RITA Reader Challenge Review

Her Kind of Trouble by Sarah Mayberry

This RITA® Reader Challenge 2015 review was written by Maria Rose. This story was nominated for the RITA® in the Mid-Length Contemporary category.

The summary:

It takes one to know one

The moment Vivian Walker spies Seth Anderson she knows they’re a match made in hedonistic pleasure. And they both agree their one night together is all about fun, not forever.

Now, years later, Seth remains a favorite memory. Surely the sizzling chemistry has faded, though, right? Apparently not. Because he’s still sinfully attractive, and she likes the man he is. When he suddenly becomes a full-time dad to his newborn daughter, Vivian falls hard. Yet despite the responsibilities, he’s not a good bet for commitment. And she needs to guard her heart before she gets into trouble!

Here is Maria Rose's review:

I first discovered Sarah Mayberry last year with her self published novel Satisfaction . I enjoyed that so much that I started picking up some of her earlier backlist. When I saw this one was up on the RITA Reader Challenge list, I had already picked up a copy but hadn’t had time to read it yet. I’m delighted to be able to review it for SBTB (and knock another book off of Mt.TBR in the process).
This emotional contemporary romance is the story of Seth and Vivian.  When they meet as young 20 somethings at the wedding of Seth’s brother to Vivian’s sister, Vivian’s reaction to Seth is visceral:
He was, in a word, sexy. And boy, did he know it.  The knowledge was reflected in the way he held himself, the way he studied the people around him and in the small, knowing curve to his lips.  He thought he was too cool for school and the best thing since sliced bread all rolled into one, with a helping of God’s gift to women thrown in for good measure.
And Seth is equally struck by Vivian.
Seth took a pull of his beer, not taking his eyes off the redhead who had just walked into the room.  She was pretending that she wasn’t aware of him, but he knew she was.  He’d known it the moment their eyes locked. She was trouble, with a capital T, and he’d always had a thing for trouble.
Their instant attraction to each other results in a hot and steamy one night stand that suits both of them –  a way to release some sexual tension and have a good time with no hard feelings or expectations afterward. They are both young, still figuring out what they want for their future and neither of them is looking for a relationship.  Fast forward 10 years and Vivian has come home to Australia after being overseas, deciding she’s ready to settle down. She’s started a business with a friend that is taking off and she feels like she’s found where she belongs. When she runs into Seth again, whom she’s seen periodically at family get-togethers  over the past 10 years and who has popped up in her thoughts on occasion, he also has matured, running his own bar and seemingly content with his current life – and about to be a father to a baby due any day by a woman with whom he’d had a casual relationship.
But when the woman is injured in a car accident, the baby is born prematurely and as Vivian happens to be on hand when Seth gets the news, it’s only natural that she help him in his time of need. Suddenly the two of them are thrust into a serious situation, and though they’ve spent little time together before, their previous attraction to each other is fully present as Vivian helps Seth adjust to his new reality. Will they be able to take the seeds of their initial relationship, acknowledge how they’ve grown and changed in the intervening years, and let something new and precious bloom between them?
Knowing the types of stories Sarah Mayberry can write, I was sure to have a box of tissues on hand for this one, and was I ever glad that I did.  It was a definite tearjerker. Without getting into too much spoiler territory, the accident that results in the premature birth of Seth’s daughter Daisy and its after effects are a significant part of the storyline so it would be difficult to write a review without mentioning it.
When he was thrust into the role of single parent, I was most impressed with Seth’s determination to be fully present to his new daughter, to not even consider any option except taking care of the child on his own. And even before the accident, he was very adamant that he would be fully involved in his daughter’s life. He took as much responsibility for the accidental pregnancy as Daisy’s mother did and he wasn’t going to be a deadbeat dad.  I really thought his character came across well as having matured so much from the initial meeting with Vivian that we see in the beginning of the story. He made for good hero material – courageous in spite of his fears of inadequacy in bringing up a child, strong, determined and caring. We see his interactions with his nephews and know he is going to be a wonderful father.
Vivian’s character has undergone a significant change as well in those 10 years that they’ve been apart.  She originally came across as somewhat flighty, definitely flirty, a bit irresponsible and unsure of what she wanted to do with her life.  Like many of her age, she’d been in and out of her parent’s home and jobs came and went before she finally found something she was good at while in the US . She’s found her niche, using her love of design to help stage photo shoots and the like.  I really enjoyed the details that went into describing her job, her fashion sense and her love of all things artistic.
Where the plot failed me (just a bit) was in the middle – the action slows down and it’s a slow crawl as we go through the day to day minutiae of the time immediately following the accident. Any relationship thoughts for Vanessa and Seth are on hold and there’s a lot of ‘we’d like to, but we really shouldn’t’ thoughts on both sides.  Though this was important in cementing a friendship between them, it was a tad frustrating.  But eventually they succumb to the ever present attraction between them and we’re back to some sexy times again (yay!).  Their love scenes when they reconnect are equally as steamy as their first time together, but more searing for the emotions that are now coming to the surface, emotions that they have denied existed for so long that it’s hard to voice them now. They are both scared of breaking this new fragile trust between them and neither wants to admit that they could actually have something serious.
But eventually, they come to their senses and realize that they are it for each other. Having a baby to care for definitely makes them understand the importance of what they are committing to, and once they get past their hangups, we get a very sweet and wonderful ending to this emotional story. My rating B+.  (Tissue count – not telling).
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Her Kind of Trouble by Sarah Mayberry

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  1. Nikki H says:

    What a great review! You got it exactly. This is one of my favorites by her.

  2. Maria Rose says:

    Sorry Nikki, I just saw your comment! Thanks for your kind words.

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