The Offer (The McGregor Boys, #2)

by Karina Halle

THE OFFER is a STANDALONE, CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE NOVEL from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of The Pact.

She thinks he's an arrogant playboy.
He thinks she's an uptight prude.
But he's about to make her an offer she can't refuse.

Nicola Price used to have it all – a great career, the perfect boyfriend, an excessive shoe collection and an apartment in one of San Francisco’s best neighborhoods. But when she gets knocked up and her a**hat boyfriend leaves her high and dry, Nicola’s perfectly crafted world comes tumbling down. And stays that way.

Now, Nicola is the proud single mom to a five-year old daughter and living a giant lie. She can barely afford their ghetto apartment and all the men she dates run when they hear she comes with a child. She’s struggling and scared – and nowhere near where she thought she’d be at age thirty-one.

Her saving grace comes in the form of a tall, handsome and wealthy Scotsman Bram McGregor, the older brother of her friend Linden. Bram understands a thing or two about pride, so when tragic circumstances place Nicola at rock bottom, he offers them a place to live in the apartment complex he owns. It’s pretty much the perfect deal, so as long as she doesn’t mind living beside Bram, a man that, despite his generosity, seems to antagonize her at every turn.

But nothing in life is free and as Nicola gets her feet back on the ground, she discovers that the enigmatic playboy may end up costing her more than she thought.

She might just lose her heart.

Those McGregor brothers are nothing but trouble…

Though THE OFFER follows characters that were previously introduced in the novel THE PACT, you do NOT need to read The Pact beforehand as The Offer is its own story and is a fully standalone novel.

This book is rated 18+ for explicit sexual situations and language. Reader discretion is advised.

• ISBN10: 151436526X
• ISBN13: 9781514365267
• Publish Date: 19 June 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 358
• Language: English

Reviews

[Linda]

This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
The Offer is a well-written romance with mature characters, and I loved listening to them! Of course, I especially loved Bram's Scottish brogue, so hot!



The Offer shows that while on the surface, a single mom and a Scottish rogue - confirmed womanizer to boot - don't have much in common, once you look a little deeper there is much more than meets the eyes to both of them. For the longest time, I've wanted to read (or listen to) a Halle book, and I just haven't gotten around to it until now. I will definitely keep on picking up her books, though, because she knows how to write! The characters were multi-faceted, and I loved how they shared a their inner thoughts little by little. Nicola really got to me, because so many little things went wrong for her - and then something big happened to make things even more complicated for her and her daughter. Bram wanted to be the knight in shining armour, but nobody would believe he could do something good. They had firmly put him into the little box that said 'womanizer' and there was really not much he could do to make them change their minds.

The interactions in The Offer made me want to read the first book in the McGregor series, as well, so while I was listening to this one, I bought The Pact so I knew it was waiting for me. Nicola, Bram and Ava are front and center in the story, but Linden, Stephanie and Kayla are present as well. The strong sense of friendship and loyalty is important in this book, and while most of the characters looked down at Bram a little, they still loved him and had his back when he needed it.

Of course, there is also a lot of hotness... I can't go to IKEA without peeking into the bathroom expositions, wondering if I'll catch someone being naughty. And there is also a lot of humor, even if there is heartache and pain as well. The story unfolds seamlessly, and if you enjoy a fast paced romance that has solid characters and a real storyline to surround the sexy times, this is definitely a book you should pick up! The narrators did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life, and Ferguson especially made my toes curl because of how he had Bram share his feelings...



Once you go Bram, you don't give a damned.

He's only wearing a t-shirt and boxer shorts. They are grey. They are David Beckham. They are so close I can read the label. And they are at least a size too small, based on all the junk...

Because, when you invite someone in and they leave, they take a part of you with them. It ruins the foundation. Don’t you see? It’s damaging when you pull the bricks out and the whole building collapses.

I know you’ve been burned. But I’ve been burned too. Maybe our ashes can make something beautiful together.

[stacey_is_sassy]

Love is simple...yeah right.

The Offer is the first story I have read by Karina Halle. I know I'm late to the party and always planned to read her work, but I'm glad this was my first. This story is about taking risks to find your happy place and learning that trust is hard to earn and once broken hard to earn back. Life is not always easy and sometimes you need to accept help when it's offered especially when it benefits a loved one. Communication is the foundation to every relationship and the truth always come out.

We meet single Mum Nicola and her very sweet daughter Ava. Nicola has been doing the hard slog by herself when Ava's Dad (Douche Extraordinaire) leaves and doesn't look back. Things had been fine but not great until Nicola loses her job and Ava becomes sick. We also meet Bram the sexy, handsome, rich, manwhore...with a Scottish accent. Bram and Nicola meet at her best friends marriage to Bram's brother. Bram has a wee bit of a reputation that Nicola knows all about and when he hits on her she shuts him down because she knows he's trouble.

I loved Nicola and Ava's relationship. Nicola is a wonderful Mum and Ava is a beautiful and sweet daughter. There was never a doubt that these two are a package deal. It was nice to read about a Mum who didn't resent having to go home to her daughter instead of partying. Yes, there were times when Ava was a cockblocker (Nicola's words, not mine) but neither Nicola or Bram show any resentment.

Bramtastic starts out as an arrogant jerk who seems to only care about getting laid. He does have a few relationships of the Bram kind (sex only) after he meets Nicola but she had turned him down so there was no cheating. I loved how Bram's character developed through the story. The poor guy is so misunderstood by his family and friends. He was bad, but he's working towards being a better man.

A great love story with a few stumbling blocks that kept my interest the whole time. Nicola is strong, Bram is Bramtastic and Ava is sweet. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

This review and more can be found at http://edgyreviews.com/

[Sam@WLABB]

I had read The Pact, and knew I must get The Offer immediately. I knew I would get a hot love story, but there was a lot more to this coupling as well. Nicola is attempting to hold her life together. She has given up on her social life and set her focus on raising her daughter, Ava. Bram appears to be a manwhore-playboy, who is only out for a good time. Circumstances bring them together. Bram makes Nicola an offer to lend a helping hand at a time she is desperate for help. Then she begins to see there is a lot more to Bram then meets the eye.

"Maybe our ashes can make something beautiful together." - Bram

I could totally relate to Nicola (single moms unite!) and I loved seeing her allow herself some joy. Bram, Bram, what can I say, though crusty and harsh on the outside, he has a soft filling. I adored watching him transform while not losing himself. All I know is, I really need to visit Scotland, because I keep reading books about Scotsmen and I must see them for myself.

Fun, sweet, schmexy read.