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alyshadeshae's review
5.0
Just, wow!
Okay, disclaimer to start, I was given an ARC to read, but I like to support my favorite authors so I also bought a copy! Also disclaimer, I do consider Gina a friend, but that does not change my review.
Have you read the Modern Girl's Guide series? If not, you totally should, but even if you haven't, it's okay. This is sort of a sequel series. Sort of. Remember Cash and Kim from [b:Modern Girl's Guide to Kink|30741636|Modern Girl's Guide to Kink (Modern Girl's Guide, #4)|Gina Drayer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1466744358s/30741636.jpg|51284763]? Remember the bar Cash would hang out in with his friend Dylon? Remember where Lily successfully sent Cash and Kim home together? Remember getting tired of me asking you questions? Haha! Seriously, though. Cash and Kim make a few appearances in this book (and might provide a few pointed "go get 'ems") and it's delightful!
Our starring couple, though, is a scared witness in a huge case with potential ties to the mob and the super sexy bartender/owner of Bernadette's who has this thing about honesty. Lee Taylor O'Brien finds her way into Bernadette's while looking for a safe place to rent and hide until the trial is over, but she also ends up with a job at the bar using the name Lee Taylor (ooh, she lied!!), which will keep her from using up all of her savings, thankfully. Dylon Knightly likes strays and, in spite of being a "no strings attached" playboy, finds himself really caring for the girl who will share as little as possible about herself.
I'm not a huge fan of crime novels or of romance novels, which makes me loving this book as much as I did a huge mystery in and of itself! Haha! However, I place the blame firmly on the way Gina writes her characters - they truly come to life, as do the settings. This book is more serious in tone than the MGG books, but it doesn't take away anything from the enjoyment of the romance because it really just adds extra depth.
The bar is a huge part of the book as a setting and almost it's own character. Dylon loves the bar for a variety of reasons and he's given it an awesome retro look right down to how the employees dress. That vibe permeates most of the book and, with the addition of the potential mob problems, it really brings to mind some of the old school detective novels I used to read. This book is, for me, so much better than those. You can feel the tension (sexual and otherwise), Lee's fear for her life, and Dylon's frustration at not being let in.
I would love to go into detail about every single thing in this book, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Trust me, it's more than worth the few dollars from Amazon. If you're disappointed, I bet Dylon will eat his hat! ;-) And if you like this book, you should read everything from Gina Drayer like I do! Even if she never sent me another ARC again, she is on my auto-buy list! Also, I heard from a little bird that she's going to have lots and lots of books coming out in 2017! I CANNOT WAIT!!!!! She is single-handedly changing my opinion about romance books and crime/mystery books. (Check out [b:Lotus Petals|23264772|Lotus Petals|Gina Drayer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1411486745s/23264772.jpg|42038620] for a paranormal mystery with some romance thrown in.)
Okay, disclaimer to start, I was given an ARC to read, but I like to support my favorite authors so I also bought a copy! Also disclaimer, I do consider Gina a friend, but that does not change my review.
Have you read the Modern Girl's Guide series? If not, you totally should, but even if you haven't, it's okay. This is sort of a sequel series. Sort of. Remember Cash and Kim from [b:Modern Girl's Guide to Kink|30741636|Modern Girl's Guide to Kink (Modern Girl's Guide, #4)|Gina Drayer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1466744358s/30741636.jpg|51284763]? Remember the bar Cash would hang out in with his friend Dylon? Remember where Lily successfully sent Cash and Kim home together? Remember getting tired of me asking you questions? Haha! Seriously, though. Cash and Kim make a few appearances in this book (and might provide a few pointed "go get 'ems") and it's delightful!
Our starring couple, though, is a scared witness in a huge case with potential ties to the mob and the super sexy bartender/owner of Bernadette's who has this thing about honesty. Lee Taylor O'Brien finds her way into Bernadette's while looking for a safe place to rent and hide until the trial is over, but she also ends up with a job at the bar using the name Lee Taylor (ooh, she lied!!), which will keep her from using up all of her savings, thankfully. Dylon Knightly likes strays and, in spite of being a "no strings attached" playboy, finds himself really caring for the girl who will share as little as possible about herself.
I'm not a huge fan of crime novels or of romance novels, which makes me loving this book as much as I did a huge mystery in and of itself! Haha! However, I place the blame firmly on the way Gina writes her characters - they truly come to life, as do the settings. This book is more serious in tone than the MGG books, but it doesn't take away anything from the enjoyment of the romance because it really just adds extra depth.
The bar is a huge part of the book as a setting and almost it's own character. Dylon loves the bar for a variety of reasons and he's given it an awesome retro look right down to how the employees dress. That vibe permeates most of the book and, with the addition of the potential mob problems, it really brings to mind some of the old school detective novels I used to read. This book is, for me, so much better than those. You can feel the tension (sexual and otherwise), Lee's fear for her life, and Dylon's frustration at not being let in.
I would love to go into detail about every single thing in this book, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Trust me, it's more than worth the few dollars from Amazon. If you're disappointed, I bet Dylon will eat his hat! ;-) And if you like this book, you should read everything from Gina Drayer like I do! Even if she never sent me another ARC again, she is on my auto-buy list! Also, I heard from a little bird that she's going to have lots and lots of books coming out in 2017! I CANNOT WAIT!!!!! She is single-handedly changing my opinion about romance books and crime/mystery books. (Check out [b:Lotus Petals|23264772|Lotus Petals|Gina Drayer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1411486745s/23264772.jpg|42038620] for a paranormal mystery with some romance thrown in.)
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