Read my reviews of previous books in the In Vino Veritas series:
Wildfire by Garrett Leigh | Counterpoint by J.E. Birk
Read my reviews of the previous series set in the same world, Vino & Veritas.
I was hesitant going into this book because even though I enjoy relationships with a power exchange dynamic, I’m not as interested when that unequal dynamic is due to external circumstances. Here, Luke has hired Scott to be a live-in nanny to help with his daughter. Scott is an adorable disaster trying to get his life together, and Luke has perhaps too much of his life together but definitely has potential on the romance side of things. What blooms between them isn’t necessarily opposites attract, just an intense physical attraction. I liked both of them enough as characters to want them to be happy, but still needed convincing that this happiness should be with each other.
However, McAdam does such a wonderful job in crafting these characters that I fell for their relationship along with them truly falling for each other. The best thing about romance is that because I know the happily ever after is guaranteed, I can also kind of look forward to the conflict that inevitably develops. I knew that Luke’s desire to treat Scott right would eventually cause conflict, but McAdam also surprised me by having the actual dark moment be believable and realistic, and based on solid character and story development.
The actual ending was over the top and swoony AF, which is exactly in line with what Scott deserved from page one. That the source is Luke could have put me off was instead absolutely perfect, since it fulfills the potential set up by his characterization. McAdam has crafted a true romance from one of the tropes I ordinarily avoid, and I’m so glad that I gave this book a chance.