Review: Asking for Trouble
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 10, 2014
I still cringe at the title: STAKING HIS CLAIM, but I enjoyed the book--enough to leave a review and to look at what else Tessa Bailey has written. Much of my enjoyment has to do with her writing style and her ability to create interesting characters, if not for the sole purpose to have sex with each other. These reasons are what led me to read ASKING FOR TROUBLE, a novel I thoroughly enjoyed.Hayden Winstead cannot stand Brent Mason. She thinks he's an uncouth idiot and only tolerates him because he's funny at times, but also because he is the best friend of her best friend's boyfriend, ergo they are around each other more than she'd like. Hayden is a wealthy socialite and a foil to blue-collar cop Brent, which makes them gel like oil and vinegar. They fight and give in to their attraction for most of the novel, but it didn't give me whiplash or make my eyes roll. The enemies to lovers trope was quite well executed and I found myself laughing at and rooting for them in between all the sex or thoughts of sex, etc.Yes, there are some clichés and there was an understanding of where the novel was heading from the first page, but that did not make the story any less enjoyable. Of course, Hayden has Brent pegged all wrong; he's a hardworking family man and a caring friend. Ditto for Brent thinking Hayden is a spoiled socialite when she's actually giving and appreciative of her status. I could've written the plot with my eyes closed--but not as well as Ms. Bailey--and yet, I still give it 4.5 stars.