REVIEW: The Hotter You Burn by Gena Showalter

In The Hotter You Burn (The Original Heartbreakers #2) by Gena Showalter, Harlow Glass will be the first one to admit that she at least partially deserves her current state of being homeless and jobless, after the hell she caused so many people as the town’s bully in her teen years. But a lot has happened since then and now when Harlow is looking for one small break, no one in Strawberry Valley will give her the time of day. When a desperate act of procuring food lands her in hot water with heartthrob Beck Ockley, the tentative deal they strike up may just lead to something much more personal–and thrilling.

“But why risk any kind of mental or emotional harm when I can give something far better?”
Flushing, she said, “What could possibly be better than a relationship?”
“I believe we’ve discussed this. Pleasure. Lots and lots of pleasure.”

Finding the one mysterious woman he can’t get off his mind standing in his home stealing his blueberry pie, Beck jumps at the chance to find out more about notorious Harlow. The rumors and tales around town got the story quite wrong, however, when he learns the truth behind her past. With his own tortured beginnings buried in his past, Beck feels a camaraderie with Harlow and the urge to protect her. But as he realizes that he can’t get close enough or spend enough time with her, he has to wonder if he can protect them both from getting hurt in the end.

“All my life I’ve considered feelings for another person a prison.” He released her hands to cup her jaw. “I will never be able to control how you feel about me. I will never be able to force you to stay with me, to accept what I have to offer, and it terrifies me.”

The Hotter You Burn was a sizzling hot romance between two people with dark pasts. In their attempt to make things right in their lives and still protect their hearts, Beck and Harlow found a connection well worth any potential risk.

Harlow and Beck were such great characters. From the way they were both described in the previous book, Beck as a playboy and Harlow as a bully, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to empathize with them. But Gena Showalter created two truly likable, multidimensional people who captivated me from the very start. I wasn’t expecting to cheer this duo on to find their HEA quite as strongly as I did, so to feel that level of hope for them was a powerful thing.

I had to hand it to Harlow. She was set on redeeming herself to her fellow townspeople after bullying them as a teenager. My heart broke for her again and again over her situation, as well as for her childhood. I have to say that I kind of loved how Harlow still believed in fairy tale romance even after everything that had happened to her. That unwavering vision of happiness was what got her through those tough times. Plus her spunky attitude. I had to chuckle when Harlow told Beck like it was and made sure he knew she could make up her own mind. Funny stuff.

Beck, now…boy, he was an enigma. Like Harlow, he also had a troubled childhood but he was pretty much the polar opposite of where she was in life now. He was a ‘one-and-done’ kind of guy instead of looking for a long-term relationship, and he had made boatloads of money as opposed to being penniless and homeless. They basically balanced each other out in a weird, wonderful sort of way. And what I liked most about Beck was his sense of loyalty. He would do anything for his best friends Jase and West, and he absolutely adored Harlow. He was out to protect her from day one. Even if that meant protecting her from getting hurt by him. *sigh*

The Original Heartbreakers series has something for everyone and just keeps getting more intriguing. If you like a blend of comedy, romance, deep emotional situations, and small town drama, definitely check this one out.

Book Info:

Publication: Published July 28th 2015 | by HQN Books | The Original Heartbreakers #2

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter is back with a sizzling Original Heartbreakers story featuring a troubled playboy and the woman he can’t resist…

Beck O’ckley is ruthless in the boardroom…and the bedroom. He’s never been with the same woman twice, and vows he never will. With a past as twisted as his, meaningless sex keeps the demons at bay. His motto: One and done. No harm, no foul.

Harlow Glass is the most hated girl in town. The beautiful artist is penniless, jobless and homeless. When she sneaks into Beck’s home—her ancestral estate—for food, she’s shocked by his early return…and her immediate, sizzling and intense attraction to him.

For the first time in Beck’s life, he can’t get a woman out of his mind. All too soon, friendship blooms into obsession and he’ll have to break her heart…or surrender his own.