TBR Challenge: Samantha Young - Hero

Alexa Holland’s father was her hero—until her shocking discovery that she and her mother weren’t his only family. Ever since, Alexa has worked to turn her life in a different direction and forge her own identity outside of his terrible secrets,. But when she meets a man who’s as damaged by her father’s mistakes as she is, Alexa must help him.
Caine Carraway wants nothing to do with Alexa’s efforts at redemption, but it’s not so easy to push her away. Determined to make her hate him, he brings her to the edge of her patience and waits for her to walk away. But his actions only draw them together and, despite the odds, they begin an intense and explosive affair.
Only Caine knows he can never be the white knight that Alexa has always longed for. And when they’re on the precipice of danger, he finds he’ll do anything to protect either one of them from being hurt again… 

Comment: This is the TBR Wednesday of June and this time the theme was Favorite Trope. I have to confess I felt rather doubtful about which book to pick, I have some favorite types of books but I don't usually get books because of that, it would be much easier to pick other themes but after having this one already set to be read this book, I realized it had one of my favorite tropes in romance which is the Enemies to Lovers (and some boss/secretary included too) and so wanted to see them change their mind about each other, get to know one another and yes, realize they were falling in love. When done right, it can be totally romantic!

This one felt better and better for me the more I thought about it and considering the author, someone whose books I've read before were generally successes with me, I was sold.

In this book we meet Alexa Holland, a young woman who works for a photographer and finds out after her return from holidays that the shoot will feature Caine Carraway, a sort of self made man who's rich and powerful (obviously) but she feels it won't go well because they're enemies. The thing is, Alexa's father had an affair with Caine's mother and she died overdosing on drugs and Alexa's father did nothing to help, causing his mother to die. Caine became an orphan and was put in the system but he grew up and got rich and now can't even stand the Holland name.

When they meet in the photo shoot, Alexa can't help herself and tells him her name and things don't go well. Eventually she is fired and she gets angry at Caine, he hates her guts, she tries to apologize, somehow he offers her a job, she accepts to prove she isn't what he thinks, they have their little fights but of course, eventually things change. But will they fall in love?

Overall, this fit all the ideas I had about a enemies to lovers story and I had previously liked the author's books, so I was quite pleased with it.

It's when I think about the extras that I feel this could have been so much better... I think my biggest problem with this book is how fast they give in to sexual attraction. they are sort of antagonist more than deadly enemies and that part is interesting, but from the "I-can't-even-hear-your-name" stage to the "I-need-you-now" one, things move too fast. I wouldn't say this is an insta-love set, because it's not but the insta-sex surely seems quick! I don't mind erotica toned stories but I confess it was slightly not good to see Caine, someone who had reasons - even if without sense - to hate Alexa, to simply ignore everything to be with her sexually. Ok, the idea behind the trope is that love and hate are close but... why do we have to see it happen so fast? 

I can't help but thinking they should have struggled a bit more with their attraction, the sexual tension should happen longer while their feelings were changing. Sexually giving in to their attraction seems like an easy tactic and not as romantic or emotionally intense as it could be.

Alexa is an interesting woman and I think the author depicts well why she decides to accept Caine's job offer and why she would feel she had to do something to balance the harm her family did to Caine but I think part of her intentions and even the fight in her, something handy to battle Caine and the job challenges, is lost in the way because she is always speaking about how good looking he is and how she can't help feeling like that around him.

Alexa is the narrator of the book, so obviously we have a lot of her voice but I'll be honest and say there were more times I felt annoyed at her than dreamy because Caine was hot. I strongly suspect authors don't understand real life because it can't be that no matter how good looking someone is, there's no way professional people think about that all the time! I felt the lack of more scenes of Alexa working or dealing with Caine professionally, so the story and their initial antagonism could have more strength.

There's not much to say about Caine because we don't have his POV. Sure, he's sexy, domineering in a realistic way, has secrets, has a past which was a surprise somehow, I admit I was not expecting that...but his interactions with Alexa felt too erotic for the type of story being developed.

I think the more domestic scenes from a certain point on and the things that happen closer to the end give this a different flavor and the end was somewhat better than some middle parts. A bit more balance in the development of the story and the way the protagonists behaved would have helped.

This book rates closer to a 6.5 than a 7 but I kept thinking about how the good parts really won me over so I upped the grade. But I will also say this book didn't come closer to some of the author's other work, which was much more powerful emotionally and in terms of character's interactions and family bonds, this last item sadly lacking here too.

Still, an interesting romance that could be so much better, especially for the type of trope and the possibilities.

Grade: 7/10

Samantha Young - Moonlight on Nightingale Way

Logan spent two years paying for the mistakes he made. Now, he’s ready to start over. He has a great apartment, a good job, and plenty of women to distract him from his past. And one woman who is driving him to distraction…
Grace escaped her manipulative family by moving to a new city. Her new life, made to suit her own needs, is almost perfect. All she needs to do is find her Mr. Right—or at least figure out a way to ignore her irresistible yet annoying womanizer of a neighbor.
Grace is determined to have nothing to do with Logan until a life-changing surprise slowly begins turning the wild heartbreaker into exactly the kind of strong, stable man she’s been searching for. Only just when she begins to give into his charms, her own messy past threatens to derail everything they’ve worked to build…

Comment: This is the last full length installment in the On Dublin Street series by Samantha Young featuring a group of friends and family members through their lives and romances. I've read all the books - except novellas - and I have to regretfully say this last book is my least favorite of them all...

 

In this book we have Logan's story, he's Shannon's brother (the heroine from the previous story) and he's been in prison for attacking the man who tried to harm his sister. When the guys learned this, Braden decided to help and offered Logan a job in one of his clubs.

In comes Grace, a young woman living next door to Logan and the story begins with her annoyance at the constant women coming and going to Logan's.

The two of them don't have the greatest start, but a shocking appearance is going to change their lives and bring them together. Can they put their pasts aside to find happiness?

 

Usually I really love these stories because I feel interested in the main characters, their feelings and the romances they develop, the chemistry they have and I want to know what they will do and how will their love story dazzle me. In this case, none of those things happened. Overall, of course the story is good, it has enough supporting elements to make it work, but if one compares to the other 5 fully developed stories, this has to be the worst. At least, for me it is.

 

The main characters, Logan and Gracie, have different backgrounds and life experiences. I was very interested in each one of them individually, but more so in Logan because of the little bit we've saw of him in the previous book. I wanted to se someone triumph over hard times and how much his prison experience changed him, or not. I guess I wanted a hero just like the other guys but with a different, heavy situation on his shoulders. He seemed too bland and meh for me. I never fully got interested in him and in seeing him with Gracie. In fact, when she met someone before they got together, I actually thought the other guy would be better for her! I never felt his whole presence in the romance or the storyline. He was seriously underdeveloped, it felt like he just needed to fill up a space and not even the interesting plot twists going his way turned him interesting.

 

Grace has many qualities I like, she's a book lover, she managed to work freelance from home (I wish I was as disciplined and lucky as she), she dealt with a disappointing and sad childhood but I think those negative aspects of her life that should have made her intriguing and shy - as she is slightly described - weren't pinpointed enough to make it so. It felt very phony and her final confrontation to her past just an added drama scene.

 

I don't know but both Logan and Grace had everything to not only work together but to offer one of the best romances in the series and I ended up disillusioned with them. The amount of interesting information about them wasn't done well enough to make them compelling and balanced, I think.

The romance has highs and lows, but then again, all stories did, however in Logan and Grace's case, their romance wasn't convincing and even less was how they fell in love. I never felt they had the sort of love story they deserved and it didn't feel real, like the author had to write it because it was expected but in truth it never happened. I can't explain it well, but it felt flat. Logan also seemed too out there to be a good love interest and Grace seemed to be too responsible to fall for him while she was having doubts and in the end it never felt magic, special...

 

As expected, beloved characters show up in the book and offer funny and warm scenes of what a good relationship and family bond should be like. It is always interesting to see where the characters are in life and how their personal journeys led them to wonderful lives.

The end of the book shows Grace and Logan's (tedious) HEA and even an epilogue with a scene from all the different heroine's perspectives about their personal lives. It's bittersweet because despite how lovely I still feel sad it's over. How I wish it would have been ended with a stronger story!

Grade: 6/10

Alphabet Soup Challenge: Samantha Young - Echoes of Scotland Street

Shannon MacLeod has always gone for the wrong type of man. After she drifted from one toxic relationship to the next, her last boyfriend gave her a wakeup call in the worst possible way. With her world shattered, she’s sworn off men—especially those of the bad-boy variety.
Cole Walker is exactly the sort that Shannon wants to avoid—gorgeous, tattooed, charming, and cocky. But his rough exterior hides a good man who’s ready to find “the one.” He’s determined to pull Shannon from her self-imposed solitude and win her heart.
As Shannon opens up in the face of Cole’s steady devotion, the passion between them ignites to blazing levels. But when Shannon’s past comes back to haunt her, her fears may destroy the trust Cole has built between them—and tear them apart for good…  

Comment: I've been a fan of this author's Dublin Street series since the first book. I think she has the perfect blend of contemporary realistic story and sweet romance. I was very curious about this next installment and thankfully I liked it too.

This title was also handy for the Alphabet Soup Challenge for the letter E.

 

This is Shannon and Cole's story. They met as teenagers one night and were captivated by the other but a few minutes after their talk they go different ways and only meet again when Shannon applies to a receptionist job in the tattoo shop where Cole works.

However, life has taught certain rules about men to Shannon and she feels guys like Cole, with the looks and the tattoos are all the same, meaning bad for her. Although they feel attracted to each other, miscommunications start to put the apart until Shannon realizes she might have done a mistake. But is she the only one who needs to apologize?

 

Again, I had a great time reading a story by this author. I think she does have talent to pick a simple story and to make it develop in a way and style I really appreciate. I understand how some readers might not share this opinion, but for me it did work well.

 

The plot was quite interesting and I liked seeing everyone show up. It's always such a pleasure to see characters I like returning even if not for long, but it helps the romantic in me too see how their HEAs did work. The plot is quite simple but the characters make it come alive and be special. I liked the details about their work because this allow us to see them in more scenarios than just the romance or attraction situations.

 

What really makes the story is the main couple, in particular Shannon. I've read how some readers don't like her much but the way I saw it, she was very close to what a likable heroine should be like. Shannon has had bad luck with guys and I kind of wish she could have learned her lesson sooner, but her 4 or 5 ex boyfriends didn't have as much impact in my appreciation of her personality as I could have imagined. In fact, I was impressed by her attitude, her quitter side and her desire to pay her bills, to just have a job and start settling in life. Her past makes her that way but I was glad to see how pleasant she was as a character.

Her attraction to Cole is mutual and they have some scenes where they battle sexual tension and even Shannon's fears but somehow the fact they didn't jump into sex right away won me over.

 

The majority of the story was something I liked. Towards the end something happens that increases the conflict and adds up to the drama - which, in turn, makes the HEA look better - but I wasn't convinced by how it happened. Let's just say Cole, who is a wonderful character by the way, a sweet guy and someone others kept telling Shannon wasn't as bad as she thought, reacts rather harshly to a certain conversation in a way I found exaggerated and unnecessary. I don't mind the conflict, it is a different way for us to see them act and react, but I thought is was so against what we have been told about him as person...I really think his reaction was over the top. I won't spoiler but he knows Shannon pretty well at that point so...not clear why he did that unless it suits the drama appeal.

 

Following Cole's reaction, some other characters that were Cole's friends before being Shannon's also reacted rather strongly to the problem and while not as exaggerated, it was still noticeable to make me think it was wrong. What about not judging others?

Apart from this short incident (it does get solved fast in terms of plot and in a rather exaggerated way if I may say so), the story ran smoothly and was hard to put it down. I managed to read it in one day.

 

I know there's one more story and I just hope it's as good as the ones I've read. It will be interesting to see Shannon and Cole as an established couple then, as well.

Grade: 8/10

Samantha Young - Fall From India Place

When Hannah Nichols last saw Marco D’Alessandro, five long years ago, he broke her heart. The bad boy with a hidden sweet side was the only guy Hannah ever loved—and the only man she’s ever been with. After one intense night of giving into temptation, Marco took off, leaving Scotland and Hannah behind. Shattered by the consequences of their night together, Hannah has never truly moved on.
Leaving Hannah was the biggest mistake of Marco’s life, something he has deeply regretted for years. So when fate reunites them, he refuses to let her go without a fight. Determined to make her his, Marco pursues Hannah, reminding her of all the reasons they’re meant to be together.…
But just when Marco thinks they’re committed to a future together, Hannah makes a discovery that unearths the secret pain she’s been hiding from him, a secret that could tear them apart before they have a real chance to start over again.

Comment: This is the fourth full length story in the Dublin Street series by author Samantha Young. So far, all the books in this series have intrigued me and I was actually positively surprised by how much I liked them, considering some opinions. I guess what works for some really does not for others in some cases. I very pleased these books work for me.

This is the story of Hannah, she's Braden's sister, sort of, and she has always been a cheeky teenager, confident and happy. As the other books moved along we got to know she had a crush on a boy and they seemed to become something serious but then the guy, Marcus, went away and Hannah was down for a while but now she is a happy adult with the possibility of her teaching job becoming permanent and her family is healthy and happy.

But Marcus suddenly comes back into her life and although she attempts to stay away from him, the connection they had gets stronger and they try to be together again. But both have secrets about what what happened in the past and would that affect their new found love?

I think the biggest lesson in this story is how we should just live the moment and try to grab all the happiness we can because life is short and we shouldn't let it go to waste.

The morale is, indeed, appreciated. However, this story - despite still being amazing and one I loved spending time with - also felt slightly less polished than the others.

I think the fact the protagonists, Hannah and Marco, had had the beginning of a relationship helped in now making their reconnection faster. Still, I do dislike this trope in general and enjoying this story didn't distract me enough from the fact this is a lovers reunited plot.

I do have to appreciate this author did a good job in making me care about the characters and writing a compelling family that I did like this story, even if not as much as the others.

Hannah is a good protagonist, she's a warm, friendly girl even with some quirky traits that make her endearing as well. I liked how she felt about her family and how she gave importance to so many things like appreciation for her parents or the need to trust her close family. I thought she would be a bit more shy and we get to know how she got past that. In a way, I understand how this shaped her character but I kind of wanted her to still be shy like she was as a teenager. I feel shy female protagonists aren't enough and when they exist they overcome that as a handicap or don't act like shy people. Anyway...something I wished were different.

Hannah went through some serious issues and I understand how this made her think some things concerning her future with Marco but thankfully in romacelandia everything usually works out well.

Marco is an intriguing character. I'd have liked to know more about him but since this is told from Hannah's POV, we only know things by their conversations. He is funny now but as a younger self he seemed darker and more intense maybe this is an obvious way to compare how much he has grown up and changed. His actions from the past have an explanation but I felt their romance overall was weaker than the others. I just felt a certain separation from what their story is because they were away from each other for a long time and the motives for it were made as not worthy of the separation itself. Meaning, I think the author used many tools to explain what could have been done in a simpler, clearer way.

Still, I enjoyed the story. It has some elements which surely were meant to be angsty or emotional but I think some elements were a bit too much. I had the feeling the author struggled a lot more with this plot and the others were more effortless. It's just an impression. I also think the trope didn't help even if appropriate to this couple's story. (Perhaps it's my prejudice against "lovers reunited" speaking...)

In the end, I liked this enough to keep the faith and I ended up glad about the fact they got their HEA. But what I liked the most were all the family scenes with the characters we've known from other books and how they are now that some years have passed from the 3rd story to this one. How good to see HEAs still active and important to the family ties the author has been using. Really great!

Grade: 7/10

Samantha Young - Before Jamaica Lane

Despite her outgoing demeanor, Olivia is painfully insecure around the opposite sex—usually, she can’t get up the nerve to approach guys she’s interested in. But moving to Edinburgh has given her a new start, and, after she develops a crush on a sexy postgrad, she decides it’s time to push past her fears and go after what she wants.
Nate Sawyer is a gorgeous player who never commits, but to his close friends, he’s as loyal as they come. So when Olivia turns to him with her relationship woes, he offers to instruct her in the art of flirting and to help her become more sexually confident.
The friendly education in seduction soon grows into an intense and hot romance. But then Nate’s past and commitment issues rear their ugly heads, and Olivia is left broken-hearted. When Nate realizes he’s made the biggest mistake of his life, he will have to work harder than he ever has before to entice his best friend into falling back in love with him—or he may lose her forever… 

Comment: This is the third book in the series by this author that started with On Dublin Street. I had heard some not so good opinions about these books before picking up the first one, but honestly, so far I've been dazzled and it just serves to prove, we all see things differently and how great is that!

This is the story of Olivia, she's Jo's cousin who first appeared on the previous book. Olivia has a dream job in my opinion, she works at a library, and she has a crush on a guy that goes there to do research, but she can't seem to be able to talk to him normally because she isn't very experienced with relationships.

In comes Nate, he's a friend in common among the group we know so far and he and Olivia are attracted to each other from the start, but they are friends and always ignored their hotter thoughts. But Olivia confesses her lack of experience with men after a drunk night and Nate is there and Olivia asks his help, considering he's so successful with women. So, the lessons begin but can they admit it that what they want for real is what they already have?

I'm really loving this series!

Really, somehow, everything that goes on with these books just seems to hit the perfect note to me and I cherish and welcome the books always with anticipation and will.

The books have a certain simplicity that calls to me and the characters, despite their not so realistic behavior, seem genuine and perfectly flawed in a way they makes them worth of redemption but not in a condescending or forgiving way, their issues are serious but their actions aren't always too hard to forgive or to deal with. I like how the author gives them a simple, domestic value and turns them into types of people I would like to know in real life.

Another good things about this book, and the whole series as a matter of fact, is how the sense of family and friendship and relationship among lovers, parents, brothers, friends is highly detailed and made important. There's a clear focus on the little things, family dinners, sharing with your friends, that make the series one of those you can enjoy for all the details and secondary things even if the romance itself isn't the most amazing ever. Although, for me, the romances are quite good.

This story has all the said things before which makes it wonderful in my opinion.

Of course there are some things I'd change or wished were different, namely the way Nate and Olivia have their troubles. I understand why and it does suit the plot, but for two close friends they surely missed the communication at a certain point. I could day in real life we don't always do and say the right things or we react in the heat of the moment with less thought than we'd like but considering all that happens here, how they both know each other so well...it's just for plot purposes, but the problem isn't that convincing for me.

Nate and Olivia have been close friends since they met. I think we get enough scenes where this is proved. I think Olivia's request that Nate teach her how to seduce guys or be more appealing for them was a bit too much, but they are attracted to each other so...but it's still weird. Despite this, The way things go on kind of mutes that and it's something I could think of but not be displeased about.

In fact their romance worked out for me and I loved to see them together.

As I said, many secondary characters, known well or not, have a huge part in these books and it's wonderful to see them be an important part of the stories, even after their stories are told. Can't wait for the next book to see them all again.

This book ends up being sweet, cute, romantic and perfect to be liked. I do recommend this contemporary series, even if others might not see the good things in it like I do.

Grade: 8/10

Samantha Young - Down London Road

It has always been up to Johanna to care for her family, particularly her younger brother, Cole. With an absent father and a useless mother, she’s been making decisions based on what’s best for Cole for as long as she can remember. She even determines what men to date by how much they can provide for her brother and her, not on whatever sparks may—or may not—fly.
But with Cameron MacCabe, the attraction is undeniable. The sexy new bartender at work gives her butterflies every time she looks at him. And for once, Jo is tempted to put her needs first. Cam is just as obsessed with getting to know Jo, but her walls are too solid to let him get close enough to even try.
Then Cam moves into the flat below Jo’s, and their blistering connection becomes impossible to ignore. Especially since Cam is determined to uncover all of Jo’s secrets... even if it means taking apart her defenses piece by piece.

Comment: I was very curious to read this book. After my enjoyment of the first in the series which had such a divided range of opinions and that, to me, was quite good, I was interested in seeing if this one was as good or would fall into the sort of opinion those who didn't like it, shared.

This is Jo's story. She is one of Joss' co workers at the bar ans she struggles to keep her family afloat. She takes care of her younger brother and their alcoholic mother. She fears what other might think of her is she says what really happens at her house. She works two jobs and prefers relationships with wealthy men so she can help her family somehow. Everything seems to be the usual in her life until the night she meets Cam, her boyfriend's ex new guy. She and cam feel the attraction but they don't seem to get along. But once Cam moves to her building, it will be more difficult to avoid him and what he makes her feel...

I think the author wanted the reader to purposely feel antipathy towards Jo in the first book. She came across someone who dated for money and was unapologetic about it.

Now we understand what's behind that behavior and why she tries to do things others judge her for, because deep down she is a good girl trying to be there for her brother and if she feels embarrassed about her mother's attitudes, who can blame her?

I was really impressed with Jo in this book, I think apart from the whole dating someone mostly for what presents he might give her, she never asked though!, I actually think she was doing what she could and I feel I might do the same if in a similar situation. She works two jobs and she lives a very tame life, except the boyfriend's occasions, but I could understand her motivations and as the plot moves along we even see why he acts like that, why she needs to feel some sort of security and why her turning to men started and why she keeps it like that.

I also liked how we see so many recurrent characters from the previous book and even new ones coming in which will feature in the following books as well, and there's this sense of family, Jo learns to trust others, to find support and friendship in those close to her which proves she is worthy and has all the right to be herself with them, instead of showing what she believes others would want to see. I liked who Jo is in reality and was very glad to see her journey too.

The romance is hot and starts with a believable chemistry and there's lots of sexual tension before they got together. They don't seem to get along at first but it's all part of the whole "I shouldn't like you but I can't help it" stage. I thought the development between them was believable and full of twists and special moments and honestly nothing seemed off. Sure, I'd change things here and there to suit my tastes, but overall, I think it was done quite well.

Some readers think this is too sexual. This meaning the books from the start. I don't think so, I like the balance and despite the hero being a bit aggressive at times, I never thought he wasn't a good guy, he shows he is throughout the book.

There's two or three conflicts, one of them I think was there to prove a point and push a discussion, but in the end the HEA is believable and wasn't overdone, I liked how Jo and Cam started a life together like millions of ordinary people must do out there.

All in all, another successful book for me by this author and I do plan on reading the next ones soon. For me, these stories work and I had a great experience reading this one.

Grade: 8/10

Samantha Young - On Dublin Street

Jocelyn Butler has been hiding from her past for years. But all her secrets are about to be laid bare…
Four years ago, Jocelyn left her tragic past behind in the States and started over in Scotland, burying her grief, ignoring her demons, and forging ahead without attachments. Her solitary life is working well—until she moves into a new apartment on Dublin Street where she meets a man who shakes her carefully guarded world to its core.
Braden Carmichael is used to getting what he wants, and he’s determined to get Jocelyn into his bed. Knowing how skittish she is about entering a relationship, Braden proposes an arrangement that will satisfy their intense attraction without any strings attached.
But after an intrigued Jocelyn accepts, she realizes that Braden won’t be satisfied with just mind-blowing passion. The stubborn Scotsman is intent on truly knowing her… down to the very soul.

Comment: This book was picked as the read of the month in one of my book clubs. Well, the one I have now, because the other has taken a sort of pause...anyway, this was the chosen book and I didn't knew about it, although it's already translated to my country and apparently it has originated some opposite opinions because the publisher here decided to change th cover and presented it as a secret box or something..weird and exaggerated in my opinion because this book isn't about secrets...it's about love and trust and hope.

This is the story of Jocelyn Butler. Something tragic happened when she was a teenager and she never really got over that. She moved from the US to Scotland and lives a simple life and works as a waitress in a bar. Her previous roommate had to move so the story starts when Joss is looking at a apartment on Dublin street and she immediately wants to live there with Ellie, someone friendly and full of joy. She gets a surprise when Braden, Ellie's sister is the guy she met in a cab on the way over...and with time, Joss accepts and embraces many truths and who knows what else...

I liked tis story a lot. I think ms Young did an amazing job of portraying someone with deep fears and reluctance because of traumatic things in the past, but still not so over the top that doesn't appreciate life. I think one of my favorite things in the book was how serious Joss was. This story isn't about sex or erotic experiences or anything like that. There's sex yes, but to me it wasn't exaggerated or too much. At least I never had that feeling, and this isn't read as erotica and those who say it surely haven't read any hard core erotica books before.
Therefore, a mildly serious main character and not that many sex scenes in the reader's face made the perfect duo for my personal taste. In fact, the main couple doesn't have sex until well into the story, if not half way through, then close to it. There's a lot of sexual tension and chemistry I really enjoyed seeing. Like I said once before, sometimes it's sexier to see the game of seduction and sexual tension than the actual sex.

Joss has some issues and she took not so good choices because of what happened. I don't think I'd have reacted like her but everyone is different and people react differently to the same things so...I can't say it isn't believable. However, that shaped her view of the world and she decided to be o the safe side and never to trust completely in anyone...I liked how she gradually, slowly changed after meeting Braden. He always challenged her and the way I saw it, not in a domineering way...yes he had some "I'm the protector" vibes but I don't think everything was a power play for him. In the end their personalities matched and I thought their romance was good. I loved their epilogue!
Some people say this reminds them of BDSM relationships...I can't say I saw that. Actually, the thought never crossed my mind while reading. I think this comes from people's preconceived ideas about the origins of the story or perhaps some influences but the book stands on its own. I really liked it a lot!

In the end I was very happy to have read this. I plan to read the others when I finally find the opportunity to get the rest of the books. I recommend this to anyone who likes contemporary.
This has many elements and the secondary plot related subjects are also interesting to read about. Something to really keep up with.
Grade: 8/10