Like his brothers Zach and Zane, Trey Barnes thought he had found the love of his life. But fate had other plans. A widower who’s had to raise his five-year-old son on his own, Trey has not allowed himself to be with another woman. Until he meets Ressa Bliss at—of all places—a children’s library program. The beautiful librarian is wonderful with his son, Clay, but every time Trey even considers asking her out, he is tortured by guilt.Omg Busted was like a book lovers wet dream! I loved it! He's a writer, she's a librarian, there's a book themed restaurant which is like the best. first. date. ever, --and yes, as I type this I'm totally ticking them on my fingers lol--a book conference, fan girling, bookish references to some of my favorite romance authors...I just. So much yay! Seriously. So. Much. Yay! Plus he's hella hot, a single daddy (I'm a sucker for those) and the heroine is a pretty awesome woman as well and rocks some killer tats and style. *whispers one more yay*
Fate is indeed fickle. When the two meet again at a conference, this time the attraction is too powerful to resist. But is their connection and passion strong enough to survive Trey’s deep inner torment?
Type: Contemporary Romance
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 4 out of 5
Amazon | Book Depository | BAM | Goodreads
Okay so the quick of it is that Trey's wife died years ago and he's been raising his son by himself and not really living his life. Until he spots Ressa. His son's librarian. And suddenly he's feeling...something again. Attraction, desire, you name it. But also guilt and insecurity. And Ressa's got a bit of all that happening too. Though something keeps pulling them together despite their best efforts and, well, heart mending things happen and it's wonderful. Darker and more serious than expected but also had light, sexy and funny happening.
Gah. These two. I just wanted to squishy hug them so hard! Trey just broke my heart with his struggles. Of losing his wife who he truly loved, with guilt, with raising his son, his career and feeling attracted to another woman. He's an incredible man who is so strong and solid and yet so dang vulnerable. I loved that he was a writer and had a fun little secret in that regard as well. And that he was an awesome daddy. That always just melts me a little."Why are you blushing?" she asked.Mortified, he realized his face was still hot and probably burning red. Turning away, he checked the pasta and then turned off the water. "I'm not," he lied."Okay. Then why are you suddenly becoming so sunburned?"Sighing, he braced his hands on the counter. "You're getting a kick out of this, aren't you?"
And Ressa. She has a past of her own that's difficult and trying. She messed up when she was younger and still battles with the consequences of her decisions from back then and it really makes her question herself. She's also raising her niece and having to make hard decisions. I liked her quite a bit and loved seeing her with the kids, with her friends and in the library/bookish world.
The romance was hot and sexy and sweet too. It tugged at my heart sometimes and made me snort out loud other times. Things do move very slowly in a way with big spaces during the early part of the book as they worked up the courage to ask each other out. I actually really liked that. It didn't read slow but in their timeline was slow. Does that make sense? Hrms. Hopefully. These two have a lot on their plate but an added element is that they're an interracial couple. Trey is white and Ressa black. I really loved their differences and how that was lightly touched on. It wasn't a huge element of the story but just a little added layer.Arching a brow, she shifted her attention down. Black ink, something rounded, peeked above the waistband of his jeans, situated just about his hipbone. "Well, now. I need to take a look.""By all means." His voice was steady, but as she unbuttoned his jeans, she heard his breath skip.She was watching him, his face, the way his blue green eyes went dark, then started to blaze hotter as she dragged the zipper down and tugged at the waistband.The hunger was eating her alive and she didn't give a damn about the ink, didn't care, she just wanted to get him out of those damn jeans--absently she flicked a glance over athis hip.Ressa stopped. Cocked her head as she studied it."Is that like...a warning or are you bragging?" She slid him a sly look as she stroked her finger over the number inked onto him and to her delight, a faint blush crept over his face.He snorted and then, as a laugh spilled out of her, he reversed their positions. "You can't mean to tell me you aren't familiar with that number," he said, pressing his mouth to her neck and then moving lower."Well. Maybe. Although I was kinda hoping you were...advertising." She groaned as his tongue slid along the scalloped lace edge of her bra. His fingers danced along her side, moving lower and lower until she was arching up against him. More..."Are you telling me you tattooed 9 3/4 on yourself because you're a Harry Potter fan?""Well, you tattooed a robot on your ass." He flicked at the catch between her breasts and she caught her breath as he sat up, straddling her thighs. "I figure you don't have much to say about my Harry Potter tattoo.""I..." She had a comeback for that. Really. But in the next moment, her brain went black and her lashes drifted down. Long-fingered, skilled hands cupped her breasts and she instinctively arched into his touch. Her hands came up to cover his, a whimper falling from her lips. "Trey..."
The secondary characters were fantastic as well. I usually don't love kids in romance books because they never seem to feel the right age but Walker did a great job, I thought. The kids added a nice element and I loved seeing both Ressa and Trey with the kids and how important they were in their lives. His siblings as well snuck in for little visits and *swoons* I'm crazy curious about his twin brother Travis who has been hiding some serious secrets from his family for years. Anyways...
All in all...I'd like to put in an order for a Barnes Brother. Damn. These men are sexy and utterly delicious. Busted was a fantastic addition to the series and got me all worked up and swooning just a little bit. The romance was incredible but seeing their lives change, grow and filled with family and friends was even better. I loved all of the elements and how they just perfectly blended together to make Ressa and Trey seem so very real. I can't wait for the next!
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