"She's trying to sever this thing between us, and part of me is grateful that she's strong enough to make the attempt, but a bigger part of me feels like I'm losing a limb."

Let me start by saying, that no other author I know can write a hot, brooding, arrogant alphahole like this author. And Holt Sebastian is no exception. He's rich (of course), tall and handsome (of course) and a total player (of course). He goes after what he wants, plays any game he needs to in order to win the object of his attention, and usually ends up getting what he wants.

Now, we have Brystin Shaw, and her husband of convenience and career strategy, Michael Endlich. I didn't like Michael from the start. For obvious reasons there is no chemistry between the two. I didn't feel invested in his character and couldn't have cared less what happened to him. I bet you'll feel the same.

Here is where I had a problem with the story. While the author was trying to portray Brystin as a strong, career driven female character, she actually came across to me as weak and insecure, compromising her own self-worth and morals for the sake of making a name for herself. From the very beginning of the game that Holt was playing, I was hoping she'd have a spine, but she didn't. Now, don't get me wrong, it was clear the attraction was there, and the steamy scenes fogged up my Kindle.

But, I wasn't a fan of Brystin being ok with the arrangement, loveless marriage or not. I prefer my female characters stronger than that. I prefer they know their self-worth and wouldn't compromise it for anything. And, while Holt was hot and commanding, he was, as Brystin called him, and A$$holt.

Overall, this was a good, steamy read. I just had an issue with the plot. I am looking forward to the next books in this series. I can't wait to see what the other Sebastian men will be up to. ( )