Kathryn West has it all – she’s a confident, bestselling author living it up in New York City. Too bad she doesn’t actually exist, and is only timid Maddie Sawyer’s pseudonym. Determined to attend her high school reunion with a man right out of one of her racy romance novels, she plots to find a sexy bad boy who’s up to Kathryn’s standards.
She finds Mr. Perfect shooting pool in a biker bar. He’s a blue-collar hunk who just happens to look great in leather. But the mysterious Scott Brady has some rules of his own: he won’t agree to her deal unless she poses as his girlfriend in front of his family and friends first.
As the reunion nears, Maddie tries to maintain her carefree façade, knowing she’ll soon face some old ghosts. She’s torn between her growing attraction to Scott and the nagging feeling that he’s hiding something important. Will she still want him when she finds out his secret? What about when he discovers hers?
How often can you find the damned near perfect man while trolling bars in New York? Try next to never. But Maddie gets lucky when she heads out to try and find a bad boy in a biker bar. She wants to pay whatever man she finds to escort her to her high school reunion back in Indiana so that she doesn’t look like a complete loser. What she finds is Scott Brady. He’s one fine hunk of human flesh with great hair, a wonderful smile and a incredibly grabbable ass. He actually sits down and listens to Maddie’s proposal and seriously considers it. After they play some pool and have some beers he takes drunk Maddie back to her house on his motorcycle and actually ends up agreeing to her plan. But, he needs her to play his girlfriend for his friends who are always trying to set him up. Maddie’s not sure what she’s getting herself into but she’s pretty desperate and agrees.
Maddie and Scott – after their first date with his friends – actually end up dating. It’s not what Maddie had planned but Scott wants to get to know her and since she really likes him so she figures what the hell. They spend a ton of time together and get to know each other but there are secrets on both sides that they are keeping. Maddie about her past back in Indiana and Scott about what he does for a living. Maddie is totally ok with Scott being blue collar (she’s a best selling author and has money) and even tells him so – not always in a great way – but she cares about him and lets him know.
When the reunion comes around all hell breaks loose with Maddie and things that happened in her past. I can’t go into detail because frankly it would ruin the whole story for you by giving away surprises. Scott is amazing. he never once falters in his support of Maddie and frankly I was shocked that he could be so calm about everything that was happening. He was a rock and Maddie definitely took advantage of his strength in her time of need.
But then Maddie finds out what Scott does for a living. Now, you wouldn’t think, when the info comes to light, that it would be a big deal, but Maddie has issues…again from her past. She has a hard time dealing with things and quite honestly surprised the hell outta me. She took prejudices to a level I wasn’t expecting and almost did the relationship in. I have to say that I thought she acted like such a bitch at times but what was funny was that she knew she was acting like a brat but was so overwhelmed she couldn’t not be that way. I understood to a point but was extremely happy when she came to her senses.
The story was so readable. While I have a couple of Ms. James’s stories I have to admit to not actually reading them yet and right now am kicking myself for it. She has a great way with words and her characters – main and secondary – and makes them come to life. I very much enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Thank you so much for the thoughtful review! I'm happy you "get" Maddie. She's like so many of us — always getting in her own way. I appreciate the praise for my voice and my characters! If you want a copy of any of my Damaged Heroes or Turning Thirty-Twelve, please just ask! 🙂
FAB review Tracy! Definitely tempted 🙂
Great review! It was nicely balanced, sharing what worked and what made you pause as a reader. I love the whole hs reunion story. Having attended mine, it can be stressful. This book sounded interesting enough that I will need to add it to my TBR list
Sandy – Thank you for a great read! I will email you. 🙂
Orannia – Thanks, hon. It was a good contemporary with a great hero.
Shannon – Oh good! I hope you like it as much as I did. 🙂
Hmmm, seems a bit loop side. Great hero, so-so heroine ^_^;
I don't know, wouldn't it have been more easy to find someone she knew and ask him to lie? Just wondering LOL.
I wonder what's Scott's job now…