Las Vegas has it all—casinos, gambling, money, and women. For a handsome business entrepreneur, it’s paradise. Wearing success like a well-tailored suit, it’s business as usual for Liam Doyle while he runs his multi-million-dollar empire…until a pesky protester catches his attention.Staging a one-woman demonstration, Kate Callender has the potential to be a huge pain in his ass. If he doesn’t … ass. If he doesn’t take care of her soon, there will be bad publicity slapped all over Vice, the newest addition to his chain of casinos.
But there’s one tiny problem Liam didn’t count on—the feisty redhead isn’t about to go down easily. She’s fighting him every step of the way…and he’s starting to like it.
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This was my first Rosanna Leo book, but it won’t be my last! Set in Las Vegas, it focuses less on the glitzy parts of Sin City and more on some of the seamier aspects, especially for heroine Kate, whose father is a compulsive gambler. She’s intent on letting Vegas know about the dangers of new casinos like Vice, even when faced with sexy owner, hotshot playboy Liam Doyle. Their romance and chemistry unfold in a sizzling and realistic way, each drawn to the other, but repelled knowing that their values are miles apart. Despite the fact that Kate has started a protest outside his newly opened casino, Liam is drawn to her, and Leo offers up explosive passion and very steamy sex scenes along with the emotional baggage each of them is carrying, complete with heartbreaking histories and rough upbringings. When Kate winds up living inside Vice for her own safety, their relationship takes on a whole new meaning. I was totally drawn into their world and love story, and am still thinking about it after I’ve finished. I recommend this if you’re looking for a sexy contemporary romance.
This book was incredible! Such a wrenching and hot story of two people who start out as enemies but eventually fall for each other–hard. The steam and emotion in this book are off the charts!
Kate is trying to eek out an existence as a singer in Las Vegas after her gambling-addict father practically ruined her life. He’s been an addict ever since she can remember and because of his awful addiction, her mother even committed suicide. She’s picking up the pieces all the while counseling a group of people affected by gambling addicts. Kate’s tenacious, determined, and fierce, and has made it her life goal to show the world the harmful impact of gambling. That’s why she protests the brand new casino Vice, causing ruckus during its opening week–much to the dismay of its owner, Liam.
Liam is as successful and stubborn as he is sexy. He also has a trouble past that he’s not interested in sharing with anyone. He’s not about to let this protester ruin his business, no matter how sexy he thinks she is. He tries to reason with her, intimidate her, and a million other tactics, but nothing works. She remains committed to trashing his gambling empire, which pisses him off…and kind of turns him on.
During a candid conversation, they start to see each other in a different light. There’s a heat and chemistry neither of them can deny. When the finally give in to their urges, crazy sexy times follow. They’re seriously SO steamy and plentiful, I LOVED it!!
Rosanna Leo has done an incredible job creating two characters who are strong but also flawed, who find unlikely comfort in each other. Hate-to-love romance tropes are my all-time favorite, and Rosanna executed this so well. I was rooting for these two to at the same time, even thought they were working against each other for much of the book. When they finally unite, it’s amazing! There’s so much heat and passion, which can also be said for the times they clash. It’s a perfect combo and also makes the ending that much sweeter. Definitely a must-read for anyone who loves steamy love scenes and hate-to-love romances!
Sensitively handles addiction in the form of gambling by showing both sides of the world. Some violence so warning to skim that if it’s a trigger warning. Lots of emotional trauma brought by both characters to the romance with hot sizzling sex scenes and a satisfactory emotional payoff in the end. A lot of times you don’t get both wrap ups in the story. Here you do. I’ve working in gaming and worked with gaming anon. It’s a realistic portrayal without getting weighed down in the minutia to let the glamorous romance part fly. Very much recommend
I loved this book. This is my first Rosanna book but it damn well won’t be my last. I devoured this book. Kate and Liam are a couple with some very intense chemistry. If they ignore the past and not deal with the problems going on now they would be the golden couple. But we all know the past and the future has a way of coming to bite you in the ass.
This is such an intense love story and I can’t say enough about how much I loved it.
I love Rosanna Leo’s writing for many reasons. She pulls me into the characters’ lives in an immediate and intimate way and her world-building and back stories flow in seamlessly. This book had some of her signature great writing, but it also had some complications and trigger warnings for me. Kate and Liam’s love story was a tangled one. With an entire suitcase full of baggage due to her father’s gambling and gambling addicts in her life, Kate decides to protest Liam Doyle’s new casino. What she doesn’t plan on is learning about the man, not just the business entrepreneur Liam and falling in love with him. Although successful, Liam seems to have an emptiness about his life until Kate pushes her way in. He too unexpectedly falls for her. Although I expected gambling to be an issue, I did not see Liam’s addiction to sex or to Kate coming and this was the part of the book that was uncomfortable for me. I don’t have a problem with explicit sex, which there is in this book, but there were some seriously uncomfortable scenes for me at times when it felt like Liam pushed sex on her and Kate acquiesced.