Review: Very good contemporary romance :D
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 2, 2014
4 starsThis was a very good story. I really liked Beatrice and Douglas and liked their story. It's a quick read that's fun and sexy. This isn't a PNR story like most of Kelly's work. The main characters are normal and have no knowledge of anything paranormal...however, Logan (from the Lionsgate pack in Kelly's PNR books) does show up briefly in this story (but you don't realize he's a shifter unless you've read her other books and recognize the name). :DBeatrice is works in interior design for her Uncle Jack who owns a renovation/construction business. She is nice but has a definite feisty side that comes out, especially when she's riled. She's currently dating a lawyer but he's been hinting for something more serious than she's interested in and she's seriously thinking about ending their dating. When the story begins, Beatrice is on a job site for a house that their company is restoring and is extremely unhappy to find out she has to work the project with her arch-nemesis, Douglas.Douglas is a good guy. He had a tough childhood but made something of himself and became an excellent carpenter. He's been an adopted part of Beatrice's family (via Uncle Jack) since he was a kid and now works for Jack in the construction/renovation business. Douglas tends to be a man-whore when it comes to women but he's always had a thing for Beatrice...Douglas and Beatrice have been at odds for years and tend to fight more than get along. Douglas likes to tease her all the time but this just tends to piss her off more than get him any good attention. When they get put on this job together Douglas decides it's time to make a move on Beatrice. Beatrice isn't interested in letting Douglas get close to her (at least that's what she tells herself) and he invades her space way too much for her liking. When he shows at her hotel room drunk she has a hard time getting him to go away and when he kisses her she can't help but respond. Douglas passes out soon after but the next day he remembers that she responded to him. After that Douglas is determined to get closer to Beatrice and not let her run away from him. This is a good thing because once Douglas gets past her defensive barriers, Beatrice is scared out of her wits at the thought of letting him get close and possibly feeling something more for him. She tries to fight her attraction but it doesn't work and Douglas pushes determinedly past her objections. There is a brief issue when the lawyer she was dating shows up unexpectedly and Douglas basically chases him off so he has Beatrice free and clear.Things are sort of touch and go at first. Douglas doesn't back down but Beatrice isn't so easily convinced and she's worried about becoming another of his cast-offs once he's had his fill of her. Because of this she tries to slow things down so she can get her bearings but Douglas does his best not to give her time to think her way out of their blossoming relationship. Because of their long history, I felt that them swiftly falling in to a relationship worked. As the story progresses it becomes apparent that all their antagonism between them has just been the flip side of buried feelings between them. As they start to give more of themselves in to the relationship, they find that things can actually be good between them. As things start working out for them emotionally, other issues arise as someone sabotages the construction site multiple times along with a few other issues. They don't know who's doing it or why so Beatrice's Uncle calls in a friend (Logan) to come and investigate the issue. They find out the cause of the issues and get things settled. After this, Douglas and Beatrice finally admit their long buried feelings for each other and start their HEA.This was a very enjoyable story. I really liked both Beatrice and Douglas and enjoyed their banter and chemistry. It was a short and sexy read and I finished reading with a smile on my face. I really enjoy Kelly's work and will look forward to reading more of her stories in the future. I'd recommend this book. Thumbs up! :D