Uptown girls who think they have the upper hand?
They don't know Jack!
Jack Bowden has met enough rich women to know that Lone
Star socialite Lexi Alderidge doesn't take him seriously, even though their
connection is instant. Still, the rugged contractor built his fortune from the
ground up -- surely he can build real rapport with Lexi the same way? But when "getting
along" becomes "getting into bed," will his brand of
rough-and-tumble success ever truly fit into her high-class world?
Good book about two people with different lives seeing
past stereotypes to possibilities. Lexi returned to Royal when her fifteen-year
marriage ended in divorce. Shortly after arriving, she got involved with her
high school boyfriend; their romance rapidly progressing toward marriage. Then
Brett broke their engagement the night before the wedding, putting Lexi right
back in the middle of Royal's gossip chain. She now works as VP of Marketing
for her father's bank, determined to bring his old-fashioned way of doing
business into the twenty-first century. As such, she encouraged the bank's
sponsorship of the upcoming Soiree on the Bay Arts Festival.
Jack is the owner of the construction company hired to
build the stages and other structures at the festival site on Appaloosa Island.
A self-made man, Jack moved to Royal eleven years earlier after his fiancée called
off their wedding. He is a hands-on owner, most often found on-site working
alongside his employees.
I loved the first meeting between Jack and Lexi. She flew
to the island to check on the progress of the work and mistook Jack for one of
his workers. Jack didn't correct the mistake until Ross Edmonds, one of the
festival organizers, started commenting to Lexi about her divorce. Jack saw the
effect it had on her and stepped in, claiming that he and Lexi were an item. After
a bit of back-and-forth conversation, Lexi agrees to a date with Jack. Dinner
at the exclusive Sheen restaurant gives them a chance to get to know each
other. The sparks between them are off the charts, but they agree that neither
is interested in anything serious. Dating and having fun together, however, are
something both are up for.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Jack and Lexi
develop. The attraction between them deepens and grows as each discovers the
other is not what they expected. Far from being the snooty socialite Jack expected,
Lexi is down-to-earth, friendly, and easy to like. Rather than the playboy Lexi
had heard about, Jack is fun, easy-going, and caring. Lexi tends to see the
worst in herself, blaming herself for things that went wrong in her
relationships. Jack's admiration of her goes a long way toward changing the way
she sees herself.
The more time Jack and Lexi spend together, the deeper
their feelings grow. There are some terrific scenes of them together, having
fun and fanning the flames between them. It doesn't take long for Jack to
realize he's ready to give up his playboy ways for a future with Lexi. But
Lexi's inability to trust her judgment after two failed relationships makes it
difficult for her to believe that she's ready for something more. I ached for
Jack when he didn't get the response he hoped for and for Lexi when she let her
fears come between them. I liked her sister's pep talk and how it helped Lexi see
the truth of her feelings. I loved the ending and seeing Lexi go after what she
wanted.
The secondary characters were an essential part of the
story. I was not too fond of Lexi's dad at first, especially given his history
with Jack. It seemed that he was more concerned with prestige and appearances
than in progress. But as the book went on, I saw a different side of him, and
in the end, he turned out to be pretty wonderful. I also liked Jack's sister, Angie.
She's protective of Jack, and she initially disapproved of his relationship with
Lexi. However, I enjoyed the scene at Angie's birthday party as she and Lexi
bonded over their divorces.
As for the overarching theme of the series, the Soiree on
the Bay festival, the planning continues. In earlier books, there is a feeling that
something isn't quite right. That suspicion continues here with an unexpected
financial problem. I have an idea who is behind it and can't wait to see if I
am right.
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