Whip-smart, hardworking and on her way to an MBA, Chloe Mills has only one problem: her boss, Bennett Ryan. He's exciting, blunt, inconsiderate- and completely irresistible. A Beautiful Bastard.
Bennett who has returned to Chicago from France to take a vital role in his family's massive media business. He never expected that the assistant who'd been helping him from abroad was the gorgeous, innocently provocative- completely infuriating creature he now has to see everyday. Despite the rumours, he's never been one for a work place hookup. But Chloe's so tempting, he's prepared to bend the rules- or outright smash them- if it means he can have her. All over the office.
As their appetites for each other increase to a breaking point, Bennett and Chloe must decide exactly what they're willing to lose in order to win.
Beautiful Bastard isn't that different in that it's very much a book about a man and a woman starting a sexual relationship and exploring where it will take them. However, this book differs in that the male and female characters are more equal, they both have their own positions of power in different ways. I liked Chloe, she is not in awe of Bennett but she is undoubtedly attracted to him. Is it just sex though or does it go deeper than that?
I was pleased to discover that Bennett did not have a tortured past or a drawer full of sex toys but he does have an appealing vulnerability. He is extremely successful and driven; he seems shocked by the effect that Chloe has on him; it's far from professional to sleep with an employee but he is unable to stop himself.
Beautiful Bastard contains a lot of sex scenes but I thought they were very well written; it was interesting to observe how these encounters altered as Bennett and Chloe's relationship became more complex.
The author's writing is very snappy and fresh, it only took me a few hours to read this book. Some may say that the writing is simple but I am getting tired of people being derisory about that sort of content. Sometimes I want a book that really challenges me and makes me think and sometimes I want a book that is easy and quick to read whilst maintaining my attention. I don't think Beautiful Bastard is going to win any literary prizes but it is easy to see why it has been read by so many people.
If you are looking for a bit of escapism, a fast plot and interesting characters then I would highly recommend Beautiful Bastard.
Dot Scribbles Rating: 4.5/5
Pages: 320
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for sending me a copy of the book to review, Beautiful Bastard is out now.
2 comments:
Dot, this book sounds like a fun read. I love the title :) And, I'm with you - not every book has to be high brown to be considered must-read. I like a good escape-type book just as much as I love my Jean Rhys and Jane Austen. People are too critical of these types of books, when at the end of the day everyone is reading them. LOL!
Nadia- i agree, the author must be doing something right in order to sell so many copies!
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