On leave for Thanksgiving, the last thing marine lieutenant Talia Barnett expects to find is Liam Brodie waiting for her at the airport. He’s had a starring role in her fantasies for the past two years, and although she’d love to make them a reality, she has a dark secret that prevents her from taking things further.
A former Marine, Liam’s specialty is planning tactical operations, and that’s just what he plans to do to win Talia. The woman has kept him at arm’s length for too long, and this time he’s finally going to claim her—body and heart.
What begins as comfort quickly turns hot. When Liam shows Talia a hint of the dominant nature inside him, the submissive part of her flares to life. Though she desires him, she’s going back on deployment and doesn’t want to dump all her drama on him. Will he find a way to break through the protective walls around her heart and convince her they have a future that goes far beyond the bedroom?
A former Marine, Liam’s specialty is planning tactical operations, and that’s just what he plans to do to win Talia. The woman has kept him at arm’s length for too long, and this time he’s finally going to claim her—body and heart.
What begins as comfort quickly turns hot. When Liam shows Talia a hint of the dominant nature inside him, the submissive part of her flares to life. Though she desires him, she’s going back on deployment and doesn’t want to dump all her drama on him. Will he find a way to break through the protective walls around her heart and convince her they have a future that goes far beyond the bedroom?
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I haven't read a full blown erotic romance in a while but I've got to say Callie Croix is an author to watch - this book is hot, fun, and yet full of emotion. Tal and Liam's HEA is believable and realistic considering all that they've both been through and I commend Croix for handling some tough topics very well.
Tal and Liam have known each other for a while - she's friends with his sister and at this point considered to be one of the family. Which would be great if Tal didn't have the experience of knowing exactly what happens when 'family' goes very very bad. She's determined not to lean on the Brodie's any more than strictly necessary while Liam is just as focused on making her accept them - and his feelings for her.
There's a delicate balance between all of these factors when things with Tal's family finally come to a head, and Liam finally gets the chance to show her how trustworthy he is. The story builds quickly to some very steamy scenes between the two and those evolve to a more emotional connection. I loved Tal and Liam and think Croix did a great job moving between both of them; my favorite contemporaries always end up being the ones where I get to know the motivations and feelings of both the lead characters.
Overall Feeling - A
Series - 1) No Holds Barred 2) Let Me In (5/21/12)
**Title requested from NetGalley**
