RUTHLESS PRIDE - Naima Simone
Harlequin Desire
BUY
May 2020
Category Romance
REVIEWER: Shirley Fleming | RATING: A
REVIEW: Joshua Lowell suffered public ridicule when his father embezzled money from his clients and disappeared. Over the last fifteen years, he has been making restitution to those his father wronged. He gave up a promising art career to build Black Crescent Investments into a company to be proud of. Joshua also wants to prove to the public that he is not his father and that he is an honest man that can be trusted. But he lost his ability to trust others in the process. That is until Sophie Armstrong stormed into his office. Sophie is a reporter and wants Joshua's input on a story she’s doing on a dark period in his company’s history. Joshua refuses to rehash the past and cause his family any further pain. But Sophie writes the story anyway. Joshua is furious at Sophie. But he is also attracted to her. Will Sophie be Joshua’s downfall or his salvation? Can he finally let go of the past and embrace the future they can have together?
Joshua is a proud hedge fund CEO who rarely smiles. He developed an icy demeanor over the last fifteen years due to the actions of a man he loved and respected, his father, who deserted his family. As the eldest child, Joshua takes on the responsibility to repair the damage his father left behind. Sophie is an ethical journalist who deals with the facts. She prides herself on writing an honest story. Once, she almost lost herself and her career with the deception of one man. She vowed never to let it happen again. Since then, Sophie has been dedicated to her job and advancing her career.
RUTHLESS PRIDE is book one in the Dynasties: Seven Sins series. I love this author’s stories. They are always detailed oriented with multifaceted, likable characters. The pacing is good and flows smoothly with no hint of slow down. The characters are also well-defined, and their interactions are intense. The first face to face meeting with the main characters was certainly stimulating. Two strong personalities at odds with each other are bound to be confrontational. But underneath the anger and distrust is a sexual attraction waiting to emerge with minimal provocation. It’s always gratifying to have two adversaries come together in love. And this author does it with such ease, which is an excellent indication of her skills as a writer.
RUTHLESS PRIDE is the beginning of an intriguing series. It introduces mystery, deception, and secrets and a lot more. These are some of the elements that make a good story and exciting reading. This was a good read, and I look forward to seeing what unfolds in the next book.
22nd May 2020 | romcol@caribsurf.com
(A)