Review: Another fabulously addicting read from Tessa Bailey!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 21, 2014
*****4.5 stars!!!****So I’m a sucker for a guy with an accent, and Irish brogue is just sexy as hell, so Tessa Bailey had bonus points before I even popped open the Kindle app for this read! Add to that the fact that Shane Claymore is a hottie indie racer with an attitude, and I knew I was a goner for this guy. Shane and Willa met under strange circumstances—she’s won a contest and as a result gets a trip to Ireland and a stay at a local inn, which just happens to be owned by the testy Irishman. They have a giggle-inducing cold introduction, thanks to Willa’s feisty attitude, and from then on I was hooked!Having reviewed two books from Tessa’s Line of Duty series, I am a full-fledged fan of her work. I hadn’t, however, gotten a chance to read the first in the series, which is the story of Willa’s sister Ginger. While I hadn’t met Willa yet like some fans may have, it didn’t stop me from loving her character right from the start. She’s got a fire inside from a life that challenged her and scarred her, but at the same time deep down she wants to find that forever love just like the next gal. She wasn’t looking for it by any means though, fully divesting herself of men after a breakup with the ‘perfect’ guy, complete with guilt and painful memories. But Shane was just too sexy, too much of a challenge, and too much in need of someone just like her for her to pass him up for long.Shane had spent the majority of his adulthood carrying the guilt of his choices on his shoulders. With Indie racing so much a part of who he was at the core, his father’s disappointment in his choice to race hit him hard. And when he left his family behind only to lose the man who never fully accepted him, Shane took it upon himself to be the man of the family for his entirely lovable (and laugh-inducing) mom and sister. He was unhappy and bitter, and Willa stormed right through all of that. I loved the banter between them, Willa’s ability to go toe-to-toe with Shane with the verbal sparring was highly entertaining! And beneath the surface of their angst for each other, they were pulling back the layers and seeing what was underneath and realizing just how similar they really were. How similar and how intense, because they were hot together!!Willa’s determination to not need anyone and not be attached was a perfect setup for some really emotional scenes for these two, and I loved each and every painful moment. Once again, Tessa Bailey has sucked me in with a sexy, heart-racing, sweet story that I couldn’t get enough of. And now I’m going to have to go back and read Protecting What’s His so I can read Willa’s big sis’ story too, because Tessa’s characters are just that awesome!Quotes:“I’ve got it,” I inform him, my jaw tight.“Oh, an independent American girl. How unusual.”“A stranger taking my bag against my will. How illegal.” ~ p. 8“I’m not getting into a moving vehicle with you.”He finds something about that extremely funny. “I assure you I can handle an automobile with better proficiency than most.”“I’m not worried about you. I’m worried about me tossing you out while it’s still moving.”“I’d like to see you try. This suitcase is bigger than you.”“It’s a good thing, too. I’ll need somewhere to hide the body.” ~p. 10“It’s not the shagging that bothers me—““Let’s agree to drop that word.”Faith frowns. “Fine. It’s not the fu—““And back to shagging.” ~p. 104A solid form presses against my back, pulling me up against it. My eyes pop open, my lips part on a gasp. That ain’t Kitty.“Shane?”“You were expecting another man to crawl into your bed?”“Of course not. I keep a very strict schedule.” ~p. 207Because I love him so damn much. Oh God, it’s so powerful it’s a wonder I can contain it inside my body. This is the moment my sister warned me about. The moment I realize I’m not self-aware. Not even close. ~p. 231