Review: Wasn't the Madewood brother I was expecting, but I'll take it!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 1, 2013
Take One speed junkie with a gruff personality and a tendency to safeguard his emotions, mix in a workaholic with a no-nonsense attitude and a troubled past and you get the perfect ingredients for the second book in Gina Gordon's Madewood Brothers series, Recipe for Attraction. The eldest of the four adopted Madewood brothers, Neil Harrison, and his love interest, Carson Kelly III, energize the story with their sizzling chemistry, engaging in a romance of convenience with the possibility of something more.Neil and Carson are two stubborn individuals with Type A personas who can't be in the same room with each other without entering into a verbal sparring match. What’s surprising is how much they have much in common despite their noticeable differences, which only serves to deepen their emotional connection. Although their attraction is longstanding, readers are swiftly thrust into their whirlwind romance, which starts out as a purely physical, no-strings-attached pseudo-relationship based on Carson’s instinctual need to protect Neil from getting hurt.Going in to the book, I knew little about Neil, but by the end, I had a better understanding of him and his adopted brothers. Neil is like the anchor of the family, maintaining a strong faade for his brothers after his mother's passing, but falling apart on the inside. I was immediately drawn to Carson’s independent nature with hints of vulnerability, but it took me a bit longer to warm up to Neil, who’s previously been portrayed as stern and standoffish. Carson is Neil’s perfect counterpart because she’s the only one to see past the illusion and release his tightly-coiled emotions and unveil a different side of him.What I loved best about Recipe for Attraction is the character development, not just for the main protagonists but also for the supporting characters. There were hidden facets to every character and I enjoyed learning more about every individual… except perhaps Stuart. The two remaining Madewood brothers also have their prospective romances established, giving readers a glimpse of future books in the series. While each book can be read as a standalone romance, I love following the progress of each relationship throughout the series, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Neil and Carson.