***3 Stars*** 
 The blurb was what caught my attention, it had that Beauty and the Beast feel to it and is one of my favorite tropes so I gave it a go and though I found it to be an easy and overall enjoyable read I didn't fall in love with it like I'd hoped I would. It really does have all the pieces of a great story and yet I couldn't shake the feeling that something was lacking from Blake and Tiffany's romance and that 'something' is what kept this book firmly in the 'like' category instead of bumping up to the 'love' category. 
 Blake is a cold SOB. He wants to protect those he considers his, but goes about it in such a manner that ensures he's absolutely separated from the situation and won't be touched in any way. I got why Blake felt he needed to appear cold, driven and even callous to the world, but I couldn't empathize with him over it because instead of rising above all the B.S. he willingly wallowed in it and used it as an excuse for his behaviour. That didn't show me a man, it instead showed me a little boy trying to play at being a man. Thankfully he does have a "Come to Jesus" moment and I can say that I liked seeing the man he could become if he let go of the reins. 
 Tiffany's first true act of teenage rebellion hit her like a Mack truck and her world has never been the same, but despite all the difficulties that one act brought her and how it's made her wary and cynical, she still fights to give her kids all the love she can. I liked Tiffany from the start. Her fire and determination to do right by her kids were something that I admired. Some of her choices, and the reasons behind them, had me going "mmmmm." but considering all that she went through I couldn't outright fault her for. She'd been put through the ringer and needed to work through things to find herself once more and thought it was a struggle she does finally figure out who she wants to be. 
 As for Blake and Tiffany's relationship. I had no problem with the sexual chemistry between them, because it was hot or even with how their 'relationship' progressed. When you have two people who are unable to trust, whether it be others or themselves, choices are made where the logic behind them is faulty at best. I just felt that there was something missing. All the right pieces were there, but they just didn't fully click together where I had the lightbulb moment where I could envision their HEA. The good thing that comes out of what they put each other through is that the walls they've surrounded themselves with for so long are gone and they finally figure out who the kind of person they truly want to be. 
 The writing was engaging, the story well paced and the dual first person POV's done well. I loved the kids and the heart they brought to the story. The other characters were fun and liked how they rounded things out. This was my first read by the author and though the romance part of it didn't really do it for me, I still found the story to be an enjoyable one and will be checking out other books by the author in the future. 
 ~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley ~