A review by lanidon
Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage

1.0

DNF @ 60% 

I had to drop it after the sex scene, congrats on ruining what you were building. I swear a majority of modern romance authors forget the romance part and are so focused on sex above developing an emotionally fulfilling relationship. ⁽ᵀʰᵉ ˢᶜᵉⁿᵉ ⁱᵗˢᵉˡᶠ ʷᵃˢ ᵃˡˢᵒ ⁿᵒᵗ ᵍᵒᵒᵈ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵗʰᵉʸ ˢʰᵒᵘˡᵈ'ᵛᵉ ᵗᵃˡᵏᵉᵈ ᵃᵇᵒᵘᵗ ᵖʳᵉᶠᵉʳᵉⁿᶜᵉˢ ᵇᵉᶠᵒʳᵉ ᵖˡᵃʸⁱⁿᵍ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᵈᵒᵐⁱⁿᵃᵗⁱᵒⁿ ˡⁱᵏᵉ ᵗʰⁱˢ ᵉᵛᵉⁿ ⁱᶠ ⁱᵗ'ˢ ˡⁱᵍʰᵗ⁾

Okay so if you look at the story from a distance of not knowing it's a love story with a happy ending, they have known each other since childhood, they are just getting to know each other in a different context. He has a reputation as a playboy, she has a reputation as flighty and wanting away from this town. They BOTH need to relearn each other while proving they have changed their ways and are ready for something meaningful and long lasting. This thing between them needs to be a serious emotional connection to be worth the potential blowback to their loved ones.

What we get? Them hooking up in a truck.....

Cool cool cool

I wanted them to have a discussion about taking it slow. I wanted Brooks to tell her that she's not like his past girls and so he wants to approach things differently. I wanted them to talk about their feelings towards each other before jumping into bed. I wanted it to feel special

I got nothing but disappointment. I'm just upset because this had so so so much potential. I liked the characters, I loved the setting, the story of overcoming a traumatic event together and learning to love what you were raised with in a new context is beautiful, it's BEAUTIFUL and it was squandered for the cheap thrill of a mediocre sex scene