Lovin' los libros

 

 

Frayed is my first venture into Kim Karr's Connections series and I can definitely say.... I MUST find the time sooner rather than later to go back and read how it all began! I had a pretty vague idea of what was going on just from reading the previous books' blurbs, so that helped clear up a lot of confusion right there. Because the characters are all so closely linked (holy crap Batman are they are linked!), it was easy to get a read on their situations and just what had happened previously. I do not know, however, how Ben acted in the previous books. I'm not going to worry about that though, because he explains he was in a really crappy place in his life and is now trying to pick up the pieces and begin looking to his future.

 

Bell Wilde is trying to get her own life together. She works for a catering business with a boss who demands entirely too much of her time. There is history there between them, but I didn't like how possessive and jealous he would act over her. Speaking of history, Ben and Bell have some of their own. And it's not a history that either of them can stop thinking of. I really like that Karr provided us with flashbacks of how they came about, even though I don't condone the act itself, as Ben was not unattached at the time.

 

I actually liked Ben. He really cares for Bell and it goes beyond sexual attraction. He likes her wit, her spunk, and he is determined to make her see that they can be good together. Bell, however, has her reservations. She is afraid of her family's reaction to him, as there is not the best of blood between them. She also carries the weight of a past secret that potentially could alter everything. She tells him they can be friends, but that's all. Ben agrees to the arrangement, but plans to wear her down and make her see that they are better as more. Ben was patient with her and even though she frustrated him, he still made her see that he was a trustworthy guy, who would be there for her whenever she needed him.

 

Karr writes some incredibly hot scenes between these two. They definitely have chemistry and the feelings they both have pushed down reemerge with a vengeance. Ben knows winning Bell's trust won't be easy, but he doesn't give up. Even when he is faced with her family, he stands tall and proves himself to be the man Bell needs in her life.

 

I really enjoyed Karr's writing style. There were a few points where I felt the plot lulled a bit, but I was still interested enough in these characters to push forward. I really enjoyed reading about the other characters from the previous novels, so I'm glad we got to see how they played a role in Bell and Ben's lives.

 

Overall, I liked Frayed. I loved the ending and felt it was perfect for Ben and Bell. These two have been through a lot of pain and heartbreak, so watching them fall for one another and take that leap really made my heart happy.