Stranded by a hurricane. Check. Hotel secured. Check. Hot guy to share it with. Check. No, wait. Not him!A tough girl with an awkward flirt-game, Claire has long ago given up on catching the eye of Irish hottie Conor and she refuses to change. If he doesn’t like her as is, then screw him. A loner workaholic too busy to notice, Conor isn’t looking to nail the next chick–even one as hot as … chick–even one as hot as Claire–just his next bonus-earning presentation.
But when a hurricane strands them in Atlanta and they’re forced to shack up in the same hotel room for several days, things tend to get…exposed.
DESERVING IT is a steamy, standalone romantic comedy from RITA Winning and USA Today bestselling author Angela Quarles with a happy-ever-after and no cheating or cliffhangers.
more
This third book in the Stolen Moments series was just as delightful as the first two! I wasn’t quite looking forward to this book as I was the last two in the series (Earning It and Risking It), because the main characters here were two of my less favorite to appear prior to this: Claire and Connor. Unlike Pepper & Luke and Jane & Aiden, these two seemed a little more abrasive. Claire is kind of pushy and “prickly” in the prior volumes; while Connor’s “no nonsense” attitude and Irish accent were a bit off-putting to me. But they both proved to be totally darling characters!
Once again, this tale was told in alternating perspective, from his point of view and then hers, alternating by chapter. I usually don’t like this method of storytelling, because I tend to find it rather confusing. But the author clearly labelled their individual sections, as well as very easily gave each of the characters their own distinctive voice. And it was nice to learn how each of them was thinking and feeling about the events that were unfolding.
The story dealt a lot with the individual insecurities and personal baggage of Claire and Connor. This one, much more than the others, also involved quite a bit of family drama for them to wade through. It made them both seem like much more complex characters than otherwise would have been the case.
There was quite a bit less action in this tale due to the limitations of its creation, i.e. basically being stranded in a hotel room during a hurricane. Just about every scene in the story was entertaining though, even when they are involved in such mundane things as doing their laundry and heating up frozen pizza. The strip-poker scene was amazing, and the other love scenes nearly equally as hot.
Since this story is about the captains of the hurling team and the female equivalent camogie, I was quite worried that there would be an awful lot of sports situations and lingo this time around. In fact, however, there was even less reference to the games than in the prior editions. Something that pleased me as a non-sports fan.
I definitely recommend this great read, and the others in the series as well. I am totally bummed that this the last book in the series! I wish the author were continuing it with ALL the members of the hurling team, just so that I could live a few moments longer in this delightful world she has created.
OMG!! Angela Quarles Did it Once Again in DESERVING IT!! Plus I Devoured this Book in ONE DAY!! Conor and Claire’s Story just Blows you away- literally! It’s Funny, Witty and Card Game Sexy! Throw in a Hurricane warning, delayed Flights going back home & only One Last Available hotel Room in Town! It will have you wanting to know what is going to happen between a Sexy Tech Player & a Controlling “Keeps-her-Walls Up” Tough Girl.
Missing their Flights back home to Sarasota, Conor needs to get back home for a work promotional presentation but finds himself stranded in Atlanta Airport after learning of a hurricane heading their way. He bumps into Claire there after learning they have the same flight delayed and she has the Only Hotel Room available after unsuccessful getting one for himself. So Conor propositions her about him coming to “bunk” with her to “ride out” the Huge storm since now their flights are Now Canceled & wanting to get a good night’s sleep. Claire tells him No and walks off, leaving him frozen on the Stop in a crowded airport. She finally agreed after learning her hotel room got upgraded to a suite & her guilty conscience of leaving him there after playing his championship game the day before which he must be exhausted. After a frightening 5am wake-up alarm goes off on both their phones but comes to find out its an Emergency Alert blaring letting them both know the airport is shutting down all flights. “Hurricane Claire” made landfall north of Savanah and it is heading to Atlanta so they find themselves stuck there for at least a day.
This Book has All the feels of uncertainty of each other feelings, humor of two people comfortable/ uncomfortable with each other and the sexual Chemistry is off the Charts HOT!! I Loved DESERVING IT (#3) along with RISKING IT (#2) & EARNING IT (#1) from the Stolen Moments series but ALL Can be Read as Standalones. Conor will have you Melting your Hearts & your Panties with his Scottish accent! Claire has overcome past issues but still working on herself after childhood pressure to be “perfect” that enables her self-confidence. Conor and Claire certainly give you a Rollercoaster Ride of Raw Emotions that leave you wanting to hit the people that hurt them the most and HOT & BOTHERED!!! Plus I will NEVER LOOK AT A SLICE OF CHOCOLATE CAKE THE SAME AGAIN!! A MUST READ BOOK!!
Well-rounded, pleasurable plot with some serious thought provoking moments as well as a little humor. The Hurricane provides them with the opportunity to get to know one another on a very friendly level, lol. Conor is genuine and considerate, not to mention super sexy and just what Claire deserves.
3.5 STARS!!!
Although this is the third book in this series it can be read as a stand-alone. I’ve enjoyed this book as much as I did the previous books in this series. Deserving It gives us Conor and Claire’s story. It was a good romance read with a lot of steamy scenes that you will enjoy. This was a very light read and it gives you a little bit of the characters past with their family members and ex’s, which helps you understand the characters a little bit more. My only complaint about this story was be that the ending felt rushed. It seemed as if it came out of nowhere. I actually thought I somehow skipped a few pages on my kindle so I went back to check and I hadn’t. That was a little disappointing because I liked the story but I didn’t like the way it ended. Would I recommend this book? Yes, because it is a good romance read and I feel it’s worth reading. I look forward to reading more books from this author in the future.
Trigger warnings: recovering bulimic (talk of purging in the past, one instance of desire to purge on the page)
I’ve very much enjoyed Ms. Quarles’ Stolen Moments series, so I was very excited to get a chance to read this one! While I’ve read the previous two books, I think it could work as a standalone.
Conor is the exceedingly Irish ginger captain of the men’s hurling team, and Claire is the captain of the women’s camogie team (pretty much the same sport as hurling). Claire’s had a crush on Conor since she first saw him, but figured he had no interest in her. Unbeknownst to her, Conor’s also had a crush on her since that first meeting. After their respective playoffs in Atlanta, Claire and Connor’s flight back to Florida is cancelled due to a hurricane. With the entire airport closed, they’re forced to share a hotel room. The forced intimacy makes both of them realize they’re interested in each other, and, helped along by a game of strip poker, sparks fly.
“Of course, visions of us later in the game pop into my increasingly fevered imagination. Her sprawling on the couch in just her bra and knickers. And one sock. Why the fuck I’m after imagining one sock on, I have no idea.”
I personally adore seeing recovering characters, and I especially loved Claire. Part of her journey in the story is understanding that she’s moved from recovering to recovered, and as someone who had an eating disorder as a teen, I thought it was exceedingly well done. While Claire is strong, she’s also very empathetic and sensitive, so, in the past she’s had a tendency to place others’ (especially her mother’s) wants above her own needs. Part of her healing process has been cutting her mother out of her life, and also being assertive about being in control as often as possible. Control can be a funny thing, especially for a teen girl, and one of the insidious appeals of eating disorders is that it gives you the illusion of control over some portion of your life. While Conor is willing to cede control in the bedroom, Conor’s normal take-charge attitude feels like a test of Claire’s strength.
“Before, when he was my secret crush, it was easy for me to be smug about my strength. It wasn’t being tested.
But now that I’ve been with him? And it was the hottest sex I’ve ever had? How can I keep my walls intact if we actually date? I’ll get attached. I’ll want to morph to please him. I’ll want everything.”
Conor, on the other hand, is motivated by guilt. He feels that he needs to ace his work presentation to nab a bonus that he can send back home to help his sister out on the family farm. His long term Irish girlfriend – who’d known him since they were babies – told him he was “lacking” when she broke up with him. His need to provide value, to help, the “superhero-save-the-day,” to be “enough” – in work or in his relationships – is sincere, but misguided. Of course, it takes an erroneous assumption to make him go a step too far to realize that his value doesn’t lie in what help he can provide.
As for cons, Conor’s accent was just too much at times. The occasional “Jaysus” was fine, but at times reading things like “dead feek” and “gowl, muppeting plonker” (one of those is positive, by the way, go ahead and try to figure out which) was like decoding a foreign language. Ms. Quarles’ writing is usually snappy and witty, so I found the overuse of some of the grammatical constructs and Irish-isms disappointing, as it kept breaking up the pace of the writing for me. Also, I would’ve liked to see more of Claire and Conor together after the resolution of the conflict. It felt like I needed that emotional payoff of seeing them as a happy couple in a healthy relationship after all the struggles they went through!
Overall, though, I still loved this book, and am eagerly waiting for the next in the series! Recommended for anyone who wants a hot, witty, sporty romance with a large dose of Irish!
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.