Would you give up your best friend for one night of passion?
From the author of the Legal series comes a hot and hilarious new STANDALONE.
I met him on the luckiest day of the year.
Of course, I wasn’t aware of his true identity at the time. I only knew him as the arrogant blond god who gave me a shamrock necklace. For luck.
As if I needed it.
Okay, maybe I did. But it was presumptuous of him to assume I wanted his help – all because he made it his business to pry into my personal conversation.
I, Perry Sommers, want a life makeover.
I want to stop being so impulsive and start acting like a grown up.
I want to settle down and have a real relationship, instead of a series of clusterf*cks.
I want to fall in love. Just not with this man.
But love isn’t fair. It doesn’t care if someone is off-limits, and Stephen Davidson definitely is. I can handle that. Our intense chemistry tests me on a near constant basis. I can handle that too.
What I can’t handle is how much I’ve come to need him in my life. I never expected this infuriating hard-ass to become my best friend, but now that he has, I never want to let him go.
I can’t destroy the bond we share, but there is only so much a woman can take before she breaks.
Before she throws it all away for one perfect night.
********************
Ms. Dahlia’s Legal series continues with this prequel that presents readers with the story behind super couple Perry and Stephen. It’s a romance full of charm and lots of sexual tension that stands nicely on its own but is an immensely satisfying addition to the series that endears these characters to us all the more. It may start off a bit slow, with moments of frustration that made me groan, but by the latter half of the story I was all-in and furiously turning the pages hoping to see a HEA before The End.
In the Legal series, Perry is the friend of older woman Jillian, and is very much her opposite. She’s the outspoken one with no filter who you can’t help but laugh at as she barrels through life. Readers get to see a younger version of Perry here, one not as self-assured and too willing to just settle. For years she’d been in a relationship with a man that was of the on-again off-again variety. A relationship that was not wholly satisfying but one she was willing to become committed to. That decision changed everything though as it showed her the true colors of the man she just committed to as well as learning the truth about her best friend Christa. These discoveries were heartbreaking and Perry’s response to them was a bit tamer than I’d hoped. It forced her into action though, forced her out of her complacency and into the supportive arms of new friend/boss Stephen. From their first meeting it’s clear that they’re a combustible couple who goad each other in oh so many subtle ways. It’s also clear that she’s falling for him, despite desperately trying to keep him in the friendzone. Jealousy quickly rears its ugly head in hilarious, yet frustrating, ways that had me rooting for her to finally give in to the sweet and sexy Stephen before reaching an immensely satisfying conclusion. Perry’s a good friend, supportive and protective of those she claims as hers. She’s full of energy and righteous indignation and is more than willing to stand up for her beliefs. She’s a bit lost though, a bit uncertain when it comes to her life and future. She flits from job to job, but knows it’s time to start becoming an adult. That belief is what drove her to committing to a man clearly not right for her, but it’s what ultimately led her to Stephen and a connection that brought a smile to my face.
Stephen’s the proverbial good guy. He’s a loving son and brother and is self-assured when it comes to his job. When it comes to love though, he’s been unlucky as he’s not found the right girl to commit to. The moment he sees Perry is the moment he sees his forever and from that moment on he worms his way into her life in a way that had me cheering him on. Stephen makes it clear how much he cares for Perry through many sweet words and deeds and is willing to be in the friendzone while she nurses her bruised heart and soul. But the moment he finally gets everything he’s longed for, frustrating misunderstandings rip it away. He still shows his good guy qualities though by continuing to be Perry’s protector and by being the first to admit his feelings which made me love him all the more. Throughout this book series readers never learned much about Stephen other than his issues with his older sister’s relationship with a younger man, but here we get to humanize him and find a man worthy of our admiration. He loved Perry from the first page to the last and his words and deeds made this a very romantic story.
Perry and Stephen were an entertaining couple with a crackling connection full of witty banter and unrelenting sexual tension. Their journey from frienemies to friends to lovers went on a bit too long but it ultimately led to an immensely satisfying HEA that had me cheering. Surrounding this likable couple was a colorful cast of secondary characters who propelled this story towards its delightful conclusion. Among my favorites were Perry’s co-workers, Adam and Kate, both playful and supportive to their new friend. They were larger than life and I could easily see them as my friends too. Two other characters, Dre and Christa, greatly disappointed me though. Both appeared to be supportive of Perry, but behind their friendly facade they were anything but and I hated them for what they did. Perry deserved better. All of these bold characters made this story even stronger though, despite my anger with some, and pulled me in to these character’s lives completely. After the satisfying conclusion I found here I’m left greatly anticipating what Ms. Dahlia has planned next and highly recommend this series to others!
In the Legal series, Perry is the friend of older woman Jillian, and is very much her opposite. She’s the outspoken one with no filter who you can’t help but laugh at as she barrels through life. Readers get to see a younger version of Perry here, one not as self-assured and too willing to just settle. For years she’d been in a relationship with a man that was of the on-again off-again variety. A relationship that was not wholly satisfying but one she was willing to become committed to. That decision changed everything though as it showed her the true colors of the man she just committed to as well as learning the truth about her best friend Christa. These discoveries were heartbreaking and Perry’s response to them was a bit tamer than I’d hoped. It forced her into action though, forced her out of her complacency and into the supportive arms of new friend/boss Stephen. From their first meeting it’s clear that they’re a combustible couple who goad each other in oh so many subtle ways. It’s also clear that she’s falling for him, despite desperately trying to keep him in the friendzone. Jealousy quickly rears its ugly head in hilarious, yet frustrating, ways that had me rooting for her to finally give in to the sweet and sexy Stephen before reaching an immensely satisfying conclusion. Perry’s a good friend, supportive and protective of those she claims as hers. She’s full of energy and righteous indignation and is more than willing to stand up for her beliefs. She’s a bit lost though, a bit uncertain when it comes to her life and future. She flits from job to job, but knows it’s time to start becoming an adult. That belief is what drove her to committing to a man clearly not right for her, but it’s what ultimately led her to Stephen and a connection that brought a smile to my face.
Stephen’s the proverbial good guy. He’s a loving son and brother and is self-assured when it comes to his job. When it comes to love though, he’s been unlucky as he’s not found the right girl to commit to. The moment he sees Perry is the moment he sees his forever and from that moment on he worms his way into her life in a way that had me cheering him on. Stephen makes it clear how much he cares for Perry through many sweet words and deeds and is willing to be in the friendzone while she nurses her bruised heart and soul. But the moment he finally gets everything he’s longed for, frustrating misunderstandings rip it away. He still shows his good guy qualities though by continuing to be Perry’s protector and by being the first to admit his feelings which made me love him all the more. Throughout this book series readers never learned much about Stephen other than his issues with his older sister’s relationship with a younger man, but here we get to humanize him and find a man worthy of our admiration. He loved Perry from the first page to the last and his words and deeds made this a very romantic story.
Perry and Stephen were an entertaining couple with a crackling connection full of witty banter and unrelenting sexual tension. Their journey from frienemies to friends to lovers went on a bit too long but it ultimately led to an immensely satisfying HEA that had me cheering. Surrounding this likable couple was a colorful cast of secondary characters who propelled this story towards its delightful conclusion. Among my favorites were Perry’s co-workers, Adam and Kate, both playful and supportive to their new friend. They were larger than life and I could easily see them as my friends too. Two other characters, Dre and Christa, greatly disappointed me though. Both appeared to be supportive of Perry, but behind their friendly facade they were anything but and I hated them for what they did. Perry deserved better. All of these bold characters made this story even stronger though, despite my anger with some, and pulled me in to these character’s lives completely. After the satisfying conclusion I found here I’m left greatly anticipating what Ms. Dahlia has planned next and highly recommend this series to others!
My rating for this is an A-/B+
*I got this book from Xpresso Book Tours for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
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