Full disclosure: I hadn’t read any of the other books in this universe, so it was all new to me. The only time I could tell I was missing something was how offhanded the descriptions of Griffin’s brothers’ and cousins’ relationships were. But, this could have been a read-alone just as easily. That’s how I approached it, and it totally worked for me.
Right off the bat, I was hooked because setting the opening scene in a sex toy shop was unique and entertaining. It also was a great perspective on Cosy’s personality. I thought she was the more fleshed-out of the two “leads,” but that might also be because Griffin appeared in other books, so there might have been more depth there. Regardless, I liked his personality a lot.
I also think that the author captured Cosy’s temperament. A college student in her early 20s would be prone to over-reacting and not always being level-headed about any complications thrown her way. For that reason, Cosy’s reactions seemed very real, and they didn’t bother me as some tantrum-throwing heroines have in other books (not naming names).
The plot was fun. I appreciated the juxtaposition of the two lifestyles and how quickly the plot moved along. There was not a lot of over-thinking or overwrought drama. Although, the twist thrown in a little over two-thirds of the way in was a good one (and something else that someone already familiar with the universe might have seen coming).
My only complaint about this book is the cover. I am beginning to feel like there is an over-saturation of shirtless man covers, and it tells me nothing about the story itself. Women are smarter than picking up a book simply because there is a hot body at the front. I would have loved to have seen a cover that had two characters in the clothing particular to Cosy and Griffin – or with an allusion to where they meet (acknowledging that marketing can be fickle about that stuff). It’s time to start getting creative with the covers!
Making Up by Helena HuntingMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I am fast becoming a fan of Helena Hunting’s books, mainly because her characters are usually just a tad off the stereotypes often found in the genre. I liked both Cosy and Griffin for a few reasons. First, ya gotta love a gal who works in a sex toy shop (a great way to open). Second, I liked that Griffin was not the usual uptight billionaire dude who was all about work – he was open and playful pretty much from the start. I appreciated that it wasn’t a total 180-degree character change for either. I enjoyed their story and recommend this book. For more thoughts, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press (Swerve), and the author for a complimentary, pre-release digital ARC of this book.
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