’t happen.”
“Every damn night, I dream about that fucking tongue ring swirling around my cock. You’re all I can think about. In fact, you were all I could think about before I even saw your gorgeous face. But after that happened, I was a goner.” I caressed her cheek again. “Just spend time with me.”

They are so intense together. And what begins as an overwhelming sexual attraction soon turns into more as they get to know each other, open up to each other, and real feelings start to develop.

He was fucking me, body and soul, and I just knew that this was going to ruin me forever.

A beautiful relationship develops as the story becomes unexpectedly (but most welcomingly) heartfelt. The sex is still sizzling hot, though now with an emotional depth to it as well, and to go along with Graham’s hard-core sexiness, he can also be incredibly swoony.

“You terrify me, Soraya.”
“Likewise.”
“But that’s the very reason that I just know.”
“Know what?”
“That this could be the real thing.”

And then the twist. DAMN! I didn’t see that one coming, and I have to say that I loved it. I love the complexity it adds to the story, and I loved the way it all plays out. It’s sweet and funny, and incredibly emotional, and it shows the amazing character growth of both characters. It also adds a nice amount of angst to the story as old vulnerabilities resurface, and it impacts on them both in ways they never could have expected.

“I know what I want.”
“Graham…things can change.”
“I need you, Soraya. I’ve never said that to another woman in my life.” I leaned my forehead against her and whispered, “I need you.”

Yes, there is some stupid, and yes, I wanted to start smacking people, but it’s all character developing. And if I wasn’t in love with Graham enough as it was, the way he handled it all absolutely floored me. He was perfect and it’s resolved in style, and we get a happy ending and an epilogue which ties everything up beautifully.

I loved this story. It is lots of fun and made me laugh and swoon, all while fanning myself at the hotness. And at its core there is an emotionally intense story with a lot of depth as two strong but still damaged characters find something amazing together and overcome personal demons and unexpected hurdles to find their happy ever after.

4.5 stars

Note – Fans of these authors will be thrilled by the sweet little tie in to Cocky Bastard, but this book is definitely a standalone.

 

Check out our Penelope Ward Author Spotlight and Vi Keeland Author Spotlight for more books by these authors

And our Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward Author Spotlight for their co-written work