Hero

by Samantha Young

[EBookObsessed]

I enjoyed this book as much as I have enjoyed Samantha Young’s On Dublin Street series. Alexa and Caine’s relationship is fraught with anger and sexual tension and lots of dirty little secrets that no one wants to come to light.
Alexa Holland is a personal assistant to a famous photographer. She is just returning from a vacation after she had a breakdown on a shoot following her mother’s death. On her first day back, she walks into a shoot featuring self-made, multi-millionaire Caine Carraway. When left orphaned at age thirteen, Caine is thrown into the system but manages to get a scholarship to business school and eventually funds his own bank. No one knows Alexa’s connection to Caine. Alexa’s father is responsible for the deaths of Caine’s parents.

Why, oh why, can’t Alexa keep this tidbit to herself until the end of the day is the question. When Caine comes over to flirt with her, she blurts out her last name to him and her connection to his family. Caine was already cranky doing the shoot but he then goes into a rage getting the photographer fired, and when this results in the photographer losing several other magazines, and he fires Alexa.

Left without her well-paying job, Alexa sneaks by security into Caine’s office to ask him to get her her job back. Normally, I would say this is a very ballsy of her and pretty desperate, but obviously with her connection to the man that destroyed Caine’s life, it is a little cruel to push herself in his face and ask a favor. Yes, I agree that she is not her father and should not be held accountable for his actions. But it seems rather mean to have ripped open his most painful wound with no warning, and then go ask for a favor. I guess there would be no story without this set up.

Caine can’t get her a job back, but he offers her the position as his PA instead at an obscene amount of money. The bonus to Caine seems to be tormenting Alexa, by making her work crazy hours and run stupid errands, even on the weekends.

We also have several men flirting with the pretty PA, and Caine sneering and chasing them all away because he wants her but he doesn’t want to want her.

Of course, there is crazy sexual tension between the characters but even giving in to that tension doesn’t go smoothly. As soon as it’s over, Caine seems to remember who’s daughter he just had sex with and quickly pulls away.

Alexa won’t be pushed away so easily but she has to put up one hell of a fight for Caine. In fact, we could have shortened this story a bit without all the hot sex–no, it doesn’t mean anything…hot sex–no, it doesn’t mean anything being dragged out. Alexa is a bit of a glutton for punishment because she keeps pushing and he keeps kicking her away (after the sex, of course) and she just keeps trying. Alexa’s heart is in the right place and you can feel her frustration with Caine trying to get him to acknowledge his emotions.

But we do find out that there is more to Caine’s commitment phobia than just not finding the right woman, or in the case of Alexa, her family connection, Caine has his own ugly secret which he fears will turn Alexa away from him. When it is finally revealed, I was surprised that someone hasn’t already blackmailed Caine or released that scandal a long time ago.

THOUGHTS:
I read this story in a day and was too enamored with the characters to put it down. Caine has a delightful older neighbor who is like a grandmother to Caine. This is mostly because she is the type of character that won’t be told no. Caine tells her everything and she gets behind the matchmaking between Caine and Alexa.

My biggest issue here was the juxtaposition between Alexa and her mother. Alexa was still resentful at mother for being subservient to her father and allowing herself to be treated badly all those years. But Alexa doesn’t seem to be any better in her behavior with Caine. She allows herself to be used by him for a sex-only relationship and after it’s done, he walks out on her time and again. What makes her any different from her own mother?

Alexa keeps holding onto a man who treats her bad. Every time she say, “you have feelings for me” and he’s all, “nope,” it leaves Alexa coming off as a bit desperate. This is a case where the heroine started out all confident and I can take anything you dish out, to a pathetic, I’ll let you do anything if you please love me.

Regardless of Alexa’s desperation (which does pay off in the end), it was a good story.

Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.