Review: For the jerk-hero lover; just grunt and show your love
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 14, 2013
Connor certainly has the sex appeal and raw masculinity of an LC hero, and if you didn't care forRaulorJohn, I'm not sure you'll tolerate Connor all that much. He is the typical LC alpha male I love: dominating, controlling, demanding, and possessive, but this guy also has a little more darkness to him, I feel. I thought he was very sexy, but I also must admit that I found him less charming than other LC heroes I've read. Sometimes I really wanted to reach into my kindle and just slap him upside his stubborn, clueless, hard head. He can be distant, cold, and I honestly do think he plays it hard, that LC wrote him with an edge. Kind of cutting and biting, and he probably won't be palatable to every reader.I disliked how he made the heroine, Jessica, upset and cry a few times. I was very frustrated with him twice in the story and was actually outraged on her behalf, and I'm the first to admit I love jerk heroes and give them a free pass to be alphaholes on occasion. Connor does push that edge with me, almost stepping over the line, and just barely managing to stay this side of like with me. And it's not really the sex for money arrangement that bothered me. It was him telling her she can't see other guys, etc., without realizing that he is also grounded in that same no-fly zone. Your azz is on the list, too, buddy. I was agitated by his attitude, even though I understood his motivation. Maybe it was too much angst for me personally. I think I wanted Jessica to make him suffer there at the end, but I'm mean that way. He suffers a tiny bit, but not quite enough to my taste.As for the heroine, I thought she was pretty tough, considering how young and inexperienced she was, and considering at what a clear disadvantage she was in the relationship. If you're one of those readers who have wanted a less meek heroine, Jessica should come across as more strong and more resilient than previous heroines. At least, she did that way for me. I'm the first to admit I like a submissive heroine, but at times I was even rooting for Jessica to be even more angry and stead-fast. Even with that power imbalance, Jessica still seemed to me to be resourceful and smart-thinking under the circumstances. I thought she was sweet and innocent without being cloying or too young or immature. I only wish she'd kicked his azz out and changed the locks just once. Now I would have paid double to see his face after something like that.So, even with Connor being a grade-A jerk, alphahole in my opinion, he still came through as sexy. <"You're mine, and I won't share you with anybody. Not because of the conditions, but because you belong to me. Just the thought of someone touching you sickens me." Steel hardened his muscles again and any hint of softness left his voice. "Nobody gets close to you, got that?"> I love a prickly male, all in touch with his inner cave-dweller like that. Just grunt and show your love. He even has the non-verbal commands down. Just a tilt of his head to the bed, and he fully expected Jessica to hop to. You either like to read that or you don't, and I have to admit that I do.Read this if you have a soft, forgiving spot for jerk heroes; read if you like sweet, innocent heroines; read if you love sex-for-money/sugar-baby type romances; read if you love sexy, aggravating, OTT alpha-male heroes. If you like/love LC's alpha males, then you get that here but with a bit more bite, in my opinion. You'll either love him or hate him, or maybe both. I thought he was sexy, even when he was wearing his azzhat. A sexy read, not necessarily more erotic to me; just some good sexy action with a hard-headed, rough-edged hero.