Three young men meet in university and form a lifelong friendship.Their pasts dictate the men they are, but their present shapes their future.What happens when these men meet the one person they are destined to be with? Can they fight their feelings and walk away? Or will they each succumb and learn the sweet agony of love? BentleyThe leader of the group. He is uptight, formal, and cold. Rigid … is uptight, formal, and cold. Rigid and set in his ways, always following the same path. Until the day, he stumbles upon her.
Emmy.
She brings with her spontaneity and light. The world she lives in is so different from his, yet he cannot control the draw to her. Nor can he explain the way she makes him feel.
Happy.
Protective.
Loved.
more
This is the 1st book in a new series and what an amazing beginning Bentley and Emma’s story is. Bentley is a wealthy businessman who is set in his ways and portrays himself as cold and uptight, yet when he meets graphic design student Emmy, she brings out a totally different side to him. These two may be total opposites but together they are perfect. This is a beautifully written story which is sweet, humorous, entertaining, and with suspense, which all had me completely intrigued throughout this riveting and addictive page turner. I cannot wait to read Aiden’s story next. I highly recommend this talented authors work for all readers.
This book is a great beginning to what is an epic series. I read this a couple years ago and realized I never did leave a review. I wasn’t blogging at the time. Anyways, Bentley and Emmy are so great together. She softened his edges and I absolutely loved the storyline. It was sexy with some suspense mixed in. The banter and relationship he has with Maddox and Aiden slayed me. This is a must read!
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW:
I absolutely loved, loved Bentley and Emmy’s story. Maxine Mitchell and John Lane had me so invested in the story. I was captivated by their performance. From the serious Bentley to the fun and sassy Emmy. The emotions I felt reading the book was tenfold when I listened to it. This is one not to be missed!!
I loved Bentley and Emmy! Bentley was a very serious business man, some even called him, “Rigid”, but meeting Emmy immediately changed his stoic nature. Emmy made him smile and laugh. Emmy had her own facade she hid behind. They both have overcome a lot to get to where they are, but can they move on from their pasts and have a future together? Or will past actions threaten their chance at happiness? Even though I have not read this series in order I am enjoying each book immensely.
I listened to the audio book. I liked how formal Bentley sounded. It helped to enhance the description of how formal he was in his dress, mannerisms, and overall character.
There were some witty moments in the book. I liked Emmy’s nickname for Bentley. This was an easy listen. I almost immediately knew who the bad guy was in this situation. I was surprised Aiden, Maddox, or Emmy hadn’t figured it out. I was surprised Bentley wasn’t more suspicious.
After hearing about Emmy’s past, I really expected something from her past to crop up when least expected, but it didn’t.
There was no “hold your breath” suspense. No huge mystery to solve. Just a kind of easy going romance with likable characters who seem to have paired up in the first book. A nice stress free listen. I would give this book 3.5 stars.
Bentley: Vested Interest #1
Bentley is my first Melanie Moreland book, but it won’t be my last. The start of the books introduces to to Bentley and his two business partners Aiden and Maddox. Each book is about one of those partners. This story if about Bentley and Emmy.
At work, Bentley is driven, he has set his goals and he will work to achieve those goals. But what happens when he realizes that there is something missing in his life. Or better yet, what if Bentley realizes that his life is missing something, like someone to celebrate with him when he reaches his goals, someone to spend quite nights with, someone who isn’t one of his two partners.How does he find someone who isn’t impressed by his wealth by him, for who is when he isn’t that CEO and respected developer? What if you meet that someone when you trip over the rucksack? What if she is cute, sweet and extra sassy?
That’s exactly how Bentley meets Emmy! Emmy sees him as a stuffed shirt who doesn’t ask but tells and Bentley sees Emmy as a very pretty woman who dresses in a very bohemian style, bakes the best scones he has tasted in a long time and gives him sass. So what does he do, he asks her out on a date.
Of course, just as he starts going out with Emmy (who is still attending design school) he and his partners Aiden and Maddox realize that someone is stalking Bentley and sending him pictures of himself around town. Maybe not such a good time to start this relationship after all; but he does continue to see Emmy.
Bentley and Emmy do share one thing in common, Bentley lost his parents when he was very young and was raised by a very staid aunt and uncle so in business he shows one side of himself but when away from the business he is a different man. Emmy’s parents left her and her brother, never to return home and he raises Emmy until he leaves her to deal with the world at the young age of 17. Emmy has one person she can rely on, that one person is herself.
Melanie Moreland takes the two main characters Bentley and Emmy through this relationship learning curve as they learn about each other, trust and love. Along with their four close friends they start to build a loving relationship but there is always Bentley’s business in the background and that could end up throwing both Bentley and Emmy into a dangerous situation.
I read Bentley in less than a day and found myself immediately back on Amazon to get the next book in the series Aiden.
Quick mention! Yay Toronto, where I live and play and I loved seeing my city in this book!
I want to commend Melanie Moreland as well for the way she treated the topics of anxiety and depression in the book. This is an every day issue in the world right now and I applaud her on making this issue a part of the story and her acknowledgement at the end of the story.
Bentley an uptight take charge guy meets Emmy a young college student who is nothing like him.
He is taken from first meet with here take no prisoners attitude. He cannot help himself and
begins seeking her out in the coffee shop. The give and take between them is sweet and the story
a bit predictable but I love the way Bentley becomes protective of Emmy and wants to help her.
Emmy with her easy going way takes the ridged out of Bentley. Together they give eachother
what each are lacking. I enjoyed the story and recommend the book.
It was so good that I stayed up all day long to read till the ending. Couldn’t stay away.
KU. 3.5 rounded up. It was low angst which I liked. The MC’s were cute together and the side characters were fun. The “mystery” was pretty predictable, but still enjoyable.
Will definitely read more by this author.
Wow! Why the heck have I delayed reading this book for so long? Bentley is freaking amazing and I’m kicking myself for not digging into this book sooner.
While this hero is reserved, cold, and wears entitlement well, when he’s with Emmy he is a different man. She brings out the very best in him, a part of himself he didn’t really realize even existed. He wants to give her everything she’s never had, to take care of her, to cherish her. Bentley is definitely the type of hero I love and can’t get enough of.
Emmy is cute, fun, sassy and keeps Bentley on his toes. She meets him head on and calls him on his bull. But she’s an independent woman and her past has made her less likely to rely on anyone or accept help from them. That causes some clashes between these two, but nothing too dramatic. Just enough to show the evolution of their relationship and give them the opportunity to slowly open up to one another.
This was such an amazing read and exactly what I was looking for. It’s fast paced, plenty of smexy times without overdoing it, and had some drama at the end. Despite knowing who the bad guy was from the beginning, it had some pretty intense moments and showcases Bentley’s protective mode full force. And as much as I adored this couple, I absolutely loved their friends. Especially Aiden and Maddox. The relationship between the three men is as much a part of this book as the romance and I can’t wait to read more!
Oh. My. Stars.
I loved this audio book more than I can say! It was so emotional, and sexy, and suspenseful! It was everything I look for in a romance! The narration was nuanced and simply perfect.
Strong, silent, old fashioned Bentley fell so deeply for the ever sweet, ever caring Emmy. Such a lovely love story to see how much he loved and cared for her.
Bentley is book one in the Vested Interest series by Melanie Moreland. I have read two later books in this series, Van and Halton. I loved them so much that I had to go back and start at the beginning.
Bentley Ridge is thirty two years old, lives in Toronto and along with his two best friends, owns his own property development business called BAM. Looking from the outside in, it would seem that Bentley has everything, wealth, a successful business, a beautiful home. But when his day is over, he goes home alone to an empty house.
Emmy Harris is twenty five and is a graphic design student. She was studying in the coffee shop when Bentley literally fell into her world. Initially, he came across as a cold, arrogant man but it didn’t take her long to see that there was so much more to him. He was sexy as heck, but he was also sweet and funny. For some reason he chose to keep that part of him hidden away. It’s that part of him she wanted more of. And it’s because of that part of him she said yes when he asked her for a date.
Bentley’s reaction to Emmy is immediate. She wakes up something in him that has long since been dormant. She intrigues him, her light somehow shines through his shuttered down heart. She’s constantly on his mind. She very quickly becomes the center of his world. She makes him want to protect her, to provide for her, to make her smile, to laugh, to moan.
“There was something so easy about being in her presence. I didn’t have to be anything except me with her, and selfishly, I wanted more of that.”
Being in such a high profile position also has it’s disadvantages. Not everyone is always happy with his dealings. His relationship with Emmy puts her in the spotlight as well. But his feelings have grown so quickly, that Bentley can’t imagine his world without her in it. He’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she’s safe, and his.
First I just have to say Wow! I loved this book. I loved Bentley. I knew of the company, BAM, from the books I have previously read. But now I know how it all started. Bentley was everything you could hope for in a Hero. Emmy was perfect for him. It was so amazing to see the parts of him he finally let out when he was with her. His life changed so dramatically. His home was suddenly filled with friends, laughter and love. Memories were being made.
This was sweet, sexy, and pretty darn suspenseful at the end. We see every part of Bentley, even his temper. I can’t wait to continue this series and get to know the rest of the men of BAM. Next is book two, Aiden, the sexy head of security. I suspect I’m going to love it every bit as much as I did this one!
3.5 stars for me…I didn’t love it but I WILL go back and read more from this series AND this author. There was a fair amount of suspense and some definite steam and angst. Chemistry didn’t hit me all at once but I read it in nearly one sitting so it DID intrigue me to some extent.
Brooding Billionaire brought to his knees by the perfect girl for him… YES PLEASE.
Holy hotness, Bentley is a serious book boyfriend to crush on! I love the way this author creates her characters. Bentley is more than the “aloof, rich guy” and Emmy is more than the “quirky girl who isn’t really his type.” They are fully formed people. Their romance is well-plotted, and the reader gets to take every step with them. This is a nice change from some of the usual “they meet, they fall hard and end up in the sack” romances. Not that there is anything wrong with those, it is just nice to have a romance with some depth sometimes. The subplot of a business rival is woven into the story seamlessly. Even though I had my suspicions as to who was responsible, there was enough tension and a few surprises to keep it interesting. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the stories of the rest of the guys from BAM. I received a copy of this book as a prize from the author, and I am reviewing it voluntarily.
I just adored these two. Bentley was so stuffy and Rigid while Emmy was so fun and sweet. They had such a fun contrast I loved watching them melt for each other.
This is a mild romantic suspense. The story focuses more on the romance and their relationship than the bad guys and so forth which is exactly how I prefer things.
Super steamy with just enough sex scenes to be hot but not get old or boring.
BAM’s bromance is adorable and I cracked up several times
My only complaint is this is HFN but I have high hopes for an engagement in future books. DEMANDINGLY HIGH HOPES.
I love this book, so we’ll written and the story was way better than Cinderella.
4.5 AMAZING stars!!!
Oh my Emmy!! This girl is not afraid to call someone out on their crap and Bentley is in the cross-hairs. Bentley is a “rigid” man, he likes order and work ethics. That just went out the window when he literally stumbled into Emmy at coffee shop. These two hit have an almost instantaneous connection. Emmy is not afraid to call out Bentley for his antics and that makes Bentley to want more of her time.
I love that the Bentley wants to give her the world, yet she just wants the comfort of his arms. They come from completely different backgrounds yet they need each to keep themselves grounded. See more of my review on A Day With Ethel- YouTube Channel
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
Oh! My! Swoon! Bentley is off the charts on the swoon scale. He rocked my world from page one. I totally loved how Emmy just gave it to him so many times. I loved their nicknames. I loved their text exchanges. I loved them as a couple and as individuals.
Bentley is the leader of BAM – a company he founded with his best friends Aiden and Maddox. I enjoyed meeting all three guys in this story and can’t wait to read each of their stories in the future books of the series! He is old-school, proper, super rich and not exactly experienced in the real world. Emmy has lost so much in her life and lives on a very small income. She is the exact opposite of Bentley and they are perfect for each other.
I can’t say that the surprise in the story really surprised me, but I still enjoyed it. Seeing the care and love of all three guys for Emmy was awesome. I can’t wait to read more!
This story was so great and I hate that it took me so long to get to it. I wish I would have read it right away so that I could have reread it already!
Favorite Quotes:
My name isn’t Emmy… Winifred Windfall. That means, really, I’m Freddy Money.
“Does he go with you everywhere?” I nodded, winking covertly at her. “He’s like a fungus I can’t get rid of.”
We headed toward the counter, and I made a beeline for an older woman, thinking she’d be the safest bet. Except when she looked up, her frank appraisal made me hesitate. When she licked her lips, I felt Maddox’s yank on my arm. “Abort, abort,” he hissed. “Cougar.” Like a well-oiled machine, we veered to the right…
Aiden, maybe you can teach me some of your karate skills. I bet I could take them if I tried. I don’t know if there is, like, a kidnapper network, but if word got out I wasn’t to be messed with, that would help keep them away.
My Review:
I adored each of these characters and am eager to delve into the rest of the series. The storylines were crisp, intriguing, cleverly amusing, and unfailingly entertaining. The character of Bentley was initially that of a frosty and arrogant businessman, but underneath he was a considerate and swoony teddy bear. I relished the easy banter and bawdy teasing among the group and was in awe at the deft and insightful handling of several rather heavy and vexing emotional issues. Ms. Moreland’s smooth and engaging writing style held my interest, attention, and admiration from start to finish.