4.5 stars.
Stella Jo used to compete as a show jumper. Growing up on her family ranch, her mother pushed Stella to be perfect--and Stella pushed herself, too, hoping to gain some acknowledgment from her father, a taciturn man. In fact, the only love Stella felt growing up was the love she experienced with her horse. Then, Stella fell while competing and broke her leg badly. Her beloved horse was too injured, and put down. Stella's heart was broken, and she hadn't returned to her family's ranch since--she spent four years at college and just landed a job at a drug rehab facility in Dallas, a few hours from home.
On her first day there she meets "Mr. Walker" a celebrity client of the facility--one all the female staff are swooning for. Stella swoons, too, she's just not capable of processing her attraction--too many years of shutting down her emotions.
Lead singer Van Ransom is plagued by the demons of his childhood: his drug addict mother and too-young death of his older sister, Valerie. He's been in and out of rehab before, with no effect. But this time his record contract is on the line: he must shape up, or the band goes on. Without him.
He's prepared to say all the right things to get through, but meeting the aloof Stella Jo turns his head. Van's used to the attention of women--and some of the nurses at Second Chance Ranch aren't averse to a little "private therapy"--but the enigmatic care coordinator seems impervious to Van's charms. Or, is she....
This "rock romance" is unique in that, there is no rock--and the romance is rocky. I really enjoyed seeing Stella come to life. It seemed she was completely emotionally shut down--too busy looking for the next curve in her path to see the lush scenery in her view. She's scarred from too little love, and isn't sure she can even accept love from anyone. Yet, being around Van startles her into sensing her own passion.
Unfortunately she can't act on it. Being intimate with a patient is grounds for immediate termination--which would send Stella back to her family home. And that's a place she won't even visit, let alone move back to live.
Van is, however, relentless in his pursuit. He volunteers to work in the horse stables so he can spend time with Stella--who continually brushes him off. His mind is driven to distraction, so much so, he actually connects with his therapist and begins confessing his long-secret horrors of growing up in an addict's care, or lack thereof. While none of Van's friends or band mates believe Van will get clean and sober, Van goes the extra distance to entice Stella.
For this broken rocker and emotionally-vacant woman, a superficial connection is all one would expect, but the attraction develops into a mutual compassion, a desire to fill the others' needs. For the first time Van can remember, he acts unselfishly--both emotionally and as a lover. He doesn't want a quick hit from Stella--he wants...more.
Add the complications of surveillance by Stella's superiors and co-workers, a stalker ex-fiancé, and Van's buddies popping in with drugs (just in case) and it seems both Stella's job and Van's contract are set to implode. Good thing Stella's well-practiced at hiding her emotions and Van's self-control can tolerate this rarely-exercised application.
Here's what I loved about the book: it wasn't glossy. Stella and Van don't fall into bed the first day, or the first week. They stumble. They overreact. They blame and judge and make decisions 'for the good' of someone else.
Truly, I had a little trouble with the depth of their attraction following one chance encounter, but the romance was slow to develop, and the sexual tension was excruciating. Just when it looked like they were going to get it on, somebody would interrupt and complicate everything.
The writing is solid, and the romance steams. The progression of their relationship is well-paced and the smexytimes are stimulating, not sloppy. Van has a very filthy mouth, which makes for some fun dialogue. I really liked how Stella reconciled with her parents. Her newfound strength--acquired from beating off Van's advances--was interesting. At times I thought the superficiality of Stella's earlier relationships felt a bit exaggerated, but it was clear that she was making choices to connect with Van and new friends, Miranda and Jesse, in a way she never attempted before. The 'horse therapy' was a nice twist on the usual rehab tale.
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Top reviews from other countries
Anne M
Emotional, heartfelt and sexy!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 10, 2014
NicShef❤️Reading
They crash into each other and life changes forever...
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