About the Book
Lacey O’Connor is finally a sure thing for the promotion she’s spent ten years working for. But when a scandal rocks her firm she finds herself on a collision course with the one person she has spent five years trying to forget. Only to discover he doesn’t even remember her…
Victor Carlisle has spent the last three years trying to convince his family he’s no longer the playboy alcoholic who tore their life apart. When a company merger is announced with a US sister firm, he’s presented with the perfect opportunity to prove he’s changed. Only to find himself falling for his competition and the one woman his family will never accept.
As the competition intensifies the choice looms between the professional and the personal. Can they find a way beyond their past decisions and present aspirations to take a chance on the one thing they’re not looking for?
Excerpt
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That had been what Lacey had been thinking as she had landed herself in the seat next to Victor.
Besides, the only other remaining seats held even less appeal. Two were half seats, two were next to people who would talk to her the whole way, and one was next to a Wyndham guy she’d seen openly eyeing her up the night before. At least she knew what Victor Carlisle brought to the table. And that she would never be fooled by him again.
And better she sit here than one of her female colleagues, someone he would flirt with and charm.
She sent messages to Rachel and Anna, then scrolled through her inbox. Nothing remained that Janna couldn’t deal with. Her gaze lifted to the man next to her. After his apology, he’d turned and spent the last fifteen minutes peering out the window without saying a word.
He had actually apologized. She had to give him that. Most of the men she worked with would have blustered and made excuses or told her she was overreacting.
Victor shifted slightly next to her. She did have to feel a bit sorry for the guy. He was wedged into his seat tighter than a Kardashian in a playsuit. His knees were jammed against the seat in front, his quads folded up toward his chest. And his shoulder was pushed against the window. The bus was clearly not designed for someone either his height or girth.
She looked down at the small gap between their seats. Not a single part of him encroached on her space. That had to be taking deliberate effort.
Maybe he…she shook her head at the thought trying to encroach. No, whether he had changed or not was irrelevant. He was the competition. Everyone was the competition.
Review
“Everyone loves a good bad-boy redemption story.”
And I especially love THIS bad-boy redemption story! Wow, did this hit all the right spots. In fact, this is now my second favourite of Kara Isaac’s books after Then There Was You. (And believe me, second favourite is high praise considering I’ve enjoyed every book she’s ever published.) But the thing that really grabbed me about this particular bad-boy redemption story is that the redemption itself happened prior to the opening of the book. What we see in this story is how very difficult it is to step out of the shadow cast by a well-earned reputation and its far-reaching consequences. And that’s an aspect of redemption that doesn’t get as much attention in Christian fiction as it should.
Aside from that, it’s impossible to pinpoint one particular aspect of the book that stands out, because the whole thing is just fantastic—the writing, the plot, the characters. You wouldn’t call this a romantic comedy, but it still features Isaac’s trademark one liners: He was wedged into his seat tighter than a Kardashian in a playsuit. The corporate shakeup (including a week of boot camp in the Minnesota wilderness) was not only the perfect catalyst for bringing Lacey and Victor together and keeping the tension high, but it kept the plot moving in unpredictable ways, making for a highly engrossing read. And Isaac’s character portrayal and development was as superb as always—complex human beings navigating complex relationships of all different kinds with an authenticity that encompasses every emotion from laughter through to tears.
I loved every minute of Victor and Lacey’s story—the way they gradually revealed their true selves to one another, their chemistry together (romantic and otherwise), and the way they respected each other’s vulnerabilities. But especially the picture of grace, of loving someone well in spite of the mess that may come with it.
The world needs many more books from Kara Isaac!
I received a copy of this novel from the author. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.
About the Author
Kara Isaac writes contemporary romance in beautiful Wellington, New Zealand. She is the author of four novels including the RWA RITA award-winning Then There Was You (https://www.rwa.org/page/2018-winners), Close to You, a RITA Award Double Finalist, and Can’t Help Falling, an RT Review Top Pick. When she’s not chasing three small people, she spends her time writing horribly bad first drafts and wishing you could get Double Stuf Oreos in New Zealand.
Couldn’t agree more! To all of your review 🙂 So, so good and I love how you managed to put exactly what I was feeling about it into words. You’re good! And this book is amazing.
Lovely review of a fantastic book, Katie! I love Kara’s books, too. I know I’m in for a treat when I read one.