REVIEW: The Best Kind of Trouble by Lauren Dane

In The Best Kind of Trouble (The Hurley Boys #1) by Lauren Dane, Rock star Patrick “Paddy” Hurley may be the frontman of one of the most successful bands in the world, Sweet Hollow Ranch, but he will never forget where he and his brothers started in their homestate of Oregon. So when he notices a woman he spent two of the most incredible weeks of his life with at the beginning of his career, Paddy knows he has to catch up with Natalie. They’ve both left their partying ways behind them, and it seems the gorgeous librarian has her life under tight control now. She’s certainly making him work just to even get a date with her. But as they slowly build a friendship that eventually turns into something more, will his crazy career be too much for her to handle?

‘She had given him her trust. Every time she let him take control, control he knew she held on to like a security object. It was a continued reminder to be careful with it. To deserve it.’

These days, Natalie Clayton tries to surround herself with trusted friends, like her roommate Tuesday, who are stable and will be there for her. Unlike her father and grandmother, who have never had her safety or good intentions at heart. When Natalie runs into Paddy at the local coffee shop, she knows she should turn and run. Yeah, they had incredible chemistry together years ago, but his life as a rock star is exactly what she doesn’t need in her life. But how can she turn down such a charismatic, handsome guy? Natalie hopes she can remain in control of her emotions and her quiet life while still following where her heart leads her.

‘Her control was a way she made sense of the world filled with chaos. Her wildness in private was her guilty pleasure, only without the guilt.’

The Best Kind of Trouble is the lead novel in what promises to be a very steamy and extremely well written new series by Lauren Dane. She shows us what happens with you mix an uber sexy rock-star-slash-rancher with a kickass librarian. It’s nothing short of wonderful.

Although I love all types of romances, rock star stories and modern cowboy stories are two of my go-to categories, and lucky for me they were combined here. Plus…this was also a second chance romance, which is a trope I adore. One of my favorite things about Paddy and Natalie’s romance was that this focused on their emotions through each step of their relationship being built. It was about their connection growing, their trust forming, and of course their struggles with it along the way. Ms. Dane wrote the scenes in such an intimate way, shedding light on each character’s weakness and ultimately their strength. I loved feeling that wrapped up in the characters, wanting them to find that balance together and claim their HEA.

I thought Paddy was easy to like right away. He was charming and a genuinely nice guy. Yeah, he was a rock star and had his share of fun and debauchery in the past. Natalie was actually part of that years ago, which made their reunion so much more fulfilling, to see how they had matured. I admired Natalie’s strength and her ability to form healthy friendships after being used and/or neglected by her family for years. Paddy wanted to be the guy she could turn to for help and someone she could put her trust into, which was commendable. Albeit he may have took it a bit too far sometimes. lol Their chemistry together was insane, leading to some very intense love scenes. Talk about a dirty mouth! But not in a bad way…it was very sexy and very hot. *whew*

I think you’ll enjoy this one if you like romances that sweep you away with passion and emotion while the characters are falling in love. I can’t wait for Ezra and Tuesday’s story next!

Book Info:

Published August 26th 2014 by Harlequin HQN | (The Hurley Boys #1)

She has complete control… and he’s determined to take it away

A librarian in the small town of Hood River, Natalie Clayton’s world is very nearly perfect. After a turbulent childhood and her once-wild ways, life is now under control. But trouble has a way of turning up unexpectedly—especially in the tall, charismatically sexy form of Paddy Hurley….

And Paddy is the kind of trouble that Natalie has a taste for.

Even after years of the rock and roll lifestyle, Paddy never forgot the two wickedly hot weeks he once shared with Natalie. Now he wants more… even if it means tempting Natalie and her iron-grip control. But there’s a fine line between well-behaved and misbehaved—and the only compromise is between the sheets!