Review: Steamy read!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 31, 2014
4.5 Stars for steaminess.In one day Alexis Cole loses her love, and her twin. Destroyed emotionally, she wades out into the ocean for a terminal swim, only to be rescued by the last person she expected to see: Ryder Hayes--her step-brother, and captain of her every teenage fantasy.See, when Lexi's dad died years ago her mother reconnected with David Hayes--her former love. One bad thing? David was married, with a son: Ryder. Ryder was a champion Tae Kwon Do fighter, at 15, and was friendly with Lexi and her twin, Alec. They were great friends, actually, despite Lexi's crush and Ryder's stifled interest until the unthinkable happened. David left Ryder and his mother to marry Lexi's mother. Ryder never forgave him.Now, Lexi's 23, and recovered enough from her suicidal depression to be (mostly) self-sufficient. Ryder's 25, a two-time UFC Heavyweight champ, and he's loving his bachelorhood. One snag: His uncle has just died and left Ryder's training gym to Ryder AND his dad, David. Ryder's willing to buy out David--to escape any contact with him, but Daivd has another idea--if Ryder watches over Lexi while David and her mother travel, he'll sign the deed over to Ryder.Ryder refuses. He doesn't want to spend any time with the girl who haunts his dreams--literally. He's had recurrent nightmares since he pulled her from the ocean's depths. Of course, as fate has it, Ryder encounters Lexi at a nightclub. She's plastered, and a likely victim--his protective instincts kick in fierce and he brings her home.Their attraction simmers and roils over the next several days. Some fits and starts, and some genital jewelry later, Ryder is on the verge of alienating his mother--I mean REALLY! How could Ryder fall for the daughter of the strumpet who stole her husband? And Ryder's scheming ex, Leah, is willing to pull out all the stops to lock Ryder into a relationship. She may be behind the vandalism of Lexi's car and Ryder's gym... And, we have some necessary separations--when Ryder enters his pre-fight training commune. They talk all the time, but is that enough for either of them?But, seriously, the biggest issue at hand--to everyone but Lexi--is Lexi's emotional stability. And, it's clearly a super big issue when Lexi ends up shackled to a hospital bed.If only Ryder would believe that she was fighting for him all the time...The ride here is intense. Lots of emotional highs and lows. The one constant? Sex. Mmm-hmm, there's a whole lotta shakin' goin' on. At times, I wondered when Ryder had time to train, because he seemed to have his hands, and mouth, and hands, quite well and full. He's an uber-jealous dude, and has been a shadow-protector of Lexi since she put on her first bikini. Their match, as messy as it is, was made years ago, long before his dad's betrayal. It was good to see Ryder come to terms with his feelings for Lexi, and David. I enjoyed seeing Lexi become assertive and confident again as she triumphed over her depression. I'm glad that she recognized casual hook-ups were not the answer she was seeking--and let Ryder love her with all the depths of his heart and strength of his body.It's a super-steamer. Looking for a star-crossed love story with crazy sex? Look no further. ;)