If you can’t beat ’em…seduce ’em
Amanda Jackman’s love life is the stuff dreams are made of…which is fitting, because it’s all in her head. Thanks to six oversized, overbearing brothers who treat her like the family jewel, she’s lived in a padded little box.
Determined to get a life before she needs a padded little cell, she sets out to throw off the yoke and live on her own terms. Except she seriously underestimates the lengths to which her brothers will go to keep her safe and sound.
Cole Engstrom’s life might just be at an end. Cornered by all six of the massive Jackmans—men he normally considers his friends—he learns he’s their choice to marry their sister…or else. Make that first choice, but not the last.
Rather than watch Amanda’s brothers club their way through potential mates, Cole figures it’s best to just play along for a while and buy her some time to find a man of her own. It’s a good plan. Until Amanda figures it out—and decides he’s the one to relieve her of her “sheltered little virgin” status. One seduction at a time...
Cole Engstrom is shocked when his friend Locke Jackman takes him to lunch and tells him that he will marry Locke’s sister, Amanda. Cole, who planned on never getting married is a bit befuddled with his friend and how he can possibly do this to his sister. She’s a great girl and has been one of Cole’s best friends for the past 12 years so he has her best interests at heart as well. But dammit – he doesn’t want to get married! Cole tries to tell Locke this in the best possible way but Locke isn’t taking no for an answer. Cole decides that he’ll tell Amanda the next time he sees her and they’ll deal with it somehow. But Cole never gets up the nerve to do it and the longer he waits the harder it gets.
Amanda is a bit confused with the fact that she has finally moved out from her brothers’ never absent thumb and she’s not happy. Sure, she’s got a house and privacy but she’s not as content as she thought she’d be. When Cole asks her out on a date she immediately knows that something is up. Cole is a great friend but Amanda knows that Cole views her as a sister and wouldn’t ever “date” her. Amanda wants to date Cole…and do a whole lot more to him…but him asking her out raises vibrant red flags. Amanda ends up overhearing Cole and Locke talking about the situation and is pissed beyond belief. She decides that she’s going to seduce Cole, as she’s wanted to do for years, and then dump him. That will show her brothers and Cole that she’s not to be trifled with. But in the end, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
This is a story with several twist and something that definitely needs the reader to pay attention. That’s not difficult thought because Tenorio’s writing is so easy to read that you want to delve farther and farther into the twists.
Let’s start with the main characters. Amanda is one girl in the sea of brothers. Her oldest brother had to take over being a parent when he was just 20 and deal with his 6 siblings. Being the only girl Amanda helped out a lot in the home but she was guarded like Fort Knox. She couldn’t go out with friends or do anything really without one or many of her brothers showing up. How frustrating. I would have wanted out of the house as well but even after moving out Amanda is constantly under watch. This is a woman who wants more out of life but doesn’t have a clue how to get it. She’s so smart but has no self-confidence. Is this fallout from her brothers? It’s really hard to tell in this story. I really liked that she started coming out of her shell with Cole’s help but she still, even by the end of the book, seemed so immature to me. Her thinking was skewed so much that she could talk herself out of anything – including believing that Cole’s feelings toward her weren’t real – only fabricated to make her brother happy.
Cole is a great guy. Granted he’s needed to be hit over the head for years to see that his feelings for Amanda are more than just friendship. He truly has no plans to marry but he loves hanging out with Amanda. When Cole finally talks her brother into taking a step back and giving him no interference with the dating plan Cole takes advantage of it. I really wish during the story that he would have found the balls to come clean with Amanda but he’s a man. Enough said. lol He really was a wonderful hero and I liked him so much.
There were a couple of secondary characters that I really liked. Cassie and Burke – a couple from book 1 in this series – were just great (I’ll have to go back and read their book). Cassie and her brother Hayne were also hilarious and I loved their sibling banter – it made me laugh out loud several times.
Ms. Tenorio’s writing is as good in this novel as it has been in the other novel’s I’ve read by her. The book has a good romance that was a bit frustrating for me. It all worked in the end though and ended up being a solid read.
Rating: 3.75 out of 5
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