Screwed

by Kelly Jamieson

[Sam@WLABB]

"Screwed" was definitely an appropriate name for this book, because both hero and heroine were stuck between a rock and hard place, when it came their romance.

Who?

• Callie, divorced from her cheating husband, Beau, and trying to find her "happy".
• Cash, Beau's best friend and business parter, who has harbored unrequited feelings for Callie

What?

After Callie returns from a post-divorce year of traveling, she begins spending more and more time with Cash. The more time they spend together, the more she learns about him, and the more attractive he becomes to her. Sparks fly between the two, but they need to determine if they are willing to risk friendship and career for their relationship.

Why?

I loved these two together. They had such a great rapport with each other, and their chemistry was undeniable. I was cheering for them to make this love match the whole time, because you can just tell they belonged together. Yes, they were attracted to one another, and had quite a few "passionate" encounters, but there was so much more to their relationship. The basis of their relationship was friendship and it was a strong one. I adored these two together, but they were pretty special apart too. Callie and Cash were both slightly damaged.

Callie's self esteem was really low. She always felt like she was not good enough. She spent her whole life trying to please her parents, but never making them happy. Then she entered into a marriage with someone, who needed other women to make him happy. She felt like a failure as a daughter and wife, so seeing her with Cash was so vital for me. He "saw" her, acknowledged all the wonderful parts of her, and supported her as she made her new life. Watching her change and heal over the course of this book really warmed my heart, and I couldn't believe how important her personal growth was to my happiness.

Cash never fully understood how his father could abandon his family. He buried these feelings, but when his father re-entered the picture, old hurts rose to the surface. It was Callie, who helped him through this tough time. She gave him advice, support, and listened to him. She reassured him that he was a person worthy of love, and he showed he was via his actions.

I am warning you right now, there is a lot of push-and-pull in this one. However, I felt like the payoff was worth all the aggravation, and as a bonus, there was a ton of cookies and cake.

Overall
A sweet, charming, and smile-inducing friends-to-more romance featuring a couple I couldn't stop rooting for.