This book made me do a little happy dance. We’ve got grown-up leads with great chemistry and actual character growth, and we’re all set up for a fun sequel.
Mason Coleman, stunningly handsome San Francisco VC, is taking care of his sister’s very large, very lazy, very untrained mastiff and doesn’t have time for this because his job is being a stunningly handsome San Francisco VC. Tess Papion is a non-traditional student just barely hanging on with three jobs, one of which is being a dog walker. Mason makes Tess an offer she really can’t refuse to rope her into babysitting the high-maintenance mastiff so he can get back to work. There’s a bit of banter, a bit of heat, and Bob’s your uncle, they’re in love.
What really worked for me here is that Mason and Tess feel well-matched. Scott shares Lucy Parker’s gift for writing mature characters and building a story that doesn’t rely on ridiculous drama. Mason is a charm monster who is struggling with something intangible but still real. Tess has trouble letting the people in her life help her, despite the fact that she’s at the very limit of what she can take. They’re cognizant of the power imbalance that muddies their growing attraction to one another. Most importantly, they talk about their problems.
We could quibble about a couple of the deus hiding in the machinas. I mean, thank goodness for the super-rich, am I right? But, ultimately, this was a warm and satisfying romance that I would enthusiastically recommend to anyone who likes Lucy Parker’s books. (I know that’s a bold claim, but I really mean it.)
*****
Okay, that was the real review. Here’s the “girlfriend review”:
I spent the entire back half of this book comparing it to Jana Aston’s book Trust. This book is a master class in how to properly do all the stuff I disliked in Trust.
For example, Tess has difficulty trusting and committing to men. She doesn’t want to “date”. So guess what happens?
Mason follows her lead! I know! Mind blown!
I was provided with an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley. My thoughts are my own. This book comes out on February 25th, but you can pre-order it using the link!