Review: Heartwarming, romantic, steamy = one of my all-time favourite books!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 13, 2014
Complimentary copy given by the author in exchange for an honest reviewI have, quite literally, been giving myself a good kick in my behind for not having read this book sooner. Yes, I have been very busy lately, but still…Anyway, let me start my review of “Inner Core” by saying that you cannot, under any circumstance, read it without having read the first book in the Stark Series, “Layers”, first (you can find my review on my blog), and I honestly believe that this author needs to get some more attention.The story begins with Hayley nursing her broken heart home at her parents’ house after Daniel’s rejection, and I might as well confess right now that her unhappiness really made me feel for her. Her feelings of heartache, sadness, and pain come across really well – but there is also a bit of anger mixed in with them, and is that not always the way after a bad break-up? I believe it is.Nevertheless, Daniel suddenly appears out of the blue, and like the bossy, arrogant and alpha male that he is, he convinces Hayley to give him another chance. It does not take that much to talk her into it, because she loves him more than anything in the world and does not wish to be apart from him again. But the question is: will she be able to trust him? To me, that is one of the key elements of this book. That, and letting go of past grievances, forgiveness, and, ultimately, allowing yourself to live life to the fullest despite the fear of getting hurt.One of the things that I really love about Hayley is the fact that she is still this feisty, strong woman, but she learns that it is acceptable to show her vulnerable side to the outside world. Furthermore, I like how she seems to grow into a more self-confident woman once she completely lets herself trust Daniel with her heart and mind. We are always the most vulnerable when the lack of trust in a partner eats away at us, filling our heads with doubts and misgivings. But the more we learn to let go of our issues, the easier it becomes to live a happy life. And that is the way it is with Hayley, in my opinion.As for Daniel…Well, as I stated above, he is still this arrogant, temperamental and, at times, hard-headed male, but we learn so much more about his sensitive side in this book, and that fact alone made me fall in love with him all over again.“The first time I kissed you,” he pauses, lost for a moment, “…it was like, I don’t know…” His eyes melt into mine. “I felt connected, to…f***, anything, for the first time.” (Daniel)Whereas Hayley has to learn to show her true self to him, Daniel must learn patience, and the fact that you cannot be ruthless in a relationship: he has to learn how to compromise – a feat he definitely does not like – and that he, too, needs to let go of the past in order to move forward with Hayley.I feel that Miss Ehrlich really shows us, the readers, the many facets of the human nature through her very potent writing, and that is why Hayley and Daniel are easy characters to relate to. They are both passionate, temperamental persons and these traits make them clash on more than one occasion. Nevertheless, their love story is not a complete whirlwind of angsty emotions as such – not to me, anyway. They really know how to be sweet to one another, and although I enjoy the ups and downs in a romance novel, I also appreciate the quieter, tender moments between the protagonists. My romantic heart was most definitely satisfied in this regard, and I thank Miss Ehrlich for giving us such complex, yet loveable characters.“I could cry from the want and longing that were just released. I could cry from how much I want and need this man.” (Hayley)Once again, I love the banter between Hayley and Daniel, and if you have read my review of the first book, “Layers”, you will also know that I absolutely adore Hayley’s two best friends, Ian and Natasha. They are, as ever, a breath of fresh air, and I really enjoyed getting to know them better. Furthermore, what absolutely makes this a 5 star read for me is the fact that all my questions about Hayley and her past were answered – I understand her thoughts and actions much better now – and I also love how Daniel does not change his alpha male tendencies: he is who is, and he makes no apologies for it (unless he has no other choice, of course *wink*).I hope that you now want to read the Stark series by this excellent author. It has everything that I could wish for in a romance: tears, laughter, pain, angst, lots of fun, and, naturally, a very satisfying happy-ever-after. I will not spoil anything for you, but the epilogue...? Completely blew my breath away! Yes, this is a romance novel, but it is different from so many others that I have read, which is also also why I give “Inner Core” my highest rating, firmly placing it on My Favourite Books shelf.