A Review by Wendy
4.5 The Parts We Play Stars
* * * *1/2
* * * *1/2
Spoiler Free
We all have felt at some time the need to "play a part" for the other person we were interacting with...It could have been with a teacher by being on our best behavior... or maybe working at a corporation whose "company culture" was more conservative and buttoned down than your own.
Or you could have been like Liam... a twin and had the brother who was treated like the Golden Child... where he could do no wrong... Where the twin was perfect on paper but had so many dark secrets and you were the only one who knew. So you played the part; the Irresponsible Happy Go Lucky one...The Surfer Guy who flew by the seat of his pants...The guy who knew how to make others feel good about themselves...Where a fun comment here or a hug and flirt there... would made everything ok.
But once you lost the woman you thought you might have a future with... and then got caught up in a lot... yeah, a lot of crazy sexy times with the one person you never should of...Maybe your life is not the Perfect Happy Go Lucky like you present to everyone...
So here is Liam, running a sex club and living his life...except now he is dodging visits, calls and hiding from the sexy mistake he made by hooking up with his past partner's sister. She has become psycho from hell... Calling the office and his cel at all hours. Dropping by his apartment... just stalking him everywhere. Liam has been hanging out at Tori's place so he can hide. She has been working for him for a while and they are buds... no sex. He really appreciates her friendship and just promoted her to manager of the club. But he can't keep hiding.
Liam is at the club and his accountant is due to come and work his books. His books are a challenge because accounting is not something he likes to do... Ayumi is the only one who is able to deal with the mess. She works with his past partner and is miracle worker. She not only works 24/7 for the real estate mogul, she does all of the contracts, financials and anything else that is needed without ever breaking a sweat. Liam has deemed her Ice Princess because his charming act doesn't work on her at all. She is all business and no pleasure. She is all button downed and straight laced suits. She takes no sh!t from Liam...
Ayumi has been working on Liam's books and loading up new software programs. She has noticed the phone ringing and ringing with Liam not answering it. She finally picks it up, listens to the bitching on the other end, professionally explains he is not available and hangs up.
Liam is dying....By answering that call, Ayumi is now aware of how complicated his past actions have been. It also confirms his manwhore ways to her. She knew from watching all the players in this small circle of people she interacted with... but now she was privy to confirmation. This opened up a conversation with Liam about his actions and then she left.
Ayumi is back the real estate office talking with her boss and somehow the conversations turns to her not having any plans after work... ever. He had mentioned his girlfriend and Tori were going out drinking and maybe she should go with them... He could arrange it..
Oh, No, please no pity invite...Ayumi said thank you but no thank you and went home to her cat... Yes, at 27 she feared she was turning into that type of woman. Ayumi worked non stop... had a family life that never gave her the understanding of Love... Her mother was like the original Tiger Mom Gone Negative on Steroids... always telling her she wasn't good enough...If she didn't win first place then 2nd place was a loser...nothing she did was ever good enough...Being accepted at Stanford- eh... why was she wait list for Harvard...Ayumi life was classes, after school activities she had no desire for... and now as a grown woman... she still had to deal with a mother she was never good enough for...
As she sat stroking her cat's back... why shouldn't she cut loose ... go out with the girls...Ayumi calls and gets herself invited to the pub crawl. She puts together an outfit, does her make up and she looks like a sexier version of herself.
The woman get toasted and are trying to get into the apartment building where Tori lives and Liam sees them. He cannot get over how drunk they all are. He recognizes two of them but doesn't know who the other woman is... she has a kickin' body and a beautiful sheet of black hair hiding her face.
As they all try to get Tori up the stairs., Liam realizes the beauty is Ayumi!
The women have Tory on the couch and she is out like a light. Now Ayumi and Liam alone in his apartment and Liam is noticing how amazing Ayumi looks. He never saw her out of the suits and pulled back bun she wears. She is looking at him too...
Ayumi is toasted but at the same time, wheels are turning and she is thinking maybe hooking up with the Known Sex God Liam wouldn't be such a bad thing...She has done Just Sex before... in, fact that is all she has done and has no desire for a relationship of any kind. As she looks at the man before her she decides to give it a shot...She tells Liam what she wants; Sex no Strings, No Relationship... just Sex.
Liam cannot believe his ears and before the both of them know it they are in the laundry room going at it....I can safely say Laundry Rooms all over the reading world will never be thought of the same....
This leads to these two who "Don't Like" each other to become connected in ways they never thought. Liam and Ayumi are able to have conversions that mean something and they discover more about each other and themselves then they ever thought they would. This was not supposed to happen...
It was scary as hell...
Stylo Fantome was a new to me author and the depth of writing explains all of the terrific reviews I have seen for the other books in this series. There is a lot to think about besides the obvious enjoyment of who Liam is...This is man who played a part he thought was expected of him and finally realizes there is more to him and he wants the world to see him that way.
Ayumi is woman who has never known how to show love to others...she is lost when all of the emotions and feeling come crashing over her. Liam sees the true her and wants her just as she is... and he sees what he must do to explain what he needs, too. These two are so broken... but together they can heal.
There is another powerful book coming and I am sure Stylo Fantome will have everyone on the edge of their seats till it comes.
A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
About Stylo Fantome
Crazy woman from a
remote location in Alaska (where the need for a creative mind is a
necessity!), I have been writing since ... forever? Yeah, that sounds
about right. I have been told that I remind people of Lucille Ball - I
also see shades of Jennifer Saunders, and Denis Leary. So basically, I
laugh a lot, I'm clumsy a lot, and I say the F-word A LOT.I like dogs more than I like most people, and I don't trust anyone who doesn't drink. No, I do not live in an igloo, and no, the sun does not set for six months out of the year, there's your Alaska lesson for the day. I have mermaid hair - both a curse and a blessing - and most of the time I talk so fast, even I can't understand me.
Yeah. I think that about sums me up.
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