Based upon the cover and the title you would never guess that this is an incredibly sweet and lovely romance. I mean there is sex, a pretty fair amount, but honestly not as much as you would think. If you hate instalove this won't work for you. Jack is a fuckboy and a cadet training to join the NYPD. Katie is an Irish Olympian in riflery, too focused on her training to ever date or have even casual sexual relationships. Kattie was brought over in a cultural exchange for two weeks to train the new recruits and the moment Jack first sees her his fuckboy days are over. But despite the instalove there are huge hurdles Jack and Katie need to jump to get to happily ever after. Jack's sluttiness has a sad backstory filled with trauma he needs to work through. Katie's father wants her to keep training and do another Olympics. Those matters represent a fraction of the impediments before our lovers. I will keep the rest of the hurdles to myself, but for what its worth one involves US Immigration rules, and those are no laughing matter. USCIS does not play! The journey is funny and sad and angsty and romantic.

I have read a fair amount of Tessa Bailey, and though I nearly always enjoy her books, I generally find the writing is not very good and that the men are a hair too caveman for my particular preferences. Well that streak has ended! Surprisingly, since this is one of the earliest Bailey books I have read, I thought the writing was really rather good. (I mean this is not Jonathan Franzen or Percival Everett, but it is good.) Jack had a little caveman about him, but not too much. Goldilocks has found her Tessa Bailey porridge and it was just right. ( )

Here's the thing...I liked the characters (Jack, Katie, and all their friends), I was into the story (boy from the wrong side of the tracks meets girl from across the pond, both damaged in unseen ways, but struggling to be better versions of themselves while striving to conquer the obstacles that stand in their way), but the language and graphic scenes had me scrunching my face in distaste. What can I say? I prefer the sparks and steam as opposed to full on BAM!

Here's the other thing though...by book's end, I still would have waded through those things I wasn't fond of JUST to find out how it all came together because again, the STORY IS GOOD! I love how the gorgeous Jack had a past that was less than wonderful (okay, not like liked, because really, so sad...but he had imperfections and not everything was handed to him which made the god-like-man more human). Seeing him open up and grow as a person was tremendous. I enjoyed seeing Katie find her way through tragedy while following the signs to her potential future (~tear~). She brings out the best in him, making him want to be more than a pretty face, and doing things for other, while he brings out the woman in her, letting her find herself in more than just her career. Their kisses alone could set the night on fire, so just imagine what the rest would do...*ahem*


***ecopy received for review ( )

Indecent Exposure is the quintessential story of the good girl and the bad boy. Katie is a gold medal Olympian, expert marksman, and virgin. Jack is a day drinker who grew up in a brothel and is only in the police academy so he can help keep his mom from having to go back to the brothel. He doesn't care about being good at his job. Really, he doesn't care about anything except sex.

You see the utter sadness in Jack's life pretty quick. I mean, growing up in the brothel is tragic, but even as an adult, he is still stifled by his past. Drinking to get through the day, sleeping around, and generally not caring about anything, his life is nothing anyone would want. He has a bit of a roguish charm though that makes everyone, including Katie, gravitate to him.

Katie might possibly be one of my favorite heroines. She is so very accessible, but yet she has achieved more than 99% of the population! However, you see this girl who achieved a dream she didn't have and mourns the loss of the dream she did. Katie doesn't hide behind coquettish flirting and coyness. She has unique interests and embraces them with a boldness that is admirable. Honestly, she is just incredibly winsome!

The beauty of the story is that I WANTED Jack to be worthy of Katie. Was I worried he wouldn't be? Yep. I was constantly waiting for him to let her down, because that is what HE expected of himself. Their relationship has hurdles: she is his instructor, she lives in another country, and she is only in New York for 2 weeks. So, the clock is ticking on their relationship from the beginning and that added some distress for me because I wanted these two to be happy!

Indecent Exposure provides the very sexy interactions fans of Bailey's writing expect. The real joy of the book, for me, was in the intricate characters that stole my heart.

 

• POV: dual 1st


• Tears: no


• Trope: opposites attract


• Triggers: none


• Series/Standalone: stand alone within an interconnected series (you can read these out of order and not feel like you missed anything!)


• Cliffhanger: no


• HEA: yes

Cuffed by K. Bromberg, Follow Me Back by AL Jackson, So Over You by Kate Meader...then you will probably like Indecent Exposure!

 


Indecent Exposure





See full review on The Book Disciple ( )

Indecent Exposure is a prime example of how I think a New Adult genre book should be composed. When I think of New Adult & College books, I expect to feel hopeful for love or the chance of falling in love, almost still like you're in high school. When you read it, you want to feel like the characters are mature enough to be confident or at least responsible in their lives as if they are finally beginning their life as an adult. Tessa Bailey has captured the time of being hopeful to fall in love and the maturity of having more confidence in yourself and the responsibilities of being an adult....

The rest of my review is posted on my blog: Rozzie Reads


I WILL SAY FOR NOW - BUY THIS BOOK! ( )

Though there were many things I enjoyed about Charlie and Ever's story ( Disorderly Conduct ) probably my favorite parts were the secondary characters/heroes and heroines of future books. Ms. Bailey tortured us with glimpses of Danika/Greer's future story--and the torture continues here as well, OMG--and though I knew I would probably like Jack's--now that I've read it, like is just too tepid a description.

I freaking loved Jack's story.

Ms. Bailey did a fantastic job of really showing us Jack and Katie--we feel their chemistry (explosive, all the time), suffer along with their inner turmoil (crushing, at times), and agonize over the very real reasons that they can't/shouldn't be together (which they ultimately make realistic strives toward resolving). And all the while she kept me wildly alternating between laughing out loud, tearing up in sympathy, and feeling the need to fan myself. There are so many highlighted passages in my copy, I can't even tell you--I'm probably going to go read them over again when I'm done with this just so I can giggle/swoon/blink back tears one more time before rejoining the real world again.

(And geesh, I thought I was anxious for Greer and Danika's story before--that's pretty much increased a billionfold now. Thanks, Ms. Bailey. I see what you did there.)

Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. ( )