New Release: Temporary by Sarina Bowen and Sarah Mayberry + Review

Temporary 

by Sarina Bowen and Sarah Mayberry

About the book:

The most beautiful man I've ever seen is the one who can ruin everything...

The first time I lay eyes on Callan Walker, I know he’ll be trouble. With his smug grin, hot Aussie accent and thousand dollar shoes, he’s just the kind of rich guy who always gets what he wants.

And he wants two things: a night of sin, and my cooperation as he outmaneuvers his powerful mother to take control of his uncle’s estate.

I can’t afford either one. I’m the only thing standing between my little sister and the foster care system. He may have money and charm on his side, but I have something even more powerful -- pure desperation. This temp job at his mother’s company can become a full time job for me. It has to.

But when Callan’s eyes rake over my body, sometimes I forget my obligations. His piercing gaze finds the fun, optimistic girl I used to be and not the tired person I’ve become.

And it works--if only for a moment. Our night together was a mistake. I can't afford to get sucked into his high-powered family’s treachery. But the closer I get to Callan, the more layers I find beneath those expensive clothes. Though I can’t forget this is temporary. He’s temporary. I have too much to lose.

Too bad my foolish heart didn’t get the memo... 

Buy links:

➜ Amazon: http://geni.us/TEMamazon 

➜ iBooks: http://geni.us/TEMibooks 

➜ B&N: http://geni.us/TEMnook 

➜ Kobo: http://geni.us/TEMkobo 

My Review:

3.5 stars

****

 This was a pretty good book. This is Callan and Grace's book. Callan is an Aussie, very rich playboy who constantly travels around the world for fun. Grace is a struggling temp, raising her teenage sister and living poorly. She is hired through her temp agency to help organize and liquidate the estate of Callan's uncle, Jack. Callan loved his uncle very much and his estranged (evil) mother did not. His mother did not even let him know about the death; he finds out from an acquaintance. Callan is not happy that his mother has hired a stranger to go through Jack's things. He doesn't trust his mother and he thinks that Jack has a more recent will in his apartment, leaving his estate to charity instead of Callan's mother. He gives Grace a hard time and then tries to charm her into letting him help her with the estate, while he secretly looks for the will. As they spend more time together, they start to fall for each other. At first, Grace doesn't trust Callan or think she is on his level. She is also afraid to lose her job by getting involved with him. But they resolve those issues. There are complications with Callan's family but it all works out in the end. 

This book had a rocky start for me. I really didn't like Callan in the beginning. He came off as a rich, playboy ass. He tried to use his charm to manipulate Grace into doing what he wanted, all the while calling her a lackey in his thoughts. I liked Grace a bit more but she was really only okay for me too. I didn't feel any chemistry between the couple for quite a while. But I did eventually like them both and see that they were good together. I think it took a bit too long to see their personalities blossom so I could warm up to them. By the end, though, it was obvious how much they cared for each other. I definitely felt like Callan really loved her. 

A few things bothered me a bit. I didn't love that Grace's 15 year old sister constantly fawned over Callan when she was around and flirted with him. I thought that was a little weird and inappropriate. I don't think most 15 year olds find 30-something year old men that hot. To them, they're old. There also is a separation near the end, which made me lose momentum on their relationship. I also thought the ending was a bit strange. It appeared to be a cliffhanger that was supposed to set up a story for Callan's sister, Claire, who is only spoken to by phone in this book. There was no epilogue for Grace and Callan either. I would have loved to see how their relationship progressed in the future.

Overall, though, this is a pretty good book. I felt like it got better as it went on. The story and the writing were good and interesting. This was my first read by Sarah Mayberry, but I would probably try her again in the future. I am a fan of Sarina Bowen's and I really enjoy her books.