Greer Fieldstone has had a crush on her older brother George's best friend, Brooks Huntley, ever since they first met. Unfortunately, she was only 8 years old at the time, while he was a college freshman and saw her as nothing more than an honorary little sister. It wasn't until she'd graduated from college, started her own bakery, and landed a contract delivering breakfast to the trading floor of the investment bank where Brooks now works that he finally noticed Greer was all grown up - and that he was inconveniently attracted to her. He'd never break bro code to act on those feelings, however; George's friendship means too much to him. But Greer has become his friend too, so when he begins to see signs that she's working herself too hard, he knows he has to intervene. Brooks surprises Greer with a weekend away at a luxury hotel, but she'll only accept if he agrees to accompany her. What Brooks doesn't know is that Greer plans to finally lose her V-card while they're away, but she's always been awkward around guys her own age and hopes that his presence will give her a much-needed boost of confidence. Instead, a jealous Brooks kisses Greer, and it's everything she ever dreamed of and more. Can she convince him to be the one to teach her everything she wants to know, or will his friendship with her brother continue to stand in their way?
Brooks and Greer had amazing chemistry, and I really appreciated the way they listened to and supported each other. While his friendship with George was certainly an obstacle to their growing relationship, it was far from the only challenge they faced. Brooks had quite a bit of emotional and family baggage to work through, much of it stemming from the loss of his twin sister Lizzie years earlier. The result was a strained relationship with his father, also the head of the investment bank where he worked, who'd begun to pressure Brooks to settle down with a "suitable" girlfriend in order to put a stop to gossip about his playboy reputation. Greer was not the type of girlfriend his father had in mind, though she undoubtedly had a positive effect on him. I was impressed by the creative solution they found to get his parents on board with their relationship, which had the added bonus of supporting a cause Lizzie would have loved.
Overall, I adored "The Troublemaker" and highly recommend it for all contemporary romance fans. I look forward to the author's next release.
*Review copy provided by the author via Valentine PR. All opinions expressed are my own.
CW: Drug use/abuse; Grief
About "The Troublemaker"
Brooks Huntley is the last guy on earth I should ask to take my virginity.
He’s a decade older than me. Lethally hot. And so far out of my league it’s not even funny. The biggest downside to my plan, though?
Brooks is my older brother’s best friend.
I see Brooks every day when I deliver muffins to his office. With his swaggering confidence and sexy smirk, it’s no wonder I’ve always had a crush on him. But I’m not looking to cause any trouble—at first. I just want to give my V-card a long-overdue swipe.
Too bad I have no game when it comes to picking up guys—but Brooks is a master at charming the pants off women. While Brooks himself is off-limits, who better to study for tips on how to get laid?
When he offers me a weekend away at a five-star resort as thanks for satisfying his sweet tooth, I say yes—with the caveat that he comes too. That way I can watch him in action. He counters with a caveat of his own: he’ll come, but my brother can never find out.
On our secret getaway, I do my best to learn from Brooks and take someone new home. But I fail so miserably that Brooks steps in and kisses me “to show me how it should be done.”
And can I tell y’all, I just melted.
Now can I convince him to show me how everything should be done?
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