Review: Fun romance!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 13, 2013
Eve is a draftsman and has worked her way up to project manager for Sullivan Construction.  Their big project is the new City Hall, and Eve has done the preliminary design for it.  She is proud of her work and takes it seriously.  When Matt, the mayor's nephew and renowned architect shows up, having been convinced by his uncle to design the building, Eve is thrown for a loop!  Eve is stubborn, says what she feels, and does not feel good about having been pushed aside!  Eve feels something stirring when she first meets Matt, despite her attempts not to.  "She tried not to notice how her breath quickened when his arm brushed against her shoulder."Matt also feels a pull towards Eve...a petite spitfire who knows what she wants (and doesn't want!), finds the humor in situations, and totally intrigues Matt.  Matt and Eve are a perfect example of opposites attracting!  Eve is not at all they type of woman Matt pictures himself settling down with.  Eve is suspicious of men, untrusting since her brief, painful marriage, she doesn't open up with many people, including her family.  But when Matt ends up working with and being Eve's room mate, can they resist each other?  Matt's not sure he wants to resist her!Soon Eve's past starts to sneak up on her, and Matt knows more about her than she wants him to.  Matt finds himself falling deeper and deeper for Eve, and wants to protect her.  No matter what she does to try and push him away, he sticks with her.  Eve is still very cautious about a future with Matt...what will it mean for her?  For her work?  The more Eve is with Matt, the more she wants to be with him.  "Something was happening to her already, although she wasn't sure she wanted to identify it.  Identifying it would mean having to think about the future.  And Eve wasn't ready for that."Is a future with Matt something Eve wants to take a chance on?  Will she see that he is nothing like her ex-husband and worth the chance?  As Matt gets to know Eve better, the more he wants to be with her.  "That she looked like a siren in the moonlight, luring him onto the rocks toward certain destruction.  But oh, baby, what a way to go."I loved Desire by Design!  Paula gives us a smoothly written, intriguing, fast paced romance with Matt and Eve!  I loved all the humor in this, I laughed a lot, it was so funny at times!  The humor fit right in with the story line and the characters perfectly.  Matt and Eve's personalities really fed off each other, I really liked both of these characters.  Even with her issues, Eve was fairly open with Matt, she didn't feel the need to hide everything until something blew up in her face.  Matt and Eve as well as the story line were realistic.  I felt like they were people I could hang out with!The only thing I'd have liked to have in Desire by Design that I felt was missing was a bit more about Eve's family...I wasn't really clear why she wanted to distance herself so much from them.  Some of what she was going through made it understandable that she'd pulled away from them a bit, but it seemed like there must have been more going on than we knew for her to feel that way so strongly.Overall I alsolutely loved Desire by Design and would recommend it for anyone looking for a romance that also makes you laugh (alot!) and is sensual, but more behind the scenes than right in your face.ARC for honest review provided by Entangled Publishing.  Many thanks!!!