A scarred and lonely billionaire hiding from his past …Jared Connor lost his innocence at the age of ten when his father poured gasoline around the family home and left his two young sons to die in the flames. Now an adult, he’s carefully crafted a pretend life where he can hide his scars and his death row father behind the disguise of a caretaker’s pickup truck and a pair of gardening shears. … gardening shears. But when a beautiful woman with scars of her own barges into his quiet, solitary life, Jared finds it increasingly difficult to hide from what he really wants.
A successful young businesswoman ill at ease in her newfound beauty …
Phlox Miller was never the pretty girl and no magic mascara or secret serum was ever going to change that–not even one manufactured by her own company. When an accident at her country home burns her face and body, she spares no expense on her recovery and plastic surgery. Now she turns heads on the street, but can’t recognize herself in the mirror–and can’t convince the man she loves that he’s beautiful, too.
Next to You is a standalone romance with a scarred—but sexy AF—billionaire and a geeky CEO heroine. (Because why can’t women have all the money and success in these books?) Throw in a little angst. A few secrets. A best friend and one pitbull personal assistant. Oh and toss a hidden identity in there somewhere … and then some seriously steamy times! (No cliffhanger. Definitely a Happy Ever After.)
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Awesome characters. Could not put it down. Had to set aside the fact that California has not had the death penalty since 2014 and did not execute anyone since 2006.
Loved it
Money aside, great tingly romance with more ups than downs with personal redemption for both main characters.
Even though a person knows the characters will get together at the end, it was enjoyable to travel with them through all the insecurities they had to get there
Wonderful contrast between 2 characters with similar issues. Hard to put down. Good to see the heroine be the go-getter, gutsy, take it all on type. She certainly doesn’t need rescuing!
emotional
Enjoyed reading
CEO Phlox retreats to her Connecticut home as she recovers from a horrific accident which left her body scarred. Never a beauty, her plastic surgeries have given her a stunning face. She runs out of the kitchen where the accident occurred and faints, only to be rescued by the reclusive caretaker of her estate who has scars and secrets of his own. …
I really enjoyed this book. It was about two people with different ideas about how to deal with the world after tragedy. One hides from the world, the other relentlessly tries to power through. I liked there connection over shared tragedy, but I did think it was a bit unbelievable for Jared to be a former CEO when he goes to the extreme to avoid …
I enjoyed the characters and storyline very much. Julia Gabriel is excellent.
I couldn’t get interested in it…..
Read the first several chapters over
again but just didn’t catch my interest
May try one more time …….to see if
it may spark ……..