ORDER A COPY: Up to Me (A BAD BOYS NOVEL)
Publisher: Berkley
Publishing Date: February 12, 2013
eBook: 190 pages
Rating: 4 stars
For Olivia, romantic bliss has never felt so right as it does with Cash. Unpredictable, except when it comes to satisfying her desires, Cash’s ‘bad boy’ reputation is well-earned, but he’s turning his life around with the one woman who accepts him for who he is.
Until strangers from the past turn Olivia and Cash’s world upside down. What they want is something only Cash can give them. And if he doesn’t deliver, then they’re taking the one thing that Cash values the most.
Olivia always knew that in falling for Cash she was likely to get burned. But this new threat is beyond anything she imagined. Now she has to trust Cash with her life—and for Olivia that’s much easier than letting go, and trusting him with her heart.
Olivia and Cash are just beginning to work through the finer points of their new relationship and enjoying every minute of it. Olivia wants to keep their relationship quiet at the bar. Although Cash wants to go public, he understands and he’s trying to be a good boy about it. But someone already knows how important Olivia is to Cash.
The Russian mob have been waiting to find the books that Cash’s father had hidden from them and now they have leverage they need against Cash. They will wait for the perfect opportunity to kidnap Olivia. When they have her in their control, Cash will have to give up the books to get her back. At least that is what they will let Cash believe. Once they have the books, they intend to put a end to these loose ends.
Unfortunately, they have grabbed the wrong woman. They have grabbed Olivia’s cousin Marissa leaving Cash with time to call in some favors and get Olivia to safety. Yet is there really any where that is safe from such dangerous men?
After all these years, will Cash need to choose between proving his father’s innocence and the life of the woman he is coming to love?
THOUGHTS:
There are some questionable plot points in this story with detract from the story, including why was Cash’s father hiding so many secrets from Cash. Plus with all the life and death danger surrounding them, we also end up with some very basic romance speed bumps: including Olivia’s co-worker putting doubts about Cash’s ability to be faithful in Olivia’s mind, and also after all Cash does in the story to keep Olivia safe, he has a few internal conversations to convince himself that he’s not in love with Olivia and she’s not that important. What? With all that was going on and with the sexual heat between Olivia and Cash, these plot points detracted from the overall story.
But saying that, there was a lot of action, there is definitely a huge Oh my God! moment and the heat between Cash and Olivia was again off the charts. Between Book #1 and now Book #2, we should all get rid of our beds and just put in a bar.
It was an interesting and quick read but should be read after Book #1. This would not have the same impact as a stand alone book or read out of order.
Received an ARC from netgalley.com courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Favorite Scene:
Olivia is just putting the wrap on the liquor bottle pourers, the last task of every night, when I make my way out to her. She turns to look at me. For a fraction of a second, something feels different. Off. But then she smiles and I put it out of my mind.
That smile…Mmmm, it makes my chest almost as tight as my jeans.
I walk over, stopping at the bar across from her. I watch as she wraps the last bottle and puts it back on the shelf. She looks around, making sure everything is done and the bar is clear before she turns to me. “Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?”
Shyly, she looks away for a heartbeat before she brings her eyes back to mine. She’s still not quite comfortable with compliments, which shocks me. How someone who looks like she does could ever feel less than drop-dead gorgeous is beyond me. Yet she does. In a backward way, that makes her even more appealing.
“You might’ve mentioned it once or twice before,” she says coyly, biting her lip in that way I love. It makes me want to carry her into the back room again. But it would have to be quick. And a quickie isn’t what I want with this girl. Unless it can be followed up with something much more…thorough.
Watching me from the corner of her eye, she turns and starts walking slowly toward the cut-out. With the bar between us, I walk with her.
“That’s right. I did mention it before. I remember telling you how amazing you are. I think we were in front of a mirror.” My dick twitches behind my zipper just thinking about sliding into Olivia from behind and coming inside her in the ladies’ bathroom at Tad’s. “Does that sound familiar?”
As she walks, she glances up at me from the corner of her eye. I see the flash of hot desire. I know she remembers it just as perfectly as I do.
She clears her throat. “Um, yeah. That seems vaguely familiar.” Her grin is playful.
God, what a tease!
“Vaguely? Maybe I didn’t pound it into you hard enough.”
“Oh, I think you pounded it in plenty hard.”
“Maybe I should’ve taken the time to give you a good tongue-lashing, too, then.”
“Oh, I think the form of communication you used was very effective.”
“So it’s all coming back to you now?”
“Yes, it’s all coming back to me.”
“If you’re lying, I could sweat it out of you, you know.”
“I’m not lying. It’s etched into my memory. Permanently.”
“Maybe we should revisit it, just so you’re clear on everything we discussed. I want to make sure it’s in there. Nice and deep. So you never forget it.”
Finally her grin turns into a giggle just as we’re nearing the cut-out at the end of the bar. When she rounds the corner, I’m there blocking her way with my body.
“I doubt there’s anything you could do to get it in there any deeper.”
“Oh, I can think of one or two things. The only way we’ll know for sure, though, is to try. And I don’t know about you, but I’m committed to this. Invested. And I’m nothing if not thorough.”
