Summary
I know Tuck Monroe is trouble the second I walk in to interview for the nanny position. Six-four and covered in tattoos, he’s distractingly hot. He’s also grumpy as hell. But I need to pay for school, so I take a job as his daughter’s live-in caretaker and move into the apartment above his garage.
I fall hard for Katie, his adorable four-year-old. But I never expected to fall for my new boss, who’s a decade older than I am. Turns out there’s a heart of gold beneath Tuck’s broody exterior, one I work to reveal bit by bit. Casual small talk leads to late-night conversations I can’t get enough of.
No surprise our simmering sexual tension explodes with one deep, toe-curling kiss.
He tells me I’m his good girl; I tell him I love the praise. We give ourselves one night, and one night only, to explore the fiery attraction between us.
It’s the best sex of my life. But when I wake up, Tuck is gone, and life goes back to normal. Or at least I think it does, until I start to feel nauseous. Turns out I was right: my boss is trouble. The kind that comes with one night I can’t forget and two pink lines that will change our lives forever.
Review
This book almost did it. I mean, the sexy single dad, the young and joyful nanny, the hot chemistry between them… But Tuck’s changes of heart made my head spin and I had a hard time believing the deep feelings he confessed–or at least the lengths he was ready to go, that fast in a relationship.
Right from the start, there’s a lot of attraction between Maren and Tuck. But love? I don’t think so. And that’s my main problem with this story. They fight against their desire because of their situation, then they fall into bed. Once. And they end up with a happy accident. I was okay with all of that. But then Tuck, the man with a heart more closed off than Fort Knox, is so in love with Maren that he wants to spend the rest of his life with her and their baby? When he already has a daughter he must protect from his dating–more like non-dating–life? And I would still have been okay with that if he didn’t do another 180 later.
But besides that aspect, I enjoyed most of the book. It was a bit instalove, but Maren and Tuck actually take time to connect and learn more about each other before they sleep together. I loved that. And they have a positive influence on each other. Tuck learns to open his heart again, and Maren gets the support she needs to figure out her future.
In that context, the age gap wasn’t even important. The author even insists that they’re much alike despite their different place in life. Yet, they spend time thinking about how that makes them feel. Before and after they start a relationship. The image they project as well as the differences in life experiences.
It’s the same with their dating past. Tuck has more experiences and has things to teach Maren. She actually often comments on her past boyfriends. But I wasn’t totally on board with the sexy times. I didn’t enjoy Tuck’s dirty talking. Sometimes it didn’t suit him. But the passion between them was hot.
The love story wasn’t just between Tuck and Maren. They were three in this relationship. Though Katie was more a function and a pretext than a character on her own, there were a few really sweet scenes with Tuck’s daughter.
I enjoyed the book. I just had a hard time figuring out Tuck. Like Maren, I suppose.
Quickie
- Series: Harbor Village #2 (can be read as a standalone)
- Hashtags: #small town romance #billionaire romance #forbidden romance #age gap #single dad #surprise pregnancy
- Triggers: NA
- Main couple: Maren Lucas & Tuck Monroe
- Hotness: 5/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + I loved that the age gap wasn’t glossed over
- – I wasn’t a fan of Tuck’s dirty talk, it didn’t suit him in my opinion
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