Sometimes friendship is just another word for love.
Violet MacAllister is no stranger to rejection. Growing up with dyslexia, she was bullied mercilessly, making her feel as though she would never be good enough. And she believed it—until she found art and a new way of expressing herself. But her wounds run deep, and even though she’s been pining over her best friend Hudson for years, he has no idea, and she intends to keep it that way. He’s everything she could ever want—sensitive, artistic, hard-working, smart, and so, so hot—but she knows they’ll only ever be friends.
Hudson Prescott has been through a lot. He lost his father as a child, his fiancée jilted him, and six months ago, he was in a terrifying motorcycle accident that could’ve cost him his life. The one bright spot through the dark times has been his friend and co-worker Violet, who’s talented, driven to help others, and a total sweetheart. She’s his closest friend, and he’d be lost without her.
But one emotional night, everything changes, and suddenly Hudson’s seeing Violet in a different light. One that has him questioning how he could’ve been so blind to what was in front of him this entire time: Violet, with her curls, and tattoos, and her laugh that feels like sunshine. So when Violet has a proposition for him—one that involves her painting a nude portrait of him—he agrees. Because now that his eyes are open, he’ll do anything to make her see she’s the one for him.
Review:
Hudson and Violet’s story was so sweet! (Not to mention OMG sexy–it’s definitely NSF(reading at)W ;))
I really liked the friends-to-lovers aspect of this story; their progression from one type of relationship to the next was nicely done. And I have to say, having the commission of painting a nude portrait of one’s friend be the bridge into turning your relationship into something new? Definitely a first for this reader–and believe me, I’m not complaining!
Because Violet already had a lot of conflict going on in her own head, there isn’t a huge black moment here–once the two of them get over their own issues and admit their feelings to themselves and each other, it’s fairly smooth sailing from that point on. There is a bit of a hiccup in their professional lives, but it’s resolved in a super sweet, O. Henry-ish kind of way that had me smiling all the way to the final page.
For fans of the series, there’s all kinds of fun bits with other Prescott couples (a wedding, an engagement, and of course tons of friendly family teasing–plus, baby pictures!) but if you’re new to the series, it would also work just fine as a standalone. (But it doesn’t have to be a standalone! You can binge them all, now–from book 1 to book 8!)
Now that all the Prescott brothers and their cousins have their HEAs, I can’t wait to see what Tara Wyatt has in store for us next!
Rating: 4 stars / A-