Review of Love Me Later by Libby Rice

Love Me Later by Libby Rice

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

I absolutely loved this book. Love Me Later is more than a second chance romance. It is a seriously steamy romantic suspense novel featuring a hot ex-boxer alpha male and a strong yet fragile heroine. Ethan is everything I like in my hero – sexy, smart, possessive without being stalkerish, protective and open to love with the right person. As expected after the attack, Scarlett is extremely fragile and has a whole host of neuroses that help her deal with the PTSD she suffers (I should note that that is my conclusion, not something the author states). What is surprising is that she possesses a strength you wouldn’t expect to see in someone with her vulnerabilities. Ms. Rice does an excellent job in balancing Scarlett’s two sides, while making her feel real.

Love Me Later opens with Scarlett and Ethan’s first meeting and how Scarlett was so taken by Ethan that she planned to make him her husband. I thought that was quite funny actually because it’s the kind of planning I often see in the male lead and it wasn’t an insta-love reaction. Rather Ethan intrigued Scarlett and she plotted a course of action in order to get to know him with the intention of marrying him should he be the person she hoped him to be. Sadly the games that people play left her vulnerable to an attack. As her attacker’s behavior implicated Ethan and she subsequently accused him of the attack, any chance of a relationship was obviously destroyed, especially when evidence was discovered that proved his innocence.

Fast forward ten years and we find their roles reversed with Ethan being filthy rich and Scarlett working for her paycheck – yes she’s an attorney but the expenses she has to insure her safety are high and she is now dependent upon a paycheck. When Ethan is in need of a corporate attorney to oversee business negotiations, Scarlett’s name comes up and he jumps at the chance for the opportunity to get some legal retribution. What follows is a rollercoaster ride of emotions as the two work closely together – anger, lust, fear, anxiety, love, safety, and betrayal. When the line is finally crossed and they end up in bed together it is H.O.T. hot! I adored the way that Ethan responded to Scarlett’s lingerie issue. When her colleagues get wind of the affair and Scarlett realizes that they need to take a break until she can make the necessary arrangements so that Ethan is no longer her client, my heart broke for her at his reaction. There were actually several times during the book when I wanted to cry for Scarlett. Both she and Ethan were victims in this book, but it was Scarlett who kept taking the punches long after they should have been over.

Ms. Rice has done an excellent job in combining love and loss with romantic suspense and crafting a book that kept me on the edge of my seat. She has created a great cast of characters that I enjoyed spending time with. The manner in which the facts behind her attack were revealed kept the story moving forward and the actual motivation was staggering. This is a definite reread for me and I can only hope that we get to see Scarlett and Ethan again in the next book in the series. And I just have to say that I love, love, LOVED the epilogue. It was the perfect ending.



Check out the Love Me Later by Libby Rice Blog Tour post on Wicked Reads.

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