Steady (Pleasant Valley, #3)

by Anna Brooks

[Eve1972]

I like this cover. I like the whole composition of it (the half cut off face). I like the way the title is placed. I like the color scheme used. It's a simple cover but very effective.

I really enjoyed this one. This author's writing style is very readable, and it was very well paced. The plot was interesting and well developed. This can be read as a standalone, but the heroine of this book and the heroine of book one do have some history that is alluded to. I haven't read book one, so I found that aspect a little bit confusing, but it doesn't take away from the story at all. This one was very insta-love, and there wasn't any OW/OM drama. The hero does have a dead ex, but I never felt the heroine was second best. I would also say it was relatively low angst. There were some hot sex scenes and a lot of feels. All wrapped up in two bittersweet epilogues. I say bittersweet because I was hoping we would see something that I guess wasn't in the cards for them, and that made me a tad sad.



There were some good secondary characters, and I can't wait to read more about the guys working for Erik at THE FIRM. Both main characters were very likable. I enjoyed Erik as a hero for the most part. He was alpha and hot and all in with Polly. That said, I did find the whole self-hate/guilt thing he had going was a little too much at times. There is only so much self-deprecation I can take as a reader before I start rolling my eyes and thinking to myself; STOP THE F-ING WHINING already and get on with it. I also think his drinking problem was a bit brushed under the rug. As someone who has lived with alcoholics the chances of someone with a problem like his just stopping cold turkey without some sort of help are virtually slim to none. Polly had an equally bad history, but I found her to be the less damaged of the two. But like I said, even with this issues both main characters were very well developed, multilayered, and enjoyable.

On a side note, what was up with the guy at the bar near the end? It was a really odd scene with him asking questions about Polly, and I thought something was going to come of it, but we never hear anything about it again? It left me hanging...but whatevs. This one gets a huge two thumbs up from yours truly.