Give It All (Desert Dogs, #2)

by Cara McKenna

[EBookObsessed]

I was pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying this story. After Book #1, I thought Raina would end up back together with Miah, but the polished and snobby Duncan hid a damaged psyche and his underlying insecurities made him more human and I enjoyed his damaged character a great deal.

Bar owner, Raina Harper, is down to earth, sexually liberated and says what she feels. Former UK resident and the casino’s corporate lawyer, Duncan Welsh, was polished and uptight. Dolled up in his three-piece suits, dirt and sweat feared to go near him. These two were so opposite that they shouldn’t have been able to mesh together — yet in the end they do.

In Book #1, Duncan works with Raina, Vince and the other “Desert Dogs” to uncover the mystery behind their friend Alex’s death. In Book #2, the conspirators behind what we know so far have pointed a finger toward Duncan, accusing him of taking bribes to cover up what was happening. FBI agents come to town to investigate and have told Duncan he can’t leave Fortuity. Large corporations, so well known for their generosity, promptly let Duncan go. He is now jobless, and will possibly be disbarred if the accusations go any further, and he can’t even leave the dust-filled town he despises.

Raina knows her local brethren and is afraid once gossip starts that Duncan might be involved, he will be subject to attacks. She blackmails him into moving into her apartment over the bar to keep him safe.

While we learn lots of facts about Raina, her past with Miah and her father, this is more of a devolution of Duncan story. We learn why he needs the persona of the fancy car and the expensive suits; and we learn that hidden beneath the polish is a man with low self-esteem who is an orphan who never had anyone want him. As his polish starts to dull a bit with the loss of his job and the desert dirt, he becomes more human and down to earth and his self-esteem issues draw us to him. His OCD is insane but as he devolves his OCD starts to disappear. His need to be something he really wasn’t created most of his issues.

His need for love and acceptance is an uphill battle as he becomes more and more attached to Raina who is a woman who doesn’t want to be anyone’s wife. She has commitment issues and showing affection does not come naturally to her, while Duncan is greedy for any sign of her desire to keep him.

I like that this series isn’t a true motorcycle club book and I enjoyed watching Duncan become a real boy as his facade life falls apart. I almost found myself wanting to shout “Give the poor guy a hug for God’s Sake.”

Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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