- First date: We meet Rena and Devlin at his restaurant the Oak & Sage. Rena lost the love of her life when she was eighteen and has not date seriously since. Devlin had a rough childhood, but now owns the restaurant left to him by his father. By all appearance Devlin seems to be living the good life with fancy suits, car and high-rise apartment. He can have any woman he wants, but looks are deceiving. Rena seems like a whole some good girl, and she is certainly trying to be..but is that really living? Lemmon drew me in and has me interested in both characters and discovering what is really going on in Devlin’s life. I am all in. Rena is attracted to Devlin and her awkwardness around him is adorkable.
- Second date: Flirting has begun and we are finally getting the deets on Devlin. While some of his actions have me wanting to slap him in the back of the head, I have gone soft for him. Especially after seeing the way, he deals with the man who helped him when his father died. He has a code and I appreciate that. Something goes terribly wrong and he ends up on Rena’s doorstep beaten and needing to borrow a phone. The chemistry between them sizzles and Devlin awakens the bad girl within Rena. Their relationship is interesting, both have closed themselves off from the world and slowly we see the other seeping into those carefully constructed walls. I want all the barriers down, so I am gearing up for date three. Secondary characters added to the story and I am looking forward to their stories. Lemmon delivers heat and oh-la-la is it is smokin' hot.
- Third date: Devlin wants Rena, in fact, I think both of them realize what they are feeling but hold back and keep their emotions in check. I like that Rena does not push but neither does she cling. Things get complicated when Delvin’s secrets and family matters enter the picture. Both characters spend time evaluating themselves and I love that this was not a “you fix me” type romance. Lemmon added depth, and the events felt realistic. Of course, she put us all through the ringer a little in search of our HEA, but I was delighted with the way this date wrapped up.
Copy provided by publisher This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer