(4 / 5)

Okay, I was a lost cause the minute I started this book. For nearly two days, everyone in my home was under “don’t talk to mom she’s reading right now” alert.

The story basically begins with Iris, cancer and terrible dad survivor, trying to get back on her feet. She’s been laid off and forced to move in with her brother Sonny. Enter Dex Locke. He’s one of Sonny’s motorcycle buddies, and he’s in need of an office manager for his tattoo shop. It isn’t Iris’s dream job, but it will pay the bills. Unfortunately, Dex is a total dick of a boss. He’s moody and foul-mouthed. Dex has also made it clear (read straight out told her brother) that he thinks Iris is dumb. Life only gets more complicated when some sketchy bikers looking for Iris’s dad beat up Sonny and threaten Iris. Now it’s up to Dex to keep her safe while Sonny searches for their deadbeat dad. As villains come out of the woodwork, Iris learns to trust Dex with her safety and her secrets. She might even trust him with her heart.

I’m a sucker for a bad boy with a secret soft center, so for me, Dex Locke is a dream come true. He is so ridiculously angry at the world, it made me laugh. Iris ultimately begins to laugh about it too. The book starts with these two characters first meeting, and you get to watch their friendship and more build over the book. I love when we get to see characters fall for each other over time. It feels more real. I love the witty banter between these characters and the super-hot bedroom scenes. I will warn you, it takes a while to get to the steamy part of this book, but it is totally worth the wait. I love Iris and Dex. Sonny and the tattoo artists were great characters too. Overall this is a really solid read that won’t take you to long. Be ready, though, you become a sick reading addict once you hit the halfway mark. I had to force myself to put the book down and feed my children.

Plot: (3 / 5)

The plot takes a little time to start up, but it’s fairly believable. It moves along just like life does. Sometimes there’s lots of action. Sometimes, you’re just shooting the breeze with your friends. The pace could have been quicker, but I truly enjoyed the scenes where you watch Iris bloom in her new life.

Writing: (3 / 5)

The book could have used an edit here and there, but it was a pretty solid. I kinda like longer books. I get to stay with the characters longer, so I may be biased.

Characters: (5 / 5)

This is where Mariana Zapata hits it out of the ballpark. I loved every character in the book (you know, except for the villains). They have realistic problems, fun conversations, and good hearts. Not only were the hero and heroine written well, but also their cast of supporting characters was super interesting. I wouldn’t mind reading a book about Sonny, Slim, Luther, or Blue in the near future.