Sandy M’s review of The Best Kind of Trouble (Hurley Boys, Book 1) by Lauren Dane
Contemporary Erotic Romance published by HQN 26 Aug 14
Boy, this book and me, we had some ups and downs during the reading. Which really surprises me, because usually most Lauren Dane books shoot pretty straight for me.
I do like the dichotomy of the life Paddy and his brothers lead between their ranch life and family and their time on the road as superstars in the music industry. At home in Hood River, on break from the tour, Paddy runs into Natalie Clayton. He recognizes her immediately as the young, wild girl he met years ago and enjoyed a naughty two weeks with. Though he’s not the same person nowadays, he wants to get to know her again, the beautiful, composed woman she seems to be now.
Little does Paddy know, it’s partly that wild life she led but mostly the childhood she had and finally ran from that she ended up as the librarian in Hood River. Control is the name of the game for Natalie now. She never had any control growing up, so a very structured world is her current life. But seeing Paddy again, remembering those crazy weeks with him, and having the man hound her every day has her eventually capitulating to spend time with him.
I understand Natalie’s need to do things her way and I like that she gives up her control to Paddy in the bedroom. The familial relationship in the Hurley family is, for me, the best part of this book. The brothers tease and joke about with each other, but their love is there for all to see. I’m especially taken with Ezra, who is a recovering addict and hasn’t played with the group for a long while. The bond they have with their parents is also wonderfully done. All of this, of course, is the opposite of what Natalie experienced, which really shows when a tipsy Paddy is more than she can handle.
And that’s the first of the issues I have with these two. Their reactions to such things are valid, but they’re taken too far. This first time around, Natalie runs from Paddy when her mind puts him in some of the same situations she experienced in the past. Okay, maybe their relationship is only weeks old, but I just don’t like the way she shuts down. The same goes for Paddy much later in the book when he’s unhappy with the way his brother handles news concerning Natalie that Paddy thinks he should have imparted. This time he’s the one to run, making a mountain out of a molehill. To me, once love is declared, there should be more trust, more of a willingness to listen to resolve problems. Granted, they do learn the lessons after these over-the-top reactions, but before that those reactions are a bit too childish for me.
I do enjoy the scenes when the brothers are on tour. They have an authentic feel and add another layer to the lives they lead. Natalie’s best friend, Tuesday, and Paddy’s sister-in-law, Mary, are two of my favorite secondary characters. Mary is married to Damien and they are expecting their first child. Tuesday and Ezra throw sparks all over the pages in their scenes. I’m mightily intrigued by them, and their book is slated to be released in a few months. I’m looking forward to that. It’s vintage Lauren Dane when it comes to Paddy and Natalie scorching up the sheets. Hot and sizzling every time.
So even after all of the ups and downs in this story, I do like Paddy and his brothers a lot. Natalie grows enough throughout so that she also grows on me. As they figure out, they’ll have their moments during their lift together and because they’ve learned to talk to each other, that life is going to be a darned good one. I agree.
Grade: C+
Summary:
She has complete control…and he’s determined to take it away.A librarian in the small town of Hood River, Natalie Clayton’s world is very nearly perfect. After a turbulent childhood and her once-wild ways, life is now under control. But trouble has a way of turning up unexpectedly—especially in the tall, charismatically sexy form of Paddy Hurley….
And Paddy is the kind of trouble that Natalie has a taste for.
Even after years of the rock and roll lifestyle, Paddy never forgot the two wickedly hot weeks he once shared with Natalie. Now he wants more…even if it means tempting Natalie and her iron-grip control. But there’s a fine line between well-behaved andmisbehaved—and the only compromise is between the sheets!
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
