Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Released on 6/11/13
Pages: 250
Format: eBook
Source: Giveaway
Review
So, Jude Wilde,ex-military turned private investigator with his four brothers, screwed up royally in the past, and now looking to make things right when he’s hired to protect the secret love of his life who is an assistant District Attorney with a violent, deadly stalker and no desire to see Jude ever again. Sure, I’m in.
What to say. Jude deliberately broke up his own engagement with Libby with a cheating set-up (I use the ‘set up’ part on purpose since I knew from the first instant it wasn’t real or true), broke her heart and moved on. He carries a ton of guilt with him over something about his parents’ deaths and also about a fellow Marine buddy’s bad situation. He’s loaded down with guilt over too much and coping by playing the immature, live in the moment guy that drives everyone nuts- me included. On Libby’s part, she believed what Jude led her to believe- he cheated and broke up a two-day engagement eight years before- she never got past it and now pours out all her pain and venom on him while they are cooped up together hiding from her stalker.
It was not an easy set up for a story and I knew going in that there were mistakes and recriminations coming all around. I did, but then I was reading it and just got tired of it all.
Libby, an otherwise brilliant and successful ADA (not convinced the way she thought and acted) refuses to believe that the problem is deadly. She resists protection or the need to play it safe. Then she goes with the hiding away together in a lovely Key West villa only to spend her time horny, snarky, and bored, and pulling stunts that keep her and Jude in danger.
I think the moment that did it for me was when she was busy slut-shaming him and thinking the worst when he’s a single guy and they are long broken up, but then she demands he sleep with her.
She has no evidence that he’s been with tons of women or even one, for one thing. He’s just saved her life and is standing between her and death with his own life (no thank yous and a lot of snarling at him because hey, its safer to be angry than grateful). She mentally knows she’s being unfair (has this little thought a few times before she opens her mouth), but plows ahead jabbing him hard acting disgusted and hateful. She says something along the lines of, I want to have sex to get you out of my system and you owe it to me because its your fault I’ve been a virtual nun since you left me and I couldn’t get over you. And I thought it was hypocritical to no sooner get done condemning him for being a male slut, but then deciding he’s fine to scratch her itch. Lost any chance of getting my respect. Be angry and hurt, but to use someone makes you the person you’re complaining about, Libby girl.
Yeah, after more than a third of the book going along like this and a few skimmed later passages seeing more of the same, I decided to end it. Jude had his reasons and Libby has hers. Both are semi-legit, but I just wasn’t in mood. I didn’t care for either of them and didn’t care what was happening.
That said, I have enjoyed this author’s writing before so I think I’ll give this series another chance with another Wilde brother and his story. I think if I had more patience to wait out the time of this pair storming about and then actually sitting down to talk about the past maturely while also getting on with the excitement of the deadly stalker that I might have liked it in the end- or not. So maybe later, but definitely not now.
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Ugh, this sounds frustrating. That initial part that you talked about, with the cheating setup — that’s so stupid. That would frustrate me for the entire book! Hopefully your next read is much better. Great review, Sophia!
Happy New Year. =)
Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!
I just got mad at the pair of them and wanted to douse them with the hose. They both said and did many stupid things. ARgh!
Hey, you have a safe and fun New Year, too, Alyssa! 🙂
I can definitely see why you DNF’d this one, those things would annoy me as well. The whole cheating set-up and her jumping to conclusions and putting herself in danger, that just doesn’t sound like it would work for me. Maybe another of her books works better for you.
Yeah, I lost all patience with them and a great deal of respect so I figured I might as well quit reading.
I don’t think that this one would have worked for me either. I wouldn’t have cared for that character at all. Nobody ever owes anybody sex.
Yes exactly. He didn’t owe her and he wasn’t responsible for her issue. Made me mad when I read that scene.
Ah bummer. I enjoyed this one back in the day. It would be interesting to see how it worked for me now. Hope you enjoy your next one a whole lot more!
Now, that has been something I’ve wondered about many of my older reads- that is, would my opinion change with time? Probably.
Yeah, it was a hit with most people so it was probably me getting hung up on that scene that ticked me off and not being vested enough with the rest of the story to keep going.