★★★★✰
The emotional and unforgettable new romance from the New York Times bestselling author of the On Dublin Street series.
Alexa Holland’s father was her hero—until her shocking discovery that she and her mother weren’t his only family. Ever since, Alexa has worked to turn her life in a different direction and forge her own identity outside of his terrible secrets. But when she meets a man who’s as damaged by her father’s mistakes as she is, Alexa must help him.
Caine Carraway wants nothing to do with Alexa’s efforts at redemption, but it’s not so easy to push her away. Determined to make her hate him, he brings her to the edge of her patience and waits for her to walk away. But his actions only draw them together and, despite the odds, they begin an intense and explosive affair.
Only Caine knows he can never be the white knight that Alexa has always longed for. And when they’re on the precipice of danger, he finds he’ll do anything to protect either one of them from being hurt again…
My Casting:
I really needed this book right now. I haven’t had a sexy, brooding, Fifty-style billionaire in a while and after seeing the Fifty Shades movie and being so bitterly disappointed,Hero totally fit the bill for my current needs.
So, there’s quite a complex, interwoven back story for these two characters, which basically means that Caine hates Alexa’s family and, by default, hates Alexa. So, I knew, when she ended up accepting a job as his PA, things were going to get deliciously hot.
Seattle? With Caine? In a hotel?
I’d either kill him or screw him again.
“Fuck.”
“Alexa, the speakerphone is on,” Caine’s amused voice sounded from my desk.
Oh, balls.
I always enjoy a hate-to-love romance! I actually like it when our hero starts out as a total jackass and then softens as the book progresses. There’s something even more satisfying about that. I love the back and forth between the characters, I love when they’re trying desperately to ignore their attraction to one another, but simply can’t. The tension, the irritation, the banter. I love the inevitable ‘mistake fuck’… The one where they can’t help themselves, but then quickly follow it up with the clichéd ‘This was a mistake. Let’s pretend it never happened.’ And Hero treats you to all of that yumminess.
“I fantasize about fucking you in this office a hundred times a day.”
I also always really enjoy books where our hero and heroine get themselves into some kind of contract or arrangement that means they can’t avoid one another. See, I even have a whole Goodreads shelf for ‘Contracts and Arrangement’ stories! It always guarantees building tension, unavoidable close proximity and lots of awkward moments.
Lexie is such a cool heroine! She’s ballsy, sassy, funny, strong, independent, she knows she’s hot and she’s real. I absolutely loved that. She comes out with some noteable one-liners and she gives her brooding boss a run for his money. She doesn’t cower in the corner or burst into tears when people confront her. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and tell Caine exactly what was pissing her off. It was so refreshing!!
“You cannot kill your boss on the first day, you cannot kill your boss on the first day, you cannot kill your boss period…”
Caine is H.O.T! He’s a little stereotypical, yes. He’s rich, alpha, successful, mysterious, brooding, private, damaged, reclusive, had a tragic upbringing… Could he be Christian Grey’s cousin from Boston? I think he might. But like I said, I needed a sexy business mogul right now, so he hit the spot for me. And once you get past that hard shell, Caine is as vulnerable and sweet as the rest of our beloved book boyfriends.
“A man like me isn’t capable of being your fucking white knight.”
The chemistry between Lexie and Caine is smokin’! I loved Samantha Young’s On Dublin Street and Down London Road because of their delicious sexual tension and Samantha has totally not let us down with Hero. She has the fabulous ability to make these characters and their desire for one another really come to life.
The book lost a little half star because I have to say, it’s a little unbelievable and far fetched and some of it had me good naturedly rolling my eyes because it was so predictable. But hey, this book does what it says on the tin. It provides a hot, dapper hero and will be great for anyone craving a Fifty Shades/Bared to You/On Dublin Street style romance.
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I loved this book. Alexa was such a fun character. I loved her sass. When she quotes the plot of Pretty Woman I laughed out loud.