Review Posted on HarlequinJunkie.com

Kelly Bradford has had more than her fair share of hardships. After a diagnosis of cancer, her husband leaves her to deal with it – along with their two young sons. (I know, there aren’t enough dirty names to throw at this guy). She is coming out the other side, with her cancer in remission and seeing her brother Daniel find the love of his life. It’s enough to give her hope that her life can be more.Read More ( )

NOTE: I received this one from Netgalley. Thanks

Serious relationships, and serious guys are pretty hard to find. Kelly knows this, until Jason...

Wow, if I have to take this story for statistical purposes... with the rate of sexual abuse at work that the lead female, Kelly suffers through... lets just say I might never want to w work under the management of a male. Ever. Apparently they could be quite persistent, those bastards, even if you repeatedly tell them no. *sigh*

I respected Kelly for her courage in saying no, moving on and never giving up on her values. And I also liked Julie, the secretary, for making her boss, lead male Jason, hold his 'stuff' in his pants.

If there was ever a story where the main characters were really good for each other, this was it. Something major was lacking in each of their lives before they met, and their personalities evolved because of this amazing relationship, which was mostly not-official.

So, let me backtrack a little here. I really want to make a point in saying how great the writing style is. It's light, captivating and completely appropriate for this story. Also, the romance is clean and develops slowly. There's meaning to each step Kelly and Jason take toward each other, because no matter how much they want this thing between them to be just a fling, it can never be so. It's much much deeper. So deep in fact, that the mere thought of separation makes them both feel completely miserable.

I really loved Kelly because of her strong personality, her values and her positive influence. At the office she was hard working. AT home she took care of her two boys on her won. Her jerk of a husband left them to fend for themselves. And that after all that Kelly had to go through for cancer treatment.

Jason was the ultimate not-yet-grown-and-quite-enjoying-it bad boy. On top of that he was the CEO of a sports shoes company and has issues with this family. He was a jerk too, until Kelly came in the picture and took his reigns in her hands.

Like I said, those two were just made for each other. You'd surely enjoy The Rebound Guy as much as I did. ( )

THE REBOUND GUY is a sweetly seasoned second-chance romance. The story's settings of London and New York, provide interesting backdrops for the charming relationship and sparkling chemistry that simmers between Jason and Kelly.

Hired as Jason's temporary personal assistant, Kelly is all business- not at all interested in flirting with her sexy new boss who she has to work closely with on a daily basis. As a survivor of a nasty divorce and a life-threatening bout of cancer, Kelly is wary of dating and men, especially men who don’t take life or relationships seriously. She determines that the very handsome Jason’s broad shoulders, drive, dynamism and “laughing blue eyes” aren’t meant for her. Falling for him would be “too dangerous.”

Kelly’s effect on Jason is profound. Not only is he wildly attracted to her, he also respects her intelligence, guts and quick wit. She's different from the rest of the women he's tangled with before. Kelly is refreshingly open and honest. She boldly challenges him and speaks her mind. Kelly's presence reveals to Jason just how lonely his life has been without her. She enlivens his spirit and inspires him to "rise above his biology" and be a better man.

Kelly becomes increasingly distracted by her growing affection for Jason. He surprises her by revealing an inherent goodness she didn't know he possessed. He’s proving her wrong about all men. While she’s fighting her own desires, Jason patiently waits for her to come around to what he already knows: they should be together.

Despite a lovely paced romantic progression, Kelly’s and Jason’s passion is never fully satisfied. I was hoping for (as always) that ultimate connection: sex. Unfortunately, the few memorable and breathless embraces they share are halted by choice and reality. The ending takes a sobering turn and resolves on a more mature and (hopefully) healthy and happy ever after.

ARC courtesy of Harlequin via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

(Kelly Bradford's character was first introduced in THE GUY TO BE SEEN WITH) ( )

Hmmm...I'm done with these, I think. No more silly contemp romances for me. ( )