(Author note: This is NOT a dark romance.)
Her boring life is suddenly turned on its head when she’s rudely kidnapped from her bedroom.
Or so she thinks.
Nox Taylor is far too high up in his field to be assigned a babysitting job.
Nox Taylor is far too high up in his field to be assigned a babysitting job.
There’s nothing more he wants than to complete his mission so he can be rid of the smartass tomboy, Lily.
Day after day, Nox watches Lily and her strange ways. She’s unlike any woman he’s ever met.
Getting close to the girl is purely for her own protection…right?
Lily never imagined she’d make her first real friends in captivity.
What lengths would she go through to keep them?
**This is a stand alone novel and is unrelated to Friend-Zoned**
Were you thrown for a loop based on the
cover like I was? I was ready for a wickedly dark, suspense filled, bad guy
hating, hero swooping story. But what I got was ten times better. A romantic
comedy but not a cheesy one, one that upholds and delivers all that the genre
entails, intertwined with suspense.
Ms. Aurora doesn’t disappoint. She instills
her trademark sense of humor, a sexy alpha with layers, intrigue with suspense,
and she succeeds in evoking so many different emotions from her readers. You
will burn more calories from laughing so much than you would doing cardio. You
will be so frustrated you look for the nearest object to throw. You will cry
(so waterproof mascara) and your heart will burst from love but also tragedy.
If you have read Belle Aurora’s Friend-Zoned
series then you already know what to expect but readers, I assure you this book
not only expands off that writing style but is better. If this is the first book you have
read by the amazing Ms. Aurora, I hope you have now added her to the top of the 'authors-to-stalk-till-her-next-book-releases' list and hope you one-click and
enjoy her Friend-Zoned series.
Okay I’ve built up the hype. I bet you all
are wondering why I am speaking so highly of this author and book so let’s jump
into the review shall we?
Delilah “Lily” Flynn has come to accept the
drab existence that she has been living for twenty two years. Her only
adventures are lived out through her love of books. Her father controls the
leash that is her life for which he gives such a short rein, it’s as if he has
found a way to turn her into a female Pincocchio. She wasn’t allowed to attend
college, to date, and her only option for a job is yes, you guessed it for her
dad’s company. That is my description of how protective her father is however
Lily has a more amusing way to explain it
“My father is somewhat overprotective. When I say he’s
somewhat overprotective, it’s kinda like Channing Tatum being somewhat good
looking…as in tremendously.”
Understand better now?
Her boring, controlled life is, as she says
“fucked” when both she and her sister are kidnapped against their will.
“Well, that’s that. Goodbye cruel world. Be sure to
fuck thyself on the way out, you mean-assed son of a whore.”
We learn early on this kidnapping is
executed to provide Lily with protection from active threats mainly against her
(seeing how her father is strictest over her than her sister Terah). It is
tough to refer to these kidnappers as such because they are so likeable they’d
have anyone offering to be taken, especially Nox. Holy nail biter, tie me up,
blind fold me and call me Lily - I would
not only trust Nox to protect me but I would trust him wholly with my body
*wicked grin*. Beyond his mysteriously sexy appearance, it is Nox the protector
who will have you swooning at his feet.
Nox is the main man in charge with an
exceptional track record of fulfilling his job as protector. He intends to
uphold his prestigious status not only as an ego boost but he truly cares about
protecting others.
“Never lost someone on my watch before. If something
happened to you, I’d spend the rest of my life wondering what I could’ve done
differently, that would’ve kept you alive. Wounds like that...wounds to the
heart…they leave ugly scars that never fade.”
Boy does Lily make Nox’s job tough. She is
by far one my favorite heroines. She is bold, honest, feisty, loyal and 80%
SMARTASS.
Belle Aurora does a spectacular job
alternating between the POV of Nox and Lily. I got a kick out of the internal
dialogues these two characters have with themselves:
Nox to self:
“Dear god, please give me strength to make sure that I
don’t become the threat against the girl I’m trying to protect.”
Lily to self:
“It’s now or never. Don’t be a chickenshit, just do
it.”
Overall, while under the protection of Nox,
Rock and Boo, Lily discovers what it is like to live her life rather than
existing. She is exposed to new experiences and what it is like to have friends
and relationships with people outside of her family. The supporting characters
are pure perfection. Rock and Boo need their own book please!
We watch as Lily and Nox’s relationship
takes many different forms over the course of the book. They challenge one
another which helps them grow as individuals.
The curve balls Belle throws at you will definitely
keep you on your toes. Just when you figure out what is going to happen, that
is only half of what actually plays out because BAM Belle hits you from left
field. The last 25% of the book was a panic attack waiting to happen. I
literally bit all my finger nails off, squeezed my kindle till my knuckles were
white and alternated from crying to screaming. I could not get a hold on my
emotions. The best way to describe my mood is DENIAL.
Belle Aurora your way with words is so
beautifully wise and comforting and always cue the waterworks.
“I read somewhere that if you’re going through Hell,
keep going. It’s the only way past it. You have to face your pain, your guilt,
and your sorrow. But when strong hands of grief capture you, it is
overwhelming, and completely devastating.”
You do not want to miss out on this wild
ride of an adventure. To say I enjoyed this book would be the biggest
understatement of the year. I loved it so freaking much I needed the paperback
like yesterday!
5****Stars Reread Worthy
~ Review by Tori
Great Review! I really want to read this one! I will have to push it up on my TBR! ;-)
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