Books Need TLC: #Review #Giveaway Searching for Beautiful by @jenniferprobst @InkSlingerPR

Sunday, June 7, 2015

#Review #Giveaway Searching for Beautiful by @jenniferprobst @InkSlingerPR

Searching For Beautiful by Jennifer Probst

Searching For, #3

(May 26, 2015, Gallery Books)

Genevieve MacKenzie has her life completely under control. About to wed the charming Chief doctor at the local hospital, she’s an up-and-coming surgeon with everything she could ever want. Until an escape through the church window on the day of her wedding sends her life into a tailspin…and flings her right into her best friend’s arms.

When Wolfe catches his best friend falling out a window on her wedding day, he doesn’t ask questions. He whisks her away, determined to watch over her and discover the truth behind her desperate escape. But when his feelings turn more than platonic, he realizes he may risk his most important relationship in order to protect his damaged heart, and the woman he loves.

Can Genevieve and Wolfe’s friendship turn into something deeper—or is it already too late for true love?

Amazon: amzn.to/1Gl7eWM

Barnes & Noble: bit.ly/1DR9t0b

Kobo: bit.ly/1F44yX8

iTunes: apple.co/1BkUokk

4.5 Stars! There are so many things to love about this book. I’ve always been a fan of Jennifer Probst and this book, like all the rest, is wonderfully written.

The story gave me pause at first because the friends to lovers/runaway bride/tortured soul, I’m not good enough for you, is a little over done sometimes. Unfortunately, that made it somewhat predictable. And, the lack of chemistry that all of the sudden changes to all-consuming desire can be hard to swallow. However, Jennifer is a fabulous storyteller and she does take a couple of twists, but mostly, she delved into some darker issues and that’s what gave the story its depth. It isn’t your typical friends to lovers, cutesy romance.

Gen is such a mess at the beginning that I had a hard time not getting irritated with her. She runs away from her wedding and then starts doubting before she has even left the church grounds. The thing is, as you get into it, you realize that her doormat tendencies are due to an abusive relationship. So, I had to give her a little leeway there and it helped me not to see her as a wimp. Instead, I could see the strong woman underneath, the one who has been beaten down and almost erased. Coming back from that, standing your ground, it takes a lot of courage. Especially when she is faced with the ultimate manipulation, having your family and friend’s opinion and vision of you tainted when you didn’t have any idea what was happening. Gen gains her strength back with a vengeance and when she fights for Wolfe, I was so proud of her.

Wolfe is a tricky character. His history is a bit all over the place and at times, I was a little confused. I get the feeling that I may have understood better if I’d read the first books in the series. However, underwear model/millionaire/hotel magnate who dresses like a rock star…oh so hot. I melted every time this rough and tough alpha called Gen sweetheart. It was the best of contradictions and made Wolfe a slightly more unique character than your typical bad boy.

Now, I usually get pretty annoyed after a while if the hero spends too much of the book denying his worth because if his hang-ups. I wished Wolfe wouldn’t have clung to it so tight, but it was a lot more justified in this book (but, it still bugged me a little). Wolfe’s childhood was unimaginable, and when horrible things happen to you and you are forced to do dark things as well, it is easily believable that Wolfe would feel dirty and unredeemable. His past would inspire nightmares and self-doubt in anyone. Jennifer took a more serious turn with this storyline and it paid off. Wolfe is everything complicated, hard, soft, and sexy.

The chemistry between these two begins to burn so hot I thought I might get singed. They have some steamy encounters and a lot if mind-blowing sex. However, they also have sweet and fun-loving moments. There is a sarcastic wit and banter between them that adds an element of extra fun to the story.

There is beauty in the ending. Beauty in simplicity. I walked away from the last page satisfied with the resolution of the story and imagining a wonderful future for Gen and Wolfe. The story is plotted cleanly, well written, has great characters (even the ones you love to hate), and the best part, an HEA.

I’m definitely going to go back and read the first books in the series and continue on with the next!

Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She took a short hiatus to get married, get pregnant, buy a house, get pregnant again, pursue a master’s in English Literature, and rescue two shelter dogs. Now she is writing again.

She makes her home in Upstate New York with the whole crew. Her sons keep her active, stressed, joyous, and sad her house will never be truly clean.

She is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of sexy and erotic contemporary romance. She was thrilled her book, The Marriage Bargain, was ranked #6 on Amazon's Best Books for 2012. She loves hearing from readers. Visit her website for updates on new releases and her street team at www.jenniferprobst.com.