Good Girl

by Lauren Layne

[Lynn]

4.5 stars

Jenny Dawson is a new Hollywood star thanks to a five-minute cameo appearance in a new film. Yet, her rise to stardom is through her music...country music! With the world at her feet, she quickly experiences the ugly side of fame when she's accused of having an affair with a famous married actor. To escape the negative publicity, she seeks refuge in a place that holds happy memories for her...in rural Louisiana.

Noah Maxwell's life changed forever when he met his father for the first time aged fourteen. He's suddenly plunged into a world where he has everything he wants. However, as he's gotten older, he's realised that something is missing from his life. Something that money can't buy. When he's asked to rent out an old house he's inherited, he's reminded of his desire to stay away from high maintenance women like his new tenant, only to find out she isn't the woman he thought she was!

Their first impressions of each other may have been a little negative.

Noah: "I just turned my entire life upside down trying to get away from a woman exactly like this one, so this is definitely a 'look, don't touch' situation." 
"But I'm looking. I'm definitely looking."

Jenny: "...And then he had to go and open his mouth. It would figure that the first guy I'm attracted to in a good long time turns out to be a total jerk..."

The undoubtable seeds of attraction are firmly sown as Jenny and Noah learn to live around each other in the old mansion. Both sharing a similar humble background whilst trying to escape lives that they don't fit in with. It isn't long before neither can deny the overwhelming lust hanging between them. Noah unconsciously aids Jenny to push sexual boundaries in a way that he himself couldn't have believed possible...zip ties! Yes, Jenny is a good girl in a not quite innocent way but she's also curious and eager to learn!

I've always enjoyed the first person dual point of view and I love it when a favourite author shakes things up a bit. Good Girl certainly fills that criterion. The old antebellum house is a surprising backdrop for Jenny and Noah's story, yet it feels like a breath of fresh air. Its presence is full of future promises just like its a reminder of the past.

The writing is what I've come to expect from this author and doesn't disappoint. There's the usual funny, witty banter between the protagonists and the secondary characters, which have always been entertaining and relevant in all the previous books I've read by her. The heat factor has been ramped up a notch in this novel but isn't gratuitous. It's very much an integral part of Jenny and Noah's story, just as both are craving a more honest world that's more familiar to them, away from the obvious trappings of wealth and fame.

Lastly, a special mention to Dolly and Ranger. I was initially sceptical to your presence, but I admit your inclusion is unexpectedly light-hearted and fun.

***arc generously received courtesy of Loveswept Publishing via NetGalley***