Long-held sparks fly the moment a bathtub comes through the ceiling of Dr. Natalie Kendrick as she ends up the new roommate to her friend and fellow surgeon, Jonah Sheridan in a steamy friends-to-lovers romance. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Better Than Me by Kimberly Kincaid, along with my impressions of it, then add this second installment in the Remington Medical series to your bookshelf!
Remington’s most notoriously single, notoriously sexy surgeon is about to fall for the one woman he can’t have...
Did I mention that she's A) his best friend B) immune to his panty-melting charm, and C) sleeping on his couch for the next six weeks?
But Jonah’s not made for commitment, and a good man is the one thing Natalie deserves.
Not someone who can only offer up a couple of sizzling hot, no-strings-attached nights of pure pleasure.
Unless that’s what she wants.
Because Jonah wants her. And with each moment they spend working together—living together—the harder it is to resist temptation.
And even harder to resist the fall that might break them both…
EXCERPT:
"Come on, Jonah. You and I are just friends, and my living with you would only be temporary. I’m neat and fairly low-maintenance, and I really can cook like a boss. I know you like your space.” It was a euphemism, and if the smile poking at the corners of her lips was anything to go by, Natalie knew it as well as Jonah did. He was a freaking island, and it wasn’t by accident. “So I can totally stay out of your hair if you want me to. But please.” In a blink, her smile disappeared. “I’m begging you. Don’t make me stay with my parents.”
Jonah’s nice-guy propensity came out of hiding to pick a fight with his defenses, both of them quickening his pulse. His defenses didn’t fight fair, though, reminding him that he had damn good reasons for not being a long-haul guy.
He opened his mouth to say he was sorry. To tell Natalie, rationally and with good reason, why he just couldn’t let her move in with him for six weeks.
But what came out was, “Okay. You can stay.”
Christ, his inner nice-guy was a sneaky son of a bitch.
“Really?” Natalie let out a gasp that quickly slid into an adorable ear-to-ear grin, and okay, Jonah was going to have to do some damage control here.
“With a couple of stipulations,” he said, holding up his fingers to count them off. “If you want to watch rom coms or that channel that plays all those gooey holiday movies, you’ve got to do it on your iPad.
Jonah knew from experience that she loved both, and with Christmas only a month away, she’d certainly want to mainline them whenever she had down time. But while happily ever after might be on some people’s agendas—and more power to them as long as they didn’t try to convert him to coupledom—he sure as hell wasn’t going to let it parade across his big screen TV.
“Come on! Not even It’s a Wonderful Life?” she asked, but he stood firm.
“The only Christmas movie that flies in my apartment is Diehard.”
Her hands moved to her hips. “That is so not a Christmas movie.”
“Take it or leave it, Kendrick. Yippie-ki-yay is all the holiday cheer you’re going to get out of me.”
Natalie frowned, but didn’t push her luck, so Jonah continued. “I’ll take that you cook, I clean bargain. I don’t mind doing all the dishes, and I wasn’t kidding when I said I can’t cook. No complaining about football or hockey—the Rogues are kicking ass again this year on the ice and I want to watch every game that I can. And for the love of all that it sacred and good, no bras on the shower curtain rod.”
“Done.”
His surprise must have stumbled over his face, because she laughed and tacked on, “What? You know I love hockey, too, and after meeting Finn Donnelly over the summer at that fundraiser at The Crooked Angel? I’m all-in for the Rogues. I promised you I’d cook, and the other stuff”—she lifted one shoulder beneath her light pink sweater—“I can stipulate, even if it iskind of grinchy. So, do we have a deal? I can come live with you until this mess is all fixed?”
Jonah exhaled. “Yes, we have a deal.
FIND AT GOODREADS here.
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
Tales of friends-to-lovers and roommates-to-lovers are some of my favorite themes and on delightful display in this second installment in the Remington Medical series. Witty banter, sizzling chemistry, and intense emotions fuel this tale that will quickly captivate readers as two very likable characters undertake a hard-fought journey to HEA. It’s a journey with surprising depth that played with my emotions as the antics of those on Grey’s Anatomy pale in comparison to everything that happened in this romance full of heart and soul.
Jonah Sheridan has been friends with Natalie for a few years now, working together at the hospital alongside their mutual friends. Until now he’s been content with her being just a friend, but when her apartment is damaged he offers to let her become his roommate. It’s only for a few weeks after all, but those random thoughts that he’s always had of her being naked soon become overwhelming and it takes their relationship to a more intense level that scares him as he deals with his past to make a future with the one woman he’s willing to fight for. To the outside world Jonah’s a confident and sexy doctor, a commitment-phobic manwhore with the well-earned nickname of the Orgasm Whisperer, but in reality he’s been burned by love in the past and is still bitter and doubtful of love’s existence. With a mother who left without a word when he was a child, leaving behind a bereft husband who’s still waiting for her to return, Jonah sees love as painful and doesn’t want that for himself. Deep down he’s a little boy, betrayed by love and scared to put his heart in the care of someone else. These feelings were only reinforced by an engagement that imploded at the last minute that left him feeling unworthy and hesitant to get that close to someone else ever again. The feelings Natalie engenders in him though are hard to ignore, their close quarters allowing for both of them to share truths, and before long he’s giving in to the temptations of her body and her heart. While he’s always seemed to be carefree when it comes to matters of the heart, when it comes to Natalie he takes a bold stand to prove himself to her. When she needs him most, after a frightening discovery late in the story, he proves beyond a doubt his being named my newest book boyfriend by standing solidly beside her when her own fears have her trying to push him away. Jonah’s a delicious hero with layers I enjoyed seeing revealed as the former player becomes a drool-worthy partner that makes this pair stronger by being together.
Natalie Kendrick’s been through a lot in her life, battling cancer as a child and struggling to break free of her parent’s overprotectiveness to become an independent woman and top pediatric surgeon. She understands what it means to be sick and scared and it makes her interactions with her patients all the more realistic. These scenes had me admiring her while wiping away the tears as the hospital vibe Ms. Kincaid crafted rang oh so true. Despite all her emotional hardships Natalie always looked on the bright side, always saw the good in others and was quick to offer comfort. She acknowledges Jonah’s reputation and until now has been content being a friend, but quiet talks show a deeper layer to the casual player that has her wanting more from him once she becomes his roommate. She might not be worldly in matters of sex, but being around Jonah has her boldly proclaiming her needs which had me cheering. Though they’re both worried about the change to their relationship they actually talk through things which makes for a virtually angst-free romance that pulled me in wholeheartedly. Things took a dramatic turn towards the end in a moment that brought her past to life and had Jonah proving himself to be just who she needs him to be. She’s a smart, strong, and independent woman but at that moment she needs someone to support her and let her be dependent on someone else for awhile. It‘s a defining moment for this couple that showed them as formidable and showed the healing power of love.
On a whole this was a scorching and emotionally rewarding tale of friends-to-lovers, a tale between two adults whose actions rang true as they pulled at my heartstrings while giving me a few laughs and blushes along the way. Jonah was dreamy and oozed sex appeal throughout the story. As he and Natalie grew closer we saw the hurt little boy with a bruised heart becoming a man worthy of her as he finally dealt with that pain head-on. Natalie was the kind of heroine you want all heroines to be as she balanced a strong and capable side with a scared side that she didn’t shy away from. She rolled with the punches thrown at her here, just as she did as a child and it was yet another reason to admire her. The romance between her and Jonah was a slow burn early on before becoming combustible in interludes that were well worth the wait. Surrounding this appealing main couple was an equally likable cast of secondary characters, most that we’ve seen before with updates that made this group of friends feel more like family. These characters are a strong support to this couple as they fought their way to HEA and they added even more heart and soul to this book. By the turn of the final page, and with its compelling epilogue, I’m left cheering and counting down the days with rabid anticipation courtesy of Connor and his secrets. Though this book is part of the Remington Medical series it stands strongly on its own and is a book I highly recommend as it’s more satisfying than any medical show on tv. Once again Ms. Kincaid doesn’t disappoint and readers will want to make space for this decadent and emotionally delightful book on their shelf!
Jonah Sheridan has been friends with Natalie for a few years now, working together at the hospital alongside their mutual friends. Until now he’s been content with her being just a friend, but when her apartment is damaged he offers to let her become his roommate. It’s only for a few weeks after all, but those random thoughts that he’s always had of her being naked soon become overwhelming and it takes their relationship to a more intense level that scares him as he deals with his past to make a future with the one woman he’s willing to fight for. To the outside world Jonah’s a confident and sexy doctor, a commitment-phobic manwhore with the well-earned nickname of the Orgasm Whisperer, but in reality he’s been burned by love in the past and is still bitter and doubtful of love’s existence. With a mother who left without a word when he was a child, leaving behind a bereft husband who’s still waiting for her to return, Jonah sees love as painful and doesn’t want that for himself. Deep down he’s a little boy, betrayed by love and scared to put his heart in the care of someone else. These feelings were only reinforced by an engagement that imploded at the last minute that left him feeling unworthy and hesitant to get that close to someone else ever again. The feelings Natalie engenders in him though are hard to ignore, their close quarters allowing for both of them to share truths, and before long he’s giving in to the temptations of her body and her heart. While he’s always seemed to be carefree when it comes to matters of the heart, when it comes to Natalie he takes a bold stand to prove himself to her. When she needs him most, after a frightening discovery late in the story, he proves beyond a doubt his being named my newest book boyfriend by standing solidly beside her when her own fears have her trying to push him away. Jonah’s a delicious hero with layers I enjoyed seeing revealed as the former player becomes a drool-worthy partner that makes this pair stronger by being together.
Natalie Kendrick’s been through a lot in her life, battling cancer as a child and struggling to break free of her parent’s overprotectiveness to become an independent woman and top pediatric surgeon. She understands what it means to be sick and scared and it makes her interactions with her patients all the more realistic. These scenes had me admiring her while wiping away the tears as the hospital vibe Ms. Kincaid crafted rang oh so true. Despite all her emotional hardships Natalie always looked on the bright side, always saw the good in others and was quick to offer comfort. She acknowledges Jonah’s reputation and until now has been content being a friend, but quiet talks show a deeper layer to the casual player that has her wanting more from him once she becomes his roommate. She might not be worldly in matters of sex, but being around Jonah has her boldly proclaiming her needs which had me cheering. Though they’re both worried about the change to their relationship they actually talk through things which makes for a virtually angst-free romance that pulled me in wholeheartedly. Things took a dramatic turn towards the end in a moment that brought her past to life and had Jonah proving himself to be just who she needs him to be. She’s a smart, strong, and independent woman but at that moment she needs someone to support her and let her be dependent on someone else for awhile. It‘s a defining moment for this couple that showed them as formidable and showed the healing power of love.
On a whole this was a scorching and emotionally rewarding tale of friends-to-lovers, a tale between two adults whose actions rang true as they pulled at my heartstrings while giving me a few laughs and blushes along the way. Jonah was dreamy and oozed sex appeal throughout the story. As he and Natalie grew closer we saw the hurt little boy with a bruised heart becoming a man worthy of her as he finally dealt with that pain head-on. Natalie was the kind of heroine you want all heroines to be as she balanced a strong and capable side with a scared side that she didn’t shy away from. She rolled with the punches thrown at her here, just as she did as a child and it was yet another reason to admire her. The romance between her and Jonah was a slow burn early on before becoming combustible in interludes that were well worth the wait. Surrounding this appealing main couple was an equally likable cast of secondary characters, most that we’ve seen before with updates that made this group of friends feel more like family. These characters are a strong support to this couple as they fought their way to HEA and they added even more heart and soul to this book. By the turn of the final page, and with its compelling epilogue, I’m left cheering and counting down the days with rabid anticipation courtesy of Connor and his secrets. Though this book is part of the Remington Medical series it stands strongly on its own and is a book I highly recommend as it’s more satisfying than any medical show on tv. Once again Ms. Kincaid doesn’t disappoint and readers will want to make space for this decadent and emotionally delightful book on their shelf!
My rating for this is an A.
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Kimberly Kincaid writes contemporary romance that splits the difference between sexy and sweet and hot and edgy romantic suspense. When she’s not sitting cross-legged in an ancient desk chair known as “The Pleather Bomber”, she can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to éclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book. Kimberly is a USA Today best-selling author and a 2016 and 2015 RWA RITA® finalist and 2014 Bookseller’s Best nominee who lives (and writes!) by the mantra that food is love. Kimberly resides in Virginia with her wildly patient husband and their three daughters.
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