Series: The Without Series #3
Genre: Contemporary Adult Romance
~Blurb~
Do you know what I got for always being the good girl? A cheating ex, fake friends, and now a scandal that has even my own father ashamed of me.
No one believes it isn’t me on the video. My new bodyguard is no exception. Mason is not only my brother’s best friend, but my newly assigned babysitter who wishes he was anywhere but here.
He’s both hot and judgmental. It’s a maddening combination that has me wanting to push all his buttons.
With his bad boy vibe, alpha demeanor and the way he calls me princess, I'm convinced my draw to him is madness. Until I learn under the tattoos and piercings there may be more than meets the eye. Turns out I may not be the only one fighting the attraction.
I’m determined not to be the helpless girl everyone thinks I am, even if it means taking drastic measures.
The question is whose side will Mason be on in the end?
~Book Review~
4.25 Stars
Avery Newhall, 22, doesn’t think her ex-fiancé can
sink any lower than cheating on her with her former best friend till he
releases a sex video he claims to be her.
“Babysitting” his college buddy’s little sister isn’t
exactly the security job ex-Marine Mason Butler, 28, has in mind for his new
company, but he owes Trevor (WithoutRegret) a favor and their father has capital to invest.
The story pulled me in from the beginning. It was
engaging and the characters had depth. Like book one (Without Apology) there’s a bit of a suspense angle that kept me turning pages to find out
the real story behind the sex tape.
While Avery didn’t start out the type of heroine I
typically gravitate to, she was likeable and I found myself sympathetic to her woes. And then she gained
her footing and her voice, standing up for herself and taking charge of the
situation. She was definitely someone to root for, and the route she took—I
didn’t see that coming.
Mason had a very
tall order to fill in the hero department in comparison to Simon and Trevor
from the previous books.
“I didn’t bother to remind my erection that she was way off-limits. Instead, I took my discomfort as penance for being an asshole to her.”
Truth be told, he
was kinda an asshole to her at
different times. Deep down I think he was a good guy, but he was a bit broken.
I didn’t care
for the fact that he added to her already fragile self-esteem after what she’d
been through, and just when I’d think that Mason had worked past some of his
own issues and came to realize that he and Avery weren’t so different after all,
he’d reverted back to asshole mode again. While I also had sympathy for Mason
and what he’d been through, it was Avery who shined when the going got tough.
“I hate when you use the word ‘fine.’” —Mason
“Then maybe you should’ve inspired something better….”—Avery
Despite the
moments where I wanted Mason to grovel more (or when I contemplated fantasized
swoon-worthy hotties Simon and Trevor staging an intervention to help him get
his head out of his ass), in the end I liked where they eventually ended up. There
was a sweetness to the story and plenty of steamy times.
“You taste better than the fantasy.”Told via Avery and Mason’s alternating first person POV, the story balances the light-hearted moments, positive messages, and some sad, more serious themes well. When I got to the end and it dawned on me that there were no more couples to read about, I realized I’d miss this well-written series.
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Aubrey Bondurant is a working mom who loves to write, read and travel. She describes her writing style as: "Adult Contemporary Erotic Romantic Comedy," which is just another way of saying she likes her characters funny, her bedroom scenes hot, and her romances with a happy ending.
When Aubrey isn't working her day job, or spending time with her family, she's on her laptop typing away on her next story. She only wishes there were more hours of the day!
She's a former member of the US Marine Corps and passionate about veteran charities and giving back to the community. She loves a big drooly dog, a fantastic margarita, and football.
