Cold Hearted Bastard (Bastards, #1)

by Jennifer Dawson

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

Cold-Hearted Bastard by Jennifer Dawson turned out better than I expected. This was my first foray into her world, and it will not be my last. It was a wonderful story. I loved every moment spent in Jackson and Gwen’s world.

Jackson was a famous chef, but he walked away from it all, his reasons unknown to the world. Gwen is a chef and a restauranteur and she needed Jackson to come work for her and she came with all the ammunition she thought she needed to convince him to return to the world he had abandoned. However, she never counted on the sparks that ignited between them.

Jackson is a one-night stand guy. A charmer and had women falling all over him. No intention of accepting Gwen’s offer. His only interest is to bed her and get her out of his system. Easier said than done.

Some may consider Jackson to be a jerk, but I loved him. Never once did he hide his true nature. He was brutally honest with the women who he slept with, so they know what to expect. Not his fault if they broke the rules. Jackson was a complex character. There was a lot more to him than just being a man whore as the story unfolded readers learn the reason, he doesn’t allow himself to get attached.

I loved Gwen who was determined, smart, beautiful, funny and the perfect match for Jackson. It wasn’t difficult to see why Jackson fell so hard for her, despite him fighting his feelings and pushing her away every chance he got.

I was elated to see Jackson grovelling to win Gwen’s heart. I understood why he behaved the way he did, but Gwen did not deserve to be treated that way. Besides, he needed to pull his head out of his ass and cease getting in the way of his own happiness.

The secondary characters added their special flavour to the story. I am curious to learn what drives them and can’t wait to read their stories.

There was lots of sex, but it did not overshadow the story. I loved how the author struck the perfect balance. Note of warning, their relationship developed rather quickly and in no time, they were burning up the sheets and more. Despite the insta love, I enjoyed how their romance unfolded.

The ending had me smiling and tearing up at the same time. I had a fun time watching Jackson trying to win Gwen over with romantic gestures. What made appealing was the fact this did not come naturally to him, but the fact he was willing to do it scored major points in my book.

Conclusion/Recommendation

To reiterate, I found this to an enjoyable read and would definitely recommend it to fans of steamy romance.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading