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434 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2015
Once wasn't going to be enough. He realized that now. He wanted her countless times in countless ways. Underneath him. On top of him. Beside him...
Feel nothing. Want nothing. Need nothing.
I thought Strawberry Valley had become my home," he said. "But it's you, You are my home, angel. You're where I've put down roots.
"You are pleasure to my pain, hope to my fear. You are everything I've ever needed but didn't think I'd be lucky enough to have."Jase Hollister was just released from a nine years sentence. He isn't looking for any kind of attachment, he has his two best friends, Beck and West, with him and that's enough. Brook Lynn Dillon has two full jobs, tons of bills to pay and a (big) sister to take care of, she does not have time for a man in her life. But, one night, while looking to rescue her sister for the gazillion times, she finds herself at Jase's house. In his bedroom to be exact. With his sister in his bed. Naked.
But, there is a but, he was so frustrating as well. Oh my god, hot and cold, hot and cold. Just stop and make a freaking decision, I beg of you! He was attracted to her but then no because he was bad for her but then yes because she made him want to be better but then no because what if she didn't want him once he told her the whole truth about himself...![]()
This book was trying for me but I made it. Both of them were frustrating and I was very happy when they finally decided to be together and be done with the what ifs. They actually worked together, they balanced each other out.![]()
"I'm going to check on the food. I won't be gone long."
"It'll still feel like forever."
"I missed you," he said.
"Because I'm the light of your life. Duh."
"You certainly are." He kissed the tip of her nose.
Jase's expression had just softened, his eyes going wide with wonder. "You are amazing"
"You gotta love a man who builds a zombie-apocalypse bunker just for you."
Brook Lynn Dillon is used to being responsible, although that doesn’t mean life has been easy. She’s broke and has no time for fun, not like her sister. Until she meets the dangerous Jase, who is temptation personified but she knows she should resist him, especially once he becomes her employer. But resistance is futile and soon both are succumbing to their sizzling desire. However what will happen when Brook Lynn finds out the secret Jase has been too afraid to tell her?
Jase Hollister has just spent the last nine years in prison and all he wants is the wide open spaces of Strawberry Valley and staying out of trouble. Together with his two best friends he hopes to make a fresh start. But the moment he meets Brook Lynn he knows she’s going to mean trouble for him, but the harder he tries to stay away the more difficult it is. Has Jase finally found his salvation in her or will she destroy the little bit of heart he has left when she finds out that he was in prison and what he did to get there?
“You fear zombies?”
“Fear? No. That’s Kenna. I’m actually looking forward to battling the undead. I plan to collect their heads like trophies.”
I pretty much loved the sassy Brook Lynn from the beginning especially her obsession about zombies. She was just so adorable and I kept on loving her until the 80% mark where she angered me so greatly that I wanted to throttle her. So yeah, Brook Lynn pretty much had me raging near the end. Luckily she did redeem herself a little later.
He wanted her, and it was time to stop denying it, even though admitting it was more dangerous to his peace of mind.
Now Jase I liked more and more as the story progressed. This was a man who had lost everything and he didn’t even have that much to begin with. The only two people who had never deserted him, who were always there for him was his two best friends. And I loved the bond between these three, how much they cared about each other, all of them so broken in their own ways, but determined to make things better for each other. I didn’t like how he kept comparing Brook Lynn to his high school girlfriend in the beginning but luckily he didn’t do that for too long.
He loved her. Loved her with every cell in his body. Loved her with every bit of light in his soul. She’d somehow snuck past his defenses to become one of the most important parts of his life. More important than his lungs.
The romance had a bit of a rocky start seeing as Jase had a one night stand with Brook Lynn sister before he met her, so of course that was a bit awkward to get over and I thought it would bother me a lot more than it did. But Jase was so all about Brook Lynn since the moment he met her, he never even thought about her sister in a sexual way so I actually really enjoyed their slow burn romance, how hard Jase tried to do the right thing by staying away from Brook Lynn but unable to stop wanting and needing her. Everything was going great until all the drama near the end with her reaction to his secret :-( And of course the angst didn’t end there This book had so much potential and it I really enjoyed most of it but in the end there was just too much drama for me to overcome and love it.
As for the secondary characters I had mixed feelings about Jessie Kay, Brook Lynn’s sister. On the one hand I felt so sorry for her, she wants so desperately to be loved and she looks for it in all the wrong places with all the wrong men and I just wanted to hug her. On the other hand her irresponsible ways and how much weight she added to her sisters’ shoulders made me want to shake her and tell her to grow up. Let’s hope things get better for her. Then there’s Jase’s friends, major player Beck who is such a charmer and the broody and serious West and I loved them both.
I love the way this author writes and despite my issues I still loved her writing and enjoyed the story and I can’t wait to read the next books.