Title: Need You Tonight
Author:  Roni Loren
Publisher/Year:  Penguin Group 3/4/14
Length:  400 Pages
Series: Loving on the Edge #5

Overview

She’s making a wish list, and he wants to be on top.
 
From foster kid to trophy wife, Tessa McAllen is about to reinvent herself all over again—and defy every insult her cheating ex-husband ever used against her: Selfish? She’s championing a charity. Stupid? She’s getting her degree.
 
Boring in bed?
 
Kade Vandergriff can help her with that one. When they encounter each other at a singles event held at one of his restaurants, Tessa blurts out that kink is for girls who try too hard, and Kade instantly wants to show this sassy stranger how thrilling a night under his command can be…but when he learns her name, the game changes for both of them.
 
In high school, Tessa was the popular girl who stuttering, awkward Kade fell for. But she chose another. Now, as she eagerly learns lesson after lesson, he’s going to make sure she never forgets him again.

My Thoughts

I really enjoy this series – if for nothing more than the consistency of what we get.  We are introduced to Tessa who’s just walked in on her husband cheating on her with her best friend.  very cliche – yes, but still – game changing for her given that she’s been the ‘devoted’ wife in the sense that she doesn’t work, she didn’t go to college really so she’s not able to be overly independent and she’s tried to be what Doug, her TV Church leader should want…so she’s literally left with nothing.

Because of this, Tessa moves back home to Dallas – and tried to rebuild her life and it’s through the help of her friend Sam that she rejoins the living.  Its on one night that Sam convinces Tessa to go to a cooking class that’s really a dating event that we get into the story at a faster pace.  When Tessa’s name isn’t on the list and she would be forced to pay $200 to attend – a fee that she doesn’t have and doesn’t want to pay – a handsome stranger comes in and offers a solution.  Instead of taking that solution, they end up having a private cooking class on the roof that turns out to be soo much more.

From then on, we see that Tessa’s eyes are open to questioning what her ex had said about her being sexually boring given that this stranger – ‘Van’ was able to awaken so much in her.  Turns out though that this stranger Van isn’t that at all – he’s Kade from high school and their past was quite complicated back then as well.  When i thought that Tessa would run and get angry at the revelation that Kade was someone that she knew – it was really surprised to see that there wasn’t anything at all there.  She was pleased in a sense and just went with it, when in most other books like this – a secret like this would have been a disaster.

Where we go on this story is one of a flash back and a fast forward.  We continue to see glimpses into what they were like in 1996 in high school, and then it’s layered on to understand why they are what they are today.  We see Kade taking it slow on the introduction of his lifestyle to Tessa, knowing that she’s a bit fearful of it and because of her past – she thinks that it’s wrong.  What we get as a result is a lot of great scening and good passion and emotion since we’re constantly seeing Kade challenged to make Tessa comfortable and loved and feet hot.

Roni Loren does it again here i think  – bringing a good story about a deep character relationship into play while making sure that we get the erotic nature of things.   She’s even given us the fearful bit of a fire – someone seemingly wanting to do harm to Kade, and the return of Tessa’s vengeful ex – so that we’re kept on our toes for a bit in that sense as well.  It’s all nicely woven together – and still made me feel all hot and bothered.  While it took me far longer to read than i had wanted – it’s not due to the book – just my busy week i guess.  Now i’ll have to find out what happens in the next one and who it will revolve around since i’m not quite sure – Colby maybe….Enjoy.