Saturday, November 28, 2015

Review: Just Say Yes by Elizabeth Hayley

Just Say Yes by Elizabeth Hayley
Series: Strictly Business, Book 2
Publisher: Signet
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9780451475534
Release Date: December 1, 2015
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Magazine columnist Quinn Sawyer has always attracted sweet, innocent, and safe men. And something tells her it’s because she’s just as harmless. So when she starts craving a guy with an edge, she realizes she may have to get one for herself.

When her boss asks for a unique pitch, Quinn’s quest to live outside her comfort zone prompts her to suggest an idea that will cause her to break her good-girl rules. And who better than Tim Jacobs to help her push her boundaries? For a while now, Quinn’s had a hot crush on the tattooed executive chef with a checkered past. If anybody can bring out her inner rebel, he can.

It’s no surprise that as Tim and Quinn cross each task off the list she’s made for herself, the sparks between them grow more and more intense. Soon there’s no denying the attraction they each feel. But Tim’s troubled past reveals an even tougher edge than Quinn expected—which means for her, falling in love might just be the greatest rebellion of all.

The quintessential good girl decides to take a walk on the wild side in Just Say Yes. Author duo Elizabeth Hayley make Quinn’s quest to step outside of her comfort zone a fun one once our intrepid heroine is joined by her sexy, streetwise crush.

I absolutely adored Tim. He’s unusual for a hero in that he’s an addict, one who has been clean seven years. I loved that the authors didn’t simply pay lip service to Tim’s addiction, and they perfectly walked the fine line between giving this part of his character the attention it deserved and not letting it overpower the story. Tim has a big heart, but has been buried under the weight of his past. It was great watching him fully embrace life as he joined Quinn on her adventures and – apart from one painfully overused romance hero moment that seems to have been included for dramatic reasons – I was rooting for Tim the whole way. Because of his past, he doesn’t think he’s good enough for Quinn, but as he helps her complete the tasks she’s set out for herself, he finds he can’t resist her.

Quinn, unfortunately, is where Just Say Yes hit a snag for me. She came off a bit judgmental and too perfect to begin with, and though it rubbed me the wrong way, I was eager to see her grow as a character. Unfortunately, for me Quinn never lost that “too perfect to be real” quality, and though I ended up liking her well enough, I simply couldn’t connect with her. Her journey was fairly by-the-numbers, even with her learning to take risks, and I didn’t find her as interesting as Tim. Still, even with these little niggles, I found Quinn and Tim’s romance to be sweet, sensual, and fun to read about.

Just Say Yes is the second book in Elizabeth Hayley’s Strictly Business series, but as I have not read The Best Medicine I can safely say that Quinn and Tim’s story can be read on its own. Just Say Yes had its ups and downs for me, but overall I found it to be an enjoyable romance that should please contemporary romance fans.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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