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Blurb
Crush: a strong and often short-lived infatuation, particularly for someone beyond your reach…
Darcy Barrett has undertaken a global survey of men. She’s travelled the world, and can categorically say that no one measures up to Tom Valeska, whose only flaw is that Darcy’s twin brother Jamie saw him first and claimed him forever as his best friend. Despite Darcy’s best efforts, Tom’s off limits and loyal to her brother, 99%. That’s the problem with finding her dream man at age eight and peaking in her photography career at age twenty—ever since, she’s had to learn to settle for good enough.
When Darcy and Jamie inherit a tumble-down cottage from their grandmother, they’re left with strict instructions to bring it back to its former glory and sell the property. Darcy plans to be in an aisle seat halfway across the ocean as soon as the renovations start, but before she can cut and run, she finds a familiar face on her porch: house-flipper extraordinaire Tom’s arrived, he’s bearing power tools, and he’s single for the first time in almost a decade.
Suddenly Darcy’s considering sticking around to make sure her twin doesn’t ruin the cottage’s inherent magic with his penchant for grey and chrome. She’s definitely not staying because of her new business partner’s tight t-shirts, or that perfect face that’s inspiring her to pick up her camera again. Soon sparks are flying—and it’s not the faulty wiring. It turns out one percent of Tom’s heart might not be enough for Darcy anymore. This time around, she’s switching things up. She’s going to make Tom Valeska 99 percent hers.
Review
3.5 stars
I think I may be the only person on the planet (well, at least the only person on Goodreads) who hasn’t read The Hating Game. It’s definitely one I want to read, I just haven’t been able to get to it yet. But when I was given the opportunity to read this book, I jumped on it, knowing the love that SO many people have for Sally Thorne.
First off, I have to say that the cover is quite deceptive. I was expecting light, fluffy and comedic, and while it is definitely on the lighter side, this book has an edginess to it that was unexpected – mostly due to badass heroine, Darcy, and the semi-mess that is this her life, and the complicated love story.
The book is written entirely from the POV of Darcy Barrett. She is wild, raw and edgy, and a little bit lost. Once a successful photographer, she has lost her enthusiasm for what was once her passion, and now she works in a dingy biker bar and works hard at keeping a mostly solitary life – she has a best friend, she has a ‘friend with benefits’ and she has a twin brother that she’s currently not speaking to after one of their frequent arguments. At the first sign of trouble or stress in her life she usually takes off traveling overseas, leaving her worries behind her, but she’s stuck in town temporarily following the death of her grandmother. She and her twin, Jamie, have inherited their grandmother’s cottage, and the plan is to renovate it and sell it, and then she plans to be gone again. And then Tom Valeska lands on Darcy’s doorstep.
Tom grew up alongside Darcy and Jamie. He was a neighbour who had a rough life, so he was pretty much adopted into her family. He and Jamie quickly became best of friends, and while Darcy was often a part of their fun, she always felt more for Tom. But Jamie was always there, stealing his time and attention, and she never felt like she got enough of him. Now, Tom is the contractor hired by her brother to renovate their grandmother’s house – where Darcy is living – and she is thrilled that she’s finally going to spend time with the man has always been perfect in her eyes.
From the very beginning we can see the special bond between these two. It’s clear they have a great friendship, but it’s so much more than that, and the chemistry is fantastic! You can feel the simmering attraction and it’s a gorgeous slow burn, and while Darcy is filterless and all-in with her feelings, Tom is not so forward, ramping up the sexual tension and bringing a great sense of anticipation to everything that has been brewing between them for years.
“If you were mine, I’d be careful with you. I bet that’s something you haven’t had much of.”
“What else would you do?”
“Everything. If you were mine, I’d do everything.” Our gold bubble locks shut, and a little universe fills it. The possibilities are infinite.
“I have a big imagination. Could you be more specific?” I put my hand on the side of his neck and stroke down to the hard bar of his collarbone. His skin is hot satin. His pulse nudges me.
Mine, mine, mine. One thousand percent mine until the end of time. He looks like he agrees.
“Everything you wanted or needed, I’d do it.” Amazing how he can keep it clean, but it feels so dirty. That’s the thing about good boys.
“I want and need a lot.”
A big white smile now. “No kidding. Well, I’m a hard worker.”
It’s hot and intense, and all of that build up is worth it because it’s all kinds of sexy with a lot of emotion as they finally cross that line, and I loved them together.
“I need your hands more than I’ve ever needed anything.”
Darcy is such a great character. I love her uniqueness, I love that she is flawed and she knows it, and I love her vulnerabilities that make her so interesting. And Tom… well, he just may be the perfect man that Darcy has always seen him as. He is an absolute sweetheart, but his upbringing has left him with some issues and though he hates the label of ‘perfection’ that Darcy has slapped on him, he’s always tried to be there for his friends, to never let them down or disappoint them, and his vulnerability is so sweet. He gets Darcy in a way that nobody else seems to, and his clear devotion to her is just beautiful.
I’m a scary bitch. He’s a bashful sweetheart with pink cheeks.
But when Jamie comes along, things get a little strange, and I found the Darcy/Tom/Jamie dynamic to be a bit weird. The relationship between the siblings ranges from stubborn silence to sweetly supportive to violently combative, and they have a strange habit of over-sharing when it comes to their sex lives. Throw Tom in the mix, and it gets even stranger as the twins fight over him like he’s a possession, which I found bizarre. And it leads to heartache and drama as they all finally confront their feelings and issues from the past, forcing a whole lot of soul-searching which will leave them all forever changed.
The story unfolds right alongside the house renovation, and we get to see a lot of that happening, tying in to the story well and adding to the characters’ individual journeys as they slowly start to piece together their lives, overcome past pain and hurt, and figure out what they want and where they want to be.
I enjoyed this book. Like I said, it’s edgier and messier than I was expecting, but I love the way Sally Thorne writes. She has a gift for storytelling and she creates wonderful chemistry between her characters, with really intriguing dynamics. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of her work.
3.5 stars – rated up for Tom!