"Dark and sexy collides with vulnerable and heartbroken, creating an addicting, heart-pounding romance that keeps you guessing and totally consumed!" - Craves the Angst
AUTHOR: Tijan
AGE GROUP: Adult
GENRE: Romance
RELEASE DATE: February 27, 2017
PUBLISHER: EverAfter Romance
PAGES: Approx. 314
TOUR COORDINATED BY:
TRSOR Promotions
COPY PROVIDED BY: Author
MY GOODREADS REVIEW LINK
RATING: 4.5 Stars!
CLIFFHANGER: No
BOOK BLURB:
I shouldn’t have remembered him.
He was just a guy who walked through a restaurant. I didn't know his name. We never made eye contact. There was no connection between us at all.
But I could feel him.
The tingle down my spine. The command in his presence. The snap of tension in the air around him. That was the first time I saw him, and I was captivated.
The second time was different.
He was in the mysterious back elevator of my apartment building. Our eyes met for a fleeting second before the doors closed, and I was staggered. My breath was robbed. My senses on high alert. My body hummed.
That was just the beginning.
He was the leader of the mafia. I was about to fall in love with him, and his name…
Cole Mauricio
REVIEWER'S NOTE: Cole is an Adult, Romance written by Tijan. I was gifted an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review through The Rock Stars of Romance.
4.5 “I Want Cole!” Stars!
Dark and sexy collides with vulnerable and heartbroken, creating an addicting, heart-pounding romance that keeps you guessing and totally consumed!
The Review:
THIS! This is why I love Tijan! Her books completely own me!
First off, CARTER REED sighting! YAY!! We met Cole in the Carter Reed books but you DO NOT have to read those books to understand this one. But why wouldn’t you? Those books rocked! ;)
I enjoyed Cole so freaking much! The story was well done and you can’t help but fall instantly in love with ALL of these characters. Cole and Addison were spectacular together and their chemistry super HOT! I loved Jake, Sia and Dawn and their subplot and I enjoyed the return to the mafia world. I want to go back right now and reread this book! In fact, I just might once I’m done with this review!
Story/Characters...
Addison Bowman Sailor and her husband moved to Chicago two years prior, so that Liam could be the new counselor at Haven Center. But shortly after, Liam was tragically killed, leaving Addison alone and heartbroken. After months of solitude, Addison’s best friend, Sia, finally talks her into moving from the house she shared with Liam and the place where all their precious memories haunt her. Moving into the sleek, exclusive Mauricio building turns out to be more of an adventure than Addison thought it would be.
Cole Mauricio is a shadow. A gorgeous, mysterious shadow and when Addison spots him one evening in her building, recognizing him from one other sighting that left her heart pounding, which is something no one had been able to do since her husband's death, she’s determined to discover all Cole’s secrets.
I LOVED the sightings before the actual meet. The build up and intensity was well done and had me incredibly anxious to see how their first face to face meeting would go. Cole and Addison were so much fun. I connected instantly with Addison and her past as well as her shyness. Her situation and her past was different and I appreciated getting to know her character. And I also appreciated that though she was sweet and shy, she was no wilting flower. She didn’t buckle when the pressure was on and she held her own against frightening and horrific circumstances.
And Cole... gah! Loved him! Cole was this huge mystery in the beginning. If you hadn’t read the Carter Reed books, then you would have been completely in the dark about Cole and who he was. And even knowing where he came from, I still wasn’t sure how he would be presented. I loved how the author played this part of his background out. He ghosted in and out of scenes and you were left with this awe-inspiring impression of his importance, his danger and his mystery. I just loved it! And then when we finally get a face to face between Cole and Addison, my tummy was in knots and my mind was blown. It was intense and a little bit scary and the eye contact alone had me swooning.
As their relationship grows and secrets get discovered, Addison becomes this amazing heroine that you can’t help but root for. And Cole really steps up in his role as protector. His depth, his heartache and caring and his absolute resolve when he needed to take care of business gave me those lovely chest pangs I crave in my romance reads. I also enjoyed that though he was a serious character, he also had a pleasant side that left him open and vulnerable even though he had heavy burdens, giving us some seriously delicious angsts.
The Wrap Up:
Amazing read all around with fantastic characters and a romantic and intense love story. I can’t wait to reread this one.
....
EXCERPT
Once inside the elevator, I stood to one side, watching him. He returned my gaze.
We still did not touch.
My chest tightened, hoping no one would call the elevator at that moment. We sailed past the lobby, the second floor, and stopped at mine. I put in the code, and the doors opened to my home.
I drew in a breath, filling my lungs again. God, it was time.
Stepping out with shaky knees, I bypassed the light switch. The full moon lit up my entire floor. I went to the kitchen and paused at the island. “Did you want something to drink?” I caught sight of the tequila and wine on the counter. There was more than enough.
Cole stepped up behind me and followed my gaze. “Were you going to have a party?” he asked, his breath coating the back of my neck.
I shivered, closing my eyes for one delicious moment. “I stocked up. I thought a friend was coming over tonight.”
His hand rested on my back, nudging my sweater aside to touch my skin. “He?”
“She. Sia.” I looked over my shoulder. He was so close. “She stood me up for a date.”
A faint smile showed. “I need to send her a thank-you card.”
“Please don’t sign it.”
“Why not?”
I turned around, easing my back against the island. Cole placed his hands on either side of me, trapping me in place.
“Because she’s slightly obsessed with you, though she’s in love with someone else now. She could circle back,” I joked.
“Me?”
“We saw you one night.”
“When?” He leaned away, but his hands remained on the counter. It was like he was giving me breathing space on purpose.
“At Gianni’s. We went there the night I moved in.”
He didn’t move, but I could feel him pulling away. A protest started in my head, but I bit back the words. He didn’t reply. He was waiting for me instead.
I continued, “You came in with a bunch of men and went upstairs. That was it.”
His eyes narrowed. “Did you talk to anyone?”
“What do you mean?”
“The staff?”
“About you?”
“About anything.”
My forehead wrinkled. “Sia networked with the hostess. They exchanged cards. Sia said the girl was a model. She recognized her from the Gala. That was it. Oh, well, another server sat with us for a drink later on. But they mostly talked with Sia about the Gala and about photographers—stuff like that.”
He relaxed, his hands loosening their hold on the counter. I was scared to ask what he was so worried they’d told us.
“I don’t know who you are.” I lifted a hand, placing it on his chest. His heart was racing, just like mine. My mouth parted in surprise. “If that’s what you’re worried about.”
He glanced down at my hand and held still. He was thinking something over. I held my tongue, worried it was me, that he was second-guessing this night for us. I wanted to tell him there was nothing to worry about, but it sounded ridiculous. I really had no idea. So I waited it out, my heart pressing against my rib cage.
When he looked back up, the hunger was in his eyes again—dark, primal, and more evident than ever. He took my hand and leaned in, closing the distance between us. With his other hand, he cupped the side of my face. “I wasn’t second-guessing this. I want you to know that.” His touch was tender.
“What were you thinking about?”
“Something else, but it wasn’t you.”
“This is one of those moments where you wish you could tell me, but you can’t? Not yet?”
The corner of his mouth lifted. His eyes moved from mine to my lips. “Something like that, yes.”
“Mmmm-hmmm,” I started to tease, but then his head dipped down, and his lips were on mine.
I gasped. The pleasure was immediate. His mouth was gentle, but as he felt my body’s reaction, he applied pressure. His touch grew more demanding, then I was kissing him back. I wanted more. Someone groaned. That was me.
His hand slid around to the back of my neck. He held me in his grip as his mouth explored mine, opening over me and slipping inside. My hands grasped his shoulders, just holding on. All I could focus on was his tongue. I met his with mine and reveled in the sensation. But it wasn’t enough. Need shot through my whole body.
My hands slid under his shirt and moved over his back and shoulders. His body was just as powerful as his presence. I felt the shift of his muscles. They trembled under my hands. The feeling was intoxicating. I had power over him, and I wanted more. I wanted to see how much power I actually had.
Pulling back, I studied him.
He was panting lightly. So was I.
I could see him wondering what I was going to do, so I reached back to the counter and started to lift myself. His hands caught the backs of my thighs, and he lifted me the rest of the way. Now sitting on the edge of the island, my legs parted, and he was back between them. His mouth went right to mine.
I couldn’t get over what I was doing. I didn’t care.
I didn’t think I would care the next day, the day after, or however long this lasted. I had no clue. I only knew I had one night. One long night.
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