Review: I'm still fanning myself after this hot,hot read!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 6, 2014
Originally given 4.5 hearts at Rookie Romance.I have been meaning to read a book by Tessa Bailey for a while now because she gets such awesome reviews. And with Staking His Claim, my chance had arrived. I was a little worried as this is the fifth book in the series, but it's easily read as a standalone.I was intrigued very easily by Lucy's character, she was like two sides of a coin. On the one hand there was the Lucy who was a new graduate, responsible, ambitious and determined to find success. Then there's the old Lucy who was rebellious and wild. Really, it's all just part of her personality, and her reckless side rears its head when she meets Matt. This reckless side prompts her to lie to Matt about who she is when they first meet, but it's also what makes her so eager to pursue the connection that is between them.Matt was divine and just gave me the shivers. I was so curious from the start about what those dark things were that he wanted to do to Lucy, and why he was so afraid he would tarnish her. I seriously loved Matt. He's dominant, protective and possessive, with an insanely awesome kinky side. He finds it so difficult to open up about his past and to trust people, but he's no match for Lucy's persistence.I do wish we had learned a little bit more about his past. We pretty much find out what happened to make him so closed off, but I just wanted to dig a little deeper.Matt and Lucy were a perfect match, emotionally and in the bedroom. Boy, were they compatible in the bedroom department! That first scene between them was ridiculously hot. Like...damn! I don't have sufficient words to convey to you how awesome it was, you'll just have to believe me. All of the sexy scenes were so well written as well! I thought that as the book progressed, these scenes became more intimate and exposed more of Matt's character and his needs.Honestly, I am not disappointed at all by my first Tessa Bailey book! I went in with high expectations, and they were met. I gathered from Ms. Bailey's reputation that this would be smoking hot, and it surpassed my expectations on that score. Whilst the sexiness was much appreciated, I also loved the intense and passionate relationship that Matt and Lucy have. Overall, I highly recommend this to all romance lovers- especially if you've been thinking about reading Tessa Bailey's books. What are you waiting for?!*I received a review copy from the publisher, for my honest review. Thank you!