Rescuing the Bad Boy by Jessica Lemmon

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NOT ALL SCARS HEAL

For Donovan Pate, the lake town of Evergreen Cove is a minefield of tough memories—including the day he had to let go of Sofie Martin. Years later, he still can’t forget the taste of her lips and the feel of her killer curves. He knows he’s too damaged, that he should stay away for her own good. But what the head says and the heart wants are two very different things…

Seven years ago, Donovan broke Sofie’s heart. Now her career depends on playing nice in order to pull off the charity fundraiser of the decade. She vows to keep things professional…yet working by his side every day doesn’t make it easy to fight temptation, and it isn’t long before she finds herself falling for this bad boy all over again. But loving Donovan means helping him face his past–so they can fight for a future together.




Review:

This was my first Jessica Lemmon book.  As you know, I’ve become a huge fan of Shannon Richard’s and since she and Ms. Lemmon are besties I was easily persuaded to try out Rescuing the Bad Boy.  And, of course, I’m glad I did.

Sophie would love nothing more than to forget the night she lost her virginity.  It was amazing and horrendous.  But the horrible outweighed the good and, seven years later, not thinking about it is completely working for her.  But then Donovan Pate walks into her office and the past comes crashing back. 

Donovan Pate wants absolutely nothing to do with Evergreen Cove.  He’d rather not live in the home and town where his late father abused him regularly.  When he inherits his family’s estate, his plan is to go to town, sell it (he already has a buyer) and then moving back to his life in New York. What he doesn’t plan on is an annual charity dinner that is being planned and the event is at the house he so desperately wants to get rid of.  A charity dinner that not only raises money for a group home for abused kids but is also planned by the local event planner.  The never forgotten (no matter how much he tries), Sofie Martin. 

Even thoug Donovan would love nothing more than to cut and run, he can’t, in good conscience, put a stop to supporting a charity that he fully supports.  That and an iron clad contract won’t let him.  So he agrees to hold off on selling the house until the charity dinner is done.  Over the next few months Sofie and Donovan skirt each other at the Pate Mansion.  Sofie planning a party and Donovan cleaning it out and fixing it up for its new owner. Of course, skirting each other doesn’t really work and soon they are openly fighting their attraction to each other.

No matter how much the two of them try to protect themselves there is no denying the connection between the two of them.  A connection that is much more important than either of them want to admit. They each have to decide if they can overcome the past in order to have a future with each other.

At first there was a part of me that had difficulty understanding the residual angst between Sofie and Donovan.  It had been seven years since they had seen each other and they had both moved on with their lives.  But then I realized they hadn’t really moved on at all.  Sure, Sofie is succeeding in her career. Her family is a bit crazy but she loves them.  And sure, she’s had her share of relationships.  But none of them have worked out long term and she is completely honest about the fact that she hasn’t had a connection with anyone like the way she did with Donovan Pate.   Then there is Donovan.  On the outside he’s moved on.  Moving away from Evergreen Cove and making a name for himself as a mason worker.  But dig a bit deeper and you find out he’s made some pretty drastic changes to his private life after that night he spent with Sofie.  

All of a sudden it wasn’t so hard to understand all that underlying tension between the two of them. It was there and it was REAL.  On top of that there is Jessica Lemmon’s story telling abilities.  She has a way of pulling a reader in.  Even if I had never understood the lasting angst, I would have been drawn to these two main characters.  The chemistry between them positively leapt off the page.

Needless to say, this was a great introduction to Jessica Lemmon’s writing and I can’t wait to read the rest of this series as well as her backlist.

Nat