Review: Center Stage by Bernadette Marie

Synopsis:

John Forrester is a simple man. He goes to work. He does his job. Then he comes home to his empty apartment with his flat screen TV. After a bad breakup with his ex wife John swears he will never get married again and does his best to keep to himself. Things change for him when he is fixed up with his Boss' sister in law. Arrianna Keller is like no woman he's ever met and he can't stop thinking about her. After four years of seeing her off and on when she comes home for visits he helps her move back into her home only to be blinded by his attraction to her.

Arrianna Keller has had an amazing career on Broadway being Center Stage. Her life is upturned when she gets a surprise visit from her sister's crazy ex. Packing up to head home Arrianna finds out the person living in her rented basement apartment is the one man she has been attracted to for years. John Forrester is everything she wants in a man. Much like her he doesn't want marriage and children. Despite their age difference Arrianna finds John irresistible and can't help but want him.

When her stalker follows her home Arrianna and John must protect the Keller clan at all costs while maintaining their relationship that at times scares them. Everything is on the line and nobody is safe in the Keller family.


Hootie Says:

Let me just say that if Bernadette Marie wasn't already married I would drive her up to Massachusetts and make an honest woman out of her!!! This woman knows how to write romance let me tell you! I stumbled onto the first book in this series by accident one night while trolling the Amazon freebies list.

Needless to say I became a huge fan and ate up the other books. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Center Stage which I was waiting for as patiently as I could because I have had the BIGGEST crush on John Forrester! He became my favorite character since he rescued Reagan in The Executive's Decision which By The Way is still FREE! So make sure you click the box below and add it to your Kindle.

Anyway getting back to the story Center Stage was AMAZING! It was everything I was desperately hoping for! It starts out with Arrianna coming home from New York after she sort of retires from Broadway. She makes it home just in time for a major family event (Go check out the series so I don't spoil anything for you!) and is greeted by none other than John Forrester! (UGH SWOON!) Every time I say his name I get chills!

Have I mentioned yet how much I love John? lol! Anyway so John ends up helping Arrianna move back into her house which coincidentally he lives in too, in her basement apartment! While helping her set up her bed (yeeeeaaaah baby) the attraction between them heats up and gives those of us who have been waiting on this exactly what we want! See John tried to fight his attraction to Arrianna because she is almost 13 years younger than him and he felt like she might want kids and a family someday and that just isn't what he wants. Hell  he's been so scarred by his failed marriage he feels he never wants to marry again! Arrianna brings out a side of him he hasn't had much use for in years and they spend several intimate moments together if you know what I mean!?

They establish that they really like each other and lay down some ground rules about their relationship before they get too serious. He wants her to himself and she wants him to herself but neither want to make it official with paperwork which suits them both fine. Meanwhile the REAL reason Arrianna moved back home starts to surface causing problems! For those that don't know, there is a bastard character that caused me heart problems in book 1 that returns for this book I wasn't ready for! I thought it was gonna be all "LA LA LA LOVE IS GRAND" but noooo  we get paid a visit by our favorite guest!

Seriously!!! I was freaking out in this book because EVERYONE in the Keller family gets involved in this shit! Things are gong along just fine, Arrianna is renovating an old theatre she's always wanted to do once she retired, and John is helping out because that man can do no wrong! She starts getting phone calls with no one on the other line, finding her family's business cards lying around in odd places and close calls happen at her theatre they can't explain. They go to the cops but those bitches are almost useless due to the law! Really what good is "THE LAW" if the shit don't help nobody and can be bent to someones will? *Steps off soapbox* My Bad, so back to the story the cops can't really help because they have nothing to go on and no concrete evidence. Arrianna starts packing heat just in case she might need it which is totally bad ass! I love a woman who defends herself and I already loved Arrianna so that just added to her characters appeal. John vows to protect her and her family at all costs which just endeared him more to my heart! I swear my daddy issues kicked in with this book hardcore! I wanted to climb into the story and sit in Johns lap!

Things come to a head when Arrianna's stalker makes his move and wreaks havoc with her theatre and her family. I was shocked by the ending honestly! I didn't see it coming but I was so incredibly happy about it I wanted to hug my Kindle! The relationship between John and Arrianna was my favorite of the series by far. They were real with each other and didn't play games, they just enjoyed being together and worked things out when faced with problems. I loved this series and It was kind of sad that things are wrapping up for the main characters in this series but the cool thing is, we get a spin-off series featuring the next generation of Keller's! PINCH ME! Major Thank you To Bernadette Marie and 5 Prince Publishing for being so gracious to allow us an early look at these books we love! I really hope you guys check them out and love them as much as I do! 

                                                             -HOOTIE

***Center Stage won't release until  December 6th***

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