Review: Reviewed by Desere Steenberg
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 29, 2013
Being seen as a party girl that does nothing more than jump in bed with every other guy, party hard all night long, get drunk and caught in awkward positions, can be a good thing if you don't care what the world thinks.But if behind the party girl lifestyle there is actually a intellectual, hard working, longing for approval person, then that faade you are trying to upkeep to the outside is simply putting your own happiness on a back burner.The new Aimèe Duffy read tells the story of Alexa, she is wild, crazy and totally free from caring what anyone thinks, in fact she reckons the tabloids hunting her down just to see what or who she does is or when she flashes her panties to the world, is completely boring and tiring, no one wants to read that, go find the latest pop star scandal already!Yet, she also knows her reputation is important as heiress to her father's fortune, even if she refuses to touch it, she still knows she need to try and behave and stay out of the news for awhile. So she works hard to keep her company going but slacks off on the parting it up, well just a smidgen, after all she does not want to be completely boring!But when she is dared to do a holiday dare by her two crazy friends she grabs it, she never backs out of a dare. Only the dare goes wrong and she finds herself face to face with in-my-arms-you-will-burn-hotter-than-the-sun Ric, and up to her ears in the scandal of the century.The character of Alexia was fantastic! I totally adored this woman. She says what she wants, does what she wants and wears what she wants. A real kick-ass heroine! I loved, loved that she does not back down at anything Ric throws her way. I did however find her level of emotional disconnection to her father a bit disturbing and at first I thought her partying so hard all the time was a way to show him she actually does not care what she does simply because she knows it will tick him off. But as the author let her evolve I was delighted to find a completely different reasoning behind it.The character of Ric, was dark ladies and I mean dark. The man has secrets and more secrets filled with layers and layers of regret. I loved how the author let me be able to pick up on the reason why he is so dark and his deepest darkest secret before actually coming right out with it. It made him mysterious on one level but also so much of a tortured hero on another I just wanted to wrap his delicious body up in my arms and comfort him.I did however not agree with the guilt trip he puts himself on for his past, there are people in the world that does things far worse then he did. I agreed on some level it was acceptable but not to the point he takes it. However, the author played it up into the read so perfectly that it overshadowed my opinion and therefore gets a definitely yes from me, as being a great plot.The backdrop settings were so romantic and delightful that if was if I could feel the sun beating down on me, smell the ocean and hear the music. The dialogue was classic Aimèe Duffy, romantic and sexy yet this time it was ramped up so much more, it left me tearing up and feeling emotionally drained!The author let the conflict and sexual heat between Ric and Alexi build and build until it exploded with such a amazing bang it left me breathless and begging for her to continue, I honestly did not want this read to stop.I am taking away a message of life is what it is, we all do what we have, bad or good no matter, we do what is needed to survive. But letting your past hold you back will be the one thing you regret the most. Stand up, face it with a smile and hope for the best.A romantic, sensual, sexy heart stopping read, highly recommended for all fans of romance with a twist of fate and learning to live it up.Note to the author, you had me at undergarments !5/5 star review" The most scandalous summer leads to the adventure of a lifetime"ARC provided by the publisher through Netgalley