Review: Wrecked by Shiloh Walker
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| AMAZON | KINDLE |
Wrecked by Shiloh Walker
Contemporary
Berkley (April 2, 2013)
Heroine: Abigale Applegate - The Best Friend, Owns Catering Business
Hero: Zach Barnes - In love with Best Friend, Tattoo Artist
Review:
Abigale Applegate thought she wanted normal. To settle down and focus on her life plan. But when her fiancé dumps her two months before the wedding, telling her she’s not being true to herself, her neat and orderly life comes crashing down on her. That is, until Zach Barnes, her best friend of seventeen years helps her pick up the pieces. He gifts her with a copy of a journal called Wreck This Journal. The journal is to help her let things go, be spontaneous, stop planning, and do things out of her comfort zone. Feeling good about moving on with her life, Abigale decides she’s ready to grab life by the balls and makes a list of things she would like to do.
1. Stop worrying so much about the future
2. Call Roger (her ex-fiance) and tell him off
3. Flip off the next photographer you see
4. Get a tattoo
5. Have a torrid affair with a hot guy
Abigale and Zach grew up together on a television show. They were inseparable best friends. When it was cancelled, they remained best friends. But Zach wanted more from the relationship. He’s been love with Abigale since they were kids and never figured out a way to tell her. The opportunity has never been right, he says. And his fear of losing her as a friend made him settle for loving her from afar, rather than losing her. Now Zach finally has his chance to win Abigale over when he comes across her journal and sees the last number on her list. He realizes this might be his last chance to get the girl and he refuses to let Abigale go without a fight. He is determined to be the man she has an affair with and hopes to woo her enough so she will fall in love with him. All he has to do is convince Abigale he’s the hot guy.
The one woman he’d always wanted. The one woman he’d thought he never have.
It didn’t take much convincing. At this point, Abigaile's already started to see Zach in a different light. She begins to fantasize and lust over him. So when Zach makes his proposition, in a round-about way without telling her he saw the list, she immediately takes him up on his offer. And the torrid affair begins.
Zach was anything by superficial. He was real. He was kind. He was funny. And under the kindness and the humor, there was an edge to him that had emerged…somehow. She didn’t really know when, but sometimes just standing near him, even knowing him as well as she did, it sucked the breath of her.
Zach had me at sugar! My favorite endearment. This once child star is now living the life that truly makes him happy. He’s a tattoo artist with beautiful tattoos on his body – one in particular that made my heart swoon. He’s considerate, thoughtful, and deliciously sexy. What started out as a crush on Abigale grew until it turned into love. Zach has always been there for Abigale. He even moved to Arizona to be closer to her. But he would never tell her that. No, for seventeen years he has kept his feelings a secret. But now he has found a way to win her for good. And, oh my, he definitely shows her exactly what she could have…look out ladies, the man is passion and fire in the bedroom. Whew.
Abigale is a smart, stubborn, and fun heroine. I enjoyed following along her journey as she learns to overcome past hurts, her insecurities, and learn to live life to the fullest. Abigale wasn’t being true to herself after all. But it had nothing to do with going back to acting like her fiancé wanted her to. No, she began to realize, as her affair with Zach heats up, that she was missing passion, love, friendship, and excitement in her life. Zach gave her all of this and more. And it was right in front of her the entire time. She just didn’t see it. So as much as I really liked Abigale, I was beginning to think something was seriously wrong with her for not noticing Zach as more than just a friend before now…shame on you Abigale. It took some soul searching before the light bulb went off in her head telling her Zach is the one. And, ironically, as she slowly starts to fall deep in love with Zach, she begins to feel the same way Zach had been feeling all those years… afraid to tell him her feelings, for fear of losing him as her best friend.
Suffice it to say, I wanted to knock these two character’s heads together until they both admitted they were in love with one another. They were both so afraid to admit this was more than just a torrid affair for fear they would lose their friendship. And for two people who knew each other so well, they sure did miss the ‘in love with each other’ signs.
I really enjoyed the buildup and the anticipation for when they finally admitted to how they felt. However, they had to go through some obstacles before they finally admitted their feelings for one another. This includes a pesky ex-fiancé and someone in Zach’s life who could have potentially messed things up for them.
The author did a wonderful job capturing both the emotional and romantic aspects of the story – the awkwardness of two people who know each other so well, but don’t really know how to divulge their true feelings, desire, passion, fun times, heartache, and the frustration. Trust me, the frustration was definitely felt.
I guess my biggest problem with this story was trying to believe Zach could go seventeen years without expressing how he truly felt. It seemed a little far-fetched that this cool and confident man would go to such great lengths to be in the same city with Abigale, but never tell her how he felt. And how on earth could Abigale overlook Zach, who is the full package and any woman would fall over themselves to have? These questions kept fluttering through my mind the entire time.
I really hope Zach’s brothers, who are introduced in this story, get their own stories. Especially Zane. I would like to see a story with Zane and Keelie because I feel like there is so much more to their story.
Wrecked is a meltingly romantic and very sexy contemporary. This was my first book by Shiloh Walker and definitely won’t be my last. I love friends-turned-lovers romance. There is something so special about two people who have known each other most of their lives and then eventually fall in love. The love feels very genuine because it’s already been established. I loved watching these characters become unraveled in each other arms. And watching Abigale discover what she wanted all along was right in front of her, if she just only opened her eyes and looked. So, despite my disbelief Zach went so long without confessing his feelings, I thought this story was quite enjoyable.
On a side note: This story is not about television and Hollywood. That’s just a memory to these characters. So the author didn’t delve too much into that subject.
Thoughts While Reading:
N/A
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