Author: Jayci Lee
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Desire
Publication Date: September 1st, 2020
Rating: 4/5 Stars
*Thank you Harlequin Desire for the opportunity to review this story!*
Synopsis
She’s done waiting for what she really wants…
“If I don’t have you after that kiss,
I’ll burn to dust from the inside out…”
Aspiring fashion designer Adelaide Song wants to prove she’s more than just a pampered heiress. All she needs is a little courage—and the help of deliciously sexy Michael Reynolds, her childhood crush and her brother’s best friend. But when her secret crush turns into an illicit liaison, Adelaide realizes mixing business with pleasure spells trouble for all her plans.
Review
Wow, Jayci knows how to write a romance I would swoon over. Like Temporary Wife Temptation, Secret Crush Seduction pulled out all the stops and blessed me with a great, enticing and sometimes steamy story. I also have huge appreciation for the cover because it is absolutely amazing!
We meet Adelaide, an inspiring fashion designer and one of the Hansol Heirs. Due to her crazy college years, Adelaide isn’t treated as seriously by the people around her. Now in her twenties, she wants to prove to her Grandmother, The matriarch of the Hansol family that she is long passed her wild college days and ready to be a vital part of the Hansol Corporation. This does not come easy but her quick thinking to create a charity event definitely helps her out. This was one thing I really enjoyed about Adelaide. Her creative mind and quick thinking gave her the ability to visualize everything she wanted to do while also getting Michael to go along with it. Michael is the friend of Adelaide’s older brother Garrett and the Hansol Corp PR specialist. Michael initially turns down the offer, but the project and Adelaide grows on him and he becomes part of the dynamic duo creating a fantastic event. The one thing I did enjoy about Michael was his inner struggle. Throughout the story he was fighting feelings because he didn’t want to disrupt the Hansol family. Throughout the story and through that struggle he saw the beauty of Adelaide in every facet of her personality and how she took on planning the event. She was strong, independent and far from the wild child he has seen. Adelaide completely crushed those thoughts and opened up the doors to their lust.
Speaking of lust…The more intimate settings were steeeeeamy! You felt the sexual tension build and build until they couldn’t hold on any longer. Each intimate moment was more passionate than the next and through each scene, you can tell Adelaide and Michael were growing closer together. Did I enjoy their building romance? Yes! Did it sometimes feel like it wasn’t compelling enough? Yes! Did that stop me form reading? Of course not! I was rooting for Adelaide the entire time. She deserved to get the man she had been crushing on since she was younger. Overall, I enjoyed the romance in this book and was sad to see the story end.
When thinking about the plot, I was happy with it’s simplicity because it allowed me to zone in on the romance and character development of the story. There was enough of the plot to see the ball rolling, but the auto did leave certain parts to the imagination allowing the reading to fill in some pieces, which i appreciated. I also loved what the charity event was centered around and how it was close to Adelaide’s heart. It was her passion. The charity event focused on autism awareness through fashion. Adelaide came up with the idea after noticing that people with Autism/on the spectrum should be able to feel comfortable in their clothing and also have variety of the things they can wear.
If you want a romance that has a sizzling chemistry, good plot backdrop and is a quick, yet swoony read then pick up Secret Crush Seduction when it comes out on 9/1/2020!
About the Author
Jayci Lee writes poignant, sexy, and laugh-out-loud romance every free second she can scavenge. She lives in sunny California with her tall-dark-and-handsome husband, two amazing boys with boundless energy, and a fluffy rescue whose cuteness is a major distraction. At times, she cannot accommodate real life because her brain is full of drool worthy heroes and badass heroines clamoring to come to life.Because of all the books demanding to be written, Jayci writes full-time now, and is semi-retired from her fifteen-year career as a defense litigator. She loves food, wine, and travelling, and incidentally so do her characters. Books have always helped her grow, dream, and heal, and she hopes her books will do the same for you.
A Bronx Latina Reads 