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A review by naomilane
The Hotter You Burn by Gena Showalter
5.0
GENA SHOWALTER IS THE BOMB DIGGITY!I seriously loved THE HOTTER YOU BURN, it was amazing. Gena, once again, worked her magic and she wrote a super showaltery book.
« What do you need me to do? » she asked breathily. « Whatever it is, I'll do it. »Beck Ockley is a wham-bam, out-the-door-the-moment-the-sex-ends-without-a-thank-you-ma'am kind of guy. Harlow's words, not mine. He hates change and because of his past in foster care and his family abandoning him, he's secretly afraid of people giving up on him, so to remind himself that he is important he sleeps with women, makes them feel good and leaves them, no harm, no foul. He works with his best friend West and lives in the Glass house with West and his other best friend, Jase.
« Just keep breathing, baby. »
Harlow Glass is the former town bully. Even 10 years later, the people of Strawberry Valley still resent her for all the hurt she caused. She had her reasons for being a mean bitch, even if there are no good reasons for being a bully, at the time, it seemed right. But Harlow has changed, she isn't the same person she was as a teenager but no one seem to understand that. She has no home, no job, no money, nothing. She lives in a tent just outside her former childhood home. No one wants to give her a job and she's just not ready to leave Strawberry Valley.
She misses her childhood home and just wants to see what the new owners have done with it, so, one day, thinking the house empty, she goes in...and smells pie. But Beck chooses that moment to come home with his newest conquest. Here starts the story of Beck and Harlow.
« I'm crazy, sick, devastatingly in love with you. »Beck was a great character. He's loyal, funny, smart, very hot, kind, charming, he found his way into my heart right away. I just knew I was going to love him and I did. I so did. He's such a good guy who had a shitty childhood and who did some shitty things but he changed and became this amazing, strong but vulnerable man.
Harlow was amazing. Gena writes the best heroines! I loved her, how she changed, how she didn't make any excuses for her behavior when she was younger, how brave she was. Harlow, like Beck, did not have an easy start in life but she made it. Her vulnerability touched me and I just wanted to hug her at times because she definitely needed a big, sisterly hug.
Both of them were amazing. Individually and as a couple. They were so much alike and I thought it was good. Both have a very-hard-to-overcome past, both are scarred inside and out, both are vulnerable and both of them just want to feel loved and cherished. And they worked together, they truly did. From the moment they met, they clicked. Best chemistry ever. I could not get enough of them!
« You mean the Baconator? »Ms. Showalter did a wonderful job with their relationship. I loved that they became kind-of friends at first, even if they were attracted to each other, big time. Their relationship was perfectly developed. But, I must say, it was a bit frustrating. I wanted to shake some sense into both of them at times because they were being babies, but it didn't last and I think it worked with the story and with their personalities.
He barked out a laugh. « You've named my penis the Baconator? »
« What? I like bacon. »
« Well, I'm naming your breasts Strawberry Pie and Strawberry Shortcake. »
The secondary characters rocked! Of course, we see more of Kenna and Dane and Brook Lynn and Jase. But also West and Jessie Kay, I actually am excited to read their story, I love West and I did warm up to Jessie Kay a little so I'm very anxious to see what Gena has in store for them! We also meet new characters like, Daniel and Dottie (potential new story?) and Dorian! Holy hotness, I definitely want to know more about Dorian. Gimme, gimme, gimme!
And, finally, I loved the plot. THE HOTTER YOU BURN was very centered on the romance and I adored that but I really enjoyed reading about Beck's past and especially about Harlow's. The residents of Strawberry Valley really pissed me off at times, okay, Harlow did some bad things when she was a teenager but she was a damn teenager with a bad situation at home, the fact that almost all of them were still enraged with her 10 years later really didn't sit well with me. But it made for a very good story so I forgive them. Mostly.
THE HOTTER YOU BURN was a fantastic, steamy, beautiful, heartwarming book that you need to read because you just do. I loved this book so much. Gena can write absolutely anything and she proved it with this new contemporary series.
« She'd become his new normal. »
