Book Review: Just Give Me a Reason by Rebecca Rogers Maher

I loved the first novel in this series, so it didn’t take much to convince me to read this one. Not only was it a quick read, it brought the intensity that the first one did but in a completely different way.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A pregnant woman determined to maintain her independence fights her attraction to her best friend’s brother-in-law, a difficult feat when they find themselves spending time alone together. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

In Last Week’s Episode
Tony is Ray’s brother and Beth is Holly’s best friend. To give you a refresher, Ray and Holly were the couple from the first novel that hooked up and won the lottery. Ray and Beth have their own things going on. Beth is pregnant from a fling and the father doesn’t want parental rights. This is fine by Beth. She knew she wanted kids, but she also knows she doesn’t want to get married, and she’s more than willing to be a single mother if it means she keeps her independence.

Mutual Willpower
Tony is still dealing with feelings from his divorce, the challenge of raising his two daughters, and the mission of keeping his store open. From the first time he met Beth, he was attracted to her, but he didn’t act on it because the timing was off. When the two meet again at a dinner thrown by Ray and Holly, they find the attraction is still there. Once again, they don’t think they should act on it, and so they don’t.

This Old House
The best laid plans, right? But then,  Ray makes Tony take a vacation (he’s kind of a workaholic) and stay at their house while he and Holly are visiting Niagara Falls. It looks to be a lonely week, but when a storm knocks out Beth’s power, she ends up at the house too. That’s not a set up for some sex and romance or anything.

Opposites Attract
Tony is a little unsure and shy, so of course he’s adorable. He’s completely drawn to Beth in all her pregnant glory, and while not many novels have a pregnant heroine, it worked for this book. It was sweet without becoming fetishistic. Beth, on the other hand, is all about the sex, and the fact that she wants to show Tony all kinds of tricks sets the stage for some hotness.
The Romance Factor
The way these two hold back is painful in a good way. You want them to be together, and yet they fight their feelings every step of the way. Then when they realize how much they miss each other, it brings all the feels. 4/5

 

The Steam Factor
The foreplay is awesome and the sexual tension is amazing. When Tony and Beth finally get horizontal (or vertical, depending on the position), it’s flaming. There is little left to the imagination, but it’s well written and highly erotic. 5/5

Final Thoughts
I enjoyed the originality of this novel’s premise and the development of the characters. It was well written and entertaining, and though it didn’t take long to read, it was hard to put down. I’m not sure if there’s going to be more in this series since there’s only 2 brothers (I think). But I would definitely read more by this author, as I really enjoy her style.

Book Review: Closer by Aria Hawthorne

On a personal note, I finished National Novel Writing Month having written one full novel and most of a second. I didn’t think about it because in my head, the main character of my second one was a nerdy nice guy, but I also made him a billionaire, even though his money and wealth didn’t figure into it as much you would think.

Speaking of billionaires, this book that I’m about to review features one. A blind one at that. And the minute I read that he was blind, I was all up in this book’s grill.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A single mother is hired by a Swedish billionaire to act as his guide for 5 nights so he can keep the secret of his blindness from his family, colleagues, and society in general. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

Sassy Pants
Inez is super sassy, and I loved her from the start. Her sass and snark comes from a place of needing to protect herself, but she’s still funny. She’s a single mother who’s ex cheated on her with women (plural) and now wants to be part of her life again (yes, he was as sleazy as he sounds).

Leading the Blind
Sven is kind of a dick, but going blind has changed his outlook on things. He hires Inez to guide him at social events and keep his secret because he works with some shady people and doesn’t want them to know he can’t see. He also has his pride. The arrangement with Inez is only supposed to be temporary, though I don’t know what Sven planned on doing after that. Either way, I really liked him and wanted to give him a hug. Also, he wears an eye patch. Eye patches are cool (and obviously sexy).

Delicious Angst
Sven was the one who brought the feels in this one. It doesn’t take him long to fall for Inez, yet she’s the one who holds out, afraid to get involved.  The fact that she’s a single mother who’s also trying take care of her grandmother makes things more complicated.

Bebehs
I’m not always a fan of babies in books, but this one was okay. Inez being a single mother added an extra dimension of conflict and secrecy between her and Sven (it wasn’t actually a point of conflict other than that the baby was part of the reason Inez had put up protective walls and couldn’t stay the night with him).

Funny Grandmas Are the Best
Another great part of the book? Inez’s grandmother, who was hilarious and just as sassy as Inez but also a little raunchy. She heckles Inez endlessly and doesn’t hold back her opinions. The whole story was infused with humor, but most of it definitely came from this character.

The Romance Factor
Trust was the major theme in this book, and the way it played into the romance between Sven and Inez was seamless. Sven has to put his trust in Inez to guide him, and she eventually has to put hers in him not to hurt her. Between the sensual way these two interacted and the heavy dose of foreplay, their romance had a slow build that just got more intense. 4/5

The Steam Factor
This was considered an erotic romance, but as far as erotica goes, the sex wasn’t frequent. In fact, there was no actual sex until much later in the book. Most of the eroticism came in the form of dreams or fantasies. Having said that, those scenes were hot and the whole book was written with so much sensuality that even the dialogue between Sven and Inez was titillating. 4/5

Final Thoughts
I loved this book. Sven was endearing, Inez was funny, and I loved their romance. I laughed, I cried, I got all sorts of heart feels. Not only did I like the story, but I enjoyed the author’s style and so ended up buying another book related to this one.