Source: Received eBook copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
About RESCUING THE BAD BOY
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 fund-raiser 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.
Excerpt
Her soft touch landed on Donovan’s arm,
and the anger shuddering inside him shifted into an ache. She stepped closer,
the warmth between them radiating enough heat to set him on fire. But like the
fireplaces he built, he could handle it. He could handle the heat from her, not
because he was impervious, but because he was strong enough to soak her in and
not burn to ash.
She turned his arm where paint was
drying. She swiped at it with her sleeve. “I made a mess.”
He’d forgotten about the paint. “Don’t…
I can… There is a shower in the…” He lost his train of thought when she turned
those emerald green eyes up to him. He watched her delicate throat work as she
swallowed. His eyes traveled up her neck and landed on her mouth. Needing her
mouth, he lowered his face, watched her eyes grow dark and wide, watched her
lift her chin to meet him.
Heat. He wanted more. If only to test his
own strength.
He moved his lips gently against hers,
but resisted holding her to him. She held onto him though, grasping his
forearms with both hands, her fingers wrapped around his elbows. Pressing her
body against his, pressing her tits against his ribs.
Hell, sounded like an invitation to
him. Deepening their connection, he
thrust his tongue into her mouth, reached around, and grabbed her ass with both
palms. When he squeezed, she sucked in a breath.
“Told you,” he rumbled.
“Told me?”
“Not a complaint, Scampi.” He squeezed
again. “Perfect.”
A choked laugh left her throat. “Big.”
Still moving his hands over her
backside, he said, “First thing I noticed about you at the Wharf.” He’d been
plating up a chicken scaloppini when the manager walked in to show around a few
new servers. Two he couldn’t remember, and Sofie. Bent over the plate, he’d
peeked between the metal shelves framing that perfect ass . He’d stood to get a
better look, and she’d pegged him with those moss-greens.
“Second thing I noticed was your eyes.”
Her lips parted slightly. “And the
third thing?”
He kissed her. She tasted incredible.
“The first time you talked to me.”
She rolled her eyes. “And what did I
say?”
She didn’t think he remembered. She was
wrong. “‘Can I get a side of cock?’”
Laughing, she shook her head.
He smiled back at her, unable to help
himself. “Then you cleared your throat and said, ‘cocktail sauce’.”
Shaking her head, she said, “Worst
abbreviation ever.”
“Kitchen guys are immature.”
She blinked up at him, studying him,
like she was trying to piece him together. He didn't want her to. Once she
pieced him together and had the whole picture, she wouldn’t like what she saw.
He kissed her again, keeping his hands
on her body.
“Are you testing my boundaries?” she
asked, her tone teasing. He recognized that comment from the night he rescued
her from Torsett.
“Mine,” he corrected.
Sofie bit her lip.
“I don’t date much.”
“Me either.” At
all, actually.
She shook her
head, more in thought than in argument. “I don’t think I have any boundaries
with you.”
He
was beginning to think he had none with her, either.
Review
I loved the first book in this series and was excited to read this one. I loved Evan and Charlie and it was great to see them again in this one. But I never felt that Evan was a bad boy. Donovan, however, is a bad boy.
Donovan grew up abused. All I can say is that it's a good thing that his abusive father was already dead or I would have crawled into the book and strangled his irritating self. I have no patience for men that throw children down the stairs for being a child. Yes, that happened to Donovan. As a result, he grew up an angry boy. And he was a jerk. And he had scars that he covered with tats. And he took something from Sofie that he feels the need to punish himself for. But he's back after seven years of being away and he can't keep his eye off of the girl that got through to his heart years ago.
These two together are so amazing. I adore that Sofie has a nickname of Scampi. I love that she's a sweet girl that risked her heart on a boy that she didn't understand but crushed on anyway. As she begins to understand him, her heart gets even more involved. Her patience with him is perfect.
This book is longer than most but it has a lot to all the complicated details of Donovan's life, keeping up with the last couple and building the interest in the next couples.
And sexy hot, this one has some yummy swooning times. On the washer, on a table in the great room, in the library, in the shower, oh, and in a king-sized bed. Love how much this boy wants to please his girl. He's making things up to her but he insists that she's satisfied.
This one can stand alone but if you read the first book, you'll really want this one too.
It's a great mix of hot and sexy and deep and meaningful. Read it.
About Jessica Lemmon
A former job-hopper, Jessica Lemmon resides in Ohio with her husband and rescue dog. She holds a degree in graphic design currently gathering dust in an impressive frame. When she's not writing super-sexy heroes, she can be found cooking, drawing, drinking coffee (okay, wine), and eating potato chips. She firmly believes God gifts us with talents for a purpose, and with His help, you can create the life you want.
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ReplyDeleteI felt for Donavan and all that he had endured! It makes me so angry and sad to think that some kids are abused like this. Donovan was one very sexy bad boy! I hated how he treated Sofie at the beginning, but was so happy how the dynamic between them changed in to something positive, meaningful, swoon-worthy, and romantic. Wonderful Review Val :)
ReplyDeleteLindy@ A Bookish Escape