Review: Solid Debut
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 30, 2014
False Name. False Life. False Sense of Security. For the past 18 months, that's how Arianna has lived. As Natalie Jamesson, she thought she could escape her abusive past, and for awhile, she was able to pull it off until her self preservation wins out, and she finds herself running again. Unlike last time, she asks her old best friend, Lottie, for help, and Lottie tells her to head to Las Vegas and go to The Kingdom Hotel and Casino. As Ari hides out in the extravagant hotel, she's able to reconnect with her mom and her best friend, which gives her a small sense of security for the first time in a long time, but there's still a big part of her that worries that while her visible wounds may heal, her internal scars will always keep her second guessing every choice she makes. Ari doesn't know if she'll ever be able to move on from her abusive past; her negative thinking consumes her and prevents her from thinking her life could ever change for the better, but when she meets Denham King, it's going to become his personal mission to heal Ari's mind and her heart no matter how cautious she may be.Denham King is the owner of The Kingdom Hotel and Casino; he exudes confidence, power, and sex.  He wants Ari, but he also knows that he has to handle her with care because he knows about her past. The last thing Ari wants to do is jump into another relationship; she's too broken and needs time to regain some confidence, but that doesn't stop Denham from offering his help, and he doesn't take no for an answer. The attraction between Ari and Denham is definitely there, but no matter what Ari's body wants, she's hesitant to give in, anticipating Denham showing his true colors and not actually being the caring and considerate man he appears to be. Each day that Denham treats her like a princess and takes care of everything she needs, though, her resolve slips and soon, Ari's ready to give into the passion that smolders around them. Will Denham turn out to be just like the past two men in her life, or could he be exactly what she needs to move past her scars and heal?Overall, I enjoyed Holding Aces. Both Ari and Denham are interesting characters, and the storyline kept me interested. There are a few twists that I would have liked to have seen further developed, but not knowing didn't cause any gaps in the story.  I also would have liked to have gotten a bit more back story on Denham, but hopefully, as his and Ari's story continues, readers will gain further insight into how he became the man he did. I struggled with the whole insta relationship because Ari repeatedly said she needed to get herself back on track and take care of healing; I would have liked to have seen their connection slowly develop. She's not even divorced yet and heading into a new relationship with a man she doesn't even know; I didn't feel like it fit Ari's mental state, but maybe the saying "the heart wants what the heart wants" applies to how she feels about Denham, and she was only delaying the inevitable.  I'll warn you, this one ends in a cliffhanger, so be ready to impatiently wait to see how it all turns out.I have to say for a debut text, Nikki Groom's writing is solid. She definitely understands the craft, and as she continues to grow as a writer, the few concerns in Holding Aces will not be a factor in her upcoming stories, and I can't wait to see how her stories and her writing evolve.A copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.3.5/4 poison apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)