Book info:
Author: Kimberly Derting
Series: The Men of West Palm Beach #2
Genre: Adult contemporary romance
Release Date: February 11th, 2018
Publisher: Kingsley Books
Source: E-galley received from author. This had no influence on my review.
My rating: 5 stars
Synopsis:
Do opposites really attract?
Emerson Monroe McLean is a true Texan through and through. But she's never wanted to be like the other girls she grew up with, the ones who view debutante balls and sororities as stepping-stones to landing the perfect husband.
Yet everyone underestimates Em. When they look at the leggy blonde, all they see is a serial-dater who leaves a string of broken hearts in her wake. What people don’t realize is that keeping guys at arms length is more than just about having a good time; it’s a deep-rooted defense mechanism.
Lucas Harper is California born and bred. The product of his wealthy upbringing and an overbearing mother, Lucas has always been told where to be and when to be there. But after his older brother’s death, Lucas is tired of being a puppet.
Taking a break to figure out what he wants out of life, he moves to West Beach to spend the summer surfing. It’s there that he meets Emerson McLean, the free-spirited beauty who lures him into her bed. Refusing to be tied down, she’s unlike any girl he’s every known.
Can they find common ground...or will their differences tear them apart?
Their chemistry is undeniable. There’s only one hitch: Lucas already has a fiancée. And when she lands on his doorstep, Emerson realizes that for the first time in her life, she has genuine feelings for a guy.
With her heart on the line, Emerson discovers that, win or lose, she isn’t the kind of girl to play by the rules.
Emerson Monroe McLean is a true Texan through and through. But she's never wanted to be like the other girls she grew up with, the ones who view debutante balls and sororities as stepping-stones to landing the perfect husband.
Yet everyone underestimates Em. When they look at the leggy blonde, all they see is a serial-dater who leaves a string of broken hearts in her wake. What people don’t realize is that keeping guys at arms length is more than just about having a good time; it’s a deep-rooted defense mechanism.
Lucas Harper is California born and bred. The product of his wealthy upbringing and an overbearing mother, Lucas has always been told where to be and when to be there. But after his older brother’s death, Lucas is tired of being a puppet.
Taking a break to figure out what he wants out of life, he moves to West Beach to spend the summer surfing. It’s there that he meets Emerson McLean, the free-spirited beauty who lures him into her bed. Refusing to be tied down, she’s unlike any girl he’s every known.
Can they find common ground...or will their differences tear them apart?
Their chemistry is undeniable. There’s only one hitch: Lucas already has a fiancée. And when she lands on his doorstep, Emerson realizes that for the first time in her life, she has genuine feelings for a guy.
With her heart on the line, Emerson discovers that, win or lose, she isn’t the kind of girl to play by the rules.
"Falling in love has never felt so good. With the warmth of the sun, and the sand between your toes, Derting takes you on the summer you always imagined with Undressed." ―Heidi McLaughlin, NY Times bestselling author of Forever My Girl (soon to be a major motion picture)
Praise for KIMBERLY DERTING
"A strong debut from a promising author." ―Publishers Weekly (The Body Finder)
"If you're in the mood for some psychological thrillers, evil masterminds, strong heroines and hot heroes, then I'd definitely pick up the Body Finder series." ―USA Today (The Body Finder)
"...fast-paced and engrossing." ―VOYA (The Pledge)
"As always, this author writes a gripping tale...With another sequel set up, this intriguing series continues to provide great entertainment for suspense fans." ―Kirkus Reviews (The Last Echo)
"...a refreshing take on paranormal romance..." ―Romantic Times (The Body Finder)
"More great suspense from a prolific new writer with a vibrant imagination." ―Kirkus Reviews (The Pledge)
My Review:
I loved this one just about as much as I loved the first one in the series, Undressed. In a way, this one was more light-hearted. We didn't have quite the seriousness of past issues as in the first book. But we did still have the experiences in both characters' pasts that made them wary to move their relationship anywhere near something serious. Even though both of them really did like each other enough that it was serious in its own way, neither wanted to admit it. I have to say that I totally understood when Emerson would get really upset about the things that Lucas did, I mean he was kind of a jerk for what he'd done. But towards the end I was after her to stop and give him another chance. And as we see from Emerson's past experience with her own family, she doesn't always stick around to get the whole story. Although, to be fair, her family didn't really 'fess up the things she needed to know that might have made her outlook on love and life so much different. As much as you had to hate Aster for what she did to Emerson, and how annoying she was, when she was around Emerson's brother Seth, that was funny. This was a story that I was flipping pages and sped through. Just like the first one. I'm hopeful that we will get more books in this series as I look forward to reading more of these fun romantic stories from one of my favorite authors.
About the Author:
Kimberly Derting is the author of the award-winning THE BODY FINDER series, THE PLEDGE trilogy, THE TAKING trilogy, and UNDRESSED(her first book in The Men Of West Beach series). Her books have been translated into 15 languages, and both THE BODY FINDER and THE PLEDGE were YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selections. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, where the gloomy weather is ideal for writing anything dark and creepy. Her three beautiful (and often mouthy) children serve as an endless source of inspiration and frequently find the things they say buried in the pages of their mother's books, or on Twitter for the world to see.
TWITTER: @kimberlyderting
GOODREADS: https://www.
FACEBOOK: https://www.
INSTAGRAM: https://www.
Giveaway:
--Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter
- 1 Winner will receive a $50.00 Amazon Gift Card.
You can check out the rest of the tour HERE:
http://www.jeanbooknerd.com/2018/02/unbound-by-kimberly-derting.html
