ARC Review: Love and Other Responsibilities

Love and Other Responsibilities

by Lexxie Couper 

Blurb:

It all starts with getting wet...Randi Lockwood is kicking butt. Her teaching career is going great, she's on track to finish her Master's degree and she's fine with being single at thirty-five. And then BAM, suddenly there's a single dad and a whole lotta unexpected feelings in her life. Seriously, why the hell does her heart get all gooey over the guy? And how does she cope with the fact he's everything she didn't know she wanted, with a whole lot of baggage thrown in? Being a widower and raising two daughters at forty-two isn't easy, but Aussie Brody Thorton is doing his best. His kids are the focus of his life, and that's the way it should be. Anyway, he has no time for romance. Even if everything about his daughter's high school teacher makes his heart hammer. True love only ever happens once. Right? What happens when love comes with other responsibilities? Because Brody's memories of the past and Randi's plans for the future might destroy any hope of happiness for them as a couple. And that's only the start...

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

 A new series begins and while I was skeptical to begin this one, I couldn't resist giving it a try once I read the blurb. Most of my favorite stories from Lexxie Couper are what could truly be classified as shorter Erotica stories, but this story is more of a contemporary romance.  Not to say it isn’t a hot romance, because as with anything that Lexxie writes, it is very hot, but truly the romance is the focus of the story as opposed to the lusty connections as with many other previous stories.  There were also a lot of emotional pitfalls and issues to work through in this series that most of us aren’t used to with Lexxie, but it was so well done that you are amazed that she hasn’t gone there more. If you are a fan of a good contemporary romance such as the Rock Series by Nalini Singh or the Heartbreaker Bay Series by Jill Shalvis you are going to enjoy this new story that looks to be the beginning of a new series that might be enough to change any readers mind about what truly makes a good contemporary romance.

Randi Lockwood if a middle school teacher that is finally taking a chance in life when she embraces a chance on a sexy connection with a man she runs into—literally—at a waterpark and cannot walk away from.  Unfortunately she has learned one too many times that her life is never simple and rarely easy. Widower and single-father, Brody Thornton is beyond blown away when the gorgeous woman that grabbed his interest and finally convinced him to take a chance on dating again, turns out to be the teacher that he is squaring off against on his daughter’s behalf.  While the connection between Brody and Randi remains scalding hot, the needs of his daughters come first, and neither of them want to damage them, but surely a friendship couldn’t be a bad thing?  Too late they both realize that friendship isn’t what they want and that their hearts are too invested to be around one another without being together.  With a bratty teenager daughter, needy little girl, matchmaking nephew and  assorted group of friends, Brody and Randi have to decide if they are willing to risk everything for love and another chance at living after he’s already lost everything once and she’s never even had a chance.  Or is walking away the best thing for everyone before the damage is truly irreparable?

Randi was a kickass teacher, even when she didn’t have all the information she needed to do what was in everyone’s best interest.  It is obvious that she loves the kids she is teaching and when she finds herself becoming closer to Brody and his daughters, she tries so hard to be a good friend to them, something so much more important than being a “replacement mom”.  I can tell you from personal experience that a stepmom that is a friend is way better than one who is trying to be something she never could be. There were so many moments that you felt bad for Randi as she puts herself out there and finds her heart stomped on again and again, but she never lets her anger rule her or lashes out at anyone that isn’t an equal match.   It was also obvious she was an AWESOME aunt and nothing was going to stand in her way when anyone tried to come between her nephew and the life he wanted and deserved, not even his own parents.  She is the ultimate Mama Bear and the kids she is protecting aren’t even her own at that point, so heaven help the world if she has her own children (biologically) someday because there is no way anyone will ever threaten their happiness and get away with it.  While there were a few moments here and there that I wished she would have tried harder to keep Brody from breaking her heart, she was a great character and one I loved getting to know.  Brody on the other hand was such an ass so many times I wanted to just slap him.  Obviously he’s had some hard times thrown his way and he had to work through the emotional traumas, but it’s long past time that he let a few things go, as a model for his daughters needing to do the same.  How does he expect them to develop into healthy-minded and strong-hearted individuals if they watch him just caving under the pain of his loss and never living again? While every girl is going to be jealous of her daddy’s new lady, a truly loving daughter is going to see how much he loves and needs to be loved by a good woman, like Randi, and embrace the changes.  There were a few shining moments where I thought he was going to prove himself, but then he took giant steps back, until the very end when it took a big push to force him to terms with the future and his need for love not just for himself but for his girls.

Honestly I could not put this book down from start to finish, neglecting bedtime and making my coworkers lives hell the next day with my grumpiness! Randi and Brody were just so interesting to get to know and we kept wondering if they were going to get over all the obstacles in their path to find a way to happiness.  There were a lot of tears, a few laughs, plenty of heartwarming moments, and a heck of a lot of sexy moments, but in the end it was the roundedness and combination of a life and love well-lived that proved this story unstoppable.  Randi is a woman I can see myself aspiring to be, despite her own insecurities and I know that she is the type of woman that will lead and rule her family with love and understanding, along with discipline and compassion.  Brody was a good guy, obviously a loving father, and once he pulled his head out of his butt, he was a man that proved that his heart was big enough to have room for Randi without forgetting his first wife as it should be.  The heat and sensuality of the connection between Randi and Brody is off the charts, even when they are both fighting tooth and nail to be nothing more than friendly acquaintances, and there is no way they would have been able to fight that off for too long.  The chemistry was definitely the beginning, but I like to think that the emotional balance they provided one another once they found their way, was what will make their marriage lasting and deep.  I am looking forward to the other connected titles that we see mentioned in the end of the story, which I’m hoping with be the stories of Brody’s other Aussie Expat friends, because let’s be honest, there’s very little sexier than a hot Aussie on the hunt for love.  Keep the magic coming, Lexxie!

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