Stand Alone
Contemporary Romance
Kindle/Ebook given by author for review
Lily Sawyer flees her controlling, wealthy family in New York City for a solitary existence on Cape Cod. Three months later, a mounting anxiety binds her to the house she can no longer leave. With hurricane season approaching, Lily hires Cliff Buckley—an angry carpenter with an immediate disgust for his elitist employer—to storm-proof her house. Cliff soon discovers they have more in common than he thinks, as well as a raging spark between them could either destroy—or save—everything they care about. The question is, can either of them survive Hurricane Lily?
My Take:
This was a short but good read. It starts off with Lily Sawyer freaking the hell out about global warming and trying to prepare survival rations in case the world goes to shit with the quickness. She is convinced there will be a major storm to hit the Cape and is desperate to be prepared. While staying at her childhood vacation home she has hired a contractor to help storm proof the place before said disaster happens. When Cliff Buckley knocks on her door she can tell immediately that he doesn't like her. Cliff hates the elite. rich people make his balls shrivel so when he sees Lily he can't figure out if he hates her or wants to bang her. All Cliff wants to do is finish this job and Begin writing his crime novel. All Lily wants to do is hide in her room and avoid everything and everyone.
As the weeks pass Cliff and Lily interact more and discover that neither is what they originally thought. When Cliff walks in on Lily diddling her mud flaps he can't help but participate in some afternoon delight. When the lust haze fades Cliff runs off leaving Lily wondering what happened. The next day Lily tries to ignore what happened between them but watching Cliff act so nonchalant about their encounter, pisses her off. She confronts him but ends up going farther than she intended. Turning the tables and leaving him breathless and confused Lily goes back to hiding in her room, but once they opened the door to pleasure it is hard for them to ignore it. They slowly begin to warm up to each other as Cliff is finishing the final touches on the house just in time for that storm Lily has been fearing to hit.
It didn't take me long to finish this book, I think I plowed through it in less than a day. This was a great escape read for me. It was romantic in some parts, intense in others but mostly HOT! I love a sexy book with characters who fight their attraction but have great sexual chemistry. Lily and Cliff were the perfect mix of sweet and sour. Lily obviously has some issues being that she is paranoid about severe storms, global warming and famine. Not to mention the fact that she hasn't left her cottage in the five months since she has been staying there. We find out her father is a prick and her mother's suicide adds to her cluster fuck of emotions. She doesn't like to be around people (I can totally relate) and chose to leave the big city for a more quiet, solitary life in Cape Cod. That all changes when Cliff shows up.
Cliff! Tall, muscular, blue collar CLIFF! He was the best of both worlds being brains and brawn! He was a skilled craftsman plus he is smart. He went to a big college and has watched the rich people around him take and take his whole life. He watched his beloved father work himself to death catering to those rich assholes! Cliff can't stand anyone with money and uses his business to milk them by charging them an arm and a leg for their fancy renovations. When he meets Lily for the first time he is convinced she is just another elitist living off her daddy's money but what he finds is a broken woman in need of some affection. I loved watching him slowly cave to her charms and quirky behavior, and ultimately help her out of her shell. He was such a good guy, even when he was being a complete dick!
Throughout the story you are watching these two grow closer and seeing Lily deal with her issues while growing a backbone. It was so rewarding to see Lily go from scared and alone to open and healthy. It wasn't about Cliff saving her, but he helped show her how to live again. I loved these two as a couple, between their banter and chemistry you can't go wrong. The best part was the way the author wrapped up the story. It was such a beautiful moment that brought everything full circle. It was definitely a warm fuzzy moment that made me say "Aww".
Favorite Quotes:
Okay, she gave him a drink. So what? She hadn't been raised by wolves; congratulations. It didn't mean she wasn't a spoiled brat. eARC 9%
No erections allowed. His dick was an idiot. At least he had a semi cold drink in his hand. eARC 11%
For the love of all that was holy, she was about to be fucked by the handyman. eARC 47%
"I'm going to fuck you so hard you won't know what hit you, I promise you, just fucking come for me. Now Lily." eARC 83%
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Rebecca Rogers Maher writes bold contemporary romance novels with strong, flawed heroines. She’s a Vassar graduate, a former community organizer and Brooklyn public school teacher, and a mother to two insanely sweet boys. She believes messed-up ladies deserve happy endings too, as well as lots of hot sex with genuinely kind men. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her hot, kind husband and their children. RT Book Reviews describes Rebecca’s writing as “beautiful, heart-wrenching, and heart-warming,” Library Journal calls it “dark, electrically charged…gut-wrenching…” and Dear Author says it “resonate(s) with depth.” In a ridiculously embarrassing article, New York Daily News called her novels “steamy.”
