"Addictive like all Kylie Scott books, you'll swoon, laugh, ache, put your life on hold, and compulsively read until the wee hours of the night—only to reread the whole thing the next morning. Perfection!" - Katy Evans, New York Times bestselling author
Returning home for her father’s wedding was never going to be easy for Adele. If being sent away at eighteen hadn’t been bad enough, the mess she left behind when she made a pass at her dad’s business partner sure was. Fifteen years older than her, Pete had been her crush for as long as she could remember. But she’d misread the situation—confusing friendliness for undying love. Awkward. Add her father to the misunderstanding, and Pete was left with a broken nose and a business on the edge of ruin. The man had to be just as glad as everyone else when she left town. Seven years later, things are different. Adele is no longer a kid, but a fully grown adult more than capable of getting through the wedding and being polite. But all it takes is seeing him again to bring back those old feelings. Sometimes first loves are the truest.
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EXCERPT
It was meant to be a soft kiss. A chaste one, even. The minute my lips touched his, however, everything changed. Callused hands grabbed the sides of my face and my mouth opened on a gasp. His tongue swept inside, taking me over. Holy hell. Shoes and purse hit the floor, forgotten. Nothing about this kiss was slow or easy. The man devoured me. Every ounce of emotion poured into that kiss, all of the anger and frustration between us. His tongue was teasing and tasting, driving me wild. Then he drew back to suck and nip at my bottom lip. One hand slid around the back of my neck, the other over my hip to grab at my ass. His hold was firm, a little rough even. He treated my body like it belonged to him and I wasn’t gentle either. Apparently experience mattered. Because all I could do was try and keep up. I held on tight to his open shirt, straining against him, trying to get closer. I’d have crawled inside the man if I could. Turned out that under certain circumstances, the taste of scotch worked for me in a big way. Against my hip, his cock hardened, digging into me. And oh my God, I’d done that to him. Me. How amazing! Meanwhile, my body felt liquid, core aching and empty. I needed him inside of me and it seemed like I’d already been waiting forever. “Pete. Please.” “Fuck,” he muttered, breath hot against my ear. I fumbled at the remaining buttons on his shirt. My damn fingers didn’t seem to be working. Easier to just push the whole thing upward. Luckily, the man decided to help, tearing the shirt off over his head. More skin was good. And he was so hot and smooth, a thrill to the touch. The solid flesh of his pecs and the flat plane of his stomach. He tore at the zipper on the back of my dress, dragging fabric down over my shoulders. A growl came from the back of his throat, a noise of frustration, impatience. I’m reasonably certain I heard the silk rip. I didn’t care. His hands and mouth seemed to cover every bit of skin revealed, touching and tasting me everywhere. The dress got stuck on my hips. Out of the way enough for now. He didn’t even bother undoing my bra, simply peeling down one of the lace cups to free my flesh. My breast filled his hot palm as it took the weight. Fingers plumped me, his thumb flicking over my hard nipple. The sting of pain followed by the heat of his kiss made my head spin and my body ache. There was no room for thought as he fed me deep, wet kisses. Slowly, he took us to the floor. No time for anything else. Just the urgent need to have him inside me. The hardness of the polished wood was cool against my back. My legs were spread, his body between them. And with his broad chest above me, his weight taken on one arm, he was all I could see. I swear even the insides of my thighs were wet, I was so ready. It would have been embarrassing with anybody else. But this man, he had to know, he had to understand. It had always been him. “Pete, I need—” “I know,” he said, voice harsh and low.
REVIEW:
3.5 stars
***
This was an okay read for me. This is Pete and Adele's book. Pete is a partner in Adele's father's business. They were good friends, spending lots of time together when Adele was a teenager, despite a fifteen year age difference. When Adele was eighteen, she had a crush on him. She takes a chance and makes a pass on Pete, who is horrified and not at all interested, and is caught by her father. It all blows up in spectacular fashion. Her father sends her away and she leaves town to move to the city, not returning for seven years. Now she is back for her father's wedding. Due to the wedding planning taking over her father's house, he has her stay across the street at Pete's house. Things are very awkward between them at first, but as the two spend time together, they both realize they have feelings for each other. Things develop from there. There are some surprises, some family drama, a few angsty moments, but they do get their HEA.
I felt like this book had the makings of a really good book, but never quite got there for me. It felt very different than anything I've read from this author before. The writing and voice was not recognizable to me. The story was interesting, but I never really fully warmed to either character. Adele was immature, while Pete was hurtful and wishy washy throughout the book. I never really felt any chemistry between them or felt their love. I didn't really feel like they would be together if it weren't for the surprise they got. I didn't feel secure in their HEA. They don't really get together for good until the very end. We do get ILYs, but it felt a little too late. The ending felt rushed and the epilogue begins at 93%. Still, there were some sweet moments and some funny moments that I did enjoy, as well as the overall story. I do think this setting has potential for future books. So, while I didn't totally love this book, I'm still a fan of Ms. Scott and I look forward to more from her in the future!
Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013 & 2014, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet. You can learn more about Kylie from http://www.kylie-scott.com/
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