Lovin' los libros

Being a part of the Rabble (a group on Facebook for Nicolette and Katee Robert) I got to see Nicolette post some teasers of Tempted By the Soldier and they were so hot I knew I had to get my hands on this book ASAP. I loved No Strings Attached, the first novella in the series and I remember pouting because I wanted more! I loved Jace and Hayden, and I am so glad we got to see them again in this book briefly! I have to give a shout out and a BIG thank you to Heather Howland from Entangled, as I won an e-ARC on Twitter!

Most of you know my blogging bestie Chelsea from Starbucks & Books Obsession and I do a feature every week called Chelsea and Jessica Get Brazen, where we feature a Brazen, have a discussion, and then review the book. Having read quite a few Brazens recently, I have discovered that the following elements are my favorite in these novels: 1) kick butt characters, 2) sexy male hero, 3) super steamy, sexy scenes, 4) fun, engaging plot. I am very happy to say that Tempted By the Soldier includes ALL of my preferences and really outdoes itself on number 3. There's a bathroom scene. And there's something about a bathroom counter and a mirror that just hits the spot.

Lilly and Nate have some history together and it is both explosive and painful at the same time. Nate made a decision that he felt was best for both himself and Lilly, and ended up breaking her heart instead. What's worse is the miscommunication that came afterwards and how Lilly felt upon seeing cash for a cab and finding Nate gone. Lilly feels used and the last thing she wants is to feel like a whore. Ever since then, all of her feelings for Nate have been turned to anger and the last thing she wants to do is get in a car with him for 15 hours to her best friend Hayden and his brother's wedding. Overall, I liked Lilly's character. I don't blame her one bit for her hostility towards Nate. He really hurt her and that's not something she can just easily forgive and forget. She is determined to make him see what he's missing out on but what he can never have again. Unfortunately for her, she's playing with fire and isn't going to get out uninjured.

Nate has a lot of demons to face and we really see firsthand this man's guilt and shame over how he dealt with his mother's cancer and her passing, as well as an incident that happened while deployed. He is haunted by his actions and feels that he has let so many people down and he won't do the same to Lilly. He doesn't think he is good enough for her and he doesn't even give her the chance to make that call for herself. He just keeps telling her he isn't good and she doesn't really want him and I wanted to scream in frustration along with her! She is not only hurt by how he treated her, but she feels embarrassed as well and my heart really ached for her, as that's something no woman should have to feel when it comes to a man.

The chemistry between these two is incredibly hot. There's something so raw and sexy about two couples going from fighting one minute to all over each other the next. I love that kind of unbridled passion between my characters and as angry as Lilly is, when it comes to Nate he's hard to resist. Nate has an equally difficult time of resisting Lilly, and as he discovers the two have more in common than he thought, he finds himself wanting to let his guard down and put himself out there for her. However, Nate is keeping something important from Lilly and he knows once he tells her that will be the end of whatever it is they have going on. Having a father who abandoned her mother and left her mother to wither away and cease living, Lilly does not trust easily. She is guarded and rightly so. Yet, Nate manages to work his way into her heart and she realizes just how much she loves him on their trip. She sees the good man that he is and wants to try and convince him to see himself as she does. Nate is the only one who can let go of the guilt and shame he feels over how he handled things in the past and while he may have had a bleak outlook on life, he is finally starting to see that there are some things worth fighting for and above all- things and people worth LIVING for.