Series & Title: The Kingman Brothers, Book 1: Forget You
Author: Nina Crespo
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: April 16, 2018
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
eBook Provided By: Simon & Schuster via NetGalley
Reviewed For: Nina Crespo
In this steamy and sexy first book in the Kingman Brothers series—filled with relatable moments and electrical tension—a disgruntled assistant is wrangled into staying on to help her boss when he suffers from amnesia after a plane crash.
Sophie Jordan dreams about hooking up with Nicolas “King” Kingman—the gorgeous CEO of her company—but as her boss, he’ll always remain out of reach. King knows he isn’t built for happily-ever-afters and only indulges in brief romantic encounters. But when Sophie agrees to fill in as his last-minute date to a charity gala, an unexpected discovery quickly escalates their platonic relationship to one of passion.
King is determined to ignore their attraction and, feeling betrayed, Sophie severs ties with him and the company. Everything changes, however, when he’s injured in an accident, and Sophie agrees to help until he closes a major deal. Unfortunately, he’s developed amnesia, and although he doesn’t remember their night together, desire binds them in ways they can’t resist.
Time is running out on closing the deal, as well as Sophie moving on to her new career. Will King deny love in favor of winning and lose Sophie forever?
Office romance, particularly boss-assistant/boss-secretary romance, makes up most of the contemporary romances I own. The thrill of what could be stems from a secret desire and longing for the boss to see the assistant for man/woman they are behind the efficiency, the power suits, the endless patience. That moment of realization usually happens when the assistant is out of their element, sometimes at a Who's Who gala or caught by surprise at home in sweats and a t-shirt.
Sophie's moment was the former. It was the first pivotal moment for her and for King. The attraction was undeniable but, for King, an inconvenience. He chose to ignore it, and her, and it cost him his assistant. The second pivotal moment happened when he suffered memory loss following an injury and Sophie agreed to care for him. The attraction is still there even if he doesn't remember the night they shared, but it's not enough for Sophie anymore. She wants it all, not just a taste. The ball is in King's court and the next swing he takes will redefine his priorities for good.
King was a hard character to like. At the beginning, he was what I've come to expect in this type of story: an arrogant, selfish jerk who's resigned himself to some preconceived belief that he's undeserving of love and happiness that doesn't come with a contract attached to it. At the end, there was some change but they were hard for me to accept. The journey from one end of the spectrum to the other didn't seem to require alot from him yet demanded much from Sophie instead.
Sophie was, at times, a bit of a pitiful character. For all that she gave to King, she didn't get as much in return yet she knew the score before she played. She knew his character, his preferences, his belief about himself. She rolled the dice and said goodbye to common sense and indulged. It was worth it, until King treated her no different than the other women. It was a great power move on her part to cut her losses but that small victory for me turned to ash when she went back to help him despite what he'd done.
Forgiveness goes a long way in a relationship, but timing is everything. Wait too long, there is none to give. Ask for it too soon, emotions are too high to unconditionally offer it. It felt like there should have been more at this part of the story. More groveling, more attempts to prove worth, more times to say, "I'm not ready to see/talk to you yet", you know?
I liked the story, yes, but I wished for more concerning King. Sophie was a beautiful opposite for him but he for me, wasn't a worthy man for her. He had everything in the palm of his hand, accessibility to anything he could want, except a little graciousness, thoughtfulness, and common sense. To see all three in greater quantities in him would have made this story far more enjoyable. I do hope he makes a cameo in the second story, as it is about his brother, and I hope to see a softer side of him there. Maybe the time between this novel and the next will make him more appealing to me. We shall see.
Nina Crespo lives in Florida where she indulges in her favorite passions -- the beach, a good glass of wine, date night with her own real-life hero and dancing. Her lifelong addiction to romance began in her teens while on a "borrowing spree" in her older sister's bedroom where she discovered her first romance novel. Let Nina's sensual contemporary stories and steamy paranormal tales satisfy your own craving for love, romance, and happily ever after.
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