But First, Coffee (Love and Coffee #1) by Sarah Darlington-Review & Giveaway Tour
I’m only a barista in her company.I really don’t give a f**k about her one way or the other.
And then there’s Doug Maddox, a man with a lot of power over me. He’s blackmailing me. Making me spy on her. I’m supposed to find her weaknesses and destroy her. But the closer I get, the more the lines between us start to blur.
She’s sweet. She’s kind. She’s sexy as hell.
Why am I the only man who see’s this?
So now I’m stuck—between keeping my sister safe against Doug, because that’s what’s really at stake here, and these feelings I can’t deny for a woman who shouldn’t mean anything to me.
I know what I have to do. I’ll destroy her.
It doesn’t matter if I have to destroy my own heart in the process.
••••••••••
REVIEW: There are many awesome elements to books that a lot of people don’t always give a lot of thought to. The story arc, character development, good triumphing over evil concept, adult content of violence and sex, and even the dialogue whether between multiple characters or internally with one character with themselves to name a few. An interesting element I want to bring up about this book is the element that this book seemed to raise a lot of awareness on a lot of issues and a condition. I think that’s really great about the book. The hero of the book, Joe has ADHD. The books gives good insight on how different the brain can work when it comes to people with ADHD or how their impulsiveness can’t always be helped. You get a look at addiction whether it’s alcohol or prescription drugs. Even though he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, addiction was something Joe and his sister, Kitty both struggled with. While this is a touchy subject, this book brings light to the subject of rape and not just the case of the man raping a woman but the not so much talked about case of the male being the victim. Regardless of the issues of awareness the book raised, the book was still an awesome read the story was in no way sacrificed.
As for Lana and Joe’s relationship, I did enjoy their relationship very much. I kind of felt like Sarah Darlington went against the grain in some relationship norms but yet she somehow made it work. I do take my hat off to her for that. I enjoyed there was a build-up of almost-going-to-happen love scenes until it blew up into a very explosive love scene in the garage. Very enjoyable first love scene for the couple. I found the post-it notes concept extremely cute and endearing. It was like they wrote each other little love notes throughout the book. Despite Joe’s hang ups regarding sex, the love scenes was in no way sacrificed.
Like most books, it always works out in the end. The couples wins and gets to be together, the main issue of the book gets solved, and the nemesis actually becomes one of the good guys. One thing I really appreciated was the epilogue. Lana had the choice to keep going in the fast-paced overbooked corporate lifestyle or to slow down and settle down. In my opinion, I feel slowing down and settle down can be the best choice to make sometimes especially in the case of keeping your sanity. The dedication on the book said it was for the coffee lovers and Sarah Darlington most definitely delivered. As a coffee lover myself and I love my coffee chains like Starbucks and Caribou, the book makes you smile and want to reach for a cup of coffee. I see this book is part of a series and I am definitely hungry for more.
Copy supplied for review
Reviewed by Xtina
Sarah Darlington, a New Adult and contemporary romance author, lives in Virginia with her husband and two children. Best known for her Kill Devil Hills Series, she’s also a former flight attendant, with a degree in school counseling, who harbors a huge passion for traveling. She’s especially set on visiting all 50 states.
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NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the rafflecopter giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact the author.