Mirrigold: Mutterings & Musings

Baiting Burke by Jaclyn Quinn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have loved every book in this series but it’s been no surprise that I was waiting for Burke and Jared’s story and Jaclyn delivered on all counts.

When you find out the main reason for why these two men have been fratching with each other for the past three years, everything falls into place.

It’s not really an enemies or even frenemies to lovers romance, these two have been dancing around their attraction and the UST has been flying high each time they’re in the same space.

But they both have a combination of stubbornness and an independent streak a mile wide which has stopped them from trying to resolve their issues until it all boils over during a hurricane.

I think what I loved the most about this book is how there are multiple different threads which draw the two men together bit by bit as they slowly start to bring down the walls both hold tight to.

Burke’s dawning awareness that how his relationship with his family has driven his own stubborn determination to do the opposite of what he might really want is a painful journey for him but a delightful one for the reader.

Similarly, Jared’s barely holding on as he prepares to lose the only member of his family left who’s ever given a damn and his stubborn pride is holding him back from reaching out for support in the town that doesn’t know the full history of what led his grandfather to sell his marina.

There’s some painful hard truths to learn on the way, but this is still a fairly low angst read which doesn’t rely on throwing in drama for the sake of it.

And, of course, when the walls finally do drop, these two are as explosive as you’d expect!

Seeing them start to lean on each other for more than just the sexual release is a really beautiful thing and when Burke’s Mama and Pop descend on the small town to offer Jared more support, I may have got a bit teary.

Of course, the next moment I was laughing my head off as Mama Russo gives all “her boys” their own cute nickname to go alongside her Little Gnocchi – who isn’t at all impressed with how often it pops out of her mouth when there are other people about to take the mickey!

I really hope Jaclyn comes back to Coral Pointe in the future as these are just the perfect “feel good” reads for me.

#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.

View all my reviews