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Thursday, October 2, 2014

Review Tour, Giveaway: The Perfect Wave by A.J. Prior



The Perfect Wave
The Perfect Wave by A.J. Prior
September 10, 2014
314 pages
Genre: Contemporary Romance 18+
(Contains: explicit sex, mature language)
Source: eARC for Honest review

Jessica Baker, the twenty-six-year-old daughter of a Texas oil tycoon, likes to have the upper hand. She enjoys the freedom that comes with wealth and sails through life on her terms.

Until the day she meets Roan Anders: sexy surfer, extreme sports agent, and verifiable playboy.

He is the one man who has the power to anchor her heart or break it wide open.

Both try to deny the intense chemistry flowing between them and embark on a friendship that is destined to get complicated. Lust and desire ignite their feelings from a slow burn into a raging fire, and what started out as platonic, quickly flares into something impossible to contain.

Jessica soon learns that being born into a life of luxury can't protect her from heartache when a woman from Roan’s past surfaces with allegations that turn Jessica's world upside down.

Is Roan capable of commitment? Will Jessica’s family accept the man she’s chosen? Can their love survive the rocky waters they’ve suddenly encountered? Find out in this sexy and emotional story that explores how one’s past can change the course of one’s life forever.
 
I really liked Wall of Trust by A.J. Prior, which involved Mason and Casey, so I was looking forward to what she would do next. The Perfect Wave is a standalone about Roan and Jessica, Mason and Casey's best friends. You do not need to read the first book, though I did personally enjoy seeing Mason and Casey pop up here and there. The Perfect Wave is a complete story in itself.

Here we have Jessica, daughter of wealthy parents including a mother with high and specific expectations, who has goo-goo eyes for Roan, hunky player with a past and commitment issues. Superficially, these two are beautiful, financial stable, and have friends who have their backs. But beneath the surface, they have much deeper waters. Roan has no trouble getting women into bed, but when faced with Jessica's attraction to him and an increasing chemistry between them, he doesn't want to chance their mutual friendships with a hook-up. And he's certainly not looking for commitment. So instead, an adorable friendship between them starts. But where friendship begins, an unstoppable chemistry and sexual tension ends one way or the other.

I really enjoyed the friendship aspect of this story. I liked how essentially Jessica and Roan were forced to build that friend foundation because Roan was so adamant about avoiding anything else. I think it set them up really well for the future, because in the future a whole lot of stuff comes up and happens that is not easy to handle. To say Roan does some stupid stuff would be an understatement. The boy truly annoyed me at times. And he has quite the history with women that any gal serious about him would have to overcome. But he can also be pretty darn great, so though Jessica has to be a true trooper to handle it all, the chemistry and tenderness between them is palpable. There is lots going on, for Roan and Jessica individually and mutually, bringing quite the edge to this story and an intensity that kept my pages flipping.

Which comes back to why I liked so much the friendship aspect of this story. Without it I don't think a relationship between the two of them would be realistic. But with that foundation, I could even forgive Roan for being such a doofus and/or douche at times. I could see how Jessica saw past Roan's past. And I could see how Jessica could learn to deal with her family issues. Plus, Mason and Casey are such wonderful friends through everything. And let's not forget Jaxon, who I hope gets his own story. So all-in-all this was a really enjoyable read, with a great balance of sweetness and sexiness, friendship and romance, drama and suspense, and love and forgiveness.

3-1/2 to 4 Stars
(rounding up)


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A.J. Pryor lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two daughters. When she’s not writing, you can find her at the beach, the yoga studio, or the soccer field with her girls. An avid reader of Adult, New Adult and Young Adult novels, her Kindle is always an arm’s length away. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.


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