Review: Glad my father loved me from day 1!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 15, 2014
**I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.**Let me start with stating that I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I didn't know what it was about so went in kind of blind as to what to expect. I was excited, but also nervous that I would not like the story line or be able to get into the book. And then I started to read about Judas and slowly got sucked in. It wasn't one of those stories that grabbed me immediately, but about a quarter way through I got hooked.Judas had just graduated from Law school. He has his entire future ahead of him...., until he learns what his father's plans are for him.  Although he wasn't on the best of terms with his father, no son would expect the turn his life would take from that point on. He had hoped that after becoming a lawyer, as his father wanted, things would be different between them, but instead his father uses his feelings surrounding the death of his mother as a way to control him. The strange part is that I liked Judas. I didn't agree with his decisions to go along with his father's scheme, but I could understand his fear and the guilt that dictated his actions. A stronger, more confident person may have said to heck with it, and walked away, but it would have been difficult to start out with nothing. I'm just amazed he wasn't as selfish and spoiled as one would expect given he was raised with money. That doesn't mean I was not frustrated with him either. Especially as he got older. A 29 year old man who has worked and saved should have been able to stand up to his father. I do give him credit for trying to balance the bad with some good deeds. It showed that his heart was in the right place and that he was trying to atone for his role in his father's schemes.Enter in Grace. Grace was everything Judas wanted, but couldn't have...or so he thought. Her background is the opposite of Judas'. Grace didn't come from money and actually had to work very hard to become successful. Similar to Judas, I liked Grace. There wasn't much to not like about Grace. She was smart, kind, considerate, and caring. She saw something in Judas, outside of his bad boy looks and reputation. Her one flaw is that she was blind to Ellis' faults and manipulations. But who could blame her? She had been dating Ellis for awhile and thought she knew him. The people loved him; he was charming, successful, intelligent, and charismatic. How does a woman choose between two men? One that seems too good to be true and the other who is too sexy for his own good. Yep, I got caught up in the tug of war going on here. By the last quarter of the book I wanted to reach in and shake Grace. Not fair, I know, but dang it...by then I just loved Judas and I wanted him with Grace. I was conflicted. Why? I don't like love triangles in general. And in this case, I WANTED the woman to break up with the man she was currently with for the other guy.At the end, I'll admit I had not caught on to the final twists, but all in all happy for Judas and Grace. If you like a bit of intrigue and suspense, I think you'll find this book interesting. I won't say everyone will love it and like me you may find the beginning a bit slow, but it does pick up.