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Double Review: Drawn to You and The Hooker (Books #1 and 1.5: Swanson Court Series) by Serena Grey
Series: Book #1: Swanson Court Series
Author: Serena Grey
Format: Kindle Edition, 330 pages
Published: December 10, 2014 by Raven Press
ASIN: B00QU63A9Q
Synopsis:
He thinks she’s a hooker.
She thinks she’s in love with someone else.
After one memorable night, Rachel Foster cannot stop thinking about sexy billionaire hotelier Landon Court, and the way his touch set her body on fire. But as far as she knows, she’s never going to see him again, and that’s okay, because she’d rather not risk falling for him anyway.
For Landon, one night is not enough. He wants Rachel, and he’s not prepared to back down. He always gets what he wants, and she will not be an exception.
Unable to resist her attraction to Landon, Rachel decides to give him what he wants, but on her own terms.
One week. Just sex. No commitment.
What happens when love is not allowed, but everything else is?
Source: Purchase
My Rating: 5/5 stars
My Review:
There are misunderstandings and miscommunications and then there is what happens the night Rachel Foster decides to not pay attention and randomly hits the penthouse button in the elevator. When the doors open, Rachel is dressed to the nines, totally upset and, is taken for a hooker by the totally gorgeous man standing in the penthouse. As far as Landon Court is concerned, the hooker in the elevator is not his normal fare but she’ll do and he really must talk to his brother about actually listening to him. Landon specifically said he wasn’t interested in a hooker but who turns down a woman who looks like the lady in the elevator?? No sane man, that’s for sure.
Rachel Foster certainly isn’t a hooker but her heart is broken and maybe, just maybe a night of no-strings sex is just what she needs. The lickable man in the penthouse already thinks she’s easy so, what the hell!! Two very dirty rounds of sex later neither Rachel nor Landon can feel their legs and she is ready to get the hell out of dodge. The sex was amazing but Rachel isn’t stupid. The man thinks she’s a hooker and even though he asks her to leave his number, she knows she will never see him again. Until she does. Landon Court is not used to being denied and one night with Rachel the “hooker” just isn’t enough. When you’re a billionaire, you can set things in motion to your liking and within the week, Rachel finds herself once again face-to-face with the best sex of her life on two legs.
Landon is clear from the beginning, he is interested in Rachel and wants to be with her. Rachel is also very clear, she isn’t looking for anything beyond sex and if Landon can’t stick to that rule then there is really no point in them continuing their association. Not willing to give up so easily, Landon agrees to Rachel’s terms but ups the ante. Rachel is to accompany Landon to San Francisco for one week where he will continue to oversee the refurbishment of his latest hotel and she will write the article about the refurbishment and the imminent opening of the site. Determined to keep her emotions out of the mix and just enjoy the week, Rachel packs her bags and sets off for will turn into one of the best and worst weeks of her entire life.
From the moment they set foot in San Francisco, Rachel knows she will be hard-pressed to keep her emotions in check. Landon is at once commanding yet sweet, forceful yet tender and, beautiful but with an edge. He is the perfect man in every way but Rachel is terrified of putting herself on the line yet again. Her heart is already broken so no matter how much Landon impresses her, she is absolutely unwilling to take a chance. Unfortunately, Rachel’s recent heartbreak isn’t strong enough to overpower her emotions and feelings related to Landon and when the time comes, a fresh new wave of heartache sweeps through her as she walks away from the man she loves.
For three whole days . . . .
I’m not telling you the rest, you have to read it for yourself 🙂
The Bottom Line: Holy sh*tballs, Batman!! Drawn to You is all kinds of sexy and emotional and I loved pretty much every minute of this read. I could go on and on about the things I really enjoyed about this book I am going to stick to the one significant factor that stood out for me. In a fine (and unusual!) twist, Serene Grey has given us a character in Landon Court who is not like all the rest. Landon is the one who wants more, from the beginning. Landon is the one who is willing to take a chance and ride the wave (and Rachel!) until it melds calmly with the rest of the ocean. Landon is the one who ultimately can’t walk away and even though he has some issues that he totally needs to work on, he is willing to do so if it means he can have Rachel. I LOVED THIS!! Usually it’s the girl pushing for more and more but not this time and I congratulate Serena Grey on offering something different!! As to the other bits and bobbles of this read: the plot is quite solid, most of the characters are quite likeable (except Rachel’s cousin, she sucks so hard!) and, the naughty bits are all kinds of panty-dropping good. By the end of this read, I found myself taken on quite the ride from the serious highs to the serious lows and everything in between. I’m not telling you how this one ends but I will tell you, I am cranky as Hell that book two isn’t ready to go yet 🙂
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Series: Book #1.5: Swanson Court Series
Author: Serena Grey
Format: Kindle Edition, 31 pages
Published: December 30, 2014 by Raven Press
ASIN: B00RI0JFGK
Synopsis:
One night.
One girl.
She’s a hooker.
She also the girl I can’t forget.
Who is Rachel Foster, and what do I have to do to get her back in my bed… and keep her there.
Source: Purchase
My Rating: 5/5 stars
My Mini-Review:
**SPOILERISH!!**
Alright, I am the first to admit that on occasion, I am flat out wrong. In this instance, I am wrong and here’s what I am wrong about. . . . .I don’t tend to enjoy reading a story a second time from a different perspective but in this instance, I thoroughly enjoyed The Hooker.
The Hooker is not a full-length novel but rather a novella that re-tells the first several chapters of Drawn to You from Landon’s perspective. This installment opens with Landon at dinner with his younger brother, Aidan discussing the merits of paying for sex rather than not. Form Aidan’s perspective, a hooker is all kinds of no-strings attached and the best thing a busy man not looking for a commitment can do for himself. Aidan is so convinced of his position that he offers Landon a hooker for his birthday. Though Landon is amused by his brother’s theory, he is no mood to entertain and politely refuses Aidan’s offer.
In a foul mood and looking for an outlet, Landon is on his way out when the elevator into his penthouse opens up. Standing there and looking as confused as he is, is a beautiful woman who is most certainly the hooker Landon expressly told his brother not to procure. With little more than the essentials dealt with, Landon avails himself of the hooker’s services and finds that after two rounds of mind-blowing sex, he must see her again, no matter the cost.
The Bottom Line: Though I likely won’t be diving into too many more retellings of a previous read, I did very much enjoy this read. This isn’t just a retelling of the first few chapters of Drawn to You, it is a totally new perspective on Landon and his state of mind in the first few chapters of Drawn to You. Not only do we get to see how frustrated and tired Landon is but we also get a bit more insight into his feelings regarding his younger brother. Finally, we also are privy to exactly how it is that Landon goes about finding his “hooker.” In all, a fine follow-up to the first full-length installment of the Swanson Court Series.
About the author and where to find her:
Serena Grey is a bestselling author of romance. Ever since Fifty Shades of Grey and the Crossfire series, she’s had a thing for hot sexy billionaires and constantly tries to help them find happily-ever-afters in her books.
