Overview: Duke Bradshaw, co-owner of the custom motorcycle shop Twisted Steel, is great with his hands and not afraid to get dirty . . . especially in his fantasies about his redheaded neighbor Carmella Rossi.
Carmella has been secretly lusting after her hot, tattooed neighbor for the last three years. His gravelly voice combined with the throaty purr of his custom bike never fails to send thrills down her spine. When Duke asks her to join him at the shop, she can't say no. Soon their days together spill over into nights that bring her pleasure beyond anything she imagined. But Carmella grew up with bikers, and knows how bad a bad boy can be. Can she put herself at risk for someone who has heart-breaker written all over him?
Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks
Publishing Date: August 4, 2015
Stars: 4.5
My Review: 4.5 owned and wicked stars. Duke Bradshaw is introduced in Opening Up which is the first book in this series. Duke co-owns Twisted Steel with Asa and is the laid back and charming type. In short, Duke's the lady's man of his close friends. I swear the man can charm the pants off a nun.
As we can all see, I love Duke. I loved him from the first time he was introduced in Opening Up. I love him for all that he is and all that he is not. He is charming, sexy, confident, loyal, clever, sexual, caring, and tender. What I love most about Duke is his understand of things and how he realizes he has to handle Carmella in order to have what they both deserve, the ultimate happy ending together. He doesn't give up when Carmella tries to run from him, hide from him, and argues with him. He is a genuinely good man and I think that's probably what brings me to my knees.
Carmella is a challenging heroine in that she is constantly at war with herself and others. She has a backstory that explains why she is the way she is. She doesn't want to mix business and pleasure, doesn't want handouts, and doesn't want to put her heart on the line. Duke doesn't really give her much choice when he corners her to work as his and Asa's office manager, tempts her into his bed, and tempts her into a relationship with him. How is she expected to fight off a persistent and charming man who happens to be decadent looking? The correct answer is she can't.
I like when characters are compliments of one another and this is what Carmella and Duke are. They easily fall in line with the other's life. The two better each other while growing together. There were a few things I wasn't so fond of which is why the book lost half a star but overall the read was as expected from Lauren Dane, pretty damn addicting and passionate.
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