Intoxicate, Book # 4 in the Explosive Series
Can be read as a standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Day: January 29, 2015
Blurb
Marry me.
Two words Kalli Montgomery never expected to say out loud to Xavier Cruz, even though she’s been in love with the sexy, single father for as long as she can remember. Unfortunately, she hasn’t just been friend-zoned for the past ten years. No, even worse, he’s treated her like a little sister, no matter how hard she tried to prove she could be so much more. When she agrees to spend the summer as the caregiver for his daughter, Lily, she knows it’s her last chance to finally make him take notice.
As unexpected circumstances threaten to disrupt his home life, Xavier’s desperate to keep his family together. He’ll do whatever it takes, even if it means marrying a woman he doesn’t love. For Xavier and Lily, Kalli will do just about anything, even at the risk of getting her heart broken in the process.
Little does she know, sometimes love isn’t quite as unrequited as one may think. Xavier sees her-he always has. And the vow he made all those years ago never to go there with his best friend’s little sister is wavering, and it’s wavering fast. When they come up with a plan that leads to wedding bells, it’s a no brainer.
This marriage of convenience has one rule: absolutely no falling in love.
Easier said than done. Throw together a girl who believes rules are meant to be broken, and a man whose whole career revolves around following orders and you get a recipe for disaster. What could possibly go wrong?
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Review
How can anyone who reads Intoxicate not fall in love with Xavier Cruz? A single father who willingly gives up everything for his daughter, Lily; she is his world, and Tessa Teevan illustrates the bond between father and daughter so explicitly that it will make readers sigh and want to smother Xavier in hugs and kisses.
Family love is an intricate part to the storyline of Intoxicate. Even at the young age of 21, Xavier understood who his priority was, and with the help of his mother, he went about securing a wonderful life for Lily, even though she never felt her mother’s love, and it was something she so much deserved. She finds that kind of motherly/familial bond with Kalli Montgomery when she moves to Clarksville for not only a change of pace and to be closer to her brother, Kale, and her new nephew, but also because she feels it’s time to put her cards on the table when it comes to her feelings for Xavier and deal with the fallout if he refuses her. The way that both Xavier and Kalli’s friends and family go above and beyond the call of duty for each other is something that will resonate with readers in this book, and it’s one of the aspects of their story that made it such a fantastic read.
When it comes to himself, Xavier Cruz doesn’t ask for much. His focus has been his daughter since she was born, so it leaves him very little time for anything, including a personal life. Xavier is such a fantastic father, but readers can tell right away that he yearns for the kind of relationship that he sees his friends securing for themselves, and he wants it with the 16 year old girl who captured his heart all those years ago, Kelli Montgomery, even if he can’t fully admit to himself or others. I’m so glad that Teesa gave readers Xavier’s point of view because I might have wanted to murder him without it. He is all over the map when it comes to his feelings for Kalli and what he wants from her, and his reaction to her is hot and cold, which is infuriating to witness but, at the same time, completely understandable due to his back story with Lily’s mom and the fact that he hasn’t date or had feelings for someone in over two years.
Kalli Montgomery should be nominated for sainthood for everything she went through while Xavier figured out what he truly wanted, but she hangs on because he’s all she’s ever wanted and she’s just as madly in love with Lily as she is with Lily’s dad. Kalli is an incredibly selfless and compassionate woman who understands Xavier’s trepidations and does her best to assuage them. She wants Xavier…there’s no doubt about it and she’ll do what she has to do to make him see how good they are together, but she won’t compromise herself or put Lily in harm’s way, which is why Kalli is such a fantastic heroine.
Always have. Always will. No matter what.
These words perfectly describe a multitude of relationships in the story and the depths all of the characters are willing to go to in order to protect those they love from anything or anyone who may cause harm. But where the phrases truly resonate is in terms of how Kalli feels about Xavier and what she’s willing to do for not only him but his daughter as well, and while it does take Xavier a little bit longer to come to terms with the depth of his feelings for Kalli, he grows to embrace those words as well, which leads to what once was just him and his daughter to a family neither can live without.
Intoxicate is another fantastic addition to Tessa Teevan’s Explosive series. Both Xavier and Kalli are well developed, so it’s easy to understand what motivates them and why they make the choices they do, and the plotline is fluid, which allows the readers to stay in tune with everything that is occurring, not getting caught up in any unnecessary drama or missteps due to confusion.
I definitely don’t want to see this series end because I love catching up with everyone and getting another couple to their HEA. Let’s hope Tessa has a few more stories to addJ
A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 poison apples
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Excerpt
Shooting a glare at him, I throw my hands up in exasperation. “Are you telling me that this whole anticipation thing is one-sided? Is it that easy for you to resist? I really need to step up my game.”
Xavier’s eyes fall to my lips for a quick moment before he looks back up at me. I see the desire in his expression, and without him even saying a word, I know he wants this, too. So why is he making me wait?
“You have no idea how much I want to kiss you right now. How many times I’ve thought of doing just that. Every time you were curled up against me on the couch, I wanted to kiss you. Every morning when you showed up, I wanted to kiss you. Every time you said goodnight to Lily and then slipped out my door? I wanted to kiss you before you left. It’s not a new development. The first time I ever saw you, Kalli, I wanted to kiss you. And I’ve wanted to ever since.”
His admission floors me. He’s told me before that he “saw” me, but I had no clue it was from the very beginning. I’m not really sure how to process it. In fact, he beats me to the punch.
“So now you know. This will be just as hard for me, but it will be so damn worth it. Because when you’ve wanted something for as long as I’ve wanted you? It’ll be the best feeling in the world when I finally get it.”
“Our first kiss will be that epic?”
“A first kiss to rival them all,” he quips, grinning at me. He holds his arms out wide. “Now, we’ll start with a hug and work our way up.”
“I feel like I’m sixteen again,” I tell him as I wrap my arms around his waist.
His hands come down to my back and he gives me a big squeeze, my head pressing against his firm chest. I love this feeling of being in his arms, him holding me close. There’s nowhere on the planet I’d rather be than right here with him. As much as I want him, I know he’s right. I don’t care when it comes. Because when it does, our first kiss will be unforgettable.
His chest rumbles as he chuckles. He squeezes me tight one last time before letting me go. “And it’s only just the beginning,” he tells me. “Have a good night, crazy girl.”
Ignite (Explosive #1) | Incinerate (Explosive #2) | Inflame (Explosive #3)
Author Bio
I’m a twenty something book junkie who is also obsessed with sports. Bengals, Buckeyes, Reds are my teams! I work for the government during the day, hang out with Air National Guard on the weekends, and have been married to my own book boyfriend for over seven years. We currently live right outside of Dayton, OH with our two cats.
If I’m not writing or looking through tons of photos of hot men, all in the name of research, then you can probably find me curled up with my Kindle, ignoring the rest of the world. I love my sports almost as much as I love my books. My other obsessions include red wine, hot men, country music, and all things Grace Potter.
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