At First Meet (Montgomery Ink Legacy #2)

Carrie Ann Ryan

Blurb:

I fell in love with the wrong man and learned the hard way to ask for help.

I don’t plan on falling again and have no intention of trying.

But when I get invited to a high-powered CEO retreat, I know I can’t say no.

And I can’t go alone.

When my frenemy, Nick, invites himself as my escort, I should walk away.

But there’s no stopping the connection we’ve both ignored for far too long.

Only Nick’s past is far darker than he lets the world know, and the shell he encased himself in is stronger than my own. And when the pain from my past comes back with a force, I’m afraid that walking away will be the only choice—even if it breaks us both.

Themes: Contemporary

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating:

Review:

Oh my where to begin on this story… honestly there is just so much to say that it’s hard to know what to say about all the greatness. I knew when Carrie Ann told us we’d be blessed with this second generation of Montgomery’s that life was going to get crazy, but I never knew that it would be tearing my heart out even more than the originals did; she’s really outdone herself this time. For those that have been long-time Montgomery fans, it isn’t overly surprising that Lake and Nick’s story is a rocky one with a lot of pain and trauma to work through before they find their safe place to land in one another’s arms. Lake Montgomery is truly a powerhouse when it comes to her role as a kickass CEO and she is a role model for all young girls in that respect, but her personal life is a bit of a mess. When she is given a chance to go on in important business retreat she knows she needs a plus one, but taking her business partner and one of her best friends doesn’t occur to her. Nick Gatlin was practically raised by the Montgomery’s and has been around Leif and Lake his whole adult life, but she has always rubbed his the wrong way and that leaves them arguing most of their time together. When he finds out she needs backup on a retreat so she’d not flying solo in shark-infested waters, he volunteers in a moment of madness and they soon find themselves in truly unfamiliar waters. But soon their relationship turns to a very real and very sensual connection they have both denied and they have to accept the act that there has always been more there than just friendship, because if they don’t what they have built will be at risk.

I truly enjoyed watching Nick and Lake circle one another until they finally decided it was time to stop and find their way into one another’s arms. Lake has had a rough time of in her personal relationships, but once she opens her heart up to the possibility off a love between herself and Nick her life becomes beautiful despite the outside forced trying to ruin things for her. She is such a great woman, with her brilliant mind, sweetness, sass, and willingness to help others I knew that I was going to love seeing into the dark and deep corners of her mind, despite knowing she has a lot of trauma to work through before she would be able to open herself to a new relationship. Nick is an interesting one, the kind of guy that you certainly take a second look at and wonder how deep his pain goes at the same time you wonder if you are actually strong enough to help him overcome his pain and heal. I was truly not surprised to learn that all the antagonism between these two was from them hiding their attraction and emotional connection for so long, and once Nick decided he’d had enough of hiding from Lake I loved seeing him go for it, all in, giving her exactly what she’d always wanted and needed in a man from the most unlikely source. The passion between them was beyond even by high expectations, but the sweetness and depth of their connection was what made tears come to my eyes repeatedly as they found their way to their HEA. There was laughter, drama, trauma overcome, and enemy beaten into the dust, and of course a great love for the ages all in a story of two longtime friends finding their love no longer covert. I am dying for the next stories (May’s and then Sebastian’s) though I know that Sebastian’s will be truly heartbreaking to read, but I know his story will be beautiful because he deserves it. Ryan’s couples are always perfect for each other in the most unexpected ways and each story has its own unique magic and ingredients to make them the perfect recipe for greatness—much like the perfect cheese soufflé.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was provided.