Photo credits: DavidZydd (pixabay), david-bartus (pexels) Edited by Vaishali Title: Restraint Author: Adriana Locke Series: Mason Family #1 Publisher: Umbrella Publishing, Inc. Genre/Themes: Contemporary romance, adult fiction, small-town romance, business Format: E-book/kindle app Year of Publication: 2020 R E V I E W...
It's the case for us all to never know how a story will unfold until we make the decision to let it, and reading Adriana Locke's Restraint (which also happens to be my first Locke sampler) re-rooted the impression that taken though we might not be when we crack open a book for the first time, lingers does the odd that appreciation can still be found along the way. Restraint isn't a mountain among pebbles nor does it welcome a gross shift in originality but it's bright and realistic and on the ball without sketching an overblown ceremony. It's character-centred (if not as romance-expansive as I was hoping) and introductions to the Mason family certainly help to stir up an atmosphere. It is what it is, and that's a small town picture of growth and possibility rather than boasting a swish and swanky show-stopping scene. While I wasn't engaged off the bat, that's not say that I wasn't interested in my first Locke romance, even if it took time to ease into the mood. Holt and Blaire's very immediate meet cute felt more like a casual happening rather than the scene itself initiating a pull, and I'm a reader that has every devilish desire to gush over a face to face that makes me anticipate every second that's sure to follow. That lent itself to a bit of a gauging moment; I took my lack of interest as an omen that the romance might look and feel as tepid as it appeared to me on the surface. I took a closer look. I let the story do its dance and realised that there's a very understated strength and sincerity to Restraint. The pull of possibility perceptible from the offset is actually very suggestive throughout the entire read. The dangerous seedling that of course doesn't know which way to grow, begins with a casual proposition and builds a life of its own, dressing the undercurrent of warmth and wonder in the garb of glib pleasure. Even if neither Holt or Blaire were remotely close to facing it just yet, the thread held (and even though I personally felt that the romance didn't have the biggest chance to explore itself) the chemistry held, and brick by brick do things take shape. As is the case with most romances 'To feel or not to feel' is the underswell as well as the overtone of this romance. We've got two headstrong protagonists who, professionally speaking, are aggressive successors. They've disciplined themselves to believe they don't require romantic companionship in another person. Restraint isn't without those sweet and spicy flavours. In places it's vulnerable, it's warm, it's conversational, it's soft and tense and teasing with mild flakes of angst that accompany the conflict. Even though this romance has a sexual presence (as most romances do), the author outmanoeuvres the sexual attraction with a companionable 'I want to get to know you more'. The steam isn't an overwhelming third party, the romance is more compact and the relationship isn't quite a relationship, but truth be told, I wanted more of both. Locke's hero does hit the ground running though. Some could even call him persistently adamant for every attempt he makes at bringing Blaire and himself closer together. He's also persistently afflicted by that very same thing, always determined to keep her in his life by some means despite embracing a short-term relationship with open arms. We know the fictional sort. We also know precisely where it's heading (reader sixth sense is a truly reliable compass). Both he and Blaire are bound by some strong similarities in character. They aren't carbon copy cut-outs of each other but they are similarly characterised and there's definitely more to them than meets the eye. Eldest of their siblings, they're nose-to-grindstone career-centric sort of people. They're also similarly flawed and even openly admit to having little space for more than their professional lives, though this is more true of Blaire than Holt (enter the Mason crew). Where this genre births a supreme male race of CEOs and high flying magnates who can do it all, be it all and have ample time to wine, dine and languish in the company of their love interest, here's what I liked about Locke's representation: it's much more realistic. Of two overworked workhorses who struggle with the idea of practically sharing a life, the author engages how time-sparse their lifestyles are, how working commitments might suffer when Blaire becomes another piece to the puzzle, even as far as Holt almost losing her because of his fear of professional collapse. Even if the romancer in me was thirsting for a suspension of reality in the ways that make me frothy and featherbrained for this genre, I did appreciate the realism while the heroine isn’t made to fall into the role of sacrificing her entire career. But the realism was slightly flawed because the suggestion of Blaire's conservatism in her own life led me to believe that Holt would be the one to give her a Savannah adventure, and bar the carriage ride there's no particular discovery of the southern setting besides a few descriptions. While the romance wasn't particularly accomplished, and I developed a commitment for the story/chemistry further in, Blaire's character was perhaps the most surprising to me. She's demanding, straight-talking, matter-of-fact and work-obsessed. But she becomes brave and open in a way I didn’t anticipate someone with her disposition would be. When the mandatory separation looms over the non-couple, her character growth really showed in the way she accepted the leverage of being vulnerable. She learned a lot about herself, was open to changing the status quo and reflected on what might make her life better despite having had a life without true companionship. Blaire is someone who hadn't really had a steadfast female presence in her (friends included) so I loved the growing friendship between her and Sienna. Blaire thoughtfully embodies a fear of vulnerability. She's very capable of saving herself but this is more about letting people who matter become a part of her life. In addition, the protagonists acted as people in their professions would, and even though the author decides to leave their ages out of the equation, I'm taking an educated guess that Holt and Blaire are on the maturer side of thirty. I did want more backstory, I did want a richer chemistry and Restraint didn’t have the broader style of storytelling that I love, but all that in mind, the story does own some good bones. A Savannah man in a suit and tie who lives in a lush house off-limits to all but a sensible alpha male-averse attorney. Restraint is what happens when it’s hard to let go of what happened to you. It’s also what happens when a career is built upon the premise that to be successful is to be unattached. Two grossly independent, self-standing people learn that love can be more than a practical impossibility in this small-town romance. I gave this book 3 stars - CONTENT WARNING: Mentions the past death of two parents, grief, thoughts of suicide/self harm. Bedroom scenes. Profanity. --------------------------------------- M Y R A T I N G S Y S T E M: ★ - 1 star: I did not like the book ★★ - 2 stars: The book was okay ★★★ - 3 stars: It was a good, solid read ★★★★ - 4 stars: A great book ★★★★★ - 5: A phenomenal read --------------------------------------- _____________________________________________________ R E L A T E D P O S T S: ● BOOK REVIEW: Battle of the Sexes by Adriana Locke _____________________________________________________ E X T R A T H O U G H T S: 1) The ending does feel a bit HFN-ish to me… 2) There were some misspellings and missing words from sentences that puncture the flow of the dialogue at times. I love interacting with fellow readers, reviewers, bloggers and writers. Hearing about reader opinion is the fuel to my reader appetite, so get in touch and comment below! SHARE ON FACEBOOK L E A V E A C O M M E N T A N D L E T' S T A L K A B O U T |
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