Lindsey Hilliard flees her charmed life in New York, searching for answers after her fiance s betrayal fills her with self-doubt. Unfortunately, her rented Malibu home is next door to Levi Hardy, the sexy but insufferable man who humiliated her years ago.Hardened by a grim past he keeps concealed, Levi prefers maintaining a comfortable distance from folks, especially a nosy princess like Lindsey. … like Lindsey. But then a motorcycle collision brings him to his knees, forcing him to accept her assistance with his recovery. Sparks begin to fly when the woman who doesn t believe in herself teaches the cynic how to have faith in others. Levi realizes his body will recover, but his heart won t if Lindsey returns to the ex who wants her back.
In the biggest gamble of his life, Levi teaches her to trust her own voice, and hopes she ll use it to say good-bye to her past and hello to a future with him.”
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I have been on an audio binge while moving and this one was fantastic! Levi is not who I expected him to be. He was a complicated but lonely man and when Lindsey moves in next door he is taken off guard by her. They met years ago when he was working as a bartender and she was vacationing and underage and he wouldn’t serve her. Years later after she discovers her fiance has cheated on her she leaves him and escapes to Malibu and rents a home next to Levi. She is outgoing and cannot help but work her way into his life. This one was great and satisfying and kept me moving and grooving along. Definitely a keeper!
I was very lucky to win this book from the author on a Facebook author/reader party. I am a fan of Jamie Beck and believe she is an excellent author. In this book, once again, she brings her characters to life and made me care about them so much.
We are all a result of our past, and sometimes even as adults we are still haunted or trapped by our childhood. Both of the main characters fall into that situation. Lindsey was bought up a princess with restrictions of the privileged, that she did not mind since she was well provided for and let everyone think for her. She grew up to be a caring, loving person, but one that always wanted to bend to other’s opinions and never gave a thought to what she really wanted.
Levi is almost the exact opposite. His childhood was definitely not easy. His mother walked away when he was 9 years old, leaving him with his con-artist dad. He knew that was not the life he wanted as he grew. Levi was pushed to think for himself and evaluate what he wanted in life in his teen years. When these two meet, the sparks fly.
I enjoyed this story so much. It was definitely a page turner for me. I hoped for a good ending for these Lindsey and Levi. Both deserved a happy ending and I am glad that Jamie Beck gave them that!
The author carefully developed characters with human flaws. The plot took me on a journey of what poor parenting can do to a person and how hard it is to repair and lead a ‘normal’ life. Well done.
In the Cards by Jamie Beck is an adorable romance book that I was happy to listen too. I would say that this novel skirts the line between romance and erotica…but maybe that is just me. There is not a ton of sex, but there is a bit of semi-explicit daydreams. The story is about Lindsey and Levi as they meet for the second time and gradually fall for one another.
There was a mutual attraction years earlier, but after Levi had realized that Lindsey was a young girl most likely in high school, he pushed her away. Years later Lindsey leaves her charmed New York life and finds herself living next to Levi. The embarrassment from her attempt at seducing him comes back to her in full force. Levi does not seem to remember, so she puts the past aside and tries to get to know her new neighbor. After an accident, this left Levi unable to care for himself; Lindsey steps up and helps him. As she cares for him, they learn more and more about each other and themselves. Will Levi leave behind his closed off ways? Will Lindsey say goodbye to her dreaded ex and welcome a new future with Levi?
I actually really enjoyed this book. It was well written and edited. The characters had good depth to them. I enjoyed learning with them. The changes to the characters were mostly subtle.
There was a plot hole and a few times that I felt things did not quite add up. However, I did not feel like they were crucial to the story and I was able to ignore them easily.
Overall, this book was an excellent read. If you enjoy romance, I say give this a shot.