When rescue looks like a whole lot of trouble . . . The road trip was definitely a bad idea. Having already flambeed her culinary career beyond recognition, Rita Clarkson is now stranded in God-Knows-Where, New Mexico, with a busted-ass car and her three temperamental siblings, who she hasn’t seen in years. When rescue shows up—six-feet-plus of hot, charming sex on a motorcycle—Rita’s pretty … a motorcycle—Rita’s pretty certain she’s gone from the frying pan right into the fire . . .
Jasper Ellis has a bad boy reputation in this town, and he loathes it. The moment he sees Rita, though, Jasper knows he’s about to be sorely tempted. There’s something real between them. Something raw. And Jasper has only a few days to show Rita that he isn’t just for tonight—he’s forever.
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The Romancing the Clarksons series
Book 1 – Too Hot to Handle (Rita and Jasper)
Book 2 – Too Wild to Tame (Aaron and Grace)
Book 3 – Too Hard to Forget (Peggy and Elliott)
Book 4 – Too Beautiful to Break (Belmont and Sage)more
When Jasper Ellis rolls up onto a broke down Suburban alongside the road, he can’t believe his luck, and is quite certain the love gods are smiling down on him, because amongst a bickering family he spots the most alluring and stunningly beautiful woman he has ever had the pleasure of sharing air with. There is something about her that has him gravitating to her, something he wants to explore on a more personal level, so he invites her and her family to stop in at his bar with the hope that they will have the chance to learn more about one another. The moment she walks into his bar and the sparks start flying between them he knows they have stumbled onto something that has the makings of forever written all over it, the problem is her stay has a time limit… now he must find a way to convince her to stay or he may just lose his one real shot at true love.
After Rita Clarkson watches her future burn to the ground she decides it may be a sign from above that her and her siblings need to make time to carry out their mother’s last wishes, so after a whole lot of discussion and some bickering they decide to load up in her Suburban and set out on a cross country trip. But just outside of New Mexico her beloved Suburban decides to take a dump on them and leave them stranded alongside the road, and puts a major damper on their trip. As their standing alongside the road bickering about their next move, and sexy man rolls up on a Harley and offers his assistance, and gives Rita some serious heart palpitations… she has never been in the presence of such a wickedly handsome man and it seems as though she has caught his eye too! He invites them to his honky tonk for a drink or two and the minute Rita walks into the bar the sparks start flying and suddenly her cross country trip starts to lose it’s appeal…
The moment I saw the cover for this one I was immediately intrigued, and had to know more, so I went in search of the synopsis and liked what I found, so I took a gamble on a new author in hopes of discovering a much needed spicy literary escape… and I am happy to report I got my wish…and found a whole lot more!! Barely three sentences into this sinfully delightful story, and I felt a obsession start to ensue, and instantly knew that there was no way I was putting it down until I had devoured every last page!! From the get go I felt myself being sucked into Rita and Jasper’s world, and completely captivated with every written word, and left dying for more! The chemistry between these two burned brightly from start to finish, and every encounter they had was filled with so much passion and intensity that I frequently found myself breathless and in dire need of a fan!! This is by far one of the most memorable first reads that I have had in a long while and I look forward to coming installments in the series, and getting myself better acquainted with the Clarkson family!
If you like small town romance, with a hot and spicy twist, then I highly recommend you give this read a try, the Clarkson family is sure to find their way into your heart and provide you with a laugh or two along the way too!!
If you have never read a book by Tessa Bailey, let me say this would be the perfect story to get to know her reading style. This book will give you an idea of how her words can break you apart and then piece you back together. Basically, this the perfect series to fall in love with a new author.
Jasper and Rita are just as Ms. Bailey has labelled it, Too Hot To Handle. They’re smoking! Their connection is more than erotically chemical, it’s all consuming. When you meet them, it’s hard not to relate to them. You’ll want to jump in and be part of them.
This is the first in the series, so there’s so much more when you start the journey of the Clarksons. The journey in which all the characters are embarking on is going to make this series pretty epic. This is more than just romance. This about how people who share the same last name, the same history are actually strangers to one another. They went astray and are now finding their way.
Do I recommend this book? Absolutely. Take your time reading it. There are crucial elements in this story that you will need as the series grows.