REVIEW: The Beauty of Us by Kristen Proby

In The Beauty of Us (Fusion #4) by Kristen Proby, It’s taken some persuading on her part, but Riley Gibson, the marketing guru of Portland based Seduction restaurant, has talked her four co-owners (and BFFs) into letting a crew film their daily operations for a t.v. special. Being on Best Bites TV Network could push their already successful restaurant into the stratosphere. And while Riley can’t wait to see what the publicity does for them, she finds herself equally interested in the executive producer, Trevor Cooper. If she had to describe the perfect guy, he’d be it. Charming and smart, he totally rocks a pair of black framed glasses and is incredibly kind. Their attraction catches them both by surprise, but given Riley’s bad luck with men, she hopes Trevor will prove to be the one guy who doesn’t let her down.

‘I can’t help but wonder if this is too good to be true… I mean, maybe he’s been to jail. Or there’s a warrant out for his arrest. Or he likes green beans.
I need to stop being so cynical and believe that there really are nice men out there, and I finally found one.’

Trevor is completely taken by Riley from the moment he meets her at the bar in her kickass restaurant. And he has to admit that as he gets to know her and her crazy-cool friends better, he’s never had more fun on a project. To his surprise, Trevor’s feelings for Riley grow intense quickly, to the point that he’s dreading having to finish filming and go back to California. He definitely wasn’t looking for a relationship and has no idea how a long distance romance could work out. Although he’s not willing to let her go quite yet. But distance proves to be difficult for Trevor and Riley, their hectic schedules not giving them a chance to connect like they need to. He’s determined to make it work, though, and figure out a way to have the woman he can’t imagine being without back in his life on a permanent basis.

I drag my fingertips down her cheek. “You still don’t get it do you? I’m so crazy about you I can’t see straight. When you’re with me, no one else exists.”

So. Much. Fun. Boy did Kristen Proby hit the nail on the head by creating this perfectly lovely couple. Riley and Trevor were amazing together right from their meet-cute beginning to their emotional HEA and everything in between.

“So, you think I’m sexy?”
She giggles. “I didn’t say that. I said the glasses are sexy.”
“I think *you’re* sexy,” I reply honestly. “And I’m not quite sure what to do about that.”

I just adore the five ladies of Seduction restaurant and of course their sexy male counterparts we’ve met along the way with this series. They’re all so different personality-wise but they are all intelligent, talented, and are loyal to each other first and foremost. Riley was every bit as comical and sassy as I figured she’d be. But I was pleasantly surprised to see she also had a bit of a shy, vulnerable side that was very endearing. She tended to overthink things–sometimes to the point of being too extreme with it–but Riley had been hurt by several people before. So I thought it felt right that she was cautious and was waiting for the other shoe to drop with Trevor. I also got a huge chuckle out of Riley’s Nana, the conversations they had and how cool she was. Seriously, I want to be just like her when I’m that age! (lol)

Trevor was such an awesome hero. He was smart, caring, just geeky enough to be charming, and ended up being a bit of an alpha guy in the bedroom. *swoon* Okay, so he did have a few boneheaded moments toward the end of the book where I wanted to (lovingly) smack the back of his head, but Trevor was the ideal man for Riley. I loved that he was smitten with everything about her and he made sure she was told over and over how beautiful, smart and wonderful she was. Talk about an ego boost! They had some comical bantering between them that had me laughing quite a few times. Especially about Star Wars vs. Star Trek and Riley’s penchant for confusing the two. Priceless.

There was one thread of the story in regard to Angie, someone on the outskirts of Trevor’s life, that for me didn’t really seem finished and kind of bugged me afterward. So it did bring the rating down a tad from 4.5 to 4 stars, but overall this was still a great read.

Coworkers with delicious chemistry. Long distance relationship woes. A romance written in the stars. The Beauty of Us was an uplifting, upbeat, steamy romance that will be sure to bring a smile to your face.
 

Book Info:

Publication: Published August 22nd 2017 | William Morrow Paperbacks | Fusion #4

New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby delivers another sizzling novel in her delectable and sexy Fusion series.

Riley Gibson is over the moon at the prospect of having her restaurant, Seduction, on the Best Bites TV network. This could be the big break she’s been waiting for. But the idea of having an in-house show on a regular basis is a whole other matter. Their lives would be turned upside down, and convincing Mia, her best friend and head chef of Seduction, that having cameras in her kitchen every day is a good idea is daunting. Still, Riley knows it’s an opportunity she can’t afford to pass on. And when she meets Trevor Cooper, the show’s executive producer, she’s stunned by their intense chemistry.

Trevor’s sole intention is to persuade Riley to allow Best Bites TV to do a show on her restaurant. But when he walks into Riley’s office, he stops dead in his tracks. The professional, aloof woman on the phone is incredibly beautiful and funny. But can he convince her that he’s interested in Riley for himself? Or is he using the undeniable pull between them to persuade her to agree to his offer?