As a reader who loves the NA genre along with charming bad boys, I'm excited to introduce you to Tryst by Alex Rosa. Keep reading to get a tantalizing taste of this flirty newly-released book, along with my impressions of it, and then add it to your bookshelf...
With an abusive relationship behind her, Skyler moves out of her Orange County apartment, changes her phone number, cuts ties with her friends, and moves in with her brother Josh, a talent agent with a spare room in his incredible house in Hollywood.
Josh is happy to take Skyler under his wing, but he has one rule: she can’t sleep with his roommate, Blake. That’s fine by Skyler. She doesn’t want a man in her life right now—and certainly not cocky Blake who’s with a different girl every night. But his all-American boy charm and his ripped model physique are difficult to refuse. Josh will never know if no one ever tells him. And a little secret now and then never hurt anyone…
EXCERPT:
The large living room opens into the kitchen, where a dark granite island and counters greet me. The kitchen is spotless, with minimal kitchenware—a toaster, coffeemaker, and of course, a stainless-steel fridge. I wonder if this place is clean only because they knew I would be arriving. That would be something Josh would do.
I open cabinets, searching for a glass, and on the second attempt, a voice startles me.
“Cups are on the right, near the fridge.”
I turn around, and my breath catches in my throat at the sight. A barely dressed boy—er, man?—is standing there, idly watching me.
“Um, thank you.” I grab a glass and fill it with water.
He gives me this all-American-boy grin, seeming to enjoy my obvious discomfort. “No problem. Skyler, isn’t it?”
I take a sip and respond. “Yes. Roommate, I presume?” Getting those words out wasn’t so hard. As I wait for his response, my eyes drag down to his tan, toned physique, and I linger a little too long on the V at the edge of his navy-blue boxer briefs.
His voice brings me back to his stark, forest-colored eyes that complement his dark brown hair. Those eyes are distracting.
“I’ve got a name. Blake. Blake Everett. Nice to meet you.”
Was that a hint of attitude? Without a second thought and no shame, he leans his half-naked body over and raises his hand to shake mine. I can tell he’s enjoying this, and it only makes me feel uneasier.
I shake his hand as confidently as possible, and my imbedded manners kick in. “Nice to meet you too, Blake. Thanks for letting me stay here.”
He smirks, and I notice him giving me the once-over. I suddenly wish I wore nicer jeans rather than a torn-up pair. I don’t like the feeling of being under his judgmental eyes, because I am nowhere near able to compare to this Greek god. I run my hands through my curly black hair, and wish I’d brushed it before leaving this morning. He’s so pretty it hurts.
I’m aching to hear some sort of response, but I’m not sure he has one. I worry that I’m not welcome, but as he opens his mouth to respond, a voice from a bedroom down the hall interrupts. It’s high-pitched and squeaky.
“Blaaaaaaakkkeee, I’m thirsty. Come love me now!”
I flush crimson, realizing the implications of the whiny girl voice and his attire. If I am not mistaken, he flushes, too, but the arrogant smirk remains. Why are his lips so distracting?
He laughs, no doubt over my shocked expression, and then shrugs as if that explains everything.
“You mind if I take this?” he asks. He snatches the glass of water out of my hand, takes a quick sip, and winks at me. With that, he turns on his heels and walks back toward his bedroom. I hear his door shut.
I open cabinets, searching for a glass, and on the second attempt, a voice startles me.
“Cups are on the right, near the fridge.”
I turn around, and my breath catches in my throat at the sight. A barely dressed boy—er, man?—is standing there, idly watching me.
“Um, thank you.” I grab a glass and fill it with water.
He gives me this all-American-boy grin, seeming to enjoy my obvious discomfort. “No problem. Skyler, isn’t it?”
I take a sip and respond. “Yes. Roommate, I presume?” Getting those words out wasn’t so hard. As I wait for his response, my eyes drag down to his tan, toned physique, and I linger a little too long on the V at the edge of his navy-blue boxer briefs.
His voice brings me back to his stark, forest-colored eyes that complement his dark brown hair. Those eyes are distracting.
“I’ve got a name. Blake. Blake Everett. Nice to meet you.”
Was that a hint of attitude? Without a second thought and no shame, he leans his half-naked body over and raises his hand to shake mine. I can tell he’s enjoying this, and it only makes me feel uneasier.
I shake his hand as confidently as possible, and my imbedded manners kick in. “Nice to meet you too, Blake. Thanks for letting me stay here.”
He smirks, and I notice him giving me the once-over. I suddenly wish I wore nicer jeans rather than a torn-up pair. I don’t like the feeling of being under his judgmental eyes, because I am nowhere near able to compare to this Greek god. I run my hands through my curly black hair, and wish I’d brushed it before leaving this morning. He’s so pretty it hurts.
I’m aching to hear some sort of response, but I’m not sure he has one. I worry that I’m not welcome, but as he opens his mouth to respond, a voice from a bedroom down the hall interrupts. It’s high-pitched and squeaky.
“Blaaaaaaakkkeee, I’m thirsty. Come love me now!”
I flush crimson, realizing the implications of the whiny girl voice and his attire. If I am not mistaken, he flushes, too, but the arrogant smirk remains. Why are his lips so distracting?
He laughs, no doubt over my shocked expression, and then shrugs as if that explains everything.
“You mind if I take this?” he asks. He snatches the glass of water out of my hand, takes a quick sip, and winks at me. With that, he turns on his heels and walks back toward his bedroom. I hear his door shut.
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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
Skyler's come a long way to start her life over after escaping from an abusive relationship. She had to leave everything behind, friends and schooling, to make sure her past stayed in the past. Her brother Josh offers her a haven, a place to make new friends and to find herself again. The only thing he asks from her is to not get involved with his roommate. There's nothing like forbidden fruit though and even as she and Blake start out as enemies they soon become more in an emotionally intense journey to HEA. Skyler's a likable heroine with a bruised heart and low self-esteem. She doesn't think herself worthy of happiness so she makes some bad choices trying to find herself. Using a friend who wants more to create jealousy adds to the sexual tension between her and Blake but left me disappointed at the childish act. Luckily she wizened up before too much damage was done. For the most part though I applaud her standing up for herself and thoroughly enjoyed the sensual tug of war between her and Blake as she gave as good as she got.
Blake at first seems like nothing but a manwhore with his revolving door of women which makes him hard to like. His charm always shows through though and slowly he's able to form a connection with Skyler based on their mutual pain. He too has been hurt in the past and doesn't want to open his heart again. When he meets Skyler he wages an inner battle to keep his hands off her but once the fire is lit it rages out of control leaving heir relationship a scorching secret. Blake may seem superficial early on but quickly shows great emotional depth, understanding and supporting Skyler in rebuilding herself and dealing with her past once and for all. He's sweet, charming, and sexy and I couldn't get enough of him as he ultimately became the man Skyler needed to heal.
This was a delightful read with witty banter teeming with sexual tension. The sensual battle of wills between Blake and Skyler was thoroughly entertaining with a richly rewarding payoff at the end. Josh was a caring brother who would do anything to keep Skyler safe and happy and I loved seeing his protective side, along with his partying side. The entire cast of characters in fact felt like friends with interactions reminiscent of real life which gave the story energy that kept me turning the pages voraciously. There are many wonderful characters seen throughout this book that could easily carry their own story and I hope Ms. Rosa visits all of them again soon.
My rating for this is an B+
*I got this book from NetGalley for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
Alex Rosa lives in San Diego, California. When she isn’t scouring city parks or cafe’s to write she is more than likely trying to convince her friends to join her on her next adventure. A sufferer of wanderlust, she is always looking for a new mountain to climb, a canyon to hike, or a plane to board. Her resume consists of coroner, to working at a zoo, and most recently as an executive assistant, but finds her home amongst words, whether it be in books, or in film. Her obsessions are on the brink of bizarre, but that’s just the way she likes it.
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