I’m looking for a hot hookup with no strings attached. And I want my older brother’s best friend to step up to the plate...
My dating history is lame. My experiences in bed? Even lamer. As the owner of a thriving business, I’m used to calling the shots. But one place I don’t always want to be in charge is in the bedroom.
Enter Luke Rodgers. My brother’s best friend. Former Major League baseball player. A guy who now hangs out on his farm, sweaty and shirtless, as he nurses a shoulder injury.
If the rumors are true, he also likes to work up a sweat behind closed doors. A total MVP in the sack.
Just the take charge guy I’m looking for.
With Luke and I, it’s game on. And it’s all good until Luke decides he wants forever, and he wants it with me.
I’m just not convinced I can trust Luke. Will he keep playing the field? Or is he really ready to hang up his cleats for good?
Source: advance e-galley provided in exchange for an honest review
Luke and Grace are old friends, he being her brother's best friend. They might have even had a fantasy or two about the other. Nothing ever happened because one, life took them in different directions in their twenties and two, you don't go for your best friend's little sister. But when the attraction is undeniable and they're both up for a bit of fun, what's to stop them?
On the surface, Grace has achieved so much to be proud. Her resourcefulness and smart business sense has resulted in her owning and running her own successful coffee shop. But something's been gnawing at her lately. While her work life is going great her love life has been non-existent since her breakup. To soothe herself she finds comfort in listening to the sizzling dialogue of her favourite romance novels. Listening to them makes her wish for the sexual potency that's she's never experienced and how stifled she felt in her previous relationships. Emboldened by this new self-awareness, she enlists Luke to help her. She has a bucket list of sexy things to accomplish and can only trust Luke whose rep around town is that of god-like status. He will be careful with her and treat their arrangement with discretion.
My first thought about Luke was, here finally is a hero who wants a "forever" with a woman. Up until the moment when he voices that, I didn't realize how weary I've become of the guys-who-don't-do-relationships trope. Luke was refreshing! My second thought was, good for Grace who's smart, sexy and caring, and finally taking her turn in the director's chair. She's not embarrassed about exploring this other side of herself and Luke is right there willing to give her want she wants. He gets something out of it as well but at no point is his experience used against her or does he make her feel ashamed of her asking for what she wants. And while she hopes to keep things physical, he encourages her to keep a open mind about having a relationship. This felt like a genuine give-and-take arrangement and I found that to be comforting.
Luke and Grace are in their early thirties and are past a lot of the anguish and impulsiveness of their younger years. Instead, the hurdle these days is figuring out what the next step is after already having made some dreams come true. Now it's about whom to share those dreams with. Not only finding the right person but also being the right person for that special someone. I'm really digging these older characters who are on the precipice of the next stage in their lives. You'd think that we'll all stop being scared at some point but that hesitancy never goes away and that was something very relatable about Luke and Grace.
I've enjoyed this Charleston Heat series so far and I feel like Peterson is really hitting her stride here. There's a smooth flow to the story that feels welcoming and makes you want to stay for the ride. I even looked up some of the places she mentions in the book and honestly, I hadn't ever thought much about Charleston as a destination but now I feel a visit is warranted. She makes it sound like a spectacular place to get lost in for a few days. Southern Charmer is a love letter to the city but it's also to the men and women out there with their own bucket lists waiting to turn them to reality.
~ Bel
No comments:
Post a Comment