I was excited to read Dru and Gabe's story after reading their tension filled intro in the sneak peak but sadly it took a turn I wasn't expecting.
I know many will enjoy reading the back and forth between these two (normally something I enjoy too) but for me this became a one sided romance with too many instances of double standards. Dru has been in love with Gabe for years and Gabe honestly can't stand her, finds her irritating, her looks lacking and makes no secret that he would have preferred to marry another.
The constant reminder by both the heroine and the hero about not only the other woman he intended to marry but also the two mistresses was way too outside drama than I wanted, honestly. I like angst but the hurt and jealousy that is never fully put to rest was a definite downer.
Gabe was an interesting character but his actions towards Dru kept me from really falling for him as a hero. The fact that he resolved to respect her and treat her well one minute than immediately turn around and dismiss her or insult her (all while supposedly protecting his heart) was beyond frustrating.
It was hard to garner any sympathy for him when he expected Dru to accept his many faults (and there are many!) but wouldn't bend once for her. It was not a character flaw I like to see in my romance reads.
As for Dru, I expected a strong heroine that would stand her ground but in almost every situation, the author had her bending to Gabe's will. She was made, time and time again, to appease this man for no other reason than she loved his physical form (my opinion here) because other than his looks, there was not a lot of light shown on his "other" good qualities.
Overall, this one lacked that warm fuzzy feeling a good romance invokes and although the writing style was good, the main characters, the choppy plot and the various secondary characters that bogged down the story made this one a pass for me.
I know many will enjoy reading the back and forth between these two (normally something I enjoy too) but for me this became a one sided romance with too many instances of double standards. Dru has been in love with Gabe for years and Gabe honestly can't stand her, finds her irritating, her looks lacking and makes no secret that he would have preferred to marry another.
The constant reminder by both the heroine and the hero about not only the other woman he intended to marry but also the two mistresses was way too outside drama than I wanted, honestly. I like angst but the hurt and jealousy that is never fully put to rest was a definite downer.
Gabe was an interesting character but his actions towards Dru kept me from really falling for him as a hero. The fact that he resolved to respect her and treat her well one minute than immediately turn around and dismiss her or insult her (all while supposedly protecting his heart) was beyond frustrating.
It was hard to garner any sympathy for him when he expected Dru to accept his many faults (and there are many!) but wouldn't bend once for her. It was not a character flaw I like to see in my romance reads.
As for Dru, I expected a strong heroine that would stand her ground but in almost every situation, the author had her bending to Gabe's will. She was made, time and time again, to appease this man for no other reason than she loved his physical form (my opinion here) because other than his looks, there was not a lot of light shown on his "other" good qualities.
Overall, this one lacked that warm fuzzy feeling a good romance invokes and although the writing style was good, the main characters, the choppy plot and the various secondary characters that bogged down the story made this one a pass for me.