Apparently, I’ve been living under a rock again. You’d think with my love for rom-coms that I would have read Rachel Van Dyken books by now, but sadly, I had not. After seeing her on a panel at the RWA conference in New York this summer, I decided to pick up one of her books. I liked her vibe and remember seeing other people posting her books on Instagram, so I finally dove in. I’m so glad I did. She’s got herself a new fan!
Thankfully, she has like eighty books available, so it will be a long time before I run out of reading material.
About Dangerous Exes:
Pulled straight from her Amazon product page.
Isla made one teeny little mistake. Now she and her PI company, Dirty Exes, are being targeted by one seriously angry and furiously sexy ex-quarterback. Jessie freakin’ Beckett. But there’s no way some NFL superhunk is going to take her business away. If only he didn’t make her so hot—and bothered.
Jessie wants payback for a ruined reputation. His plan? Top secret. His hard-to-hide arousal for Isla? Not so much. Especially when they let down their guards and sneak a kiss. Like any juicy scandal, it goes so viral, so fast, that only a good lie can combat the bad press. Mortal enemies in a fling? No way. Um…this is love!
Actually…could it be?
Isla’s not faking it. Jessie can’t. As the game of let’s pretend gets real, Jessie forgets all about revenge. That’s the problem. His plan is already out of his control. Now it could undo everything they’ve been trying to build. Coming clean may be the only thing that can save it.
What I Loved About It
The Pacing
Rachel writes in a way that kept me turning the page. Most of the chapters were short, action-packed or emotionally-fueled, and engaging. I don’t recall coming across a chapter that was a slog. She managed to weave backstory and introspective moments expertly through the chapters so you still got those minibreaks, but it didn’t slow you down from all the excitement. I found myself saying “one more chapter” a bunch of times because they were quick reads. But that’s how she gets you! One more chapter turned into twenty. Before I knew it, I finished the book in record time.
The Sexual Tension
Oh, Jesse. Such a hunk. Such good book boyfriend material. He was a strong, dominant man but didn’t overshadow Isla’s own dominant personality. They had equal footing in this battle between them and it was fun to see who the winner was at the end of each chapter. This little game also made the sexual tension hot, hot, hot!
The Quirky, Vulnerable Characters
It wouldn’t be a rom-com without the quirky, funny scenarios and characters. Isla and Jesse definitely got themselves in all sorts of humorous situations. However, it also was their quirks that I enjoyed. Yes, they’re tough, smart, and successful. Yes, they’re sexy. But they aren’t perfect. They have personality traits that made them more human and approachable, which also fueled the pacing of the story. It’s these vulnerable moments that probably made me think Jesse was good book boyfriend material.
And of course, let’s not forget Isla’s grandmother. She provided comic relief during those tense times!
Dangerous Exes is the second book of this series, and although I didn’t read the first one, I didn’t feel like I missed a beat. It brought all the humor, heat, and excitement I’d been craving! To learn more about her different series, check it out here.
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