Amity Book Blog: REVIEW - Light Me Up - Karla Sorensen (WITH SPOILERS)

TITLE : Light Me Up

AUTHOR : Karla Sorensen

Synopsis:

For Rachel Hennessy, it’s been an interesting six months. Boyfriend? Cheated on her. Job? She totally just got fired. Starting her own wedding planning business sounds exciting … in theory. In reality, it’s completely terrifying. And on top of all that, the freaking cherry right on top? She just had an ill-timed, alcohol-instigated one-night stand with her bff Casey’s brother, Tate. Yeah, that Tate. The one that she’s had a teensy, inconvenient crush on for years.

But nothing about it is ill-timed or inconvenient for Tate Steadman. Because he finally feels free. Free of the oppressive relationship he’d been in for the past six years. Free to pursue Rachel, because one alcohol-fueled night was not even close to enough for him. He just wished she saw it that way. Because she makes him want more than he ever knew he was capable of.

When their one night has unexpected consequences, Rachel has no clue how to trust that he’s not just trying to be ‘the good guy’ who wants to do ‘the right thing’. And even though the chemistry between them practically burns down an entire city block when they’re together, she doesn’t know how to let down the concrete wall she’s built up around herself.

The ‘mistake’ of one evening can change the trajectory of two lives, but maybe a mistake is all they really need to push them right into true love.

Light Me Up is a 90k word humorous contemporary romance with a moderate heat level, and is second in a series of standalones.

My Thoughts:

*contains major spoilers*

What's worse then having a one night stand with a guy who is completely opposite of you? Having that guy be your best friends brother is what.
Karla Sorensen made this book feel real. The wit and banter that goes on between not only the main characters but the secondary is great. I read this book with a cold and at times found it hard to breath after laughing. It was that good.

Rachel is a hot headed event planner. Tate is the steadfast level headed lawyer. They have known each other for years due to Rachel being friends with his baby sister Casey. One night at an event Rachel's mouth gets her in trouble and fired. Tate's mother sent him to follow her and keep an eye on her. Needless to say him keeping an eye on her lead to too many shots and a one night stand.
Rachel tried to sneak out the next morning but failed. Tate being Tate wanted to talk about it, but Rachel wanted to forget about it.

SPOILERS IN NEXT PART.

Well unfortunately for Rachel she couldn't forget, because six weeks later she tells Tate she's pregnant. She's freaking out and Tate is thrilled. He wants Rachel and always has, he's just tried to deny it.
Rachel craves a calm and steady relationship. But Tate makes her feel everything but calm.
When Rachel told him she was pregnant he did a poorly planned marriage proposal. Which took him probably ten steps back with her.
When he told her that his mom smacked him upside the head this was her response:

"I wish I could have been the one to smack you. But since I have to be a good example for our unborn child now, I should probably avoid a violent first reaction." - Rachel

"Don't change a thing. I can only pray that our child will inherit your strength." - Tate

Because seriously if that isn't sweet. If you look up the definition of supportive in the dictionary I am sure Tate's picture would be there. He went to every doctors appointment, asked her how she was feeling all the time, and doing anything he could do to make life easier on her. Heck he bought a house for them to share for when the baby was born. He would have the downstairs and she would have the upstairs. Secretly he wanted to just share the whole house and be with her as a couple. He was in love with her.

"There was a warm contentment uncurling through him, the kind that a man wanted to experience, the kind that came from watching a beautiful woman sleep and knowing that he'd never get sick of doing it."

Rachel though, she fought her feelings for Tate. He made her feel reckless, and that wasn't okay. Her mom was all over the place with emotions and it was something that always bothered her. And Tate made her feel that way so she tried to stay away. Finally though she gave up the fight, then again that may have something to do with Tate's ability to make her swoon:

"Because the only time in my life that I have felt like I am being set on fire from the inside out is when I'm with you."

This book does end with a HEA, but it took a lot of work to get there. And Tate as a dad is enough to make me want to re-read this book alone. Karla Sorensen proves to us with this book that not all mistakes are actually mistakes, and that in the long run they can lead to your biggest blessing.

STAR RATING:

Plot- 4/5

Character- 4/5

Heat- 3/5

Writing style- 4/5

Overall- 4/5