Two strangers. One bed.
And a kiss as scorching as the Miami heat!
When Nina Taylor peeks into the luxury hotel suite that should have been hers, she's caught by the room's occupant, Julian Knight. The Hollywood bad boy quickly offers a compromise: why not share? Soon, the paparazzi is jumping to scandalous conclusions -- and Julian and Nina share an incredible kiss. Good thing they're only booked for a week…because, boy, is she in trouble!
Good book. I enjoyed reading a Desire line book with all of the expected sparks and a hero who starts as a decent human being rather than a jerk who needs to learn a lesson. Julian is a Hollywood action film star whose star is on the way down thanks to the "toxic masculinity" of his films and his reputation as a bad boy. His self-confidence has taken a hit, and he is in Miami to lay low and consider his next steps. The last thing he expects to find is a woman who could derail all of his plans.
Nina is the daughter of a Broadway actress. She honors her mother's last wish by staying in the hotel's premier suite and hopes that staying there will help break her writer's block. Nina is a writer and wrote a memoir about life with her mother. Her agent wants her to do another book, but Nina hasn't come up with anything so far. However, when Nina arrives at the hotel, she finds that the room has been given to a more important guest.
I loved the first meeting between Julian and Nina. Because of the last-minute change, the bellhop takes Nina to her original room instead of the new one. Nina can't resist taking a few minutes to explore the space she should have had and expects to be gone before the new occupant arrives. Though he initially suspects Nina of being an intrusive fan, his reaction does a complete turnaround when he finds out the circumstances. When Julian finds out that Nina will have to go to another hotel, he offers to share the suite with her.
Sparks fly between Julian and Nina from the beginning. Nina is wary. With her background, she has no interest in getting involved with an actor. I liked that Julian respects her decision, and they begin by becoming friends. I loved watching them get to know each other. Nina had no idea that he was a movie star - she isn't a fan of most Hollywood productions. I loved the scene where he catches her watching one of his movies and confesses that he is listening to her book. It isn't long before Julian is comfortable enough with Nina to share his other reason for being in Miami. He's written a script for a movie he wants to produce and gives it to her to read. Though her reaction isn't quite what he expects, I loved that he listened to what she had to say and recognized its worth.
I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop from friends to lovers to more. Though initially they expected a short fling, once Nina began working with Julian on his script, what they had deepened. I liked their obvious respect for each other's abilities, and seeing them work so well together was wonderful. It is clear that they are in love, though neither is ready to take that final step. It looks promising until an excerpt from Nina's very private diary turns up in a tabloid. Julian blames Nina and says some very harsh and hurtful things. I ached for Nina, who expected better of him, and her reaction was undoubtedly justified. Of course, by the time he cooled down and realized what he'd done, it was too late. Though it took several months, I thought the time apart was good for them as both had some baggage to deal with. The ending was terrific. The scene at the premier was sweet and romantic. I loved his heartfelt speech and its effect on Nina, especially her bit of pushback at the end. The epilogue was fantastic.
I loved the lush descriptions of the hotel. I frequently felt as if I was right there with Julian and Nina. I also liked the behind-the-scenes look at the movie-making process. I could feel Julian's anxiousness as he put his dream out there and cheered as it became a reality.
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