DOWN FOR THE COUNT (Dare Me #1) by Christine Bell-a review

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About the book: Release October 1, 2012

NOTE:  The Reading Cafe will be part of Christine’s DOWN AND DIRTY Blog Tour on April 9, 2013 for the release of DOWN AND DIRTY.

Truth or dare…

When Lacey Garrity finds her groom in flagrante delicto in the reception hall closet with her bridesmaid, she’s saved by her best friend’s older brother—childhood tormentor, crush, and boxing bad boy Galen Thomas. Galen’s solution is both exciting and dangerous. What better way to forget the mess of her life than go on her honeymoon with a hot guy who can’t promise anything beyond today?

…or TKO?

Galen had been counting on Lacey’s wedding to put her out of reach—and out of his mind—once and for all, but their steamy Puerto Rican escape is testing all his boundaries. Now that Lacey’s embracing her inner bad girl, Galen is tempted to throw in the towel and claim her for himself. But with the biggest fight of his career on the line and an important business merger threatening to derail Lacey’s resolve, their romance might be down for the count before it even begins.

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Review: DOWN FOR THE COUNT is the first storyline in Christine Bell’s new contemporary romance series Dare Me. This is Lacey and Galen’s story.

What do you do when you find your husband of two hours ‘doing it’ with your friend and bridesmaid in the storage closet at your wedding reception? Well if you are Lacey Garrity, you have your BFF handle things at the hall while your teen ‘crush’ whisks you away on his motorcycle to the family cottage for an evening of drinking and revelation. But when Lacey and Galen wake up in Puerto Rico, on what was supposed to be Lacey’s honeymoon, Galen is determined to help Lacey discover her inner vixen. Slightly tight laced and stoic, Lacey was never one to push the envelope, but with Galen by her side, Lacey soon learned to let go of her pent up years of frustration and family rule.

Lacey ‘s marriage can only be described as a merger. Hoping to merge two high profile legal firms, Lacey’s mother had made it her life’s ambition to ensure the man to whom Lacey would marry was of good breeding and pedigree. And to Lacey’s astonishment, her mother (aka The Admiral) refused to accept anything less than perfection. But when Lacey’s mother pointed out that even her marriage wasn’t all roses and candy, Lacey wondered if she had made the wrong decision. Hoping to give Lacey time to think, Galen leaves only to discover that Lacey is the only woman who can mend his broken heart.

The relationship between Lacey and Galen is both romantic and hot. Lacey knew Galen to be the popular boxer with women clamoring for his attention, and Galen only wanted one thing permanent in his life-Lacey. We watch as Galen gets Lacey to let go of the past and her inhibitions to discover the real woman hidden just below the ‘good girl’ façade. Galen wanted to show Lacey a good time and prove that he is the man for her.

I liked that Lacey didn’t whine about her the circumstances in her life and she was a woman willing to try something different to prove (to herself) that she was worthy of love from the right man but she did have some emotional baggage with self-esteem issues brought on by a tyrannical mother who refused to allow Lacey her independence. In this, Lacey was a means to an end for a business transaction and nothing else. And Galen with his tough exterior was the perfect man to bring Lacey’s hidden sexual kitten to the surface and allow her to discover what it was in life she really wanted-and it was Galen.

DOWN FOR THE COUNT is a fast paced, sweet storyline of betrayal, romance, fun and finding yourself in the one person you had always dreamed would one day be yours. There were a few moments where Lacey steps outside of the box and jumps into ‘vixen’ mode too fast, but overall the storyline was a fun read with the usual cast well-meaning friends, interfering mothers and the realization that your heart and soul belong to the one person who that can make you laugh and cry at the same time. There was nothing earth shattering or thought provoking in the premise, but a storyline with a little bit of heartbreak, a little bit of sex and a whole lot of romance between two people who have probably loved each other for a lifetime.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy