by: Rosanna Leo
Series: Handymen
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 20, 2021
Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
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He was looking for an escape. In her, he found his home.
Contractor and Handymen host Nick Zorn needs a change. He’s been feeling listless, and when his ex-girlfriend embarrasses him in a viral post by sharing private details of their sex life, he’s downright ready to escape. When an opportunity to reinvent his career arises, Nick takes it, even though it might mean the end of Handymen. However, the team has one more project to tackle together first—a struggling cat sanctuary in dire need of renovation.
When Nick arrives at the shelter and meets its owner, a lovely widow named Claire, his life is once more thrown into disarray. Neither of them is looking for a relationship, but the attraction is fierce. As he helps Claire fix her workplace, he realizes he wants to help her in other ways too. Their flirtation sizzles, flaring into a friends-with-benefits arrangement.
But the more time they spend together, the more reluctant these ‘friends’ become to fight their deepening connection, even though they know their inevitable break will devastate them…
Reader advisory: This book contains scenes of cyberbullying and harassment, mentions of animal hoarding, bereavement and mourning. There are also references to male impotence and erectile dysfunction.
Rosanna Leo is a new to me author. As a result, I had no idea what to expect. I know I was not expecting a boy next door hero who was actually a dirty talker in disguise.
A Reluctant Attraction is the third and final book in Rosanna’s Handymen series. The series is about three brothers who own a construction company together and also star in a Toronto-based home renovation TV show, appropriately called Handymen. The story features the youngest Zorn brother Nick and his quest to deal with an embarrassing viral incident created by his ex-girlfriend. The woman who catches his eye is a 33-year-old widow named Claire Brewer.
Claire is the owner of The Haven Cat Sanctuary. The rescue was previously owned by Claire’s deceased husband Arthur and his family. When Claire married Arthur, she put off her hopes and dreams of being a photographer to join him in his passion. Due to lack of funding, the rescue is in dire need of maintenance and renovations. Unbeknownst to Claire, her older sister Mia contacts the Handymen show hoping against hope that they can help the rescue.
When Nick and the crew arrive at the rescue, he is immediately attracted to Claire. He’s also afraid of cats. Claire is reluctant to make any changes to the rescue. In fact, almost everything is just as it was when Arthur was alive. Over time, Nick and Claire form a friendship. While she’s attracted to Nick, she feels guilty, thinking that she’s being disloyal to Arthur. As their friendship progresses to romance, Nick’s bedroom performance issues come to light. I loved the way Claire helped him resolve the issue. She has this huge caring and giving heart that just shines through. In fact, when it comes to Nick, she’s a mama bear always ready to protect him.
There’s a lot going on with this story, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. I’m purposely leaving things out. I think readers of this series will be happy to see the relationships of Nick’s older brothers progress with their significant others. You see Nick come out of the self-imposed shell he put himself in. You see him gain confidence and attempt to stand on his own. Claire and Nick make such a good couple because they understand each other to their very souls. They have a playful back and forth banter, and their relationship is truly based on friendship and caring for each other. They know what the other needs and are willing to push them to make choices they would otherwise try not to make. However, they also know when to remain quiet and just be there to be supportive. Their bedroom escapades are playful, brazen, and all-consuming.
I liked that there was no drama with this story. This was really all about the characters. Outside of the journey of love that Rosanna takes readers on, my favorite part of the story was the way she showcased Claire’s grief. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where you get to see a character really shed their emotional despair. It’s been three years since Claire’s husband died. As in life, people like to tell her over and over that it’s time to move on. But you are really and truly the only person who can make that decision for yourself. Rosanna showed what kind of pressure grief puts on a person. She showed Claire’s metamorphosis from living in the land of grief and guilt to arriving in the land of the living, where nothing held her back. I’ll admit this part gets a little emotional. But that’s what makes it pure and real.
~ Favorite Quote ~
“You might have to be your own anchor.”
**Received a copy from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.**
Rating: 4
Purchase A Reluctant Attraction from:
The Handymen Series:
You can read my interview with Rosanna here.
From Toronto, Canada, Rosanna occupies a house in the suburbs with her husband and their two sons and spends most of her time being tolerated by their cat Sweetie. When not writing, Rosanna works for her local library, where she is busy laying the groundwork to become a library ghost one day.
Places to find Rosanna Leo:
Website | Facebook | Facebook Reader's Group | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram | Newsletter | Amazon Author Page
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Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts here, Kim! I really appreciate you reading and posting a review!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. Thank you for the book and for stopping by.
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