Review: Loved the enemies to lovers trope. Both funny and very sexy.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 4, 2013
No Flowers Required was my first Cari Quinn read, and it won't be my last. This story was so engaging, full of heart and humor that flowed from page to page. If you're looking for a very romantic story about enemies to lovers, a hidden identity, a prickly heroine and a sensitive hero, then the story of Alexa Conroy and Dillon James is definitely for you. This book can be read as a standalone.I loved the plot about the struggling small business owner trying to stay afloat from her competition, the big chain retailer. Alexa was definitely a fighter and she was determined to keep her shop going even when she felt like she was fighting a losing battle of overdue bills, losing staff and dwindling customers. Her tenacity was one of the things I loved about her, but she was also trying to keep the store going in memory of deceased her friend and mentor who had left it to her in the first place. That showed she had a big heart. A reviewer mentioned Alexa's utter lack of business sense as one of the pitfalls of her character, I both agree and disagree. She was a floral designer to begin with. The floral shop more or less landed in her lap. She could have let it go, but she couldn't and wouldn't, for sentimental reasons. It wasn't that much of a surprise that she had no real clue how to run a business. She'd always catered to the richer tastes, and ultimately, she wanted her store to project and attract those types of customers. Was she a fool for not recognizing that people in an economic downturn didn't want to loosen their belts for some exotic plants, yes. But a surprise, it was not. I agree that she was incredibly stubborn to ask for help, but at least she accepted it. I saw it as a part of her character arc that she had to come to realize that she didn't have to steamroll everyone out her way. People who cared about her wouldn't see her as weak if she acknowledged that she was trying to swim against the stream. It also lent credibility to her budding feelings for Dillon, her willingness to open herself up and let someone in, only to set her up for the fall.Dillon James was damn near perfect. What I loved about him was his compassionate and quiet nature. Despite coming from a family that had it made, he preferred to get down and dirty, use his hands for manual labor and give back to the community. The exact opposite of his pencil pushing brother, Cory. Dillon's green thumb, volunteer charity work and skills as an artist showed the softer side of his tough guy exterior with his hot, inked body and piercings. I also didn't have a problem with his little white lie because I probably would have done the same thing if I were in his shoes, trying to weed out the opportunists from real friends. His character arc was also well executed in that he went from being uncertain or reluctant in his role as a partner in the family business to discovering who he was and what was really important to him. His challenge was to bring everything together under one roof. Also, the fact that his secret could have come to light at any time added to the suspense of their relationship. I give the hero a lot of credit for being the one to tell her instead of her finding out some other way. Another plus point for him for not allowing Alexa to distract him with sex to fulfill her own (selfish) needs.Dillon and Alexa had amazing chemistry together. I thoroughly enjoyed their witty banter and that the sex wasn't the only thing moving their relationship forward. They communicated and became friends. His encouragement helped to boost her self-confidence, though I am still non the wiser as to why it was so battered to begin with. Dillon was surprisingly a hopeless romantic at heart. Some of the things he did throughout the story to win her over were ridiculously sweet. The sex scenes were all incredibly hot! My favorite one had to be the game of "Hide and Go Seek the Hidden Tattoos". The author wrote the scenes with a sensuality that made the scenes more than just an outlet carnal lust. The ending was absolutely perfect for the pair (now THAT was a declaration of love!) and I rejoiced in the fact that the author brought them full circle. The ending was just their beginning. I can't wait to read the next story involving Cory, and I hope to see glimpses of this couple in the next book as well. I need to know they actually made it.Rating: 4.5 rounded up to 5Disclaimer: I received a review copy from the author for the purpose of an honest review.