Review: Great Follow Up To The First Book
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 15, 2013
Uscrupulous is not only a fun and erotically charge romantic story between two alpha personalities, but it's also a story that gives us an insight to a hidden side of Taddy Brill that many would not expect (especially considering her fierce debut in the first book of the Manhattanites series, Undressed). The second book still maintains its sassy, humorous and sexy tone of the series, but also manages to include tones of vulnerability and heart. These details were blended very well to produce a book that provided hours of entertainment and fun.I was happy to find myself enjoying this book more than the first. I felt the writing was more polished than the first. With the first book, I felt the action was faster and had a more frenetic energy which didn't give me much time to process the scenes. In this book, the pace was much more organized and relaxed. It gave me time to really learn more about Taddy, Lex, their relationship to each and with their parents. I felt more of a connection with the characters, especially Taddy (which only makes sense since this is her story).I was pleasantly surprised to find my initial opinion of Taddy to be a little off base. In the first book, it seemed to me she had this loud and aggressive persona and that she was always this way. Reading this second book changed my perception of her. You saw beneath the tough and aggressive faade lies a woman who heart was essentially crushed by her parents. She is that person in which being loved is a foreign concept due to not having experienced it herself during childhood. This makes her such a sympathetic character. You come to understand why she's gone through life, both personally and professionally, the way she does. I admired the way she looks after her friends and employees (I loved the unique relationship she has with her virgin Mormon assistant Kiki). I felt sad for her, always giving to others but never believing she deserved the same for herself. I enjoyed the depth and complexity of Taddy's characters. It was completely different from how I thought of her from the first book.Of course I can't go through a review of this book without mentioning Warner Truman, aka Big Daddy. He was not what I was expecting for an alpha leading man. From his personality to his personal life, it's not what I usually think of in terms of bachelor billionaires. He still has the charm, the sex appeal, and confidence of a leading man. I thought he was a perfect foil to Taddy. He's a great combination of strength and love, someone like Taddy can lean on. These two beautiful people are definitely more than what meets the eye.Overall, I enjoyed this second book more than the first. I felt Aster improved upon the good work started in Undressed without taking away the essentials of her work. Unscrupulous was funny and heartfelt with some sizzling sex thrown into the mix. I look forward to the next book in the series, expecting to be as entertained as I have been with the first two books.*I Received an ARC via Netgalley*