Member Reviews
**ARC provided by author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Justine never stopped loving Rafael and Rafael has never stopped loving Justine, but the two have a long sad history, not all sad, but enough that has kept the two apart for fifteen years. Out of sheer desperation Justine makes a call for help to save her beloved newspaper, it just so happens the company has recently been bought by her long lost love Rafael, so it is he who comes to evaluate the paper.
Not even after fifteen years of having no contact, has any of their passions for each other died or their love. The way their relationship starts back up is definitely unconventional, with an indecent proposal from Rafael, and has a end date. Or so thy both say. This book is a HEA, but what is a HEA with out a few bumps along the way?
This is an exceptional read for lovers of romantic fiction that has some elements of BDSM. The problem with most of this genre is the completely unbelievable and even dangerous practices that are described. You can't believe in the scene where its so widely inaccurate. Tamara Lush however presents realistic, tasteful and enjoyable renditions of this type of erotic activity. She transports the reader from romantically intimate scenes of kindness and mutual respect into a scene of erotic pleasure that is not only believable but also adds deeply to the romance.
Lush writes exceptionally well, so I feel regret in pointing out the deficiencies. The drawbacks are two fold. The plot has the usual tropes of a billionaire with problems looking for love and yet afraid of his sexual desires who meets woman that can give him the intimacy that he finds so hard to obtain. Its obvious and expected and I think most readers will ignore it. The second feature is the rabid political attack on Cuba that comes straight out of the most virulent McCarthyism that you can imagine. Of course this plays well in the USA but outside people tend to have a more subtle and complex feelings toward Cuba.
This book could easily have been five stars, if the author had found a plot and characterization as deeply nuanced and meaningful as the romantic and erotic relationship that she describes. I think people should keep an eye out for future works by Tamara Lush, she has a talent for this genre and we can expect great things to come from her.
Great book because Tamara Lush is a great author. 5 stars
What do you do when the one who got away suddenly reappears in your life? In Justine's case, she tries to do her best to control her raging emotions while convincing her former love, Rafael, to loan her the money to save her failing newspaper. When Rafael proposes that she spend the month with him in exchange for helping her paper, Justine agrees. Not just for her employees, but also for herself. But is Rafael there to help her or destroy her?
The "Indecent Proposal" trope is an interesting one because of the power dynamic. Inherently, it is an unequal relationship which can lead to consent issues. However, I need to give the author credit when it comes to handling it. Justine never loses her agency, and Rafael isn't the stereotypical billionaire alpha.
Both of the characters have depth and motivations that are outside of the romance, which is often forgotten. I adored that both Justine and Rafael owned their sexuality and that this book was very sex-positive. My biggest quibble was that Rafael often fell into the "Hot Latin Lover" stereotype... and that some of the Spanish was a bit gratuitous... and untranslated, which can be difficult for a reader who isn't fluent in the language. This is especially true in regards to the slang which can vary from region to region.
That being said, the sex is incredibly hot. And I want this author to teach a masterclass on kissing. Each kiss was beautifully described and lovely to read. Seriously. I recommend this book for the kissing alone. *fans self* Frankly, all of the description in this book is lovely. As a former Florida resident, I appreciated the fact that the setting was as much of a character as the humans.
I also enjoyed the realism in regards to the newspaper industry. The author clearly knows her stuff when it comes to this, and it shows. Also there's an A+ Transmetropolitan reference, which tickled my inner graphic-novels geek.
In all, this is a solid and sexy second-chance romance.
And I'm happy to give it:
Four stars.
*** I received a copy of this book through NetGalley
Constant Craving has one of my favorite tropes - second chance romance. The book is steamy, sensual and angsty like any good romance should be. Justine and Rafael have an explosive chemistry and a lot of tension that make for a great read. Tamara Lush is a master with worlds when it comes to writing steamy romantic tension, even when she writes about something as mundane as kiss on a cheek. The sex scenes are not very explicit but they are certainly very hot.
I love romance books that have interesting and complex characters, amazing chemistry between them, a little (or a lot of) heat, and some angst (not too much). The Constant Craving has it all, and I will definitely be checking Tamara's other books.
I have not read from this author before. I was a little leary and these characters were strong willed and deeply in love. Rafael is trying to make his American dream a reality. Justine never stopped loving Rafael. Her business is struggling and she is trying to not go bankrupt . Rafael shows up after 15 years and their chemistry is off the charts and it is the same , but different than when they were together. Rafael makes a proposition to Justine to get her in his bed for a price to save the newspaper. It is an okay read. I would have liked more epilogue than what was there. I really would have liked Rafael's point of view. I read this quickly and Not a bad read just wanted a little more in the end.
I received this ARC from the publisher via Net Galley for my honest review. Thank you Net Galley!
This book started out so strong for me. I was hooked from almost the first page. However, I felt the story begin to fade or maybe it was my attention (sigh....) and I didn't end up finishing it- instead, I skimmed to see the ending
I really enjoyed this book. It had the hero you love to hate (at least for the first half of the book) and of course, a great second-chance romance story line. It took me a while to warm up to liking this one. I found Rafael to be hateful and mean towards Justine and that didn't sit right with me. But at the same time, he was one incredibly sexy Cuban who loved to use his accent to get what he wanted, that's for sure. I would have melted just like Justine if he spoke those same words to me and can't blame her for falling for Raf all over again.
Things didn't end well between Justine & Rafael 15 years ago. She left and he never reached out to her after she left, despite her attempts to contact him. They were both heartbroken and disliked the other since then, yet it was obvious that they still secretly loved each other under all that anger. Justine is a newspaper publisher, keeping her family legacy going and running the local St. Augustine newspaper. Unfortunately, it's about to go bankrupt unless she can find someone to loan them money. She requests help from an investment firm, only to discover that the company was purchased by Rafael's company. Rafael has made quite a name for himself in those 15 years and is a super rich Miami investor and real estate mogul. He's her only hope for saving her company, but will he help her given how she broke his heart?
He makes an offer she reluctantly accepts, he gets a month with her and in return, he'll bail her out of her financial woes. She's not quite sure if he's just using her for sex or if he really wants to start something with her though and honestly, it's hard for us to tell as well, even though we already know what the ultimate outcome will be. He treats her pretty badly during some of their encounters and he gets insanely jealous, which doesn't help him look like the good guy in all this. Justine isn't one to just lay down and accept things though. She wasn't as strong of a heroine as I'd like, but she didn't let Raf just get his way all the time either.
I'm glad things worked out for them in the end. It was obvious that they really did love one another and were miserable without the other. The ending was a bit rushed though and they 'kissed and made up' a bit too suddenly for my liking (he should have done some more groveling IMO). But the ending did provide a good life lesson in that you both have to be willing to do what it takes to make things work - one person can't give all and expect things to last.
I'll definitely be looking to read more Tamara Lush books in the future. This one played with my emotions too much for me to forget the author.
What a wonderful story about addiction and what happens to those we love who are dealing with it.
This story has a lot of heart. Anyone who has lived through a loved ones addiction, and addicts themselves, will realize there is hope as long as there is still breathe.
I highly recommend this story to everyone!
I liked the history of their love and I also liked the theme of the newspaper industry. Started a little slow but a good read!
Former lover's paths cross and the chemistry is still there. It is hard to like Rafa as he appears to be using Justine at time heartless. The author through flashbacks reveals what tore them apart 15 years ago, keeping the reader wanting more. A hot, erotic ride from start to finish.