As far as flings go, single dad Gabe Trahan is pretty sure that Addison Sloan is his best bet. Once a month, Addison comes to New Orleans and then…It. Is. On. Until Addison returns to New York, it’s just hot, happily-no-strings-attached sex. And beignets. And jazz. But lately for Gabe, it isn’t nearly enough.
Sure, maybe Addison’s gotten a bit hooked on Gabe. After all, who can resist a guy who’s so sexy, so charming, and so…available? But maybe he’s too available for her right now. Addison’s just moved to New Orleans, and relationships are definitely off the table. Besides, guys always bail when they learn her secret: she’s a single mom.
Only Gabe’s not running. Worse, he’s thrilled. But Addison never signed up for ever-after romance, and Gabe won’t settle for anything less. Now it’s a battle of wills—and when it comes to the woman he’s falling for, Gabe isn’t above playing a little dirty.
Release Date: Aug 31, 2018
Series: Boys of the Big Easy
Book: 1
Heat Level: Hot
Publisher: Amazon
Imprint: Montlake Romance
Price: $3.99
Addison and Gabe have been involved in a long distance relationship for several months. Once a month she flies down to New Orleans from New York. She spends all of her free time with Gabe. Things are very simple with them as they are both single parents (not revealed up front) and live in different states. Everything changes when Addison takes a career opportunity restore old homes with the New Orleans branch of her firm. Now they must find a way to navigate a relationship when they are in the same city.
The beginning of the book stalled for me for several reasons. First, we (the readers) are thrown right into their relationship. Of course, the blurb indicates that the hero and heroine are in some sort of relationship. I just expected to be able to warm up to them. The heroine is immediately trying to break things off with the hero. He is way more invested in the relationship with her but outside of the physical I didn’t understand how he became so emotionally involved.
Addison is very cold and it takes more than half of the book for me to warm up to her. She is very organized and straightforward to the point that I had wondered how could she attract a man like Gabe. She does everything in her power to avoid Gabe now that she is living in New Orleans. She doesn’t want their children to meet. She refuses to meet his son. She is slightly resentful of being a mom which causes conflict with Gabe initially. However, he is so smitten with her that he is determined to win her over.
He invites Addison to his single parents club. He hopes by showing her how other single parents get along, she will be willing to give them a chance. Eventually, the members of the group start to chisel away at her and she is excited to be a part of something. She decides to give her relationship with Gabe a chance.
The development of their relationship alongside the story of their kids added a different dynamic to this story. I’m not the biggest fan of children in my romances when they take up so much space. Honestly, there is no real conflict except at the end and that felt forced at best. It might be due to the fact the author uses the children as a part of it.
There are a great set of secondary characters. I’m curious to read more about them.
~ Samantha