Mister Romance

Author: Leisa Rayven
Series: Master of Love, book 1
Publisher: Self? (April 30, 2017)
Kindle edition, 317 pages
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Summary
Max Riley is the man of your dreams. Or at least he will be, for a price. 

As his alter-ego Mister Romance, Max is a drop-dead gorgeous escort who makes romantic fantasies come to life. No sex, just swoon-worthy dates to die for, and the cream of New York’s socialites can’t get enough.  Whether they want a dominating billionaire, bad boy with a heart of gold, hot geek, sexy biker, or best friend who loves them from afar, Max can make it all happen, but he’s careful to keep his real identity a secret.

Enter investigative journalist Eden Tate. Having caught wind of the urban legend of Mister Romance from a lovestruck client, Eden is determined to publish a scathing expose on Max and his ability to swindle lonely society women out of their fortunes.

Desperate to protect his anonymity and his clients, Max challenges Eden to give him three dates. If she doesn’t fall in love with him, she can run her story with his blessing. If she succumbs to his charms, the story dies.

Cynical Eden has no doubt she can resist his fake romance personas, but when the real Max admits he’s falling for her, she has to decide if the professional liar is telling the truth, or if the passionate man with the mysterious past is just one more character designed to con her out of her career-making story.

Review
Ugh, so much swoooooon. My main beef with this book is it’s told in the first person present tense POV and we only get Eden’s POV. I feel like romances work best when we get to see inside both MC’s heads, and I really wish we’d gotten some more glimpses into Max and what makes him tick.

That being said, UGH. You know a book is great when you finish it and IMMEDIATELY go searching for another book by the author. (And there’s a second book in this series about Eden’s sister Asha! YAY!) It’s a cliche, but I LITERALLY couldn’t put this book down. And I hate when people use the word literally when they don’t really mean it, so when I say that I mean I read while I went to the bathroom, I read while I cooked dinner (okay, so I read while I ordered dinner…), I read while changing my 2 year old’s diaper… Could NOT put it down, and read it straight through until Eden and Max got their HEA and I was blearily blinking at my clock telling me it was 1:30 am on a work day. (Oops.)

I like that both Max and Eden have some serious skeletons in their closet. They’re really interesting, multi-faceted characters who are deeply flawed, and those flaws make them beautiful. Eden is a little hard to relate to at times because she’s so cynical, but at the same time you get these glimpses into the woman behind the walls and she’s just so damaged and scared, and you can’t help but root for her to find her freedom from her past.

And then there’s Max. *dreamy sigh* Ohhhhh my gosh, Max. The man makes a career of making himself into women’s dream guy and fulfilling their romantic fantasies, so how are you NOT going to like that guy? I love how strong and sexy and yet completely kind he is. Talk about a cinnamon roll! There’s something about a man who is completely secure in himself and brimming with self-confidence, who at the same time is a vulnerable marshmallow that just gets me right in my lady-parts. I want to eat Max up with a spoon – preferably in his rockstar persona, thanks.

I also really like the way Asha’s coworker/friend Joanna is portrayed, and how the sisters develop more of a relationship with her throughout the book as they get to know her better. Also, Eden and Asha’s grandma is that somewhat dotty old lady character that every book needs. She’s fierce and sassy, and I ADORE her relationship with her BFF pet duck, Moby.

This is the first book in the Masters of Love series, and can be read as a stand alone. The next book, Professor Feelgood, is about Eden’s sister Asha and I am SO HERE FOR IT.