Scandalize Me (Fifth Avenue)

by Caitlin Crews

[kimbacaffeinate]

Scandalize Me by Caitlin Crews is the second book in the Fifth Avenue Trilogy. Each book in the trilogy is written by a different author and features one of three friends. Austin, Hunter and Alex  are working together to seek revenge against the man who ruined their lives ten years before. In Avenge Me, Austin began phase one of taking down Jason Treffen, his own father. In Scandalize Me, Hunter Talbot Grant III plans to ensure his financial ruin. The tale was captivating as Hunter tangles with Zoe Brook; a PR Agent determined to destroy Jason as well.

Everything started with the death of Sarah ten years ago, and the fallout is far reaching. Sarah was Hunter’s girlfriend, and he cares the guilt of what if. When we meet Hunter, the man is a total mess. Hunter is a playboy who is pushing his own self-destruct button. He is smart, and talented with a never care attitude that is steeped in emotional damage. Zoe is a former employer of Jason Treffen and managed to crawl out from beneath his evil clutches after Sarah’s death. She demands full control of herself, feels no emotions when interacting with the opposite sex and does not see a permanent relationship as ever being on the table. Her plan is to reimage Hunter and use him as a tool to destroy Jason. She sees him as the self-centered bastard the press has painted him and holds him, along with his friends accountable for Sarah’s death.

The plot unfolds much as Revenge Me did, and it was fun seeing Hunter and Zoe engage in power play. Hunter unnerves Zoe, and he is intrigued by her game. As they play out Zoe’s plan, they soon realize they are on the same team. The dance was hot from wicked banter to almost moments. I loved that he was aggressive, and she tried to be passive making the cat and mouse game a page turner. While I didn’t competely feel the romance there were pleasant moments and feels.

While the concept of Fifth Avenue Trilogy intrigues me, and I am, eager to continue with Expose Me I didn’t completely get lost within the pages of Scandalize Me. Do not get me wrong, the storyline is a good one but I would have liked more action regarding the revenge. These novels are more lopsided in their focus on the romance, and I was not entirely sold. Overall, this was an entertaining read, and I look forward to seeing how it all plays out.

Copy received from publisher in exchange for unbiased review.
This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer