May 11, 2014

Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren Review

Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren
(Beautiful Bastard #2)
Release Date: April 16, 2013
Publisher: Gallery Books; 345 pages
Rating: 
Escaping a cheating ex, finance whiz Sara Dillon’s moved to New York City and is looking for excitement and passion without a lot of strings attached. So meeting the irresistible, sexy Brit at a dance club should have meant nothing more than a night’s fun. But the manner—and speed—with which he melts her inhibitions turns him from a one-time hookup and into her Beautiful Stranger.

The whole city knows that Max Stella loves women, not that he’s ever found one he particularly wants to keep around. Despite pulling in plenty with his Wall Street bad boy charm, it’s not until Sara—and the wild photos she lets him take of her—that he starts wondering if there’s someone for him outside of the bedroom.

Hooking up in places where anybody could catch them, the only thing scarier for Sara than getting caught in public is having Max get too close in private.


Warning this is an adult book with adult themes.  This series is not recommended for anyone under the age of eighteen.

"The second one is better." 

That's what a friend said to me when she found out that I was reading Beautiful Bastard.  She said this to me not knowing that I had already read it when it was online a few years ago.  That thought stayed in my head as I was re reading Beautiful Bastard.  And when I finally picked up Beautiful Stranger a few days ago, it was still in my head.  And even though I tried to deny it, because how could anyone be more perfect than Bennett?  But with that accent and those fingers, I was hooked on Max!

I am usually weary when I read or watch sequels that have different leads.  In fact, Chloe and Bennett aren't even really secondary characters in this one.  They pretty much only make brief apperances.  But honestly I liked this.  You can actually read this story without even reading Beautiful Bastard.  It was clear from the first chapter that this was Sara's story.  And Sara's story is so good.  It sort of takes on a bit of a role reversal.  Because the female is all about having a purely physical relationship, but the male wants more.  I mentioned that I was hooked on Max.  Max is a bit of a playboy, but he's just so sweet that it's hard not to love him.  Plus you don't really see him whoring around.  But it's definitely hinted at that he has definitely worked his way around the block.  I think that's what is the draw to him.  Of course many women fantasize about taming the wild man.  And some of us want a rich and powerful man.  I have no shame and saying that I want these.  And I think that's why I am drawn to this series.  Even though I know it probably would never happen in real life.  I just love to escape to it in fiction.

This story is just so crisp.  You can definitely see the improvement of the authors writing from the first book to the second.  I've always been impressed with how the authors are able to easily turn something that could just purely sexual, and blossom it into an amazing love story.  In both books, as the plot thickens the sex scenes decrease.  I like this because you see the relationships go from purely physical to emotional.  But let me tell you the sex scenes are steamy!  And let's just say both Sara and Max are bit of exhibitionist.  And that made for some fun reading!


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