Review: Gripping Character-Driven Romance!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 20, 2014
Find this review and more at Lusty Penguin Reviews!Can former lovers make a go of it the second time around? Kate Deveaux answers this question in her erotic contemporary romance Academy of Love.Realizing she is very unhappy in her current relationship, Cassianna Baxter makes drastic changes and bravely takes a position as deputy headmistress at her alma mater, Lewiston Academy, which I just loved about her. In her haste, she doesn’t notice that the school brochures state her former lover, Lawrence Taylor, is chairman of the board of trustees. After graduating from the Academy, Cassianna and Lawrence became lovers while he trained Cassianna for the Olympic Equestrian team. When Lawrence abandoned her without a word, Cassianna gave up on her Olympic riding dreams and fled to Europe. Grappling with her feelings for Lawrence because he was her first love, Cassianna has a hard time reconciling her renewed desire with the way he left her, which endeared her character to me. Lawrence is thrilled to have a second chance to win Cassianna’s heart. Better still, Lawrence knows that he will have to take things slowly because Cassianna is skittish about being in relationship again, which I really liked about his character. Cassianna and Lawrence quickly discover that time and distance hasn’t diminished their sexual attraction to each other. Their bedroom play is hunger filled and scorching hot. While getting it on between the sheets isn’t a problem with this couple, communication is. Cassianna and Lawrence are able to have conversations about all kinds of things except the most important conversation of all—why and how their relationship fell apart in the first place. Cassianna and Lawrence are a gripping couple, and when they are both vulnerable enough to truly discuss what happened, it is a beautiful thing to see.Academy of Love is a character-driven romance with a captivating couple that leaves the reader completely satisfied.I received an eBook copy of the book for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review, and all conclusions are my own responsibility.