Book Description
Nessa's life is shattered in a single night-her father is murdered, and she is left traumatized by an act of brutal violence that changes her forever. Desperate to escape the ghosts of her past, she leaves England for Boston, determined to reclaim her life-and perhaps herself.
Her new boss, Nathaniel, is a man who thrives on control. At work and beyond, he keeps his emotions tightly guarded, believing relationships are distractions he can't afford. But when a high-stakes business trip takes them to New York, the tension simmering between them becomes impossible to ignore.
Haunted by fear yet longing to feel alive again, Nessa asks Nathaniel for something she has never known-how to experience pleasure without terror. As their connection deepens and desire ignites, both are forced to confront the walls they've built to protect themselves.
In surrendering control and trust, they must decide whether healing, intimacy, and love are risks worth taking.
Pure Desire is an emotionally intense, sensual romance about trauma, recovery, and the courage it takes to want again.
My Review
This book starts off with a very traumatic event where Vanessa's/Nessa father is killed and she is assaulted. After a while, when things start to get back to some kind of normal, Nessa gets a job opportunity in the US. She wants a new beginning, so with the encouragement of her friends and mother, she takes the job and moves away from England.
Nathaniel is Nessa's new boss. He's known for being a playboy who isn't the settling down type. But being around his new PA, Nessa is making him feel things he hasn't let himself feel since his mother died. Not wanting to experience the kind of pain his father did when his mother died, Nathaniel has locked away his heart so that he never feels the kind of pain his father did, even if he's done so unconsciously.
Nessa has a lot of trauma to get through before she's ready to go on with her life and have a relationship with anyone. This was a slow burn romance, where we see two people trying to get their lives back together with the help of friends and family.
Both of these characters have sadness in their pasts and it's going to take some time for them to finally take a chance and find true love.
While this isn't my usual type of book, I really liked getting to know these characters and seeing how they could get past all the heartbreak and make a loving life for themselves with each other.
This book starts off with a bang, then slows down a bit in the middle as the entire story unfolds, but I'm glad I kept reading because the storyline picks up again towards the end.
I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.
Disclosure: I was given an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
