Review: Swee 'upper class't guy falls in love with sassy 'lower class' girl with a tainted past.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 10 29, 2013
*** sorry - spoilers in this review ***Cath Talarico is a creature of habit. She takes the same route on her exercise run, same time train to work, same time back. It turns out that she is doing this because she is afraid to deviate and become "Bad Cath". Cath has make some terrible choices in her life, and she is 2 years being "Good Cath".During one night of drinking, she ends up in the home of Nev Chamberlain. Thus the romance begins. Nev is the epitome of the perfectly bred man. Good posture, great banking job, dresses perfectly, speaks eloquently (oh, forgot to mention this is all taking place in London; cath is American, Nev is a Brit) and on top of everything else - he's gorgeous, sexy and hot.The beginning of this book started off with a bang. I wanted to read something light and funny with some steamy sex scenes. This book (in the beginning) was incredibly promising. I found myself smiling at Cath's observations of the 'regulars' on her train rides. She called Nev, "City" because he is the epitome of the City/Banker/Metropolitan guy. Cath is sassy, smart, funny, independent and seems incredibly secure.Weeeellllllll - after Cath and Nev start to hang out (lots of steamy sex), my opinion of Cath starts to fall.Every scene she is frantically telling herself that the relationship needs to end. She is going to leave him! It won't work! She isn't worth it! Their relationship is a mistake! She needs to leave soon! Her heart with break! This will be bad! (am I getting annoying? Well - her internal ranting and fretting and worrying got really old and annoying too).Here is this amazingly sexy, sweet, kind, well-bred guy that is completely interested in her. Why not take a chance? Cath is a fighter - not someone who feels sorry for herself. Her crazy internal fretting didn't seem to match up with the things that she did. Standing up to her employer, working her butt off at a crappy paying job, etc. She seemed to have a split personality.I can see how some readers didn't like how Nev acquiesced to his mother - like he was 12 years old and still had to listen to mommy.It's difficult to explain the relationship of domineering families with money. Nev really wants to do the right thing and work in the family business. It's difficult to stand up to such a rigid overbearing mother.When he finally does stand up to her - it's also out of character. I think instead of yelling at her so crassly, his character should have calmly and more caustically told her to leave him alone - then walk away from her. But yelling at her just didn't seem to gel with me.The way that Nev was able to gently get Cath to open up a bit at a time was very sweet and endearing. This guy is amazing.Cath was willing to slowly open up to him, it's just that this woman has A LOT of baggage and a lot of stuff to reveal. So they had a lot of ground to cover.When the big reveal finally occurs, it is done in a manner that made her look out of control, a bit inappropriate and made her look less appealing. I kept liking her less and less.I like the interaction between Cath and Nev's parents. EVen with the snobby mom - it's fun to see how positive of an influence Cath can be. We see a glimpse of the 'beginning of this book cath" where she is strong, confident and sassy - but unfortunately this is very brief.The last few chapters seemed a bit silly to me.Nev makes a huge turnaround in his life in 28 days. Man, the things he accomplishes to change his life, and how his mother also makes a 180 change is a bit of a big pill to swallow.Cath accomplishes some pretty amazing feats herself. A bit over the top in that story line. There is a major financial decision on her employer's part (a museum) that just would never happen.The beginning of the book starts slowly and is funny and clever and steamy.The middle of the book is also somewhat steamy and a bit annoying with Cath's internally beating herself up; and Nev constantly working to keep her from leaving. I thought that there would be some big antagonists that rear their ugly heads in the form of the mother and ex-girlfriend...but it never makes a big mark in the plot. Bummer.The end is a whirlwind of 180-degree turnarounds and great feats that didn't ring trueThe characters get their HEANo Cliffhanger