Amazon Link
Audrey Albertson is an investigative reporter for the Between the Sheets magazine. A belittling at her high school reunion causes her to reevaluate her life, starting with her career. She disguises herself to get a job with recently released felon Derek Stone. The untold story of his crime is what she thinks could gain her notoriety. Derek Stone is desperate to escape public scrutiny after his release from jail. He seeks to hire an image consultant to help him change the public's mind in a month. He instructs his assistant to hire the consultant that arrives first and dismiss the rest. The first applicant on site is Audrey. As soon as they meet Audrey and Derek feel drawn to each other.
The chemistry between Audrey and Derek is fantastic. I am endeared by characters who make me laugh out loud and the characters in this book did that repeatedly. It is hilarious as they quip back and forth and their inner monologues are equally amusing. Audrey and Derek are well-developed characters. They have inner strength and hidden turmoil that unites them. For reasons they can't explain they share secrets no one else knows and feel better doing so. Their captivation with each other was credible.
A turning point for the couple took place in Derek's basement studio. Derek wanted to share with Audrey art he was preparing to sell. Derek's sadness showed distinctly in his paintings and these emotions compelled Audrey to confess the lie between them. Derek begged Audrey not to break his heart, sensing her confession would change everything. This section was an emotional contrast to their earlier exchanges. It was one of my favorite parts of the book.
After the lies and half-truths come out they deal with them. I worried with the secrets they kept, a happily ever after would feel forced but here their resolutions matched their personalities. Usually, I prefer paranormal situations be at the center of the stories I read. I find most modern romances just bore me. This story and its characters kept my attention. I would recommend any fan of the romance genre give it a try.
All my opinions are my own and may not match that of others. I urge all readers to come to their own conclusions. I voluntarily received a free copy of this book through Library Thing for my honest review.
No comments:
Post a Comment