Wow... where to begin with this one...? As the title of this review alludes to, both of these characters have some not so small psychological issues. Alayna ("Laynie" to her friends) has just completed her MBA degree and is celebrating her success at the night club where she has been employed for several years. While most people would look for a 9-5 type of corporate job, Laynie enjoys the industry and wants to move up the management ladder by sharing some new ideas she has for improving the club. As she takes a celebratory shot with her friends who also work there, she sees a customer she has never seen before at the end of the bar... and when she gets closer, her panties steam up. He is everything she has sworn to avoid in a man: dominant, gorgeous, confident, and wealthy. But as the bartender on duty, she has to take his order (single malt scotch, neat.... of course). After he tips her a ridiculous amount that she tries to give back, he leaves... and she is relieved as the man she has been messing around with is much more safe for her. Laynie has a tendency to go overboard in her relationships, and by overboard, let's just say that there have been restraining orders and law suits. She tends to get quickly attached, and now that she has been in therapy for a few years, she knows it is most likely related to her childhood wherein her parents were killed when she was young, and her older brother took over as a parent, though he was not very supportive or loving. This has led Laynie to seek male approval and security in her romantic relationships, and though she has been issue-free for years now, she knows the mystery man at the bar would most likely tailspin her back to her obsessive days.
Hudson Pierce gets what he wants, and right now what he wants is Alayna. He saw her present her thesis project where he was a judge/panelist, and she is everything he likes in a woman: brunette, large-chested, gorgeous, and smart. She is the perfect person for him to hire to pretend to be his girlfriend to get his mother off his back as she has been bullying him into marrying the daughter of her best friend with whom he has no attraction to or interest in beyond friendship. Laynie, the bartender of the club he has just acquired as a "hot, young billionaire CEO" of {insert generic sounding name here} company, is his type to a T, which is why he is certain she will be convincing in the role of gf who has earned his ever-loving devotion and will release him from any obligation his mother has attempted to entangle him in. And while Hudson believes he is incapable of love, he 100% wants to get it on with Laynie behind-the-scenes. But how can that possibly work between a couple where one cannot connect and the other over-connects? What happens when the line between the pretend and the real starts to blur?
What I liked:
--- Hudson is a mega alpha male - yum!
--- Laynie is a gorgeous woman, but she is super flawed which makes her feel way more relatable
--- STEAMY goodness!
What I didn't like as much:
--- Sometimes there is way more angst than necessary, but the author mostly resolves those issues quickly (meaning miscommunication is rarely the problem, or if it is, it isn't for long)
--- One of my pet peeves is a free book that does not clearly indicate it is not a standalone and then ends in a cliffhanger - grrrrr
Overall, a delicious read with plenty of steam, twists, and strong plot line. (And, of course, I had to go and get the next book!)
Plot --- 4.5/5
Main Characters --- 4.5/5
Supporting Cast --- 4/5
Steam Level* --- 4/5
Violence --- none
Language --- the f word makes appearances early & often
POV --- 1st (Laynie's POV)
*Note that steam level is not a rating so much as a how hot was it: 0/5 - clean; 1/5 - mild; 2/5 - sensual but nothing descriptive; 3/5 - now we're getting somewhere; 4/5 - yes please! ; 5/5 - they did EVERYTHING in this one, y'all
Just a side note/update that did not affect my review, but I wanted to express my disappointment re my interaction with the author. After purchasing the entire set of Fixed series books along with the Found duet, some of the Dirty series, and a couple of spin-offs and standalones, I found her website and applied to be an ARC reader (I filled out the form and linked to my MANY reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and Bookbub). I received a response that only fans of her work that had read her books were able to be on the ARC team. I was confused and replied that I had read her books, reviewed them on multiple platforms, and I was a fan which is why I had applied to be on her review team. She just gave me an "I'll look into it" kind of reply and never responded. I get that she is probably a busy person, but it doesn't take long to say "So sorry - my review team is currently full but I will keep your information in case there is an opening." Since then, I have not purchased any of her books; I did pick one up when it was free, but I was pretty put off with her dismissive response and was very disappointed that she didn't seem to really care about her readers.
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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover comes a novel that explores life after tragedy and the enduring spirit of love. | Learn more
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Top reviews from other countries
Siobhan Davis
Complex characters and plot - a brilliant read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 3, 2015