Review: ✨Cocky & carnal meets innocent & fragile.✨
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 18, 2014
[...]My rating: 4 of 5 ⭐️When Cyrus Steel spots the demure little dancer from the club the other night, he has no idea that acting on his protective instincts would bring about such a momentous change in his life. He liked to play things easy, no commitments, never more than three nights with the same woman and no feelings involved, ever. So why he felt compelled to stick his nose in the little bird's business he had no clue, but his mother had taught him and his brothers well and he wouldn't stand by and watch a woman be mistreated.Having a history of being shuffled around, the only person who ever offered Tara more than a passing interest was Tony. His declarations of love were like balm to her dried up soul, and she knew no better than to take everything that came with it. That is, until Cyrus showed up and offered her something she had never known before. Protection, kindness and friendship.....all without any expectations. Something so alien to her, it took her some time to learn to trust it.Cyrus and Tara struggle to maintain a relationship based solely on friendship, and with the attraction between them so strong it is inevitable that lines are crossed. But will they stick to the three strikes, you're out rule??****Oh my!!I have to admit, when I first started reading, despite the fact that I had just finished the previous book, I was confused and not sure at all if I was going to like this story at all!! Cyrus seemed to me to be a manwhore of the highest order and the banter between him and his brothers asinine and completely immature.However, as the story progressed and I got a bit of a glimpse at his counterpart, Birdie....or rather Tara, the context of the story started becoming a bit more intriguing. Not in the least because of the dire contrast between the two protagonists.Cyrus, the consummate ladies' man, who had a steadfast three strikes-you're out rule and appeared to be a hard-assed user, while at the same time emotionally unchallenged and relatively pure. On the opposite end we have Tara, whose survival needs forced her into a situation beyond her control or full scope of understanding and belies her true innocence, but who deals with an emotional minefield of traumatic experiences that have made her a compliant victim.The story becomes quite heart-breaking when it is discovered how truly damaged Tara really is and the lengths at which Cyrus tries to accommodate her, in helpin to beat down her demons. He himself, in all his world-wise swagger, becomes quite helpless against all of Tara's open-eyed innocence and despite all his vast will-power succumbs to her draw.The style of writing is crass and often bordering on over the top, however, in this case it seems to only underscore the contrast between the crude and brute reality of Cyrus, versus the timid, and diminutive presence of "Birdie". Unlikely as it may seem, the sexual chemistry between the two of them is unbelievably hot and overall the story rates high erotically.This book definitely delivers more depth than first glance may indicate......worth the read, for sure!!!✨Cocky & carnal meets innocent & fragile.✨**ARC provided in return for an honest review.**