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Review

3.5 stars!

Sexy and fun, yet angsty and dramatic, this is a story of two people with sizzling chemistry, and no interest in love, fighting against the inevitable. With great banter and some serious sexy time, it’s a heartfelt love story and I really enjoyed it.

This is my first book by R.C. Boldt and though it’s a standalone, it is linked in with Boldt’s Teach Me series, focussing on the same group of characters who all work and socialise with each other, and the couples from that series all feature in this book. If you’ve read Hard To Handle, this book is the story of heroine, Laney’s, brother, Foster.

Foster Kavanagh is an ex- Navy SEAL who runs his own security consulting firm. Noelle Davis is his office manager and there is a banter-filled love-hate thing going on between them. On the surface, they bicker and tease all day every day, but underneath there is a sizzling attraction that is begging to be let loose.

She was trouble.
Trouble…the kind of trouble you want to get yourself into. Pun intended. Also, the kind of trouble you knew you couldn’t afford getting mixed up in.
I know what you’re probably going to ask; Then why the hell did you hire her, Foster?
And I have only one really shitty answer for you.
Evidently I’m one sick, sadistic fucker.

We learn from hints dropped in this book that Foster and Noelle’s chemistry has been simmering for a while now – a background tease in the Teach Me books – and when Noelle’s past catches up with her, putting her in very real and terrifying danger, it’s Foster that jumps in to protect her, putting the two of them on an inevitable path as everything between them begins to change.

While I’m the furthest thing from being anyone’s Prince Charming, she’s the only woman who’s ever made me want to be – the only one who’s ever made me wish things were different.
She’s the only one who makes me wish for the impossible.

Foster has been through hell while serving overseas. He is suffering PTSD from all that he did and saw in Iraq so he keeps his emotions to himself, not getting involved with the women he sleeps with and avoiding love at all costs. Noelle has been hurt badly in love, and she’s on a self-imposed hiatus from men, but Foster could be the man who breaks that. Except that he’s her boss which complicates everything. With all of that stacked against them, they’re not in for an easy time, but the chemistry between them cannot be denied and as they put the bantering aside and open up to each other, their barriers start to fall.

I enjoyed the progression of the relationship between Foster and Noelle. It’s a case of one step forward, two steps back, but it builds the anticipation as the UST becomes more and more intense. And all of that chemistry translates effortlessly into the bedroom and the sexy time is absolutely sizzling!

“I’m going to fuck you with my tongue … until you come so hard you’ll still feel it tomorrow.”
My inner muscles clench around his fingers and the smile he gives me is nothing short of predatory.
“I’ll take that as a sign of your acceptance.”

We get lots of detail of their time together as they fall and fall hard – fighting it all the way – and though there are issues holding them both back, those moments where they let their tenderness and vulnerabilities show were really beautiful.

“I don’t want this to stop … I don’t want this feeling – whatever it is that’s happening between us – to stop.”

I really loved Noelle. Her strength was amazing and I loved that she was brave enough to open her heart to Foster after all that she had been through, yet she still stood up for herself and what she needed and didn’t let anybody walk all over her. And Foster is a wonderfully complex character. His feelings for Noelle are intense (and entertainingly possessive) but are complicated by the traumas of his past which leads to all sorts of issues for them. The drama is realistic and handled well (though I did think that Foster’s inner monologue got a bit repetitive at times), but it adds a nice intensity to the story.

I really enjoyed meeting the extended group of characters. They are all very close and I love the camaraderie and banter between the boys.

“You know what they say.” He raises his eyebrows, his expression one of utter seriousness. “You are what you eat.”
“Really,” Foster remarks drily.
“Now, I don’t quite believe that.” Kane runs a hand down his broad chest. “Because I don’t recall eating a sexy beast.”

And their constant teasing about the state of play between Foster and Noelle is hilarious!

“It might be more helpful if you just piss all around her, in a circle … or you could do something wild and crazy and,” he pauses for emphasis, “ tell her you like her, then ask her to prom.
My eyes flick over to glare at him, flipping him the bird, but he’s not fazed in the least, the amusement in his green eyes grating on me.
My friends are assholes.

From what I can gather, all of the side characters are from the Teach Me series. There’s a number of them, and I did get a bit lost trying to remember who was with who and how they all tied together, but they were background characters and it didn’t impact on Foster and Noelle’s story – this book can easily be read on its own. (But on a side note – I am curious to go back and read the stories of this intriguing bunch). There are hints of more stories to come and I’m curious to see who gets the next book and whether we get answers to a potentially twisty storyline that threads throughout the book.

I enjoyed this story. It’s a really great mix of sweet, sexy, dramatic, funny and romantic with a chemistry-filled romance and lots of great banter, flirting and teasing. I wasn’t invested in the story as I probably would have been had I read the earlier books and experienced more of the build up, but this was still a great read that left me with a smile on my face.

3.5 stars.

An Advanced Reader Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.