Logical. Rich. Driven. And he wants her. . .
More Than Crave You, an all-new sexy standalone from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shayla Black is available now!
I’m Evan Cook—billionaire tech entrepreneur and widower. Professionally, I’ve got it all. But since my wife died, my personal life has fallen apart. Remarrying seems like the obvious answer, so I place an ad. I’m not asking for much. The ideal woman only needs to be smart, organized, pretty, and helpful—both in and out of bed—without expecting romance. I never thought to look right in front of me…but it turns out that Nia Wright, my sexy, sassy assistant, just might be the perfect candidate.
After an unexpectedly hot night together, I’m ready to stop interviewing strangers and simply marry her. On paper, she ticks every box on my list. Best of all, she’s far too sensible to fall for me. I didn’t see the flaw in my logic until it was too late. I never thought I’d lose my heart for the first time. And I definitely never imagined Nia could consume me. But she’s harboring a secret that could tear us apart. Can I prove I more than crave her before it’s too late?
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My Review
Evan Cook is a man who craves many things, and because he’s a billionaire tech entrepreneur, he can pretty much have anything he desires, but after grieving his deceased wife for six months, he’s ready to claim another bride, not because he’s ready to love again; in fact, he actually refuses to do that, partly because he doesn’t think he understands or is capable of love.
So this time around, Evan is going to proceed in his quest for a wife like he would with any other business deal, which means that emotions and love aren’t going to matter; it’s all about finding the woman who fits what his life needs. Evan is all about practicality and if he needs to advertise in order to get the kind of woman he wants to share his life with then that’s what he’ll do because his lifestyle and his demeanor require his life to be meticulously planned out, leaving no room for misunderstandings or an overload of emotions because that’s just not the way he’s programmed.
Nia Wright is Evan’s right-hand woman and she’s damn good at her job, but she also lives her life fully, experiencing the ups and downs and the highs and lows of life and absorbing as much as she can, which is nothing like the way that Evan lives, so the fact that he wants/needs Nia to fill the role of his wife is not going to be something she’ll acquiesce to…she’s not someone who will just copulate to his demands because as analytically brilliant as Evan is, he is equally as inexperienced
and naive to the ways of women and their emotions.
Shayla Black does a good job of illustrating who Evan is throughout the course of the story, but while it’s clear that he’s a unique hero, his uniqueness actually makes it difficult to fully connect with him. Evan is as left brained as a person could be, and it’s that analytical mind that makes things more complicated than they should be, overthinking what needs to be done instead of simply allowing himself to feel his way through life. Romance readers will definitely be intrigued by Evan and how he chooses to lead his life, but they’ll also be frustrated with the fact that he won’t allow himself to let emotions in…to stop analyzing every part of his and Nia’s past as well as what their relationship should look like now as he attempts to analytically woo her to be his bride.
I enjoyed More Than Crave You, but I can’t say that I loved it. The fact that Nia’s perspective is not a part of the story line is a bit problematic for me. Evan is so analytically minded that he can’t quite grasp the magnitude of what he’s asking Nia to do for him, not understanding in the slightest that she wants a real marriage let alone a real relationship and it doesn’t seem he can give that to her but because readers never ‘hear’ her side of things, it makes it extremely difficult to truly gain perspective about how Nia feels and why she’s even given thought to being with Evan in any capacity at all beyond his assistance.
Evan and Nia’s story is definitely unique in the marriage of convenience trope, and there were a number of things that worked for me in the story line, but Evan’s personality and the almost non-existent voice of Nia made me struggle through parts of the book because I never truly felt like I grasped either characters’ true feelings or what was at stake by Nia eventually giving into her feelings for Evan and even his demands.
3.5/4 Poison Apples
Excerpt
I charge down the hall toward what might be the stupidest mistake of my life.
I move through the sea of bodies, shrugging past the Latina dancer, a few of the French maids, then bump into my assistant’s handsy dance partner. I stare him down. He looks at me blankly. One thing I realize instantly? My gaydar is absolutely silent. He’s every bit as straight as I am.
As he hovers protectively around Nia’s dressing room, I snarl and shoulder my way past him.
He grabs my arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“To see Nia. Let go.”
His eyes narrow. “Is she expecting you?”
No. In fact, I’m about to shock the hell out of her. I don’t know if I’ll be unwelcome, but I’m going to test Bas’s theory that she wants me. If he’s right…this could get messy really fast.
I shake him off, barrel inside the room, and shut the door. Behind me, I immediately hear the asshole jimmying the knob. I throw my weight against the portal to keep him out and lock it behind me.
Nia whirls to the sound of my intrusion, dressed in an inch of stage makeup, a silky white robe—and nothing else.
The moment she recognizes me, her mouth drops open. Shock spreads across her face. “E-Evan?”
“Nia.” I can’t find more words. I can’t do anything except stare and put one foot in front of the other. I certainly can’t defuse the anger and possessiveness I know I have no right to feel.
“What are you doing here?”
“That’s my question for you,” I growl. “Why the fuck are you taking your clothes off for strangers?”
She rears back and blinks at me. I don’t think she’s ever heard me curse. I keep the office professional, totally aboveboard. But I can’t manage decorum now when she’s breathing hard and her nipples are poking her thin robe.
She raises her chin and glares at me. Everything about her demeanor is like waving a red cape in front of a bull.
“It’s burlesque, not stripping,” she snaps. “I don’t do this for money. I do it because I enjoy dancing.”
“Yeah? You enjoy that asshole’s hands all over you, too?” Even though the logical side of my brain tells me I’m way out of line, I point at the door behind me and stalk closer to her. “You enjoy sex standing up with him?”
Her nostrils flare. Her mouth presses into a firm line. “Last time I checked, boss, I don’t have to justify my personal life to you.”
The fact she’s right only pisses me off more. “You do when your behavior reflects badly on Stratus Solutions.”
She shoots me a quelling glare. “You’ll have to do better than that. No one in the audience knows who I am. I never take off my mask and I never use my real name. Nothing I do on stage can taint your reputation.” Arms crossed over her chest, she saunters closer. “Why don’t you be honest and tell me what’s really bothering you? I know you’re not this mad simply because I was dressed a little risqué and gyrated on stage with Kyle?”
I debate the wisdom of blurting the truth. The rational part of my brain tells me to shut up, leave, and act on Monday like nothing happened tonight. Every other part of me knows that ship has sailed. My cock is especially eager to lay my cards on the table, grab Nia in my arms…and not worry about what happens next.
“You’re right. I’m mad because I think you’ve fucked him.”
She jerks as if I’ve slapped her. “Not that it’s any of your business, but we haven’t been together in almost two years. Thanks for letting me know you think I’m a whore.”
Hearing I was right royally pisses me off. Having her put words in my mouth kills what’s left of my patience, stripping away anything resembling professional civility.
I try not to squeeze her arms as I drag her close. “I never said that. Or thought it. I’m telling you that I can’t stand knowing he’s touched you. I don’t like the fact you still have anything to do with him. I don’t even understand why I’m here yelling and angry. I’m just…”
How the hell do I put the storm raging inside me into words? No clue, but I need to get it all out somehow or I’m going to explode.
“Jealous?” Soft surprise crosses her face.
Something about her confusion rips the confession from me. “Yes.”
“Because you…want me?”
I grit my teeth and try again to think through the wisdom of spilling all this to her. But I can’t keep it in. The softness of warm silk and hot woman under my palms almost undoes me. “Yes. I know I shouldn’t. I’ve spent forty-eight hours telling myself what I’m feeling is ridiculous and I can’t allow this—whatever it is—into our perfectly comfortable, efficient working relationship. But I can’t turn it off. I can’t fight it. I can’t pretend it doesn’t exist.”
“Is that what you’d rather do? Bury your head in the sand and not feel it?” She looks hurt.
Her expression makes me feel like an asshole. Nia always asks insightful questions. Why should now be different?
I shake my head. “For the first time in months—maybe years—I feel alive.”
Nia stares at me in silence, her gaze fused to mine. I swear I see a hundred thoughts whip through her head. For once, I can’t read a single one.
“Say something.” If she doesn’t soon, I don’t know what I’ll do. I don’t even know if I can be responsible for what happens next.
“Have you been drinking?”
“Not enough to drown out how much I want you.”
“In spite of your opinion about my sexual past? And what about our working relationship?”
She’s not wrong, but they’re barbed questions. I have to maneuver around them carefully. “Nothing matters to me except touching you right now.”
Before Nia can chew on my answer and remember all the reasons she should say no, I pull her against me. She gasps. The instant her soft body makes contact with my hard, aching cock, I groan and hold her tighter, cupping her face and lowering my mouth to her parted lips.
About Shayla
Shayla Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than sixty novels. For nearly twenty years, she’s written contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances via traditional, independent, foreign, and audio publishers. Her books have sold millions of copies and been published in a dozen languages.
Raised an only child, Shayla occupied herself with lots of daydreaming, much to the chagrin of her teachers. In college, she found her love for reading and realized that she could have a career publishing the stories spinning in her imagination. Though she graduated with a degree in Marketing/Advertising and embarked on a stint in corporate America to pay the bills, her heart has always been with her characters. She’s thrilled that she’s been living her dream as a full-time author for the past eight years.
Shayla currently lives in North Texas with her wonderfully supportive husband, her daughter, and two spoiled tabbies. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, reading, and listening to an eclectic blend of music.
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Website: https://www.shaylablack.com
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