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Kate Quinn's life went into a downspin in a hurry. In her late 20's, Kate works as an in-home nurse with a family that loves and respects her while she also has to deal with criticisms from her own family, whom she still lives with. Topping this all off is Scott, her one and only boyfriend of six years who, as Kate has just discovered, is cheating on her. Kate cuts Scott off immediately and tries to deal with her problems with the help of two friends: Pepper, her headstrong dance instructor best friend, and alcohol. Scott is trying desperately to win Kate back, but what neither of them counted on was Robert Beckham, a police officer friend of Scott's that has been interested in Kate since they first met.
To Kate, Robert is the ideal man if not a little scary: muscular, strong, passionate, independent, and madly in love with her. With a completely paid-off house and a small collection of powerful, stylish cars, Robert seems entirely too good to be true. Still, Kate and Robert's chemistry is instant, and before long they're consummating their young love frequently and frantically. Scott's jealousy continues to grow however, and only two days into Kate and Robert's relationship, he confronts them outside a restaurant with a gun. Unfortunately for Scott, Robert's police training and protective nature for Kate ends with Scott leaving the scene in a body bag. The entire scenario leads to traumatic episodes for both Kate and Robert, with Kate suddenly fearing for her life and Robert becoming irritable when anyone else gets anywhere near Kate.
Still, with mandated time off and a need to protect and be close to another, Kate and Robert's romance kicks into overdrive. Kate moves in with Robert and within the first week together, Robert proposes and Kate says yes. While having to explain to both families what they have planned and still getting to know each other emotionally, the couple finds plenty of time to explore each other physically. As they speed toward their wedding date, Kate can't believe all her dreams are coming true while she conversely waits for the other shoe to drop with Robert and turn her dream relationship into some kind of nightmare.
Kate and Robert's relationship is steamy in both its content and its frequency, so anyone with an aversion toward sexual content should look elsewhere for entertainment. Those with an open mind or know what they're looking for will be very happy with what this book has to offer and will have plenty to fantasize about and enjoy. Kate's story offers a fair balance of conflict and challenge to offset how amazing her life becomes once Robert becomes a part of it. This adds a solid layer of depth to Kate though the details of these two extremes of her life contribute to the fantastical nature of the story, creating lots of tension and spice for the romantic segments.
The erotic content of the book is generally straight-forward. Robert is a man who knows what he wants and what he likes, and that tends to be reflected in his relations with Kate. There are some slight aspects of domination and exhibitionism, but by and large there isn't much on display here that lacks mass appeal. It may not be the most adventurous take on sexuality, but what it lacks in variety it makes up for in quantity, tenfold. Readers will not have to wait long before reaching the next steamy encounter. Some loose ends in the story are left unresolved, but as this is only the first installment of this series, it leaves the audience speculating on what could happen in the future, from Robert's dark side and Scott's friend plotting revenge to Robert's jealous ex-girlfriend Chris. This story plays things safe most of the time, but does so in order to give readers exactly what they want. It delivers directly and repeatedly, making it an indulgence that keeps on delivering.