If you’ve ever met someone who thinks you’re not worth their time, then you’ll know how Georgette Cook feels.Liam Brently is the photographer for her lingerie shoot.Everything about him screams perfection.Incredibly successful.Incredibly gorgeous.Incredibly aloof.He doesn’t know, but he’s the key to her success.Too bad he wants nothing to do with her.Doubly bad that they’re forced to work … her.
Doubly bad that they’re forced to work together as a team.
And this is where things get interesting . . .
. . . because he wants her to fail.
Captivated is book one of three books in Dangerous to Love series. It features a brooding alpha hero with a secret, sassy heroine, and scorching love scenes that will melt your kindle.more
Julia Imari, ‘Captivated’.
Dangerous to Love Series, book 1.
A Hate to Love Romance.
As a Hidden Gems ARC reader I promised to review the books 2 (Captured) and 3 (Conquered) of this series. And got also for free the Prequel (Intrigued) and book 1 (Captivated).
Here my review of book 1 ‘Captivated’.
In general: From Hate to Love.
Rating: 4,5 (of 5 stars).
The main characters were introduced in the prequel ‘Intrigued’:
– Georgette ‘George’ Cook (24).
Her ambition is to become a fashion designer in Manhattan.
To pay the bills she works in a fashion boutique, where she uses successfully her decorative talents with the display window.
– William ‘Liam’ Brentley.
A successful former model and an accomplished fashion photographer. Survivor of a bad divorce. He starts a new career, for his family owns a big company of fashion stores and his old dad wants to retire.
‘Captivated’ starts where the prequel ends. From Morgan Finnigan ‘Finn’ (owner of a model agency and also Liam’s former boss) Georgette gets an important assignment at the big fashion company, Fittonia, as the fresh, young ‘face’ of their new lingerie line. She needs a top photographer for this job so Finn forces her to accept Liam (instead of her roommate Olivia). Liam isn’t happy for he is starting a new career and thinks that George is too inexperienced. But his ex boss Finn was a good friend during his divorce, so he accepts the assignment with a newbie as a last job for the model agency.
At their first photo session the reluctant Liam treats Georgette rude and tells her that she has not the right mentality to become a model and not enough experience. Both complain to Finn and get a pep talk in return. Gradually their relationship gets better. More mutual respect and a growing physical attraction result in a greater self-confidence with ‘Cookie’ and Liam feels more and more that he could be a good mentor for her.
The author, Julia Imari, elaborates with insight the interesting plot, creates nice, honest dialogues and sweet lovely scenes between the two main characters.
So this reader is looking forward to the last 2 books of this series to discover how the relationship and the careers of Liam and Georgette will develop.
R. Huiszoon.
I have loved everything I’ve previously read from this author, and it absolutely kills me to come to the end of this book and be left feeling just… meh. Rather than ‘hate to love’, I’d call this story more ‘opposites attract’. I didn’t feel strong enough emotions to be called hate. I kind of didn’t feel much of an emotional connection with or between the characters, to be honest. I think Georgette is sweet, though blitheringly naïve. For the most part, Liam came across as a jaded jerk. However, there are glimmers of a better person underneath that intrigue me. What really had me concerned is that in an era of #metoo, parts of the plot felt kind of tone deaf. Liam’s actions in the face of Georgette’s obvious inexperience seemed more than a little predatory. There are also far too many secrets being kept that I can’t for the life of me figure out why they’re secret, but I am curious to learn more about what’s behind all the secrecy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Hidden Gems Books.