Title: Just the Thing
Series: The Donnigans Book #2
Author: Marie Harte
Genre: Romance
Blurb: A FLING MIGHT BE JUST THE THING…Gavin Donnigan left the Marine Corps a shell of a man, hounded by guilt for deaths he couldn’t prevent. But teaching a self-defense class at the local gym brings some stability to his life―along with a gorgeous leggy woman who won’t give him the time of day.
Zoe York lost her twin sister to a freak car accident a few months ago. She’s been struggling to bury her grief, but it isn’t until she signs up for a self-defense class with its distractingly hot instructor that she begins to come out of her shell again. With the memory of her sister telling her to live a little, Zoe decides a fling with buns-of-steel Gavin Donnigan might be just the thing.
Soon they’re sparring both in and out of the gym. And for the first time in a long time, each is looking forward to tomorrow.
Thoughts: I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The cover – of course – first drew me in, quickly followed by the blurb. I think I was expecting it to read more like a New Adult book, rather than a contemporary – although I’m not sure why I had that impression other than maybe the style of the cover. I loved Gavin from the beginning and his crush on Zoe, although Zoe herself I was a bit unsure of her at first. Zoe quickly wins readers over, however! Their chemistry at the gym – and a steamy sexy scene later, and it is impossible not to see these characters as a couple.
I also kind of liked the Donnigan family – while a bit eccentric, they are a family who loves each other deeply and makes readers want to read more about them! Gavin and Zoe had their own connection, and at times they were poignant and emotional and others they were funny and laugh out loud hilarious. They both continue to struggle through some tough times – death of loved ones, PTSD, survivor’s guilt, etc. But we come out of it loving these characters even more!
Enough said. This one was just a hit for me, period.
Rate: A
