Review: LOVE this series!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 5, 2013
I've been a huge fan of this series from the start, I've enjoyed watching each one of the Worth brothers meet their match and fall in love. That's not to say I didn't want to hit a couple of them over the head at times or better yet kick them where it hurts, but in the end I was truly satisfied with their stories. At the end of Worth The Challenge, we learn that Anastasia Renaldi is a product of an affair between the brother's late father, Michael, and his business competitor's wife, Claudia Renaldi. Yes, it was a huge scandal but at the same time I was cheering because that meant we got another Worth It book! There are many, many things I like about this book yet it also left me asking quite a few questions.Anastasia (Stasia) Renaldi is drifting, she found out the reading of her father's will, the man who raised her that she isn't his biological child and in addition he's cut her off from everything she knows. She's approached her biological father's family, only to be shunned. Out of desperation she turns to attorney Gavin Westmore who went to school with the oldest son of her biological father, Michael Worth. I'll admit I kind of had a hard time liking Stasia; it was quite evident she was use to getting her way and when she didn't she would get mad, then cry, and then give up. I found her to be a little uneven, fierce one minute and then timid the next. Perhaps it was the circumstances that made her his way or maybe it was her upbringing, but she just struck me as someone who wasn't sure what she wanted even though she said she did. Don't get me wrong, I can completely sympathize with what she was going through and that is one reason I didn't hate her, but she just didn't seem very genuine to me. As the book went on, I found myself drawn to her a little more especially after the Worth's women got a hold of her but she still appeared just somewhat standoffish to me.Gavin Westmore is a very complicated man and I don't felt like we got the complete picture on him. I liked his character and it was evident the man has some deep emotional scars but he didn't ever really deal with them. I do like that he shared a lot of his past with Stasia which was actually quite surprising, but I almost felt like he had to do it to make a point to her. It wasn't something he really wanted to do but he felt forced to. I admire the fact that he tried to do that right thing and maintain a purely professional relationship with Stasia, but it was interesting to watch this very in charge man unable to maintain his control. I also like the fact that although Alex Worth is his friend, once he gets to know and understand Stacia he is completely loyal to her.From the moment these two meet, their chemistry is undeniable. They are both determined nothing will come of it but a trip to Italy and an emotional minefield lead to a creative and combustible first time together. Gavin is a talker and Stasia likes to tease, so the intimate moments between these two are sexy, playful, and hot. Whew! However, there is more to this story than steamy sex, Stasia is trying to figure out her place in her brother's lives (both sets of brothers) and Gavin is trying to help without getting in the way. He's developing real feelings for Stasia but knows she's not in the frame of mind to deal with that at this point in time. The Worth brothers, especially Alex and Hunter, treat Stasia horribly and instead of her Renaldi brothers helping her with this situation, they advise her to leave them alone. Once again faced with something she doesn't like, Stasia flees hurting the one person who has done everything in his power to help her.Things I enjoyed about this book; I loved seeing the Worth men and their significant others multiple times throughout this story. I especially enjoyed the way the women took Stacia under their wings and helped her through some tough decisions. It was nice that even being married to the pretty judgmental and stoic Worth's hadn't changed their personalities. I enjoyed the budding relationship with Stacia and Gavin and would have liked more time with them. I loved the scenes in Italy and would have gladly spent more time there. Gavin was a breath of fresh air as far as the men in this series go; he was a lot more approachable and even when hurt, he managed to be mostly civil. I especially loved the ending of this book; it made me see Stacia in a new light, one I liked! Things I didn't love.....a lot...I have many, many questions that went unanswered. Way more than were answered, and that bothers me as it feels unfinished. I had all my questions written out in this review and then I realized it contained way too many spoilers so I had to erase them.In the Worth It series, Karen Erickson has created a family dynasty with men who will infuriate you as easily as they charm you and women you can't help but admire and adore. While Worth Everything is not my favorite in the series, it was a story that needed to be told and one that seriously shook up the Worth empire. I enjoyed this story and while the love story seemed to be somewhat overshadowed, seeing everyone from the previous books more than made up for it. I will caution that if you haven't read the other books in this series you might be a little lost going into this one. For anyone who has read the Worth It series, this is a story you don't want to miss but it's likely to irritate you as much as it intrigues you!Review copy provided for an honest review.