Book: Emergence
Author: Olivia Hayes
Genre: Erotic Romance
Releases: 8th September
Carson Foster has always been a lady’s man, sweet talking his way into panties night after night. He was a love ’em and leave ’em kind of guy until a raven haired beauty walked into his life, rocks his world, and disappears before morning. After fruitlessly searching for her and reeling from a taste of his own medicine, Carson decides to clean up his act and change his ways.
Sneaking away from her unfaithful and emotionally abusive husband for a night to interview for a new job, Louise Evans meets a sexy, sandy haired stranger, who gives her a glimpse of everything she’s been missing. Now, after landing her dream job, divorcing her bastard of a husband, moving to a new city, and unexpectedly becoming a mother, Lou is more determined than ever to get her life on the right path.
When Carson and Lou suddenly come face to face the recognition is immediate and the sparks fly. While they are both willing to forgive each other for their past deceptions, Lou is still hiding a secret so big it threatens to destroy the very foundation of their new relationship. When past and present collide and the truth is revealed, will everything be torn apart or will their love for one another be enough to withstand destruction?
This is my first book by author Olivia Hayes and I was really excited to read it. The blurb had me intrigued from the get go, but while reading it I felt like in parts it was misleading.
Emergence tells the story of Carson and Lou. After a steamy and intense one night stand, Lou leaves without a word and Carson is left wondering what went wrong. Fast forwards 1 year later, they meet again and this time our hero will do anything in his power to keep Lou all to himself. But little does he know that she comes with some unexpected baggage and a dark and tormented past.
Now, while I loved the premise for the book, I felt that little by little it fell into a predictable pattern. I loved the heroine – Lou was a strong young woman, with a great head on her shoulders, who endured a lot in her in her past, to only become a strong and independent woman, who won’t let anyone tell her what to do with her life. I did adore Carson – he’s the typical manwhore turned good guy, but it was interesting to only see his sweet side in this book and nothing else. Another thing I think was nicely done were the steamy sex scenes. The author didn’t overdo in the ‘come for me’ department, and these scenes were original and smokin’ HOT.
Like I said before, there are also a lot of aspects that didn’t truly get me. I felt that some scenes from Lou’s past were rushed – I would’ve wanted more scenes with her husband, Derek, I would’ve wanted to see more angst and see Lou show more emotion toward that chapter of her life. I think the side stories, Caroline, Carson’s sister and her relationship with Luke, and Charlie, Lou’s sister and her marriage, were really rushed. I didn’t end up connecting with any of them and they felt like they didn’t even belong in this story.
All in all, Emergence was an OK read. It wasn’t anything extraordinary, but it wasn’t bad either. It was an enjoyable second chance contemporary romance, with NA characters, with an interesting, but awfully predictable plot, that only left me wanting more.
3.5 stars
*Reviwed by Andra for Connected by Books
She cocked her eyebrow at me. “So you don’t like the kind of women who don’t speak their minds and prefer quiet missionary sex that’s all about the man and never about the woman?”
I laughed out loud and her eyes sparkled. “Definitely not,” I said, picking up my drink off the bar and taking a sip. “To a man like me, watching a woman come undone underneath me is the greatest pleasure there is.”
She swallowed visibly. “Good answer,” she said with a smirk. “I could use a man like you.”
OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES (Both books can be read stand alone)
Awakening – 0.99c for a limited time
Olivia Hayes is a native of Savannah, Georgia and now lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia with her loving husband and two children. With her southern roots, Olivia dreamt of one day writing books with the backdrop of coastal Georgia and South Carolina. When she’s not reading, writing, or working her day job, Olivia enjoys spending time entertaining friends and family.
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