Review of Xavier's Loving Arms by KT Grant

Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Release Date: December 27, 2011
Series: Sweet and Sinful #3
Buying Links: Decadent Publishing     Amazon    


Book Blurb (from goodreads):


Xavier Marks has the looks, great job, and more than enough money to throw around. The only thing missing is a woman by his side. He hasn’t had much luck in love since he caught his fiancée cheating on him, and isn’t too happy about his current bachelor status. But that may all change when a cute barista from a coffee shop catches his eye. Perhaps she can help him lick his wounds? 

 Life hasn’t always been too kind to Rebecca Price. With a grandmother suffering from dementia, and the threat of foreclosure on her childhood home, she may have no choice but to turn to a possessive ex-boyfriend who won’t settle for anything less than marriage. She hides a shameful secret that still threatens to destroy her. She’s ready to give up all hope when a suave, yet seemingly kind-hearted man enters her life and comes to her rescue. 

Rebecca is wary of placing her trust in Xavier, who wants to be more than a shoulder for her to lean on. But as the two grow close, Rebecca’s guilt over her past discretions continue to haunt her. Xavier wants to show Rebecca that the one place she can feel whole and at peace is in his loving arms.


Reviewed by: Bea


Teaser: 

He'd tried his best to stay away, but couldn't give up his addiction to the Grounds coffee. And if his eyes happened to light upon the familiar face of a lean woman with shiny black hair and big gray eyes, whose ass he couldn't help but admire, all the better.

My thoughts:

I've read two of the three books in this series and enjoyed both. I'm not sure if there will be more in the series, but I hope so. I'd happily read them. Oh, and before I get, that model for Xavier on the cover? Whoa! I want to take him with me. It doesn't hurt that he bears a resemblance to a guy I had a crush on in college. Sigh.

OK, back to the book. :) Despite being a series, the books can be easily read as stand alones. However, they're fun and sweet, and you meet all of the main characters in book one, so why not read them all? Although "Xavier's Loving Arms" is a romance, Grant doesn't hesitate to tackle a serious subject, eating disorders. Though it plays a central part in the story and the romance, she never hits us over the head with the topic nor shoves it down our throats. It's simply an integral part of the story.

At times Xavier seems almost too good to be true; he's so understanding, so kind, that he doesn't feel real. Other than that though, I liked him very much, and I want to bring him home with me. Rebecca has a bit more depth to her and though I've never known anyone recovering from an eating disorder (that I'm aware of, anyway) she felt real to me, and both of them were likable. Not so likable was Rebecca's former flame, Devdan. He's mean, arrogant, rude, petty, and stalkerish. I hated him from the first time we meet him and although he's a bit nicer towards the end, I still hate him.

The romance is not all flowers and rainbows, it has problems and I like that Grant took the time to build the relationship. By the time they finally had sex, the tension was thick and I was as ready as they were, lol. One thing I didn't like was how much was going wrong with Rebecca's life, it felt over the top and soap operaish. I know, people get slammed in real life, but it just felt like Grant was piling it on. Still, there's a sweet, realistic romance; hot sex; humor and a hot guy; and there's meat to the story line. I read part of it during the Super Bowl and part of it at the airport, waiting for my plane flight back home, and it was perfect for both occasions.

I received a PDF from the author for review.