Double Review: Love Is Messy Duet (Hot Mess / Twice Burned) by Emily Goodwin --> 4.5 Stars!
TITLES: Hot Mess / Twice Burned
SERIES: Love Is Messy Duet
AUTHOR: Emily Goodwin
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
RELEASE DATES: February 1st, 2017 / March 1st, 2017
My life is a hot mess.
Single, working, and raising two daughters, it's a miracle I get us up, dressed, and fed every morning. Forget about dating--nobody's got time for that. Even if love hadn't left me jaded, I'm not settling for anything less than perfect this time around.
Lucky for me, the perfect man just happens to work in my office. But there's just one small problem: he's my boss, and is totally off limits. But hey, if it's meant to be, it'll find a way, right?Then a night out with friends turns into a night in with the walking-talking bad boy cliche of a bartender. It's just one night. No harm, no foul, right?
Except when the hot bartender turns out to be my boss's trouble-making brother, who wants more than just one night with me. The more I resist the spark between us, the more I find myself wanting him too. Which puts me in the middle of what could be the biggest sibling rivalry of the century.
Life is messy.
And love?
Well, love is even messier.
Emily Goodwin is soon becoming an author I look for when I’m in need of a butterfly inducing romance. Hot Mess sounded intriguing and I’m pleased to have read it because it was so much more than about two brother fighting over the same woman.
While you would think this book is a love triangle, it’s far from it and more complex than what it seems. At first view, Luke appears like the guy who doesn’t commit and it’s a part of the reason Lexi agrees to go home with him for one night of passion. But they’re both left with an inexplicable feeling and want more. While Lexi fights it at first, because she doesn’t want to get hurt by a “bad boy”, she just can’t deny his magnetic charm and they start seeing each other. But they’re soon to discover that Luke’s brother Cole is Lexi’s boss who’s she’s been fantasizing over for months.
From there, the brother rivalry that’s been going on for years only intensifies. Cole only wants to break Luke and Lexi’s relationship by playing tricks and I was left asking myself why. This facet of the story was really intriguing and kept me entertained until the very end of the story.
I seriously loved Luke so much. He’s very thoughtful with Lexi and her little girls and swoon worthy. While he’s been all about his bachelor life before, never the one to want a relationship, it’s easy to see that Lexi is different for him and stirs new desires in him. Their chemistry is incredible and the steamy scenes filled with an explosive passion. But he still has secrets from his past that’s haunting him and keeping them locked up makes it hard for Lexi to completely trust him when Cole is always discrediting Luke in her eyes.
The side characters were well fused to the story. I loved Grace and Paige, Lexi’s daughters and their cute personalities. It brought a smile on my face every time they were mentioned.
Emily Goodwin signed here a beautiful multi-layered story that kept me entertained and made me swoon so hard. Hot Mess left me with more questions than ever with the cliffhanger ending and I can’t wait to unveiled them all in Twice Burned.
I’ve been burned before. Once by love, twice by fire. And I don’t know which hurt worse. For years, I’ve been playing with fire. Both in the sheets and in the streets. But after a life changing accident, something had to give. Moving from Chicago to New York to live with my estranged brother is less than ideal, but it’s only temporary. To make it through the next year without killing each other, I need to stick to a few simple rules: no dating, no drama, no getting in each other’s business. Easy enough, right? Then I met her, and the rules went out the window. Problem is, he met her first.
This second book in the Love is Messy Duet was everything I wanted. More than ever I loved Lexi and Luke together. Their love was so gorgeous to observe, but wasn’t all that easy either. Oh no!
In Twice Burned, Lexi is doubting Luke repeatedly with the way he’s acting impulsively. Their romantic feelings are finally in the open, but there’s just little obstacles in their paths that makes it hard to completely surrender to this love and embrace it. A couple of misunderstandings could have been solved earlier if it wasn’t for a lack of communication between them. Lexi is fast to doubt Luke, but I still understand her on this point. She’s been hurt before and has a lack of confidence when love’s concerned.
One undeniable thing throughout the book is Luke’s complete devotion to her. Yes, he’s torn between his love for her and his “duty” born from a promise, but his love for Lexi is tangible every single time they’re together. Their connection deeper and sizzling hot.
Lexi’s little girls are more present in Twice Burned and there is so many sweet scenes with these two. The way they interact with Luke is adorable and heart-warming. He’s really invested with Lexi all the way and it reflects with the lovely relationship he has with Paige and Grace.
Cole still tries to damaged Luke and Lexi’s relationship, but the brothers finally get to a memorable confrontation where all this resentment and hate is clarified. So much misunderstanding and miscommunication once again.
Every single question and mystery from Hot Mess was well explained and resolved in this closing book. I was delighted with the way everything ended and all the feelings it delivered. Emily Goodwin wrapped here an intoxicating duet. Swoony, beautiful, heated, passionate, intriguing, there’s a little of everything in these wonderful books. The Love is Messy Duet is a must read.
