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Review

4.5 stars!

Alexa Holland is the personal assistant to a top photographer assigned to photograph Caine Carraway. When they first meet, Caine is flirty and interested but Alexa has a secret. Her father ruined his life and when she lets him know, trying to right the past, he is furious. After discovering who Alexa is, he turns into a rude, standoffish asshole. Little did they know their lives would forever be changed after their extreme confrontation.

Alexa is now out of a job and wants to fix things with Caine while also salvaging her reputation and getting her job back. It’s not so easy when the one man who could do both hates her with a passion. Unfortunately, when she is unable to get her job back, Caine offers her one as his PA and what follows is a hate-to-lovers romance full of intense sexual tension, off the charts chemistry, steamy encounters, and sweet moments.

I really enjoyed Hero. It has a great blend of humor, steam, angst, and suspense, and was a fast-paced, well-developed story. Caine and Alexa had a difficult relationship that slowly builds to something solid. It takes a while to get there though, and the things they go through are awful, especially for Alexa.

Alexa has her own flaws and isn’t perfect but she accepts who she is. I loved her determination to prove to Caine she is more than what he initially thought. She was strong and though she put up with more than I would, she stood her ground when she needed to.

I really enjoyed Caine’s character even though there were things that irritated me about his actions. Hurt and broken by circumstances of his childhood, he built solid walls around his heart to shield himself from anymore heartache.  The tragedies of his past hurt my own heart and I understood why he was so closed off. He is a total asshole, seriously despicable, and I could feel the hate that pulsated from him. But as he begins to show his more human side I got to know him better and he actually has a sweet side.

In the beginning, Caine doesn’t want anything to do with Alexa but he can’t keep his hands off of her. He wants to keep things casual and is crystal clear about his intentions.

“You’re looking for something special even if you won’t admit it. And me? I can’t compromise, I can’t change, and I can’t do forever. It’s just not in me.”

However, over time their relationship becomes more than they’d like to admit. It’s a slow buildup that progresses realistically with entertaining banter and intense chemistry. The tension crackles around them and the attraction is present from the first moment they meet. There are sweet moments will make you swoon and the sexy times will make you hot and bothered. Caine he harbors a secret though, that could ruin everything, something he wish he could wipe from his past, and the revelation was a shock.

Even though I loved it, there were times I was frustrated with the story. I think Caine should have groveled more and made up for his deplorable actions sooner. There is no excuse for the way he treated Alexa, yet I could understand how his hate festered and built to insurmountable pain and I felt it. I was ecstatic when Alexa finally put her foot down.

”I see who you are because…we’re not so different, you and I. We both deserve happiness.”

I loved the secondary characters, all playing a special role in the story. Mrs. Flanagan warmed my heart and Henry had me smiling. Overall, it was an entertaining story and recommend it to people who enjoy hate-to-lovers romances.