Sunday, December 18, 2016

Book Review for A Perfect Gentleman: Arranged Marriage Romance by Rocklyn Ryder


Brooke:
I'm ready for my happily ever after but I'm obviously incapable of telling the difference between a good man and a good f**k.
What's a girl to do when she can't trust her own judgment? Let her bestie pick a husband for her of course!
When my BFF finds a modern day matchmaker online, I break down and give it a shot. What have I go to lose, right? Except when my future husband looks more like Mr. Rogers than Mr. Right I get cold feet.
Aiden's a perfect gentleman but maybe I was hoping for something a little rougher around the edges.
Aiden:
I'm done playing the field.
I'm ready to start a family and I want a wife at my side who's in it for the long haul. I'm sick of trying to find a good woman on my own. I want what my brother has, dammit.
He's happy with his wife and they just announced their second baby's on the way. I'm so jealous I can think straight. An arranged marriage worked for them.
That's why I'm trusting Raven's matchmaking services to find me the right woman. Brooke is that woman. The only woman for me and I know it as soon as I see her. But her friend tells me that Brooke's done with guys like me so if I want her I'm going to have to convince her I'm not like those other guys.
I hate dressing up like a office monkey but I'll be a perfect gentleman if that's what it takes to get my ring on Brooke's finger and my baby in her bell.

********************

Readers looking for a little afternoon delight will get just that in this novella that puts a modern spin on the theme of arranged marriages.  Toss in some misunderstandings, preconceived notions, and scorching encounters and readers will quickly find themselves caught up in this decadent delight.

After his recent break-up Aiden hit the rode, traveling to the far corners of the world on his motorcycle while life went on back home without him.  While his sister introduced their family to her new boyfriend, his brother found a wife and children using Raven's matchmaking services.  It's an old-fashioned concept that Aiden mocks, but is secretly drawn to as he's tired of being alone.  He wants someone to call his own and have the adoration of a child made in love. He has a lot to offer a woman as he has his own home and business, he's a self-made man.  He may be a bit rough around the edges with his leather coat, tats, and five o'clock shadow but when meeting the woman meant to be his he puts on a good guy persona.  When that side doesn't have her falling to her knees in gratitude he unleashes his sexy bad boy side in a sensual battle of wills that leaves her breathless.  Aiden's immensely appealing as he knows what he wants and goes after it.  He's not ashamed to admit to himself how jealous he is of his brother's HEA which endeared him to me.  He's the king of dirty talk, unleashing a sensual onslaught on Brooke to win her over, which made for a very scorching encounter late in the story that left me parched.  While we got to see Aiden's heart I wish we'd gotten to see more of his soul, a deeper look at his break-up and how that fueled his signing up for an arranged marriage.

Brooke's a good girl who likes her boys bad, but unfortunately the bad boys keep dumping her.  In her quest to find an edgy Prince Charming she just keeps finding frogs who use her up and spit her out.  When her friend discovers a modern-day version of a matchmaker she figures she has nothing to lose.  The moment she meets the man her friend and family chose for her though she lets preconceived notions put her HEA in doubt.  In his last ditch attempt to make her his Brooke will see that looks can be deceiving in a scorching tug-of-war between two people good at embracing their naughty sides.  Brooke's a modern woman unashamed in admitting she likes sex, unashamed in admitting she likes to be taken care of and claimed completely.  While there are things she likes about the clean-cut version of Aiden she jumps to conclusions about him that made me frustrated as it led to unnecessary roadblocks to their HEA.  Her treatment of her friend sometimes bordered on petulant too and overall dimmed my impressions of her a bit.

On a whole though this was a quick and satisfying read on the surface.  The premise was old-fashioned but a unique modern twist was put on it that made it work.  The early encounters between Aiden and Brooke were teeming with sexual tension as they got to know each other and became erotically-charged in Aiden's war to win her heart when she lets misunderstandings get in the way. Overall this romance didn't dig too deeply into either of their psyches, but it still all added up to a scorching appetizer that has me clamoring for more in the future!

My rating for this is a B.

*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

No comments:

Post a Comment