Free: Available from Prolific Works

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Review

3 stars

This novella is an informal prequel to Jillian Liota’s upcoming Sandalwood series, set in the small coastal town of Sandalwood, where we meet Soren Lock, owner of the local bar and devoted single dad, and Ozzy, his new employee who has a very inconvenient crush on her boss.

Soren is a single guy who keeps his liaisons with women short, waiting for the day that the mother of his 7-year-old daughter will come back to them for the happy ever after he’s always assumed they would have. So when she comes to visit their daughter with a new fiancé in tow, it throws his life into a bit of chaos.

Ozzy has had a rough life, and she’s working two jobs to get by – one of them is in the bar owned by Soren. She’s his newest hire, and is completely mortified when one of her workmates spills the beans to Soren about her crush on him.

Their lives have complications, but their sizzling attraction proves to be the perfect excuse for a steamy night together to blow off some steam and take them out of their heads for a little while. Neither of them expect it to be the life-changing encounter that it is, though, so when they get the opportunity to do it again, they jump on it – strictly casual and with a time limit so they don’t become attached.

But of course, things aren’t that simple. Feelings become involved, making their complicated lives even more complicated. Neither of them wanted a relationship, but they don’t seem to be able to let the other go.

“We both said things in our lives were too complicated for anything serious. Well, maybe I’m okay with things being complicated if it means I get to have you in my life.”

I enjoyed this short story. I liked both of the characters, their chemistry is fantastic, and the sexy time is really steamy. We get to see the beginnings of their emotional connection, with the hint of romance, and I’m hoping we get to see more of this couple in future books of the series, because I’d love to see their happy ending for real.

3 stars.

This novella is currently free from Prolific Works – https://claims.prolificworks.com/gg/5nyCTmzPGHdzI4lkx6SC

 

Sandalwood