Searching For Always by Jennifer Probst
Searching For, #4
(June 30, 2015, Gallery Books)
New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Jennifer Probst sparks a blissful mind-body connection as her “sexy, satisfying” (Kirkus Reviews) new series continues!
She’s an expert in helping others de-stress, but Arilyn Meadows is running on fumes. Along with her job counseling singles seeking soul mates at the Kinnections agency in Verily, New York, she’s a yoga teacher, animal shelter volunteer, anger management therapist, and helping hand to her beloved grandfather. No time to find Mr. Right—but after discovering her yogi boyfriend in a compromising asana, Arilyn would rather dog-sit for her honeymooning friend Kate than risk her heart on another downward dog. And when police officer Stone Petty—radiating masculinity and bad-boy attitude—is sent to her for mandatory lessons in cooling off when the job gets too hot, Arilyn vows to ignore his seductive glances and sexy grin. But there’s no halting their sizzling flirtation—a red-hot, high-speed chase that’s breaking all the limits.
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I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I love a good love/hate relationships and these two had a fantastic one. I knew while reading the previous book in the series that this story would be good, but it was more than that. It was AMAZING. Arilyn and Stone two loved to fight and more than once I found myself thinking "When they finally have sex, it is going to be AWESOME."
Arilyn and Stone met in the previous book and it was "hate at first sight" for both of them. Stone knew just the right buttons to push to make her angry and he likes to push them as often as possible. But thanks to a house call gone wrong at work, things get interesting when Stone has to attend Arilyn's anger management class. He thinks her methods are ridiculous and can't help but give her a hard time. Arilyn prides herself on being a calm, centered, and reasonable person, but Stone is the one person who can get her all riled up (in more ways than one) in no time at all.
These two were so much fun to watch. Arilyn wanted to see the best in everyone and help anyone any way she could and Stone just wanted the anger management classes to be over so he could go back to work. These two were headed for a major make out session and it finally happens after he helps Arilyn out with a puppy rescue mission.
“I have a proposition,” he drawled. “One kiss. Let’s prove to each other we’d be a disaster together.”
“I don’t need a kiss to confirm you’d be a nightmare to deal with,” she shot back. “You’re an ex-smoker, workaholic, anger ridden, meat eater, cynic.”
His fingers moved to caress her cheek, the line of her jaw, up to her temple. Little brushes of tenderness, contradicting the raw strength and power in those hands and body. Ready to crush her but choosing gentleness. The lust rolled over her in waves, and she fought back with all her power.
“And you’re a tree hugging, naïve, post world hippie with a god complex,” he retorted. “Vegetarian, to boot. Plus a hardened criminal.”
Arilyn growled under her breath and dug her nails into his shoulders with fierceness. “You know nothing about me, Officer! I am not naïve.”
“Stone. Now shut up.”
His mouth took hers.
She planned to fight back and give him everything she got.
And she did, but not in the way she planned.
The moment those blistering hot, soft lips met hers, she lost it. Swamped by the delicious scent and taste and feel of him, she arched upward and opened her mouth for more. He muttered something dark and dirty, and slid his tongue past her parted lips and beyond.
Then he showed her who was boss.
Oh, he kissed her with all the hard passion and lust she always dreamed about but never inspired. With her past lovers, she got tender, slow lovemaking, and poetic words murmured in her ear. Moves were coordinated like a beautiful song, and though she was satisfied, and emotionally full, there was an ache deep in her body that never felt completely fulfilled.
She’d thought something was wrong with her and happily ignored that part of herself.
Until now.
Stone Petty owned her. Possessed her. His tongue took what he wanted and demanded it all, with each silky thrust and complete deflowering of her mouth. His reached around and sunk his fingers into her hair, tugging her head back to expose her throat and keep her helpless beneath him. Her breasts pressed against his hard chest, his erection notched between her open thighs, and he ravished her body and soul, leaving nothing behind but an aching, horrible want for more.
But of course there is more to the story than this opposites attract relationship. Stone is in Arilyn's anger management class for a reason. He grew up with an abusive father and when he was on the NYPD, a domestic violence call gong wrong resulted in him being transferred to Verily. Unfortunately history repeats itself when he gets called to yet another domestic violence call that is a little too close for comfort and Stone snaps. Stone never really came to terms with his childhood and now that is once again spilling over into this career.
Then there is Arilyn, who is the way she is for a reason. Her mother died from cancer and then her father took his own life shortly after. She made a conscious decision to be the opposite of everything her parents' were. She thinks that is the best way to live her life and she has made it work, even if she had to bury the real Arilyn a little. At some point Stone realizes that Arilyn's methods are working and he embraces it. He also helps Arilyn come out of her repressed self and helps her have a little fun.
I LOVED this book. Jennifer Probst is an excellent writer and she manages to make the book funny, sweet, sexy and full of sexual tension, but at the same time deal with some serious issues. I was dying for Arilyn and Stone to make things work so I just couldn't put the book down. It is a wonderful addition to the series. I still have to go back and read the first two books in this series and I will definitely be doing that.
One last thing. See that teaser right below this paragraph? OH. MY. GOD. I read that section of the book and immediately tweeted at the author telling her she was a genius. And then what follows after it, e-reader melting worthy. SO. HOT. It's moments like that, that make me love this book so much.
Author Information
Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She took a short hiatus to get married, get pregnant, buy a house, get pregnant again, pursue a master’s in English Literature, and rescue two shelter dogs. Now she is writing again.
She makes her home in Upstate New York with the whole crew. Her sons keep her active, stressed, joyous, and sad her house will never be truly clean.
She is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of sexy and erotic contemporary romance. She was thrilled her book, The Marriage Bargain, was ranked #6 on Amazon's Best Books for 2012. She loves hearing from readers. Visit her website for updates on new releases and her street team at www.jenniferprobst.com.
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