Title: Coming Clean
Author: C.L. Parker
Publisher/Year:  Random House 9/20/16
Length:   336 Pages
Series:  Monkey Business Trio #3

Overview

They have been rivals who fought until the bitter end and lovers who know every sensual inch of each other’s bodies. Now sports agents Cassidy Whalen and Shaw Matthews are about to become the one thing they never expected to be: parents. But this new dynamic to their relationship threatens to fizzle the sizzling desire that once held them in thrall to each other. If salvation is only a forbidden fantasy away, then Shaw and the woman he loves must embark on the adventure of their lives.

Cassidy is aching to reignite their connection. In steamy assignations in strange places, she and Shaw live out their most intimate desires—and reveal their deepest secrets. But as Shaw works overtime to sign a superstar athlete, a corporate reshuffling could be a game-changer. Can Cassidy and Shaw save their relationship and have it all—a career, family, and passion that never quits?

My Thoughts

we find ourselves in a completely different time and place in the lives of Shaw and Cassidy and it’s a bit surprising to see the leap that our author has taken here.  Where things were finally beginning to settle, along with the nice surprise of a pregnancy, you’d think that we’d just jump right into the happy couple with their new baby and their amazing agent careers.  Well, that’s not what we get.

I think that we’ve now fast forwarded 3-4 years into the future and the life that they were living is so so different than the life that they have now.  Cassidy has become a stay at home mom since she knew that being an agent would take her away from her baby too much and she wasn’t happy about that.  Then there’s Shaw who’s been made partner, and well life has gotten to be even more hectic.  With all that, you know that there’s going to be a lot of struggle, and that’s exactly where we are.

They are so far on the outs, that i don’t know that it’s even possible for them to get back to a happy place.  Shaw works so much that Cassidy feels neglected and has even packed her bags to go back to Stonington since there’s no reason for her to stay in San Diego with him.  That prompts the biggest hail marry ever and we end up seeing their fight throughout couples therapy.

We can all imagine that it’s going to be a mess since Shaw is so self assured that he’s not going to welcome it, and he doesn’t.  Every step forward they take, they take 2 steps back and it’s an uphill battle that really doesn’t seem likely to get better.  They are even sent to an unorthodox therapist to work on their relationship and it’s there that they finally begin to make headway, but to be honest, it’s too little too late.

That’s the story that we have here – one that shows how there was nothing solid for their relationship to be built on and that’s what causes it to fail.

I have to say that i’m kind of baffled where this story took us.  We only have glimpses of some of the characters and plot lines that made the other 2 installments good – but it was almost as like this was written in such a detached style that it wasn’t necessarily by CL Parker.  There were some really hot scenes that were like what others we’ve read, but i think that there was something different and in my opinion a bit off going on.  I don’t know.

At least what we have here is closure – we get an epilogue that shows us where the supporting characters left off along as where Shaw’s life and Cassidy’s life go now that things have settled.  So, i’d say read it, and i’d love to hear what you guys think, since i’m on the fence.  Have a good one!