Review

This is my first Juliana Stone book and it won’t be my last!

I admire any author that presents a hero and heroine with a lot of baggage and dealing with family struggles. Both Mackenzie and Lily have families who definitely don’t win any awards for being the most supportive or caring. The families also have some deep dark secrets that for Mac emerge immediately on the page. Lily handles her issues a little differently and build slowly. This perfect mix accurately reflects the characters personalities and therein lies Stone’s talents.

When I resided in a POV I was truly in their voice, their thoughts. The internal thoughts and even how the back story emerges is a good reflection of the explosive temper that Mac has and the rational, yet emotionally involved Lily. Even if Stone didn’t plan this, it shows she’s on the right track and her storytelling is locked down.

This is book 3 in her Bad Boys series and Mac embodies true alpha male. He’s definitely hot, a bit stubborn and a beast in the bedroom. I liked Mac, though towards the end I had a moment when I wanted to slap him. Luckily he woke the hell up, otherwise he’s a good guy I could relate too. He’s also got some scars, so tortured hero fans rejoice.

Lily is a heroine after my own heart. She’s independent, smart, funny, a bit of potty mouth, and not afraid to talk things out like an adult. Stone doesn’t let our characters take any cheap escapes through miscommunication. Lily is the driver for those conversations, and I loved it. This book demonstrates how conflict can exist without the employment of plot devices that bring your story down.

My only hesitation is that the story was so short. I wanted more words, more of Crystal Lake and more Mac and Lily. As to who in Crystal Lake will have a story next… I don’t know.

Overall, this is a good read with plenty of bedroom action, the small town feel, and an alpha hero. I don’t think you can wrong with this pick, especially if you want something that can be quickly devoured.