To high-end defense attorney Henry Garrison, Win Hughes is a woman he met during one of the most trying times of his life. She’s soft and warm, and he finds solace in their brief relationship. But Win has a secret. She’s actually Taylor Winston-Hughes—born to one of the wealthiest families in the country, orphaned as a child by a tragic accident. Win moves in the wealthiest circles, but her lavish lifestyle hides her pain. When her best friend is murdered in the midst of a glittering New York gala, Win’s charged with the crime, and the only person in the world she wants to see is Henry. Henry is shocked at the true identity of his lover, but he can’t reject the case. This case could take his new firm into the stratosphere. Still, he’s not getting burned by Win again. And yet every turn brings them closer together. As the case takes a wild turn and Win's entire life is upended, she must look to the people she's closest to in order to find a killer. And Henry must decide between making his case and saving the woman he loves…
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REVIEW:
4.25 stars
****
This was really good! This is Henry and Winnie/Win's book. Winnie, a socialite, and Henry, a criminal lawyer in NYC, both have pasts and struggles. When they meet on the beach in the Hamptons, they feel an immediate attraction and connection. Both agree that they can only be together for a few weeks while on vacation on the island before they go back to real life, as neither of them are in the right place for a relationship. But after they say goodbye and leave the island, fate has other plans. Tragedy strikes, bringing them together and bringing all of their past secrets to light to each other. There are some hard feelings that they didn't tell each other all of their baggage before, but somehow they manage to work it out. When Win is accused of causing the tragedy and put on trial, Henry defends her and fights for her freedom.
I really enjoyed this start to a new series. This book is a spin-off of the Masters and Mercenaries, with a few characters from that series added as security. I liked Henry and really liked Win. They are opposites that attracted. Henry is older, jaded, a recovered alcoholic with a bad marriage and a career scandal under his belt. Winnie is younger, and hasn't had an easy life either, being an orphan and a recovered anorexic, but she's still hopeful that she can go on and have a normal life, leaving behind all of her baggage. Henry was an ass at times, jumping to conclusions and stereotyping Winnie. But I did feel like he got over that and I was no longer bothered by it. He was strong and protective underneath it all. I loved that Winnie was also very strong, having been through a lot, but positive, optimistic and hopeful for a happy future. At times their misunderstandings and the way they hurt each other killed me, but once they worked everything out, I thought they were better for having gone through it. They really were better together than apart. They were a great couple.
There is no BDSM in this book, but there is an awesome murder mystery. I loved the balance with romance. Often I feel like romantic suspense books are too light on the romance, but that wasn't true in the case. The story was engrossing and original. I loved the law aspect. I loved that one of my friends is written in as a character in this book too.
Overall, this was a sexy, suspenseful, and emotional read, which I very much enjoyed! I look forward to more from Ms. Blake and this series in the future!
If Henry gave her a minute, they would be back to polite. He wouldn’t find out if she could want him in an honest way. “Win, I’m an alcoholic. I’m divorced, and it wasn’t some thoughtful conscious uncoupling. It was nasty and ugly. I’m a lawyer who doesn’t give a shit if his clients are guilty or not as long as they have the money to pay me. I have gotten off people who probably went back out into the world to do terrible things, and I’ll probably do it again because I believe in this system. It’s imperfect, but it’s better than anything else. And I’m too old for you.” She snorted, an oddly amusing sound. “I’m not some shrinking virgin. I’m twenty-nine, and I’ve been around the block a couple of times and with some men I wish I hadn’t ever gotten into the car with. How old are you? Forty?” He winced. “Thirty-seven.” Her lips curled up, and it was worth the blow to his ego. “Well, you don’t look a day over forty, and that’s a pretty nice age for a man. You think you don’t deserve such a young, hot chick?” Thank god she was teasing him again. He’d hated the way her shoulders had slumped when she’d thought he’d rejected her. But still, he had to be honest. If he was going to do this, she would get the new Henry. “I think I could hurt a woman like you if I’m not careful.” “Then be careful with me, Henry Garrison,” she said, moving closer to him. “And I’m a big girl. I can make my own decisions and live with them. I would like to spend the night with you. It doesn’t have to last beyond tomorrow. I’m not asking to be your girlfriend. I’m asking you to help me get through the night, to help me get that nightmare out of my head, so I can feel safe for the first time in months. It’s been a long time since I felt safe.” That he could do. She moved in close, right between his legs, and he reached up and cupped her face, holding her still as he looked into her eyes. So much fucking innocence. He didn’t care what she’d been through. She was way too young for him, but she’d said yes and he wasn’t a saint. Not even close. “Be sure. I might want more than one night. I’m here for a few weeks. I could use this. I could use some time with you.” It wouldn’t work long-term. When he finished up and got back to the city, he wouldn’t have time to spend with her, and she deserved that. He would be knee-deep in the sewer again. It wasn’t a place he would take her, but he could be what she needed here. “I could use some time with you,” she replied. “You’re right about a few things. I haven’t ever been around a man like you. The men I’ve been with have been boys who cared more about their images than they did about pleasing me. I think it might be different with you. I know you’re trying to scare me off with all that ‘I screwed up my life’ stuff, but I get that. You can’t make me run, or I would run away from myself. Tell me if you can make me forget about everything except what you’re doing to my body because tonight that’s all I want.” Oh, he could do that. He might not be able to feed her soul, but he could work her body all fucking night long.
I really enjoyed this start to a new series. This book is a spin-off of the Masters and Mercenaries, with a few characters from that series added as security. I liked Henry and really liked Win. They are opposites that attracted. Henry is older, jaded, a recovered alcoholic with a bad marriage and a career scandal under his belt. Winnie is younger, and hasn't had an easy life either, being an orphan and a recovered anorexic, but she's still hopeful that she can go on and have a normal life, leaving behind all of her baggage. Henry was an ass at times, jumping to conclusions and stereotyping Winnie. But I did feel like he got over that and I was no longer bothered by it. He was strong and protective underneath it all. I loved that Winnie was also very strong, having been through a lot, but positive, optimistic and hopeful for a happy future. At times their misunderstandings and the way they hurt each other killed me, but once they worked everything out, I thought they were better for having gone through it. They really were better together than apart. They were a great couple.
There is no BDSM in this book, but there is an awesome murder mystery. I loved the balance with romance. Often I feel like romantic suspense books are too light on the romance, but that wasn't true in the case. The story was engrossing and original. I loved the law aspect. I loved that one of my friends is written in as a character in this book too.
Overall, this was a sexy, suspenseful, and emotional read, which I very much enjoyed! I look forward to more from Ms. Blake and this series in the future!
_________________________
EXCERPT:
If Henry gave her a minute, they would be back to polite. He wouldn’t find out if she could want him in an honest way. “Win, I’m an alcoholic. I’m divorced, and it wasn’t some thoughtful conscious uncoupling. It was nasty and ugly. I’m a lawyer who doesn’t give a shit if his clients are guilty or not as long as they have the money to pay me. I have gotten off people who probably went back out into the world to do terrible things, and I’ll probably do it again because I believe in this system. It’s imperfect, but it’s better than anything else. And I’m too old for you.” She snorted, an oddly amusing sound. “I’m not some shrinking virgin. I’m twenty-nine, and I’ve been around the block a couple of times and with some men I wish I hadn’t ever gotten into the car with. How old are you? Forty?” He winced. “Thirty-seven.” Her lips curled up, and it was worth the blow to his ego. “Well, you don’t look a day over forty, and that’s a pretty nice age for a man. You think you don’t deserve such a young, hot chick?” Thank god she was teasing him again. He’d hated the way her shoulders had slumped when she’d thought he’d rejected her. But still, he had to be honest. If he was going to do this, she would get the new Henry. “I think I could hurt a woman like you if I’m not careful.” “Then be careful with me, Henry Garrison,” she said, moving closer to him. “And I’m a big girl. I can make my own decisions and live with them. I would like to spend the night with you. It doesn’t have to last beyond tomorrow. I’m not asking to be your girlfriend. I’m asking you to help me get through the night, to help me get that nightmare out of my head, so I can feel safe for the first time in months. It’s been a long time since I felt safe.” That he could do. She moved in close, right between his legs, and he reached up and cupped her face, holding her still as he looked into her eyes. So much fucking innocence. He didn’t care what she’d been through. She was way too young for him, but she’d said yes and he wasn’t a saint. Not even close. “Be sure. I might want more than one night. I’m here for a few weeks. I could use this. I could use some time with you.” It wouldn’t work long-term. When he finished up and got back to the city, he wouldn’t have time to spend with her, and she deserved that. He would be knee-deep in the sewer again. It wasn’t a place he would take her, but he could be what she needed here. “I could use some time with you,” she replied. “You’re right about a few things. I haven’t ever been around a man like you. The men I’ve been with have been boys who cared more about their images than they did about pleasing me. I think it might be different with you. I know you’re trying to scare me off with all that ‘I screwed up my life’ stuff, but I get that. You can’t make me run, or I would run away from myself. Tell me if you can make me forget about everything except what you’re doing to my body because tonight that’s all I want.” Oh, he could do that. He might not be able to feed her soul, but he could work her body all fucking night long.
NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.
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