| Title | : | Claiming Her |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 290 |
| Publication | : | First published June 1, 2018 |
Claiming Her Reviews
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I enjoyed this story about a young woman who finds love unexpectedly as she is on a girls' trip to "console" her childhood friend (whose fiance just announced he was in love with the pool boy and broke things off just before the wedding!). The ladies are all from Richmond, VA, and are debutante/high society girls. I grew up in South Carolina, so I am familiar with that world (though it was definitely not for this tomboy - haha!).
We learn early on that the jilted bride (Charlene) is a major "witch with a b," as she is very self-involved and arrogant from the start. Her relationship with the female main character (Olivia) seems to be a remnant of their childhood where most friendships are defined by where you live and who your parents are friends with (as both of these ladies are the children of wealthy businessmen, that connection is easy to make). They seem not to have as much in common as adults, though, as Olivia is a kind, modest, and naive (to some extent) woman while Charlene is in it for herself as she feels she "deserves" to have whatever she wants, and she is far from the image of an innocent deb that Olivia seems to be.
Enter Vincent, the owner of the boutique hotel that the ladies venture to out in California to soak up some rays and "mend Charlene's not-so-broken heart." He likes to visit his resorts and act as though he is a guest; he does not reveal to many (including the staff) that he owns the hot spots, and he enjoys his anonymity and ability to "blend in" so that he can see how things are really going with his businesses. He is also from a very prominent Virginia family, though he has shunned the offers of money from his parents and refuses to follow in his father's footsteps (thus, he used his inheritance from his grandfather to start his hotel business and is nearly as wealthy as his father at this point). Charlene has chosen the Catalina Island spot as her father would like to be connected with Vincent's father to further his business pursuits, and as Vincent's father is of similar mind, he arranges the last-minute booking unbeknownst to Vincent. A significant part of Charlene's motivation for going to the resort is to meet the young self-made billionaire to rebound with, though when she asks to speak with him, she is told he is not there. Olivia immediately draws the attention of "Vincent undercover,"
and even though they do not know who he is, Charlene is livid when Vincent turns her down and continues to pursue Olivia. As she is used to getting whatever she wants, Charlene sabotages the budding love growing between Olivia and Vincent, and the couple is driven away from one another and remain out of touch for 2 years before meeting again in another unexpected way.
What I liked about this book:
- the h and H are both very likeable as they come from wealthy families but have maintained their own sense of self and modesty, and both are willing and want to work hard to be independent of their families' broad influence
- the relationship they build is constructed very well by the author, and it is very believable that they fall for each other (vs. some of the "insta-love" or "no real connection" relationships I have seen in many romance novels lately)
- once they do reconnect, they are able to figure out what led to their ugly break-up relatively quickly so the angst factor doesn't drag out so long and take over the story
What I didn't like as much:
- Charlene as the villain was a little over-the-top; some of her schemes (especially the major one that happens that splits the couple up) are pretty far-fetched in the sense that she would not have likely had as much control over the situation leaking as she was given in this story
- Olivia is not a drinker, yet she gets wasted with Vincent when they reconnect even AFTER she finds out that he wasn't the giant douche she thought he was --- not sure why that would have happened to the extent it did, not to mention that he was so blitzed he also forgot a lot of what happened, and he was a regular drinker, so he probably wouldn't have gotten that out of control --- didn't seem like it added much to the story, so I am not sure why it was necessary
- The "revenge" on the villain part was not very satisfying -- probably better to have just taken the high road and not even given any credence to the attempts to ruin the couple
Overall, though, I enjoyed it and would recommend to those who are looking for a light, fun beach read this summer!
Story -- 4/5
Female MC -- 4.5/5
Male MC -- 4.5/5
Other characters -- 3/5
Steam -- 3.5/5
Language (not egregious)
Violence -- none
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. -
Vincent and Olivia met while she was on vacation with some friends at his resort. In a little under 3 weeks, these two had some fun in the sun and fell in love. But the happiness didn't last due to a little bit of sabotage by the mean-spirited 'best friend', Charlene. Fast forward two years and these two one-time lovers meet again. Misunderstandings are explained away and the path is left open for some reconnecting. But their road to happily ever after had some Charlene-shaped obstacles to get through first.
I honestly had a good chuckle every time Charlene did something crazy. She was absolutely nuts but she definitely kept me entertained. If you're looking for an easy romance with bits of steam and tons of drama, you're looking in the right place!
Release: 06.02.2018 | Second Chance Contemporary Romance | Multiple POV - 1st person | Heat: 3.5 | Standalone
All views expressed are my own. 100% honest. 100% of the time!!
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review
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3 She Devil Stars
* * * Spoiler Free Quick, 99 Cents for a limited time!
I am new to R.R. Banks. I recently read one of his books, Accidental Fiancee and loved it. It had wonderful banter/ a lightness to it and just enough conflict which was rectified easily in the end.
So, when I saw another book by Banks recently released, I clicked right away.
Claim Her has a very different feel then the other book. That is entirety appropriate as the blurb is darker and leads us to know there will be turmoil.
Oh, there was turmoil alright... and our main characters had to deal with a She-Devil who was instrumental in all of the anguish.
The overall story almost had a bit of the Dynasty/Dallas/Southern Society tone to it. Rich women who had been part of the traditional group of growing up privileged and getting their way... except for our gal, Olivia. She bucked the trends by being authentic, sweet, sincere and virginal.
She has been best friends since childhood with an over indulgent snot... who takes advantage of her goodness. She was this woman's matron of honor for a wedding that was called off. The no longer bride decides to take the "Girls" on a freedom trip to a resort on Catalina, CA.
Vincent knows all about the type of women who just arrived at the resort he owns. He happened to be there to lay low and relax. Vincent has made a name for himself as a premier hotel/resort owner. He broke away from the family money and control because he didn't want to be a pawn in the family business. His grandparent left him enough to front his first little B&B and everything took off from there.
As this very successful owner, his way of making sure all of his places are exactly what a guest would want...is to come as a guest himself. Very few employees know what he looks like or when he is at one the hotels. His main contact at the Catalina Resort watches out for him.
Vincent is down at the beach just at daybreak. There, a little bit away, is this beautiful woman in a pink one piece suit who has caught his eye...She is throwing her hands out and embracing the beginning of the day. It is something to watch and Vincent is about to approach her when another woman yells out to Olivia.
This woman is nothing like the pretty, sweet one on the beach... she is hard edges where Olivia is soft and lush. Vincent learns who both the women are and he is only interested in Olivia...
Now he just needs to figure out how to get her attention and take her out.
This is the tale of these two... and right from the start...you know there are going to be hurdles...obstacles to overcome. Banks crafts this with all of the necessary ups and downs... the complexity of Vincent wanting Olivia and she needing to figure out what she actually wants...with the added benefit of She Devil in the wings looking to capture Vincent for herself.
This was a solid read yet, for me, I think I will stick to Banks' lighter fare. If you like the angsty feel of crossed lovers and then they finally coming together, then this will work well for you.
~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~~
Oh The Rich...
Yes, they can be different...
But they also can be just like us...
When He sees her...
All sweet, friendly and authentic...
He is captured, determined and claims her for his own...
Surprise, Surprise...
She does not stick around for more...
Years later, She cross paths with Him again...
A secret has been kept and no amount of passion will be kept at bay...
Now these are two are tied together...
She thinks it is mistake, he has decided...
To show what was real all along...
It was his....
Claiming Her-June 2nd 2018
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
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Garbage
If only the main male wasn't a horrid womanizer. I'm not even a modern feminist at all, but these books where the woman is sweet and the guy is drawn to her being all innocent and not slutty but he himself is a huge manwhore is bullshit. This guy makes it a habit of sleeping with guests before they leave and obviously sleeps around way too much. It's not only disgusting, it's hypocritical because way more is expected from the women than the men. Just because these guys eventually decide to stop being gross doesn't mean they're good guys. I realize these are just book characters but I get emotionally invested in people when I read, and this kind of stuff is unacceptable. It's sad and awful and demeans the eventual relationship. I couldn't even finish this. It's bad. Don't bother. -
The blurb says it all. It has all the things I hate.
A presumptuous hero who says, "Billionaires don't ask permission, they just take. So I took Olivia..."
Then, the plot gets thicker: an unplanned pregnancy and a secret child...
What else should you want from a good romance, right? -
One of the best reads I have had by R.R. Banks by far.
R.R Banks' writing talent and his unstoppable charisma to deliver such intense yet heartwarming stories is impressively captivating every single time. I find Claiming Her storyline very unique comparatively to his others books and much more interesting because of the three different POVs. This little detail my friends has made the story a lot more spicy and intriguing but not in a sensual content.
Don't wait long. Grab Claiming Her copy and start reading it. I guarantee you are going to love it!!
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My review is coming tonight yet I want to say that I feel very sorry for being late on reviewing Claiming Her because while I had finished reading it on time I didn't write my review immediately. -
The Incognito Billionaire🐺🍆🌋💰
What do tough rich girls💃 do when the going gets rough - such as finding out at the very last minute before your wedding👰, that your fiance is gay? They go on a three week long extended ex-bachelorette party to a fancy boutique resort🌴 on Catalina Island, all paid for by daddy 💰money bags. I guess none of the bridesmaids have jobs they need to keep!
The book📑 starts out a little bit crazy and a little bit slow, but finally there is Vincent🐺🍆🌋, a Wealthy, handsome, exciting new man in The 📷picture. Only he's interested in shy, good girl, Olivia💃💋, the maid of honor, not the sour pussed🐱, money grubbing, ex-bride, Charlene👰!
Vincent🐺🍆🌋💰 just happens to be The billionaire resort🌴 owner and he also just happens to be The Son of a wealthy💰 business friend of Charlene's wealthy💰 dad. Too many rich💰 people for my 🍺beer budget tastes!
Said dad💰is expecting Vincent🐺🍆🌋 to show Charlene👰 a good time......Vincent🐺🍆🌋 finds this out after the women have been there a while. He's laying low, he never tells anyone who he is at the resorts🌴 he owns. A quickie romance💕 is not gonna happen, not with Charlene👰, anyway.
ARC Received for a Voluntary and Honest Review.
I also bought The Book📑 for my romance library.
Once again, author Banks spins a great getaway 💘love story for fans of Adult Alpha Male Romances. Go on! Get lost in this sweet, sexy story for a few hours.
Additional 📚books by Mr Banks are included in the published version, providing the reader with many hours of romantic reading pleasure. -
This book is a captivating well written romance novel. The major plot and sublots flow efforlessly. Author Banks has a talent for character development and in this book the characters are memorable and will stay with you. I love how he infuses emotion into each and every character. This is the story of Vincent and Olivia, two great lovers at first sight, separated by deceipt and an evil BFF, Charlene. The sexual attraction is perfect and the sex is hot! The ending is smooth and allows the reader to savor the resolution of the saga. Again, I just adore how Banks ties up the HEA with an epilogue. I recommend this excellent novel. I received an advanced copy for my unbiased review. This belongs in top 20 for sure!
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I absolutely loved this book! There is lots of drama and all the other stuff we love to see in a great romance book that will keep you reading and wanting more. It's a hard one to put down. Well done Banks!
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Algunas partes me gustaron mucho, sobretodo cuando los protagonistas recién se conocen. Lo que no me gustó fue que después de reencontrarse todo pasa muy rápido y las cosas importantes que tenían que discutir como que les restaron importancia. Lo otro que no me gustó fue la villana, que era la típica niña rica que tenía que conseguir lo que ella quería... leer sus capítulos fue una tortura, pero al fin todo se solucionó y recibe su merecido.
Y los protagonistas tienen su HEA -
This is the first book by this author and I can say that it was enjoyable. Although, I really HATED Charlene. She was awful and I was so glad that she got put in her place at the end. I liked Olivia and Vincent. I was glad that after everything they were able to get their HEA.
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3.5 stars
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Light fluffy summer read
This is your average beach read. The only thing that made this stand out was the secondary character Charlene!!! What a beyotch! I mean her character was so good at being bad, she had me fuming! She is supposed to be Olivia's best friend but she is definitely her best enemy even when Olivia is clueless!! Which is over 50% of the book. I loved Vincent and his character! I liked Olivia ok she was just so dang weak as a character I just couldn't relate to get at all.
All in all a decent beach read, don't expect much depth or character building and suspend reality as well. If not for the hatred toward Charlene, if have little emotion to this book.
2.5 stars free on k.u. -
Lovely
Romantic, sweet, with a little dash of tragedy overcome, "Claiming Her" is a soft & easy read.
Our hero's internal monologues are wonderful! My favorite is when he speaks of how holding his woman makes him feel strong and capable. He is her protector. Of course, our heroine loves to feel just how strong and capable he is. ;) She feels safer nowhere else.
Mr. Banks is an excellent writer.
4.7 stars because the proofreader really needed to do one more read-through. As an editor myself, in my opinion, there are far too many typos & simple mistake for publication. -
This an emotional roller coaster of a book...so much so that instead of reading it in one sitting, I had to stop for the night as I had tears rolling down my face, and was quite prepared to take out the evil bitch.....if you read the book, you'll know exactly who I mean!
What started as a holiday dalliance between Vincent and Olivia, quickly became so much more for both of them...until it all fell apart, courtesy of Charlene.
Two years later they are still apart, but things are about to change, despite the best efforts of the poison dwarf (Charlene).
This is, at heart, a wonderful love story told by an author who gets to the heart of his characters, and whose grasp, and understanding, of emotions is amazing, whether the character is male or female.
There are lighter moments, there is witty banter, there are lol moments, and tender love scenes, making this a wonderful read.
RR Banks may just have written my favourite book of his......until the next one!
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. -
U never go into detail about the book cause it's in the script. Just my opinion. Only for me. I just found this lacking. By the time I reached the chapter they ended up on the island i started skimming, reading maybe 2 sentences out of the very very very overdone paragraphs. Blah blah blah. I also felt this would have been better if Charlenes POV was left out. Definitely too much. I love to read so...NEXT
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This is an exciting romance. It is full of true love, betrayal and justice. This is the billionaire, the virgin and the evil best friend. There are three POV's. Olivia, Vincent and Charlene. Olivia is a dear sweet innocent young woman who looks at the world in a way that sees the best in everything and everyone. Her mother and father are well off and part of high society. However, they educated Olivia to always be grateful for what she has and to be humble about it. Vincent is the son of another wealthy high society couple, whom he wants nothing to do with their money. He left his family behind to negotiate all his business dealings in anonymity. He refused his father's money and took the money his grandfather left him to invest until he became a billionaire with resort properties all over. He has a strong sense of what is right and wrong. He also does not care a wit about what society may or may not think of him. He and his father had not been in touch for many years until his mother pleaded for them to start speaking to each other again. Charlene is the daughter of a high society wealthy couple. She is difficult to deal with, very condescending, feels no loyalty to no one, looks out only for herself and usually get what she wants. She is a false friend to Olivia, even though Olivia believes that deep down there is the happy little girl she remembers. Ever since Olivia met Vincent, Charlene has walked around with a scowl. She wanted Vincent to notice her not Olivia. Charlene does terrible things to separate Olivia from Vincent so she could have him for herself. What she does on more than one occasion is downright dirty, disgusting and full of hatred for the burgeoning love that Vincent and Olivia have. This story has so many plots and subplots. There are many twists and turns in this book. The characters are so well written that I really started to strongly dislike Charlene and fell in love with Olivia and Vincent for the way they behaved despite everything Charlene threw at them. I could not stop reading this book. Page after page was written and filled with such emotion that I could not put it down. I was rooting for Olivia and Vincent and booing Charlene and felt sorry for her. This story is different from other romance stories (you will find out when you read for yourself what I mean). The book was engaging. It held my interest from page one till the end. This is an excellent story. You will not be disappointed. I highly recommend it. I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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Claiming Her: A Romance Collection By:
R.R. Banks
Deception At Its Finest... When Payback's A B¡T©H....
She's on the Island to help her friend forget, move on & pick up another Billionaire, but she's the one doing the moving...
Bored & Tired of sitting in beach cabanas, lounge chairs, & spa amenities... she leaves her friends behind to explore their surroundings & the activities provided catching more than just some fun in the sun when he finally reveals his presence...
Finally, the dazzling beauty has left her vapid friends to explore his resort... wonder if she'll let him be her personal guide...
Just when things are finally HEATing up under the tropical Sun, betrayal strikes this couple, damaging & shattering their fragile bonds...
Will the lies, deceit, & secrets keep them apart forever... or will they get their Second Chance At Romance & Revenge too?!
I was gifted an ARC of
R.R. Banks' "
Claiming Her: A Romance Collection" via Booksprout; I'm gladly recommending it based upon its own merits. I enjoyed this book, & I'll look forward to more opportunities to read Mr. Banks' work in the future. All opinions expressed within this review are uniquely my own & freely given.
Until next time... Happy Reading! -
Vincent is the anonymous owner of the resort and takes an interest in Olivia. Olivia fights the attraction and Charlene stews over being turned down by Vincent. A relationship develops between Olivia is a naive virgin who has lived by society's rules and doesn't push any boundaries. She is friends with Charlene, a hateful rich daddy's girl who thinks the world should bow at her feet. When it's discovered that Charlene's fiance is gay and the wedding is off, Charlene, Olivia and friends go on vacation to get away.
Vincent is the anonymous owner of the resort and takes an interest in Olivia. Olivia fights the attraction and Charlene stews over being turned down by Vincent. A relationship develops between Vincent and Olivia. Charlene can't have that so she takes action to ruin things.
I enjoyed the character development and progression of the story. I would have given this five stars but I felt some elements were a little unrealistic. I Vincent and Olivia. Charlene can't have that so she takes action to ruin things.
I enjoyed the character development and progression of the story. I would have given this five stars but I felt some elements were a little unrealistic. I don't want to put in any spoilers so I'll be vague and say that social media is huge these days and I think the photos would have leaked out. Also, it irritated me that Olivia didn't try a little harder to find out more things about Vincent and he didn't share anything with her. This led to problems later (which I understand for the development of the story), but it seemed unrealistic that she didn't push for more information.
Since I am giving the story 4 stars, the above things didn't stop me from enjoying the story and the romance of it. There were plenty "aw" moments and steamy heat as well. This was my first book by this author and I'll be looking for more. -
I read this book as part of an arc program. I really enjoyed this romance between Vincent and Olivia. This was the best yet I have read by RR. I love the twists in this book. Olivia was a socialite who was the maid of honor to Charlene when Charlene's wedding was cancelled. They decided to go to a resort for a vacation to help Charlene recover from the end of her relationship. Charlene was a spoiled socialite who loved being the center of attention and was used to getting anything she wanted. Olivia went along to the resort because she was a good friend and wanted to help. At the resort, Vincent saw Olivia and he wanted to be with her. Vincent owned the resort, as well as many others. He was the son of a wealthy businessman from Virginia, like Olivia and Charlene, but Vincent had cut ties with his family and preferred to be unknown to his guests. Recently he tried to reconnect with his family and his father asked him to be nice to Charlene because he wanted to do business with her father. Vincent didn't really like Charlene and refused. Vincent pursued Olivia and they spent her vacation together, causing Charlene to be jealous and act out. Olivia returned home and cut ties with Vincent. Two years later, Olivia and Vincent see each other again, but Olivia has a big secret and needs a job. Vincent is thrilled to see Olivia and wants to know why she cut of contact and how he can get her back. I loved this story. I loved Vincent and Olivia together, I think they really loved one another and would have been happy, except for Charlene. I think they had great chemistry and a lot of heat. I really loved this story and couldn't put it down. Another great one from RR!
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A Catalina love affair!
Ladies, Welcome to Catalina Island where romances starts and heartbreak begins.
Let me introduce you to sweet, innocent, curvaceous ,virginal Olivia . She’s such a wonderful and thoughtful girl that her malevolent friend Charlene will try at anything as lie and sabotage her new found steamy and very sexual romance with the ohhh so handsome billionaire.
Vincent doesn’t want recognition on his Island but relaxation until he spots a bit of Pink swimsuit on a very luscious, curvaceous body that is Olivia.
These two will go on a journey of pain and wicked self discovery, and mind boggling sex, lots of spanking mind you, but sinfully naughty altogether with dialogue included.
This encounter will soon turn out for the worst from Charlene’s making to Olivia having to be in arms way.
Will Vincent get a chance at rekindling with his love and being a dad or not?
This is the wonderful, well thought out work of R. R Banks in all his glory.
Please be advised , you will encounter an amazing dose of scrumptious entertainment, emotions will run high and humor with laughter aplenty,
Let’s not forget the banter and absolute wicked sex.
R cherie , What can I say ,like fine whiskey you continue to taste and satisfy my palette at every turn with your ohh so delicious books.
No throwing towels needed ! This is it for you to Star recognition.
P.S.Definitivement tu merites toutes ces accolades pour un travail bien fait. Bravo ! -
rcvd an advanced reader copy from the author for giving my two cents. we meet Olivia, pure and sweet who was hijacked by the supposed to be bride Charlene, to an Island resort to get back into the dating game. Olivia doesnt like to ruffle feathers so she goes and does what Charlene asks. Vincent doesnt like to be associated with his family and their wealth and forged his own path...luxury hotels but when his father tells him he booked a room for special guests he knew smtg was up. incognito, Vincent watches a beautiful woman standing in the ocean in the dusk and is immediately smitten with her. over the next few days he makes his move on her only to be denied but Charlene is more than willing. when Vincent refused Charlene she gets pissed and revenge esp when she finds out the hottie only has eyes for Olivia. circumstances leads to olivia's abrupt departure while Charlene tries to mend Vincent's broken heart. what's worse is that Olivia gave Vincent a part of her and in the end he gave her a part of him. fast forward 2 years and they meet again...only and boss and employee. can they maintain a professional relationship and will Vincent find out the real reason Olivia left all those yrs ago?
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Need an Insta love, second chance read with a twist or two or three?? One click this book and get a whole lot more!!! Visit Olivia and Vincent and follow them through the many phases of their relationship from their meeting on Catalina Island, the plot to sabotage them, the fall from society, to reconnecting and a taste of revenge. OMG Olivia and Vincent will crawl into your heart and mind from the first page and stay with you until the end!!! You've heard the saying "With friend like that, you don't need enimies", I can't count the times I wanted to throat punch Charlene, Olivias "best friend". What starts out as a very sensuous and steamy night turns into a nightmare for Olivia and Vincent has no clue what happened to make her run from him. Billionaire Vincent likes his anonymity but will risk it for what he wants and that's Olivia. Can these two figure out a way to stop the rumors and the person behind them to have a life together?? What happens when Vincent finds he has a child he knew nothing about?? One click now, snuggle up and hang on for the ride.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. -
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Another slam dunk for R.R. Banks! This was a beautiful love story that was so well done; it held my attention, was entertaining, but also heartwarming, full of emotional angst, scorching love scenes, and a compelling storyline that was well written. I really enjoyed reading this book and the momentum of the story keeps you wanting to read more that you can’t put it down! Olivia is a bridesmaid for her best friend, Charlene, until the wedding was canceled. All the bridesmaids go to a Resort where Olivia meets Vincent, who is the owner of the resort. Vincent is pure alpha who likes to be in control and is used to getting what he wants—and Olivia is the lucky recipient of his ministrations! It is clear that Olivia has affected him in ways no other woman has before and I loved how he constantly pushes against her barriers to get to know her, despite her resistance. I loved the little dilemma that ensues with Olivia and who gets in the way and causes trouble. Such a conundrum! Read and see how things work out—surprises? You will love this book, and it will draw you in from the beginning to the end.
