John Murphy is tormented by nightmares. A bestselling young-adult author, he writes the ultimate fantasy: stories where good always triumphs. He knows better. His past has shown him the worst in people—and in himself. When he moves next door to the sexy, vibrant Livvy—a woman completely unlike his usual one-night stands—he’s driven to explore every curve of her delicious body.
Pastry chef Livvy knows that giving in to the temptation that is John Murphy won’t lead to anything permanent, but she deserves a passionate summer fling. John discovers she’s as sweet as the confections she bakes while Livvy slowly unravels his secrets. But what will happen when she uncovers them all?
Whew! *fans self* This story was Hot with a capital H. The sexual tension between John and Livvy was incredibly intense, without being trashy or overwhelming the story.
What worked for me:
- I do love a tortured hero. John had a terrible childhood to say the least, and that still affects the man he is today.
- I love the possessiveness that each feels for the other, long before there’s anything more than an intended no-strings-attached fling. There’s just something primal about John being jealous that Livvy went out on a date with another man while “still wearing his mark”.
- I really enjoyed John’s talent for not only writing, which is fairly common in contemporary novels it seems, but also his talent for illustration.
- I really liked that both John and Livvy had “childhood damage”. His was much worse than hers, but her own unhappy childhood definitely left a mark.
- I enjoyed the little snippets from John’s YA books, as well as how the story paralleled what was happening in his own life.
What didn’t work for me:
- Honestly, there wasn’t really anything that didn’t “work” for me.. There were a few points that maybe bugged me a bit at first, but in the context of the story, they really do work well.
For example,
- The details about the abuse that John suffered as a child were incredibly hard to read. Sensitive readers should be aware that some of the descriptions of they physical abuse can be a bit graphic.
- John fights so dirty that it frustrated me at times how forgiving Livvy was. At the same time, however, it worked for this story, because she’s right — when you love someone, you stand with them even when they push you away.
Overall, I really and truly loved this story. The chemistry between John and Livvy was amazing, and their relationship felt real. They loved hard, fought dirty, and made mistakes just like any other human, but in the end they both had to be brave and learn to trust the other.
A very solid 5 Stars.
