“You’re the red in my black and white world.”

I can’t stop smiling!!! This amazingly addictive book was SEXY, FUN and FULL OF FEELS!! Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. With its cocky, jaded, dirty-talking attorney hero and sassy, fiery heroine who argued, bantered, and slowly fell in love, and a surprisingly emotional twist to the story, it was a perfect romantic reading escape. I LOVED IT! If you’re looking for a great new book to escape into, I highly recommend this one!!

Now, I could give you my explanation of what the story is about, but to be honest, I love the blurb so much that I’m going to let it speak for itself…

The night I met Drew Jagger, he’d just broken into my new Park Avenue office.
I dialed 9-1-1 before proceeding to attack him with my fancy new Krav Maga skills.
He quickly restrained me, then chuckled, finding my attempted assault amusing.

Of course, my intruder had to be arrogant.
Only, turned out, he wasn’t an intruder at all.

Drew was the rightful occupant of my new office. He’d been on vacation while his posh space was renovated.
Which was how a scammer got away with leasing me office space that wasn’t really available for rent.
I was swindled out of ten grand.

The next day, after hours at the police station, Drew took pity on me and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. In exchange for answering his phones while his secretary was out, he’d let me stay until I found a new place.
I probably should have acted grateful and kept my mouth shut when I overheard the advice he was spewing to his clients. But I couldn’t help giving him a piece of my mind.
I never expected my body to react every time we argued. Especially when that was all we seemed to be able to do.

The two of us were complete opposites. Drew was a bitter, angry, gorgeous-as-all-hell, destroyer of relationships. And my job was to help people save their marriages.
The only thing the two of us had in common was the space we were sharing.
And an attraction that was getting harder to deny by the day.

So there you had these two opposites working together in the most unlikely of situations — a marriage counselor and divorce lawyer sharing office space while fighting an intense and growing attraction to each other. Let me tell you, it made for some pretty awesome banter!

She pushed one and proceeded to report the crime of entering one’s own office. “I’d like to report a robbery.”
“Robbery?” I arched an eyebrow and looked around. A lone folding chair and crappy metal folding chair were the only furniture in the entire space. “What exactly am I stealing? Your winning personality?”
She amended her complaint to the police. “A breaking and entering. I’d like to report a breaking and entering at 575 Park Avenue.” She paused and listening. “No, I don’t think he’s armed. But he’s big. Really big. At least six feet. Maybe bigger.”
I smirked. “And strong. DOn’t forget to tell them I’m strong, too. Want me to flex for you?”

This is one of those stories that are just so gosh darn fun to read that you don’t even notice the pages flying by…

“Do you usually order lunch? I’m afraid to go out and miss the delivery.”
“Sometimes. What are you in the mood for?”
I shrugged. “I don’t care. I’m not picky.”
“How about Indian food? Curry House is a few blocks away and delivers quick.”
I scrunched up my nose.
“You don’t like Indian food?”
“Not really.”
“Okay. How about Chinese?”
“Too much MSG.”
“Sushi?”
“I’m allergic to fish.”
“Mexican?”
“Too heavy for lunch.”

“You do understand what the phrase ‘I’m not picky’ means, right?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Of course. You’re just picking weird stuff.”
“What would you like to eat, Emerie?”
“Pizza?”
He nodded. “Pizza it is. See? I’M not picky.”

It’s told from both his and her POVs, largely in the present, with a few flashbacks that show us a very key part of Drew’s past — and the more you read, the more you understand how much this part of his past shaped him into the man he’d become. And the more you see the real sweetness he’d hiding behind all the cockiness.

“You have three seconds to get out of my office. Otherwise you’re giving me permission to do whatever I want with you.”
I swallowed. My voice broke as I held his gaze. “I Came in here to yell at you.”
“I like it when you’re angry.” He paused. “One.”
“You like it when I’m angry?”
“I find it turns me on. Two.”
“You won’t do anything at three if I tell you to stop.”
He inched even closer. “Of course not. You trust me. But you won’t tell me to stop.” He paused. “Last chance.”
I stood frozen as he counted off his last number. “Three.”
Before I could object, his mouth crashed down on mine…

I don’t want to specifically blurt out what the twist it, but I want to give you a hint as to what to look forward to — trying to show you in what way this book is different than others — so I’ll just say that there’s something to do with kids and adoption. AND IT IS SO HEART-MELTING!!!!!!!!! Seriously guys, I was fighting tears in the epilogue because of how incredible beautiful and meaningful it was. Gah, I loved it!!!

“Being a parent is a choice, not a right… Anyone can become a father, but it takes a real dad to love and raise a child as his own.”

Basically, just READ THIS BOOK!! It’s a fantastic light-hearted romance that was HOT HOT HOT but balanced with just enough feels to make me care deeply for these characters and to make my HEART RACE!!! It’s fun. It’s sexy. There’s wicked banter, seriously steamy chemistry, and surprisingly strong feels! If you like dirty talkers, you’ll looooove Drew, and if you like strong heroines who aren’t afraid to step up to egotistical heroes with boatloads of sass, you’ll love Emerie! And, if you’re looking for a fantastic romance to lose yourself in, THIS IS IT!!

RATING: 4.5 stars. Standalone Adult Contemporary Romance.

• Buy EGOMANIAC (Kindle)
• Buy EGOMANIAC (Paperback)

“He should have told me this. He should have told me this years ago, before I fell in love with him, before he injected his soul into my veins and I became addicted.”

• Buy LOVE IN LINGERIE (Kindle)
• Buy LOVE IN LINGERIE (Paperback)

This is not your usual office romance! True to Alessandra Torre’s brilliant storytelling abilities, this sexy forbidden romance has emotional depth, angsty surprises, and a wonderful balance between humor, hotness, and emotions. I read this book cover-to-cover in one sitting and loved it!!

So I’m going to be really honest with you. I’m not a very trusting reader. As a general rule, I don’t like going into books blind, and I have a list of questions I ask about nearly every single book before I read them. However, every rule does have exceptions and sometimes I’ll take a leap without knowing anything, but it’s rare. Alessandra Torre however is one of the few authors whose books I’ve consistently loved and I have that trust now to just dive in without really knowing anything about them. In this case, I actually didn’t even read the blurb (shocking, I know!) and literally just opened the book and started reading. However, I’ll share the blurb here if you’re curious…

I hired her to fix my company, to bring Marks Lingerie back to life. I didn’t expect her to become my friend. I didn’t expect to fall in love with her.

The first rule of business is to never touch your employees. I think there is another rule about not falling for your best friend—a rule against imagining the curves of her body, or the way her breathing would change if I pulled down her panties and unzipped my pants.

Now, I can’t wait any longer. I’m tossing out the rules.

Damn the company.
Damn our friendship.
Damn my fears.

In a nutshell, the heroine is hired by the CEO of a failing company to help revive it. Lingerie is their specialty and even though he’s not used to people telling him what to do, she is admittedly ruthlessly gifted at her job and he soon realizes that his company can’t afford to lose her. She expected to just have exciting new job, but what she didn’t count on was the chemistry between her and her gorgeous new boss or how hard it would be to stick to his rules…

“I’m not the easiest person to work for.” He leans forward, his forearms resting on the desk, and runs the fingers of one hand over the knuckles of his other. “I’m temperamental, and terrible with instructions, and I can be a real asshole.” A hint of a smile appears, then he sobers. “But despite what you may have heard about me, there are certain lines I don’t cross, and fucking my employees is one of them.”

As I mentioned above though, this is not your average office romance. I was so pleasantly surprised that this story kind of went in a completely different direction than I was initially expecting spanning years rather than weeks or months and drawing out the sexual tension to the point to the point where, by the time they actually got together, you just knew in your heart of hearts that they belonged with each other. This is not an insta-love/lust story. There was an undoubted connection between them — a spark — from the first time they’d met, but for so many reasons, they couldn’t act on their feelings…

“STOP.” He holds up a hand. “You’re about to ruin all my future fantasies about you.”
“Ha.” I roll my eyes. “Little chance of that.” I frown at him. “Besides, you aren’t supposed to have fantasies about me, or anyone else at [work]. In case you missed the memo, the CEO is a real dick about fraternization.” I smirk at the thought of his last all-company email, one that spanned three pages, all devoted to ensuring that our hands are kept to ourselves, and our minds are clear of the gutter.
“You’re confusing the rules. I’m allowed to have fantasies; I’m just not allowed to act on them.”

And let me tell you, THE ANGST of them not being together when you knew they were perfect for each other was almost PAINFUL — but in a really good, heart-pounding, so-good-it-hurts way. Heehee — deliciously painful angst! The distance between them was necessary but the draw they felt was impossible to ignore…

“I’ve never wanted to kiss a woman so badly in my life. To bury my hands in her hair and dominate that mouth. My hands twitch on the leather back of the chair. I stop myself from moving forward and pulling her across that glass desk…”

Oh, and the hero has a secret — one he’s terrified will make him lose the one woman he wants more than anything, and is forbidden to have…

I could tell her how I feel and plead for her heart. I could come inside of her, and have her for the rest of my fucking life. I could scare her away and lose her forever.

I don’t want to say what his secret is here but I’ll just say that it’s a bedroom kink that… um… I guess it’s just one of those things that some people love, some people are okay with, and for others, it’s a complete turnoff. I will say that it never actually enters *their* bedroom so if you get to that point and you’re worried that this book might not be for you, don’t be concerned. Personally, it’s a kink that doesn’t work for me, but that I fully respect other people enjoying. And I did really appreciate the message embedded in the story that it’s always the better choice to just be open-minded, to respect what other people want, desire, and need, and to not judge them for it.

“Why should society judge me for it? I get it, though. I understand the stigma, the flinch of the mind when confronted with the idea.

Oh and also the second message which I really liked was more subtly delivered but definitely stuck with me. You’ll see as you read the book that it really feels like things are just completely not working out for these guys. But the more you read, the more you realize how every single one of these events that stood between them, or sometimes even created more distance between them, ultimately served to bring them together far closer than if they’d just jumped into a relationship on day one. I actually feel that the reason why they found a way to be together was because of what they went through. Just makes you think how even when life isn’t working out for you, not to give up… maybe you’re just going in a direction you never intended because it’s leading you to a destination better than you could have ever imagined.

There is a long beat where her eyes hold mine, a challenge flashing out, clouding the arousal. My dick is confused, and so is my head.

I open the door and escape into the hall, into my domain.

If this woman was lingerie, she’d be black leather, with studs along the seams and enough of a dominatrix vibe to give a man pause.

If this woman was lingerie, I’d strip it off and then properly show her who is in charge.

Anyways, I’m rambling a little so I’m going to wrap this up by just saying that I genuinely loved this book! It was an absolutely fantastic read. Alessandra Torre is one of the most talented authors I’ve read over the last few years. Her books have an incredible range from romantic to thrilling, comedic to emotional, and they’re all unique, captivating, and fantastically well-written. They practically beg you to keep turning the pages until you reach the end of the ride and this book was no exception. A sexy, steamy, angsty, and addictive new favorite! Loved it!

Rating: 4.5 stars! Standalone Adult Contemporary Romance.

• Buy LOVE IN LINGERIE (Kindle)
• Buy LOVE IN LINGERIE (Paperback)

“I loved you yesterday. I’ll love you tomorrow. Every day.”

• Buy WORTH THE WAIT (Kindle)

SQUEEE!!! This was one of the most heart-warming and ROMANTIC books I’ve read in a long time! If you’re a fan of protective single dad heroes and emotional second chance love stories, then you have to read this book!! There are SO MANY FEELS — deep pain and heartbreak, and yet such tender passion and beautiful healing — and SO MUCH LOVE!! This book made me cry, it made me laugh, it made me SWOOOOOOON and it kept my heart racing because I just knew without a doubt that this couple was meant for each other and no matter how much hardship life put them through, they’d always find their way back to each other. This is definitely a new TOP FAVORITE!!

He broke her heart. Now this FBI agent is down on his knees to win her back.

Nick Walker found his one and only when he was just nineteen.

Found her.
Loved her.
Lost her.

It’s been ten years since Nick watched Mia walk out of his life. Ten years of pain and regret. Now he will do anything to win her back.

But it won’t be easy…

Mia’s heart was shattered by Nick. They’ll have to face their painful past if they want a future, including Mia’s own secret about that day it all fell apart.

When Nick was barely twenty years old, his parents died in a car accident leaving him as the sole guardian of his younger brothers and two-year old baby sister, Hannah. Desperate to keep his family together in the wake of this loss, he assumed all parental responsibilities and in an instant everything about his life changed. With Hannah being so young, he became incredibly protective of her and she became deeply attached to him. He’d even carry her around with him to classes in college and tried his best to never let her out of his sight.

With a traumatized toddler in his care, the care of his brothers, and his focus on school consuming his life, the last thing he was thinking of was dating anyone. But then Mia came into his life and over the next few months and years, it became unquestionable clear that not only was he completely in love with her, but she was ‘the one’ for him.

But when an unexpected tragedy ripped through their lives, they lost everything. Until ten years later, when their lives brought them back together… giving them a second chance at the love they both still held in their hearts.

“I love you, Nick Walker.”
His mouth curved in a slow smile, and he caught the back of her head. “I love you, too,” he said against her lips. “I loved you yesterday. I’ll love you tomorrow. Every day.”

Okay I need to take a minute to gush over how HEART-MELTINGLY ADORABLE it was to see how caring Nick was of his baby sister. I mean seriously. PURE SWOON MATERIAL. He was the epitome of a good guy — responsible, kind, caring, deeply protective. Seriously, I don’t think it’s possible not to fall in love with him. GAH! *melts*

My favorite thing about this book was that I FELT the story from the start. You know what I mean? Like my heart was fluttering all over the place as I read. Sometimes it takes a while to connect to a story, but this one I just clicked with right from the start. Nick and Mia were so perfect for each other and the tenderness of the love they shared was beautiful. There were so many feels. So much history. So much love and pain… I was completely drawn in.

He brushed his lips over hers, let them linger. Kissed his way over her cheeks, her temple, back to her mouth. “Stay,” he whispered.
Even with the ball of fear in his gut, he whispered again. “Stay.”
…
He needed her like air; he always had. The quick, hot spark flared through him just the way he remembered. She was everything that every other woman wasn’t. She was Mia. She was his.

The story takes place in present day (twenty four years after Nick and Mia first met in college), but there are many flashback chapters that take us through their history from the day they met until the day they fell apart. I really loved the way the past and present were melded together because it kept the story constantly moving forward while filling in all the necessary blanks that brought the story together.

While it was inevitable that this story would be painful and heartbreaking at times — Nick and Mia had been through so many hardships, enough to strain even the strongest of relationships — I never doubted that they both still loved each other and it was just a matter of time before they’d be strong enough to make their way back to each other.

I was also also relieved that there was nothing involving other women/men in their lives. There are no crazy ex’s, no sleeping around, nothing like that. I just really appreciated that the story didn’t have any unnecessary drama in it.

No other woman had ever meant anything, couldn’t even remember another woman’s face. Because he’d never even considered moving on, never considered having a future with anyone else.

And even though Nick and Mia’s romance is the heart of this book, I loved that there was more than that going on. The deep bond between Nick and his baby sister over the years was gorgeous to witness. He’d given up nearly everything to care for her and protect her, and from her perspective, she didn’t even remember a time when he wasn’t there to watch out for her. And now that she was ready to build her own life and put the horrific incident that scarred her in the past, it was the hardest thing he’d ever done to learn to let go over her and trust the world with his baby girl.

If you’re a fan of heroes with kids, emotional romances, second chance love stories that’ll tug all your heart-strings and even break your heart, but then will put back all the pieces, then this is the book for you! It was everything I could want in a romance. I loved the intensity of the emotions, the push-pull of their lives and love, the intensity and tenderness of their feelings for each other, and the way I just knew that they’d find their way back to one another.

“Look at me. I loved you, Mia. There was nothing else, no one else. Even after Hannah… I loved you. I just couldn’t get to you.” He took her face in his hands with a desperation. “I ruined us. I know I did. You tried to love me, and I pushed you away. But please tell me there’s a chance. Tell me I haven’t lost you. Not again…”

Gahhhhhh I actually even cried in one of the scenes because it was just THAT beautiful. You’ll know the scene when you get to it. I don’t want to say what happens exactly but it’s at 83% and seriously… THE FEEELS!! And I was really impressed with the way that this book was structured because it strongly exemplified the “show not tell” approach to storytelling with the way that, throughout the book, it took you through all these important scenes spanning two decades, in a way where they could be references in a later scene and, because you weren’t just being told about them but because you had actually experienced those specific moments WITH the characters, they meant so much more because you were remembering them too. I hope that makes sense lol. I was just really impressed with it.

I love all kinds of romance and love stories, but the kind that have always had the deepest impact on me have been the ones where the couple has had to struggle against great hardship for their love, where they’ve beat the odds, where they’ve overcome everything that tried to keep them apart and they’ve *earned* their happiness. It’s the kind of love that you appreciate so much more because you know what they could have lost. It’s just really beautiful.

“I miss this more than anything. Your arms around me, making everything better. How do you do that? How do you make everything better just by holding me?”

“Maybe because I love you.” With his hand in her hair, he tugged her head back and pressed a quick kiss to her lips.

The story is told in third person, but it’s always clear that some scenes are from his POV and others from hers. As I mentioned, it also goes back and forth between their reunion in the present day, and their college years when they first met and Hannah was still a baby. The different parts of the story were very well balanced and integrated.

This can be read as a complete standalone. You do not have to read any other book before or after this in order to understand and enjoy this story. It is also the only book focused on this couple. However, this book is connected to the other standalones in the McKinney Brothers series, and this is also the first standalone in the spin-off Walker Brothers series. Basically, in one way or another, the heroes of these books are all siblings and the heroines generally know each other so the stories are connected. You can read them all separately, but if you enjoy one, it’s likely that you’ll want to read the rest of them. I personally have only also read Worth The Fall (the first McKinney Brothers standalone) back in 2014 and it was one of my Top Favorites of that year. I love that one, I didn’t read the few the next few came in between (but they sound great!), but I loved this one too. Heartfelt, romantic, and full of feels!

I genuinely adored this book and highly recommend it!!

Rating: 4.5 stars! Can standalone.

• Buy WORTH THE WAIT (Kindle)

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These are interconnected standalones. You can read any one of them separately.

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