I'm not conceited.
Really, I'm not. It just so happens I have a body a Greek God would be jealous of, and a face that could make an angel weep. Other than that, I'm just your everyday normal guy who happens to take his clothes off for money. Sure, I've had to dispose of a few guys for In Safe Hands, the organization I work with that helps track predators and child molesters, but other than that, completely normal.
Women flock to me, screaming and paying for the right to touch me, so why is this woman so stubborn? Sadie Belmont's curvy body and sharp tongue have haunted me since I met her a year ago. There's something about her that gets stuck in my head like a bad song, and I'm determined to find out why I want her so badly, and why she can't stomach the thought.
I can't believe I'm doing this. Of all the men in the world, I'm taking Justus Alexander to my childhood home in Oklahoma to meet my mother. A stripper who has a revolving door of women jumping in and out of his bed. Nine months ago when I lied to my mother and told her I had a steady boyfriend, I didn't expect it to come to this. She doesn't have long to live, and her only wish is to know I have a husband before she goes.
I can't disappoint her, and male escorts cost way more than I can afford, so when Justus volunteered, I took him up on his offer. I know what he wants. After annoying me with constant pick up lines for a year, he sees an opportunity to get me in bed. It's not going to happen. I just need to get through this week with my sanity intact.
S. M. Shade is a homeschooling mom hopelessly addicted to Dr. Pepper, love stories, sunshine, and men with full sexy lips, though not necessarily in that order. A voracious reader since sounding out her first word, she started writing as a teenager and rediscovered her love of writing as an adult. Originally from Indianapolis, she now lives in a small Kentucky town with her teenage son.
Justus is the first book by S.M. Shade that I read and the third book in the In Safe Hands series. It can be read as a standalone. This contemporary romance had drama, suspense, made me laugh, cry, and feel empathy for the characters.
I felt some plot issues, sometimes there was too much going on in this book. The conflict could've worked better as it was soon forgotten and never mentioned again. Overall, I couldn't put it down because the banter between Sadie and Justus was so good! The chemistry between them worked really well and both were was to like.
Justus had a very solid beginning, it pulled me in easily, but towards the end I felt it dragged. I wasn't enthusiastic as the ending was somewhat predictable and the author kept delaying it. I'm curious to read the first two books in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an eARC.