It was just a typical Monday.

Until the big boss asked me to make the pitch for a prospective new client.

After two years on shaky ground at work because of my screw up, an opportunity to impress the senior partners was just what I needed.  

Or so I thought…

Until I walked into the conference room and collided with the man I was supposed to pitch.

My coffee spilled, my files tumbled to the ground, and I almost lost my balance.

And that was the good part of my day.

Because the gorgeous man crouched down and looking at me like he wanted to eat me alive, was none other than my ex, Gray Westbrook.

A man who I’d only just begun to move on from.

A man who my heart despised—yet my body obviously still had other ideas about.

A man who was as charismatic and confident as he was sexy.

Somehow, I managed to make it through my presentation ignoring his intense stare.  

Although it was impossible to ignore all the dirty things he whispered into my ear right after I was done.

But there was no way I was giving him another chance, especially now that he was a client…was there?

Gray and Layla's meeting and initial relationship were anything but typical. But it felt real until she felt lied to and betrayed, and she cut him off.

But now he is back and infiltrating her life and trying for a second chance. He's ready to explain the past and convince her of the possibility of a future, but he has his work cut out for him.

Layla is a work-a-holic lawyer who is trying hard to earn the approval of the partners at her firm. She's cynical, tightly wound, and has trust issues. Gray is starting a new business that needs legal assistance so he manages to worm his way into her work-world. He's smart, rich, persistent, bossy, and confident. He wants a second chance. He is determined to break down her walls and is willing to fight with her and for her. 

But they are about to face some other challenges they did not see coming. He's loyal and loving, but he's also protective and self sacrificing. She's anxious and skittish, and afraid to trust.

When put to the test will they fall apart or band together?

Like all Vi Keeland's books, this one has layers and some surprises and twists. These two definitely did not have an easy road even from the beginning. And their second chance opportunity was not so easy breezy either. They were also shaped by their childhood family dynamics that colored their perception of relationships. 

I loved Gray...just adored him. He could be cocky, funny, alpha, and dirty-talking. But he could also be vulnerable, tender, and emotional. Layla was a bit more reserved, but could also be spunky and sweet. Together they had hot chemistry and a crazy connection. If they could just get out of their heads and be totally confident in their relationship then they could have a chance...and if they can get through all the stuff life seems to throw at them.

The side characters especially Etta, Rip, Quinn, and Ella made me smile and added humor, love, and a sense of family. This was another engaging, hot, swoony, and emotional read.  I read it in one sitting and could hardly put it down.

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. 

Layla Hutton was having a typical day at work when her boss pulled her in for a last minute meeting with a prospective client. That was the point where her normal day turned upside down, because she knew the prospective client, and had only recently began to move past the pain he had caused her.

Gray Westbrook wanted a second chance to make things right with Layla. He wanted a second chance for a lot of things, and knew from experience that if he had the chance he needed to take it.

I loved both of these characters. They are perfectly flawed, struggling with their own histories and baggage, but also willing to put ego aside. Gray is such a good guy. From the way he lets Layla set the pace, takes ownership of his actions, and is willing to sacrifice so much for the people he cares about, there was nothing I didn’t like about him. Layla has a harder time letting go of the thing that broke them up the first time, and her past is partly to blame for her reticence to let go. But she is focused, driven, and so very level headed that it didn’t surprise me that she would hold onto things so heavily.

This felt like a story in two parts. The first part was Gray’s return to Layla’s life and the struggle to overcome their shared past. The second added some elements I wasn’t expecting and had me questioning motive and purpose continually as I read. Where I trusted the characters in the first part completely, I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

This was an all around good read with fun, sexy, humorous moments as well as deeper, more meaningful ones. I enjoyed this second chance story for it’s characters and it’s overall arc.
 
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author. With more than a million books sold, her titles have appeared in over fifty Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twelve languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.