Control. For Nathan Alexander it’s not an option. It’s a way of life. As an attorney he defends the defenseless. But, when the suit comes off and the gloves go on, he finds his passion is teaching others to defend themselves. His life was purposefully methodical. Completely under control. Just the way he likes it. Until Emma McClain stumbles into his gym. Battered. Broken. And utterly … breathtaking.
After his last relationship, Alex swore he’d never give another woman the power to hurt him. But with her unforgettable smile and killer legs, Emma has him fighting for control.
Will he be able to save her before it’s too late? Or will an unexpected revelation cost them both the ultimate price?
**Author’s note: Contains intense and emotional depictions of abuse. Please do not read lightly. P.S. No pets were harmed in the making of this book. While this book does NOT end on a cliffhanger, it does end with an HFN. There WILL be a continuation in a short story as part of an upcoming anthology.
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Emma is in a loveless relationship with Bastian and being manipulated and controlled by him. She believes she’s the one causing his unhappiness and feels she doesn’t deserve it herself. Alex is a lawyer, and teaches kickboxing/self-defense classes, and he’s not looking for a relationship after being cheated on. Then Emma and Alex meet each other in a coffee shop they are drawn to each other. When Bastian crosses the line it sends her running straight to Alex. However, Bastian isn’t letting her go without a fight. Will Alex be able to help Emma? I absolutely adored Alex and Emma’s story and highly recommend you read it for yourself.
Alex and Emma’s story is amazing. They both need each other to find themselves and move on from very different painful pasts. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
This story has angst, drama and will leave you on the edge of your seat until the last page!! Alex and Emma are one of my favorite couples ever
I ached. I swooned. I was angry. I’m in love! I liked the many facets of Emma’s personality and as perfect as Alex is (swoon), there’s brokenness. But, together there’s chemistry! What a story line and great dual POV! Fun, intense, sweet, dangerous. I enjoyed the family and friends but the cast of characters wasn’t overwhelming.
If I could sum up the story in one word, it would be Hope.
A theme song that comes to mind: The Fighter by Gym Class Heroes (“there goes a fighter”)
*I offer my honest review after receiving an advanced reader copy of The Perfect Gentleman*
PS: I love the title!
Alex thought he found “the one” until he found out his best friend was in love with her. He packed up and moved. He worked and went to the gym, that was his life now…..until Emma
Emma was with a man out of a sense of obligation. Something happened and she stayed, her punishment I guess you could stay. Until things got bad. Until the night Alex found her…..battered and bruised.
Can they both find love and happiness, or will doubts and fears stand in their way?
The Perfect Gentleman…OMG…Delaney Foster took me on a journey of mental anguish, heart break, emotional abuse and finally love…my heart exploded. Then heart broken Alex sees her in the coffee shop and his heart began beating again and Emma’s heart filled with longing and fear. Alex and Emma begin the journey to love but the battle must be won against the psycho who is determined to not let her go. Loved it!!!
Emma feels worthless and puts on a false smile for the world, she stays with her boyfriend because she feels to blame for the way he is and that it’s her fault.
A chance meeting at a coffee shop, she meets a mysterious man who she can’t stop thinking about.
After meeting a woman at a coffee shop Alex knows that she has something in her that she’s hiding in her false smile like him.
The two seem to keep bumping into each other, Alex knows that he will do anything to keep that smile on Emma’s face.
After her boyfriend finally does something that makes her leave and she goes to the only place she feels safe, Alex.
Alex knows that he has to move slowly and gain Emma’s trust while Emma learns to be the strong independent woman she was before.
The chemistry was between Alex and Emma was amazing and you see Emma learn to trust and love again, after everything she has been though, with the patience and caring from Alex.
I have to start off by saying this is my first book by Delaney Foster and I do not know why I haven’t read any of her books before this. Absolutely Amazing! From page one my heart was attached to the story and I couldn’t put it down. Delaney, I have rectified the situation and went on a one-click spree for your books. Can’t wait to dive into them.
The Perfect Gentleman is everything and then some. You have your tattooed alpha male and a strong woman who has lost her spirit in a sense. Oh don’t let me forget you also have an @sshole Guy when is controlling, overbearing and not very likeable but he makes the story the story even though you just want to ring his neck throughout the entire book (read the book trust me you would feel the same way).
What does one do when for years you have been in an unhealthy relationship? You are being controlled in every aspect of your life and your passions and spirit is constantly diminishing. Emma finds herself in this predicament and it takes running into a man with curly hair and tattoos at the coffee shop to make her realize she wants more for her life but isn’t sure how to go about getting it.
My heart ached for Emma. I just can’t imagine going through what she did and coming out ok on the other end. The story is intense. There were definite times I was yelling inside my head telling Emma to just beat the crap out of Bastain (just writing his name makes me mad). But then you saw times of hope and strength and cheering on Emma. I just loved Emma.
Now let’s about Alex…on the outside he is this cute curly haired attorney that has been burned by love in the past and is not looking for love. When he encounters Emma at a coffee shop one day he is instantly drawn to her. They have a brief interaction that leaves him wanting to know more about the “Nonfat Latte” girl. Time after time there paths continue to cross until that one fateful night when everything changes for Emma and Alex. Will Alex be the one to help Emma be able to move forward and be the woman she wants to be?
The Perfect Gentleman is the perfect mix of sweet, sexy, intense, beautiful, heartbreaking and touching all rolled into one gloriously written story. Delaney, you had me from page one and I loved Alex and Emma’s story to pieces. A definite 5+ Star read in my book.
Intense and emotional . . . The Perfect Gentleman was a superb story of a woman taking back control of her life after losing herself to emotional and physical abuse.
Since a deadly accident years ago, Emma has stayed with Bastien in an attempt to not only make amends, but to be the family and support he needs to survive. In the process, Bastian has taken everything from Emma, including control over her work, friends, finances and any decision making she once used to do for herself. His controlling ways continue to become more severe until also becomes physically abusive and completely unstable.
Alex is not looking for a relationship, especially after being cheated on, so when the beautiful woman in the coffee shop flirts a bit with him, he is at a loss as to why he is so taken with her. When she randomly stumbles into his gym one night after being severely beaten, he knows he can’t and won’t let her go without a fight of his own.
Emma and Alex will find themselves in a fight for their lives as Emma must find a way to not only escape the power and control Bastian has over her physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. Alex may not have been looking for love, but when it stumbles into his lap, he knows he will do anything to make it work . . . even face the devil himself to protect the woman he has fallen for.
I absolutely adored this story. The author shows us how a strong and confident woman can become so tangled in an abusive relationship that she does not even realize it is happening until it is almost too late. Even though she finds herself trapped in a bad situation, Emma never lets go of her inner strength and finally realizes that she is not helping Bastien but allowing him to control her for his own gain.
Alex is an absolute hero of a man. Willing to help a woman he does not even know based on his principles alone, he easily finds himself falling for Emma’s courage, strength and intelligence as well as her humor. His love and confidence in her really allows Emma to begin to shine for the first time in years and helps her regain the person she used to be.
Bastian, however, is not about to let Emma go without a fight, which adds some very intense and emotional drama to this story.
It’s a truly stunning tale, and I could not put it down. The characters and story immediately drew me in and I felt completed invested in Emma finding a HEA with Alex and hoping they could find a way to make it work. 5 stars!
Please note, I do not recommend reading if you have triggers for emotional or physical abuse – although the author handles it very well and it is integral to the plot, it could be upsetting to some readers.
Loved this off shoot of Alex’s story. We met him in a Woman’s Touch, and he is such a great guy, just not the ‘right guy’, in that story. In Perfect Gentleman, he just so happens to bump into Emma at a coffee shop, and something about her wakes him up. Something about Alex wakes Emma up too. Emma has been surviving through an abusive relationship, and ‘wakes up’, realizing she wants more, and won’t give up without a fight. Both of these characters were strong on their own, and don’t want to just rely on others, but you can see how they’re stronger together, lifting each other. The chemistry was hot, and I was so happy to see them both get their HEA.
This was just gorgeous. Seriously if you haven’t had the chance to fall in love with Delaneys writing THIS WILL HELP YOU!
I loved each and every single page.