Review: Another book to put on my Favourite Books shelf!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 28, 2013
ARC received by the author in exchange for an honest reviewAfter just having read a rather dark romance, I wanted something lighter to read. I am happy to say that “True Bliss” was exactly what I needed. This is the second book in the Bliss Series with interconnected characters but can be read as a standalone novel. I would not recommend it, though, as I think you will miss out on too much if you do not read them in order.Meet Kate: she is longing to find her Prince Charming. It has been drilled into her from when she was a child that she would meet her perfect man one day, but she is getting rather impatient waiting for him to show up even though she is only 24 years old.“I don’t just want a good love, one of those everyday loves that you hear about. I want the kind of crazy love we’ve been warned about. The kind of love that makes your heart skip a beat. The kind of love that makes you want to dance in the rain and bottle up the sunset while screaming at the top of your lungs. The kind of love that authors write about, musicians sing about and lover's dream about.” (Kate)This is hardly an unreasonable request, which is why Kate decides to use an online dating service even though her friend, Mac, and her Superman (*wink*) Daniel does not approve. I like the fact that Kate is being smart about this venture: she does not simply meet the men as soon as they contact her; she tries to get to know them a bit better before jumping into a blind date. She has also come up with her “Three Dates Rule”, meaning no sex allowed until after the third date – very wise!We get to experience a few of Kate’s “Disaster Dates”, as I like to call them, and they made me feel bad for her. You would think that in a city as big as Chicago, it should not be a problem finding your perfect match. Wrong! It takes a lot of hard work finding your Prince Charming.Kate is a great character: she is feisty, charming and sweet. I really connected with her – maybe because of the online dating - and I loved getting to know her better. She has been burnt in the past but those experiences have not made her bitter, and I liked that she looks toward the future with an open mind.Now, even though Kate is trying her luck with online dating, it is not as if she has not already met a guy who sets her body on fire: Zander, one of Mac’s former friends-with-benefits, has made her heart thump wildly once or twice. Sadly, though, he rejected her a few months before – and I would be just as mortified as Kate, mind you – when he had taken her home after she was almost molested by another guy. They shared a very passionate kiss and even though she desperately wanted him to sleep with her, he turned her down. Needless to say, she has avoided him ever since. But the fact that he turned her down is not her only reason for this: she has a really tough time considering him to be more than an acquaintance because of his history with Mac. There is, naturally, also his line of work to consider: he is a male stripper.I was rather surprised by Zander, actually. Getting inside his head was a true pleasure for me: never had I expected him to be so caring and considerate. He is sexy, passionate and – yes – sweet. He has grown up being the man of the house since his father died and is thus very mature despite the fact that he is only 23 years old. He is a protector by heart which is why he wants to become a cop. The stripping is getting to him and he is actually rather tired of doing it.“Let me tell you, you may think guys can be crude and vulgar, but holy heck, some of the things I’ve had yelled at me in the middle of a routine would make Hugh Hefner blush.” (Zander)This is so hilarious! And so true – in my opinion, women can be just as bad as men and I love how Miss Harvey seems to think the same. But back to Zander:Like Kate, he cannot stop thinking about the night he refused her, but I completely understand why he did it: he did not want a quick lay with Kate, because he thinks she is worth so much more.“Kate. My fantasy girl personified. From her fiery red hair to her five foot nothing body with curves for miles. She’s a good girl; a take hime to mom kind of girl. Definetely not a one night stand type of girl who you’d subject to the walk of shame the next morning.” (Zander)After having seen Kate on a date with a much older guy one evening, he drills Mac for details and finds out about the online dating. Zander then concocts a plan – and I was thinking “Oh no” at this part of the story – to get to know Kate better without her knowledge. He knows that Kate may have an issue with him being a part of Mac’s past which is one of the reasons why he will not show his true identity before she knows him better.That is all you are getting from me about what happens in the book. As with the previous installment in this series, I absolutely LOVED “True Bliss”. It has everything I look for in a romance: drama, funny moments, passionate scenes, and the h/H that are wonderful to get to know. I was riveted to the pages and did not want the book to end! Miss Harvey’s writing style is so engaging, fun, and believable, which is very important to me in a romance. I really like that Mac and Daniel – the characters from the first book, “Temporary Bliss” – are a vital part in this second book, but they do not overshadow Kate and Zander’s love story. Mac is her usual crazy self again, making me laugh out loud, and Daniel is still the swoony Superman, making me sigh happily.I honestly believe that you will fall in love with Kate and Zander – a.k.a. the God Of Gorgeousness as Kate calls him. And with lines like these, you will not be able to resist this new book boyfriend:“I love you enough to fight for you until you tell me there is no hope, then I'll fight harder. You are the only woman I want to be with, to laugh with, to live with, to make love to.” (Zander)I really cannot wait to see what the author has in store for us in the next book in the series!