Review: The Secret Life Of Bryan by Lori Foster

Author - Lori Foster
Genre - Romantic Suspense
Series - Visitation, North Carolina #2
Format - Paperback (303p.)
Rating - 3/5 stars

Jaded bounty hunter Bryan Kelly is head-over-hormones in lust with a woman… and what she does to his senses is criminal.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
Bryan Kelly has a few rules.
Rule #1: Women are for fun, not commitment.
Rule #2: He'll do anything for his twin brother, even switch places with him to find out who's sabotaging his charity. But playing a really good guy isn't easy around a luscious Shay Sommers. Which brings him to
Rule #3: If you can't avoid temptation, succumb with abandon…

Society pages icon Shay Sommers has made her name in charity work. And she'll go to any length to help these girls from the inside out. It certainly won't be hard to act the street siren with the gorgeous man who runs the place, even if he does seem less like a shepherd and much more like a wolf… one with a hungry look that's making Shay feel she might be his next dinner…

~ What I Liked: From the start I liked the writing and dialog. There were a few times, especially in the middle, where it felt like there was a lot of author intrusion going on. But thankfully, the last 25% most of that was done. I also liked most of the side characters as well as the epilogue (if a bit drawn out to reach a word count).

~ What I Didn't Like: Bryan and Shay were my least enjoyable components of this book. To say I didn't like them would be putting it mildly. Shay is way too clingy/needy, calculating and manipulative. Bryan is a self-righteous, holier-than-thou prick. The fact that they're both deceiving each other and neither being aware of the deception of the other makes them even less appealing. They're both fools, and play the part exceptionally well.

I also didn't like that, outside of the bedroom, they had no chemistry. I just can't buy into them being a couple. And even the bedroom action started off cold and clinical at first. But that could be just how I perceived all the lies and deception between the two. A few minor issues I had were with the repetition that caused me to lose interest and get bored a few times, and the slow pace because of said repetition. Although pacing did pick up at the end preventing a lower rating.

~ Final Analysis: I wanted to like THE SECRET LIFE OF BRYAN. But it was such a pain in the ass for the most part. I was set to give a lower grade at the 30% mark, but the ending was decent. Maybe because I finally saw the end in sight and was happy just to be finishing it… I don't know, but because of that I raised the grade a little bit. Also, this book can be read as a stand-alone, but I think I might have enjoyed it a touch more had I read the first in the series. Despite the somewhat negative review, I am still interested in reading the other books in this series.

★★★

~ Favorite Quote:

"Love is not stupid, but it is unexpected. Hits you broadside sometimes. You're walking along, minding your own business, and boom, you're on your butt, reeling." ~Bruce (p.128)