Attempted December 2022 read along with a group: DNF at 48% I fucking hate Clay so I quit the read-along and decided to go back to my emotional support faves where the folks don't suck. I just do not like how this book makes it women's work to bring a man to his most full potential. I love Florence, but she does not get the same arc Clay does because she is already perfect and now it's supposed to be her responsibility to make him better and forgive him.

In my reimagining, this story ends when Clay says fucking Florence was a mistake so Flo moves on dot com and Clay's boring establishment fails and he is never heard from again. Meanwhile, Florence lives a full live, having done all the things she wants and never thinks of Clay.

October 2022 read: The sex was hot and the writing was really good. I liked everyone in this book but Clay. I never believed he could be worthy of Florence - and not bc of their different backgrounds but bc he’s a real shit. For me, it was impossible to believe these two would be happy in any sort of arrangement because Clay sucked. Florence deserved so much more. I adore Florence.

I plan to read the next book bc I do like the author’s writing, it’s just I really hated Clay. ( )

Oh my, i disliked both leads so much. Florence was an obnoxious woman and I just couldn't get with her character at all. I mean at all. And i know HR isn't real fiction or whatever but I would love at least some semblance of realism in my books. Even if its just 10%. Sheer was entirely too modern, bratty and quite clueless about how to run her "dream"
( )

I definitely shouldn't read other reviews here before writing my own. I did enjoy this book but reading what some negative reviews have said about Florence, I can't disagree. However, her sense of entitlement isn't a dealbreaker for me. She just assumes Clay will give up his revenge for her when he was honest the whole time about what he was going to do. I love this plot - man bent on revenge learns to let go because of love - but she gets upset because it affects her, not what it's doing to him. And that doesn't work. But I did love her vision of a woman's casino and when they talked about needing membership, I choose that to mean that she's vetting the clients to make sure they can afford to lose. Trusting Clay to educate her on what happens if someone can't. I loved him, being honest about what he wants from their first conversation. And I loved her desire to break out of society's rules, especially around marriage and children. The sex scenes were hot, par for the course for Shupe. A solid book. ( )

I think I've read a few too many books in a row that are all about women who don't want to marry but find a particular guy irrestable. This has a woman who wants to open a casino (when it's illegal) for women so she goes about finding out how to do it the most logical way. She approaches the most successful owner of a casino who hates her father. When they meet sparks fly and they both begin to wonder if they might have something else they could do with their lives.
There are complications and arguments and many issues they have to get over before they get their resolution but it was an interesting read overall. There is some pretty graphic sex and sexual moments that they share. ( )

I'm so sad that I didn't love this book as much as everyone else seems to.
It just didn't go hard enough for my taste. And ending baffled me tbh. Seeing Clay as "tamed beast" was so disappointing. ( )