Wilde at Heart by Tonya Burrows – a Review

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Description:
He has everything under control. Except her.

Reece Wilde put everything in his life on the backburner to protect his brothers and their struggling company, Wilde Security. With a major contract on the line, Reece can’t afford any mistakes…like getting caught in a red-hot, X-rated moment with wild child Shelby Bremer, who’s more trouble than he can handle. Now he’s being blackmailed.

Shelby’s mile-long impulsive streak gets her in more trouble than she’d like to admit. Between her sister’s wedding, her coffee shop set on fire, and getting down and dirty with the groom’s brother, things are definitely coming off the rails. With both their careers and their safety on the line, Reece is determined to keep them both safe…even if it means a Vegas-style shotgun wedding.

But gambling on a wild card—and a wild soul—is risky…and sometimes, it can get a guy killed.

Review:

Slam, bam, thank you, ma’am?! I’m familiar with the scenario, but this one packed a punch from the very beginning. Reece “worships” Shelby in spectacular fashion *steam emanated from my Kindle* only to be interrupted by his inside voice, the chiding one…and the flames licking at the ceiling of the very building where their tryst began! As far as warnings went, this was a doozie. If workaholic Reece loses himself in the moment, he stands to lose sight of the prize. Then again…perhaps Shelby’s heart is better than any professional advancement? Welcome back, Tonya Burrows! In Wilde at Heart, we revel in all that revolves around Reece and Shelby and this wonderful family dynamic. It is a joy to go Wilde again!

The last time Ms. Burrows made us swoon, Wilde for Her, Cam and Eva figured out that best friends made forever kind of love. With their nuptials just around the corner, Reece, the most dependable of the Wilde siblings, is dispatched to “oversee” impetuous Shelby (younger sister to Eva) and ensure she tamps down any overt vivaciousness that could prevent her from participating (or ruining) the wedding. Babysitter he’s not, Reece catches himself ogling from afar…fantasizing…hoping Shelby could ever consider him romantically.  

“…she was completely, 100 percent anti-permanent. Hell, even her hair color changed every other week. Reece was the human equivalent of tattoo ink. She was henna.

They’re on opposite spectrums overall, but their differences are obsolete when they’re face to face. When magic happens and their sexy exploration is caught for all to see, their romance (intimate photos) becomes the subject of extortion. Someone out to sabotage the security firm or was it more personal, singling out Reece who stood on the precipice of financial gain?

“Of course, logically speaking, this was the perfect time to hit him with blackmail. So it had to be someone he knew…Someone who knew his government contracts were running out this year and he needed Irving James’s investment if he wanted to keep both DMW and Wilde Security afloat. Someone who knew one moral misstep on his part would bring everything he’d built crashing down.

     But who?

It only took me a minute to fall right back in love with this series, with this book, but a pivotal plot line, Reece and Shelby’s solution to “a whole host of problems”, impeded my enjoyment. Shelby is a bit of a hot mess and the beneficial (though mutual) agreement felt opportunistic. It was probably due to the intermittent telling of her background story, so it’s hard to point fingers when Reece was caught in his own desperate situation. Having said that, Ms. Burrows executes the storyline pursuant to her vision and the outcomes aren’t proportionally skeevy, lol. Far from it! I loved the coming together of such polar personalities. Together they stop running. Together they soar.

I adore the camaraderie between brothers who mask engaging verbal quips for intuitive insight. They worry after each other even while they rib each other mercilessly; they are devoted to their family unit. Ms. Burrows writes energetically, realistically, and passionately. I’m so happy I read this!

Ms. Burrows ties up all the loose ends plaguing our H/H and gives you an impactful finish. My heart suffered a bit, but that’s what a well-written story is supposed to do — I was thoroughly invested in Reece and Shelby’s development and was hopeful for a HEA. Clever author that she is, Ms. Burrows already planted the seeds for the next storyline. Ummm, yes…

More…I want more…I need to get Wilde some more!  

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Publisher