A Review by Wendy
Spoiler Free
Louise Bay knows how to weave a tale. She understand motivators for her characters and takes her readers on a journey where every discovery these characters have is heartfelt. She gives them deep emotional obstacles which must be overcome in order for us to receive the happily ever after we so want. She does it with a sure hand and this time, not only with a British accent but in London to boot.
Our gal Violet has been burned; romantically and professionally. She fell for her college guy and together through the years they developed company with her ideas. Then when things started to take off, it turns out he registered everything in his name leaving her out in the cold. Oh, and she caught him cheating too.
Lesson learned...no trust of love and to live as opposite as her ex. No corporations for her, working as a waitress with no attachments. Free to come and go as she pleased. Sex... if she felt like it and on her terms....But all of it was getting old.
Violet is having a get together with Scarlett, her sister and Darcy, Scarlett's new sister in law. Darcy lives in England and has offered Violet the flat in London to use for a few months. Since Violet is not employed at the moment, Darcy and Scarlett suggest this would be a perfect way to escape all the media publicly of the IPO launching for the company her ex stole from her. Darcy even has an idea of a temporary position for Violet while there.
What the hell, why not...Violet leaves NYC and is off to London.
Interview jitters... That is what Violet is handling. During the couple of weeks it took to arrange her work papers, she tried to become comfortable with her surroundings. The flat is lovely and in an amazing area of London. She has all of the necessary things ... Her CV (resume for Americans), her smart phone with all of the Tube (subway) instructions how to get to the location and address. She even made sure she had loaded up the travel pass with enough money.
As she does the payment pad and get onto train, she sees a man in a suit cut to perfection with bright blue eyes offering her a seat...And so shocked and taken with this vision of Yum...She actually misses her opportunity to get the seat... someone else grabs it.
But this turns out to be a blessing in disguise... leaving her to stand next to this man throughout the trip. As she is jostled by the stops and starts of the train, she ends up being very near this man...his woodsy scent intoxicates... the way his jaw is chiseled...even his hands holding the newspaper are mesmerizing...They both look at each other for a moment...and she gets a feeling he could just lean in and kiss her...She would not mind at all....
Her stop comes and with the pushing and shoving, the man knocks her phone out of her hand as they exit.
Noooooooooooooooo ... This cannot be, Violet is dying... the phone landed on the tracks and her map of how to get where she is going for this interview is on that phone. She is about to jump down and try to retrieve it when the man pulls her away. He briskly stops her and asks where she is headed. He is going there and he will show her the way.
Violet sees he isn't all for chatting and she works to keep up. They get to the building, he gives her his card and insists on purchasing her a new phone. He walks off to another entrance and Violet goes to the floor of her interview.
Alex is disturbed...He is unsettled. First his day started off wrong and made him late causing him to be on the train with that woman... the one he cannot stop thinking about. This is not usual at all.
You see, Alex is a Barrister. Not only is he a Barrister but is at the top of his game working towards becoming the next level. It is a very long and hard road to accomplish all Alex wishes... for he has very big shoes to fill. His Father was the End All Be All of Barristers... Famous and Legend. Alex's warmest memories are when his mum would allow them to come down to his father's office and visit him... bringing lunches and Alex would pretend to be just like his father.
Now he is on track...his devotion for this goal superseded everything and his marriage couldn't withstand the pressures. Separated for 3 years, Alex has been living in a hotel with his only activity being his workouts, his planning his court cases and a once in awhile hook up. He is a notorious control freak when it comes to his office, cases and paper...Files and towers of paper overwhelm. He insists on doing everything himself much to the detriment of the company; his billing is way past due. They have been after him to allow the clerks to assist... but after a time or two... the clerks give up on trying to deal with his demeanor.
Enter Violet... Yes, Violet. She has just interviewed with HR and has been given the assignment of bring a Barrister's billing up to date. She has been warned it won't be easy and the Barrister is difficult. She will be there for 3 months. Both Violet and Alex are stunned it is him. Both recover quickly as if it were natural for her to be there.
This is our set up and we are in for a treat. Picture Britain meeting American...All the cultural differences yet all the attraction to opposites. Each fighting the desire they have... it is so strong you can cut it with a knife...and when they finally give in...
Hail Britannia!
Of course there is so much more then just these two being attracted and acting on it...There are the issues of learning what is important... and how time lost cannot be regained...How seeing things from another perspective can open up other ways of doing things...How to be yourself... willing to make adjustments but not to take scraps... how a woman deserves it all, not be fit in when one can...
Louise Bay loves her characters... she writes them with individual personalities and faults... she makes them human and not cookie cutter. And she gives amazing sexy times...with real feelings. She has done herself proud with this series of interconnected stand alone books. Each of them work by themselves, yet they all add flavor to each other. I don't know if there are more coming but either way... if Louise Bay writes, I'll read it.
A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
USA Today bestselling
author, Louise Bay writes sexy, contemporary romance novels - the kind
she likes to read. Her books include the novels Faithful and Hopeful,
The Empire State Series, Parisian Nights, Promised Nights, Indigo
Nights, King of Wall Street and Duke of Manhattan.Ruined by bonk-busters and sexy mini-series of the eighties Louise loves all things sexy and romantic. There's not enough of it in real life so she disappears into the fictional worlds in books and films.
Louise loves the rain, the West Wing, London, days when she doesn't have to wear make-up, being on her own, being with friends, elephants and champagne.
She loves to hear from readers so get in touch!
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